A moving brigade of seven or eight hundred people suddenly ran to the bottom of the cottage, which was quite bizarre, and the soldiers in the cottage were a little nervous, many of them tightened their weapons, some people lifted big stones, and even a few soldiers worked together to push the rolling logs, ready to roll down the mountain at any time.

Wang Er, who was learning to read and write with a sad face in the school, also hurriedly ran out, ran to Zhu Yuanzhang's side, and shouted happily: "Okay, there is an enemy coming, no need to study." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him angrily.

Wang Er hurriedly changed his words and said, "Where did the strange army come from under the mountain?" Could it be a trick of the officers and soldiers? Brother Zhu, give me two or three hundred men and horses, I will definitely command well this time and repel the enemy from the mountain. ”

"No, in my opinion, these people are not enemies." Zhu Yuanzhang said lightly: "It's April, think about it, what happened outside the mountain just now in this season?" ”

Wang Er tilted his head and thought about it for a long time, but he didn't come up with it.

"It's Chunfu!" Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "In March, the imperial court levied the spring levy, and they had to sit in the hall to compare the grain, but last year's drought was so serious, and everyone couldn't hand over the autumn levy, forcing our people in a village to rebel, how could they have the money to pay this year's spring levy?" These people who moved under the mountain should have smashed the pot and sold the money to hand it in last year's autumn payment, but this year they couldn't hand over the spring payment anyway, so they had to be forced to run into the mountain. ”

I see! Wang Er suddenly realized.

"Find some soldiers with loud voices, shout in unison at the bottom of the mountain, and ask them to send a few representatives up the mountain to speak." Zhu Yuanzhang ordered.

Soon, Wang Er pulled a few loud voices over, he himself was also a big voice, and he was also standing in the middle of the group of people, Zhu Yuanzhang asked them to shout in unison to the bottom of the mountain: "Listen to the people under the mountain, this mountain is occupied by Baishui Zhu Ba, what are you doing sneakily under the cottage?" If you don't want to be beaten, send a few people who can speak to the mountain. ”

After a while, it seemed that they had reached a consensus, and three men came out of the crowd, the first one was older, and it seemed that he was a little virtuous, and the other two were younger and bolder, probably to protect him.

The two young men supported the older ones and walked up the mountain road together, towards the cottage.

When the three men were halfway up the mountain, a soldier exclaimed, "Ah, I know all three of them." This is our people from Whitewater* County...... The old man headed by him is Uncle De of Leiya Township! The other two young people are two brothers from Shangwang Township, Lion and Dog, collectively known as poodles, and they fight very badly. ”

"Poodle? This nickname ...... "Zhu Yuanzhang really doesn't know whether to laugh or sigh, but he has also heard of Uncle De in Leiya Township, it is said that this old man is highly respected in Leiya Township, because he is fair, he says nothing, and the villagers obey him.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, and the soldier in charge of the gate pushed open the gate of the cottage tied with a tree trunk and let the three of them in.

Zhu Yuanzhang hugged his fist at Uncle De, which was regarded as a courtesy, and then said: "Uncle De, what kind of wind blew you to my little cottage?" ”

"Alas!" Uncle De sighed, replied with a trembling bow, and then said, "You are the rumored Eighth Brother of Baishui Zhu?" ”

An old man calls himself eldest brother, and any young man will feel awkward, but Zhu Yuanzhang doesn't feel this way, he has been a human being for hundreds of years and a wandering soul in his two lives, and his mental age is already an old monster level, don't call him eldest brother, even if he calls him uncle, he will not be anything unusual: "Yes, I am Zhu Ba." ”

Uncle De looked at him with a long sigh, and after half a sound, he sighed and said: "Eighth Brother Zhu, please take in the seven hundred and eighty-three villagers under the mountain, everyone is desperate, so I have to enter Huanglong Mountain to find you......"

"Oh?"

Seeing his inquiring expression, Uncle De hurriedly said: "When you were in the autumn of last year, you rebelled and entered Huanglong Mountain, and we didn't follow at that time...... Mainly...... I'm afraid of ......" He only said this, and omitted it later, but everyone understood what he meant, and he didn't delve into it.

Uncle De continued: "But the news of your defeat of Yang Hong has come, so everyone is not so afraid...... In the spring of this year, the newly appointed county order of the government came to urge again, and the villagers were miserable, and everyone thought of the majesty of Brother Zhu, so they decided to go into the mountains to join you......"

When he said this, Wang Er next to him suddenly shouted: "Brother Zhu, you guessed it again...... Wow, when did you guess wrong, show me. ”

Uncle De was interrupted by him, so he had to stop, and after a pause, he continued: "Ask Brother Zhu to do well, take all the villagers, everyone has even moved out of the house, and they can't go back." ”

After listening to his words, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded without hesitation: "Okay!" I'll take you! ”

"Wow!" The poodle barked together: "So easy to agree? These two young people, who are known as fighting very badly, have actually been holding back their strength since they came up the mountain, thinking: If Zhu Ba doesn't agree to let them join the gang, he will fight with his life.

Their worries are not unreasonable, most of the mountain bandits and rogues are selfish and do not like to recruit people casually. For example, there is a Wang Lun in "Water Margin" told by Mr. Storyteller, Lin Chong went up the mountain to join his gang, and he had to ask people to submit a petition to make things difficult.

The poodle thinks that the two of them are heroes like Lin Chong, and the little cottage may not dare to accept people like them, and Uncle De is highly respected, and there are countless people who support him wherever he goes, and Zhu Ba will make it difficult for them if they don't do it, let them vote for their names or something, or simply refuse to accept them.

At that time, they had to learn from Lin Chong, come out of the fire and Wang Lun's story. So the nerves of the two have been very tense, and they are ready to fight at any time.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Ba agreed without thinking about it...... The poodle was holding back a burst of energy, and almost couldn't find a place to vent, suffocating himself into internal injuries.

"Why didn't you say yes?" Zhu Yuanzhang smiled kindly: "They are all villagers and elders from one township and one place, you are in trouble, how can I sit idly by, and invite the villagers up the mountain to ......"

While smiling at Uncle De and the poodle, he turned his head to Wang Er, Ma Xiaotian and the others and ordered: "Call out all the soldiers and villagers in our village, everyone line up and welcome the new villagers." ”

"Welcome?" Wang Er didn't understand what this meant, but he had always obeyed Zhu Yuanzhang, and he didn't ask why, so he hurriedly gave the order to go.

After a while, the soldiers of the eight brigades in the cottage all assembled, stood in two columns, and welcomed them on the road up the mountain. Behind them were their families, the old and weak women and children in the mountains.

Such a scale of "sandwich welcome" is quite chic.

Uncle De and the poodle went down the mountain to greet the villagers at the bottom of the mountain, and everyone carried the cabinet and the table on their backs and walked up the mountain. The first thing that catches the eye is the two rows of soldiers in the middle of the road, these two rows of soldiers are all wearing the mandarin duck battle jackets of the Ming Dynasty, the military appearance is neat, and the momentum is extraordinary.

The poodle couldn't help but gasp: "This is ...... Soldiers? Why did the officers and soldiers also help Zhu Ba guard the cottage? ”

"Not officers and soldiers!" Uncle De said in a low voice: "The mandarin duck battle jackets of the officers and soldiers are bright red, and theirs are black and purple...... It was taken from the hands of officers and soldiers and re-dyed. ”

The poodle suddenly realized: "Zhu Ba, who is so powerful, dares to snatch things from the hands of officers and soldiers, it seems that it is rumored that he defeated Yang Hong, not to blow." ”

They continued to walk forward, and the soldiers on both sides of the road did not wear mandarin duck battle jackets anymore, but everyone was carrying spears, with serious expressions and murderous spirits, walking in the middle of such two rows of people, and the poodle was a good man who did not want to die, and he also felt cold in his vest, let alone ordinary people. Everyone was shocked by Zhu Bajun's momentum, and they didn't dare to make a sound, and walked silently.

Uncle De sighed again and said: "No wonder Zhu Ba wants to 'welcome' us, he is actually deliberately showing us the strength of the cottage, telling us to be obedient after joining the gang, don't make trouble." ”

After they passed through the welcoming procession of soldiers, the momentum in front of them suddenly eased, and a large number of old and weak women and children appeared in front of them, these are the most ordinary villagers, some are too old to walk with gray hair, some are so small that they can only crawl on the ground, there are little women who are too weak to move stones, and there are also poor people with disabled hands and feet...... This group of people appeared at the end of the welcoming procession, which immediately warmed the hearts of the villagers who had just gone up the mountain: "This mountain is not full of bandits, there are also ordinary people like us. ”

The poodle was a little confused, and asked Uncle De in a low voice, "Isn't he going to demonstrate to us?" How did you get such a group of people at the end? ”

A smile appeared on Uncle De's face: "This is to reassure our hearts, he first demonstrated, telling us not to make trouble and listen to his arrangement." Next, these old and weak women and children are used to tell us that the cottage does not dislike us, as long as we are with them, we can take root in this mountain like these people. ”

The poodle wiped his sweat: "There is so much knowledge in it to make a welcome?" We really don't understand this! ”

Uncle De shook his head and said, "The future is terrifying, when I was your age, I didn't know these ways!" After living a lifetime, I finally became a little shrewd, but how old is this Zhu Bacai, he can do this kind of thing so handy...... This person is not simple! Let's come to this cottage, it's the right place! He is definitely not an ordinary mountain bandit who can be compared. ”