stared at Zhu Su stunned for a while, and under Zhu Su's encouraging gaze, Cao Yuan suddenly came back to his senses.

Cao Yuan, who realized that he was rude, hurriedly lowered his head, clenched his fists and said to Zhu Su: "Return to Your Highness." ”

"Although the little one used to guard the city under King Cheng."

"But that's actually out of helplessness......"

Cao Yuan had a wry smile on his face.

"At that time, the whole city of Pingjiang was Xiwu...... Besieged by my great soldiers, the city ran out of ammunition and food, and the people of King Cheng either surrendered or collapsed. ”

In order to defend Pingjiang City, King Cheng recruited soldiers among the people. It was at that time that the villain and most of the sons in the battalion were drafted into the army......"

Speaking of which, Zhu Su has generally understood. What kind of wanton sign soldiers, to put it bluntly, is to pull the strong Ding.

Seeing the mess in the west of the city like a dead city before, he guessed that the battle to defend the city of Pingjiang was particularly tragic. Even so many houses have been demolished to defend the city, how can it not be forcibly recruited to civilians to defend the city?

Listening to Cao Yuan's eloquent story, the subsequent development turned out to be as Zhu Su expected: after that, Pingjiang City was broken, and Cao Yuan, who was an ordinary soldier at that time, surrendered to Lao Zhu with his team.

After that, these remnants of their army were re-dispersed and reorganized, and they were organized under the command of many Lao Zhu's own generals.

Cao Yuan and others were placed under the command of Wu Liang, Marquis of Jiangyin, and in the subsequent battles, they fought with Wu Liang, Marquis of Jiangyin, and were promoted to thousands of households. Later, Wu Liang was transferred to the commander of the Suzhou Guard, and Cao Yuan returned to his hometown in Suzhou.

"Your Highness, the villain has also shed blood for Daming and sold his life!" Cao Yuan, a tower-like man, actually shed tears of grievance.

"General Cao is a thousand households in the army, why do you keep calling yourself a 'villain'?"

"The general doesn't have to be aggrieved. This king will not treat any meritorious person who has contributed to my Ming Dynasty. ”

Zhu Su comforted gently. The reason for the next thing is also clear, Wu Liang, the Marquis of Jiangyin, was ordered to go to the southwest with Mu Ying, Deng Yu and others to train troops, waiting for the opportunity to move. Perhaps he realized that Cao Yuan and others were natives of Suzhou, or he was unwilling to stay away from his hometown again, so he left Cao Yuan behind and continued to serve as a thousand households in Suzhou Weizhong.

But the next commander, Yang Lu, sprinkled his resentment on them, the former soldiers under Zhang Shicheng, because of the failure of the conquest and suppression.

made these people wronged, and even in Chang Mao's hands, they still couldn't gain Chang Mao's trust, and they were treated differently to a certain extent......

"There is one thing that the king needs to apologize to you." Above, Zhu Su raised the wine bottle.

"Chang Guogong is loyal and upright, and he is dedicated to the king's plan, perhaps because he is too worried about the safety of the king, and he has a certain degree of wariness of you......"

"Please don't take it to heart. If there is anything that you can't live in, this king will toast you for Chang Guogong. ”

As he spoke, he took the bottle and drank it down.

Seeing that the dignified prince actually apologized and toasted to them, Cao Yuan and the others were stunned for a while.

At this time, Chang Mao also got up and said: "You don't need Your Highness to toast for us, let's always toast ourselves." ”

"You don't blame us for being suspicious, we are always straight-headed, and we really can't see through people's hearts."

"You don't have to be submissive, you are not afraid of the shadows! Practice well. If we want to believe in you, we will naturally believe in you when we see people's hearts for a long time in the future. ”

"When the time comes, I will really treat you as a robe, go to Yingtian, and come to our house to eat and drink!"

"Don't dare, don't dare. Thank you, the prince, the country! Cao Yuan hurriedly got up and saluted.

"Small...... In the future, I will be loyal to my duties and do my best! ”

"Live up to the trust of His Highness and the country!"

"I will be loyal to my duties, do my best, and live up to the trust of His Highness and the country!" The rest of the hundred households also said in unison.

Cao Yuan's answer was still cautious, but the hand holding the wine bottle was rarely a little trembling. Several other people also had loud voices and sincere feelings.

Zhu Su saw this change in his eyes, and his heart moved slightly. Originally, I just wanted to win over the hearts of the army a little, but it seems that the effect has far exceeded expectations.

This Cao Yuan was originally a thousand households under Wu Liang, the Marquis of Jiangyin, and if he was really wrong, Wu Liang would not leave him here. Loyalty is a natural thing.

At this time, they are in dire straits, and they are here today, but they inadvertently pull them, which is tantamount to sending charcoal in the snow.

Originally, he just wanted to use them as an eye-catching bait, and the main force that really recruited Zhang Chen Yu's sin was actually another guard in the Susong area, "Taicang Guard".

Cai Ben, the commander of the Taicang Guard, was born in Chang Yuchun's personal guards, and borrowed the flag of the Chang family to mobilize the Taicang Guard, although it was a little troublesome, but it was more reliable than the Suzhou Wei who relied on Yang Lu.

But now that Cao Yuan and these people are available...... Zhu Su couldn't help but think about the feasibility of using these soldiers to do something.

……

……

……

In the distance, on the Taihu Lake, a round blood-colored sunset happened to set on the Dongting Mountain in the lake.

The towering city wall of Suzhou Mansion was also dyed with a touch of bright color by this round of red sun.

This is the last sunset of the year.

In the fifth year of Hongwu, on the thirtieth day of the lunar month.

Positive.

The west of the city, which used to be dirty and dilapidated, is now not what it used to be. Although it is not as rich and prosperous as the east and south of the city, it has already looked a little bit like it.

The shacks and wrecks that used to be all over the ground have been cleared, and a large open space has been created.

A three-storey building stands in the middle of the clearing, right on the banks of the river that flows through Suzhou, in a dilapidated and shack-like western city. Although this building has not yet been painted and carved, the main part has been built, such as today, although the light is not dim, but the building has been hung with lights. It can be vaguely seen that people come and go in the building, which is quite lively.

"Boss Zhao! Long time gone, long time gone! I haven't seen you for a long time, the last time we met, I was summoned by His Royal Highness King Wu, in Shen Yuan, right? ”

Inside the building, a pot-bellied businessman greeted another businessman with a Chinese face.

"It turned out to be Boss Fang, and I will be fortunate to meet it." Rice merchant Zhao Yunyan turned around and saw the boss Fang, who was also a businessman in Suzhou, so he returned the salute.

"Boss Fang was also invited here by the prince?"

"Who isn't! If it weren't for the prince's invitation, who would have come to this pickled place in the west of the city! The merchant surnamed Fang looked left and right, put his hand to his mouth and whispered.

"You know, the west of the city is where the refugees stay! Come to this place, don't get sick! ”

Zhao Yunyan smiled and didn't speak. Now the west of the city looks a little cleaner than the east of the city where he lives, and it doesn't look like a place where you can get sick.

"Hey, this big New Year's Eve is actually coming to this Hongmen banquet again......" Seeing that Zhao Yunyan didn't answer, the boss of the party was not surprised, and continued to complain to himself. I don't know how much blood will come out this time......"

"Why should Boss Fang complain?" Zhao Yunyan said. "The invitation only said that I was invited to wait for the New Year's Eve banquet. If you can, you can be sure that this time it will make me wait for bleeding again? ”

"So what else?" Boss Fang's tone was firm. "That prince is young, and he must be addicted to the white wolf with empty gloves. How can a noble man like him look down on a businessman like us? ”

"Could it be that you really invite me to wait for a banquet?"

"Alas...... Wool picking, you can't just catch our businessman's sheep. ”

"You must know that the sheep is anxious and bites!"

Boss Fang's words were depressed.

(End of chapter)