The second year of Han Zhangwu, leap June of 222 AD.

Wu Gorge of the Yangtze River, Badong County, 20 miles deep in the mountains north of the Yangtze River.

A large group of nearly a hundred people, each pushing a heavy cart filled with goods, slowly walked eastward along the winding mountain road in the mountains and dense forests.

If you pay a little attention, you will find that the things in these trolleys are really strange.

Rotten wooden rafters, broken tiles, branches, stones, and adobe bricks.

Anyway, they are just scraps, rubbish left at the gate in the village that no one would pick up.

What is the purpose of moving so many people over mountains and ridges to transport such broken things?

No one can tell.

Even among these more than a hundred civilians, no one knows.

I don’t know, and I don’t want to ask. The boss gives me the money and everyone contributes. It’s that simple.

The only one who knows is the village chief who hired them.

This village chief was only in his twenties, eight feet tall, and very handsome. He wore a crown without a bow and a scholar's gown, but he casually lifted up his lower skirt and tied it around his waist, revealing his long waist.

brand and black military boots, with a dagger bulging on the side of the boots.

In short, at first glance, he looks like a kid from a wealthy family who has not endured much hardship.

His name is Zhou Mo. He comes from the Zhou family, a wealthy family in Langzhong. His eldest uncle Zhou Qun and his grandfather Zhou Shu are all famous celebrities in Shu. However, he is too young and has a lower seniority in the clan. His current official position is only in the logistics department of the Shu army.

A small village chief stationed in Guandukou, Badong County.

During Liu Bei's eastward expedition against Sun Wu, he set up defenses along the river from Yufu to Yiling. It was said to be a 700-mile continuous camp. Guandukou was barely considered an insignificant small camp among them, responsible for the rest and supplies of passing logistics personnel and ship maintenance.
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The work is easy, and you don’t have to risk your life on the front line. It is very suitable for rich men to gild.

Until half a month ago, Zhou Mo suddenly had another unknown new identity - a history college student from 1800 years later.

The entire Guandukou became busy inexplicably.

……

At this moment, Zhou Mo was holding his hands on his hips, with a stern face, and looked like an inhumane Zhou Bapi, loudly urging the peasants:

"Hurry up! You bunch of lazy guys! Don't you all say that you can walk over mountains and ridges as if on flat ground? I'm not giving you less money! Why are you so slow? Do you not want the wages anymore?"

A farmer said with a grimace: "Master, you have also seen that the mountain road is difficult and the weather is hot. It's really not that we are not working hard..."

"Shut up," Zhou Mo cursed at the top of his lungs, "If I hadn't been in a hurry and there were really not enough ox carts and donkey carts, how could I have hired a bunch of thieves like you with money? Donkey carts are slow.

As soon as I whip the whip down, it will go faster. You guys are walking so slowly, do you want to be whipped too?"

These peasants have been making a living in the Three Gorges all year round. They go up and down the mountains and rivers, either pulling fibers on the river or loading and unloading at the ferry. They have long developed the strength of an ox, but they have also learned the ability to adapt to the wind.

Originally, it seemed that this young officer was relatively easy to fool, and he wanted to become a foreigner, but unexpectedly he encountered a ruthless character and hit a big snag.

To take money from others, you have to listen to orders, so the leading man raised his voice and yelled "oooo", and the men behind him also shouted like beating drums and passing flowers, and the sound was passed down. In a moment, the whole team was

The speed immediately picked up.

The sound of "Ouch" echoed in the valley, causing the apes on the mountain to respond and cry incessantly.

……

It was past noon, and we arrived at our destination, Shimen Mountain.

This is a dangerous place.

Looking up, the cliffs on both sides reach straight into the sky, intersecting with each other on the top of the cliff, leaving a twisted and snaking streak of blue sky.

At the narrowest point, the South Mountain collapses and leans on the North Mountain. Orange trees grow on the top of the North Cliff, but their ripe fruits fall on the South Cliff.

The road here is quickly tightened by cliffs on both sides, making it difficult to navigate. The narrowest point can only allow two people to pass side by side.

This is Shimen.

In a slightly spacious area outside the stone gate, there are already a lot of rocks, branches and "all kinds of junk" piled up like mountains. There are actually more than a dozen soldiers holding halberds and wearing Han army uniforms guarding them.

One of the middle-aged military men saw Zhou Mo and walked forward quickly. His eyes were filled with excitement, as if he had something to say.

The soldier was about to speak, but Zhou Mo pouted at the group of civilians, which meant that there were too many people, and then said loudly: "Old Mu, hurry up and let the brothers count the things."

So the peasants got busy, unloading the goods into categories, while a few soldiers carefully counted the broken stones and wood, as if they were valuable things.

After the count was quickly completed, the middle-aged soldier Lao Mu said to Zhou Mo: "Captain, I think one more batch will be enough."

Zhou Mo looked up at the sun and calculated the time. If he pulled another cart, it would be night.

The mountain roads are no better than those on the plains. The dangers increase greatly at night, and wild animals appear. People are tired after working all day, and no one wants to work at night.

Zhou Mo gritted his teeth, his face sank, he kicked the civilian husband who was sitting on the ground and rested, and shouted loudly: "Get up, get up, everyone is doing well, if we pull the last batch today, the task will be completed.

I’ll give you your wages in cash when the time comes.”

When they heard that they had to haul another batch of goods, the peasants all looked embarrassed.

"You still have to poop?" A bald man said dissatisfiedly, "It's almost dark, it's time to poop. Hurry up and settle the wages, I want to go home."

Many civilians also began to respond.

Zhou Mo hurriedly raised his voice an octave and retorted: "What's wrong with it being dark? You're a grown man, why are you in such a hurry to go home? Oh, oh, I understand, I'm afraid that your mother-in-law will steal someone's money at home!"<

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The peasants laughed loudly, and the bald man's face turned red, and he cursed: "You fart."

A fellow man teased: "Bald head, your wife brought the old bachelor next door to you who picked up rags, and I saw it with my own eyes."

"Fart. Fart."

Everyone laughed even more happily.

Seeing that the atmosphere had calmed down, Zhou Mo continued: "You have really worked hard today. You should do me a favor and make another trip. I know that the mountain roads are dark and dangerous, and there are wild animals. I will send a few sergeants to raise them.

Light the torch and escort us all the way, there are so many of us, everything will be fine."

"We need more money," said the leading farmer.

"Easy to say, easy to say. You will definitely be indispensable. Without further ado, let's set off quickly."

Seeing that the leader had spoken and asked for a higher price, the peasants no longer resisted and pushed the empty cart away. Zhou Mo sent five capable soldiers to follow with torches and repeatedly checked the precautions.

Watching them go away, Zhou Mo sat down on the ground so tired.

The middle-aged military man, Old Mu, came up to him, sat down next to Zhou Mo, and handed him a bottle of water.

Zhou Mo raised his neck and drank it all.

Lao Mu turned his head sideways, his eyes twinkling with excitement, and whispered: "Captain, the news just came from the east. The vision you mentioned before about the sky descending, the dozens of feet of yellow gas, has come true. Everyone in Zigui County

Everyone has seen it."

Although he tried his best to lower his voice, he could still hear his voice trembling: "It's just that everyone mistakenly regarded it as a good omen of upcoming victory!"

"Oh. Got it." Zhou Mo was very calm, "What day is it specifically?"

"About thirteen or fourteen days ago."

Lao Mu took a deep breath and continued: "Captain, is that...that prophecy you mentioned really this month?"

"Yes, Lao Mu. It must be within these two days." Zhou Mo said firmly:

"The news of the great defeat on the Yiling battlefield will come back soon!"

Three hundred miles away in the mountains, Zhou Mo seemed to have seen the fire in Yiling rising into the sky. Countless Han soldiers were either burned to death or drowned, and their corpses drifted down the river.

……
Chapter completed!