Each time he destroyed a stronghold, Deng Ming continued south along the avenue. The new Qing outpost on the road would not know what was happening at their front station, and even if any Qing soldiers planned to report to the rear, they would not be able to be faster than Deng Ming and his party, who had taken all the horses with them; When these Qing soldiers came to their next stop, they would also see the ruins of the embers that had not been extinguished.

At present, Deng Ming's biggest advantage is that the enemy does not know that such a Ming army has invaded Dongchuan Mansion, and he does not know that the Dongchuan defender has been defeated and died, and his seal letter has also fallen into the hands of the Ming army. But this situation is time-sensitive.

After defeating more than 800 Qing troops, Deng Ming and his entourage did not hesitate to lose horses and rushed to the Dongchuan border to test the first Qing army stronghold they saw. Confirming that the enemy was not yet aware of the battle that took place near Jianchang, he issued a number of orders to disrupt the audio-visual through the stronghold of Guò, and also to cover his follow-up.

But the Ming army did not destroy this first stronghold, because there were nearly 100 Qing soldiers inside, as the largest and most important reserve warehouse in Dongchuan Mansion at present, the defense there was far tighter than these posts with only a dozen guards in the rear, and Deng Ming was not sure that he would take it lightly. Sooner or later, the Qing army from the First Battle of Jianchang would flee there, so that the defenders would understand the truth and realize the true identity of Deng Ming and his party, so Deng Ming was determined to destroy all the Qing army posts along the way, so that the Qing army's heralds could be supplied and transferred horses. In this era when there were no radios and telephones, Deng Ming thought that as long as he ran fast enough, he did not have to worry about his identity being exposed prematurely.

……

"Ahh

A Qing soldier on fire, screaming and jumping from the burning watchtower, fell heavily to the ground and still struggled on the ground before he could breathe. However, no one in the Ming army surrounding the watchtower paid attention to the flame that was slowly crawling on the ground, and they were still engrossed in staring at the tower, observing whether there were any surviving enemies.

The leader of this outpost was quickly eliminated after the arrival of the Ming army, but unlike the previous outpost, a fierce Qing soldier stepped forward, and the leader of several guards on the watchtower continued to resist, turning a deaf ear to the Ming army's persuasion to surrender. For the sake of safety, the Ming army had to start besieging this watchtower. At the beginning, the Ming army tentatively launched a direct attack, and the opponent's battle could not be compared with the Ming army, which was one of the best cadres in a hundred, and the other party was trapped on a simple tower, with no reinforcements and no officers, and the Ming army thought that the other party would collapse all at once.

But the Qing soldiers, though desperate, did not surrender to the attackers as the Ming army had hoped, but resisted frantically and wounded Liu Jinge - it seems that there is no benefit in attacking directly. The best way to deal with a rudimentary wooden tower without the protection of a wall is to attack it with fire. However, when the fires were piled up under the tower, they might be attacked fiercely, and when Deng Ming was still a little hesitant, Zhou Kaihuang made a quick decision, and did not hesitate to use his sword to force the Qing army auxiliaries in the barracks to carry the wood and coal piled up under the tower.

Many auxiliary soldiers were smashed by the wood and stones thrown from the tower, but in less than half an hour, the fires were piled up, and with Zhou Kaihuang's order, people threw more than a dozen torches on them.

One or two more soldiers covered in fire fell out of the tower, and soon the entire tower was engulfed in flames. The four Qing guards who were still alive at this outpost were all kneeling on the ground, their faces were uninhabited, and the nearly 100 auxiliary soldiers were all pale, not knowing what to do with them next. There is no need to give any guarantee to this group of Qing army auxiliaries, after this tragic attack battle, Deng Ming feels that not many people can still believe that they are Baoning soldiers.

"I don't have time to imprison you right now." Deng Ming said to these Qing soldiers who were waiting for the verdict, and as soon as he said this, the Qing soldiers who were already frightened felt that a great disaster was coming, and many of them were already trembling.

"Tie them up!" Deng Ming pointed to the four combat soldiers, tied them up and gagged them again, Deng Ming selected a few people from the Qing army auxiliaries to come out as leaders, pretended to count the number of people, took out a piece of paper, scribbled a few strokes on it and handed it to him: "Go north along the avenue, and when you see the army, give this piece of paper and these four people to the officers who lead the army." The cloth from their mouths is not to be taken out along the way! I promise you are safe. It says that there are ninety-four people in your team, and as long as you can keep more than ninety percent, that is, no more than ten people escape, you still have credit! ”

"Thank you, General!"

"Thank you, General!"

The strong men thanked them vigorously. Ninety-four men included several auxiliaries who had been wounded in the assault on the tower. Deng Ming did not say how long it would take to meet the Ming army, and the suspicious people were expected to keep heading north in earnest—now that Deng Ming was discovering more and more the importance of the details. They didn't have horses, so it was impossible for them to inform the next stop in the south in time, and carrying the wounded on stretchers made it even slower, but if possible, Deng Ming still managed to get them to walk a little north to buy himself more time.

After dealing with the problem of the enemy soldiers, Deng Ming walked up to Liu Jinge and asked about his injuries.

"It's okay, it's okay." Liu Jinge said easily, but his forehead was full of cold sweat, and his face was already white.

When Liu Jinge wanted to rush up the stairs just now, he was slashed by the other party, fortunately he was protected by armor and did not cause fatal injuries, but this knife cut through the cotton armor on his body and cut a cut in his big arm.

Brought water to clean Liu Jinge's wounds, and Zhou Kaihuang lit a fire again. He carefully wiped his saber to remove the rust and dirt from it, and then placed the tip of the sword on both sides of the fire until it burned red.

found a wooden stick for Liu Jinge to bite, and then several people held him firmly, and Zhou Kaihuang walked towards him with a red-hot long sword. Liu Jinge, who had a stick in his mouth, kept staring at Zhou Kaihuang's figure, and when the latter walked to him, Liu Jinge closed his eyes suddenly, tightly closed.

Multiply~

Deng Ming watched Zhou Kaihuang gently tap Liu Jinge's wound with the tip of his red sword, and at the same time smelled a burst of burnt human flesh. It's a primitive way to deal with metal trauma, but there's no other way to deal with it in this day and age. After using high temperature to reduce inflammation and stop bleeding, the inflammation may be lighter, and people with strong bodies may be able to get through it.

"Good...... All right. After bandaging Liu Jinge, it took half a ring before he could speak, but his voice was still shaking.

Liu Jinge is reluctant to leave the team, but what he needs now is to rest well and drink plenty of water in order to get through the initial and most ferocious period of inflammation. At this time, if Liu Jinge is allowed to continue the team, he will be killed in two days.

After thinking about it, Deng Ming said to Yuan Xiang: "You stay with Brother Liu, don't let him walk around for three days, the fever will probably start tomorrow, and when the fever subsides in a few days, you can go back to Jianchang first." ”

In the past, Deng Ming always felt that if something happened to Yuan Xiang and Liu Jinge, it would be difficult to explain it to their elders, but it was not until today that Liu Jinge was really injured that Deng Ming realized that he still did not think too much about this problem. Now it is still unknown whether Liu Jinge can survive it, Deng Ming secretly prays that he can be safe - this young man is very strong, and he has a great chance of survival, and if there is such a particularly dangerous task in the future, Yuan Xiang and Liu Jinge must not be allowed to come out.

Liu Jinge is not yet twenty years old, he belongs to the age of young and reckless, and his face was flushed after hearing Deng Ming's words, and he wanted to continue arguing. But Deng Ming didn't plan to reason with him, and the wounded would definitely not be able to follow the team in the era when there were no antibiotics.

What is more troublesome is that it is now a rear-free battle, and the wounded have no place to recuperate quietly, and if the wounded are left alone, it is to abandon him to death. Let Yuan Xiang accompany him, naturally there are also political considerations, today it is Liu Jinge who is injured, so who dares to say that Yuan Xiang is not unlucky tomorrow? Since Deng Ming was determined to correct his previous mistakes, he immediately let Yuan Xiang also leave the battle team. Caring for the wounded is much less dangerous than going into battle, but it is by no means an easy job, much less a very safe task, and the slightest mistake in the wilderness can kill even a pack of wolves that can kill both of them.

Yuan Xiang was very confident, and he promised that he would take good care of Liu Jinge, but he had some doubts about returning to Jianchang.

"The news of us in Dongchuan has probably passed to Jianchang, and when Brother Liu has a fever, you start to walk back, and when you go to Jianchang, they should know very well that there is no way to surrender, so you can wait for us there." With the level of communication in this era, it is almost impossible for two people who have left the team to catch up with the large army, and they can't stay where they are and wait, no one knows what will happen next: "Guess, who will take care of you the hardest after returning to Jianchang?" ”

"Who?" Yuan Xiang obviously couldn't guess.

"Di Sanxi." Deng Ming smiled: "I don't want to kill him, if Master Wen has this intention, I will say a few words for him, but don't reveal this to him." After you return to Jianchang, he will definitely try his best to help and build a good relationship, he will definitely save himself and fight for a way to live for himself, so if there is any shortage, he will definitely respond. ”

As some time ago, Deng Ming and the others found a hidden place on the side of the road and began to dig a pit, burying some grain seized from the outpost into the ground. They went all the way and destroyed all the strongholds, but sooner or later they had to take this road back to the Sichuan Xingdu Division, and they would have to hunt all the way home without hiding some grain in advance.

Helping Yuan Xiang and Liu Jinge build a simple hut where they camped, repairing the fence and camouflaging it, Deng Ming and his party broke up with the two early the next morning. At this time, Liu Jinge had already begun to have a fever, but it seemed that Zhou Kaihuang's handling skills were good, and Liu Jinge had not yet reached Cheng Dù, who was confused or unconscious, but his whole body was weak and he couldn't get up.

"Yes, yes, the body is really strong." Everyone praised a few words and continued to move south.

……

As more and more strongholds were lost, looking at the continuous beacon fires in the north, more and more stronghold guards on the boundary of Dongchuan Prefecture lost confidence, and they took the initiative to carry out the scorched earth order, and ignited more beacon fires without waiting for Deng Ming's arrival. But there were also people who still wanted to stick to their posts, and near Fucheng, Deng Ming encountered the seventh disobedient Qing army stronghold.

The defenders of this stronghold were similar to the thoughts of the first disobedient officer Deng Ming encountered, and even the anger and hesitation in their hearts were similar. However, at this time, Deng Ming's entourage, the opponent of this disobedient officer, was no longer the original time, and with six experiences and six post-mortem summaries, they were already extremely skilled experts, and they were able to solve this kind of trouble with ease and ease.

In the face of these increasingly skilled attackers, the defenders were able to cause them less and less trouble, and injuries like Liu Jinge's were never seen again.

I saw a stronghold that I had burned down again, and when I saw that it was too late, the Ming army was camping nearby. They dug out some food from the rubble that was not completely burned, partly to replenish their bags, and partly to bury it on the spot.

"There is no battle today, is there anything to summarize in terms of marching?" Deng Ming took out his small notebook again, ready to help everyone record their speeches. He plans to teach everyone to read, but although everyone says they want to learn, they all think that now is not the time, and this problem of learning words can be discussed when it is safer.

"I have an idea of how to better dig out the burnt ash and still eat food......

Wu San's words caused his companions to laugh, and Deng Ming couldn't help but wonder: "Really? Let's talk about it. ”

It seems that everyone has nothing particularly impressive today, and after talking for a while and seeing that there is no important topic, Deng Ming gently closed the notebook.

"I have an idea." Zhou Kaihuang said.

"Well, let's talk about it." Deng Ming reopened the book he had just put away, and he didn't know what high opinions Zhou Kaihuang would express.

"This time in Dongchuan, I think a lot of Tartars died too unjustly." What Zhou Kaihuang wants to say is not what happened today, but some feelings these days.

The duty of a soldier is obedience, and the boss can decide the life and death of his subordinates, which everyone takes for granted. Deng Ming took advantage of the authority of the Qing generals' orders and seals, and successfully suppressed many people, those officers who refused to set fire to the grain and grass were violating the military order, so they were guilty of capital crimes - this reason can be accepted by the Qing soldiers, so the Ming army does not need to storm one post after another, nor does it need to be responsible for setting fire to all the posts, otherwise they will burn down all the way, and they will not have to fight, and they will be tired and tired to death.

Zhou Kaihuang didn't feel that there was anything wrong with obedience, but this success made him a little confused, that is: if the same problem occurred in the Ming army in the future, what if a team of Qing troops used the captured seal letters to wreak havoc in the territory of the Ming army? In the past, the rule was to report the loss of the seal immediately, and to recast the new seal and report the new specification as quickly as possible. In the past, Zhou Kaihuang thought that this treatment was enough, but now he saw with his own eyes that this was not enough, and it was far from enough. No one had ever attacked with such swiftness with the seized seals before, and it was continuous. Moreover, for an experienced detachment, such as the one they have now, even without a seal, it can use its knowledge of the inside to inflict heavy losses on the enemy.

"There needs to be a unit to check the authenticity of the letters, as well as the authenticity of the identities of the officers and soldiers." The question raised by Zhou Kaihuang immediately caused a heated discussion, and it seems that all the guards of these rìzi have considered similar questions.

"How is it possible to know the seals of all the generals? How is it possible that there are such troops everywhere to check the seals? ”

"Or maybe only one special force can decide life and death." Someone else said.

"It's even more impossible, can this army still be managed by other people's families and personal soldiers? Isn't it damn that it's not up to the top to have the final say, but it's up to this force to have the final say? Who would agree? Opponents felt that the idea was too unrealistic, because it clearly involved the inherent rights of officers, violated the conventions of "big and small", and violated traditional feudal rights.

Deng Ming put down his pen a little dazedly, and he vaguely felt that the special unit that these subordinates were discussing now seemed to be somewhat similar to the future military police unit, and their discussion seemed to involve some modern military systems.

The discussion, while lively, was fruitless.

Before going to bed, Deng Ming counted the number of days, if Liu Jinge survived, he and Yuan Xiang should almost start returning to Jianchang at this time.

……

At this time, Di Sanxi left Jianchang with three hundred soldiers, more than a thousand auxiliary soldiers, some food and infinite tragedy.

Yesterday, Di Sanxi used the reason of going out of the city to search for Deng Ming's whereabouts and bid farewell to Feng Shuangli. The latter stared at him for a long time, and finally nodded with difficulty: "There is no banquet in the world that will not be dispersed. Get the wine! You and I are going to drink a lot today. ”

Finally, Di Sanxi convinced Feng Shuangli that he was not afraid of crime and absconded. Yes, Di Sanxi didn't want to be killed, but he didn't want to be a lost dog either; Di Sanxi will not go to Wu Sangui, without the credit of dedication to Jianchang, he will not be courteous if he goes, maybe he will be angry, and his fate may not be better than fleeing to the wilderness.

Although he explained for a long time, before leaving the city today, Feng Shuangli and some of his colleagues who had made friends with him still sent some gold and silver - Di San was furious: I don't want to flee, I don't need these entanglements.

When it was discovered that Di Sanxi had left the city without his family, the faces of the officers and soldiers showed a surprise that could not be concealed. Di Sanxi pressed the irritability in his heart and didn't bother with them, because there were too many people who thought like this. After several loyal guards heard Di Sanxi say that they were going to set off to find Deng Ming, their first request was to give them more time so that they could carry their families and leave Jianchang together.

As for those nodding friends, they were all standing far away at the moment, seeing their dodging appearance, Di Sanxi had a guess in his heart: maybe everyone was secretly glad that Di Sanxi had run away, and hoped that he would never come back, so that all the charges could be put on him, not only did he not have to worry about him going to Fengjie to talk nonsense, but also letting Di Sanxi go to Fengjie to talk nonsense, and letting Di Sanxi go to the horse would also help the conspirators to gain comfort in conscience.

"Go to Dongchuan!" After leaving the city, Di Sanxi looked at the loyal family members and personal soldiers, and told the true destination of the trip.

Di Sanxi guessed that Deng Ming would not give up Jianchang and return to Fengjie, but even if Deng Ming really didn't go to Dongchuan as he thought, then Di Sanxi would have to fight to Dongchuan with his life - he went into battle shirtless to do some sabotage to save his image: I am not a white face but a loyal minister; I am not a white nose, but a brave and resourceful general!

The guards all nodded silently, with the spirit of "the wind is sluggish and the water is cold, and the strong man will never return".