Early in the morning of May 19 of the sixth year of the calendar, Qian Yuanshan, Zeng Zhilin, Tang Chao and Muttel came to resign from Wang Kunjun and Li Junwu, who had stayed in the "Feilong Village" the day before. These four men were all dressed in military uniforms at this time, not only wearing brand-new camouflage uniforms and camouflage combat caps, but also wearing body armor covered by camouflage cloth on the outside of the camouflage uniforms - perhaps it is not scientific to call them body armor, because in this era, their enemies did not have modern firearms, so it is more appropriate to call them stab-proof armor.

Although this kind of stab-proof armor also adopts a similar way of creating chain mail, it is different from the armor that the generals of this era wear armor all over their bodies, in order to make it more convenient to move, Qian Yuanshan and others only wear half-body armor - although Qian Yuanshan and others usually travel on horseback, but let them wear dozens of pounds of iron armor to fight, they are really not used to it. For this reason, the Weapons Section combined the armor of this era with the concept of modern stab-proof clothing in the previous life, and made this half-body stab-proof armor with the finest steel produced by the Materials Section

Wang Kunjun and Li Junwu saw Qian Yuanshan and others dressed up in a majestic and high-spirited manner, and their spirits were also lifted. On the one hand, the two wished them a complete victory in this trip, and said that during their battle, the two would sit in the "Flying Dragon Village", so that they would not have any worries. On the other hand, the two also instructed Qian Yuanshan and others to pay attention to safety in this battle, and never hurt themselves in order to win.

Qian Yuanshan and others asked Wang and Li not to worry, they had a complete plan for this trip, and they would never be blind heroes. He also said that they are full of confidence in completing the task and will never let down the trust of the brothers in the team, and ask the brothers to wait for their good news.

After the instructions were completed, Wang and Li led all the brothers who stayed in the cottage and the soldiers who stayed behind to send Qian Yuanshan and other traversers and all the soldiers who went out of the cottage until they were outside the gate of the "Liangyuan", and then stopped at the request of Qian Yuanshan and others and waved goodbye to them.

After bidding farewell to the brothers, Qian Yuanshan and others led two squadrons and four squads, with a total of more than 400 soldiers, along the road they had taken when they had supplemented reconnaissance, and went to "Baihua Village".

Since this time it was going to war, and because it was carrying two forward-loading guns and six mortars -- although there were special horses to push and pull, it was still difficult to walk on the mountain road -- so the march speed of the team was slower than the last time Qian Yuanshan and others reconnoitred, and it was not until noon on May 22 that they arrived at Qiulinzhuang, a pre-selected camp at the foot of Baihua Mountain.

Qiulinzhuang is about five miles away from "Baihuazhai" and is a small mountain village with more than 100 households. The village is built on a hill, and there is an unknown small river running through it not far in front of the village - the convenient water source is also the main reason why the Wyvern Pioneer Camp chose to camp here. Because the village is surrounded by mountains, in autumn, the trees on the mountain are red, yellow, or green, a scene of dyeing the forest, hence the name Autumn Forest Village.

Because it is located in the mountains, there is not much place to farm, so except for a few people who farm, most of the people in Zhuangzi make a living by hunting, digging medicine, logging and other activities that rely on the mountains to eat the mountains, so the folk customs are relatively strong. In addition, it is not far from the "Baihua Village" here, so the vigilance of the people of the whole village is relatively high, not only to build the village protection wall, to dig the moat river, but also to organize the Zhuang Ding to protect the village. Therefore, when the Flying Dragon Pioneer Battalion marched to the vicinity of Zhuangzi, it was discovered by several Zhuangding who were guarding outside the village.

Although these Zhuang Ding didn't know the origin of this group of people who were dressed quite strangely, they saw that the other party was overwhelming, and everyone had long knives hanging from their waists and iron rods on their shoulders, so it was obvious that they were not good. Therefore, the leaders of these sentry Zhuang Ding hurriedly asked their subordinates to go back to the village to report and warn.

Zhuang Ding, who reported the news, did not dare to slack off, and ran all the way back to the village. As soon as he entered the village, he shouted that the thieves were coming, and ran towards the old lady Yan's house in the center of the village.

Although he has never been an official in his generation, because his ancestors have left a lot of property, he doesn't have to worry about eating and drinking, and he is a learned intellectual every day.

Later, due to the gradual chaos of the world, the family moved to this small mountain village to avoid trouble. Because he is old and educated, he is an old man with high moral standing in the eyes of the villagers, and the Yan family is the richest family in the village, so the people of the village elected him as the patriarch of the village. If there is any big or minor incident in the Zhuangzi, they will come to him to judge and make up their minds -- it was the idea of the old lady Yan to organize Zhuang Ding to protect the village, and his eldest son Yan Chongren was the head of these Zhuang Ding. ,

At this time, the people of the Yan family were preparing for lunch in the back hall, and when they heard Zhuang Ding shouting that the thieves were coming, they all put down the dishes and chopsticks. Yan Chongren, who was the leader of Zhuang Ding, immediately stood up, and while ordering Jia Ding to take his waist knife, he walked to the front yard.

Yan Chongren came to the front yard, and Zhuang Ding, who reported the news, also happened to enter the gate of Yan's house. Without waiting for Zhuang Ding to speak, Yan Chongren asked, "Zhao Xiaosan, but those robbers from 'Baihua Village' have come down the mountain to loot again?" ”

When Zhuang Ding saw Yan Chongren, he hurriedly stepped forward and replied to Yan Chongren with his fists: "Uncle Yan, he is not a robber from 'Baihua Village', but a living person from outside the mountain. ”

"A living person from outside the mountain?" Yan Chongren said curiously, "Since they are living people, how can you conclude that they are bandits and robbers?" ”

"Uncle Yan, there are a lot of those people, and there are no less than four hundred people according to small estimates. Not only were these people dressed very strangely, but they were all armed with knives and sticks, and they didn't look like good people," explained the messenger.

"Dressed strangely, everyone carries a knife and a stick?" Yan Chongren felt that things were complicated, and he couldn't make up his mind for a while.

At this time, Mrs. Yan also came to the front yard with two other sons and a daughter—Yan Chongyi, Yan Chongli, and Yan Ruhua. Old lady Yan also heard Zhuang Ding's report just now, so he said to Yan Chongren: "Ren'er, since the other party is unknown, and there are many people, with knives and sticks, then whether they are bandits or not, we must not take it lightly." According to the father's view, it is better to gather the Zhuang Ding and Qingzhuang in the village first to prevent changes. Then, you take a few people to see if these people are friends or foes. ”

"Yes, the child obeys" Yan Chongren agreed respectfully, turned around and prepared to go out.

At this time, Yan Ruhua, the youngest daughter of Mrs. Yan, interjected: "Could these people be the officers and soldiers who came to suppress the bandits?" ”

"Second Miss Yu, these people are very different from the officials and soldiers that Xiao has seen before, whether they are dressed or behaved, they should not be sent by the government to suppress bandits," Zhuang Ding, who reported the news, replied respectfully.

"Hmph, if it's really an official army, then we have to be even more careful" Yan Chongyi, the second eldest member of the Yan family, said angrily on the side, "Sister, have you forgotten the scene when the official army came to suppress the bandits three years ago?" ”

Yan Chongyi's words reminded everyone present of the situation when the officials and soldiers came to the mountains to suppress bandits three years ago -- the bandits and bandits did not see them suppress a few, but instead sent people to Qiulinzhuang to ask for this and that, and if they didn't give it, they would rob it. The common people in Zhuangzi are not lightly harmed, and it is said that the official army has harmed the people more than the bandits of the "Baihua Village". Therefore, as soon as Yan Chongyi mentioned this, everyone was full of resentment.

"The second brother is right, whether it is a bandit or an official army, it is a disaster for our Qiulinzhuang, we must be prepared," Yan Chongren said.

After speaking, Yan Chongren saluted his father and prepared to recruit people. At this time, I heard the second brother Yan Chongyi ask his father: "Daddy, the child will go with the eldest brother." ”

"That's fine," Old Lady Yan nodded and said, "Then it's up to you to recruit Zhuang Ding, and Ren'er will find out the details of the people who came." ”

"Yes, the child obeys" Yan Chongren and Yan Chongyi agreed in unison.

The two brothers went out of the gate of Yan's house, Yan Chongyi went to recruit Zhuang Ding and Qingzhuang, while Yan Chongren took two henchmen to follow the Zhuang Ding who reported the news to the outside of the village.

Yan Chongren and others came to the village gate and were about to order someone to open the door, but they found that Gao Dalin, the small leader of Zhuang Ding, who was in charge of the sentry post outside the village, walked down from under the village wall. Seeing this, Yan Chongren asked scolded: "Da Lin, you can't take someone to guard outside, what are you doing when you run back to the village?" Could it be that he is greedy for life and afraid of death? ”

Gao Dalin couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this, pointed to the outside of the Zhuang wall, and said, "Uncle Yan, don't you know who my Gao Dalin is?" When it comes to killing bandits and robbers, when have I ever shrunk back? I'll come back, you can go up to the village wall and take a look at it yourself. ”

Yan Chongren heard Gao Dalin say this, and knew that there must be a reason for this kid to come back. Therefore, he hurriedly walked up the steps to the village wall and looked out of the village. After taking a look, he realized that Gao Dalin and the others had made a very correct choice to withdraw. Because the strange strangers who reported to Zhuang Ding were setting up camp, and their camp was on the edge of a small forest more than half a mile away from Zhuangzi, and it was only a few dozen steps away from the small river outside the village. If Gao Dalin and the others did not withdraw in advance, and waited for the other party to set up the camp, it would be difficult for them to come back. ,

Because the distance between the two sides is not far, Yan Chongren stands on the village wall and can clearly see the activities of the other party. Moreover, since the camps of these strangers had not yet been completely set up, Yan Chongren could see the situation inside the other party's camps.

As the sentries described, the people in the camp were dressed in strange and dyed clothes—not only the clothes, but also the tents they had set up in the camp. At the beginning, Yan Chongren was very puzzled by the other party's dress, and didn't understand that the other party wanted to dress like this. However, after observing for a while, Yan Chongren discovered one of the advantages of such a dress - the other party's camp was built next to a forest, and between the trees and green grass, the various spots on the other party's clothes made them very comfortable to blend into the surrounding environment, which made the observer a little dazzled. Fortunately, the other party is active, and he is relatively close to the other party, otherwise, Yan Chongren really doesn't dare to guarantee that he can find out the existence of the other party.

This discovery aroused Yan Chongren's great interest, and he really wanted to communicate with the other party and ask how the other party came up with such an ingenious method. However, he could only think about it. After all, although the other party did not hold a long weapon in his hand because he was going to set up camp, he Yan Chongren could see the long knife hanging from everyone's waist clearly. When friends and foes are unknown, it is very unwise to rashly go out of the village to deal with the other party.

Thinking of this, Yan Chongren asked Gao Dalin beside him: "Dalin, did you have any contact with these people before you returned?" ”

"Because friends and foes are unknown, the little ones don't dare to get too close to each other," Gao Dalin replied, "However, judging from their banners, at least they should not be officers and soldiers." ”

"The flag is not an official army?" Yan Chongren asked, "Then what flag are they flying?" What font size is written on the flag? ”

"Uncle Yan, the flag they played is very strange, there is no font size written on it, just embroidered with a golden dragon, a flying golden dragon" Gao Dalin replied.

"A flying golden dragon?" Yan Chongren said.

Although Yan Chongren had heard his father talk about it, and he had also seen the flying dragon flag in the official army, it was generally used as a guard of honor or an order, and he had not heard that the army did not play the commander flag or the general flag when it went out to fight, and did not embroider the name of the commander on the flag, but only played a flying dragon flag. Therefore, he felt strange, and couldn't help but look up at the other party's camp. It turned out that on the flagpole in the middle of the other party's camp, there was indeed a golden dragon flag with a red background.

Just when Yan Chongren was pondering what the other party was from, Yan Chongyi, the second eldest of the Yan family, also took more than a dozen Zhuang Ding to the village wall.

Seeing that his second brother was coming, Yan Chongren temporarily put aside the question of the origin of strangers outside the village and asked, "Second brother, have you recruited all the manpower?" ”

"Big brother rest assured," Yan Chongyi said, "All the Zhuang Ding and young Zhuang in the village have been recruited, and they are all waiting below at this time, as long as the gong sounds here, we will be able to go to the village wall to defend against the enemy." ”

"That's good," Yan Chongren replied casually, and then began to ponder the origin of these people outside the village.

Yan Chongyi saw that his eldest brother seemed to have something on his mind, so he asked, "Big brother, what is the situation outside, where have those outsiders gone?" ”

Hearing his brother's question, Yan Chongren didn't answer directly, but just pointed to the outside of the Zhuang wall and said, "Just look out for yourself." ”

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