Chapter 34

Qin destroyed Zhao and established Xin Du County.

Xiang Yu enfeoffed the feudal lords, enfeoffing Zhang Er as King of Changshan, renaming Xin Du as Xiangguo, and making it his capital.

As early as the late Qin and early Han dynasties, Xiangguo County was already a capital city.

After the Yongjia Dongdu, Later Zhao founding ruler Shi Le established his capital here.

"Ten years ago, the Stone bandits moved the capital to Ye."

Xie Yi spoke calmly: "Xiangguo has been reduced to an old capital."

"The Stone bandits indulge in luxury and pleasure, building palaces and extensively conscripting corvée labor."

"Constructing Taiwu Hall, conscripting civilian laborers numbering no less than ten thousand."

"Inside Xiangguo City, defenses are empty, yet multiple granaries have been built, storing countless grain and straw."

Prefect Xie, high-spirited, pointed at the land: "Such a fine place should naturally be taken to strengthen our army's might."

Defensive forces are insufficient, with a large number of civilian laborers available for conversion and recruitment, plus multiple granaries storing abundant supplies.

Without question, Xiangguo is a very suitable target.

Lin Dao watched Xie Yi command with sweeping gestures, but in his mind he thought of the famous scenes from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms he had read last night.

If a feather fan were placed in the hand of Xie Yi, dressed in Confucian robes and wearing a headscarf, he would look even more like it.

"Speaking of which, when Zhuge Liang and Zhou Gongjin gather together, they are usually scheming against the Grand Commander."

"How does it feel that this Prefect Xie is also scheming against me, this Grand Commander?"

Xie Yi really was scheming against him.

Xiangguo indeed lacked defensive strength, but its status and importance were there for all to see.

This is the secondary capital of Shi Zhao.

Attacking here is like striking a wasp's nest with a stick, slapping Shi Hu's fat face.

The enraged Shi Hu will inevitably turn his attention over here.

Thus, Huan Wen's attack on Cheng Han will have its flank security guaranteed.

As for how miserable the Vagrant Group will be after defeat, Xie Yi will not care.

His mission this time was precisely to do this work.

In Xie Yi's view, the Vagrant Group could never be a match for the Stone bandits who could mobilize a million-strong army.

"Xiangguo is less than three hundred li from here." Qin Lang spoke sternly: "Troops marching swiftly can arrive in ten days."

"Are there really few defenders?" Lin Dao frowned: "No defenders in a secondary capital?"

In his impression, important cities like capitals and secondary capitals must be heavily guarded with armies gathered.

"Yes." Qin Lang answered sternly: "Xiangguo is located in the heart of Stone bandit territory and has few defenders."

"The Vagrant Group is right nearby." Lin Dao was confused: "Can Shi Hu not see?"

Hearing this, everyone showed embarrassed expressions.

"Lord." Qin Lang's words were quite heavy: "Previously, the Vagrant Group, pressured, had no choice but to nominally submit to the Stone bandits."

Though nominal submission, they still paid tax grain, sent troops, and followed in battle.

This time they were driven desperate, plus the variable Lin Dao appeared, before they turned against them.

"Oh~~~" Lin Dao exhaled: "I understand."

"If so."

He stood up and waved his hand: "Then send troops to Xiangguo!"

As history's strongest vagrant group, the Vagrant Group's mobilization ability was extremely strong.

In just two days, men and women swelling to nearly fifty thousand had dismantled the entire main camp.

All items in the camp were dismantled and loaded onto large carts.

Even the palisade wood was not spared, all packed and taken away.

This is the true nature of vagrants, like locusts passing through, sparing nothing, all bundled up.

Feng Dun and other settlement commanders stood silently on the city tower watching, choosing not to follow.

Elegantly put, different paths, no shared plans.

Crudely put, they don't get along.

The two sides' ranks and pursuits differ; parting ways is the best choice.

Only now did Xie Yi learn that this Vagrant Commander Lin Dao was not recognized by any of the vagrant armies at all.

Now that the boat is built, he is powerless to regret.

He could only hope that Lin Dao's side could grow strong and firmly draw Shi Hu's attention.

A massive force of tens of thousands, along the broken roads, advanced toward Xiangguo County.

Specific marching arrangements were handled by Qin Lang and other military officers.

Lin Dao still rode his tricycle, relying on Sun Dalang and over a hundred guards to gather information and relay messages.

On the rear platform of the tricycle sat the vigilant Liu Hu, and the two maid-secretaries Jin Lian and Sun Rong.

And Xie Yi, restless and fearful.

Originally Prefect Xie's mission had been accomplished, successfully inciting the Vagrant Group to send troops.

He, Xie Yi, should have set out to find the Xianbei Murong Clan as a follow-up to restrain Shi Hu.

But Xie Yi felt Lin Dao's Vagrant Group had too many good things he couldn't understand and rules he didn't comprehend.

He decided to follow to Xiangguo to see, confirm this Vagrant Group's combat strength, to facilitate arranging subsequent actions.

When invited onto the tricycle, he still complained this large cart was a bit small.

Waiting for oxen and horses to be led over to pull the cart forward, the tricycle actually moved by itself!

Xie Yi was scared out of his wits, flailing his arms and legs and nearly falling off the carriage, causing Jin Lian and the others to cover their mouths and snicker.

"A Mechanism Beast, it's actually a Mechanism Beast~"

"A Mo School Mechanism Beast, it actually exists!"

Before, in the Main Camp, eating Refined Rice, living in Prefabricated houses, seeing Glass everywhere — none of it was as shocking as now.

Lin Dao, driving intently, complained, "This road is too terrible, how can this even be called a road?"

Sun Rong added by way of explanation, "The Stone Bandits are cruel and excessive, with a Preference for grand projects."

"Matters of the people's livelihood have never been inquired into."

"After years of neglect, they are naturally unfit for travel."

Shi Hu conscripts hundreds of thousands of Civilian Laborers every year.

If not building Palaces, then transporting supplies for war.

As for Water Conservancy projects, maintaining Roads, repairing City walls and such — not a single one is attended to.

Wind and rain batter them, years without repair.

Water Conservancy facilities abandoned, Roads unable to bear the load, City walls collapsing — all perfectly normal.

A fast horse came galloping.

Led by several personal guards, it arrived beside the three-wheeled vehicle.

"Reporting to the Grand Commander~~~"

"The Vanguard Lou Colonel reports: encountered a Settlement, how should it be handled?"

Lin Dao eased his breath slightly, "How large? Have they asked if they are willing to go with our army?"

"They have not asked."

"Then go ask." Lin Dao turned his head to look at Xie Yi, "This communication is too inconvenient."

"The Vanguard has already run twenty-plus li ahead, we're still on the road, the rear hasn't even set out from the Main Camp yet."

"Any news, reporting back and forth is too slow."

The movement of tens of thousands of people naturally cannot be like in a Novel, where in the space of a sentence, tens of thousands go from here to there.

Even tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, can curl up gathered in a single village.

Actual marching: elite troops serve as the vanguard clearing the way.

Strong Civilian Laborers follow along, opening roads through mountains, building bridges over water, constructing lodging camps.

The rear follows in sections in turn, like a Long Dragon.

Often the Vanguard has set out for days, while the rear guard hasn't moved.

"This~~~" Xie Yi, composing his mood, forced an answer, "Since ancient times, hasn't it always been so?"

In Xie Yi's view, this Beggar Army has already done well enough.

Even the Hereditary Soldiers of Jiangzuo are merely like this.

The Beggar Army's combat strength and organizational system are indeed very strong.

When Xie Yi's son Xie Xuan organized the famous Northern Army, the core force he recruited was the Beggar Army Refugees exiled in Jiangzuo.

"Since ancient times?" Lin Dao's face revealed a slight smile.

By afternoon, the march had already halted.

Lin Dao and those around him settled into the temporary camp built by the Vanguard Civilian Laborers.

After eating Dinner, Lin Dao instructed Liu Hu to guard the gate, seeing no one.

He himself set off to return to the Modern World to procure supplies.

Got into a Wang Che, headed straight for the military supply store.

Entered the store, Lin Dao stated his needs, "Walkie-talkies, give me ten sets."

The tradition since ancient times needs new technology, new techniques, new rules to break it.

Before the technology of the Modern World, all 'since ancient times' have no Meaning.

The next day early, Lin Dao woke up in the Air Conditioner-equipped Dormitory.

After washing up, went to Snack Street to eat Breakfast.

Returned to the Dormitory, took the Walkie-talkies charged for one night, arrived at Yonghe Spacetime.

Walked out of the Tent, looking at Liu Hu who had guarded all night, nodded in satisfaction.

"Go eat." Patted Liu Hu's Shoulder, "Summon Sun Dalang over."

Xie Yi gradually adapted to the Beggar Army's life Rhythm.

For example, eating at Mao hour in the morning.

When he was in Jiangzuo, the morning's main meal was usually at Chen hour.

*Slurp~~~*

A full large Bowl of Corn porridge, plus two snow-white Steamed Buns, with a side dish of Pickled Vegetables.

Everyone ate with great relish.

In this solid, substantive World of Yonghe Spacetime, eating is forever the Most Important thing.

Lin Dao can provide them sufficient food, so they naturally pledge their loyalty to Lin Dao!

After eating and tidying up, the people in the camp set off forward.

The camp will not be dismantled, left for those behind to continue using.

On the rear bed of the three-wheeled vehicle, Liu Hu wrapped in a military greatcoat, curled up lying asleep.

Sun Dalang stood to one side, fiddling with a Walkie-talkie in his hand.

Xie Yi looked at it strangely, yet another thing he had never seen before.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to inquire, he heard the sound of speech suddenly emanating from that small box.

"Squad Leader, this subordinate has reached Colonel Lou's side, can you hear me?"

The moment this sound emerged, Xie Yi trembled in terror, nearly falling off the carriage box.

While they were eating breakfast, Lin Dao had already taught a batch of clever personal guards how to use the walkie-talkies.

After learning to use them, they were dispatched at a gallop to the various departments.

Colonel Lou's unit served as the vanguard clearing the way for the vanguard army.

"Young Master?" Sun Dalang handed the walkie-talkie to Lin Dao.

Taking the walkie-talkie, Lin Dao pressed the transmit button: "Is Colonel Lou beside you?"

"Young Master, this slave is here."

"That settlement you mentioned yesterday afternoon, how is it?"

"This slave refused the settlement's request to send one hundred dan of grain and ask our army to leave, giving them one night to consider surrendering."

"As of now there has been no response."

"Did you tell them that I am the Inspector of Jizhou appointed by the Imperial Court, and all armies on Jizhou soil must obey my orders?"

A settlement is a military facility; calling the people inside an army is not an overstatement.

"Already informed."

Lin Dao, gripping the walkie-talkie, his expression unchanged: "Then attack the city."

Finished speaking, he handed the walkie-talkie to Sun Dalang to put away.

He turned his head toward Xie Yi and smiled faintly: "Since they are unwilling to submit to the Imperial Court, they must be Qianghu vassals, and should be attacked."

Xie Yi stared blankly for a moment, his gaze fixed on the walkie-talkie.

After a moment his voice carried a tremor.

"Thou~sand~~ thou~sand~~ thousand-mile voice transmission~~~"

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(End of Chapter)