"The Chieftain of Longyang Cave's stronghold is located on the mountain. There are also native villages at the foot of the mountain, but most of the powerful people in the stronghold live on the mountain. That stronghold is very dangerous …"
Li Fengjie explained to Ye Xiaotian as he rode on horseback, "That stronghold is called Fishwood Stronghold. The stronghold is towering in the mountains, with cliffs of the same color on both sides, and only a narrow stronghold gate in the middle …"
Ye Xiaotian heard the crux of the problem and interrupted him to ask, "Then … as long as they guard that stronghold gate, no matter how many people there are at the foot of the mountain, they won't be able to easily attack the mountain?"
Li Shengjie frowned and thought about it carefully. He said, "Unless we bombard it with cannons or use human lives to kill all the guards on the mountain, we only need ten people to defend the stronghold. There's no way we can take it down."
Hearing this, Ye Xiaotian could not help but frown. Since Tan Yanxiang had already planned to leave the stone pillar division, no matter what Ma Qiancheng's pretense was, he would not be without the slightest bit wary. Even if he believed that the stone pillar Ma family did not know of his plot and was willing to let Ma Qiancheng go up the mountain, how could there not be people guarding the mountain gate? If Ma Qiancheng went up the mountain, the stronghold gate would be closed, and at that time …
Ye Xiaotian slowed down and waited for Tian Binfei's carriage to come near. Ye Xiaotian got on the carriage and the two discussed in low voices for a while. Then Ye Xiaotian got off the carriage and mounted the horse again, hurrying forward.
Ye Xiaotian and the others also followed Ma Qiancheng. Originally, Chieftain Ma wanted to invite them to the stone pillar division as guests, but Ye Xiaotian could not sit back and watch Ma Qiancheng put himself in danger, so he asked to follow them to Longyang Cave. Ma Doubo seemed to be full of confidence in punishing the disobedient Tan Yanxiang, and also wanted to show off the power of the stone pillar division in front of the Guizhou Chieftain, so he agreed.
Ma Qiancheng was dressed in a silver helmet and silver armor, looking very majestic. Of course, the helmet and armor were only leather coated with silver lacquer. Otherwise, such a heavy set of armor wouldn't be needed to climb the mountain. It was more suitable for charging and breaking through enemy lines on the plains.
"Qiancheng, it is said that the mountain stronghold of Longyang Cave is very dangerous. If one man holds the pass, ten thousand people won't be able to get through!" Ye Xiaotian caught up with Ma Qiancheng on his horse and went straight to the point.
Ma Qiancheng proudly said, "There is no fortress in the world that cannot be broken! It's true that one man can hold the pass against ten thousand enemies, but it's just that it's harder to fight. "
Ye Xiaotian said, "That's right. Therefore, if we can take down Longyang Cave at the lowest cost, why send your Ma warriors to their deaths? If the losses are too heavy, the losses will outweigh the gains! "
Ma Qiancheng said sternly, "Our ancestors taught us that 'soil should not be taken out of the country'. It is our descendants who are incompetent and unfilial to make people give up their land. We are letting our ancestors down! Therefore, no matter how many people die, we must fight this battle, and we must win it! "
Ye Xiaotian patiently persuaded this hothead, "Brother Ma, it's not that I don't want to fight, but if we can take down Longyang Cave at the lowest cost, why do we need to force our way through? Haha, since ancient times, famous generals are not boorish men. Even if it's a fierce general who can defeat ten thousand people, he won't rely too much on his martial prowess when he can outsmart the enemy. "
This sentence was really to Ma Qiancheng's liking. Ma Qiancheng, who had always idolized the famous generals of ancient times, especially his grandfather Ma Fubo, immediately responded, "That's right! That's why I want to act separately from my second brother. I will go to open the mountain stronghold and work with my second brother to take down Tan Yanxiang in one fell swoop. This way, we can outsmart the Fishwood Stronghold at the lowest cost. "
Ye Xiaotian said patiently, "Qiancheng, I heard from Li Chuansheng that there is only one path up the mountain from Fishwood Stronghold, with steep cliffs on both sides. Even if you go up the mountain, if you can't suddenly capture Tan Yanxiang, as long as he holds the mountain gate, then the inside and outside will be cut off. By the time your second brother attacks up the mountain, I'm afraid you'll already be dead!"
Ma Qiancheng looked around disdainfully and said heroically, "It's common for a real man to die on the battlefield! How can there be no deaths on the battlefield? "
Oh! What he said was so true that Ye Xiaotian was actually speechless.
Ye Xiaotian laughed bitterly, then said, "Of course this is reasonable, but you must know that you are going to punish Tan Yanxiang, and in the end, not only will you die at his hands, your second brother will lead his troops to attack, and even if he has a hundred men, he will lose about fifty to seventy percent of them. Even if he wins, it will be a pyrrhic victory.
If there is a better way, or even a way to seize Fishwood Stronghold without bloodshed, wouldn't that be even better? This way, you can become famous after one battle, and anyone who hears of it will inevitably raise their thumb and praise, 'Indeed worthy of being Ma Fubo's descendant!' "
Ma Qiancheng liked to hear these words, and sure enough, it was easy to persuade him. Ma Qiancheng's eyes immediately brightened, and said, "Brother Ye, do you mean that you have a better idea than my mother's?"
Ye Xiaotian thought to himself, "Is your mother's idea very good? She has completely disregarded your life and death. "
Ye Xiaotian walked beside Ma Qiancheng, telling him his own idea as they walked. Ma Qiancheng listened and nodded his head repeatedly. When Ye Xiaotian finished, he carefully thought for a while and felt that this idea was indeed better, and couldn't help but say excitedly, "Wonderful! This idea is indeed better than my mother's! If I can seize Longyang Cave like this, my name will definitely spread far and wide, wahahaha … "
Ma Qiancheng finished laughing and turned his horse to leave. Ye Xiaotian was surprised, and asked, "Where are you going?"
Ma Qiancheng rushed back without looking back, and said, "I'm going to let second brother know, and tell him to act according to the plan."
Ye Xiaotian stopped by the roadside, and looked at Ma Qiancheng who was rushing away, and shook his head repeatedly. Tian Binfei's carriage drove over, and stopped beside him, and said with a smile, "With such a temperament, perhaps he won't become a good chieftain, but … he will definitely become a good friend!"
Ye Xiaotian thought for a while, and nodded slightly.
…
Although the chieftain's mansion of the Ma family was not built in the style of the Central Plains, the various functional areas were equally distinct: the chieftain's ancestral hall, the chieftain's yamen, the training ground, the doctor's office, and so on.
Outside the yamen's main gate was a pair of stone drums, and a pair of couplets, on which were written: "Protect the land, benefit the people, the stone pillars and the commoners, who is not a pure child; open up their borders, benefit their taxes, and the three hundred li area will be granted to the king." Behind the main gate was the ceremonial gate, which would only be opened when important figures of the prefectural officials and above came to inspect, and usually they would walk on both sides.
Behind the ceremonial gate was a large courtyard, with the military barracks on the left, and the prison on the right. The military barracks were only used to guard the prisoners and the yamen's guards. The prison was also fully functional, and there were light and heavy ones, as well as men and women.
The main hall was where the chieftain interrogated the law. Ma Doubo had just been promoted to court, and was trying a case of illegally mining lead mines. It was easy for him to interrogate the case, and there was no relatively strict trial procedure like the imperial court. Whether it was right or wrong, and the punishment was all up to the chieftain.
There was a lead mine in the stone pillars, and the stone pillar department was responsible for mining it. Every year, they handed over 5130 catties of lead to the imperial court, and the extra lead belonged to the stone pillar department itself. This was also one of the differences between Sichuan and Guizhou. Although the chieftains here enjoyed considerable privileges, the imperial court's rule here was relatively more thorough.
It was very difficult for the chieftains in Guizhou to get them to pay taxes every year, but this had become the norm here in Sichuan. Thus, it was normal for Sichuan to recruit soldiers to fight and for the chieftains to pay taxes, while the local officials in Guizhou still retained the absolute autonomy they had since the Han and Tang Dynasties, and could be said to be a country within a country. This was also the reason why the Eagle Party had made Guizhou the focus of reforming the land.
The methods used by the stone pillar department to mine and smelt lead ore were very backward, and the amount of lead they produced each year was not much. After handing it over to the imperial court, there was only a limited amount left, and this was one of the important sources of income for the stone pillar department. Thus, Ma Doubo had always attached great importance to the protection of lead ore, and it was no wonder that he was so angry with the thieves.
But even though he was severely cracking down on them, the profits from mining were too great, and there were still people who took the risk out of desperation. Today, Ma Doubo had sentenced this group of thieves to the punishment of "red shoes". Unlike the Guizhou chieftains who liked to throw people into limestone pits and burn them to death, the Guizhou chieftains liked to use "red shoes".
A pair of iron shoes was worn on the feet of the criminal, and the bottom of the shoes was a red-hot iron plate. It made the criminal jump and struggle in pain until he fell to the ground in unbearable pain, and his entire body would either be burned to death or burned to death. It was a different approach to the same effect as being burned to death.
After Ma Doubo finished dealing with this case of mining theft, he angrily returned to the rear residence. After the main hall was the second hall. The second hall was where the chieftains and the advisors worked, as well as the advisors' residences. The third hall was where the chieftains' families lived. The third hall had two reception halls, the east and west. The east reception hall was where the important guests were received, while the west reception hall was where the Ma family members usually gathered.
Ma Doubo entered the west reception hall and gave Madam Tan a brief summary of the case that had been tried today. At this time, a servant brought up a bowl of soup. Madam Tan took it and gently handed it to Ma Doubo. When Ma Doubo saw the soup, he grinned and said, "White fungus, lotus seed, and bird's nest soup again?"
This soup was slightly sweet, and there was no other taste to it. Ma Doubo, who had a stronger taste, did not like to drink this, but Madam Tan liked to make this soup for him. Madam Tan said as if she was coaxing a child, "You have a bad temper, and the heat in your body is strong. You need to drink this soup to help you recuperate."
"Alas! A bowl of salted egg and minced meat soup would be great! " Ma Doubo muttered helplessly. Like he was swallowing medicine, he held his breath and drank it in one gulp before handing the bowl to Madam Tan. Madam Tan smiled sweetly at him and said, "You ah, don't get angry all the time. You are already so old, but you still can't be broad-minded!"
Madam Tan pouted coquettishly as she left the reception hall. The smile on her face immediately disappeared and was replaced with a faint look of disgust. She and her husband really did not have much in common. Their philosophy of life and habits were too different. Just the salted egg and minced meat soup that her husband liked to eat made her feel that it was unbearably vulgar, especially the way he moved when he ate …
"He's like a pig fighting over a slot!" Madam Tan scolded in disgust. She couldn't help but think of that handsome young master who was as handsome as jade. His way of talking, his temperament, and the way he used a silver spoon to drink the white fungus and bird's nest soup. Madam Tan's heart instantly warmed. How could a boorish man like her husband compare to him?
After handing the silver bowl to the servant, Madam Tan did not return to the reception hall. Instead, she returned to her residence and thought carefully, "Yinglong wants to do something great and is about to mobilize his troops. Qiansi and I should be here to help him achieve his great cause. However, the authority of the chieftain is in the hands of that boorish man. Even if he dies, it will only be passed to Qiancheng. What should I do? "
Madam Tan's intestines were knotted with anxiety. She thought over and over again and suddenly remembered the case that Ma Doubo had just been investigating. She couldn't help but have a thought, "Mine! Lead mine! If I tamper with this lead mine, will I be able to kill two birds with one stone … "As Madam Tan thought about it, her face gradually revealed a proud and vicious expression.
…
The Fishwood Village was located on the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, there were a few small villages that belonged to the Longyang Cave Chieftain. Some fields had been opened up near the villages. Even though the land was barren, they could still make a living by growing some crops. For the old, weak, or families that did not have many able-bodied men in their families, a few mu of fields would allow them to live a stable life.
Li Fengjie quietly appeared at the intersection of the village that was adjacent to the mountain road. He stuck his head out to look at the village and then turned his head to look at the shrubs at the side with a bitter expression. Ye Xiaotian hid in the shrubs and waved at him, "Brother Li, don't panic. If I see something wrong, I will immediately save you and leave."
Li Fengjie wanted to say something but stopped himself. Forget it, he had offended a chieftain. Even if he escaped from Guizhou to Sichuan, he would not be able to escape his pursuit. Only by relying on Ye Xiaotian could he avoid becoming a beggar. Right now, he had to do something for Ye Xiaotian in order to show his worth.
A villager carrying a hoe came out of the village. Ye Xiaotian immediately retreated back into the shrubs. Li Fengjie hurriedly sat down on a rock by the roadside. He stretched out his leg and supported it with his hand, as if he was injured. As soon as the villager saw Li Xiangrong, he said in surprise, "Oh, isn't this Master Li? I heard Master Li went to Huguang. Why are you back?"
Fortunately, Li Fengjie was very bored during his stay at the Fishwood Village. He often went down the mountain to take a stroll, and it was rare for a stranger to appear in the nearby villages. Therefore, quite a few people in the village knew him. As soon as the villager saw him, he recognized him as a relative of Zheng Liemu's family.
As soon as Li Fengjie saw the man's attitude toward him, he relaxed. "I haven't been exposed!" Li Xiangrong hastily said, "Ay, it's a long story! I was robbed on the road and my belongings were robbed clean, why would I go to Huguang … "
The villager nodded his head and bowed. "As long as you are fine," he said, "As long as you are fine, as long as you are fine. Master Li is going up the mountain?"
"That's right," Li Fengjie replied. Without money, I can't go anywhere. I can't possibly beg for food all the way to Huguang to visit a friend, so … I came back. However, my leg was stabbed by that thief … "
Li Fengjie pointed to the area on his thigh that was stained with rabbit's blood. "I was running for my life all the way, but I didn't feel any pain. Finally I reached the foot of the mountain. Can I trouble you to go up the mountain and send a message to my cousin? Tell him to bring the slide rod down and take me up. "
The villager was very simple. Besides, Li Fengjie was Zheng Liemu's relative; since he had asked, how could he not help? He did not have a slide rod at home, otherwise he would have gone back to get one, so he directly carried Li Xiangrong up the mountain.
The villager complied and hurriedly went up the mountain. Li Fengjie watched the villager's figure gradually disappear along the winding mountain path. He could not help but let out a sigh of relief. From the bush behind him, Ye Xiaotian poked his head out and said, "How was it? Didn't I say you haven't been exposed? "
Ye Xiaotian's deduction was based on common sense: Li Xiangrong did not run away, but used a legitimate reason to leave. When he saw the letter, he was shocked. Because the tone of the letter was familiar, it was obvious that the two chieftains often wrote to each other, so he made up a common greeting letter as he read it. In this case, even if Tan Yanxiang's advisor came back, Tan Yanxiang, who was not suspicious of Li Xiangrong, would not take out the letter and let his advisor read it again.
Li Xiangrong was concerned about his own safety, so he was not as optimistic as Ye Xiaotian. He nervously said, "It's hard to say. Even if Tan Yanxiang found out the truth about the letter, there is no need to tell a villager at the foot of the mountain!"
Ye Xiaotian smiled and said, "That's true, but in this secluded mountain village, even the smallest of matters will be spread around as if it's a rare occurrence. If Tan Yanxiang already knew your identity, how could this villager not know? "
Li Xiangrong still wanted to speak, but Ye Xiaotian said, "If you don't believe me, just listen. You'll know the result after you see how your relative treats you."
Li Xiangrong worriedly said, "What if my cousin wants to kidnap me up the mountain?"
Ma Qiancheng suddenly poked his head out and said fiercely, "It doesn't take many people to kidnap a cripple up the mountain. I alone … no, I can handle it with one hand! If your cousin really wants to kill his relative, I'll kill him for you! "
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