Chapter 378 To go or not to go*
"Based on the situation we asked about, this possibility cannot be ruled out." Meng Changqing said, "I have killed a group of young men before, so it is normal for them to want to trap and kill me."
"In your opinion, what should we do?"
"In the final analysis of this matter, there are only two choices, go up the mountain or not go up the mountain." Meng Changqing told Yang Zheng while also clarifying his thoughts, "Going up the mountain is very risky. Even if I send out all the government officials, I don't have enough The certainty of eradicating the root of the problem ”
Yang Zheng continued: "If it is a conspiracy set up by that family in conjunction with the mountain, no matter how many people we get involved with, we will never come back."
"Exactly."
"My lord, I mean, don't go up the mountain."
Meng Changqing was silent for a while before confirming: "Not going up the mountain."
"The food for his family is not worth taking such a big risk."
"But if it's not a game, wouldn't we lose a good opportunity? Your Excellency regrets this opportunity, so you are so hesitant." Yang Zheng suggested, "Your Excellency, why don't you ask General Wei for help and ask him to send troops to the mountain."
Meng Changqing did not follow the other party's thoughts, but said: "It is really puzzling to say that this family united with the people on the mountain to play a game. After finally settling down, why would they take such a big risk? Even if we listen If he goes up the mountain and is killed, what benefit will this family get?”
"Occupy the county government? Take over Beishan County?" Yang Zheng guessed along the lines of thought.
"What are the chances that they will succeed?"
Yang Zheng thought for a moment, "It's impossible to succeed. The group of people on the mountain have limited combat power. There's nothing we can do against them. It's just that due to the terrain, their advantage will no longer be there when they go down the mountain. The county government is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and there are sufficient weapons. Gunpowder is also available outside the county.
As long as there are two groups of people left in the yamen, those people have no chance of success. ”
"Do they know?" Meng Changqing asked.
"What?"
Meng Changqing said: "Do they know it is impossible to succeed?" Before Yang Zheng could reply, she continued: "They won't know the preparations made by the county government, but they should also know that hundreds of people want to completely control 10,000 people. It's very possible. As long as one person reports to the defenders on the wall, it only takes a moment to clear them out."
"Your Majesty, what you mean is that it is unlikely that they will unite with the people on the mountain to make a plan?"
"Yes."
Yang Zheng became excited, "Then we must seize this opportunity and wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop!"
Every time she heard that she was going to go up the mountain, Meng Changqing always felt uneasy in her heart. She was very familiar with this emotion. She would feel this way when she was framed or assassinated when she was a child. As I grew older, this feeling became less common.
Now that the uneasy premonition reappeared, she was willing to believe her own feelings.
Yang Zheng could see that compared to his excitement, Meng Changqing was very calm, so calm that he seemed to have no idea of going up the mountain. He felt very strange. In his impression, Meng Changqing had always been a capable and bellicose person. Why did this happen? Will you back down later?
He had previously suggested that General Wei could take action, but Master Meng did not answer.
If we are not afraid of insufficient manpower, then what are we afraid of?
"Sir." Seeing that Meng Changqing had not spoken for a long time, Yang Zheng called her.
Meng Changqing looked up, saw Yang Zheng's expression clearly, and smiled awkwardly, "To be honest, I have a bad premonition about going up the mountain.
If there were no reasons to go up the mountain, I could find many, but I want to be honest with you, it was just because it didn’t feel good.
As an official, it is ridiculous to say this, but Brother Yang, I treat you as a friend. ”
Yang Zheng said quickly: "I understand.
There are many veteran generals in the army who will feel this way before sending troops to fight the enemy. Often the situation will develop according to their hunch. The so-called hunch is the continuous accumulation of experience. When it accumulates to a certain extent, even if the head does not think of anything unusual, the heart will notice it. The subordinate believes in the Lord's premonition.
As the Lord said, it is not worth risking the brothers for that family's food. ”
At this moment, Meng Changqing suddenly realized that Yang Zheng was an incredible person.
When did he develop the technique of passing steps?
"Then what are the follow-up plans for Xiaocun?" Yang Zheng asked.
Meng Changqing did not answer, but asked: "What do you think is the appropriate arrangement?"
Yang Zheng was stunned, thinking that he also held the position of county captain, and sweat suddenly broke out on his back, "My subordinates believe that the two squads of government officials who guard the dangerous mountains should be allowed to guard the small village.
If the bandits came down the mountain just to grab food, there is a good chance they will do it again.
Let the brothers from the two classes form a small team of two or three, dispersed in different houses. Each team will send a whistle. If there is an abnormal situation, the whistle will be blown to respond.
Prepare fireworks for Qian Deming and Sun Dayu. If the robbers really come again, light the fireworks to notify us, and we can rush over immediately. ”
After hearing this, Meng Changqing said that his arrangement was very suitable and asked him to get started.
After Yang Zheng walked out of the door, he quickly went to Beiqiang Market to collect the fireworks. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped.
It occurred to me that by next August, General Wei's post as prefect will expire.
If it was true as he said, he asked General Wei to send troops to suppress the bandits, and it would be okay if they were eliminated. However, if he were not careful, it would be a failure for General Wei, and it would probably affect the general's promotion.
Only then did he understand why Master Meng didn't seem to hear him when he proposed this method.
Yang Zheng lamented that his cultivation was still not enough.
Everything was arranged according to Yang Zheng's arrangement, and no one jumped out to stop it during the process.
In the small village, other villagers are also afraid that they will be the next to be robbed of food. Knowing the arrangement of the county government, they generally agree with it, but they are a little uneasy in their hearts, fearing that the government servants who live in their homes will not be able to take care of them.
But after two or three days of contact, I no longer have such worries. The government officials took care of their own meals and brought their own bedding, and even the firewood for the kang was delivered by someone.
The government officials stayed in the village like this for more than ten days.
Qian Deming lived very anxiously, looking forward to the bandits coming every day, but they just couldn't come.
Yang Zheng, too, goes to the small village basically every day, several times a day. In addition to guarding the village, he also checks for traces left by the bandits last time.
It was obvious that they were suffering a lot during this time, and several of them had blisters on their lips.
Later, Sun Dayu realized something was wrong, "With so many of us here, even if the bandits wanted to come down, they would be too scared to come down."
"Yes!" Yang Zheng realized at this time that they were stationed here in plain sight. Although they could protect the villagers from being robbed, they had no chance of luring the bandits.
After that, they changed tactics.
Another dozen days passed and it came to the end of October.
That night, Meng Changqing was sleeping in the house. Suddenly she heard two bangs and bangs outside. She rushed out of the house quickly, not even bothering to put on her clothes and shoes. After going out, her eyes searched the sky in the south. Sure enough, she saw that the people had not completely dispersed. Go for the fireworks.