Before dawn the next day, Chen Xi asked Jing Yue to mobilize the officers and soldiers of ten hundred households to carry shoulder poles, hoes, and bamboo baskets to follow him out of the camp to "diggle the dragon veins".

Although the officers and soldiers were inexplicably confused, everyone had a blind trust in Chenxi. They felt that Chenxi might really understand the technique of geography and mysterious air, and could find the water source of the dragon vein on the island. After digging it, the bandit army collapsed without fighting without fighting. They wanted to see how Chenxi found the water source.

But Chen Xi did not use compass to calculate like those Feng Shui and mathematics masters, nor did he have any tortoise shells or bamboo sticks, nor even a fortune-telling copper coins and small bells. Just like on weekdays, he just took people out.

The officers and soldiers following Shen Xi were a little confused, so that they could find the dragon veins on the island? So is the dragon veins on the island hidden too shallow?

As expected, after digging all day, there was no result. I neither found the source of the groundwater nor the "dragon veins".

Although the soldiers worked hard, they were basically used to it. Who told them to dig a hole and fill the soil after they had nothing to do? Chen Xi's move was purely a mess, but the officers and soldiers did not complain much. They mainly fought under Shen Xi's command. They only needed to obey military orders, not to mention the risks, but also had a steady stream of military merits and rewards.

As long as you don’t fight against the bandits on the top of Yangyu Mountain, let alone digging pits and moving soil, it’s nothing to dig mountains. Who knows if this strange-tempered governor Chen will have any more bizarre orders next?

At night, the officers and soldiers returned to the camp.

Chen Xi asked about the situation in the camp and returned to the central army's tent. Jing Yue and Ma Jiu came over to ask Chen Xi for the next action plan.

Chen Xidao: "It's already twenty-three... According to the previous idea, the attack on Yangyu Island should be completed in the next two days. If it can't be captured, it's almost time to withdraw its troops."

"Sir, let's just leave in shame?"

Although Jing Yue retreated in the face of the dangerous terrain of Yangyu Mountain, he was not willing to leave a group of bandits to continue to entrench the island for evil.

Chen Xi shook his head and smiled bitterly: "What else? Is Deputy Qianhu Jing ready to lead the troops to attack? If you are willing to go, I will allocate two thousand troops to you, and I will recommend you to be promoted to Qianhu after the matter is completed!"

Jing Yue swallowed, and it was obvious that Chen Xi's proposal was extremely tempting to him.

If you win a battle, you can be promoted from a deputy thousand households to a thousand households in terms of position and authority. There is a fundamental difference between the second-in-command and the top-in-chief. A guard commander and a tutor cannot match the thousand households of a thousand households. After all, there are more than a thousand soldiers waiting to be dispatched and the people who manage the garrisons. The thousand households also have their own territory. The thousand households are like the local emperor, free and easy.

"Forget it if you don't want to go."

Before Jing Yue could understand, Chen Xi took the words back, "It was said that the entire army would pack their bags, but tomorrow... it was time to find the source of water. Maybe a miracle would happen?"

Jing Yue was extremely upset when he heard this.

He has always won battles with Chen Xi. It was easy to attack cities and villages before, but now it takes a "miracle" to win, which makes people angry. But he has seen the terrain of Yangyu Mountain. He has paid a bloody price before. No matter how he charges, he will die. He doesn't even dare to die, let alone those veterans who are ghost spirits?

Jing Yue had no choice but to convey military orders.

From another perspective, Chen Xi's choice to withdraw troops may be a good thing for the soldiers of the three armies. Now that the things they should rob have been put on their bodies, the military merits they should be reaped have been obtained. Continue to go north to fight the bandits, and perhaps more military merits have been seized and obtained. Why fight to the end with a small group of bandits on Nan'ao Island?

Especially in this kind of terrain where one man is at the gate and tens of thousands of men cannot open, no matter how many troops are, it will not work. Do you really have to station troops on the island for a year? Even if Chen Xi is willing, the soldiers of the three armies will not be happy, and the court will not agree... Spending so much military expenditure and materials is not to make you wait to do nothing on Nan'ao Island.

After Jing Yue left, Ma Jiu looked at Chen Xi who was writing with his head down and asked, "Master, are you really going to withdraw your troops after birth?"

“In theory.”

Chen Xidao, "In fact, there may be other arrangements. Brother Jiu, ask you something, what do you think I am doing these things today, what is the purpose of?"

In Shen Xi's eyes, although Ma Jiu can do things, he is illiterate and is a loyal "strong general" and "technical worker" around him. He cannot be used as a strategist or aide. However, Chen Xi really wants to train Ma Jiu. He has found that traditional literati like Tang Yin is best at seeking profit and avoiding harm, and will not work hard for him sincerely. If you want to find a capable general in the future, you must start from the general to cultivate it.

Although Ma Jiu is not from a military family or a martial artsman, he can be regarded as an extremely loyal servant, and there is no reason not to use such a person.

Since Ma Jiu has devoted his loyalty, in Shen Xi's opinion, he should give corresponding rewards, that is, he will become famous in history with him and may be famous in the future.

Ma Jiu said: "Master, the villain doesn't understand very much, but I thought... you want to lure the bandits on the mountain down the mountain and move the battlefield down the mountain. Otherwise... the mountain terrain will be difficult to attack!"

Chen Xi nodded slightly: "What you said is reasonable, but you didn't say the point. If you were a bandit on the mountain, would you come out in full when you see the officials at the foot of the mountain without any clear direction today?"

Ma Jiu thought for a moment and shook his head helplessly.

Even with his wisdom, he realized that this tactic of luring the enemy to attack was too clumsy. The bandits only needed to guard the mountain village and other officials to withdraw. Why should they take risks? In terms of strength comparison, even if Chen Xi drew ten hundred-house soldiers from the officers and soldiers from the camp, there were at least ten hundred-house soldiers left in the camp.

Who gave the bandits the courage to give a total population, or did men, women, young and old gather together and out of camps, attacking the government troops with 4,000 troops, fully equipped, well-trained and highly morale?

"Brother Jiu's guess is right. Actually, from the beginning, I never thought that the thief army would attack the camp. Even if they left an empty camp, they would not dare!"

Chen Xi continued to write something in a busy manner and answered casually.

"Then the master also took people to dig a water source... Can you really find the water source?" Ma Jiu nodded heavily after thinking, "It must be. The master has always been wise and magical. It is not difficult for him to calculate the location of the dragon veins on the island."

"Brother Jiu said this and was scolding me... Alas! If I could really calculate it and just take dozens of people there, how could I use such a mobilization? I was just doing something for the bandits to show them that the main force of the official army had left the camp." Chen Xidao.

Ma Jiu said in confusion: "Didn't the master say that he is not going to lure the enemy to attack?"

Chen Xidao: "Brother Jiu, do you know what is the most lacking in the thief camp now?"

“Yes…is water.”

Ma Jiu said, "This is what the master said yesterday. The villain is not very clear, but he expected that there would be more than a month of rain. The pools on the island were almost drying up. It is not easy for us to find water at the foot of the mountain. Now the soldiers of Guizhou Province go to places four or five miles away to carry water and eat."

Chen Xidao: "That's right, Brother Jiu observed it very carefully, and it is indeed the case. If the people of the Ming Dynasty were accustomed to accumulating grain to prevent hunger, then the bandit camps on the Nan'ao Mountain would store water to prevent the official army."

"The advantage of building a camp in a low-lying area is that it has sufficient water sources, but its defense is very low, so the village will be easily broken. Built on a high place, it is still a dangerous place like Yangyu Mountain. The camp is very strong, but drinking water must be considered. There is naturally no shortage of water during the rainy season in Nan'ao Mountain. When we came, it happened to be the transition of rainy season, and the rain had not yet fallen. It is considered to have a certain advantage in terms of weather."

"The bandits on Yangyu Mountain did not know when the official army would withdraw. When they were short of water, they did not think about fighting to the death with the official army, but about how to replenish the water."

"I don't need to lure the bandits to attack the camp, I just need to know where there is water source around Yangyu Mountain... When bandits see the officials' defenses slack, they will definitely try their best to send people down the mountain to carry water."

Only then did Ma Jiu realize why Chen Xi mobilized people to dig out the water veins. It turned out that he wanted the bandits to think that there was an opportunity to come out to find water. Ma Jiu suddenly realized: "Master, the villain understands it. Will you send people directly to the water source tomorrow and capture the bandits in one net?"

Chen Xi smiled and still shook his head.

"Brother Jiu was wrong. Even if the bandits come out to grab the water, they will not be able to go out in full swing. They will only send a few people, and they will come out in batches. The terrain around Yangyu Mountain is empty and it is relatively difficult to set up an ambush. If we attack, we will be exposed and rushed over and catch at most a dozen people carrying water. But later, the bandits in the village knew that this was the conspiracy of the government army and would not send people out in a short period of time!"

Ma Jiu followed Chen Xi's words and thought about it, and it was really the case.

The bandits are cautious in doing things now and sending people out to carry water must select slaves from the parody or those with low status. The parody will maintain a high level of vigilance, so the sneak attack will not work at all.

Ma Jiu said in annoyance: "The villain still doesn't understand..."

Chen Xi smiled and said, "Brother Jiu, you can think of many things clearly... In fact, the reason is very simple, you just don't think about it. Since we know what water sources are around Yangyu Mountain, we just need to poison it while the night is still dark. Ordinary poisons are naturally not good. When they take water back, they should not drink it immediately. Most of them are replenished into the water tank. The poison will naturally be diluted and the toxicity is greatly reduced, so... it is the most suitable for ejaculation."

"Master, in the army... where are there so many laxatives?"

Although Ma Jiu looked relieved, he was still a little worried.

"This is why Brother Jiu doesn't follow the army often and doesn't understand the situation in the army." Chen Xi asked with a smile, "Didn't Brother Jiu feel unwell after marching these days?"

Ma Jiu thought about it and his old face turned red. Although he has not been sick these days, there is something that has troubled that has troubled him for a long time. Not only is he alone, but many of his companions around him are like this, that is constipation.

Most of the food I ate during the march was dry food. Even if I buried a pot to make rice and boil soup, I could hardly see green vegetables.

Three meals are uncertain and there are no vegetables to supplement vitamins. Many times, the war is tight and the dry food is directly on the battlefield. It is strange if the digestive system can bear it.

Chen Xi smiled and said, "Actually, there are laxatives in the army. But Brother Jiu, you didn't tell the logistics people, just go back and get some, but don't eat too much, otherwise you will be exhausted and your legs will be weak!"

ps: The third update is here!
Chapter completed!