Chapter 1103 Cleaning up the mess
Nearly twenty miles west of Fushan County, there is a place called Pishankuang. Before the Denglai Rebellion, there were two villages, Shangkuangzhuang and Xiakuanzhuang, one in the south and one in the north, with nearly a thousand people living there. However, after the Wanjia Army gained momentum in the past two years, they occupied this area and turned two villages that were empty during the war into their own strongholds. Previously, Wanmeng ordered troops to be mobilized to Fushan County, and a considerable number of supplies and men were transferred from Pishankuang.
However, most of the bandits who left Pishankuang could not return here. When Pu Xueguang led more than 20 horsemen and horses to jump here in a hurry, the total number of living people in Pishankuang was only There were hundreds of people, most of whom were family members of the bandits, mainly old, weak, women and children.
"Let everyone pack their bags quickly and evacuate here together before dark!" Pu Xueguang was still in shock. When he arrived at Pishankuang, he immediately issued an order to continue retreating.
He really didn't expect that the Wanjia Army, which was invincible in Fushan County, collapsed in the opponent's hands before they could even get a round. If the previous day's battle was because he accidentally got into the opponent's way, then this time after that, all the elites would be exhausted. He went out and made a detailed battle plan beforehand, but after going into battle, he discovered that his opponent's force value was not at the same level as his own, and he was beaten to the point where he was unable to fight back. The most frightening thing is that even Wan Meng himself was not able to escape from the battlefield. According to those who escaped, Wan Meng fell off his horse when fighting the opponent's cavalry, and was never seen again. It was probably a disaster. Less.
Seeing that the situation was over, Pu Xueguang did not dare to delay any longer outside the county town. He could expect that after the Haihan people freed up their hands, they would definitely clean up the slums outside the county town. If he did not run at this time, he would not be able to escape. So he left behind the injured who were unable to move and fled back to the mountains with a few of his men.
Considering that a large number of people on his side were captured during the battle, Pu Xueguang believed that the stronghold in Pishankuang was no longer safe. As long as someone confessed, the Haihan people might send people to pursue him here at any time. It was no longer suitable to stay here for a long time. The evil stars Haihan were so powerful that Pu Xueguang just wanted to escape as far away as possible and avoid Haihan's current range of activities.
This operation in Fushan County consumed most of the main force of the Wanjia Army, and there were not many soldiers left who could fight. However, for Pu Xueguang, although the current situation is very passive, it is not desperate. The wealth accumulated by Wanjiajun through plundering in the past few years is still hidden in many strongholds in nearby mountainous areas. Relying on this money to recruit troops again, it is not impossible to make a comeback. However, Pu Xueguang must now take over the property left by Wanmeng as soon as possible. Otherwise, once the news of Wanjiajun's defeat in Fushan County spreads, it is very likely that the trees will fall and the hozens will be scattered. The remaining personnel in various strongholds may be destroyed overnight. During this period, he rolled up the gold and silver in the village and ran away.
Pu Xueguang's top priority now is not only to organize people to continue running away, but also to send people to control the "Seven Villages and Twelve Forts" under the name of Wanjiajun as soon as possible to avoid changes after the news spreads. Although the Wanjia Army has always been Wanmeng in charge and Pu Xueguang assists, due to the scattered strongholds, Wanmeng is not the only leader in the army, and this is what Pu Xueguang is most worried about at the moment.
There are more than a dozen big and small leaders of the Wanjia Army leading troops to guard various strongholds, but most of them, like Gan Qiang, participated in the battle outside Fushan County, and most of these people are related to Like Wanmeng, he could not escape from the battlefield safely. However, Gan Qiang, who had been injured in the previous battle, did not participate in the second battle because of his injury. Instead, he survived by chance and followed Pu Xueguang all the way back to Pishankuang.
However, the leader on duty at Pishankuang did not immediately implement the order issued by Pu Xueguang. Instead, he questioned his behavior: "The leader didn't show up and there was no warrant. It's a bit inappropriate for the military advisor to just order a retreat." ?”
The leader sent by Wanmeng to Pishankuang was his brother-in-law He Fei. This arrangement could be regarded as a conscious decision to hand over the logistics base closest to the battlefield to the hands of his close associates to ensure that there would be no big problems in his retreat. He Fei used to be a salesman who traveled from village to village. He had a quick mind but little skill in his hands. Therefore, Wanmeng would not give him tasks such as leading troops to fight, but intended to let him use his talents and arrange for him to manage material supplies in the rear.
With He Fei's family background, he was able to hold a butler-like position in the Wanjia Army, which naturally relied on Wanmeng's prestige. He himself knew this very well, so when he saw military advisor Pu Xueguang coming back in a hurry, he ordered a retreat without any hesitation. Asked whether this was Wanmeng's order, He Fei would definitely not follow it.
Pu Xueguang said solemnly: "The boss won't be back for a while. He Fei, please listen to my orders first."
Pu Xueguang knew that his prestige within the gang was not enough. If he revealed the unknown news of Wanmeng's life and death, the other party would probably stand on his own feet immediately, and the chance of him obeying his orders was slim. Therefore, he had no intention of mentioning Wan Meng's whereabouts at all, hoping that he could get away with it by issuing military orders. However, the appearance of their group of people when they came back was too hasty and embarrassed. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell there was something wrong at a glance, so he wanted to hide it from He Fei but failed. It can't be done.
He Fei's status in the Wanjia Army is tied to Wan Meng. Only with Wan Meng's presence can he have weight. If something happens to Wan Meng, he will be nothing. As for taking orders from others, this is definitely not in line with Wanmeng's interests, and He Fei will not betray his backer when the situation is unclear.
"Military advisor, what happened to the master?" Seeing Pu Xueguang's evasive words, He Fei immediately smelled something bad and quickly asked.
Pu Xueguang was worried that He Fei would have an attack, so he did not dare to tell the truth at the moment. He could only find an excuse to deal with him first: "Our army was defeated, and the boss and I retreated separately. If this place is revealed, it may attract opponents to pursue it, so it must be Evacuate as soon as possible! He Fei, we will meet up with the boss in two days. Before that, can you just listen to my orders?"
He Fei was dubious, but fortunately there was still someone who could verify Pu Xueguang's statement, so he turned to ask Gan Qiang: "Is what the military advisor just said the truth?"
Pu Xueguang's heart tightened. He was thinking about his future plans on the way back, but he forgot to communicate with Gan Qiang first. This horse bandit has been with Wanmeng for a long time. It's hard to say how loyal he is to Wanmeng. If he breaks the window paper, the current situation will be difficult to deal with.
Gan Qiang looked at He Fei, then at Pu Xueguang, and said calmly: "He Fei, don't be nervous. It is indeed the boss who asked the military advisor to come to Pishankuang to organize the retreat. He took people to the Ding family in the south. Fort, we will be reunited in two days.”
He Fei still didn't believe it: "The boss has transferred so many people here, but he still can't defeat him. How can this opponent be so powerful?"
Gan Qiang responded: "This time we have encountered a tough idea. I'm afraid that even the Ming army is not their opponent. Look..." After Gan Qiang said that, he opened his clothes and let He Fei see the big lump on his chest. Terrible bruises. "The enemy's camp is equipped with a lot of firecrackers. When we meet, we will fire a lot of fire. If it were not for the treasure armor given by the master to protect me, I would not be able to come back this time!" Gan Qiang was still frightened when he said this, with a look on his face. Hou's fearful expression was not an act: "The fighting outside Fushan County in the past few days has resulted in the loss of many brothers. The leader had no choice but to order the retreat."
"It's so powerful!" After He Fei saw the scars on Gan Qiang's body, he confirmed that what he said was true, and he believed Pu Xueguang's words. However, he still had objections to this comprehensive retreat: "Then we will You have taken all the food and grass with you. Do you not plan to come back here in the future?”
Pu Xueguang said: "The enemy has at least hundreds of horses under his command, and they are all tall horses. Everyone has a blunderbuss, so he is simply invincible. This mountain horse is only ten miles away from Fushan County, and it takes less than an hour to arrive on horseback. , If you don’t leave, are you still waiting for the enemy to raid your home? Will you come back here in the future... Let’s talk about it later!”
Pu Xueguang knew very well that he could not stay within the range of the Haihan cavalry. The Wanjia army faced off against the opponent's cavalry twice, and both times they were defeated without the ability to fight back. Although Pishankuang is not suitable for cavalry operations, it is easy for the Haihan people to cover the cavalry's maneuvering range here. Unless the Haihan people take the initiative to withdraw from this area in the future, it will be really risky to return here. .
He Fei still had many questions in his mind, but with the cooperation of these two people, he was finally persuaded to gather people to collect supplies. Pu Xueguang then cupped his fists at Gan Qiang and said, "Fortunately, Leader Gan understands the righteousness and takes the overall situation into consideration, otherwise it would be a big trouble for He Fei to cooperate!"
Gan Qiang is willing to cooperate with him in performing this play. Pu Xueguang thinks this is a sign of understanding current affairs. Fortunately, he is not a stubborn person, otherwise the situation will be difficult to deal with. Under the current situation, Pu Xueguang certainly did not hesitate to use praise to win over Gan Qiang. After all, he was the only leader who knew the ins and outs of the matter, and he would be needed to cooperate with him in integrating the remaining personnel and materials of the Wanjia Army. It is still necessary to have a good relationship.
Of course, Pu Xueguang will not naively think that he can satisfy Gan Qiang by saying a few nice words. His willingness to stand on his side at this time is obviously not because of factors such as loyalty and the overall situation. He also wanted to seek a benefit for himself in this mess. Pu Xueguang first used big words to trap him, also wanting to prevent Gan Qiang from breaking out and making some unreasonable demands.
At this time, Gan Qiang could no longer see the uneasiness and panic on his face. He grinned and said, "The military advisor has thought carefully. I have been thinking about what to do to make He Fei dispel his suspicions. I didn't expect that the military advisor would just say this in a few words." If the guy is coaxed, it saves you the trouble of taking action!”
Pu Xueguang was shocked when he heard this. The meaning of Gan Qiang's words was that if He Fei refused to cooperate, he would probably use force to solve this problem. He Fei himself was not a warrior, so if he really wanted to take action, even if Gan Qiang was injured, he could easily defeat him. However, when Gan Qiang said this, he obviously had no intention of keeping his past relationship with his master Wan Meng in his heart.
Pu Xueguang has not thought about killing He Fei. He believes that there are not many people left in the Wanjia Army, and it is better to keep as many useful people as possible. Although He Fei is suspicious, he has always done a good job in managing supplies. Without him, he would have to find someone else to replace him, which would also be a hassle. Although the news of Wanmeng's unknown life and death may irritate He Fei, Pu Xueguang believes that if he slowly tells him the truth in a few days, he should still have a good chance of persuading He Fei.
"Chief Gan, the Wanjia Army has been hit hard by this. We should work together to tide over the difficulties. We are all our own people. Peace is the most important thing in everything. Don't add more chaos at this time!" Pu Xueguang felt that Gan Qiang's idea was a bit dangerous, so he quickly gave him advice.
"The military advisor is right!" Gan Qiang nodded and replied seriously: "At this time, we really need brothers to unite as one. But since the leader is temporarily away, someone must take the responsibility... I It seems better to let the military advisor do it!”
Pu Xueguang was startled and quickly declined subconsciously: "How is this possible! Leader Gan is joking!"
Although Pu Xueguang had this intention in his heart, he still felt guilty when someone said it to his face. Just as he was about to say a few words to lighten the atmosphere, he heard Gan Qiang continue: "Yes, the military advisor is a scholar after all. This is a decisive matter. , I’m afraid I can’t be tough. I’m not talented, but I’m willing to give it a try. I wonder if the military advisor is willing to cooperate.”
Pu Xueguang looked at Gan Qiang in front of him with his mouth wide open. He couldn't believe that these words came from his mouth. With Wanmeng's life and death uncertain, Gan Qiang had already begun to think about taking advantage of this gap to seize power, and his intentions were much more straightforward than his. Pu Xueguang originally planned to recruit Gan Qiang to be his thug in recruiting Wan Jiajun, but he didn't expect that the other party had similar thoughts and took the initiative to occupy the position of the head of the family.
Gan Qiang saw that Pu Xueguang was not correct, so he continued to persuade: "Military advisor, think about the current situation. The main force of the Wanjia Army has been almost completely destroyed, and there are not many available soldiers. And more than half of these people are left behind. They are all related to the big boss and are close confidants. Like He Fei, these people are not easy to dismiss. If they know the news about the big boss's troubles, these people will definitely stick together to keep warm and want to take power. , but it will be very troublesome.”
Pu Xueguang snorted and said: "Since you already have an idea, why do you need to involve me in it?"
Gan Qiang stopped showing off now and said honestly: "I have courage, ambition, and ability. What I need is someone who can help me weigh the pros and cons and make suggestions. If the military advisor is willing to help me, no matter what I do in the future, it will be called Wan Qiang." It doesn’t matter whether it’s a family soldier or anything else, you just sit firmly in the second position, how about it?”
(End of chapter)