At about noon, I saw the high gate tower of the Huangzhou Governance Office on the bow of the ship. Geographically located in the middle of Jinghu Lake and Huaidong, Huangzhou is the key to the soft hinterland of Jinghu South Road. The state city is bordered by mountains and rivers, and the tall mountains in the northwest can overlook the state city from below. The Yangtze River flows slowly from the south of Huangzhou, and then flows upwards for several miles, which is the old battlefield where the Sun-Liu coalition army defeated Cao Cao's army of 240,000 people in one fell swoop - Chibi.

"In short, the news of the appearance of the Mongols must be immediately notified to the officials and lords of Huangzhou." Zheng Yunming looked like the situation was urgent: "If the Mongolian army really comes, more than 100,000 people in Huangzhou will not survive." ”

Shangyuan is approaching, and there are many pedestrians on the road from the wharf to Huangzhou City. Zheng Yunming hurriedly walked towards the city gate with a group of personal guards, and the merchants couldn't help but avoid this formation when they saw it.

A rudimentary sentry post was set up more than a mile outside the city gate, and a few Turkish soldiers in red cloth jackets carried swords in their hands, chatting and scanning the passers-by. When Yu Lu saw a vendor carrying a burden and carrying a basket, he went up to check and interrogate him, and got a few pennies out. Seeing the girl and daughter-in-law who were out in a hurry, they also surrounded her and joked a few words. Passers-by hurried past the ruffians with angry faces on their faces, for fear of provoking this gang of troublemakers.

However, seeing the appearance of this group of people coming straight to the city gate, people also knew that the master who could not be provoked had arrived.

Zheng Yunming came to the sentry, reported his name, and asked to meet with the Huangzhou guards as soon as possible.

The first of the local soldiers smiled flatteringly: "The biggest military attache in the city is the commander of the Mabu Military Division, Meng Dashuai, but the marshal generally does not stay in the yamen of the city, and most of the officials can find him when they go to the camp in the west of the city to find him." “

Meng Hui? That's right, Zheng Yunming thought about it for a while, at this time, among the three strongest generals in the Great Song Dynasty, Meng Heng's cantonment was in Huangzhou. Although Zheng Yunming's favorite among the three major generals in Duanping was the little scholar who was originally scheduled to teach in the Tianshui Army, but he became a general in the army, he wanted to use his father's power several times to fish Cao Youwen and his troops out of Sichuan and send them to Huaixi or Jiangnan as a reserve in the future. But it's a pity that Sichuan Marshal Zhao Yanna is exactly the figure who is inseparable from Zheng Qingzhi in the officialdom. Whether it is an order issued by Zheng Qingzhi in the name of the Privy Council, or a letter to him in the name of a private person. In short, as long as it is a strategy led by Lord Zheng of the imperial court, Zhao Yanna's consistent attitude is to use the special situation in the border areas as an excuse to shirk everything. What's more, it was seconded as the core of Shukou's defense, Cao Youwen's loyal army.

It is estimated that Cao Youwen will not be able to escape the end of being destroyed, in this case, it is also a good choice to take this opportunity to have a good relationship with Meng Puyu, the backbone of the Great Song Dynasty front in the next ten years, and win the support of the Meng family army, which has the strongest combat effectiveness.

When Zheng Yunming was thinking like this, he had already seen the camp under Meng Heng, who was in charge of the official affairs of the Ma Military Division.

Meng Heng's camp was still two miles away from the state capital, and the back side of the camp was facing the direction of the state city, and the left flank was close to the road. The right wing is close to the river, and there is a simple dock made of wooden planks, on which small boats are tethered to spare it. It can be seen that the camp is standing on a wide platform slightly higher than the flat land, and the camp is surrounded by a dry trench that is a few feet wide in front of the camp. The camp was surrounded by a seven-foot-high wooden fence, and it was evident that there were patrols patrolling the vicinity. In front of the main gate, there were antlers and horses, and more than a dozen heavily armed armor soldiers stood guard outside the gate with guns, vigilantly watching the movement on the river and the road.

Before Yun Ming and his party approached the barracks, they suddenly saw an old man in his forties and fifties wearing a scarlet hat and a yellow cloth shirt, holding a package in one hand and holding a bamboo cane resting quietly on a big rock on the side of the road.

This is a typical military dress, most of them are old men who are old and helpless, stuff some bribes for the recruiting officials, and mix in the barracks to eat. Using such an old man to deal with the Mongols with strong bows and horses is really a child's play army. The elite division, known as the first in the Southern Dynasty, turned out to be nothing more than that.

Just kidding, let these people in their fifties and sixties guard the lives of the country and the people. I might as well roll up the money and run away early. Zheng Yunming thought so in his mind, but there was a smile on his face, and he sang a promise to the old man: "Dare to ask the old man is also a sergeant under the command of Meng Dutong?" ”

The old man raised his head slightly, a subtle glint flashed in his squinted eyes, and asked with a smile, "Am I old?" ”

Zheng Yunming scratched his head embarrassedly, a person in his forties and fifties should only be able to carry armor and clothing tents in the battalion, carry water and cook, if he wants to stand in the first column to face the enemy's swords and guns, how can he rely on such old arms and legs. But after all, it was the old man, and these words could not be said in person, so he had to divert the conversation.

"I am Zheng Yunming, the newly appointed official of the Jinghu Transport Division, because I encountered a Tartar robbery outside the city, so I hurried to report the military situation to Meng Dashuai."

"You mean the Mongols?" The old man woke up violently, raised his head and shouted, "Just outside Huangzhou City? ”

Han Shilang hurriedly said: "Each of them is dressed in hair, and some of them are wearing ghost-like masks. Except for a few people who claimed to be Mongolian soldiers, everyone else shouted Mongolian dialect that people couldn't understand. And knives and guns, axes and whips. ”

"That's right" A playful smile appeared on Zheng Yunming's face: "Just shout a few words that others don't understand and want to pretend to be a Tartar, but the recent officials and soldiers are becoming more and more unsuccessful." ”

The corners of the old man's eyes were raised slightly, and his eyebrows were raised, "How can the official know?" ”

"Careful people can see it at a glance," Zheng Yunming held his chin with his hand and carefully recalled what he saw at the time: "Although there are those who have bundled hair and those who scatter, there is no one with braided hair, although the population under the jurisdiction of the Mongolian army is very mixed, but there must always be a true Tartar as the leader among a hundred people, and it is too strange that there is not a single true Tartar in these Mongolian troops." ”

"The heaviest bow in the Mongol army, each of them carried at least one large bow, one small bow, and a few bags of arrows. Some of the 'Mongols' who pursued Han Shiro carried hand axes, some carried spears, some carried simple knives, and some wielded wooden sticks, but they did not have a bow or arrow. If there were a few bows, how could Shiro get out so easily? This kind of equipment is not like the Hu people in the north, but like our own people. ”

"Among the people who chased Han Shiro, there were those who wore cloth shirts, those who wore cotton jackets, and those who wore paper hats. Although he deliberately wore all the clothes in reverse so as not to reveal the marks of the official army, the clothes and ornaments were all from the southerners, and he could not find a single Hu man in costume. ”

And the most ridiculous thing is that although they claim to be Mongol soldiers. But not even a horse! It's really funny how to pretend to be a Mongol without a horse. The thieves who pretend to be falling grass are more convincing. When Zheng Yunming said this, he couldn't help laughing again.

The old man couldn't help laughing: "It seems that these people are really becoming more and more undecent, even the newly appointed little scholar can see through their outfits at a glance." If we don't give them a taste of bitterness, I'm afraid that they will openly disguise themselves as Mongols and come to the city to rob them. ”

Saying that, the old man stood up, Zheng Yunming realized that although the old man was not sitting in a majestic manner, he stood up half a head taller than himself, and his body was straight, his shoulders fell slightly, his eyes were like torches, and a faint momentum of a tiger jumped out. Compared with the idle old man who just sat on the bluestone, it really seems to have been reborn.

The old man yelled in the direction of the walled gate: "Come on! The sound was as loud as a bronze bell, and Zheng Yunming's ears rustled.

A warrior in full armor ran over and bowed his hand to the old man.

"Go and inform everyone to assemble at the big tent now!"

The sergeant immediately turned around and galloped towards the camp after hearing this simple and powerful order. The old man turned to the crowd of adults with open mouths and shocked faces, and smiled: "It's rude that you haven't officially introduced it yet." The old man is in charge of Ma Jun's official affairs and controls Meng Heng. ”

The midwinter evening was quite cold, and the miserly sun gathered the last rays of light and fell lazily below the horizon. The iron-gray night spread out under the sky, and the low-hanging clouds covered the starry sky, making people feel depressed and lonely.

The traveler walking by the river quietly wrapped the small black cotton jacket on his body, and the biting river breeze blew by his side, and a little bit penetrated along his neck, making the traveler shiver.

This is a group of business trips out of Huangzhou City. Eleven men and eight donkeys were hurrying down the road, each carrying a heavy load, and from the smooth and moist light peeking out of the corners, it was a group of merchants who trafficked in plain silk. Although it was the world where the bandits were active at night, perhaps because of the delay, the group decided to take the risk of traveling at night to save time and arrive on time.

It's a pity that the idea that maybe you won't meet robbers backfires in the end.

The grass beside the road in front of him moved slightly, and a black shadow suddenly jumped out and stopped in the middle of the road.

"Mongols! Drop off your cargo and get out of here! ”

The leader with a soap cotton hat at the head trembled and retorted: "Where did the Mongols come from in these peaceful years!" ”

"Ignorant rats, they dare to talk back! Come out, brethren! With the black shadow whistled, dozens of figures suddenly jumped out of the grass on the side of the road, blocking the way of the merchant traveler in front and back. Everyone was armed with knives and guns, with their hair scattered, and some of them even painted a very terrifying face with ink, and screamed strangely. The appearance of teeth and claws in the dark night is really like a group of ghosts in front of the Yama Palace.

When the soap cotton hat saw this kind of formation, he was already frightened like sifting chaff. trembling and shouting: "Grandpa Mongolia, spare his life, the little one will contribute the goods, just ask to spare my life!" ”

"Well, that's right, we Mongolians, as long as you are willing to give money, you will be fine," the robber said proudly, as he walked over to loot the merchants' belongings.

To his great surprise, what was in the other party's hands was not the plain silk offered, but two simple knives that flashed cold light in the dark night.

"What do you mean, you, you, you!" The looters raised their hands to threaten: "Aren't you afraid of the swords and guns of our Mongols!" "Oh, don't you want goods, there is nothing else handed over to you today, only knives, guns and shackles!" The man in the soap hat turned his head to the attendant behind him and ordered, "Raise the torch and send the signal!" ”

With the lighting of the three torches in the caravan, countless torches were lit in the field a little farther away, and the shouts of killing rang out in all directions, like an earth-shattering momentum.

"We are the sergeant in charge of the Ma Military Division, a shameless bandit pretending to be a Hu person, immediately put down his sword and gun and surrender!"