Chapter 29: Pulling the Snake out of the Hole

In the county yamen, a team of clerks walked into the side hall with the last stack of accounts. In the usually empty side hall, various accounts were piled up like mountains of documents. Twelve censors were busy checking the accounts and calculating money and grain. This verification went back to three years, from the fourth year of Daye to May of the seventh year of Daye, after the final accounts were settled, they went to check them in real time.

The account check took four days and was gradually coming to an end. So far, no problems were found, which was exactly what Yang Yuanqing was most worried about.

At this time, an old censor came forward with a list and said to Yang Yuanqing: "Empress, this is the final verification result."

Yang Yuanqing took the list and looked at it. All the twelve censors signed the letters on it, and the evaluation was the best, which was the best evaluation.

"Have you ever checked the physical objects?"

"Report to the envoy, I went to check yesterday and counted all the money, grain, cloth, and silk, which was exactly the same as the account. The food error was twenty stones, which was a normal error."

Yang Yuanqing glanced at the other censors. The verification was over. The censors were busy sorting out their own records. Everyone had to write a report. Finally, Yang Yuanqing summarized it and reported it to the emperor together with everyone's report.

"Okay! You will write the final report. If it is correct, I will sign and report it."

The old censor nodded and went to write a report. Yang Yuanqing walked to the disaster relief documents and picked up a thick disaster relief record. This is the disaster relief record of the county government. It contains the detailed name and address of each disaster relief target, and also the handprints. You can randomly check more than a hundred people and check the specific amount of grain received. This is a relatively strict disaster relief record list.

Yang Yuanqing picked up another list of disaster relief records in Zhangqiu County. It looked different at first glance. There was only one person’s name, no address or age. Then he was covered with handprints, mostly unclear. At a glance, he knew that there was a lot of room for operation. Although he knew there was a problem, he had no way to check it.

Yang Yuanqing shook his head. Zhang Xutuo himself was innocent, but he could not guarantee that the county below was as clean as him. He waved his hand and said, "Everyone comes here!"

The twelve censors surrounded him, and Yang Yuanqing spread two different booklets on the table and said to everyone: "When writing the report, try to go to every official as much as possible, such as the county government. The disaster relief procedures are complete and strict, and the county can give a review, while Zhangqiu County has imperfect records. The county government can only give a review, but in the end, we targeted Qi County, not the county government, so the imperfections in the county dragged the back. Qi County cannot give a review, and finally, they can give a review, and wrote down all the questions I mentioned. """

The twelve censors agreed and all went to make corrections separately. At this time, a soldier bowed to Yang Yuanqing at the door. Yang Yuanqing quickly walked out and asked, "What's the matter?"

"General, Qin Duwei asked you to come over. There is an emergency on the head of Dongcheng."

"I understand!" Yang Yuanqing gave a few more instructions and turned around and left the county munition.

The streets were filled with noise and people coming and going, and it was very lively. More than 200,000 people were flooded into Licheng County. Temporary tents could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys. Although it seemed very crowded, it was not messy. Patrol soldiers walked by the streets from time to time, and the order was good.

From these details, we can see that Zhang Xutuo has good governance, and there are no clearings in the city. Almost all the open spaces are planted with vegetables, melons, beans and grain. Even in the narrow alleys, there are a few melon vines, and a few pumpkins are planted. The fear of food has penetrated into everyone's heart.

Yang Yuanqing has entered the city, and Qin Qiong has been waiting for him at the top of the city for a long time.

"Have the wheat outside the city been harvested?" Yang Yuanqing walked to the female wall and asked with a smile. He leaned out and saw that the large wheat fields had been harvested, and there were still a few wheat fields against the wall that had not been harvested. Hundreds of people were harvesting hard in the wheat fields.

"Yuanqing, I just received the news of a horse probe. More than 35,000 thieves from Changbai Mountain have already gone down the mountain at night and are coming to Licheng County, which is only fifty miles away from Licheng County."

Qin Qiong had a serious expression on his face. He looked into the distance, and there was an unconcealed tension in his eyes.

Yang Yuanqing was stunned and turned around and asked, "What about my master? Where is his troops?"

"To be honest, I don't know. The latest chapter of the Holy Church"

Qin Qiong sighed, "Now there are only five hundred troops in the city, and I am very worried about the safety of the city."

"But there are 200,000 people in the city, so you don't have to worry at all. Haven't you mobilized 30,000 young and strong men to go outside the city to harvest wheat? Organize them to defend the city and tell them that if the city is broken, their wife and daughter will be kidnapped by thieves. I believe they will defend the city to the death."

Qin Qiong smiled bitterly with shame, "You are right, I'm a little too nervous, I'll make arrangements now!"

Qin Qiong turned around and walked down the city, and heard his shouts from afar, "Go and find County Ma, and Li Sima are invited together. I have important things to discuss with them."

Yang Yuanqing looked out of the city, and his heart was full of expectations. If Zhang Xutuo could defeat Wang Bo in this battle, he would have the capital to deal with Yu Shiji.

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On the official road east of Licheng County, the boundless bandits of Changbai Mountain were running towards Licheng County. In the team, there were often thieves riding horses shouting loudly and urging the march. The team had more than 35,000 people, led by Wang Bo and Meng Rang. Only 5,000 people were left in the village to disguise as void soldiers, attracting the attention of Zhang Xutuo's army. More than 35,000 bandits were dressed in chaotic clothes and extremely rough weapons, including homemade knives, spears, hoes, wooden sticks, and simple bows and arrows.

At this time, most of the bandits were excited, as if they could capture Licheng County in one fell swoop, burn, kill and loot. The daughters of wealthy families, the wife of the official, and these women who are usually out of reach will also become their hands.

But some of the bandits had expectations and captured Licheng County, perhaps they could find their separated wife and daughter.

"Fifteen miles away!"

Wang Bo shouted loudly: "Everyone work harder and go to Licheng County for dinner!"

Wang Bo was also very uneasy. Although Licheng County only had 500 defenders, there were hundreds of thousands of people in the city. Once mobilized, he might not be able to capture the city. His more hope was to place it on the wheat fields outside the city, but he was worried that the wheat fields had been harvested.

The serious food shortage problem was almost forcing him to go crazy. When he was in trouble last year, he wanted to recruit more than 100,000 people. After he actually recruited tens of thousands of people, he realized that things were not as simple as he thought. Farmers came to surrender to him just to have enough food, but the food was in the hands of the government. In order to support tens of thousands of subordinates, he worked hard every day, which was far from being happy when he had only a hundred subordinates.

Wang Bo had realized that he had made a huge mistake. He should not rebel in Qi County. There was Zhang Xutuo in Qi County who suppressed him tightly. He should go to Lu County or Pengcheng County to develop.

Just as he was thinking for a long time, a spy rushed towards him, "General!" the spy shouted anxiously.

Wang Bo held the war horse, and the spy's anxiety gave him an ominous premonition.

"What's going on?"

"Report to the General, the food outside the city has been harvested, we are late!"

Wang Bo suddenly opened his mouth wide. The news was like a scoundrel, which made him stunned. He suddenly realized that Meng Rang's words were right. It was not that he was late, but that Zhang Xutuo was leading him down the mountain.

He looked back suddenly and said, then Zhang Xutuo's main force should follow him, and he was waiting for him to attack the city and then assault from behind.

Wang Bo's muscles were tense. Although Zhang Xutuo's troops were only 4,000, he knew very well that Zhang Xutuo's 4,000 men were enough to defeat his 35,000 men.

There was sweat left on Wang Bo's forehead, and he was nervously thinking about his way out. Zhang Xutuo was behind him. He couldn't retreat in Changbai Mountain. Could it be that he really went to attack the city?

"General!"

Meng Rang chased after him from behind. Seeing that Wang Bo looked wrong, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"My brother!"

Wang Bo sighed and said ashamed: "You have indeed hit it. The food outside the city has been harvested. Zhang Xutuo just wanted to lure us out. I regret not not listening to you."

"Brother, don't say that. We have exhausted food and grass, otherwise you won't go down the mountain."

"Why!"

Wang Bo smiled bitterly and said, "Then brother said, what should we do now? You have more vision than Brother Yu, come up with an idea!"

Meng Rang pondered for a moment and said, "I have three strategies, both upper and lower ones. My elder brother can choose one. The best strategy is to leave Qi County immediately, go to the south, and develop in the south; the middle strategy is to fight against Zhang Xutuo, and if you are defeated, go to the south; the worst strategy is to return to Changbai Mountain."

Wang Bo thought about it for a long time in pain. He was afraid of Zhang Xutuo from the bottom of his heart. He would rather escape than fight with Zhang Xutuo, but he knew in his heart that the food in his hands was about to be cut off, so where could he escape?

He sighed, "Changbai Mountain has no food, and it is still dead when he goes back. The worst strategy is not to be taken. Although the best strategy has a glimmer of hope, I have ten times the strength of the officers and soldiers, but I fled without fighting and spread to the world. How could my king Bo gain a foothold? It is better to win in one battle. I seize Licheng County, lose, and then go to Lu County."

Wang Bo and Meng Rang discussed for a moment, and the dry food could only be supported for one and a half days. The two agreed to fight against Zhang Xutuo's army. The 35,000 troops did not kill to Licheng County, but stationed on the spot, waiting to fight with Zhang Xutuo's main force.

Zhang Xutuo's main force was indeed thirty miles behind them. At this time, he had received the news that the other party was parked halfway, and he immediately ordered, "The whole army stopped and stationed on the spot!"

The team stopped, and Luo Shixin rushed forward and asked, "Master, why did the fighter plane stop?"

Zhang Xutuo shook his head and cursed with a smile: "You brave but unscrupulous guy, is this a fighter plane coming? Now Wang and Meng are eager to fight with me, why should I fight with him?"

Luo Shixin scratched his head and smiled, "It's all brothers who are eager to fight and urge me to come and ask my master."

"No matter how anxious you are to fight, you have to endure it. Now the biggest enemy of the bandits is not us, but themselves. They have no baggage, and each person only brings a little dry food. Seeing that the food is about to be cut off, they will be in trouble without fighting at most two days. At that time, I can completely defeat them in one battle."

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Chapter completed!