The fleet set out in the afternoon, and when the soldiers heard that each of them could get a woman as a wife on this expedition, their morale was at a fever pitch.

This is a problem they can't solve in Tamsui, there are very few women there, even fewer women of marriage age, a captured mountain barbarian girl will be robbed of her head, and everyone has seen Japanese women in Xiangchuan Port, it seems to be shorter, but the skin is fair, if you don't speak, you can't tell that it's a foreign woman, and it must be a very face-saving thing to bring such a wife back.

And Shichiro Yoshida's work also worked, and when the fleet set off, four merchants were found for the expeditionary camp to act as guides.

Early the next morning, the fleet approached the port of Liangjin, but in front of it was a dilapidated appearance.

According to the guide, although it is not the busy season for the grain trade, there are at least 1,000 permanent residents in the port of Ryotsu, but now there is no one in the port, and many buildings have been destroyed by fire and are still smoking.

The streets were filled with people who had been killed, women who had been humiliated to death, and the stench of corpses filled the nostrils of the soldiers.

"It seems that there have been looting here, but there are many people who have come to loot." Liu Shun said to Haruki and the others.

Haruki said to Liu Shun: "I'll take a few people in to have a look, Panasonic, you come with me." ”

Liu Shun nodded, pulled out his pistol and handed it to Chunshu: "Be careful, shoot immediately if something is wrong, and I will immediately rescue you." ”

"This guy, don't you know who the boss is?" After Haruki left, one of Liu Shun's subordinates muttered in a low voice.

"If you had the guts and ability, you should have asked for a fight just now, bastard!" Liu Shun reprimanded, pointed to the dock and said, "Why don't you go and help and unload the field artillery." ”

Haruki and Matsushita Tomaki took only four people, walking along the street by the river, the sun was rising, the river was like a red silk scarf, slowly moving, it was full of floating corpses, the corpses were wounded, and there were traces of abuse, and the crows ate carrion, and when they saw people, they flew high and made a rattling sound.

"Listen, there's a voice in that yard." Haruki suddenly stopped and said to Tomaki Matsushita.

Matsushita Tomaki looked back, his Chezhi Dan's subordinates did not react, but one of Haruki's retinue nodded, Matsushita Tomaki couldn't help but sigh, these Kaida Gran people are indeed natural hunters, with bright ears and eyes.

The two did not enter the door, but climbed over the low wall, and there were several charred corpses in the courtyard, emitting a bad smell, only the feet were not burned, Haruki glanced at the boots, and said: "It is a noble man who was burned to death, you see these boots, they are not cheap."

But how could they die like this? ”

Matsushita Tomaki remembered the dark days of the past, and Yoyo said: "This is a cruel punishment, called the Demolique, which the lords used to punish and mistreat the people, they put the people in cloth, poured oil, and then set them on fire, and let these people die in wailing. ”

"How do you know?"

"My uncle was executed like this, and more than ten years ago, the shogunate treated us so cruelly." Matsushita Tomaki said coldly.

"The man in the well comes out, or I will shoot an arrow." A Chezhidan suddenly shouted at the mouth of the well.

There was a plea for mercy inside, and after a while, a man grabbed the rope and climbed up, this is a guy in his forties, dressed as a servant, and after inquiry, he learned that it was the cook of the Ryotsu town servant, and this was the town servant's house, and it was he and his cronies, sons and nephews who were burned to death.

Finally caught a live mouth, and the two Chezhidan immediately tied him up and dragged him to the dock.

Pingta covered his face and kept crying, he was just a cook, serving his master with his wife, but he was suddenly attacked, and it was easy to hide in the well to survive, and he was taken away by a new group of robbers, half of these people were wearing samurai armor and carrying iron cannons, when Pingta was dragged to the place, he put down his hand, and saw Liu Shun sitting under the shed, and the Qinglong banner behind him.

"Tell me, what's going on here, I'll give you this, but if you don't say it, I'll give you this." Liu Shun's left hand is a money bag, and his right hand is a dagger.

"Your Excellency, dare you ask?" Heita knelt on the ground and asked in a low voice.

Matsushita Tomaki said: "We are from the army of the Celestial Empire, and we have come to crusade against Okayama, the lackey of the shogun. ”

Ping Tai suddenly lost his soul and said: "You are pirates from the open sea, demons who kill people and eat meat. ”

Matsushita Fuming smiled: "Is that how this vicious dog in Okayama Villa describes us, fuck it!" Tell me what's going on, or Lord God will cut off your head. ”

Ping collapsed to the ground in fright, and intermittently told the truth he knew.

Okayamaso brought people to the port of Ryotsu yesterday, and soon a word spread throughout Ryotsu, saying that a group of pirates from the open sea had occupied Aikawa, and they were all murderous and cannibalistic demons. At first, everyone was skeptical, but in the afternoon, a massacre began, and the perpetrator turned out to be Okayama.

He and his brutal men looted every shop in the port of Ryotsu, taking away women, livestock and food, and killing men, old people and children.

Heita is just a small person, and apparently his status is not enough to know what is going on.

Matsushita Tomaki asked, "Heita, who is the one who killed and looted?" ”

"It's the homeless, they're all a pack of jackals." Speaking of the murderer, Ping was too frightened and cried.

Matsushita Fuming nodded slightly, obviously understanding a small half, guessing a large half, Liu Shun and Haruki were puzzled, Liu Shun asked: "No host, who is it?" ”

Tomaki Matsushita explained: "The homeless people are roughly equivalent to the homeless in the upper Chinese language, and in the big cities ruled by the shogunate, such as Edo and Nagasaki, there are such wandering people, and the shogunate will arrest them and send them to work in gold and silver mines, obviously Sado also has the presence of homeless people."

These people have no scruples if they have no families, and the mine supervisors have no scruples about using them, often making them drill the deepest and most dangerous caves, or do the hardest work such as drainage. When I was at Aikawa Port, I heard from merchants that the people of Musu said that the gold mountain of Sado was hell, and the ladders to climb were made of swords.

They were thrown into mountains of gold, and often had to work to death.

As far as I can see, Okayama should not have been able to raise too many troops, so he released this group of mine slaves as dead soldiers. What happened here, I would venture to guess, is that Okayama came to Ryotsu and demanded that the merchants here donate money to drive the people to war.

But the people here certainly didn't meet Okayama's requirements, so they indulged in the looting of the no-lodge, and after a round of robbery, there was everything. ”

Liu Shun nodded slightly, thought for a while, and felt that Matsushita Fuming's analysis was flawless, he looked at Haruki again, and Haruki didn't say anything.

"Panasonic, you ask Heita, what is the name of the nearest village nearby, and what is the situation?" Liu Shun said.

Matsushita Tomaki and Heita exchanged ideas for a while, and Matsushita Fuming said, "It's called Ota Village, and it's a rice-producing village, but Heita doesn't know what it's like there. ”

Liu Shun nodded: "Panasonic, Haruki, you two immediately clean up, go to investigate Datian Village, see if there is also an attack there, if it does, go to another village with the guide." If you are not attacked, come back immediately. ”

"We should take a break and head to Ota Village tomorrow." Chunshu said in a deep voice, this is also Li Zhaoji's original arrangement.

Liu Shun shook his head: "No, I'm worried that Datian Village has not been attacked at all, and the situation is the same as always." ”

"Why do you say that?"

"Okayamaso must have sent someone to Edo to report the news, so he had better destroy us before reinforcements arrive, and at least hold a piece of territory. And to exterminate us, it is inseparable from the support of the villages, but there is no need to defend the territory and a city.

If he didn't plunder Datian Village, it means that the servants of each village continue to support him, then we should march immediately and organize him to get more food and strong men, but if he looted Datian Village, it is what the big treasurer said that we can build a new order that belongs to us on the ruins. Liu Shun carefully analyzed the situation.

His words were very coherent and quickly convinced the two.

And Matsushita Tomaki and Haruki also acted according to Liu Shun's orders, turned back within two hours, and captured a few peasants in the rice fields as prisoners.

As Liu Shun guessed, Datian Village chose to support Okayama Village, and the owner donated a lot of silver and grain, and received an order to send the horses, mules, and grain from the village to Heyuan Tiancheng.

Matsushita Tomaki pointed to the opposite side of the big lake in front of him and said, "Heyuan Tiancheng is there, also called Lion City, with its back to Lake Kamo in front of you. The captives said that it was a long-abandoned castle that had been built by the Kawagen Tahonma clan a hundred years ago.

The good news was that the peasants told us that Datian Village and seven nearby villages were going to transport grain, rice, mules and horses to Heyuan Tiancheng, and they would set off together. ”

"Let's go together, why, do they know about our arrival?" Liu Shun was puzzled, after all, the fleet had only arrived for half a day.

Matsushita Tomaki said: "It should be on guard against the no-lodge, for those guys, our arrival has broken the order here, some people are willing to follow Okayama Village to get a chance to be free, while some people have robbed too much property in Ryotsu Port and choose to flee."

But Sir Liu, your proposal is very right, we must march immediately, the longer we delay, the more materials and manpower Gangshan Villa will get, and the stronger Heyuan Tiancheng will be built by him. ”

Liu Shun nodded, looked at the two of Chunshu, and said: "I'm hesitant now, two goals are in front of me, one is the grain and mules and horses gathered in the seven villages, which we are urgently lacking now, and the other is in the fortified Heyuan Tiancheng.

There's only one chance to raid, and I'm hesitating about it. ”

Haruki said directly: "If it were me, I would choose to raid the camp. ”

"Why, just because the peasants are weak and can be bullied?" Liu Shun asked.

"Just now the captive of Ota Village said that he saw Okayama Sho with more than two hundred people to Heyuan Ta Castle, and this was only a part of it. This morning, another line passed, but he didn't see it. That's telling.

After robbing the town, the no-lodge man is a wild horse that has escaped from the reins, and it is normal for him to be uncontrolled, and it is normal to eat the master or flee in all directions, but that Okayama Zhuang restrained a large part of it, and he could also divide into two teams to go to Heyuan Tiancheng, which is enough to show his ability. Haruki said.

Liu Shun nodded, it is already rare to be able to restrain a commander who is arrogant and fierce, and he is even more of a leader who can restrain a group of death row prisoners.

"Okay, then the target is the enemy's baggage camp, and hopefully our enemy hasn't received another batch of supplies." Liu Shun said in a prayerful tone.