In the early morning of winter, the morning sun is not so hot, the distant mountains and the wasteland are all gray and white, the 100,000-square-foot southern army has already assembled, the banners are hunting, the soldiers are solemn, and the mighty ranks seem to converge into a vast ocean, and there is no end in sight.
What surprised Qin Yining and Pang Xiao the most was the fact that nearly a thousand strong men were gathered next to the city gate. They held hoes, shovels, door latches, etc., and everyone was carrying a simple burden. When they saw the carriage exiting the city gate, they all looked over with anticipation.
Yun Yancai had been in front of the city gate for a long time, and immediately walked to the carriage: "My lord, these nine hundred and sixty-one men, three days ago, I heard that the lord was going to lead the Pingnan Army into the King Qin, and they came here specially. I plan to join the prince's team and go north together."
Pang Xiao raised his eyebrows in surprise, pulled down the curtain, patted Qin Yining's hand and got out of the car.
Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi and other advisers also got off the carriage and followed behind Pang Xiao.
Pang Xiao handed over his hands, and his deep voice dispersed: "Fellow folks, the war on the Tartars is very tight, this king's army has entered the capital for King Qin, and there will be a bloody battle with the Tartars. The swords on the battlefield have no eyes, and the cruelty is far beyond your imagination. , you are likely to die because of this, and when you really arrive on the battlefield, this king cannot guarantee the safety of everyone, please go back."
"My lord!" A man who had passed the year stood up and shouted loudly. "All of us have to eat the food that the prince bought to survive. If there was no prince, our lives would have been lost. Now that the Tartars are bullying us, there is no reason for the prince to lead people to work hard, but we can live in peace at home. "
"Exactly." Another young man in his early twenties with a handsome face said, "The national disaster is on the horizon, and it is precisely when manpower is needed. Although we are pariahs, we understand what will happen to Da Zhou if it falls into the hands of a foreign race. We are willing to do our best for the Han people. We also ask the lord to make it happen.”
The two started, and more than 900 people immediately echoed loudly. The roar of the crowd echoed from the front of the city gate, and even the Pingnan Army, led by Dushuai Feng, was shocked.
It is said that Pang Xiao himself raised money to buy food and grass to feed the people, and some people secretly ridiculed Pang Xiao for being stupid. But now such a shocking scene just proves that his efforts have paid off.
The common people are simple, they are willing to follow Pang Xiao today, and maybe they have the intention of joining the army to get paid. This is understandable. Human nature, whether it is because of their gratitude or patriotism, is admirable.
In the face of the national disaster, I didn't see those who were rich and powerful stand up, but ordinary people who really stood up. Really emotional.
Pang Xiao saluted and thanked him gratefully. After repeated inquiries, it was determined that these people were indeed determined to join King Qin's army. Pang Xiao discussed with Commander Feng and incorporated these untrained recruits who had never seen the battlefield into the Pingnan Army.
With a body of 100,000 people heading to the capital, one can imagine that the team is mighty and spectacular, but the most important thing is how to raise food and grass after the famine.
Leaving the old capital, Pang Xiao returned to the carriage with a little more melancholy between his brows.
Qin Yining handed him the water bag: "Drink some hot water."
Pang Xiao hurriedly took it over and said with a smile, "How do you feel? Do you think it's okay?"
Qin Yining smiled, "Of course I'm fine, I don't need to do anything along the way, I just watch the fun in the carriage, what's wrong with it?"
Leaning closer to Pang Xiao, Qin Yining asked with a smile, "Are you worried when you have to open so many mouths to eat?"
Pang Xiao nodded and said honestly: "The troops and horses have not moved the food and grass first, although I have ordered people to purchase it in advance. But one is that our money is not enough, and the other is that the previous disaster relief has already used a lot of food reserves. , to feed 100,000 people now, and the money will not go out of the court, it is really a huge expense."
Feng Mou looked at Qin Yining, and turned into a smile in an instant: "Okay, don't think too much about these things, as long as you have a good life and take care of your body, it's enough to give birth to a child safely in the future. Don't worry, these matters of the imperial court are enough. I'll do my best to handle it."
Qin Yining took his hand and shook it, thinking for a moment, he suddenly burst out laughing.
Seeing her laughing like this, Pang Xiao couldn't help laughing along, wrapping her arms around her waist and letting her lean on him: "Why are you suddenly happy like this? Did you think of something funny?"
"Indeed, I have a way to raise food and grass, but this trick is a bit unpopular."
Pang Xiao raised his eyebrows curiously, "What good solution have you come up with?"
Qin Yining leaned close to Pang Xiao's ear and whispered his method.
The more Pang Xiao listened, the brighter his eyes became. When Qin Yining told him his plan, he couldn't help laughing.
"Little girl, thank you for coming up with such a method. Now we won't have to worry about food and grass."
Qin Yining was stunned: "I was forced to be helpless. This is not a solution. Although it is a bit despicable, it can solve the urgent need."
"Things like conspiracy are not despicable. If you change your position, that person will not be tolerant to us, maybe even more outrageous than what we do."
"Do you think my method is feasible?"
"Naturally." Pang Xiao scratched the tip of her nose with his finger, and smiled: "Don't worry, this method is easy to do, I'll tell someone to do it now. Let's stop following the team, I'll let Director Feng Feng later. In charge of the formation, let's go ahead and prepare food and grass, and make all the preparations, so as not to cause everyone to be hungry when they are hungry."
Qin Yining also nodded, "That's what I mean, it's a good thing for us to take the first step. When everything is ready, we won't be in a hurry."
Pang Xiao and Qin Yining studied in a low voice again, and after confirming that they were correct, they got out of the car and went to look for advisors such as Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi.
When the advisors heard this idea, their frowning brows could not help but stretch out, and a few of them gathered together and laughed.
"Such a method can be thought of by the concubine who is at a loss. Well, this old man thinks this method is excellent."
"That's right. In fact, we can't count as rumors. What we say is the truth that the people want to know."
"Very good, then let's arrange someone to go."
Hu Zi took out a blue-covered booklet from his arms, flipped through it, and said with a smile, "I found it. The first place we passed by was Jiuhe County. There is a wealthy family named Xie, with a very large family. It can be said that the entire county is related to this Xie family, and those with foreign surnames are very envious of Xie surname."
"Actually, the most difficult thing to do is such a place of unity, but it is the best place to do it." Xu Weizhi smiled, "It is natural to respond to such a unity. Coupled with such a large family, it is so successful. The situation is really not easy. No one wants the family inheritance to be broken in their own hands, so if the patriarch calls it, the rest of the family will be easy to deal with."
Xie Yue and others nodded again and again, and then looked at Hu Zi.
Xie Yue admired: "Thanks to your detailed records."
Hu Zi scratched his head and said with a smile, "I was also afraid that the news of these people would be useful in the future, so as to prevent them from defaulting on their bills, so when I traded, in addition to keeping accounts, I also investigated the wealthy households who sold food to us from various places. After a while, there is nothing I can do about the mountains and roads in the north."
Pang Xiao patted Hu Zi's shoulder in admiration, "Thanks to your cleverness. This is an excellent job."
After everyone agreed, Pang Xiao and Qin Yining left the Pingnan Army with their people and went straight to Jiuhe County.
Pang Xiao used to do disaster relief here, but now the disaster has eased, and the local magistrate and the people have also drawn a lot closer to each other because of this natural disaster. Now everyone is frugal and just looking forward to getting through this winter and waiting. Just in time for spring plowing.
Everyone is always grateful to Pang Xiao, so Pang Xiao and his party passed by, even if they didn't enter the city, they were still seen by the people passing by outside the city. Everyone knows that Pang Xiao passed by with his family and temporarily stationed outside the city if he didn't want to enter the city to disturb the people.
The people can't come up with anything now, but their expressions of gratitude have no effect at all.
As soon as Pang Xiao and his party stopped to set up their tents, a lot of people poured out from the city gate. When they saw Pang Xiao, they saluted and saluted, and some people took out the rice they had received and invited Pang Xiao and his party. People eat, and some people go directly to help the Jinghu guards set up tents.
Looking at these people trying to do something for him, Pang Xiao felt warm in his heart, as if no amount of suffering and anxiety were worth it.
"My lord, is the disaster relief in the south over?" After some commoners got together with Pang Xiao, they found him easy-going, so they dared to chat with him.
Pang Xiao smiled and said, "The relief efforts in the south are not over yet, but now the Tatars are marching straight in, and they are about to reach the capital. The holy decree ordered the whole country to enter King Qin. This is why this king brought the Pingnan army back to Beijing."
As soon as they heard that the Tartars had attacked the capital, the people were once again panicked.
"What will happen to us if the Tatars win?" a woman asked the people around her worriedly.
The man's face was pale, and he just shook his head and said, "That's not good. I'm afraid we won't have a way to live. The customs of the Tartars are different from ours. I'm afraid that we will be enslaved like livestock?"
Everyone has heard about what the Tatars have done over the years, and they are shocked and angry for a while.
Pang Xiao saw that everyone was almost talking, so he said: "Don't worry too much, the sage is wise and decisive, and he will definitely be able to resolve this crisis. Only the 100,000 people of the Pingnan Army brought by this king are enough. Tartar has a pot."
When the people heard the words, they couldn't help laughing, and the originally tense divisions became cheerful.
Some young people, however, had bright eyes and looked at Pang Xiao anxiously: "My lord, we also want to follow to fight the Tartars."
A thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy asked bluntly, "My lord, I'll follow you to fight Tartars, can I get food?"
Pang Xiao smiled and said: "Of course we have to eat. The treasury is empty, and the Sage has taken over a mess. Fortunately, the Sage is concerned with the people. Even if the capital is tight for a while, it will be short-lived. After solving the current problem, all the problems will also be solved. It was solved.”