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At nightfall, Qin Mu led nearly 350 men and quietly left the city. Huo Sheng and Ning Yuan, who went to inquire about the news, had not returned yet. A drizzle fell in the night, and the road was muddy and difficult to walk on.
The original 100-odd soldiers of Qin Mu were fine, but the 200 soldiers who had just followed him out of the city soon began to complain. They were slow to march and stopped every two steps. Qin Mu frowned. He had already reprimanded them when they assembled in the city, but it was obvious that the 200 soldiers did not take his words seriously.
Especially when marching at night, the rain from the sky was getting heavier and heavier, pouring down from the collar. It was really hard to march in such a situation. Qin Mu did not allow torches, and he could not see who was holding him back. No one was afraid of him at all.
Qin Mu called two centurions, one named Su Dazhong and the other named Yuan Ye. Before Qin Mu could say anything, Su Dazhong started to complain: "Master Qin, where are you taking the brothers? It's raining heavily, dark, and the road is slippery. If we keep going like this, I'm afraid that the brothers will all be left behind in less than half an hour."
Qin Mu said coldly: "I brought you out for the purpose of fighting. I warn you again, take good care of your men and don't miss the opportunity to fight."
Su Dazhong protested, "Master Qin, if you have the ability, go and take care of it. I have never seen a march on a rainy night like this. The brothers are full of resentment. Who can take care of it?"
Another centurion, Yuan Ye, asked hesitantly, "Sir Qin, could you please tell me the purpose of this trip? This way, I might be able to appease my soldiers."
"Attacking Gu Xiancheng's rebel army."
"What? Sir Qin, are you kidding? Gu Xiancheng has tens of thousands of troops, and we only have two or three hundred. Aren't we going to die? If you want to go, go ahead. I won't accompany you."
Su Dazhong jumped up in shock, and his words were not polite at all, as if he was not talking to his superior, but scolding a madman. The soldiers around him were also in an uproar, and the discussions buzzed in the night rain.
"Raise the fire!"
At Qin Mu's command, hundreds of torches were lit. They could not be extinguished by raindrops, and the surroundings were illuminated. The rain fell in the surrounding woods, making rustling sounds. Not far to the left, the Gongjiang River gurgled northward.
The more than one hundred men under Qin Mu stood in silence, motionless, while the two hundred officers and soldiers were whispering to each other, with shocked expressions on their faces.
Qin Mu put his hand on the hilt of the knife and suddenly shouted in a deep voice: "Too many complaints, to anger the commander, to disobey orders, and to make things difficult to control, this is called treason, offenders will be beheaded! When ordered to do something, you are tongue-tied, lower your eyebrows and bow your head, and look embarrassed, this is called cruelty, offenders will be beheaded!"
Just as Qin Mu's two chop sounds pierced the night sky, Liu Meng suddenly drew his sword. With a "clang" sound, as metal clashed, Su Dazhong's head flew out and rolled more than two feet away. The headless corpse gushed blood like a fountain and fell to the ground with a plop.
Qin Mu ignored him and shouted again, "You have been in the army for many years and should be familiar with the military regulations. Now I will emphasize again, the seventeen prohibitions and fifty-six beheadings. If you violate any of them, you will be beheaded without a doubt."
Hundreds of torches were burning, but the two hundred soldiers could not feel any warmth. When Qin Mu's gaze swept over them, everyone felt a chill rushing from the tailbone to the top of the head. Su Dazhong was a centurion after all, and Qin Mu could execute him just like that. Who would dare to doubt his methods
"I have always been strict in my military discipline and will never allow anyone to break the rules. Those who break the rules will be executed. Of course, I will never mistreat my obedient subordinates. Gu Xiancheng's rebels are like locusts passing through the border, looting countless treasures. As long as you follow my orders, once you defeat Gu Xiancheng's rebels, these countless treasures will be taken over by us. At that time, I will never mistreat anyone who participated in the battle."
It is not enough to intimidate them with power and lure them with benefits. Everyone knows that although money is attractive, one must have the life to spend it.
In response to this, Qin Mu ignored the changing expressions of the two hundred soldiers and continued to shout: "This attack on Gu Xiancheng's rebel army may seem dangerous, but it is not. Although Gu Xiancheng has a large number of people, they are just a group of rabble carrying hoes. If they are attacked by surprise, they will surely be defeated.
In order to achieve the purpose of a surprise attack, I ordered to set out at night and not to light fires. Now it is raining, and although the road is difficult to travel, it is a good opportunity given by God. The enemy will definitely not expect us to march on such a rainy night, and their defenses will definitely be relaxed;
And I can tell you that I have already arranged an insider in Gu Xiancheng's rebel army. As soon as we arrive, the insider I arranged will be deployed at the right time. As long as you obey orders and endure the hardship for a while, we will cooperate inside and outside, and the countless treasures that Gu Xiancheng looted will be waiting for you to take!
Where there is a will, there is a way. After a desperate struggle, the Qin Pass finally belonged to Chu. Heaven will not let down those who work hard. After enduring hardships and tasting gall, three thousand Yue soldiers were able to conquer Wu. A real man should live in the world. If he cannot eat from five tripods while alive, he should be cooked in five tripods after death! As the county magistrate, my life is much more valuable than yours. I dare to take a chance. What are you afraid of? Show your courage! Gold, silver, treasures, fame and wealth will eventually be yours! "
After Qin Mu finished shouting, he glanced at him solemnly. Liu Meng seemed to be energized and immediately shouted, "People die and birds fly to the sky. If they don't die, they will live for thousands of years! Fight him!"
"When a man dies, the birds fly up to the sky. If he doesn't die, he will live forever! Fight him to the death!"
"When a man dies, the birds fly up to the sky. If he doesn't die, he will live forever! Fight him to the death!"
"... ... ... ... ... ... ... ."
Qin Mu's one hundred men followed suit and roared, the sound waves hitting the surface of Gongjiang River. The two hundred officers and soldiers were infected and knelt down one after another to express their willingness to obey Qin Mu's orders.
In the whole scene, Meng Ke was probably the only one who remained calm. He was like a tiger in the forest, watching Qin Mu's every move silently without saying a word.
Qin Mu quickly made adjustments, letting Cui Feng and Ling Zhan take over the post of centurions, commanding 200 officers and soldiers, and Yuan Ye was demoted to a general flag (the Ming army organization: 10 people for a small flag, 50 for a general flag.), serving his sentence and making meritorious contributions. With Su Dazhong's head in hand, no one dared to object.
The torches soon went out again, and more than 300 people set out on their journey again. This time, the marching speed was at least three times faster. They trudged silently in the night rain, and no one dared to complain.
Qin Mu has used bloody facts to tell them what it means to be decisive in killing;
At the same time, an enticing picture of mountains of treasure was painted before them.
What’s more important is that Qin Mu said there was an insider. Everyone knows that no matter how strong a fortress is, it cannot withstand destruction from within. Having an insider means that the success rate will increase exponentially and the risk factor will be greatly reduced.
That’s right, when a person dies, birds fly up to the sky; if a person doesn’t die, he will live for a thousand years. The magistrate is willing to risk his life, so why should we be afraid of a bird with our worthless lives!
Qin Mu didn't have the energy to shout slogans at this moment. Although his body had been trained hard for more than two months and was much better than before, it was still far behind those fierce men like Meng Ke.
It was a dark night, the rain was falling continuously, and the road was muddy. Every time Qin Mu stepped on the road, the mud would cover his instep, making it very difficult to walk. After walking for two hours, Qin Mu felt so tired that his feet felt like they were filled with lead.
But he had no choice but to grit his teeth and hold on. On a rainy night like this, the road was muddy and slippery, and it was very dangerous to ride a horse without a torch. Even Meng Ke and others had to lead their horses, let alone him.
It can be said that at this moment, he was supported by his willpower. Meng Ke had been walking beside him. Every time Qin Mu fell, he would rush over to help him up. This guy was still as silent as ever, but silence definitely did not mean that he was a lamb.
At daybreak, more than 300 exhausted soldiers took a rest in a lush forest south of Yangbu Town. Qin Mu missed Qiao'er's little hands. The massage from the little girl was so comfortable that Qin Mu never felt guilty about using child labor.
This girl is now living in the Ganzhou government office. She is probably eating pancakes and hiding them on her body. Now she doesn't have to worry about being hungry, but the little girl is still in the habit of hiding food on her body at any time. Qin Mu couldn't help but smile when he thought of her habit.
Huo Sheng, who went to Xinfeng to gather intelligence, was able to find the woods where everyone was hiding. Qin Mu was sure that he must be born in the year of the dog, and even couldn't help but glance at his butt to see if his tail was exposed.
"Sir, Xinfeng County has been captured by the rebels!" Huo Sheng snatched a pancake from Ling Zhan's hand and said while biting it.
“That’s all?” Qin Mu twisted his numb toes with his hands, making a tapping sound.
"There's nothing much to say about burning, killing and looting. This is all Gu Xiancheng is capable of." Huo Sheng said with disdain.
"Don't forget, you also robbed me."
"Puff!" Meng Ke, who was drinking water next to him, sprayed it all out.
Huo Sheng's face turned red, with a mouthful of pancake stuck in his throat. He couldn't swallow it or spit it out. Meng Ke slapped him on the back and finally slapped the pancake out.
"Sir... you are an official, so it's reasonable for us to rob an official, but Gu Xiancheng... don't even mention him. The situation in Xinfeng City was so miserable that I almost rushed in with a knife and hacked him to pieces."
"Stop talking nonsense and get down to business."
"Gu Xiancheng doesn't seem to want to stay in Xinfeng any longer. After looting for most of the day yesterday, he has already ordered his men to open the warehouses to release food and recruit refugees. He will most likely set out to the north at noon today. I guess he must want to take advantage of the victory to attack Ganzhou directly. It turns out that he has more than 10,000 men under his command. After taking Xinfeng, his troops will definitely increase greatly, most likely to more than 30,000. Your Excellency should be mentally prepared."
"Have you explored the nearby terrain? If Gu Xiancheng goes north, which route will he take? Where is the best place for an ambush?" Qin Mu asked directly.
"Sir, there is no need to go through so much trouble. Gu Xiancheng is learning from Han Xin's method of recruiting soldiers. The more the better. He is recruiting refugees on a large scale. Why don't we become refugees again?"
Qin Mu raised his eyebrows and laughed, "That's exactly what I meant! Without further ado, take the dozens of people you had with you!"
After a few words, they agreed on a plan to defeat the thieves, which was extremely efficient. After discussing some details, Huo Sheng led his men to join Gu Xiancheng.
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