Volume 1 Nightfall Border City Chapter 46 Old Acquaintance

  Ning Sheng continuously transmitted the news of Da Ming into the mountains of Hohhot through the Kuihu mouth.

  The governor of Shanxi, in order to prevent the bandits from Shaanxi from crossing the river and disturbing the border, actually ordered the closure of the Yellow River ferry, making it impossible for grain to flow into Shaanxi from Shanxi, completely turning the mountains and fields of Shaanxi into a hell on earth. The Chongzhen Emperor deployed the Guanning Iron Cavalry under Cao Wenzhao's command into Shaanxi, under the command of Hong Chengchou, to encircle and annihilate the rebel army.

  Di Zhe would hand over the letter to Xiao Zhongyan after reading it every time, and also let him know about the situation around.

  At the end of March, Xiao Zhisheng suddenly arrived at Han Village with a grain transport team, which surprised Di Zhe and made him wonder if something had happened to Lin Ge.

  "This place is truly exceptional!"

  "What a great nest, nobody has ever occupied it before!" Zhai Zhe shook his head repeatedly, intentionally teasing.

  In the mountain stronghold, there was no white liquor left, only kumis obtained from the Tumet people. Although Xiao Zhiyan was not used to that taste, it was better than nothing.

  "I'm looking for you because I have something important to discuss!" Xiao Zhi said with a serious expression as he downed a mouthful of wine.

  "What's wrong?"

  Xiao Zhiyan put down his wine pouch and looked out of the window, asking: "Aren't you curious about my background?"

  "Before in Zhangjiakou I thought, but now," Zhai Zhe lightly laughed and said: "In the mountain stronghold with so many people, how can I know who's past?"

  I am from Shaanxi!

  Di Zhe nodded, and he could still make out a bit of Xiao Zhiyan's accent.

  "I was originally a hereditary military household in Weibei Town, Yulin, Shaanxi. Ten years ago, I assassinated the commander of Yulin and escaped to the grasslands to become a horse thief. A few years ago, when I was still a horse thief at Xi Kou, I would often return home, where my brothers and clansmen lived. Later, they were killed by the Tumote people, and I alone escaped to Zhangjiakou, never returning again."

  "Nowadays Shaanxi's situation, you also know. I want to enter the Great Ming, if brothers' circumstances are not good, I will take them out."

  Di Zhe furrowed his brow and said, "Cao Wenzhao's troops have just arrived in Shaanxi. I heard that the civilian army was recently suppressed severely, and it is not known whether the border troops of Yulin Town's Wei Suo have also rebelled."

  "So I couldn't help but worry!" Xiao Zhiyan's expression was rarely so solemn.

  "Now to enter Shaanxi, going through the Kill Hu Kou is absolutely impossible. All the Yellow River crossings have been sealed off, and all the border passes from Shaanxi to the Hetao Grasslands have also been closed. There is only one road that can be taken to enter Shaanxi!"

  "He's here!" Xiao Zhi spat out two words from his mouth.

  The leader of the peasant army, Wang Jiayin, had been attacking Hequ for more than a year. It was the lair of the bandits and the main battlefield where the government troops were besieged. Between Hequ and the Hetao Grassland, there are mountains that separate them. The horse thieves who could not mix in the grasslands all went to surrender there.

  "In the past, I had some reputation among the bandits in Shaanxi, so it shouldn't be a problem to join the River Bend."

  A brief silence fell in the room, and then Di Zhe said: "Okay, I'll go with you!"

  "No need, and it's not like we're going to war!" Xiao Zhi's expression was somewhat moved, shaking his head as his long hair swayed, "Besides, if you and I both leave, the mountain stronghold will probably fall into chaos!"

  Di Zhe thought for a moment and nodded, saying: "Alright, bring more attendants with you. Ten days later, I will lead the troops to meet you outside Hequ. If there's anything urgent, send me a message!"

  From Handai going west, passing through the Yellow River into the Hetao Grassland, along the east riverbank all the way south to the border of Daming is Hequ City.

  There is a folk song in Shaanxi, "Hequ Baode Prefecture, nine out of ten years without harvest, men flee to the outside, women dig bitter vegetables!" The drought made it even more severe here, and there were refugees everywhere, so Wang Jiayin was able to break through Hequ City.

  Xiao Zhiyan brought ten attendants and galloped across the grasslands, hastening towards the rugged yellow earth mountains at the border.

  As we walked into the mountain, a group of people blocked our way ahead, all with swords and bows on their backs, shouting: "Who are you?"

  "A single arrow can bring down two eagles!"

  Xiao Zhiyan's horse did not slow down until it was right in front of the person blocking the way, and then it suddenly came to a stop. The arrow was his former bandit number.

  The leader of the men opposite shook his head like a rattle-drum and said, "Don't know you, are you coming to surrender to He Qu?"

  "Exactly!"

  That man looked up and down at Xiao Zhiyan who was sitting proudly on his horse and said: "Follow me!"

  A group of people shuttled back and forth in the Huangtou Gorge, the road was like a maze, sometimes you could see the road right in front of you, but you had to make a big detour to get around the deep ditch.

  Two hours later, everyone finally crossed the mountains and rivers, and Hequ City was in sight.

  The leader of the guards looked at Xiang Ziyu's war horse with a face full of envy, pointing to Hequ City and saying: "When you arrive at the city gate, someone will receive you!" In recent days, the grasslands have been in chaos, and many horse thieves have escaped back. King Wang Jiayu specially ordered people to guard the mountain road.

  Xiao Zhiyan bowed his head on horseback and led his entourage in a gallop away.

  About ten miles away from the city wall, Xiao Zhe began to see pale and thin refugees, weakly leaning against the side of the road. The closer they got to the city moat, the more refugees there were, and at the foot of the city wall, thousands upon thousands of refugees lay scattered all around.

  The gate of Hequ City was wide open, and someone on the city wall saw a group of people riding horses over, led by Xiao Zhiyan, who came out with more than ten riders to greet them.

  "Here comes another brother from the grasslands!" The grassland cavalrymen were still quite powerful in the rebel army, and they also had war horses, which made them very welcome.

  "A single arrow can bring down two eagles!"

  "It's Elder Xiao! I haven't heard from you in years!" The person who came to greet him was still somewhat familiar with the grasslands, and had heard of Xiao Zhiyan's great name.

  "I almost died on the grassland!" Xiao Zhiyan said with a self-deprecating smile.

  "We are all brothers once we enter Riverbend City!" The newcomer led Xiao Zhi's words into the city.

  After entering the city, Xiao Zhiyan only knew that there were many acquaintances here. Gao Yingxiang, who had been smuggling horses and looting on the border, was already a big head. There were also grassland wolves, inserted winged tigers and other famous horse thieves in the past. Wang Jiayu led the river bend, but his subordinates had dozens of branches, among which Gao Yingxiang and Lao Huihui's two families were the largest.

  As soon as they met, everyone was very enthusiastic, acquaintances vied to greet each other, all wanting to pull Xiao Zhiyan into their own camp.

  This was the kind of situation that Xiao Zhiyan liked, they were all bandits who had escaped from the grasslands and when they met each other they would affectionately call out to one another. Xiao Zhiyan quickly found his circle of friends and everyone chatted idly with seven mouths and eight tongues.

  "Xiao brother, after Hong Chengchou took office, he slaughtered us brothers very badly. The cavalry of Ganning is so brave and unstoppable that we have lost many battles!"

  Currently, bandits are rampant in Shaanxi, and there are local tyrants everywhere. However, the pressure on Hequ City is the greatest. The governor of Shaanxi, Hong Chengchou, has his eyes fixed on Wang Jiayin of Hequ. As long as the bandit leader is defeated, others will naturally disperse.

  "Has Yulin Wei's border army rebelled?"

  "Half of them have already rebelled; military pay has been issued continuously, and grain prices have soared. If they don't rebel, they'll starve to death; if they do rebel, there's still a glimmer of hope for survival!"

  Xiao Zhiyan seized the opportunity to ask: "I still have relatives and brothers in Yulinwei, I don't know how they are now?"

  "What's your name?"

  "I have two brothers, Zuo Ruo and Lei Yanqian, both of whom were battalion commanders in Yulinwei three years ago!"

  The prairie wolf was shocked and said, "Lei Yanqian is the Qiantong of Yulinwei. He has rebelled and is now in Qingyangling, Panguan County. I heard that Zhang Xianzhong, one of the Eight Great Kings, is trying to win him over!"

  Xiao Zhiyan laughed and said: "These two are both my brothers, I'll definitely be more useful than Zhang Xianzhong!"

  "Yulin Wei's border troops have always been very strong. If you can bring them over, the city of Hequ will be yours without having to fight."

  White meat is a euphemism, referring to human flesh. Xiao's words made him feel nauseous for no reason. Were the refugees outside the city going to resort to cannibalism? No wonder he hadn't seen any women on the road.

  After staying in Hequ City for a day, Xiao Zhisheng asked Gao Yingxiang for directions and rushed to Qingyang Ridge.