Wu Yong, whose ancestral home is in Huailaizhi County, Zhejiang, set off to pick up the car after receiving a crumpled official document. Wu Yong's official position is not high, but his social relationship is not simple, he once studied under the famous diplomat Guo Songtao, by Guo Songtao's relationship, he became Zeng Jize's son-in-law, he became the son-in-law of the Zeng family in the second year, Zeng Jize died. Wu Yong defected to Li Hongzhang again, Li Hongzhang is Zeng Guofan's protégé, claiming to be the son of Zeng Jize, Li Hongzhang has no reason not to care. Due to Li Hongzhang's recommendation, Wu Yong, who was not born in the imperial examination, became the county commander of Huailai.

As soon as Wu Yong took office, he was faced with the problem of the Boxer Rebellion. Wu Yong was a resolute opponent of the Boxers, and publicly posted a notice stating that no shrine should be set up in Huailai County, which he was under his jurisdiction. The light one hits the board, and the heavy one kills the head. For this reason, countless groups were arrested and sent to the county jail, and the prison was almost unable to let go. Originally, Wu Yong had basically suppressed the Boxer Rebellion in Huailai, but the order of the imperial court came - to support the Boxers! Now the situation was reversed, and the Boxers arrested Wu Yong and almost cut off his head.

This incident made Wu Yong disheartened. Then, the war broke out, and the imperial court lost.

The document was indeed a bit out of place, and colleagues said that the document must be fake, but Wu Yong finally decided to take it personally.

Wu Yong's decision is naturally correct, and he can't run for nothing at most, and then needless to say, at least the attitude is correct.

That document was drafted by Zhao Shuqiao and sent by Long Qian's cavalry to Huai. To go to Xuanhua, you must come through Huai, and naturally you have to notify the county. From Beijing. Cixi didn't even see a single official in the area along the way, and God knows if they fled or hid. Wu Yong's appearance suddenly made Cixi's eyes light up, although the official uniform on this thirty-year-old civil official was really a little unorthodox, dirty, and wrinkled, how uncomfortable to look at.

"What's your name? Flag man? Han? Cixi asked.

Wu Yong replied truthfully.

"How many years have you been here?"

Wu Yong said that it has been almost three years.

Cixi sighed, "Since the emperor and I left Beijing, we can't see a single place of people, let alone officials. Get rid of the dragon lieutenant general Qianli Qinwang to escort him. No one paid any attention to us. You're here in your official uniform. Count yourself as my loyal servant. Saying that, he called Long Qian, "He is Long Qian, responsible for driving safety." Help him to raise food and shelter. ”

Wu Yong said that he would obey the order of the Empress Dowager. Do your best to get the errands done.

Long Qian asked. "Queen Mother. Weichen and Wu Xianling went to Huailai to settle everything, this place is too simple, please bear with the Queen Mother for a while. ”

"Go ahead." Cixi waved her hand.

Long Qian called Lian Shupeng. He brought more than a dozen cavalrymen, allocated a horse to Wu Yong, and went to Huailai County with Wu Yong. Although Wu Yong was a civil official, he was quite athletic, and as Long Qian's cavalry rushed to the county seat, the city gate had been locked, and Wu Yong took a lot of effort to open the city gate.

Wu Yongxian took Long Qian to his county office.

"Wu Xianzun, the top priority is the accommodation of the two palaces. Let's stop first. ”

Wu Yong saw that Cixi was very important to this deputy general who was wearing a new army uniform and did not have braids, "General Long, I don't know how many people are driving and guarding the two palaces?" ”

"The total is no less than two thousand."

Wu Yong was dumbfounded, "My lord, the county seat is very simple, I'm afraid it can't accommodate a large number of people." ”

"First arrange the residence of the queen mother and the emperor, and then talk about those princes and ministers. We have to do both, settling down and finding the best cooks and ingredients. Others, leave him alone for the time being. Go and shout at all your officials. ”

Wu Yong thought to himself, this is fine, with this young lieutenant general in the front, his responsibility will be lighter, "Adult__"

Long Qian smiled and interrupted Wu Yong, "Wu Xianzun doesn't know, I, the deputy general, can't be counted." Half a year ago, I was still at war with Yuan Shikai in Shandong. Look at how many years older you are than me, what about me, call you Brother Wu, what about you, just call me Long Qian. ”

Wu Yong was stunned, he had a lot of dealings with important ministers of the court, but he had never heard the name Long Qian, "The adults laughed__"

"Brother Wu, if we have a fate, let's talk slowly. Are there any clean inns in the county? ”

"The best house is the county government." Wu Yong smiled bitterly.

"Then live in the county office." Long Qian made a quick decision.

Wu Yong led Long Qian to inspect his county office, which was just a courtyard with two entrances, with a very small layout and old houses. The front yard is the office space of the criminal, household, and soldier, and the back yard is where Wu Yong lives. Long Qian looked at it, "I can only live in the backyard, Brother Wu, you have to give it up." These are these two," Long Qian pointed to the five main rooms, "Shupeng, you take someone to clean these two houses, find two sturdy beds, by the way, and clean bedding, which can be bought from the people at a high price." Do it now! ”

"Okay, I'll do it." Wu Yong agreed.

"Shupeng, you go and buy a few clean clothes yourself, and the old ones are fine. You have seen the queen mother and the emperor, just buy them according to their figures. The more the merrier, and don't be afraid to spend money. ”

"Got it."

"Wait. There are also rouge gouaches, the more the merrier. Brother Wu, your people went to find the cook and the ingredients, right? ”

"General Long, I'm afraid I don't have so many ready-made rice noodles here." Wu Yong said with a sad face.

"Shupeng, go ahead, there's nothing for you here." Long Qian saw that Lian Shupeng hadn't left yet, and waved at him.

"Brother Wu, you won't sue me that you don't have any grain in this county, right?"

"There's a little bit of food stockpiling. There is not much wheat and rice, and thousands of people can't eat it for a few days. What's more, if you want to use it soon, I can't give the Queen Mother a nest to eat. ”

"As for the white noodles, I brought some with me. A meal or two is fine. You are responsible for the dishes, and the staple food is steamed buns. When they come, the flour is there, you get ready, the big steamer is ready, and the gang is very hungry. ”

"That's going to do it." Wu Yong breathed a sigh of relief. I called the official and hurriedly went to make arrangements.

"Brother Wu, wait a minute, there is one more thing please. Our officers and men fought a series of bloody battles with foreigners under the city of Tianjin, and captured a large number of enemies, and these prisoners are currently in the army. Need to find a large independent yard to settle in. The key is to be large and secluded. In addition, there are many of our officers and soldiers and foreign soldiers, many of whom are injured and need a large amount of medicine. Please send someone to find a doctor in the city, and I will pay double the cost of the consultation and medicine. ”

Wu Yong was stunned, "How many foreign soldiers are there?" ”

"More than four hundred."

"Oh my God!" Wu Yong exclaimed, "Don't worry, I'll arrange it." There is a big shop in the west of the city, and the ground is spacious enough, but it is a little simpler. ”

"That's very good. Thank you, Brother Wu. Long Qian clenched his fists and arched his hands.

These must-dos are arranged. Long Qian commanded the cavalry that followed him and began to clean up the house.

By the time the brigade arrived, the courtyard was already filled with the smell of meat, and the house was tidy. It also made Cixi feel home. She was welcomed by Long Qian into the room prepared for her. Look at the sleeves rolled up. Long Qian, who was sweating with a face, was moved in his heart.

Touching is a common feeling of normal people. But Cixi, a woman who has been on the highest position for forty years, has almost forgotten what it is to be moved. It was on this occasion that she found the mentality of ordinary people.

"Queen Mother. Please rest in this room. The emperor is next to him. Weichen made his own opinions, and he didn't know if it was in line with the Queen Mother's wishes. ”

Cixi sat down on the bed with a thick mattress with satisfaction, "Very good, very good. ”

Long Qian took a burden and handed it to Li Lianying, who was not leaving Cixi, "Manager Li, I bought some clothes at a high price from the people in my humble position, which looks quite clean, and in addition, this is a toiletry, it is too simple, I don't know if it is suitable for the road." ”

"Okay, good, you're thoughtful." Before Li Lianying could answer, Cixi was already smiling, and the clothes on her body and her greasy hair were unbearable.

"After the Queen Mother washes up, she can use her meal. Wu County Ling was very dedicated and personally went to find the best cook in the county. ”

"You're all good." Cixi got up and changed her clothes. Long Qian hurriedly retreated.

"Your Majesty, this is yours." Long Qian and Guangxu came out of Cixi's house and handed Guangxu another burden.

Guangxu opened it and saw that it was a blue silk shirt, and he was very satisfied, "Vice General Long has a heart." "Poor monarch of a country, standing there, if you don't introduce it, no matter how you look at it, it's a running guy.

"The emperor should also pay attention to his body, and rest early after dinner." Long Qian sent Guangxu back to the house, seeing that Guangxu had the intention of talking to him, he didn't stop, turned around and left.

Long Qian then arranged the residences of Li Lianying, Rong Lu, Zhao Shuqiao and other princes and ministers, but they were just those houses in the county government, Rong Lu and Li Lianying's were more dedicated, and the others, Long Qian didn't care about it first, and second, he didn't care so much.

What he was thinking about was his own troops.

Long Qian was worried that it was the simple soldiers under his command who would react excessively when the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were around. The reaction will be two opposite sides, one is excitement, after all, he is a person who grew up in this environment, and the emperor who can only talk in private is by his side, and it is impossible not to be excited. The second is to cocoon oneself. In the political class on weekdays, I don't talk a lot about the Manchu court, how incompetent, how corrupt, and how to exploit the people. This made the officers and men resentful. Moreover, everyone was born in Xiangma, and they fought bloody battles with the officials and soldiers, and they hated the court in their bones. Zhao An was too anxious to come and didn't give Long Qian time to do ideological work, so he could only reveal his plans at the highest level. Now it's even more excessive, it's just a matter of surrendering to the court, and he has become the hardcore defender of the emperor and the queen mother, and this turn is faster.

Long Qian couldn't help but worry about the mood of the troops. Moreover, there are two companies in hand that participated in the Beijing operation. In case the news is revealed, there is only one way, kill Cixi and Guangxu, and provoke chaos in the world in order to survive.

But this is not the situation that Long Qian wants to see. He still hopes to take control of the troops and follow his train of thought step by step.

Before the banquet began, Na Yantu came to spread Cixi's will and asked Long Qian to go to the Queen Mother's table to eat. Long Qian refused, and said to the Mongol, "The captives have not been settled yet, so I really don't feel at ease. After speaking, he left the county office, leaving Shi Dashou with the tenth and twelfth companies to guard the county office.

The Mengshan Army Brigade, the prisoners and the wounded of the Mengshan Army were all housed in a carriage shop on the edge of the city, and half of them had to sleep in the open. By this season, the nights outside the plug are already a little cold. When Long Qian passed, the battalions were burying pots and cooking in companies, and several overlord fires were set up in the courtyard, and the smoke was filled.

When the soldiers saw Long Qian, they greeted him one after another, no different from usual. This made Long Qian a lot more down-to-earth, "Hey." Eat your heart, brethren, and eat openly. After eating, burn your feet and rest early. He walked through each company and greeted the officers and soldiers.

No anomalies are visible. After the last day, Long Qian came to the infirmary located in the main room.

I didn't expect Wu Yong to be here. Wu County ordered to find three doctors. These doctors heard that they were treating the wounds of soldiers who fought foreigners, and they were very enthusiastic and proactive. Meng Shanjun himself also brought a doctor, and Cheng Fugui, the bone-setting doctor back then, was already an "old military doctor". When Long Qian came in, he saw Cheng Fugui changing the dressing for the injury.

A soldier in the second company was wounded in the right arm, and his bones were shattered. The broken bones were exposed. The wound is seriously suppurated, and the person has a high fever, and I am afraid that it will not work.

Long Qian carefully examined his injuries and decided to saw off his broken arm.

He walked out of the house. called out Cheng Fugui. Wu Yong also came out. "Lao Cheng, see it off! This may save Xiao Yue's life. Let's find a saw. ”

Cheng Fugui sighed.

Du Sanli, the deputy battalion commander and second company commander, had tears in his eyes and went in to tell the injured man surnamed Yue. "Commander, Xiao Yue doesn't want to, he would rather die than have his arm sawed off."

"Nonsense! Is life or arm important? Bind him to me, and I will do it myself. If you want to scold, let Xiaoyue scold me. Crippled, our Mengshan army will raise him for a lifetime! Afraid of the ball! Long Qian scolded.

"Lord Dragon, do you really want to see off your arm?" He is a civil official, where has he ever seen such a tragic thing, and he has never even heard of it.

"I can't help it, I can't watch my brother lose his life! endure the pain for a while, and leave a useful body. Long Qian waved his hand to Wu Yong, "By the way, you go to the county office, Empress Dowager Yuming, and I'll go over later." ”

The saw was found, Cheng Fugui boiled it in boiling water, it was considered to have been disinfected, and he took the saw into the house. Wu Yong didn't leave, standing at the door, hearing the terrible screams coming from the house, he couldn't help but tremble with his legs.

Long Qian finally came out, his hands were stained with blood, and he said calmly to Chen Fugui, "Get Xiao Yue a pair of fever-reducing decoctions, Du Sanli, you will personally take care of him and drink it." Long Qian ignored Wu Yong and washed his hands in the basin brought by Zhai Hongxiang, "How is it?" You okay? ”

"Is that okay?" Zhai Hongxiang followed Mengshan Army and was temporarily assigned to the staff section of the headquarters, and it was the first time he had seen this kind of operation.

"If you don't do it, you will die, and if you do, there may be some hope. Tomorrow, Xiaoyue's fever will subside, and his life will almost be saved. In this world, human life is too cheap! Long Qian saw Wu Yong, "Hey, why haven't you gone over yet?" ”

"My lord really loves soldiers like children. No wonder they can defeat foreign soldiers. ”

"I'm sorry for my brethren. As for the exploits of war, they were earned by my brethren through birth and death. Without them, my Long Qian bullshit is not! Lushan! ”

"In!" Lu Shan ran over.

"Tonight, I will take the four battalions to the county government to guard, and I will leave it to you here. Don't be careless. ”

"Yes." Lu Shanli replied.

"Lu Shan," Long Qian called Lu Shan aside, "You have to pay more attention." We are turning too fast in this corner, and if we can't figure it out, pay attention to the company platoon commanders, if there are any signs of instability, send someone to sue me in time. In addition, I have done a big thing in Beijing, and the 3rd and 11th companies have participated in it, and I will tell you clearly in the future, but not now. During the night's accommodation, arrange for the three companies to stay alone, and try not to let the three companies be mixed with other units. Xiao Lin is inexperienced, you and Yan Bing pay more attention to the next three links. ”

"What did you do?" Lu Shan's heart hung in the air.

"Grab the money! robbed the court of a lot of silver," Long Qian smiled, revealing a neat white tooth, "You can't let the court know the way, the court, let's protect the court now." ”

"I see." A stone in Lu Shan's heart fell to the ground instead. I've done everything to kill officials and rebel, what's it like to rob money, "Hehe, I'll just say it." The commander will not run to Beijing without trouble. Don't worry, I've got you covered. I'll leave it to me. You don't have to worry about it. ”

"Don't tell anyone just yet." Long Qian muttered, "The guard post still needs to be released and let go farther away." I always feel that this area is not very peaceful. Since we have taken this step, we must go on firmly. Otherwise, I will be sorry for the dead brothers and those who are disabled like Xiao Yue. ”

"Then, what are Mingyuan, Erhu, and Shi Jun doing in Beijing?"

Long Qian's face was gloomy, "A large sum of gold and silver, and you can't take it away, you have to arrange it properly." However, now I regret it a little, and you have heard what foreigners are doing in Beijing. I'm worried that Shi Jun and Mingyuan won't be able to cope well. ”

"Didn't Jiang Yun's ghost ghost also stay? You don't want them to fight with foreign devils, right? Rest assured. Lu Shan said with relief.

"I hope so. Lu Shan, I am very confused now, and I don't know if I am right or wrong when I take a few steps in a row. Long Qian glanced at Wu Yong, who was standing at the gate of the courtyard waiting for him, "What I'm most afraid of is that I am busy, but I am sorry for these brothers who are desperate to follow me for their lives." Okay, I've got to go. ”

"Cheng, I'll personally arrange the vigilance after dinner."

"Sentry posts should also be set up at major street intersections. In addition, those foreign soldiers must be taken care of. ”

"Yes."

"Commander, will you eat here? Still leaving? Feng Lun and Ye Yanbing ran over.

"No, there's something going on over there. You two should bring your own soldiers and help Lushan settle down here. We'll be there tomorrow morning! ”

"Where are we going?"

"Don't ask." Long Qian glanced over, "Just listen to my orders." Tonight, you two will sleep less, check the post yourself, and don't make a mess. After speaking, Long Qian pulled Wu Yong, "Brother Wu, let's go." By the way, you didn't tell the three doctors about the emperor, did you? ”

"No, don't I know it's amazing?"

"That's good." (To be continued......)