Chapter 47 Yi County
Late at night, Zhang Xuanning led fifty cavalrymen and four hundred soldiers, made a big circle, and came to the key point where they had sneaked into the city last time. However, when they arrived at a small woods and looked at the city wall a few miles away, Zhang Xuanning suddenly reined in his horse and waved his hand for everyone to stop.
"My lord, what's the matter?" Jiao Lie stepped forward and asked.
In the distance, the city was dark, like a giant beast.
Zhang Xuanning looked serious and said, "I feel something is wrong. Maybe there is a trap in the city."
His original intention was to attack Kuaiji City directly at night. After all, Kuaiji City only had a thousand soldiers from one prefecture, while his own side had 500. If they attacked in the middle of the night, there was still some chance of success.
However, as he approached the city wall, he had an extremely sharp premonition of bad luck. However, when he looked around, there was no one who could help him solve his problem, not even anyone to talk to.
With a sad sigh, he could only think to himself that he could temporarily control this group of thugs only by relying on the power of killing the enemy and driving them around with the token of surrender, but this was unstable after all. If there was no defense in the city at all, he could give it a try and create a great feat of capturing a city with less than a hundred people and driving four hundred surrendered soldiers, leaving his name in history.
To be honest, this kind of thing has happened in history.
But if the city is well-prepared, how can we disintegrate and destroy our army? Zhang Xuanning thought about it and changed his thinking. He immediately came up with several extremely vicious strategies.
Under the moonlight, there was a plain outside the city, and about a mile outside the city there was a sparse forest, and he was in it.
Especially since the families of this group of people are all in the city, if an official appears in the city, shows his family members, and orders them to surrender, I am afraid that they will not have any chance at all, and will immediately collapse. Thinking of this, Zhang Xuanning sighed and said, "Let's go."
Having said that, he turned around, rode his horse and left.
This obviously surprised many people. More than 400 people were in a commotion. Jiao Lie couldn't help but step forward and said, "Lord, what do you mean? The city is unprepared. We can just attack it."
"Take it down in one attack? Do you think that's the case?" Zhang Xuan stared at him, sneered, and ordered to turn around.
The fifty people in the army at this time were his direct subordinates, and of course they were the temporary fire chiefs, so at one command, the team had to be driven away.
This obviously surprised the people in the city. Sure enough, the five hundred people rushed back for a distance, and after walking a few miles, they found torches lit on the city wall behind them, and thousands of people were densely packed on the wall. This was fine, but Zhang Xuan focused his eyes and found that there were indeed people who were not soldiers. He snorted in his heart, knowing that they were the family members of the gangsters under his control.
And there were faint voices, but fortunately they were two miles away and could not be heard clearly. But even so, there was another commotion in the team. Zhang Xuanning knew in his heart that if they were under the city, the situation would be completely different. As soon as the family members shouted, his five hundred people immediately fell apart.
Sure enough, war is a matter of life and death. Once they are out of distance, these four hundred people will not dare to resist without direct provocation and can only be driven away by themselves.
But who is in charge of all this? Could it be that Lord Juecao Liyun?
But at this moment, Zhang Xuanning accidentally turned his head and looked at the torches on the city wall that were constantly trembling like thousands of fireflies. He could only sneer in his heart. In such a night, I guess the people in the city would not dare to pursue them. If they really wanted to pursue them, it would not be impossible for him to defeat hundreds of them with only a hundred of his own people at night. Maybe he could really capture the city that night!
Traveling all night, more than 400 people were all dejected, but now under the supervision of the cavalry, they had to follow . Fortunately, these people were usually strong men, so they traveled very quickly. Zhang Xuanning had a plan in his mind and walked in one direction, while the fifty men each served as a fire leader, directly dividing and controlling this group of people. They had been in the army for a long time and naturally had some skills, so they walked for a day and a night without any problems.
On the afternoon of the second day, we arrived at our destination, Juzhang County.
It is said that Juzhang County was built in the 54th year of the Yuan Dynasty of Zhou Dynasty during the reign of Gou Jian, King of Yue. Juzhang Port in Juzhang City is a very important military port and trade port. It has been connected with Izu (referring to the islands of Japan and Taiwan in my country) since ancient times, and many people came from here. When the Qin Emperor unified the world, this county was officially established. In the Sui Dynasty, only four counties were built in Kuaiji County, and Yin, Yan, and Yuyao counties were all merged into Zhangju County, so the actual territory was very large.
However, due to the limitations of the government organization, the soldiers in the county government were actually yamen runners and county soldiers, numbering no more than about 200.
This is not a lack of strength. In fact, if a real mobilization is carried out, three thousand soldiers are more than enough. However, if one dares to do so without an imperial decree, the penalty is death. Without the intention of rebellion, who would dare to do so?
That’s why we’re in trouble today.
Of course, once there is an excuse, for example, if he has captured this county, the other three counties and Kuaiji City will immediately expand their military forces, and it will not be so easy in the future, but there is nothing that can be done about it.
"Zhang Yi, take my things and go in to show them to the county magistrate. Welcome him in quickly." Zhang Xuanning said as he saw the city gates closed and about two hundred soldiers standing on the county town.
A silver plate with the mark of a general of the emperor's personal army and a big word "石" on it, and also an imperial edict, which was issued not long ago to promote Shi Wuji to the rank of Zhechou Duwei. It is unlikely that these two things would fall into the hands of the rebel. Presumably, the county magistrate would have to consider who the person coming is.
If the 400 people behind him were not all good-looking but useless, and if there were not 500 real soldiers coming, these mere 200 militiamen would have dispersed long ago, and he would not have taken out these two things just now!
Of course, this was also because the county magistrate did not know the inside story, whether it was in Kuaiji County or the emperor far in the north.
Sure enough, at this time, Zhang Yi met the county magistrate.
The county magistrate Fan Zhiyuan naturally knew whether these things were true or false, especially the imperial edicts. Every official must learn them thoroughly to avoid being deceived. These knowledge are difficult for traitors to imitate. Whether it is the texture, format, seal, or even the position of each word and seal, they all have their own requirements. Therefore, after kneeling to listen to the imperial edict, he immediately went forward to study it with the county magistrate Zhu Li and the chief clerk Gao Zan, and found that it was indeed authentic.
Chief Clerk Gao Zanben was an expert in documents. He studied it several times, looked up at Zhang Yi's sharp gaze waiting on the side, avoided it, and whispered, "Sir, what should we do?"
County Magistrate Fan Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment. He felt that the origins of these people were unknown and he always had a bad feeling about it. However, the imperial edict and the military badge were real. After all, the emperor's personal army's Zhechou Duwei not only had a rank of sixth rank, which was higher than his seventh rank, but also the treatment of his personal army was different from usual.
He looked at the county magistrate and asked, "What do you think, Lord Zhu?"
The county magistrate is the official title, which was first established in the Warring States Period. He is the assistant official of the county magistrate and has no problem with the political affairs of the county. Under him are the chief clerk and the county lieutenant, who each have their own special duties. However, because of this, once the county magistrate intervenes, he will be suspected of undermining the county magistrate. Therefore, as a rule, he will not comment on official affairs, no matter how big or small, which is actually an idle and redundant official position.
Zhu Li, the county magistrate, simply said: "This is a major matter, and the adults will make the decision."
After saying that, he kept silent.
Although this was the norm and everyone was used to it, they still felt a little depressed when they heard it said this at this time. However, there was nothing they could do but the two of them continued to discuss it.
"Is it possible to just invite Lord Shi and leave the army outside the county?" County Magistrate Fan Zhiyuan thought for a moment and said.
"Sir, if it is other troops, it is fine. But for the emperor's personal troops, this is not allowed. Besides, Sir Shi's rank is higher than yours, and he should even go out of the city to welcome him!" Chief Clerk Gao Zan thought for a while and said.
"Well, I haven't received any official notification that the army has arrived in my county!" This is the biggest problem. Generally speaking, even if the superiors want to go there, they will notify the county and make arrangements in advance. But this time they came suddenly, which makes people wonder.
"That's true, sir. You are the head of the county. It's up to you to decide."
After all, this had to be decided by the county magistrate Fan Zhiyuan. He hesitated for a moment, looked at the imperial edict and the military badge, and finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Open the door to welcome Lord Shi!"
Zhang Xuanning brought nearly 500 people and waited quietly. If things really didn't work, there was no other way. He had to rush into the county with only 50 people. With his martial arts skills, although there were risks, he could still break into the county. However, this would make things much more troublesome.
Suddenly, the city gate opened, accompanied by the sound of suona, gongs and drums, and more than ten people were in the lead, apparently they were from the county government to welcome them.
The leader, wearing the uniform of a seventh-rank official, stepped forward first and said, "Ah, I have kept you waiting for so long, Master Shi. Please forgive me!"
Zhang Xuanning rolled off his horse and said with a smile, "Haha, Your Excellency is too modest."
Glancing up, he saw the three adults in the county, and waited for the county magistrate to introduce them one by one, and then he estimated them in his mind.
The county magistrate must not be retained, and the chief clerk Gao Zan must not be retained either. This is actually very simple. If a county is a small imperial court, then the county magistrate is the local king, and the judicial department, warehouse department, household department, scholar department, and agricultural department below him have the same responsibilities as the six central ministries. The prime minister is not the county magistrate, but the chief clerk.
The chief clerk is nominally in charge of documents, but most of them are close officials of the superiors and have great power. They often participate in confidential matters and are in charge of government affairs, so they are the real second in power. Generally speaking, the county magistrate and the chief clerk are in collusion with each other and form an integral whole, so if you want to move, you must move both of them.
The county magistrate Zhu Li in front of him was only in his thirties, but he looked a little gloomy. He wondered if he could be used.
As for the county lieutenant Ding Yuan, he is forty years old. Although he is not tall and does not look majestic, he has an aura of solemnity just standing there. He has the natural majesty that comes with arresting thieves and handling criminal cases. In fact, he is the modern chief of the city police department.
Zhang Xuanning smiled faintly, talked to the adults for a few words, and then went into the city. Seeing the soldiers also entering the city, he naturally breathed a sigh of relief.
The county town was not big, and everyone soon arrived at the county government office.
The county government office covers an area of more than ten acres, and only the lobby can be seen from the outside. Originally, a cleaning ceremony should have been held first, and a welcoming banquet should have been held in the evening. However, as soon as he entered the lobby, Zhang Xuanning took the main seat on his own.
Suddenly, everyone's expression changed, and the originally harmonious relationship suddenly became strained.
According to custom, the county magistrate is the head of a county, and only he or his direct superior can sit in the main seat in the hall. Even other officials in the county who are one level higher than the county magistrate have no right to sit here unless they are the prefect.
Even though Zhang Xuanning was a fifth-rank commander, a higher rank, he could only sit on the side seat in the lobby. This was the difference between host and guest. Of course, this rule was not absolute. If the rank difference was more than three ranks, there would be no such rule.
But now, it was completely different, and it was even taking over the show. County Magistrate Fan Zhiyuan suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his heart, speechless, knowing that something was wrong.
"Master Shi, you must have come all the way here, please come in and rest." Chief Clerk Gao Zan stepped forward and said that as long as Zhang Xuanning stood up and gave up his seat, the situation would be resolved if he could go in.
"No need. I've been traveling all the way, and I'm lucky to have you all take care of me. I don't have to sleep outdoors, and I'm very happy. My children now have a place to stay. However, I haven't officially notified the county yet. Lord Fan, Lord Gao, please take my letter and go to the county to meet the governor, how do you do?"
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Fan Zhiyuan's face immediately turned blue, and he almost vomited blood in anger. Isn't this a blatant power grab? How could he tolerate this? He immediately turned hostile and roared.
At this moment, the chief clerk Gao Zan pulled at the corner of his clothes, and the county magistrate Fan Zhiyuan realized that more than 20 soldiers with knives had surrounded the hall, staring at them with murderous eyes, while Zhang Xuanning also had a half-smile on his face.
At this moment, County Lieutenant Ding Yuan jumped out and said, "Master Shi, even though you are the commander of the army, you have no right to do this, right?"
Suddenly, everyone looked at Zhang Xuanning.
"You are just a ninth-rank county lieutenant, and you dare to make such a noise? And offend me? Come here, drag him away and give him twenty lashes of the cane." Zhang Xuanning said with a sneer.
Immediately, two soldiers came forward and pulled him down. There was a board in the county government office, and they were about to use it to beat him. County Lieutenant Ding Yuan was furious and almost drew his knife, but when he saw the soldiers grinning and showing murderous eyes, he finally endured it.
He was not a fool. As the chief of the county police department, he was also very perceptive and had already sensed the murderous intent.
When he was dragged out to the hall, he heard crackling sounds and was reprimanded on the spot. Although the two soldiers did not really intend to kill him, twenty strokes of the cane were not easy to bear.
Everyone's face turned pale as they listened to the beatings. After ten strokes, County Lieutenant Ding Yuan was already a bloody mess. After twenty strokes, half of his body was covered in blood and he was almost unconscious. Judging from his condition, he would not recover without two months of rest.
"Hmph, carry him away and hand him over to his family. Wait until he recovers before taking office." Zhang Xuanning said with a smile: "Master Fan, Master Gao, how are you two? To be honest, I hope you won't let me down!"
County Magistrate Fan Zhiyuan was so angry that he almost vomited blood. Emotionally, of course, he could not accept it. But his reason reminded him that the current situation was very dangerous. No matter what, the other party had the imperial edict and the military badge. Even if he lost the county, he would not be ruined. However, if he resisted on the spot, it was hard to say what the result would be.
After thinking for a while, the county magistrate Fan Zhiyuan sneered and said, "Since it is the order of the adults, I have nothing to say. I will just report it directly to the higher-ups."
After saying that, he snorted coldly and turned away.
The chief clerk Gao Zan hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and followed. The clerks below also hesitated. Some followed on the spot, while others stood still but were definitely hesitant.
Only the county magistrate Zhu Li was still standing there motionless. Zhang Xuanning did not take it seriously and said with a smile, "Although the county magistrate Lord Fan and the chief clerk Lord Gao have gone to the county town, the county cannot be without a leader for a day. Lord Zhu, please take care of things."
After a pause, he continued, "The army of this government is already insufficient. The first thing Lord Zhu should do is to recruit rural soldiers for me. I can select as many as possible to serve as the military headquarters. Lord Zhu should also prepare all the food, fodder and clothing."
County Magistrate Zhu Li was watching coldly just now. When he saw him asking, he had thought about it in his mind countless times. He had been an official since the age of 24 and had also served as a county lieutenant with good performance. However, he offended his superiors and was almost demoted and dismissed. Fortunately, a superior appreciated him and transferred him to this county as county magistrate. In the past eight years, he has not asked any questions or done anything, which can be regarded as keeping a low profile.
He knew something was wrong with the situation just now. However, this person had an imperial edict and a military badge after all, and seeing that there were dozens of followers, he was definitely a military man. As the county magistrate, he should be in charge when the county magistrate is away. Besides, it was the county magistrate who opened the door to let this person in, and he did not resist. It was not a big crime for him to fulfill his duty. Therefore, after thinking about it, he replied, "Yes!"
When he walked out of the county government office, he found that all the 100 county soldiers had been incorporated. The county magistrate Zhu Li could not help but sigh, knowing that the county had actually changed hands.
