Episode 168 Prisoner of War Camp

The officials of the Northern Qing Dynasty in the front seat really panicked, repeatedly explained, and swore that this was not a labor camp.

Xiang Xiaoqiang asked coldly:

"Why is the POW camp with the copper mines?"

"This ......," the Northern Qing official said nervously, "General Xiang thinks too much, this is just an accident together...... We have absolutely not forced your prisoners of war to do hard labor...... In this regard, we are in full compliance with the relevant Geneva Conventions......"

Xiang Xiaoqiang sneered, leaned back in his seat, and said:

"Well, if you say no, you won't have it!"

The official of the Northern Qing Dynasty swallowed a mouthful of saliva, relaxed a little, and added:

"To the general, as the saying goes, hearing is false, and seeing is believing...... It's almost there, so you can see the place for yourself. ”

yes, I'll see for myself, of course. Xiang Xiaoqiang thought in his heart, isn't your intense preparation in the past two days just to deal with my "sudden inspection"!

The convoy traveled for a few more minutes before a checkpoint in front of it. The checkpoint is very tightly guarded, with a wooden house on the left side of the road, a small pillbox made of sandbags on the right side of the road, machine guns set up in the firing port, and a triangular dragon flag of the Qing Empire fluttering on the top. On both sides is an endless barbed wire fence stretching out, and every 100 meters or so is a watchtower made of wooden planks, on which Qing soldiers carry guns on their backs and walk under the pergola, the muzzles of which reflect the sun's rays.

When the convoy stopped for inspection, Xiang Xiaoqiang paid close attention to observation, and saw two junior officers standing straight on each side of the checkpoint, both of them were a captain and three lieutenants, all wearing straight, spotless military uniforms, wearing large-brimmed hats, and white gloves. Although it was summer, the big leather boots under my feet were shiny.

The four poor young officers stared unsquinting in the hot sun, their faces flushed with heat, and big drops of sweat rolled down their sweat, and their shirt collars were already soaked.

Xiang Xiaoqiang asked with a smile:

"What are they doing here? Is it specifically for us to be welcomed? ”

"Oh, no, no," the Beiqing official in the front seat turned his head and said with a smile, "They stand guard here every day...... The military discipline of our Qing army is very strict. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't say anything, nodded and smiled. How can this kind of superficial effort to deal with the "inspection by superiors" be concealed from Xiang Xiaoqiang? As for this, these people are still very tender.

In front of the wooden houses and sandbag bunkers on the left and right of the checkpoint, four pots of flowers are neatly placed on each side. I can't name Xiaoqiang with these pots of flowers, but they are all beautiful and pleasing to the eye. But it's so out of harmony with all this, and it looks like it's here temporarily.

A wooden sign was pulled out of the head, on which were neatly written in a few large characters: Chifeng Prisoner of War Camp

This sign is beautifully made, and it is spotless in this dusty environment, which shows that it was nailed up.

……

The convoy was symbolically inspected and then drove in.

As soon as I entered the camp, I heard a faint singing voice floating into the car window, it was a female voice, as if it was coming from a loudspeaker:

“…… Deer Lang should drift, Deer Lang should drift, Deer Lang should drift, Deer drift and drift...... Float a drift a drift ......"

Well, how is this tone so familiar?

“…… Say Fengyang, Dao Fengyang, Fengyang is a good place......"

Oh, it turned out to be "Fengyang Flower Drum".

“…… Since Emperor Zhu came out, there have been nine years of famine in ten years...... Large families sell mules and horses, and small families sell children...... The slave family has no sons to sell, and he walks around the world with a flower drum on his back......"

Hey! Xiang Xiaoqiang listened to this lyrics and couldn't cry or laugh.

It seems that there is really a lot of preparation here! What are you doing, turning out this old song from hundreds of years ago, ready to embarrass yourself, the general of the Ming Dynasty, and Zheng Yuxuan, the lord of the Ming Dynasty?

The Northern Qing official in the front seat did not look back, but he could guess from Xiao Qiang at the back of his head that this guy must be so happy now, in a piece of Ah Q's pride, YY himself was born in a dynasty that did not need to "sell his son".

The convoy continued to drive slowly inside, and the singing from the loudspeakers outside continued to come in:

“…… said Fengyang, Dao Fengyang, Fengyang people suffered. There are many taxes, heavy rents, and the government is like a tiger and a wolf...... The slave family traveled thousands of miles, and there was hunger and cold everywhere......"

Presumably in another car, Zheng Yuxuan also heard this song. I don't know how she reacts, whether she will laugh out loud.

I don't know if playing this hand is Guangwu's instruction, or the following self-inflicted cleverness. Either way, there is great irony in this. Not to mention whether the old song from hundreds of years ago is considered to be poor in donkey skills, haven't these officials of the Northern Qing Dynasty discovered that as long as this "Fengyang Flower Drum" is changed to one word, it is a tragic portrayal of North China under the rule of the Northern Qing Dynasty?

As long as you change "since the Zhu Emperor" to "since the Qing Emperor", it's OK. Not a single word needs to be changed.

By the way, at least a few hundred years ago in the Northern Ming Dynasty, after a famine, he could still "carry a flower drum and go all directions". In the current Qing Dynasty, after suffering from a famine, he could only sit at home and starve to death "with a flower drum on his back". Because if you want to "go in all directions", you need a road.

……

After the singing was finished outside, there was some music, as if there was also the sound of characters talking. Xiang Xiaoqiang sounds like a movie. But the sound quality is too poor, and it is a tweeter so far away that I can't hear what is being said.

At this time, rows of simple wooden bungalows appeared on both sides of the road, all of which were brand-new with white paint, reflecting the sunlight strongly and dazzling.

Then, Xiang Xiaoqiang's eyes lit up, and he suddenly rushed to the car window.

In front of these houses, there are people one by one. Dressed in gray cloth prison uniforms, it was new, clean, and like these houses, spotless, very incongruous with the dusty environment of the mine.

What's even more incongruous is that these people in prison uniforms are all doing sports, some are kicking shuttlecocks, some are skipping rope, and some are sitting together playing chess and cards. Not sitting on the floor, but sitting at a neat table and chair.

The houses on both sides are neatly arranged, extending into the distance, and there are a few people in front of each house, playing sports and chess, and they also extend into the distance.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's throat tightened, and everything understood:

They were prisoners of war of the Ming army.

When the convoy passed, the prisoners of war were still playing chess, cards, shuttlecock kicking, and skipping rope with their heads down...... Engrossed, without even raising his head, he seemed interested in what he was doing.

Every few houses, there is a table of chess, not the prisoners of war are playing chess, but always a Qing army officer and a Ming prisoner of war are playing chess, both sides are engrossed, as if they are very interested. They were surrounded by several Ming prisoners of war and a few Qing soldiers watching, and some of them even hooked their shoulders, looking very affectionate.

"I didn't expect it," Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled lightly, "I didn't expect that my Ming prisoners would be so well taken care of in your prisoner of war camp...... Instead of abusing them, the guards of your army had a good relationship with them, like brothers...... It's really touching! ”

The official of the Northern Qing Dynasty in the front seat looked very nervous, and when he heard Xiang Xiaoqiang's words, he seemed to be relaxed, and he turned his head and smiled:

"Huh...... What to say to the general...... Our army of the Qing Dynasty is a righteous army, and although your officers and men are enemies with us on the battlefield, if they lay down their weapons, we must be humane...... There have been many touching stories between your prisoners of war and our officers and soldiers......"

Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't speak, and continued to nod and smile.

……

At this time, the car stopped, and in front of it was a small building, which seemed to be the office building of a Qing army officer in a prisoner of war camp.

The people in several cars got down, and after a Northern Qing official in the middle got out of the car, he opened the back door, and Zheng Yuxuan also came out.

When Zheng Yuxuan saw Xiang Xiaoqiang, he lost a look, pursed his lips, and showed a very disgusting expression.

It's disgusting, that's how it feels. Xiang Xiaoqiang also felt that all this arranged by Beiqing was extremely disgusting. But maybe they are unconscious, thinking that they are perfect and touching.

In front of the office building, a lieutenant colonel of the Qing army and several officers were already standing in a row. Although they didn't know which one was Xiang Xiaoqiang, they had already seen the only woman, Zheng Yuxuan, and they all understood that this was the lord of Nanming, they looked at each other, and they all stood straight, showing a look of neither humility nor arrogance, and a very dignified appearance.

Zheng Yuxuan also curled the corners of his mouth contemptuously and walked over with his head held high. Xiang Xiaoqiang also followed.

Zheng Yuxuan took out the shelf of the Daming County Lord and said lightly:

"This palace is the lord of Leping County of the Ming Empire, this is the commander of the People's Guard of the Ming Empire, Count Xiang Xiaoqiang. Who of you is responsible here? ”

The lieutenant colonel straightened his chest, glanced at her, and said lightly:

"I'm in charge."

"Very well," Zheng Yuxuan said arrogantly, "we are going to meet with the Ming officers and soldiers now. Lead the way. ”