Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 233 Quicksand

  In the tent of the barracks in Wolf Town, Lieutenant Colonel Moritz sat at the table with his chin on his back, shaking his wine glass gently.

   There was also a small plate of almonds and green olives on the table, all of which someone had bought from Gervodin all the way.

   The person who bought these things is holding the bottle at the moment, carefully telling Moritz about his experience in the past year.

   And as soon as Moritz's glass was a little empty, he would refill it immediately.

  Tang Juan broke into the big tent, and when he saw this scene, he was so angry that he smoked: "Have you two started drinking before noon?"

   "Without him." Moritz took a sip of the pale golden water of life and smiled: "Only me."

   "I asked you to come to get him away! But if you pour it out, you will be paid for with a few bottles of wine. Have you forgotten the general's order?"

Moritz yawned, looked at Lieutenant Juan, and replied slowly: "His father asked me to come and collect his body. Kill him and bring a body back. I can try, but there is no guarantee that it will succeed. If I want to twist his will and force him to do things he doesn't want to do, I can't do it."

   Winters found another cup and asked Senior Juan to take a seat.

   Juan tilted his neck like a vent, and poured half a glass of spirits directly into his throat.

   "Save some drinks." Moritz felt a little distressed: "I plan to drink for many days."

   "How many days?" Juan slapped the table.

   "Senior." Winters pleaded sincerely: "I have something I want to ask for your help."

  …

  The Flooded Tuo River walks on the field, and Winters is seeing off the old pirate.

   "No need to send it, my lord." Before Gold's front teeth were inlaid, the air leaked with a smile: "This has already been sent to Blackwater Town, you can go back."

When    came from Veneta, Gold, the two ladies, plus Juan's subordinates, there were sixteen people.

When    went back, there were only three: Gold, a hussar from Juan, and a Dussack from Winters.

   "Be careful along the way." Winters said apologetically: "Lieutenant Juan will stay here for a while, so there are only two people to guard you."

  Gold laughed: "I'm all too familiar with this road, and I don't need guards at all. As long as I have a life left, I promise to bring your letter back to Hailan."

  Huan was here to look for someone, but he was detained by Winters, and he had to explain the reason to Antonio.

   Winters only had Gold as a messenger and guide, so he had to let the old pirate go again.

  Winters and Juan chose two capable young men for the old pirates, on the one hand as guards, on the other hand to let more people familiar with the [New Reclamation-Veneta] route.

   When others have mastered this route, the old pirate will no longer have to rush.

   "I'm leaving, don't worry!" Gold laughed and hurried his horse, galloping away.

   Winters watched each other until the three riders disappeared into the woods.

   Then he rode back to Wolf Town, his will was firm, he still had things to do.

  …

  Barley takes about six months from sowing to full growth. It is sown in late February and early March as soon as the weather turns warm, and harvested in September.

  Oats are divided into varieties. The oats of the Palatu strain are relatively late, and take about four months to grow. Usually sown in May and harvested in September.

  Plateau agriculture generally adopts the three-plant system. The arable land is divided into three equal parts: one for winter wheat, another for supplementary grain, and the last remaining plot to fall fallow.

  Barley, oats and rye, plus some pulse vegetables, are the main crops of the [spring-autumn] agricultural cycle of the farmers of the Parato.

   But not until the grain is fully mature in September, a new round of collection has already begun.

   The reason is very simple. If the wheat is fully ripe, will the farmers still have leftovers for the expropriation team? It was already harvested cleanly.

   The so-called "grab harvest" means that the wheat must be harvested before it is ripe.

   rush and rush, and the wheat will be cooked.

   These are all valuable experiences accumulated during the [Sovereign War] thirty years ago, and now they are relocated, and they are not out of date.

  The unripe wheat is not edible, but it is also a good thing. It can be fed to horses, and it is the best food for horses.

   War horses like and need this fine material that is both nutritious and rich in moisture.

  Because it is not easy to store crops that have not been dehydrated, the Paratus will use the [silage] technique.

  Chop, seal, and ferment the still green crops. The process is a bit like making yogurt, retaining the nutrients and moisture of the crops, and at the same time "detoxifying", that is, "silage".

   Silage can not only be stored for a long time without deterioration, but also has a little sour taste, which is especially loved by cattle, horses and sheep.

   But the silage process requires a lot of operator experience and skills. In Palato, generally only large horse farms are used.

  No one would be so extravagant as to use immature grain silage, isn't that spoiling things?

   But this kind of thing is actually happening in the new reclaimed land - the ration of the peasants is not as good as the fodder for the war horses.

   The New Reclamation Army was polite at first, after all, the New Reclamation Province was their own territory.

   Red Rose and Blue Rose's forced expeditions did not treat people like people at all, and the New Reclamation Army was powerless to stop them.

   Seeing that the food was taken away by the other two parties, the levy of the new reclaimed land army was also increasing.

  Tierfeng County is located in the far southwest of the New Reclaimed Province. It is the most remote and backward county and was also affected by this storm.

   Maplestone City gave a death order to the Revodan station, so the expropriation team set off from Revodan again and ran to the villages and towns in various places.

   However, the collection of Gervodin encountered a little problem...

"Sir! Mercy!" The leader of the expropriation team-[Sgt. Pete] rushed to kiss Winters' boots: "I was also forced to help! I don't want to go out of town to grab food. But my wife and children are all in Gervodin, I If you don't obey the military order, the whole family will sit together!

  Pete was tied with his hands behind his back and tied with the other four, obviously unable to move.

   But seeing the "leader of the bandits" coming over, his strong desire to survive made him drag four people, and he still almost rushed in front of Wintersma.

   It was Pierre's saber that quieted Sergeant Pete.

   "Dare to take another step forward." Pierre covered his face and looked at the sergeant coldly. The second half of the sentence he didn't say, the blade said it for him.

   Sergeant Pete fell to the ground, crying and begging for mercy, as did the other Revodan soldiers.

   For a time, there were pleadings everywhere, making it hard to hear.

   Winters has been numb to seeing and hearing. Everyone suffers, and everyone is forced to do so.

   But he did not come to hear the complaints of these Revodan soldiers.

   "Have the weapons been collected?" Winters asked.

   "Take it."

   "Wagon, grain?"

   "It's all done."

  Tang Juan galloped over: "What nonsense? Hurry up and leave!"

   Winters nodded: "Take it all away."

   Hearing the words "Take it all away", Sergeant Pete jumped up from the ground like a spring: "Take it away? You won't let us go? Are you going to take us away?"

   "Who said they were going to let you go?" Pierre asked indifferently.

"But, but people were released before!" Pete shouted hoarsely: "We handed over the weapons, handed over the carriage, and didn't resist. According to the previous rules, people will be released! Why kill us? We do nothing. I didn't do it! Ah..."

   Pete shouted, and even cried a lot, wailing with snot and tears: "If I had known, I would have fought with you... ah..."

The prisoners around    also became restless when they heard Pete's miserable cry.

   Winters, who had gone far, sensed that something was wrong, and galloped back.

   He jumped off the saddle and kicked Pete: "Don't cry! Who said he was going to kill you?"

  Pete's tears and snot were still hanging on his face, and he asked in surprise: "Won't you kill us?"

   "Cry again, the first one will kill you."

   "Then why don't you let us go?" Pete wiped away a handful of tears, suddenly sadness came from it, and cried again: "In the end, you still want to kill us? Isn't it just another place to kill... Mom..."

   Winters has nothing to do with this rough man who sheds tears at every turn.

   He used loudspeaker to announce to the surrounding Gervodin soldiers: "From now on, you are all my captives. If you don't seek death, you won't die. Take them all away!"

   "Are the bandits taking prisoners too?" Pete asked, sobbing.

   Sergeant Pete's ration team was taken on the road.

   The further he went, the more he felt that these grain cart thieves were not bandits, because there had never been such a powerful bandit in the newly cultivated land.

   This group of "bandits" consisted of more than twenty riders, and the remaining thirty or so were on foot.

The    whistle sounded, and the bandits rushed out from all directions at the same time.

   The food collection team had no time to react, and was already surrounded by groups.

   In this case, the temporarily recruited Gervoudan "soldiers" lost their will to resist in an instant, and obediently surrendered their weapons.

  Although the "gangsters" were all covered, the opening of several "gangster leaders" on horseback made Pete feel familiar.

   Walking along, Pete suddenly realized that the bandit leader had a "commander's accent", and he unconsciously spoke with a bit of Guitucheng accent.

   The further he went, the more familiar Pete felt: Isn't this the way to Langtun Town?

   continued walking, and Pete became more and more certain: Yes, it was the way to Wolf Town.

  Why did the bandits not avoid people and still walk to the town?

  Why is there a military camp in the town?

  Why are there still cells in the barracks?

   Pete yells: Fuck! What bandits? I was beaten by the militia of Wolf Town!

  Pete was a little happy, a little angry, and more of a doubt.

   is happy because since the other party is not a bandit, he will not kill him indiscriminately, at least his life is temporarily saved.

   was angry because the militiamen actually disguised themselves as bandits and ambushed him, a genuine Gervodan sergeant.

   is puzzled because he doesn't understand where the wolf town militia comes from so much courage?

   Because he was a sergeant, Pete was held in solitary confinement.

   He was taken to a secluded, cramped prison.

   It took Pete a while to adjust to the light in the prison.

   He saw two other people in the prison, unkempt and disheveled, sitting against the corner of the wall.

  Pete was surprised to find that the two were... weaving straw sandals.

   They moved fast, the grass rods were running through their hands like needles and thread, and the soles were extending at a speed visible to the naked eye.

   Pete didn't dare to move.

  In the cramped cell, two men with disheveled hair were silently weaving straw sandals.

   This scene is too eerie, terrifying, and has a mysterious religious atmosphere.

   "Huh? Someone's here again?" One of the men finished knitting the soles, looked up at Pete, and knocked on the wall calmly: "Hey! Someone's here again."

   A head sticks out from the fence on the wall - it turns out that the next door is still a prison cell.

   "Is it also from Gervodin?" the man in the next cell asked hoarsely.

   "Yes, I'm Pete from the south of the city." Pete looked at each other carefully, and suddenly shouted: "Ivan? Are you dead? Killed by bandits?"

   In the cell next door is Sergeant Ivan of Gervodin, who is famous for his "wife beating after drinking".

   But Pete doesn't recognize Ivan at all. Ivan used to be a burly, brutish, ill-tempered man.

   Today's Ivan is almost out of shape, and his savage energy has been worn away, and there is only endless tiredness and sadness in his eyes.

   "You...you..." Ivan's lips trembled, and his voice was actually crying: "You... why are you here..."

  …

  Revodan was stationed in the garrison, all the officers gathered in one room and were having a meeting.

  There is only one issue: "Bandit".

   Forcible levies led to bandits swarming, which was an unavoidable situation.

   Gervoudan's attitude is that if he can, he will be killed, and he has the right to train troops; if he can't catch it, there is nothing he can do.

   But there is a bandit that is rampant in the southwest of Gervoudan, and what he has done has forced Gervoudan to face it.

  This group of bandits came and went like the wind, and they acted swiftly.

   Whenever the food levy team enters their territory, it is like a mud ox entering the sea, there is no return.

   Initially, this group of bandits only operated within the three towns of Heishui Town, Wuzhen Town and Langtun Town.

   Less than ten months later, their tentacles quickly extended to Niusho Valley and Iris Slope. Someone in Shengke Town also reported the traces of this group of bandits.

   There is even a vague saying that as long as you cross the St. George River south of Gévodan, there is no safe place ahead.

   Grain truck hijacking is rare, but it does happen from time to time, and it happens more and more frequently.

   It is because there are too many bandits, most of them are recruits who lack training, and it is already very difficult to be responsible for local defense, and it is impossible to suppress the bandits.

   But unlike other gangs, this gang of bandits roaming southwest of Gervoudan not only robbed food trucks, but also people.

   The food requisition team that fell into their hands could not escape alone.

  Even if it is easy to recruit soldiers these days, and bloodletting with small knives like this, Gervoudan can't afford it.

"It must be strangled as soon as possible. These bandits are not ordinary rogues. The surrounding villages and towns are sheltering them. They are going to make a big deal!" should be in the forest between Wolf Town and Blackwater Town."

   "Is there any other information? For example, what is the name of the bandit leader?" Captain Eper asked.

   "There's a fog, and this group of bandits has no name." Major Ronald said in a deep voice, "But according to my informant, the surrounding villages and towns call them... the Blood Wolf Gang."

   said, Major Ronald looked at Lieutenant Cellini.

Hearing the word "Blood Wolf Gang", Andre was furious, and there was even a tear in his angry eyes: "Blood Wolf Gang? Fuck it! Winters Montagne is dead! Just Die by the Styx River! Which **** dares to use his name to be a bandit? Lao Tzu will kill him himself!"

"This is really up to you. The informant said that the Blood Wolf Gang has a lot of horse thieves, and you have to rely on your Dussac to deal with it." Major Ronald sighed: "In my opinion, they should be Winters' old team. , deserted soldiers and turned into thieves. If you can recruit surrender, try to recruit as much as possible, we are in need of veterans. I am in charge, as long as they surrender, I will pardon them, and let them come to Revodin to serve as soldiers.”

   Lieutenant Andrea Cellini led his team and set off in a rage to suppress the bandits.

   A week later, the sad news came back.

The    Cellini Centuries were wiped out.

  The bandits sent a message asking Revodan to take money to redeem the people.

   "Oh, Andre is just too impulsive. He won't lose in a dignified duel. He must have been ambushed by rushing in." Lieutenant Bud was calm as always.

He concluded to the officers in the new reclamation camp: "The bandits want a ransom to show that Lieutenant Cellini is still alive. The bandits and Andrei's centurion fought hard, and the loss was not small. This time I Go with Captain Mason to investigate the situation under the guise of sending ransoms, and fight steadily, and we will definitely wipe out this group of gangsters."

  Captain Mason next to Bud nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

   In addition to the local men and horses, Revodan's mobile force is only the "militia" team sent back by these blue roses.

But Major Ronald was still a little worried: "I don't underestimate your ability to fight, but you are not natives of Iron Peak County after all. I will ask Lieutenant Arcos to accompany you and be your guide. Every town in Iron Peak County, he are all familiar."

   "Okay." Bud's smile was very sincere: "It couldn't be better."

   Six days later, the bad news came back to Revordan.

  The Budd Centurion and the Mason Centurion were also wiped out, and no one escaped.

   Major Ronald smashed the table with his palm and cursed.

   Meanwhile, Winters finally reunites with Bud, Andre, and Mason.

   "What do you want?" Bud asked Winters only one question: "What do you, in the end, want?"

   [This chapter says there is a map, it will be more intuitive to look at the map]

   [Andre's last appearance was at the end of Chapter 9. As for why Lan Qiangwei sent these "Tiefeng Town Militia" back to the new land, please allow the author to explain later]

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you all]

   [About the history of silage: The etymology of silage comes from the Greek word (siros), the use of "crypt" or "burrow" to store human food. The Egyptians silaged millet in stone containers as early as 4,000 years ago. It was initially thought to be a sacrifice, but it was later discovered that it was not. Around the same time, the Celts in Central Europe began to ensilage cabbage (which continues to this day as sauerkraut). About 2000 years ago, the Germanic people began to store silage. Put the whole plant in the hole and cover it with fertilizer. The earliest records of forage silage come from Italy on the 13th. Nordic and Central Europe have systematically produced forage silage since the 18th, and ordinary farmers have also known that dry forage in the field is not high-quality cattle feed. However, the concept of "control" was lacking in that era. Whether what was obtained was silage or moldy and smelly garbage, it all depended on the skill and luck of the operator]

   (end of this chapter)