Chapter 5 Cut Off Water and Rations

  Song Qing's method is actually not complicated, it's just the so-called "absolute household plan", which is also known as the "absolute skill" of later generations' demolition teams - cutting off water and grain!

  He pointed to the mountain where the thieves were hiding, not far away, and said with great confidence: "On that earth mountain, there are only stones and tree bark. These thieves are used to wandering around everywhere, they don't have a stronghold, and they don't have reserves. We surround them at the foot of the mountain without attacking, I'm afraid they won't be able to hold on for a few days. As long as the adults are strictly guarded, when the time comes, we won't need to waste a single soldier, and we can catch these thieves in one net. The only worry is whether our grain and grass are sufficient, this little person can't make decisions."

  Wang Chang's eyes lit up, and he punched his left hand with his right fist, saying: "Good idea! Most of the villages around here are under the jurisdiction of our Xuzhou Garrison, so it won't be a problem to get them to provide some grain. Besides, this place is not far from the state city, if we need to buy something, that's okay too. Anyway, it won't take long, and we can still afford these things. But will cutting off water and grain really work?"

  "It's naturally effective!" Song Qing said confidently: "If these thieves are really some kind of powerful bandits, this trick may not work, but they're just mountain people, the kind who don't think about the next meal after eating the previous one. When they get hungry, they'll directly go to the nearby village to rob, what patience do you expect from them? Can they even engage in a prolonged battle with our guards? There are only a few roads on this mountain, just need to post people at each intersection, put a few sharp-eyed brothers in the middle to keep watch, and anyone who tries to sneak down the mountain will be beaten back. The thieves will know better than to take risks easily, thinking that we might leave in a day or two, so they won't rush down. But when they realize things aren't going as planned, I'm afraid their bodies will be too weak from hunger to put up much of a fight. At that time, if they charge down the mountain, our brothers in the guard unit can still handle them."

  "What a great idea, let's do it!" King Chang roughly went through the scene in his mind and thought that the thieves would first harbor lucky thoughts. After a few days, seeing that the government troops had not withdrawn, they would either surrender voluntarily or starve to death and rush down the mountain desperately, ultimately unable to escape being captured or annihilated. He was greatly delighted in his heart and looked at Song Qing with a feeling of "this child has both bravery and strategy".

  Now that things have been settled, everyone has relaxed a lot. Wang Chang and Sun De immediately sent out some horseback scouts and set up several guards around the mountain. The rest of the people stayed to guard here. Once the bandits tried to come down the mountain, they could go to support them immediately. Song Qing was finally able to take a break and sort out his current situation.

  He had actually wanted to calm down and think about things for a long time, but unfortunately he hadn't had the chance before. Now that he finally had a chance to rest, he immediately found a large bluestone slab by the side of the road and sat down, starting to ponder how he would spend his days from now on.

  For the sake of the Qing Dynasty, he would definitely not do it. As for sacrificing himself to the Ming Dynasty, it doesn't seem like a good idea either. As for Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, they are even less reliable. But if he were to do it himself, as a white-collar worker and fitness enthusiast, he didn't have much confidence either.

  New to the job, although he inherited his predecessor's memories, his predecessor was a homebody and didn't know much, only familiar with Xuzhou City and the Wei camp. For now, he can only take it one step at a time, at least he has established himself here. After all, his old man is a low-ranking military officer, and his relationship with the hundred officials seems to be quite good. As long as he kills more bandits and sends tribute to his superiors on time, slowly rising up shouldn't be a problem. This is his biggest advantage and the only place he can rely on for now.

  Xuzhou may not be a coastal city, but it is adjacent to Huai'an Prefecture, and above that is Shandong Province. It is also not far from Yangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Ying Tianfu. The counties within the prefecture are all relatively wealthy. Although they can't compare to Jiangnan, in the Ming dynasty, they can be considered upper-middle class. As long as one can establish a foothold here and set up some foundations, it shouldn't be a problem. However, as the son of a general, even if he achieves merit this time, he can only become a small flag officer commanding ten people. It's probably not easy to achieve his goal.

  Just then, Old Man Song Hu walked over, first looking at him very seriously. Seeing that Song Qing's body was covered in bloodstains, but his expression was calm and unruffled, he couldn't help but sigh and say: "This child of mine, I really can't read you anymore! Originally, you were like a soft egg, who would have thought that once you actually went into battle, you'd be so brave? Just now, I heard Ding Kui and the others talking about it, saying you seemed to have a god of war possessing your body or something. At first, I didn't quite believe it, but now looking at you like this, I really do believe it! When I killed someone for the first time back in the day, I wasn't as calm as you are now. For several days afterwards, I couldn't eat or sleep properly, and even walking was a problem. But you don't seem to have any of these symptoms at all - you've really grown up!"

  "Dad is awesome!" Song Qing sincerely admired this old dad of his, although such memories might have originated from the remnants of his predecessor. Song Hu indeed counted as a good fellow, and in order to make his son turn out well, he was also quite strict with him on a daily basis. It's just that his predecessor was really too timid, always unable to work up the courage.

  Song Hu was a pure martial artist and couldn't say much, even though his son had changed greatly now. He just casually praised him a few times and reminded him not to be arrogant, to rest early, and so on, before turning around and leaving with his hands behind his back. Song Qing also just smiled and turned around to find Ding Kui and others.

  This victory made a name for itself, and Song Qing became the mainstay of the young military households. When he walked towards the camp, they all stood up to greet him. Ding Kui, as the person most familiar with Song Qing, naturally became a small leader and said with a smile: "Brother Song, the brothers have been waiting for you to come over!"

  "Haha, what's up?" Song Qing had been a middle-level manager in his previous life and was skilled at showing concern for his subordinates or building relationships. Before anyone arrived, he already had a smile on his face, nodding at the crowd of soldiers as he squatted down, gesturing for them to do the same. If they weren't in the Ming dynasty, he might have even pulled out a pack of cigarettes to hand out.

  Seeing his warm words, Ding Kui and others also felt honored. Anyway, everyone temporarily lived together, so they went into the camp to chat casually. The content of the conversation was naturally today's big battle. As for Song Qing's previous embarrassing and disappointing things, no one mentioned them again.

  The blockade of Dashan has been in effect for three days, and Song Qing has nothing to do with it. He followed Ding Kui's group and mixed with them. Now he is a good man who killed seven people, and the military households are also willing to make friends with him. After three days, they have become like brothers, calling each other "brother". Song Qing took out the boxing skills he learned in his previous life and showed off a few times, thoroughly intimidating these military households. He finally became the big brother, although these people still don't take orders from him, at least he has gained their respect.

  By the third evening, Song Qing estimated that the bandits' food would be exhausted and they might try to escape down the mountain at night. He reported this to his father, Song Hu, who had a similar estimate. Impressed with his son's judgment, he immediately informed Commander Wang Chang, who dispatched troops to various locations. Song Qing originally wanted to volunteer to go to the mountain pass, but Wang Chang and others refused to let him go. With the bandits at a dead end, there was a possibility that they might make a desperate last stand if they tried to escape down the mountain. Since many soldiers had been sent out, it was natural for Song Qing to stay behind and guard against any potential dangers.

  Seeing Wang Chang and Sun De arrange it this way, Song Qing didn't object either. He knew that he had already lost a lot of momentum on this trip, and there was no need to go against his superiors in such matters. By staying behind, he could still show himself as being sensible, so he nodded in agreement.

  It was time for dinner, and the bandits, who had been hiding in the mountains for three days, could no longer bear the aroma of cooking smoke that wafted up to the mountain, and they charged down with strange cries.