The relationship between Chinese people can be summarized by the four irons of life. That is, "we were in the same class together, we carried guns together, we shared the spoils together, and we did whatever we did together." These four together basically summarize all the social relationships in Chinese society from ancient times to the present, except for blood clans. Classmates, fellow robes, accomplices, same boots. However, if in a less embarrassing scene, you meet the old brothers who have carried guns together, smashed kilns together, and divided the stolen goods together, this scale will be more awkward. I had this feeling when I followed Shi Lang as the battalion officer of one of the four newly formed cavalry battalions. He is the nephew of Tan Qirui, the deputy general of the Shenji Battalion. Following Tan Qirui, he fought many battles in Shandong and Jinan, and he actually got promoted and made a fortune. He was originally an ordinary soldier in the Shenji Battalion, but he also accumulated merit and became a thousand generals, with his pockets bulging with silver dollars and rice stamps. After Beijing was captured by Li Zicheng, he followed his uncle southward. First, he fought several battles with Marshal Li Huayu in Shandong. Later, due to injuries, he was transported by sea ship to Shanghai for treatment. After recovering from his injury, he planned to return to Shandong to join the team, but Li Huayu was killed in action. Therefore, he and a hundred officers and soldiers from Shandong were assigned to the Guards Brigade and became Li Shouhan's personal soldiers. In the battle of Jiujiang, Zuo Liangyu's main force was defeated. A large number of mules, horses and war horses were captured. Shi Lang learned about Li Shouhan, mobilized manpower in the army, selected elites, and established four cavalry battalions. As for the beginning, because he had cavalry combat experience, he was promoted to the right battalion officer of the cavalry. He managed more than 400 cavalrymen, more than 200 grooms, veterinarians, horseshoe makers, saddle makers and other auxiliary personnel, including war horses, Riding on horses, there are more than a thousand mules. Along the way south from Jiujiang, Tan Chuduan trained the hundreds of men under his command, including riding, tactics, discipline, marching, etc., all had to be taught. Moreover, the cavalry battalion also has an important task, which is to serve as scouts and sentinels for the marching army. Stand a certain distance in front of the marching sequence of the army, to the left and right, and conduct sentinels to prevent enemy surprise attacks, ambushes, harassment, etc. On this day, as the forward scout of the entire army, he led his troops along the main road in the direction of Tonggu and Xiushui. The rangers in front sent out three groups, each group was about ten miles apart, and the left and right wings They also released two batches each, opening up a patrol network covering dozens of miles. "This area has high mountains and dense forests, and it is located at the junction of the three provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan, and Hubei. It is also very close to Ji'an, Nanchang, and Changsha. We must be extremely alert. Be prepared for someone to do harm to our army!" The march stretched for nearly a hundred miles and consisted of more than 100,000 troops, including 60,000 to 70,000 prisoners of Zuo Liangyu's army, as well as refugees who joined the army in retreating south along the way. What is even more enviable is that Shi Lang is responsible for escorting a large number of baggage, grain, mules, horses and other items heading south. These personnel, materials, and property, not to mention the mountain kings who gathered in the mountains and forests, were also extremely jealous of the pursuing Qing army and the remnants of Zuo Liangyu's army who fled to Jiangxi. Each batch of ten cavalrymen and twenty war horses, seventy capable cavalrymen carrying telescopes, fireworks, and cannons, drove their mounts away, whipped up a gust of wind in the mountains and forests, and disappeared in the blink of an eye. "My eyes are always twitching today, and I'm always panicking. I'm afraid something is going to happen." Shen Chong, the cavalry camp leader, whispered to Chu Duan and his deputy. "It doesn't matter. As the saying goes, if the left eye jumps to make money, the right eye jumps to disaster. If both eyes jump together, it is a sign of great luck. Maybe today, you will have a fight with a blind thief, and you may not make a small fortune. That's right." Shen Chong laughed loudly at the beginning of the conversation and rode forward together. " However, it seemed that the crow's mouth confirmed the initial point of the conversation. After a while, from behind the distant mountain forest, a rocket soared into the sky, signaling that there was a police patrol ahead! "Outposts, assemble! Set out to meet the forward sentry cavalry!" "Signal team! Report to the Xuanfu Envoy immediately! Just call the forward warning and ask his brigade to enter Xiushui County quickly. The detailed situation will be reported later!" "The left and right wings, send additional troops Two teams of rangers, check if there are any ambushes in the mountains and forests on the left and right!" "The remaining teams and sentry posts will slowly move forward with my officer, preparing to meet the enemy!" A series of orders were issued to start this breakthrough! The situation was handled very securely. In the blink of an eye, his cavalrymen were already riding away according to his orders. The remaining more than 200 cavalrymen and more than 200 auxiliary personnel who could ride horses were each waiting for his general's orders on horseback. "My sons! Follow me and move forward!" Five or six hundred horses whipped up a strong wind on the mountain road between Tonggu Xiushui. Thousands of horse hooves splashed red soil onto the roadside. At the bend of the mountain road in the distance, a burst of shouting suddenly broke out. As Tan Chuduan's horse team galloped, this shout?Getting closer, getting bigger. "It would be better if nothing happens!" During this period, since the retreat from Jiujiang, although there has been no major battle, there have been small battles, the former Ming army that surrendered to the Qing army, the regiments who formed strongholds in various places to protect themselves, and the pole swords that roared in the mountains and forests. Small frictions and small contacts with customers occur almost every day. These things, like mosquitoes and flies, really annoyed Shi Lang and the officers and soldiers of the South Guangdong Army! "It doesn't seem to be a cry to kill, it's just a shout, there shouldn't be a fight!" Shen Chong rode abreast with Tan Chuduan, his ears were keenly analyzing the shouts coming from far away, and he explained to Tan Chuduan in his mouth With. Seemingly confirming his analysis, at the bend of the mountain road not far away, the second batch of cavalry that had just been sent to meet the ranger scouts appeared at the beginning of the conversation. "Mr. Battalion Officer! There is no enemy in front of us! Our sentries encountered another group of troops! They saw our flag and said they were our friendly forces!" "What?" Are there any friendly forces here? The cavalrymen, grooms and veterinarians from Tan Chuduan and Shen Chong to the cavalry camp couldn't believe their ears. We are here between northern and southern Jiangxi, but we are the only southern Guangdong army. How can friendly troops show up? "Are they the local officers and soldiers in southern Gansu who are under the command of the lord? They still have a little loyalty and conscience in their hearts and have not forgotten who has provided them with military pay for so many years. At this critical moment, can they share some of the burden with the lord?" " Even if the local officers and soldiers are loyal, the equipment and combat effectiveness of these officers and soldiers are not worthy of praise. Moreover, there are serious vacancies and shortages. Most of them are old, weak, sick and disabled, and they can at most serve as guides and general affairs for us. , help us clear the way and prepare some food, grass, vegetables and so on. Don¡¯t expect it to be of any other use.¡± The two people exchanged a few words on horseback, and the trotting horses had shortened the distance a lot. . At the bend of the mountain road in the distance, dozens of war horses also appeared galloping towards them. Behind these dozens of war horses, shouts like mountains and tsunami broke out. However, Tan Chuduan, Shen Chong and others heard it very clearly. It was not a shout of killing, but a cheer from the bottom of their hearts. Voice. Emotions are contagious. Although he did not see the scene in the distance, the cheers quickly infected his cavalry. These cavalry also waved their flags, swords and guns, and cheered loudly. In this atmosphere, the two battalion officers had no choice but to temporarily put aside their doubts about the friendly generals, their personnel, equipment, and combat effectiveness, and urged their horses to move forward to meet them. "As long as they are not our enemies, they are our allies!" However, when the two groups of people advanced to the point where they could see each other's flags clearly, Tan Chudu was so shocked that he almost fell off his horse. Among the oncoming cavalry, a large flag was flying, and in the moonlight of the flag, the word "Shun" flashed in the wind. "My mother-in-law! Why are we brothers from the Dashun Army!" Tan Chuduan cried out a series of pains in his heart. Although when he was in Shandong, Tan Chuduan, as a subordinate of Young Master Li, got along well with the Longhu Camp of Luo Hu, Wang Long and others, and he also made several friends in these two families. However, at that time, the Longhu Camp was still under the banner of local volunteers, but now, the Dashun Army has become the mortal enemy of the Ming Dynasty. Who allowed them to break into Beijing and send Emperor Chongzhen to Meishan Mountain. Although the Dashun Army was just the people who kicked the stool at Chongzhen's feet, it was the bureaucrats and gentry who actually sent him to Meishan to find the Crooked Neck Tree. However, in the end, the blame for the regicide lies with the Dashun Army. They are the enemies of the Southern Guangdong Army, which is currently nominally under the banner of the Ming Dynasty. "What should we do?" Although Tan Chuduan is a middle- and lower-level officer, he is still well aware of the turmoil between the Southern Guangdong Army and the Ming Dynasty bureaucracy. . "I didn't expect such an unfortunate thing to happen to me!" He couldn't help but lament in his heart, lamenting whether the urine he put in the wrong place when he set out this morning had angered the mountain gods here or something, so he put it in his head. Such a huge disaster happened to him? Thoughts were racing in my heart, and the horse under my crotch was galloping as fast as flying. Within a few breaths, Tan Chuduan could clearly see the facial features of the person opposite him. "Are you talking about brothers across the way?" From the cavalry team opposite, a loud northern Shaanxi accent came from far away. "Is it He Laowu?" Hearing this man's cry, Tan Chuduan was also refreshed. "You donkey ball!" He couldn't help but cursed with the curse words he learned from them. "It's you and me!" He Laowu laughed loudly, whipped his horse, rushed to the front of Tan Chuduan's horse, stood up on the horse, and stretched out his right hand to Tan Chuduan . This method was used by Longhu Camp when they got along with Sanqian Camp and Shenji Camp. At that moment, Tan Chuduan also extended his right hand to meet He Laowu's hand. TwoThe palms of the hands met in the air, and "pop!" made a crisp sound. The Southern Guangdong Army and the Dashun Army joined forces amidst this high-five. He Laowu is from Mizhi, northern Shaanxi, and comes from the He family. This family can be said to be full of talents and bright generals among the peasant army and the Ming army in the late Ming Dynasty. Among the fifth camp of the Hui Revolution were He Yilong and Zuo Jin, He Jin, and He Jinlong and others in Li Zicheng's army. Among the Ming army, the most famous Madman He and He Renlong were all born in He family. It is precisely because of this background that He Laowu had a place in the Dragon Tiger Camp led by Luo Hu, Wang Long and others. At the beginning of the peace talks, they were all small leaders such as commanders in their respective camps. Two completely different armies fought side by side because of Li Huayu, a commander who did not follow routines. It stirred up the storm in the Qilu land and killed Abatai and all the officials and gentry from all walks of life. Hearing the news, they became frightened and their expressions turned pale. It was during this period that these two guys got to know each other and became friends. Tan Chuduan also brought into play the sociable characteristics of the children of Jingying. There are also several sworn brothers in Longhuying. And He Laowu is one of them. The children of the Jingying camp and the Longhu camp fought together. It was Li Huayu's masterstroke that combined the two originally unrelated battalions together, and the result was a fighting power as strong as nuclear fission. Longhu Camp can fight, fight, run, and endure hunger and cold. The soldiers and horses of the Beijing Camp of the Three Thousand Battalions Shenji Battalion have sophisticated equipment and will not skimp on firepower. Once these two families combined, they would learn from each other's strengths and offset each other's weaknesses, and all the small and large villages and villages in Qilu would be in serious trouble. The cavalry of the Three Thousand Battalion was responsible for guarding the perimeter and cutting off the communication between the Weizi stockade and the outside world. The artillery team of the Shenji Battalion was responsible for destroying the stockade wall, while the infantry of the Longhu Battalion was responsible for pouring into the Weizi stockade and seizing the stockade. . After breaking the stronghold, the two villages were divided according to the ratio of four to six. The top and bottom men of Longhu Camp all have many years of experience in smashing kilns and looting. No matter how well you build the warehouse, cellar and darkroom where gold and silver are stored, it is just a reflection of your personal wisdom. In the eyes of these peasant officers and soldiers who have experienced various forms of hiding valuable things from south to north and from north to south, it is just a piece of cake. After finding the secret room of the warehouse where valuables were stored, it was time for the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp to show their faces. These people have lived in the capital for several generations and are used to seeing all kinds of gold, silver, fine jewelry, jades, antiques, calligraphy and paintings. After their valuation, they will not let the accompanying Longsheng merchants take the opportunity to bargain and take advantage of everyone. Moreover, these guys have extremely vicious eyes. Even in places that the peasant officers and soldiers have scanned several times, they can still find something more valuable among a bunch of inconspicuous items. In this regard, even Wang Long, who had rich experience in robbery, could not help but sigh: "In this world, even if you are a thief, you must study and be educated! Those who do not study can only be petty thieves, and those who do , is the big thief!" An inconspicuous copperware full of patina and a set of seemingly ordinary porcelain are more valuable than gold, silver and jewelry in the eyes of the soldiers in the Beijing camp. Any attempt to muddle through will be powerless in front of this strange combination. When dividing the stolen goods, it even more reflects Mr. Ma¡¯s wise saying that ¡°existence determines consciousness.¡± The officers and soldiers in Longhu Camp who came from Chuang Camp and Cao Camp can be described as not picky eaters. From food, clothing, mules, horses, swords and guns, to the men and women in the artillery and equipment village, gold, silver and jewelry, there was almost nothing they didn't want. In addition to those houses and cumbersome furniture, in their eyes, there are too many good things that can be used in a stronghold. In the eyes of the officers and soldiers of the Beijing Camp such as Sanqian Camp and Shenji Camp, except for easy-to-carry jewelry, jades, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, everything else can be given over to the brothers of Longhu Camp. Of course, the rice tickets exchanged for the spoils of war from the merchants in Long Shengxing must be disclosed and clearly separated. "The two guys who smashed the kiln together, shared the stolen goods, er, loot, seized after smashing the kiln together, and left their footprints together in Jinan Mansion, in the restaurants in Linqing Prefecture, and in the Huajie Liuxiang, met again. Although it was a little awkward, it was also very affectionate. "Lao Wu, thank you for your hard work!" I originally wanted to say that I'm fine, but looking at the large and small arrow holes and scars on He Lao Wu's armor and jersey, and the weathered look on his face, I still thought of this common saying. Swallowing it back, I said this from the bottom of my heart. Back then, they fought together in various parts of Qilu. They also stayed awake for several days, just chasing on horseback. When they were sleepy, they would take a nap on the horseback, and when they were hungry, they would eat a piece of dry food. But it's not like He Laowu now, with a haggard face and a thin face. It can be seen that Shunjun is having a hard time during these days. "Stop talking nonsense! Take out the food, drink, tea, and tobacco from your horse mattress for me! Don't let me smash your kiln by myself!" As a former soldier in the South Guangdong ArmyHe Laowu naturally knew that in the backpack of each South Cantonese Army soldier or in the horse mattress cover of the rider, there was a large amount of emergency supplies or marching rations. From dry food to dry meat, salt and spices, a small amount of liquor, tea, and even a certain amount of tobacco are provided. The purpose is to have something to eat when there is no time to prepare hot meals during the urgent march. "Let the side horses go twenty miles away!" "Immediately report the situation here to the Xuanfu Envoy! Just say that the forward Tanchu Duanmen met the old soldiers and horses who were under the Shandong eldest son when they were in the Beijing camp!" While laying out the arrangements! He was on alert and ordered someone to report the situation to Shi Lang, who had already driven into Xiushui County. Shi Lang is very clear about his initial experience. Therefore, in order to prevent embarrassment and trouble caused by leaking secrets, he only talked about his old friends who were also under the eldest son Li Huayu when he was in the Beijing camp. After hearing this, Shi Lang understood who's army he had encountered. "You guys go back immediately and report to Lord Gao and Lord Luo that we have encountered the troops of General Shi Lang, brother-in-law of Prince Li, in Xiushui County!" In the same way, He Laowu will also Report the situation here to the top brass of Dashun Army and ask them to make a decision. Sitting on the ground, looking at He Laowu who was immersed in eating, he felt like he was full of things to talk about and didn't know where to start. Suddenly, he discovered a detail. On the helmets of the hundreds of men under He Laowu, there is a white cloth strip tied at the red tassel on the top of the head. The handle of the knife is also wrapped with a circle of white cloth. This is clearly a sign of mourning! "Could it be said that some important person was killed in the battle?"