So Qiu Yizhi ordered Zhao Chengxiao to immediately beat the war drums in front of the barracks and gather the whole army.

Zhao Chengxiao received the order, immediately dressed neatly, ran out of Shanyin County quickly, personally raised the drumsticks, and the war drums outside the military camp beat as loud as the sky.

The officers and men in the army heard the sound of drums, and although they did not know what was happening outside the camp, they all remembered the most basic military order of "moving forward when they heard the drums and retreating when they heard the gold", hurriedly put down the things in their hands, put on their battle clothes and swords, and rushed out of the barracks.

Zhao Chengxiao was the general person in charge of the training of this group of township warriors, and when he saw that they were concentrated neatly, he was very happy in his heart, but his face did not move, and he stood quietly in front of the army, motionless and silent.

After waiting for less than a blink of an eye, Qiu Yizhi also walked out of the city gate quickly under the escort of his eighteen personal soldiers, and saw that the army had been lined up, the queue was solemn and orderly, and the military appearance was majestic and neat.

Therefore, a smile immediately bloomed on Qiu Yizhi's face, and he was about to speak, when he heard someone shouting from the top of the city wall: "Look! See! Aki-sama is here! ”

Qiu Yizhi hurriedly looked up, and it turned out that the people in the city heard the sound of drumming, and they didn't know what was going on, so they all gathered on the top of the city wall to see the excitement.

So Qiu Yizhi clenched his fists, waved at the people, and said: "Fathers and fellow villagers, I have received a military order from above, saying that the Japanese are arrogant and have gathered under Jinling City, and they are about to ask us to lead the army to exterminate ......."

Before his words fell, he didn't know who among the people said loudly: "Something happened in Jinling City, the people in Jinling City should solve it by themselves, why do we want people from Shanyin County to give them their lives?" ”

Someone in the crowd at the top of the city wall immediately chimed in: "That's it, that's it." The people who came out of Jinling City, inhaled one by one, their nostrils were facing the sky, their eyes were long on the top of their heads, and when they saw us, they were a countryman, and now they are better, but they want us to save them? What is the rationale for this? ”

His words obviously won the hearts of the people, and some people in the crowd agreed.

Qiu Yizhi listened, but was stunned.

He grew up beside Zheng Rong since he was a child. At that time, Zheng Rong was not the emperor, but he was also the king of Youyan on the side of the shock, and there were even people in Youyan Road who didn't know who the emperor was, and there was no one who didn't know King Youyan. If a soldier asks what question "I am a soldier in Xingzhou, there is something in Yanzhou, why should I be asked to go", it will be laughed at by everyone, and when I encounter a short-tempered officer, I am afraid that I will not be able to avoid a meal.

However, Qiu Yizhi is only a rogue official now, and the eighteen pro-soldiers under his command are acceptable, and among the two hundred newly recruited recruits, if the few people just questioned loudly, they may not have this idea in their hearts.

If there is a moment of hesitation on the battlefield, there will be an unfathomable abyss in front of you, not to mention that if you have such a different idea inside and outside, once the war is unfavorable, it will ferment and morale will collapse instantly.

So Qiu Yizhi pondered for a moment, and then looked deeply at the people on the city wall, and said: "You can say these heart-wrenching words to the lower officials, that is the trust of the lower officials. Even so, the lower officials naturally can't hide anything from you, and they also have a few words from the bottom of their hearts, I want to say to you, I don't know if you want to hear it? ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice came from above the city wall: "My lord, please speak!" Speak, sir! "There was a lot of commotion.

After Qiu Yizhi treated everyone with a little less noise, he said loudly: "Everyone, everyone has heard what the officials have just said, this is everyone's heartfelt words, and it is also out of a heart of love for the children of this family. However, I think, no! He deliberately accentuated the word "no".

Qiu Yizhi glanced at the crowd around him, and the sparse voices of each other calmed down, and then continued: "A gentleman just said that we people from Shanyin County, don't worry about the affairs of Jinling City. But if you think about it, is the matter of Jinling just the matter of Jinling? Not to mention anything else, take the soldiers under my command as an example, they have never apportioned their food and drink to the elders of their county, and they use all the money earned by the lower officials doing some small business. So how does this business work? It is nothing more than selling the goods produced in Jinling abroad to make a little difference. Therefore, if Jinling City falls, then these soldiers who have just formed an army will be dismissed, and what will everyone rely on to defend their homeland at that time? ”

Qiu Yizhi saw that the people were silent, as if he had touched them with a few words, so he said again: "Actually, there is a truth here that the lips are dead and the teeth are cold. Let's think about it, the Japanese are fierce and greedy, if they loot Jinling City, they will naturally not be satisfied, they will think that there is no one in China, and they will burn and loot everywhere. Although my Shanyin County is far away from Jinling, it is not a poor place, can the Japanese Kou let it go? ”

Qiu Yizhi took a breath and said: "If the Japanese invaders come to the door, we will still look like we have nothing to do with ourselves - he beats the neighbor, and you don't go to help; He beats your house, and the neighbors don't take care of you. In that case, they will be defeated by foreign enemies, and no one will be spared. Think about it, isn't that the truth? ”

When he saw that the people on the city wall had been persuaded by him, he nodded his head, then turned to the two hundred recruits and said, "It's the same with you." You are not just obeying the military orders of your own officials, but to defend your family and the country and dedicate your own strength. Every time you kill one more pirate, your parents and wives are younger, and you have a smaller chance of being attacked and killed by them. Think about it, is the burden on your body light? Do you dare to kill the enemy without care? ”

Qiu Yi's eloquence is very good, and even the well-educated Confucianism can often be persuaded by him. The two hundred people he recruited were all countrymen who had never seen the world, and in just a few words, he was convinced, and a few touched their hearts and secretly shed tears.

Qiu Yizhi saw that everyone's hearts had been stirred up by him, so he shouted: "We are about to go on an expedition, and it is rare to leave our hometown." Come, the army kowtows to the father, and it can be regarded as repaying the grace of upbringing! ”

All the troops listened to the order, put down their blades, knelt down in unison, and kowtowed a few times in the direction of the city wall.

A tragic atmosphere suddenly enveloped this small county town, not to mention the soldiers who went out on the expedition, even the people who were still interjecting and talking on the city wall were silent, and several women with sons and husbands in the army were already sobbing!

But I heard Qiu Yizhi give another order: "All the troops get up and go!" ”

Obeying the order, the army hurriedly picked up the shield and sword on the ground, and did not even dare to reach out to wipe away the tears from the corners of their eyes.

Qiu Yizhi had fully entrusted the general affairs of the march and combat to Zhao Chengxiao, so although he gave the order to set off, he did not follow behind the team, but under the escort of Wei Chi Jiming, he turned back to the county town to deal with some matters left behind to deal with the aftermath.

He came all the way to the county office, and just happened to see Xu Rong-this person is the eyes and ears of His Highness Zheng Xin's side by his side-standing next to the county office, looking dazed and at a loss, so he stretched out his hand and called him over.

Seeing Qiu Yi's summons, Xu Rong hurriedly walked up to him, made a gesture, and only said the words "adult" in his mouth, but he didn't know what else to say.

Qiu Yizhi stood at the gate of the county government and asked, "Mr. Xu, I was ordered to go on an expedition, and you are my secretary's staff, why don't you come to see you off?" ”

Xu Rong still didn't know how to respond when he heard this, so he only apologized hesitantly.

Qiu Yizhi sneered with a "hum": "Mr. Xu has a good future, come to my remote small county, and work as a secretary for me, a small official, what is the hidden reason, you know and I know, but it is just tacit." But dare to ask Mr. Xu, since Mr. came here, except for a little hard work when cleaning up the fields, where is there any disadvantage to Mr. in the future? ”

Xu Rong thought about it carefully, Qiu Yizhi's words really made some sense - since he came to Shanyin County, in addition to Qiu Yizhi's ignorance of his love, he has never been embarrassed, and he has never lost money in the curtain, which is more than when he was in His Royal Highness's palace before.

So Xu Rong shook his head and said, "The adults are very good to me, and they have never treated students badly. ”

"That's good." Qiu Yizhi pondered for a moment, and then said carefully, "Looking at the farmland situation in this county sorted out by Mr. below, it can be called meticulous and clear, and it can be seen that Mr. is not a mediocre person. The grievances between His Highness and me will naturally be dealt with between us. The so-called 'immortals play chess, mortals are not allowed to whisper'. Mr. has a great future and great talent, don't get involved in right and wrong, delay it in vain! ”

Qiu Yizhi's words were a little persuasive, a little warned, and seemed to be thinking about Xu Rong everywhere, and he nodded again and again for a while.

So Qiu Yizhi said: "I have also done things around the emperor and several highnesses, and I know the difficulties, since Mr. Xu has a heavy responsibility, he can naturally do it." However, since my husband is my secretary, I also have something that I need to ask him to do. ”

Xu Rong was stunned when he heard this, thinking that it must be this tricky and sharp little county order, and he was going to send himself out to do drudgery. However, he was now looking up to the snort, so he had to nod and say, "My lord is polite, if there is anything, just give orders." ”

Qiu Yizhi glanced at Xu Rong with an immobile expression: "Mr. Xu also knows that he was ordered to go to Jinling to exterminate the Japanese invaders, and the county was empty. Therefore, I also ask Mr. Xu to temporarily receive the county government seal and preside over the county government affairs for me. ”

Xu Rong's eyes lit up when he heard this: Isn't Qiu Yizhi's arrangement equivalent to handing over the power of Shanyin County to himself during the time he left?

He couldn't help but wonder a little - why did this Qiu Yizhi know that he was sent to spy on him, so why did he entrust such important power to himself? That's too bold, isn't it?

But he couldn't help but be a little moved.

Xu Rong's incomparably glorious Jinshi fame in the eyes of others is inconspicuous in the capital, and he has been mixed for more than ten years, but he is just a small Beijing official with a future like fireflies. He was unwilling to waste his life with empty qualifications, so he gave up his official position and joined the door of His Royal Highness Zheng Xin, wanting to get ahead. However, there are also a lot of celebrities in Zheng Xin's mansion, and he can't make a career at all after he enters the mansion, so he was sent far away to Jiangnan to do this unsightly errand.

Xu Rong was accustomed to seeing those gentlemen who were plainly full of benevolence and morality in the capital, and they used each other and beware of each other one by one - even the warmest greetings, but also to guard against whether the other side was a honey-bellied sword; Even if the face is friendly, I am afraid that the other side is not hiding a knife in a smile; Even if it is the most timely comfort, I am afraid that the other side will not be sad if the rabbit dies and the fox is sad - such a political life of more than ten years of deceit, watching the fire from the other side, and falling into the well, has exhausted the idealistic spirit when Xu Rong first entered the officialdom!