On July 8, Xie Shence arrived at Yangquan.

After connecting with the local Tiqi, Xie Shence immediately met with the patriarchs of several local families.

The four patriarchs of the Wang family, the Han family, the Dong family, and the Wei family jointly welcomed Xie Shence's arrival. At the banquet that night, the four patriarchs gave a detailed introduction to Xie Shence on the situation of the bandits and the rebellious people in Taihang Mountain.

According to the patriarch of the four surnames, the bandits of Taihang Mountain have now merged with the chaotic people. The two sides fought against the government based on the terrain and the cover of the people, and more than ten prefectures and counties were harassed. In the near future, several estates under the four surnames were broken down, and a large amount of winter wheat that had just matured was harvested first.

After getting this batch of grain, the ranks of the bandits and the rebels swelled sharply for a while, and there were more than 10,000 hidden people, according to reliable information, the bandits and the rebels were already planning to attack Pingding County, and the attack was launched in the near future.

After the meeting, Xie Shence had a secret conversation with a Tiqi in the room. The next day, Xie Shence received a secret letter from Taiyuan.

After getting the secret letter, Xie Shence smiled slightly, and then instructed Sanbunzi to invite the four patriarchs and Wu Qinghe, the guard of Quanyang City, to come over to discuss the matter.

Wu Qinghe is an old man who retired from the Northwest Army, and when he was young, he was the commander of the Modao Army under Xie Yi, who was extremely brave, although he was more than 50 years old, he could still eat three catties of meat and two catties of wine at each meal. Extremely respectful to Xie Shence.

Not long after, the four patriarchs and Wu Qinghe arrived. After the five people sat down and served tea, Xie Shence said: "The four patriarchs and General Wu are invited to come today, just to discuss the extermination of the chaotic people and bandits. ”

Dong Huailin said with a smile: "Lord Admiral said bluntly, I will only do my best. ”

Han Shanwen also said: "Lord Admiral has an overreputation, I have a shallow view, it is difficult to have a vision, although Lord Admiral said, if you can use my Han family, you will never give up!" ”

Wang Buzhou and Wei Liang also said: "My lord, just command." ”

Among the five people present, Wu Qinghe is Xie Xian, needless to say, seeing the mountain sound that the four people promised, so Xie Shence said: "Since the patriarchs are so enthusiastic, then Admiral Ben will say it directly." The bandits of Taihang Mountain east of Taiyuan Mansion are mainly concentrated in Pingding and Xiyang, and the bandits are preparing to attack Pingding County, which may not have been premeditated. Judging from the information provided by several family heads last night, once the bandits are pacified, as long as they loot food and ordnance, they will inevitably meet with the bandits in Xiyang County, and the number of people will reach more than 30,000 by then. With so many people, it is not impossible to attack Yangquan City. ”

Several patriarchs looked solemn.

Xie Shence said: "Your family masters are also well versed in military affairs, and the Yangquan city wall is low, whether it can be defended, no one is sure I also know that several patriarchs have some loyal guards, but once the city is broken, your family business may not be able to hold it." Therefore, I hope that all the patriarchs will cooperate with my Tiqi Division to exterminate the bandits before they become troubled. ”

Dong Huailin said: "Then how to exterminate it? ”

Wu Qinghe said: "Naturally, troops were sent to exterminate it. The people of Yangquan County are in charge of the four family heads, and the people under your command are the main source of Taiyuan soldiers, and the combat effectiveness is naturally not weak, and the bandits and people want to rob your family business, that is, the property of these people, so it should not be difficult to mobilize. ”

Han Wenshan said hesitantly: "It's easy to transfer the people, because of the chaotic people and bandits, I and a few others have already consulted the above, and the people have gathered, about 2,000 people." But without the order of Taiyuan Prefecture, it cannot be transferred at will.

Xie Shence smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry about the Han family master, this admiral is here, with His Majesty's secret decree, but the military of Taiyuan Mansion can be controlled, and all the troops except the city defense army can be mobilized when necessary." Therefore, the heads of the family should only obey the dispatch and have no doubts. Moreover, even with the orders of the Ti Cavalry Division, the Taiyuan Governor's Mansion did not dare to make accusations. ”

After speaking, Xie Shence waved his hand, and a Tiqi held a brocade box, and Xie Shence motioned to the four family heads to look at them one by one.

Inside the brocade box is a small scroll with dragon patterns and prints on it. The four heads of the family are no strangers to this pattern, because in addition to the size, it is completely consistent with the holy decree enshrined in their ancestral hall, and it must be the style of the holy decree. The four of them carefully opened the scroll, carefully read the contents, and read the seal again, and after confirming that it was correct, Han Wenshan said: "In this case, these two thousand people, we will completely hand them over to the Admiral." for drive. ”

Xie Shence said with a smile: "All the heads of the family have children in the army, and I hope that after you go back, you will be carefully advised, and this admiral will facilitate it."

So the four of them were overjoyed, and promised at the moment that if their own children did not obey discipline, they would only engage in military law.

Wu Qinghe continued: "With these two thousand people, plus the five hundred infantry in a certain hand, there is no fear of encountering rebels and bandits with less than 10,000 people. ”

Xie Shence nodded, then beckoned back, and one of the horsemen came to the crowd with a box in his hand. Xie Shence opened the box, then took out a stack of silver tickets, and said, "These 50,000 taels of silver tickets are military salaries." ”

Dong Huailin, Wei Liang and the others hurriedly knelt down and said, "Lord Admiral, please take it back!" I can't accept this silver ticket! ”

Xie Shence said with a smile: "This is the military salary allocated by His Majesty, and it is not the personal property of this Admiral. The imperial court was unable to allocate grain and grass for a while, so it had to send silver. This is not an ordinary transfer, so it can only be issued by this admiral on his behalf, without going through Taiyuan Mansion. I also hope that all the heads of the family can understand the painstaking efforts of the imperial court. ”

Dong Huailin knelt up straight and said, "Lord Admiral, this suppression of bandits is our obligation, and it is a great blessing for us to be able to use it for the imperial court." Being able to contribute to the court, we are happy in our hearts, how can we reach out and ask for money and food! ”

Wei Liang said in a loud voice: "Lord Admiral, are you afraid that we will not do our best?" Driven by money? If we contribute to the country, it is even if we are liver and brain, is this move of the Admiral to make me ashamed of our ancestors of the family law? ”

Wang Buzhou and Han Wenshan also said something like they couldn't help it.

Xie Shence saw that several people were emotional, so he turned his face and said sharply: "Shut up!" Do you know the significance of this crackdown on bandits? The imperial court took this silver, called the military salary, which was actually a reward, and it was specially allocated to reward those who made the greatest contribution this time! Saint Longen, dare you refuse? ”

Immediately, Xie Shence's voice softened, and he said, "This admiral also knows that several family heads are dedicated to the country and do not care about personal interests. However, the family has its own rules, and the country also has its own laws, and it is Mingren's act of compassion and understanding, and he intends to reward your fist heart. Don't shirk it, and it is right to understand Your Majesty's benevolence and forgiveness. ”

Xie Shence said for a while, and Xiaozhi persuaded several family owners to get up, and several family owners then accepted the silver ticket with a difficult face.

After that, Xie Shence discussed with several family masters how to arrange troops and lure the enemy to attack.

It was agreed that on the afternoon of July 9, Xie Shence led Ti Qisi and others to Pingding County, 30 miles away.

That night, 2,500 people who had traveled from Yangquan set up camp five miles outside the county seat.

Xie Shence inspected the situation, and then returned to the city to rest until late at night.

On the morning of the next day, Xie Shence and Wu Qinghe's team, and the four sons of the four surnames led three armies in groups of two and two, and set off for Cuifeng Mountain, preparing to launch an attack on the bandit station that Ti Cai had discovered a few days ago.

The news that Xie Shence was coming to Yangquan was sent out as early as when Xie Shence left from the Jin capital. It wasn't until five days before Xie Shence arrived in Yangquan that Tiqi informed the local patriarch of the four surnames, so the patriarchs of the four surnames would have been prepared in advance. When Xie Shence was about to transfer troops, everything was arranged in advance.

Wu Qinghe received the news eight days ago, and then Taiyuan Mansion also sent a military order to make him ready.

As for the earlier preparations, at the end of May, after Xie Shence and Zhou Jinmian had planned, they made arrangements to Shanxi Road and even Guanwai Road through the channel of the Tiqi Division.

Xie Shence and Wu Qinghe, with a team of 500 people and a large car, set off from the middle road and went straight to Cuifeng Mountain.

The left and right armies were five miles away from the Chinese army, and the three armies were pushed across the area like Cuifeng Mountain with a width of ten miles.

Xie Shence and Wu Qinghe were communicating leisurely on the horse.

Wu Qinghe said: "Little Hou Ye, these four surnames are unreliable. ”

"Oh? Uncle Wu, what do you say? ”

Wu Qinghe stroked his beard and said: "These four surnames are in Yangquan, and they have absolute control over the place, which can be said to be the same, and it is not an exaggeration to cover the sky with one hand. Even in Taiyuan Mansion, the old lady in their family can speak when he comes forward. It's still the kind that comes first in the order of speech. Although these four surnames have disputes on weekdays, they have always been fighting in the nest, and they are not ambiguous when they are unanimous with the outside world. The prefectures and counties in the east of our Shanxi Province are the most powerful of these ones. On weekdays, he is also arrogant and domineering. ”

Xie Shence wondered: "Then why do they treat me so much?" ”

"That's because you are the Admiral, although they do whatever they want in the place, they don't dare to do it against the Ti Cavalry. What's more, there are hundreds of thousands of Northwest Army behind the little marquis, and Shanxi Dao and Guanwai Dao have always been each other's lips and teeth, and if they want to live in peace, they don't dare to offend the Northwest Army, and they don't dare to offend you, the little marquis. ”

Xie Shence smiled and said: "If you are willing to endure for a while, you will plan for a long time." Uncle Wu looked at it, if they can endure it this time, I can admire them, if they can't bear it, hehe, they will die. ”

Wu Qinghe glanced at the big car in the team and wondered, "Little Hou Ye, what is that?" Does it really work? ”

"Uncle Wu just watch." Xie Shence smiled confidently, and then said, "I'm afraid they won't have the courage to do it, and they won't need it." ”

Wu Qinghe saw that Xie Shence was confident, so he didn't ask any more, hesitated, and said with a bitter face: "Little Hou Ye, you are in danger, if something goes wrong, Lao Wu can't explain to Xie Shuai." ”

"Uncle Wu, don't worry, Murong Cheng hasn't been able to treat me like this, these people, what."

Wu Qinghe shook his head helplessly.

After receiving the arrangement secretly granted by Xie Shence before, Wu Qinghe was also struggling in his heart, he didn't dare to let Xie Shence be hurt in the slightest, so he also used his heart when picking people in Taiyuan Mansion.

He knew that Xie Yi's love for his two nephews was incomparable. Not to mention anything else, the horse under Xie Shence's crotch now was privately deducted from the Xianbei Gong horse when Xie Yi was inspecting the northwest a few years ago on the charge of bullying the king.

Wu Qinghe regretted why he didn't bring more people, although these five hundred people were not bad, and there was also support, but he was still a little uneasy in his heart.

(PS: I discussed with the editor last night, and I'm going to put it on the shelves in a few days, so I hope it's not too miserable.) Counting on the support of the rank and file, >.