Chapter 1 The First Drop of Blood

Chapter 1, The First Drop of Blood

Zhang Jianliang jumped off a carriage and looked up to see the city gate of Jiayuguan.

Immediately, his full backpack was thrown down from the shelf on the top of the carriage by the driver.

The backpack was very heavy. He hugged it hard to prevent it from falling to the ground. For this reason, he glared at the driver with a very bad attitude.

The coachman showed his yellow teeth and smiled. He had no feeling for Zhang Jianliang's anger. He jumped back to the coachman's position, shook the reins, and the carriage slowly started to move. Soon, it ran away. got up.

Long-distance carriages do not enter the city.

The city wall of Jiayuguan is very tall, but there are no soldiers guarding the wall.

Only a group of tax collectors were inspecting the caravan entering the city gate.

Zhang Jianliang carried the backpack, which was almost as tall as himself, dusted his armbands with his hands, and walked towards the Jiayuguan gate.

An officer wearing a black military uniform and a black hat with silver ornaments appeared in the team preparing to enter the city. He was very conspicuous. The tax collectors had already noticed him, but they were just busy with their work. As for his work, he ignored him.

After seeing Zhang Jianliang, the head tax official sitting on a recliner slowly stood up, came to Zhang Jianliang and cupped his hands and said, "Visiting relatives?"

Zhang Jianliang looked at the tax official He glanced at it and said: "Go home."

The tax official said a little embarrassed: "It needs to be inspected..."

Zhang Jianliang said: "Then inspect."

The tax official smiled and said: "If brother accidentally brought something like jade, agate, gold, etc., you can put it on your body now. According to the rules, for soldiers like brothers, only the luggage will be checked, not the person."

Zhang Jianliang smiled and said: "When I left the Great Wall, I was empty-handed. Now that I have come back, I have nothing to gain."

The tax official smiled and said: "That's good, that's good. , It’s not that the brothers don’t give face, but that the pursuit on the mountain is tight. Some brothers went out to the fortress and came back with two hundred taels of gold sand on their backs. This is outrageous.”

Zhang Jianliang said with a smile: “I was entrusted with it. Come to Yun Ranch..."

The tax official was stunned when he heard this and said: "I heard there..."

Zhang Jianliang said: "We won."

The tax collector's tense face suddenly burst into laughter, and he said repeatedly: "I'm just saying, General Duan is here, how can we allow those Mongolian Tatars to be arrogant?"

After saying that, he made way and invited Zhang Jianliang to enter the customs.

"No more investigation?"

"No more investigation. Don't say that the captain is a hero who came down from the battlefield. As long as you come from a place like Tuoyun Ranch, you will be fine." You shouldn't be wronged here."

"There is gold and jade in my backpack."

"It must be the captain's trophy."

Zhang Jianliang reached out and patted the tax collector's arm and said, "Thanks, brother."

After that, he walked straight to the nearby city gate.

"Brother, how many people have been killed?"

The tax official's voice came from behind. Zhang Jianliang stopped and turned around and said to the tax official: "Not many people were killed this time."< /p>

The tax official frowned and said: "Why didn't you kill them? All the envoys of the Ming Dynasty had their ears cut off."

Zhang Jianliang laughed loudly and said: "The Mongolians who cut off the ears of the envoys The king's head has been made into a wine bowl by the general. More than 36,000 prisoners under the Mongolian king have officially stationed in Tuoyun Ranch to plant trees, herd and farm for us."

The tax collector also. Then he laughed and said: "So, in the coming year, the Western Regions will no longer need to transport food from the pass?"

Zhang Jianliang shook his head and said: "If it doesn't happen next year, let's see in three to five years. The Mongolian Tatars won't How can you farm?"

After bidding farewell to the tax collector, Zhang Jianliang entered the customs.

It is true that Jiayuguan is an important pass, but its military status has declined a lot. The reason why there are still official offices here is that the most important purpose is to collect taxes, not for defense.

Hami is where the army gathers.

After eating a large bowl of roast mutton noodles at the bazaar, Zhang Jianliang went to stay at the inn here.

The inn was full of people, and even in the courtyard, there were many people sitting and lying down.

Without exception, these people were all women, women from the Western Regions. When Zhang Jianliang appeared in the post station wearing a military uniform, the women immediately became commotion, huddled together involuntarily, and lowered their heads. Dare not look at Zhang Jianliang.

Yi Cheng, who was drinking tea, saw an officer coming in. He quickly greeted him and said, "Where are you from, Captain?"

Zhang Jianliang took out a bronze medal from his coat pocket and threw it away. He said to Yi Cheng: "Give me one to go to the room."

Yi Cheng looked at the bronze plaque representing the school officer's accommodation voucher in his hand, then looked at Zhang Jianliang's epaulette and said: "Captain, it's not no I'll give you a room. If the military police come, you won't be able to explain it."

Zhang Jianliang said: "I have been awarded the honor and promoted to major."

Look at it. Zhang Jianliang's shoulder patch said: "There is no silver star."

Zhang Jianliang turned around and showed his armband to Yi Cheng.

Yicheng looked at the armband carefully and smiled bitterly: "This is the first time I have seen the inconsistency between the shoulder straps and the armbands. I suggest that the captain should tidy them up, otherwise it will be another trouble for the military police to see them. "

Zhang Jianliang glanced at Yi Cheng and said, "Did you give all your room to those slave traders?"

Yi Cheng shook his head and said: " I knew you would ask this, so the answer to you is - no!"

Zhang Jianliang put down his backpack, took out a delicate wooden box from the backpack, held it in his arms and said, "This is Lieutenant Colonel Liu Guomin Liu. , I still have six lieutenants and three school officers in my backpack. Including me, there are five school officers in total. I wonder if I can live in the upper room?"

Yicheng took a closer look. The urn was inlaid with two silver stars. He solemnly saluted the urn and said: "If you neglect, we will arrange it now. Major, please come with me. "

Zhang Jianliang got an upper room as he wished.

It is said to be an upper room, but it is actually not big, just a bed, a chair, and a table.

In the inn. The bathhouses all looked the same. Zhang Jianliang looked at the black water and gave up the idea of ​​taking a bath. He stood under the shower pipe and opened the valve, and a stream of cool water poured down from the pipe.

After a while, the water became boiling hot. He stood under the water column and let the hot water pour down from his head and cover his whole body.

The water splashed on his body. This kind of sound can easily lead Zhang Jianliang's thinking to that cruel battle...

"Block, block, destroy the cavalry first..."

"Captain, I've been hit by an arrow, I've been hit by an arrow, medic, medic..."

"Follow me and charge..."

"Stick the bayonet, fix the bayonet, first use the grenade Throw it out..."

"Boom, boom, boom...I'll kill..."

Zhang Jianliang suddenly opened his eyes, his hand was already on the slightly hot water pipe, Yi Cheng The man who pushed open the door and came in rubbed his hands and looked at Zhang Jianliang's scarred body and said, "Major, do you want a woman to serve you? There are a few clean ones. "

"Get out——"

Yicheng was stunned for a moment and said: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, you can tell me when you need it. They are all good men. Don't dare to lose money. ”

After his thoughts were interrupted, it was difficult to enter the emotion that made Zhang Jianliang tremble all over.

He hurriedly soaped his whole body and rinsed it off. Afterwards, he walked out of the bathhouse with the wooden basin in his arms.

There were still those women in the yard, but at this time, they were eating, and the so-called meal was just a piece of naan bread.

p>

Yi Cheng, who was standing in the yard, saw Zhang Jianliang coming out, so he came over and said: "Major, your meal is ready. ”

Zhang Jianliang shook his head and returned to the upper room with the wooden basin in his arms.

The cigarette on the table had burned down to only a section of ash. He opened the door. By then, the cigarette ashes were blown away by the wind.

Zhang Jianliang put down the tub and lit another cigarette and placed it on the table. Liu Guomin was very addicted to smoking and could not live without this thing for a moment. /p>

Zhang Jianliang looked at the backpack on the ground and dumped all the contents on the bed.

Just like what he told the tax collector, there were ten bags of gold sand in it. There are also a lot of jade and agate that look very valuable.

He plans to take all the gold to the bank and exchange it for banknotes. Otherwise, it will be too difficult to carry such heavy things back to Guanzhong.

The most important thing is that the tax collectors at Jiayuguan may let them go, but the tax cards encountered later will not be soIt's easy to let him go.

Since the beginning of the Three Years of China, Ming Dynasty’s gold has withdrawn from the coin market. Private trading of gold is prohibited. Only gold products, such as gold jewelry, can be traded.

Zhang Jianliang gathered the gold, put it in a small bag, left the room and went to the bank next to the inn.

The Ming Dynasty’s post stations were spread all over the world, and they shouldered many responsibilities, such as delivering letters and some small items, welcoming and delivering officials, and people on official business.

Later, banks and carriage houses were gradually added, and finally the inn became an indispensable part of the life of the Ming Dynasty people.

I heard that there is even a telegraph in the post station in Guanzhong, but in a small place like Jiayuguan, this thing is not yet available.

Zhang Jianliang could actually ride a fast horse back to Guanzhong. He missed his wife, children, parents and brothers at home, but after the battle at Tuoyun Ranch, he didn't want to go home quickly.

Sometimes he wonders, if he goes home later, will the families of the ten brothers, living and dead, be less tortured?

He pushed open the door of the bank. The bank was very small, with only one tall counter and an iron fence on top. A middle-aged man with a small goatee looked expressionless. Sitting on a high chair, looking at him indifferently.

"Exchange two hundred taels of gold sand."

Zhang Jianliang raised ten bags filled with gold sand and placed them high on the counter.

The middle-aged man behind the counter seemed accustomed to this scene. He opened the bag and began to check the quality of the sand.

"One tael of gold sand and nine and a half silver coins."

After checking the gold sand, the middle-aged man said something calmly.

“Isn’t it said that one tael of gold sand can be exchanged for thirteen silver coins?”

The middle-aged man sneered and said: “That was in Wuwei, and in Jiayuguan, there were only nine and a half. , take it away if you don’t exchange it.”

Zhang Jianliang gritted his teeth and said: “This is the pension for my ten brothers. I am not a gold dealer. These golds are all mined by the brothers at Tuoyun Ranch. "It's all accumulated."

The middle-aged man looked at Zhang Jianliang and sighed: "Ten silver coins, no matter how high I am, there is really nothing I can do. Brother, you can't bring this gold to Wuwei, Jiuquan." The prefect of the prefecture is currently launching a campaign against unlucky gold. You can't pass the checkpoint."

Zhang Jianliang looked up at the middle-aged man and said, "Is there any way to get around them?"

The middle-aged man shook his head and said: "This is the safest way. One less silver coin means one less silver coin. You are an officer and you have a bright future. There is really no need to commit the crime of smuggling."

Zhang Jianliang put the ten bags of gold sand on the table back into his pocket and walked out of the bank silently.

Exchanging one tael of gold sand for ten silver coins was such a loss that he could not explain to his brothers who had died in the battle.