Chapter 9: Miaojiang Phoenix (I)

Under the rule of the five village chiefs of Ma Laoguan, there were five villages in Songtuodong, Wuyindong, Luhudong, Duwangdong, and Baiyadong. There were more than ten or twenty small villages under each cave, with a population of about 70,000 to 80,000, and about 15,000 young and strong laborers. Only five or six thousand people were truly capable of fighting. Ma Laoguan gave Ma Gu the power to allocate 4,000 troops at once, which was already the limit he could achieve.

The Miao people did not have a formal military organization. Every battle was first summoned and then went to fight. Except for Wu Heimiao himself, he had a guard of two thousand people, the rest were scattered in various families. After all, they still needed to engage in production. After Wu Heimiao rose up, he imitated the Ming army organization and formed eighteen battalions, ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 troops to each camp. He personally led one battalion, and the four great generals under him led two battalions. In addition, the Tian family, who was dependent on his chief of Ganziping, led two battalions, and the power was first. The Wuzhai Division of Ma Laoguan had three battalions, which belonged to the second group. The rest of the Langxi Division, Wuluo Division, Tongren Division, Yimeidong Division, Huangdaoxi Division and others had four mixed battalions.

In order to strengthen control of the seven battalions that were not the direct forces, Wu Heimiao planned to draw troops from his direct troops to these seven battalions to hold certain official positions, trying to undermine the control of these chieftain lords over their troops. However, Wu Heimiao was too anxious and Zhuoba once advised him not to be impatient, but Wu Heimiao did not obey and still did what he wanted. As a result, all the people sent out were undermined. They just didn't listen to these confidants he sent, and took them away in shame. It was precisely because the three battalions controlled by the old official Ma were solid, otherwise how could the dispatch of troops be hidden from Wu Heimiao? With Magu's genius command and the Miao people did not have the standard military uniforms. There was actually no big difference between soldiers and ordinary people. Four thousand elite soldiers were transferred out in batches and in groups, and quietly crossed Mingshan after night.

Yuanzhou City is at the foot of Mingshan, at the southern end of the mountain. The sneak attack commander Ma Gui selected more than 300 soldiers who were the most elite and loyal to the Ma family, raided the northern gate of Yuanzhou City, and easily occupied it. Then, 3,700 troops that had been accumulating strength quickly attacked and fell into Wu Heimiao's hands, which had fallen into Wu Heimiao's hands, and in the hands of the Ma family, five thousand under Wu Heimiao, who temporarily guarded Yuanzhou City, pretended to be Ming army. Except for some of them killed in the chaos, the rest were captured. There were also many robbed property and untrapped food in the city.

Wu Heimiao was sending an invitation to Miaojiang and the Tusi lords of the Dong, Yao, Tujia and other tribes, one to witness his engagement with Magu, and the other to discuss alliances. However, unexpectedly, the Yuanzhou City changed hands overnight. This person was still the Ma family who was about to take Yuanzhou City as a betrothal gift to propose marriage, so he could not be angry and furious.

Seeing Wu Heimiao's face turned pale and he was yelling to send troops to pacify the Ma family, none of them dared to come forward and say a word. Wu Heimiao, who was furious, absolutely did not recognize his relatives, and his three sons looked at his crazy father with fear on his face. He couldn't help but think of how his father was trembling under his father's iron fist. In the end, he couldn't stand the torture of his spirit and physicality and let go.

Yin Ji's face was also unstable. No one expected that Ma Laoguan, who had always appeared in front of the Miao people with a gentle elder style, could make such a ruthless decision. It seems that everyone has misread it. How could the person who can command the five tribes and seventy-two villages be a weak person?

"Jian Ping, please abandon 5,000 troops and horses and sweep the Ma Mansion with me!" Wu Heimiao ordered loudly to the brother-in-law who was standing in the lower head.

"Yes, brother-in-law!" Jian Ping thought for a while before saying that in fact, he was very happy. If the Ma family is pacified, wouldn't Ma Gu be the wife of her brother-in-law? Then his three nephews always have a position to inherit his brother-in-law. Will Jian's glory, wealth and power be guaranteed?

"Slow down!" A calm and cold shout came into everyone's ears. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and their faces returned to a little normal, because the great wise man, the great wizard and the military advisor Zhuoba appeared at this critical moment.

"Hei Miao, you are too impulsive!" Zhuoba's eyes shone brightly, and he said to Wu Hei Miao in an unprecedented tone.

Wu Heimiao instantly poured from head to toe like a basin of ice water, staring at Zhuobana with both caring and regretful eyes. It took a long time since no one called him so kindly.

"The Ma family girl is such a powerful plan. I have lost all my efforts. If you touch the Ma family now, wouldn't you not want the lives of more than 4,000 soldiers who follow your loyal loyalty in Yuanzhou City?" Zhuoba asked Wu Heimiao sternly.

"Uncle Zhuo, I..." Wu Heimiao lowered his head with shame, but a strange light flashed in his eyes. Wu Heimiao held a grudge. Although Zhuoba stopped his mistake today, he also fell in front of his hands. He had a hint of resentment towards Zhuoba. It has been enough for him to obey Zhuoba until the day he proclaimed himself king, he vaguely had the idea that he could achieve hegemony without Zhuoba. Moreover, this idea became stronger and stronger, and it always burned the heart of this person who thought he was a strong man.

Zhuoba suggested that he should not burn, kill, loot the property of the people. Wu Heimiao refused to listen. He did it. He thought that this would ruin the reputation of the Han court. In fact, it would not be possible to keep the fire. The truth would be revealed one day. In addition, after capturing Yuanzhou City, he could change his identity and directly announce it to the world. Now, in order to transport the gold, silver, jewelry stolen from Yuanzhou City, weapons, materials and food in the treasury, he forced him to not announce his identity in time. The little girl from the Ma family took advantage of the loophole. Not only did he get Yuanzhou, but he also won the hearts of the people. One mistake made him lose everything.

"Now the Ma family has obtained Yuanzhou City with justification, so the Yuanzhou City among the four conditions proposed by the Ma family girl will no longer exist. We must now hold on to the fact that the old official Ma has agreed to the marriage, but it only needs someone to witness and notarize it, and write it in black and white. As long as we make this matter done, the Ma family has no reason to repent!" Zhuoba is indeed a wise man, and in a blink of an eye he thought of a countermeasure to deal with it.

"What if the Ma family insisted that the king did not have Yuanzhou City as a betrothal gift?" Yin Ji couldn't help but ask.

"What if the Ma family did not ask the king for permission to send troops to Yuanzhou without authorization?" Zhuoba asked with a smile. Although Ma Lao Guan had sworn loyal to Wu Heimiao in name, it was actually a matter of his own, but if you really want to pursue it, it is indeed a big crime. Ma Lao Guan's strength is not enough to compete with Wu Heimiao and barely protect himself. At that time, I will not be afraid that he will not bow his head.

"What if the Ma family proposes another condition that is difficult for me to accomplish?" Wu Heimiao asked.

"With the reputation of the Ma family among the Miao people, if you go back on your word, wouldn't it destroy your reputation? Even if the king stole the Ma family girl, his reputation with the king will be undestroyed." Zhuobaha smiled.

"If it's not as expected by me, Yuanzhou City will soon be no longer part of the Ma family!" Zhuoba closed his eyes and said with an unfathomable look, "Although the girl from the Ma family is smart, she seems to have forgotten that she has an opponent."

"Who?" Everyone, including Wu Heimiao, asked in unison.

"Hong Chenggong." Zhuoba slowly said these three words, a trace of light flashed between the gaps of his squinting eyes, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes trembled slightly before he returned to calm.
Chapter completed!