Shi Kefa rode a horse and stood on a high slope in front of Yangshou Town, staring at the direction of Qinlan Town, and the staff behind him stepped forward to ask him to return to the city, Shi Kefa shook his head and said, "No, I will wait here for Xinghua and them to come back." ”

Luo Jian and the others were so busy that they forgot about the report to Shi Kefa, and when they finished cleaning the battlefield, took the prisoners, and loaded the captured materials into the cart and rushed back, Luo Jian remembered to report the battle situation to Shi Kefa.

Let Wang Qiang run to a small hill to contact Shi Kefa, Wang Qiang reported the battle situation in Qinlan Town to Shi Kefa, saying that the governor of Dadu was leading people to rush back with prisoners' supplies.

Hearing Shi Kefa's walkie-talkie ringing, the staff and guards around him all gathered around.

After listening to the briefing, Shi Kefa did not show any excitement, pointed to the two guards, and then pointed to the road to Yangzhou, and the two guards turned their horses' heads and galloped in the direction of Yangzhou.

After Ma Yingkui escorted the prisoners and grain and grass, and let Lou Ting take the cavalry brigade of the first division to break off, Luo Jian asked Liu Zhaoji and Li Chengdong to get into the warrior car and quickly drove towards Yangzhou.

The march on the official road from Qinlan Town to Yangzhou dragged on for ten miles, and the march of the brigade was extremely slow, and with the escort of prisoners and supplies, the sixty-mile road could not be reached until midnight.

On the smooth official road, Liu Weimin drove the car extremely fast, and the speed was almost sixty. Li Chengdong, who was in the car for the first time, looked at the trees falling backwards outside the window with wide eyes, and wanted to say something with his mouth open, but suddenly felt a wave of overturning in his abdomen, and almost vomited, but he forced himself to hold back.

Seeing Shi Kefa and the others who were catching up in front, the warrior car stopped on the side of the road. Wang Qiang suddenly found that Li Chengdong's face was pale and staggering, as if he was drunk, and quickly helped him out of the car, and Li Chengdong ran to the side of the road and began to vomit.

Shi Kefa, who got off the horse to meet him, was taken aback when he saw it, and hurriedly asked Luo Jian, "Mr. Li, what's wrong?" ”

"Mr. Li is motion sick, it's okay." Luo Jian smiled, Luo Jian really didn't expect such an invincible general to be so sick and dizzy.

"Motion sickness?" Shi Kefa had obviously never heard of this word.

"It's okay, it'll be fine in a while." Luo Jian said with a smile.

Li Chengdong, who had finished vomiting, was obviously much more relaxed, walked up to a few people and said, "Why is this magic car like this for me alone?" ”

"You kid must have done too many bad things." Liu Zhaoji said with a smile next to him.

"Don't talk nonsense, there are a lot of people who get motion sickness in cars, and you're not the only one who will get dizzy, so stay for a while and ride a horse." Luo Jian said.

Li Chengdong looked at Luo Jian suspiciously, thinking to himself that what Liu Zhaoji said was true? turned to Liu Zhaoji and said, "Old Liu, you can't say anything about this." ”

"Haha, it's okay if you want Lao Liu not to say it, but Lao Liu hasn't drunk for many days, so if this gluttonous worm commits it, he can't be sure." Liu Zhaoji laughed.

"Okay, okay, Brother Liu, I'll invite you to eat and drink."

Liu Zhaoji stretched out three fingers, and Li Chengdong said helplessly, "Three meals are three meals." ”

Luo Jian and Shi Kefa next to him laughed.

When everyone returned to the east gate of Yangzhou, Ruan Dacheng, Li Zhan and the officials in the city were already waiting outside the city gate.

Luo Jian, Shi Kefa and others got out of the car, Ruan Dacheng came up with a group of officials, and hundreds of Yangzhou people on both sides of the city gate knelt on the ground to greet them.

"Who arranged this?" Luo Jian pointed to the people kneeling on both sides, frowned and asked Shi Kefa, who shook his head and said that he didn't know either.

Luo Jian walked in front of the kneeling people in a few steps, bowed deeply and said to everyone: "Folks, please get up quickly!" It is the duty of soldiers to protect the territory and the people, and they can't afford to be like this! He stepped forward and helped the people in the front row up one by one, and the people behind stood up one after another to congratulate the victorious return of the Metropolitan Governor.

Luo Jian turned around and walked towards the city gate with a dark face, and Ruan Dacheng and a few people hurriedly followed. Luo Jian turned around and asked, "Who made the villagers kneel here?" ”

"It was the lower officials who saw that they were messing outside the city gate, and they were afraid that they would sweep away the interest of the metropolitan governors, so they knelt down to greet them." Li Zhan said cautiously beside him.

"What else are you going to do besides doing these inconspicuous things?" Luo Jian stopped, turned to stare at Li Zhan and said.

"This..." Li Zhan's face was flushed, and he couldn't say a word.

Shi Kefa saw Luo Jian walking back with a black face, knowing that things were going to be bad, but when he was about to step forward and grab him, it was already too late.

"The Metropolitan Governor, but for the sake of a few grass people, why do you treat the lower officials like this?" Li Zhan was not convinced, Ruan Dacheng saw that Li Zhan was about to come forward to speak, and he had the intention to hold it, but it was already too late.

He didn't say it, but he just paid it back, what he said made Luo Jian completely angry.

"How many grass people? You say it lightly! I tell you, it is these grass people who feed us, and the people are fated and anointed; The people are easy to abuse, and the heavens are difficult to deceive. You have done anything for them except to put your stinky official in front of them? The grass folk can put you on their heads, and they can trample you in the mud just as well! I'll tell you again! My brothers and I fought bloodily to drive out the Tartars, just to make these grass people live a good life, not for you who can only stand on the heads of the grass people and make a fortune! ”

Luo Jian's thunderous fury stunned everyone present. For more than half a month, Luo Jian has left the impression on the people of Yangzhou that although he is magnificent, he has always been gentle and elegant, and he is humble and polite to everyone.

Liu Zhaoji took two steps forward to Luo Jian's side, stood next to him and didn't speak, Li Chengdong thought thoughtfully, thought about it, and walked a few steps forward to the other side of Luo Jian and stopped.

Shi Kefa took a few steps forward and said softly: "Xinghua, let's go." ”

When Luo Jian heard this, he followed Shi Kefa and strode into the city gate, Ruan Dacheng saw it, and hurriedly trotted a few steps to follow.

When everyone arrived at Luo Jian's mansion and sat down, Luo Jian got up and said to everyone: "Xinghua is sorry for everyone today, and everyone is disappointed." ”

"Alas, Xinghua, your temper..."Shi Kefa sighed, and began to worry about Luo Jian's future path.

"Brother Xian, to be honest, I can tolerate the rest, but I can't bear this bullying of the people and treating the people as inappropriate!"

"Xinghua, Brother Liu supports you! I, Lao Liu, am also annoyed by this kind of official who treats the people as people, but I have seen too much, and I am numb. Liu Zhaoji said.

Shi Kefa glared at Liu Zhaoji, as if he was blaming him for adding fuel to the fire, Liu Zhaoji smiled and stopped making a sound.

The hall suddenly fell silent, and it took a long time for Ruan Dacheng to speak: "Dadu Governor, you can't be angry with people like Li Zhan, today Dadu Governor has won two big battles in a row, which is indeed gratifying." ”

"Yes, after this battle, Yangzhou is completely safe." Ren Minyu hurriedly picked it up next to him.

"By the way, is there any news from the ** direction?" Luo Jian asked.

"Not yet, calculate the time, the Qing soldiers are estimated to have not arrived at the ** city yet." Ruan Dacheng said.

The speed of this kind of brigade is extremely slow, and it is considered a strong army to walk fifty miles a day, like the Qing army with a large number of siege equipment, and the sky is so long that it is basically hilly, and it is good to be able to walk thirty miles a day.

"How is the road from Yangzhou to **?"

"There is an official road from Yangzhou to **, and the road conditions are not much different from those to Tianchang." Shi Kefa said that he knew best, and he didn't know how many times he had run these roads since he was the Inspector Huaiyang.

Luo Jian put his mind at ease, turned to Liu Zhaoji and Li Chengdong and said, "You two people should hurry up and rest, give you two days, and march to ** in two days." You can't beat and scold the captives, it's okay to eat a little, but let them be fed. Ask the superintendent to arrange for people to screen these captives, and if there are those who have harmed the people and committed heinous crimes, they must be resolutely dealt with; For those who don't do much evil, hand them over to Xiao Liu, and let them mine and build roads, which can also be regarded as labor reform; For those who have no evil deeds, select strong ones to supplement the Yangzhou army. Overseer, what do you think of this? ”

"How do you know who has done something bad or not?" Liu Zhaoji asked anxiously.

"Let them expose each other, this matter must be done in detail, and the future captives will do the same. If the prisoner policy is well implemented, it will be beneficial to our future operations, and I hope that everyone will understand this. ”

"I'll personally arrange someone to do this, Xinghua, you don't have to worry about it." Shi Kefa said.

"Brother Xian is personally responsible, of course I am relieved. During the two-day rest period, all departments must strictly enforce military discipline, and if there is a violation of discipline, they will be severely punished! You can't get carried away just because you won the battle, right, Mr. Li? ”

Hearing Luo Jian call him, Li Chengdong was furious, knowing that Luo Jian was specifically ordering their Xuzhou army, and quickly stood up.

"The last general understands that all the Xuzhou troops are resting in the garrison, and no one is allowed to leave the garrison without approval, please rest assured."

"The seizures of your various departments should also be handed over to the superintendent, and the superintendents will coordinate and arrange them in a unified manner, and no one can embezzle the seized materials privately." Hearing Luo Jian say this, Li Chengdong wanted to stand up and speak, but when he saw Liu Zhaoji nodding, he sat down again and didn't say anything.

Seeing that things were almost arranged, Luo Jian said with a smile: "Everyone didn't eat well at my place the night before yesterday, make up for it today, Steward Luo, tonight is a little richer, and it can be regarded as a celebration of our big victory." Mr. Li, you can arrange for someone to invite Mrs. Xing over. ”

Hearing Luo Jian say this, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly relaxed.

"By the way, Xinghua, where did this Chen Qincha go?" Shi Kefa asked.

Luo Jian told Chen Zilong's whereabouts, and said with emotion: "This is the good official of the common people, if the officials are like Chen Zilong, how can the Ming Dynasty fall to this point today!" ”

As soon as Luo Jian said this, the hall suddenly fell silent again.

Ren Minyu saw that the atmosphere was a little embarrassing, and hurriedly said with a smile: "Xinghua, what did your Liulan teach our son?" I kept asking me when I came home, and I lost all my face. ”

"Oh, what did you ask? Lost all your face? Shi Kefa was interested when he heard it.

"This kid came home and asked me, saying that we were all on the same big ball, why didn't we fall? I said, 'The sky is round and the place is round', how can people be on a big ball, this kid said a lot, I just think this kid is reasonable, but I didn't understand it at all. ”

"What? Schmidt, are we really all on the same big ball? Liu Zhaoji asked towards Luo Jian.

"That's right, we call the big ball we are in the earth, and people don't fall because the earth has an attraction to the things on it, and the size of this attraction is our weight." Luo Jian explained simply, and everyone seemed to understand it.

"On the other side of the ocean, there is a country called England, and a few decades later, there is a man lying under an apple tree who finds that the ripe apple falls to the ground instead of falling into the air. Since then, he has been studying this law, and since then, he has studied the forces between many objects, discovered many laws, and made great contributions to the progress of science and technology. We're already lagging behind in this area. ”

"Grand Duke, what's the use of studying these tricky things?" Ruan Dacheng said it more politely.

"Hehe, these are not tricks, these are great progress in the development of human civilization. It's amazing to see what we use, right? ”

Seeing that everyone nodded, Luo Jian continued: "In fact, these are the products of the great development of science and technology, and they are all made by people, and to make these things, we need to continue to explore and research. ”

Shi Kefa and Ren Minyu both nodded frequently, and the others listened thoughtfully.

After eating, everyone left, but Shi Kefa stayed. As soon as he had eaten, someone came to tell Luo Jian that Li Zhan and Li Qin had rushed back to Nanjing overnight

"Xinghua, what's wrong with you today? A gentleman is easy to deal with, but a villain is difficult to guard. ”

"Brother Xian, let me tell you a heart-to-heart message, I don't have much hope for that small court, and our future development depends on ourselves. By the way, the imperial court appointed me as the governor of Huaiyang, how did you arrange for you, the governor? ”

Shi Kefa pondered for a long time, noncommittal to Luo Jian's words, and finally sighed and said, "The Ma Pavilion Department will not let me return to Nanjing." Only then did Luo Jian know that the imperial court had not moved anything against Shi Kefa and put him on hold in Yangzhou.

"It's best not to go back, when you get to Nanjing, you can't do anything except intrigue and deceit. Brother Xian, why don't you take your sister-in-law over? What Luo Jian wanted in his heart was to let Shi Kefa stay in Yangzhou with peace of mind, and lay a solid foundation together first.

"Wait."

Luo Jian knew that Shi Kefa was struggling painfully in his heart, and it would take time for Shi Kefa to completely give up the Southern Ming Dynasty.

Both men were silent, and the atmosphere in the hall was dreary.

A brisk footstep broke the silence in the hall, and Liu Lan ran over with a baggage, "Brother Luo, give me a thousand taels of silver." ”

PS: Liu Lan saluted everyone! "I don't want your money, which big guy has a recommendation ticket in his hand, so don't be stingy, right?"