Chapter 11 third quarter
A few days later, a strong man about twenty-eight or nine years old came to him with a note left by Ma Kuo.
The Xuanfu Division is a lavish institution with strict access control. With his farmer's attire, one can infer that the guard post at the gate must have caused him a lot of trouble, and the traces of the quarrel have not yet been wiped from his face.But when people told him that this was Ma Xuanzan, he sized him up for a while, and couldn't answer, so he turned over and bowed.Then he introduced himself by saying that his surname is Zhao Mingjie, who is from Wanggu Village, Guci County, Zhuozhou. Yesterday he just picked up his wife's family from Xiaoguzhuang and returned to the south. When he learned that something happened at home, he hurried to thank Ma Kuo for his rescue. Thanks to his wife.
"My sister-in-law is fierce and admirable," Ma Kuo blushed with embarrassment, and said humbly, "I just did what I was supposed to do, so it's not worth talking about it. I just left my name, title, and address, just for supervision Commander Xin has no other intentions in taking care of your house. Why does the eldest brother come here to thank you?" Then he asked, "Is sister-in-law feeling better? Has anyone come to annoy her these days?"
"My lady's injury is about to heal. Thanks to the praise, no one dared to annoy her these two days. Only Commander Xin sent someone to send twenty taels of silver to calm her down, so she pushed her out." .”
"Sister-in-law did a good job," Ma Kuo praised, and then suggested, "In my opinion, it is not a long-term solution for you to live there. Commander Yang's imperial army is stricter here, and the military discipline is very good. How come For convenience, the eldest brother and his family have moved to live in Dongtou. I can also take care of it nearby."
"Thank you for your praise!" Zhao Jie thanked Ma Kuo for his concern, but his first reaction was to express his dissent.He asked sharply: "It's just that my family moved here, and it was really peaceful. I left many brothers and sisters in Xitou, who can guarantee that they will not have accidents? Besides, I left home with the old and the young, and traveled south. I came back three times. Twice, risking the danger of the front and crossing the boundary river, what is it for?" His words were also like the sword's edge, radiant and aggressive.He said: "I don't want to flee from disaster, and I don't want to covet the peace of my family. If I want to covet peace, I will stay in Hebei and never come. Why do I have to come and go in such a hurry?"
Then, his speech reads like an impassioned indictment.
"Since the great ancestors, my family has lived in the north for generations. Generation after generation, they have been spoiled by the Khitan people and Han'er surnames. They ravage and humiliate and do everything. As long as they are alive, they will be inseparable from them." I talked with Xuan Zan about this miserable situation for three days and three nights, but I couldn’t tell the end. It’s so easy to look forward to my life, the Khitan government’s disintegration, and the overwhelming army. Everyone thinks that this hard life is about to come to an end , we can't wait with our eyes open for nothing, even if we lose our heads and spill blood, we have to run back enthusiastically. With a burning heart, we just want to run to the army and be a pawn. When the army crosses north, at least be a guide , lead the mountain to find the way. As long as the Tartars are expelled out and see the sun again, even if they die, they are willing to die." He paused for a while, "Where did Cheng Wang come back to the south? Seeing that the army is standing still and sitting for a long time. The day before yesterday, this happened again. Waiting. To be honest, Xuan Zan said, I am not afraid of these gangsters. Once I meet them, they have knives and guns. This kind of thing was spread out, and the people of the Southern Dynasty were stripped of their face, saying that the king's teacher is not the king's teacher, what is the difference with the Tartars? Wouldn't this make thousands of Han children disheartened and depressed? The great cause of rehabilitating the Han!"
"Brother is right. In fact, in our army, only the Shengjie army has the most lax discipline, and the other armies are not like this." Ma Kuo answered him simply, and he couldn't help but secretly wondered. "Brother Zhao, his words, deeds, and knowledge are all outstanding. How can Chengwang meet such a caring person at this moment and here! I got to know him today, and I have a good relationship with him. It is not in vain to save his family the day before yesterday. "
It turned out that when Ma Kuo first saw him coming to thank him, he looked down on him, thinking that he was just a moral debtor.Like all high-pitched people, they never want to owe others materially or spiritually.You must use the right opportunity to repay him and pay off the debt in order to achieve a balanced position with the creditor.They recognize status, but not personality differences.Although Ma Kuo understands his feelings, he thinks that among high-spirited men, this is a bit of a mother-in-law after all, and it's best to avoid this vain courtesy.
Now his words have changed Ma Kuo's opinion, making Ma Kuo start to evaluate him from another angle.But in this initial impression, due to Ma Kuo's own limitations in struggle awareness and knowledge, he still didn't fully estimate the value of the opponent.
In fact, under the cruel rule of the Khitan nobles, for more than 200 years, the vast Han people and people of other nationalities have borne the full weight of the evil rule, and at the same time launched a tenacious struggle.The day the Khitan nobles put shackles around the people's necks, they started the struggle to break free from the shackles.The torch of struggle continues from generation to generation and will never be extinguished.In those difficult years, when the balance of power (combination of military, political, organizational and combat experience) was at a disadvantage, the struggle was often lost, and people had to pay a great price in their lives.But each defeat builds strength for a new battle.Fighting and defeating again and again, people follow this historical path and use their own blood to coagulate a history of national struggle that shines like gems, and they will never stop until they win.
They gradually grow up in the repeated alternation of failure and struggle.By Zhao Jie's generation, they have forged a stronger will to fight and accumulated richer fighting knowledge.The current volatile situation has quickly formed a situation of great turmoil, major breaches, and major outbreaks.Part of the reason for the formation of this new situation is the result of their long-term struggle, and vice versa.It in turn makes more people involved in this whirlwind and is more tempered.
Zhao Jie is such an influential figure emerging from combat practice.With poise and tact, he can correctly judge when it is time to take cover and when it is time to take active action.He can be a seasoned scout, able to lead a small squad with competence and joy, or, if given more training, a larger combat group.This time he returned to the south, rather than saying that he did not want to continue to live a slave life under the rule of the Khitan nobles, it is better to say that he has greater ambitions.He came back with a mission.In order to accomplish this task, we must first get to know a group of heroes of the Southern Dynasties.Ma Kuo was the ideal candidate he met.His efforts have achieved preliminary results, and he has won the praise of Ma Kuo with a heart-to-heart talk.
Ma Kuo asked him about the movement behind the Liao army, and this was exactly what he wanted.
"Xuan Zan doesn't know something..."
As soon as Zhao Jie opened his mouth, Ma Kuo boldly cut it off.
"A man who is like-minded and agrees with each other will become a bosom friend. From now on, eldest brother will not be called such a stranger. I am ranked third, and I will be your third brother."
"I'm from Kusano, I'm new here, and I haven't made half a contribution, how dare I get up with Xuan Zan and praise my brother?"
Ma Kuo's proposal of a leap-forward friendship was mildly rejected by him. It seemed that he wanted to continue to observe. In order to avoid getting entangled in this irrelevant issue, he immediately answered the question directly:
"Xuanzan doesn't know something. The common people in the twenty-four counties of the six prefectures under the Xijin Mansion are all stretching their necks and feet, waiting for the fall of the Liao court. Don't say that I, Haner, are poor Khitan people, Xiren, Shi People from Wei and Bohai have the same heart as us."
"How can they have a heart with us?"
"The hearts of the poor in the world are united, and everyone can't wait to wipe out all the officials in the south and north of Liao, so that they can live a better life!"
"Sweep all the officials in the north and south, but if you want to start a war, just talk and think about it, but it won't help."
"Xuan Zan hasn't been there to see it, so how do you know they won't start a war?" Zhao Jie gave Ma Kuo a smile and said, "Two years ago, the situation in the Kanto was disturbed, and Gao Yongchang from Bohai raised troops against the Liao Dynasty. Then An Sheng'er and Zhang Gao'er raised righteousness and repeatedly attacked the Liao army in the east of Yuguan. Later, the Jin people occupied all the land in the Guandong, An Sheng'er died in battle, and his subordinates belonged to Zhang Gao'er. He is still fighting against the Jin army in Yizhou and echoing with the rebel army in Guannei." Then he talked happily about the rebel army nearby, "Since this year, the rebel army in Jinan has risen. Does Xuanzan know that there is Zhang Guanyu in Laishui County, Another Dong Pang'er? Zhang Guanyu wields a machete and is as brave as a man should be. Dong Pang'er is resourceful. The two of them recruited soldiers and built several cottages, each with tens of thousands of horses. The king of the Fourth Army sent three times They sent the army to conquer and suppress them, but they lured them into the mountains and killed them without leaving any behind. "
"I don't think there is such a powerful rebel army in Laishui County, so close at hand," Ma Kuo said happily, "I am limited by what I have seen and heard, and I can really see the sky from the bottom of a well. I just don't know if there is a rebel army of this size anywhere else?"
"People's hearts hate Khitan, and the rebel army is in the ascendant. There are 3,000 to 5,000 people everywhere. Some are under the command of Zhang and Dong, and some are independent. Recently, they have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. The rebel army, before I went south, there were only three to five hundred people, and this time I went back. It was only one month before and after, and he said that there were five to six thousand people gathered together. Xuanzan and other examples, we can see that the rebel army has become a prairie fire recently."
"The rebel army is near Jifu, and it has a confidant. The Liao monarch and his ministers have only lost a few battles. Should they just ignore it and sit back and watch it become stronger?"
"It must be done, it can't be done." Zhao Jie dropped a sentence in his book bag and said, "How dare the Khitan people ignore the rebel army, but why do they have more than enough energy?" At this time, he put forward a blunt suggestion, "Xuan When Zan is free, go to Hebei with me and see the momentum of the rebel army with your own eyes. At present, all the heavy troops of Xi and Khitan have taken off the front line to prepare for the battle. There are large soldiers gathered by the Baigou River, thirty or fifty miles away. , there are only some patrol troops, and I can’t even see the shadow of the army when I go in. I went back and forth a few times, and I just pretended that he was okay. It seems that Liao’s troops are depleted, and Bohai and Shiwei are not used by it. However, the Han army refused to work hard for it. The king of the four armies, behind the front line, ran around in two places, but failed to catch the handle. I think he has to go wherever he is, and there is no overall plan."
"Brother, you are talking about the Han army." Ma Kuo put aside his suggestion for the time being, and hurriedly asked, "Do you know what kind of army they have called the Ever Victorious Army? How is it going?"
"I know something about the Ever Victorious Army. They are all Han sons, from generals to soldiers. Their father and brother were often killed by the Jurchen army in Tiezhou and Gaizhou in Eastern Liaodong. The Khitan people set up this army to ask them to report grievances to the Jurchen army, so it was called "the army of grievances", and later it was renamed the Ever Victorious Army. Since it became an army, it has moved to the northeast, and the Khitan army has suffered hundreds of defeats. Only this army of grievances has survived A few tough battles, for a while. Since the Northern Expedition of the Song Dynasty, Xiao Qian said that the Han children were all devoted to the Southern Dynasty, and he was worried about putting them on the front line of Baigou. The five Han generals divided up and stationed in Yi and Zhuo prefectures. It was this army that the rebels had some scruples about, but it refused to be used by the Khitans. Xiao Qian sent it several times to destroy Zhang Guanyu. The commander, Guo Yaoshi, said that the gourd promised, but he just shirked the reason and stood still. How could he not understand the strategy of the Liao court to control the Han and let you kill each other? The four armies were so angry that they couldn't help it. .”
"Brother made it so clear, you really know it like the back of your hand," Ma Kuo nodded with satisfaction, "It's ridiculous that He Shen, who talks all day long about instigating the victorious army, knows nothing about its situation, and sends someone to After two trips, I still can’t figure it out.”
"I have a cousin, named Zhen Wuchen, who was a general of the Ever Victorious Army. He brought 2,500 troops to camp in Dayingpan, Zhuozhou. He went out to eat food since he was a child. I have never met him. But his brother Zhen Liuchen often met with him. The sixth uncle often came to my house and told me that the fifth uncle had already "moved with the camera and returned to the south easily. Who wants to be pickled by the Khitan people?" ’ words. Therefore, I know that once the overall situation is in turmoil, the Ever Victorious Army will eventually be used by me, but Guo Yaoshi is not showing his face, and when he is still suspicious, he needs to send someone to contact him.”
Ma Kuo nodded yes.He remembered that when he first came to the front to exchange views with his father, he also talked about this matter, and both of them had the same opinion.
"Brother just said it well. If you want to know what's going on behind the Liao army, you'd better go and see it yourself." Ma Kuo pondered over and over again, then made a decision, and asked straightforwardly, "I have wanted this for a long time, but I haven't gotten it yet." It's very convenient. Today, when elder brother said this, I was even more eager to try, and I wanted elder brother to be a companion, to accompany me to the North Road, I don't know what elder brother thinks?"
"Go, go!" Zhao Jie replied with a steely voice, "Where does Xuanzan want to go, even if it is Tongshan Tieling, the ends of the earth, as long as I is needed, I will accompany you. Xuanzan also said which day is the best time to leave? "
"According to my mind, it's best to leave today, I'm afraid the eldest brother still has some housework to take care of."
"Soldiers are precious and fast. Since Xuanzan's official business can be let go, what else can I not let go of? How about leaving tonight?"
"Okay, okay. Big brother is really bold. Let's go tonight."
"Wait for me to go home," Zhao Jie thought for a while, "how can I get there with Xuan Zan's attire? When I bring Xuan Zan a farmer's clothes, I will take advantage of the dark night tonight." Dark, just crossing the river."
"When we get there, we'll only be called cousins. Let's do it the other way around. The eldest brother changes his surname to Ma and is called Ma Zhilong, and I change my surname to Zhao and is called Zhao Bangjie," Ma Kuo took the opportunity to say, "You are the eldest brother, and I am the third younger brother. Then there is the long praise and short praise.”
"Not good, not good. Zhao Bangjie, Zhao Bangzhijie, is the most taboo of the Khitan people. Ma Huilong's name is not like a farmer's." Zhao Jie shook his head and said, "We can discuss this again. Here, Praise or praise.”
Zhao Jie smiled and left.It seems that this resolute man has not been able to compromise so easily on this small issue of appellation. He wants to examine Ma Kuo from practice.
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