In the early morning of winter, the sun was not very hot. The distant mountains and wastelands were all gray. The one hundred thousand South Pacifying Army had already gathered. Banners fluttered in the wind, and the army looked solemn. The vast and mighty army seemed to have gathered into a vast ocean with no end in sight.
What surprised Qin Yining and Pang Xiao the most was the gathering of nearly a thousand able-bodied men near the city gate. They were holding hoes, shovels, door bolts, and other things. Everyone was carrying simple bags. When they saw the carriage leave the city gate, they immediately looked over with anticipation.
Yun Yancai had been in front of the city gate for a long time. He quickly walked to the front of the carriage and said, "Wang Ye, these 961 men heard that Wang Ye was leading the South Pacifying Army into the capital three days ago. They specially rushed over and plan to join Wang Ye's army and head north together."
Pang Xiao raised his eyebrows in surprise. He put down the curtain and patted Qin Yining's hand before getting off the carriage.
Xie Yue, Xu Weizhi, and the other strategists also got off the carriage and followed behind Pang Xiao.
Pang Xiao cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, "Fellow villagers, the Tatan war is critical. This King is leading the army into the capital to rescue the Emperor. There will definitely be a bloody battle with the Tatan. Swords have no eyes on the battlefield, and the cruelty is far beyond your imagination. You may very well lose your lives because of this. When the real battlefield arrives, This King cannot guarantee everyone's safety.
Please go back. "" Wang Ye! "A man who was over the age of thirty stood out and shouted. "We can only survive by eating the food Wang Ye bought. If it wasn't for Wang Ye, we would have died long ago. Now that the Tatans are bullying us, there is no reason for Wang Ye to lead people to fight while we can live peacefully at home."
"Yes." Another handsome young man in his early twenties said, "The country is in trouble and needs manpower. Although we are lowly citizens, we know what kind of situation the Great Zhou Dynasty will be in if it falls into the hands of the foreign races." We are willing to do whatever we can to help the Han people. Wang Ye, please grant my wish. "
After the two of them started, more than nine hundred people immediately chimed in. The roars of the crowd reverberated in front of the city gate. Even the South Pacifying Army led by Commander Feng in the distance were shocked.
It was said that Pang Xiao used his own money to buy provisions to feed the people. There were also people who secretly mocked Pang Xiao for being stupid. But now, such a shocking scene proved that his efforts had paid off.
The common people were simple and honest. Today they were willing to follow Pang Xiao, perhaps they had the intention to join the army and eat the soldiers' pay. This was understandable, it was human nature. Whether it was because they knew how to repay kindness, or because of their patriotism, it was admirable.
In the face of a national crisis, the rich and powerful didn't step forward. Instead, it was the ordinary people who stepped forward. It really made one sigh with emotion.
Pang Xiao bowed and thanked him gratefully. After repeated inquiries, Pang Xiao confirmed that these people were indeed determined to join the army to save the Emperor. Pang Xiao then discussed with Commander Feng and incorporated these untrained new soldiers who had never seen a battlefield into the South Pacifying Army.
With a hundred thousand people heading to the capital, the army was vast and magnificent. But the most important thing was how to gather provisions after the disaster.
After leaving the old capital, Pang Xiao returned to the carriage. There was a bit of melancholy between his brows.
Qin Yining handed him a water bag: "Drink some hot water."
Pang Xiao hurriedly took it and smiled: "How do you feel? Are you okay? "
Qin Yining smiled: "Of course I'm okay. I didn't do anything along the way. I just sat in the carriage and watched the show. How can I not be okay?"
Qin Yining leaned closer to Pang Xiao and asked with a smile: "Are you worried about feeding so many people?"
Pang Xiao nodded and said honestly: "Before the troops and horses move, the provisions have to be prepared first. Although I have ordered people to purchase them in advance, we don't have enough money. But first, we don't have enough silver. Second, we've already used up a lot of our food reserves during the disaster relief. Now, we have to feed 100,000 people. The Imperial Court won't pay for this, so it's a huge expense. "
Her phoenix-like eyes looked at Qin Yining and instantly turned into a smile. "Well, don't think too much about these things. Just take care of your body and give birth to the child safely in the future. That's enough. Don't worry, I will do my best to deal with the imperial court. "
Qin Yining pulled his hand and shook it. He thought for a moment and suddenly laughed.
Pang Xiao saw her laughing like this and couldn't help but laugh. He hugged her waist and let her lean on his body: "Why are you suddenly so happy? Did you think of something fun? "
"Indeed, I have a way to raise provisions, but this method is a bit unconventional."
Pang Xiao raised his eyebrows curiously: "What good idea did you think of?"
Qin Yining leaned close to Pang Xiao's ear and whispered his idea.
Pang Xiao's eyes became brighter and brighter as he listened. When Qin Yining told him his plan, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Little girl, I can't believe that you can come up with such a plan. Now we don't have to worry about provisions. "
Qin Yining was surprised: "I was forced to do this. It's not a solution. Although it's a bit despicable, it can solve the urgent problem."
"Things like conspiracies are not despicable. If we were in different positions, that person wouldn't be so lenient to us. He might do something even worse than us. "
"Do you think my idea will work?"
"Of course." Pang Xiao's finger brushed the tip of her nose. He said with a smile: "Don't worry, this method is easy. I'll order people to do it. Let's not follow the troops. I'll have Commander Feng hold the line. We'll go first to prepare provisions and make all the preparations. That way, we won't lose the morale of the troops due to hunger. "
Qin Yining also nodded: "That's what I mean. It's good for us to go first. When everything is ready, we won't be flustered. "
Pang Xiao and Qin Yining discussed it in a low voice. After confirming there were no mistakes, they got off the carriage to find Xie Yue, Xu Weizhi and the other strategists.
When the strategists heard this idea, their furrowed brows couldn't help but relax. They gathered together and laughed.
"Wang Fei is lucky to think of such a method. Good, this old man feels this method is very good. "
"That's right. Actually, we aren't creating rumors. What we are saying is the truth that the people want to know."
"Very good. Then let's arrange for people to go."
Huzi took out a blue booklet and flipped through it. He said with a smile: "Found it. The first place we passed was Jiu He County. There's a wealthy family here with the surname Xie. Their family is very large. The entire county can be said to be related to the Xie family. Those who don't have the surname Xie are very envious of the Xie family."
"Actually, the most difficult place to set up is a place like this where everyone is united. However, the best place to set up is also a place like this." Xu Weizhi said with a smile: "If they are so united, they will naturally respond to a call. In addition, it's not easy for such a large family to operate to this extent. No one wants their family's legacy to end in their hands. Therefore, if the clan head calls for it, the other families will be easy to set up. "
Xie Yue and the others nodded and then looked at Huzi.
Xie Yue praised: "It's all thanks to your detailed records."
Huzi scratched his head and said with a smile: "At the time, I was afraid that these people's information would be useful in the future, so I didn't want them to go back on their word. Therefore, during the transaction, besides keeping records, I also investigated all the wealthy families who sold us grain. I couldn't do anything about those in the north who were far away and had high mountains."
Pang Xiao patted Huzi's shoulder in praise: "It's all thanks to your cleverness. This matter was handled extremely well. "
After everyone agreed, Pang Xiao and Qin Yining left the South Pacifying Army with their men and headed straight for Jiu He County.
Pang Xiao had provided relief here before. Now that the disaster had been alleviated, the relationship between the local magistrate and the common people had become much closer because of this natural disaster. Everyone was now living frugally, hoping to survive this winter and wait until the spring plowing season.
Everyone was grateful to Pang Xiao. Therefore, even though Pang Xiao and his men did not enter the city, they were still seen by the people passing by outside the city. Everyone spread the news and everyone knew that Pang Xiao and his family were passing by here. They did not want to enter the city and disturb the people, so they temporarily set up camp outside the city.
The people could not take out anything now, but it did not affect their feelings of gratitude.
Pang Xiao and his men had just stopped to set up their tents when many people rushed out from the city gates. When they saw Pang Xiao, they all greeted him and some people even took out the rice they received from the disaster relief and offered it to Pang Xiao and his men. There were even people who went to help the Jinghu Wei set up their tents.
Pang Xiao saw that these people were trying their best to do something for him and felt warm in his heart. It was as if all the pain and anxiety was worth it.
"Wang Ye, has the disaster relief in the south ended?" After the people got to know Pang Xiao, they found that he was an easy-going person and gathered their courage to chat with him.
Pang Xiao smiled and said, "The disaster relief in the south has not ended yet. It's just that the Tatan people are marching straight in and are about to reach the capital. Your Majesty ordered the entire country's army to enter the capital to rescue the King. This King brought the South Pacifying Army back to the capital because of this. "
When they heard that the Tatan people had reached the capital, the people became anxious again.
"If the Tatan people win, what will happen to us?" A woman asked the person beside her worriedly.
That person's face was pale and he could only shake his head and say, "That's not good. I'm afraid we won't have a way to survive. The Tatan people's customs are different from ours. Won't they enslave us like livestock? "
Everyone had more or less heard about the Tatan people's actions over the years. They were shocked and angry for a moment.
When Pang Xiao saw that everyone was almost done chatting, he said, "Everyone, don't worry too much. Your Majesty is wise and decisive. He will definitely be able to resolve this crisis. This King's South Pacifying Army of 100,000 people is enough to make the Tatans suffer."
When the people heard this, they couldn't help but laugh. The originally tense atmosphere became cheerful.
However, some young people's eyes lit up. They looked at Pang Xiao nervously and said, "Wang Ye, we also want to go and fight the Tatans."
A thirteen or fourteen year old young man asked straightforwardly, "Wang Ye, if we follow you to fight the Tatans, will we be able to get food and pay?"
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