In the dense forest, a ball of black smoke swayed upwards and gathered in the air without dispersing. Although the village was not burned out after being rescued by Zhao Guirong's subordinates, nearly half of the houses were still burning and were constantly emitting black smoke. Because living in the dense forest, most of these houses were made of wood or thatch, they quickly turned into ashes once they caught fire.

"These crazy people!" Zhao Guirong personally participated in the firefighting. Now he looked like black charcoal was applied on his face. Afterwards, he sat on the ground as if he was exhausted. He felt that putting out the fire was harder than fighting. In the past, others said that the Jiuzhou Army was a madman, but this time it was the Jiuzhou Army that said that others were madman.

"General, the Second Infantry Battalion has taken all the prisoners back. In addition to the Zheng family, there are also those hateful local people." A soldier ran to Zhao Guirong in small steps to report to Zhao Guirong.

"I didn't expect that the villages that the first battalion had worked hard to attack drove them to the ambush circle of the second battalion." Zhao Guirong sighed a little.

After the Second Battalion fought with the Tumen in the forest, it took a long way to seize their retreat, and sure enough, it stopped the retreating Zheng family troops and Tumen.

The soldiers of the Zheng family and the local people were depressed. As prisoners, they didn't know how the Jiuzhou Army would deal with them. The local people regretted their homes that they destroyed with their own hands. They thought that burning their village would escape, but the fact slapped them hard.

"This time we caught 1,221 people, and some of them fled to the forest and became scattered soldiers. Because we lacked enough troops, we did not force ourselves to pursue them in the forest." The battalion officer of the second battalion said to Zhao Guirong.

"Those who escaped are not troubled, we should see how to deal with them." Zhao Guirong walked towards the group of prisoners.

The highest-ranking captives were Zheng Hu, the Tu tribe leader, and they were also confessed as leaders. The old tribe leader now hated Zheng Hu to the core: "Zheng Hu, you introduced the devil into our village, I really believe you incorrectly."

Zheng Hu did not make much quibbling, but said, "The Jiuzhou Army began to take control of Gaoping. Even if you don't contact them now, they will fight in the future. You have to admit this. When both the Mongolians and the Ming people came to us, they all plundered our food and silver, took our women as slaves, and castrated boys as eunuchs, which finally triggered countless righteous men to resist. At that time, will your village be willing to use your food, silver, women, and children to offer them to the Jiuzhou Army?"

When the old patriarch heard Zheng Hu's words, the wrinkles on his face moved, and he could not refute it. What Zheng Hu was talking about was a rumor that was passed down from word to word in the villages in this area. The Mongols and Ming people invaded the hinterland of Annan twice, which indeed brought terrifying rule to the local area to a certain extent and became the shadow of their local natives.

"Are you the patriarch of this village? And you should be the leader of the Zheng family army with about a thousand people escaped from Lang Son?" Zhao Guirong walked up to the two of them and carefully looked at the two guys who delayed him for more than three days and caused him many casualties. In fact, it is not only three days, but now he has to rest and deal with the prisoners. It takes more time to alarm the enemy and prepare for the defenders in Gaoping City.

"If you want to kill, you will kill. No need to say anything. Every time a barbarian from the north will make our home a mess." Zheng Hu said.

"I really want to kill you." Zhao Guirong narrowed his eyes. He had already had murderous intentions, but when he thought of the letters from the military leader Chu Yun to the Independent Corps, he would not slaughter the city and the village, so he temporarily held back the murderous intention.

"You are really asking for trouble. Our Jiuzhou Army has no intention of destroying your village. As long as you surrender and admit that we replace the Zheng family and the Mo family here, everything will live as usual. Wouldn't it be wonderful? Why bother to resist, resulting in the destruction of the family and the death of the people, and also cause us huge losses." Zhao Guirong walked in front of the old patriarch, feeling a tone of regret.

"Don't fool us. Once we surrender, you will increase taxes and plunder gold, silver, treasures and women and children for various reasons." Zheng Hu sneered, "In the past, the Mongolians and the Ming people were like this, otherwise the Jiaozhi Governor's throne two hundred years ago would not have been overthrown in twenty years."

The old patriarch looked at Zhao Guirong and wanted to listen to his explanation.

"I know very little about what happened two hundred years ago, but with my meager knowledge, I also know that those who are enlightened have many helpers, while those who are lost have few helpers. In the past, the failure of the Jiaozhi Governor General, based on my previous hearings, in order to curry favor with the emperor, the Ming Dynasty officials at that time tried their best to plunder gold, silver and treasures locally and indulge soldiers to plunder women. This has indeed caused great casualties to the local people." Zhao Guirong said, "But this time we went south to Annan Kingdom, which is different from the Ming Dynasty two hundred years ago."

"Hmph, just sweet words. You are all Han people, what's the difference?" Zheng Hu said.

"You Annan Kingdom was under the jurisdiction of Jiaozhou more than a thousand years ago. Many Han people went south, but you dare to assert that they are not descendants of the Han people? I don't need to chat with you here, just want you to know that you just stay in the village in the next month. We will leave a unit to guard you. If you dare to act rashly again, don't blame us for really slaughtering the village." Zhao Guirong said.

The word "Tu Village" scared the old patriarch to tremble. This was hundreds or thousands of lives.

"When we conquer Gaoping City, the land will be exchanged for you. Although the Jiaozhi Governor's Office will be re-established soon, it is different from the Jiaozhi Governor's Office two hundred years ago. We will treat this as an ordinary province rather than a tool to please the emperor." Zhao Guirong emphasized it again and said nothing more.

He also needed to find a place to resettle these prisoners, and then rectify the army to attack Gaoping City. It is difficult to explain to the local people, and only in the future can he prove to them with practical actions.

The old patriarch looked at the officers of the Jiuzhou Army who were very interested in them, and his eyes flashed, not knowing what he was thinking.

"Old man, you won't really believe the nonsense of the Jiuzhou Army, are you? Your son died at their hands." Zheng Hu reminded on the side.

During the few days when Zhao Guirong's troops were delayed in the dense forest, Lang San City held a local local people's congress. The local people were not the despicable names of the Kyushu Army for these ethnic groups distributed in the mountains and forests, but people in Annan Guoshenglong City and other places called ethnic minority tribes in this way, so they were regarded as a general term.
Chapter completed!