Chapter 81 Lai Da takes action
Gou Chengxuan was cautious and did not dare to speak. He waited until their Huayi discussion was over before continuing: "It is said that Wen Desi's official position is 'Chairman', while Ma Qianxu is 'Secretary of State'. Their titles are Serve as 'Executive Committee Member'."
He said the names and titles of these two people correctly, because they were written on the bulletin board and the paperwork.
"It may be said that after this group of thieves were high-ranking officials in Australia and Song Dynasty, due to domestic changes, they could not gain a foothold in Australia, so they led their tribe to escape by boat. They have long admired the wealth of China, so they came thousands of miles away country."
"They are the descendants of the Song Dynasty, why not join the list from the beginning." A staff member said, "The imperial court will definitely give preferential treatment to them."
"The thieves have learned strange skills overseas, thinking that they can dominate a corner with iron ships and firearms. Isn't this deceiving me that there is no one in the Ming Dynasty? Only by vigorously suppressing and eradicating the ugly ones can we eliminate the peeps of these overseas barbarians. The speaker of "Heart of China" is very young, only 27 or 28 years old. He is not He Rubin's aide, but Qian Taichong, an aide of Zhao Ruyi, who is stationed in Hainan Province in the left political branch. He was specially sent to Guangzhou to take charge of liaison between the two parties. .
Qian Taichong was admitted as a scholar at the age of seventeen, and he was an upright junior student. He was well-known in his hometown and was highly appreciated by a group of rural gentry. However, since then, he failed to pass the provincial examination four times in a row. No. . I felt that I had no face to see people in my hometown, so I just went out and wandered around.
This person is quite knowledgeable and talented, and he usually thinks very highly of himself. Although he was introduced to Shibang Yaomu by his fellow villagers and teachers and friends, his relationship with other Mumu friends is not harmonious. Zhao Ruyi simply sent him to Guangzhou and went to He Rubin Army to be responsible for liaison between the two parties.
His impassioned expression made everyone have to express their opinion that this should indeed be the case.
Then the staff and generals asked some more questions, and then He Rubin asked the soldiers to take him down and send him to his old camp for guarding.
"Take him down and give him food and wine. Treat him well."
Only then did Gou Chengxuan feel relieved. The feeling of going to court was indeed not pleasant. He quickly kowtowed several times before carefully retreating with the soldiers.
He was arranged in a special tent, where Lai Da was also waiting. After a while, soldiers came over and brought him several sets of replacement clothes, especially scholar's clothes such as kerchiefs and shirts. This made Gou Chengxuan, who sometimes disguised himself as a beggar and sometimes a farmer, feel that there was a good sign. : The Commander-in-Chief seems to be very satisfied with his answer, otherwise he would never treat himself so kindly.
Lai Da also got some new sets of clothes. The master and the servant took a shower and changed clothes, and they felt refreshed for a while. Then the soldiers brought food, and they were full. Gou Chengxuan was lying on the thatched bunk, thinking about how he would retaliate and blackmail him after returning to Lingao with the army. He thought and thought and calculated again and again before falling asleep.
The next day, Chang Qingyun came to see him and talk with him. Because he was a retired scholar and half a well-dressed man, Chang Qingyun was very polite and did not ask him to kneel down to answer, and spoke more casually.
After the two parties exchanged polite greetings, Chang Qingyun asked and clarified the details that he had not had time to ask yesterday. Gou Chengxuan explained everything clearly, and also made a list of the major gentry households in the county. come out. It is noted one by one what each family's business is like and whether they have a village hero or not.
Chang Qingyun was overjoyed when he got this list: with this list, he could follow the map when he arrived in Lingao, and he would be able to roughly know how much contribution each household should give to each big household to supply military supplies. He saw that Gou Chengxuan answered questions fluently in the big tent yesterday and responded appropriately, so he knew that this person was not an ordinary person. The desire to win over arose. Then he smiled and said to Gou Chengxuan: "Please tell me your cousin's cousin."
"I don't dare," Gou Chengxuan saw his happy expression and asked for his cousin's name, knowing that he had already entered Hong Kong. With the recommendation and protection of Lord Commander-in-Chief's confidants, not only would he be able to escape the crime, but as long as he cured his favor well, his future fame and fortune would also be guaranteed. "The villain's cousin name is Zhongwei."
"Master Zhentai values you very much. He said that you are worthy of being a loyal and loyal person of the Ming Dynasty." Chang Qingyun wanted to work hard for the next step, so he made up a few sentences first, "My lord wants to recommend you to a good name -"
At this point, he deliberately paused to see Gou Chengxuan's reaction. Seeing his eyes shining, he knew that he had been tricked, so he continued, "It's just that you are still a wanted criminal, and you have been stripped of your reputation as a scholar... …”
"My little brother was framed by the thief Kun," Gou Chengxuan sighed. He knew that if he had any money at this time, he would quickly offer fifty or one hundred taels and ask his staff to smooth things over. He would definitely be able to take off the label of "key criminal" But now he has so little money that he can't even take out the money, "To be honest with you, I have a lot of property and property in Lingao. As long as the thieves are driven away, I will be rewarded heavily if I take back the property..."
"Hey, Brother Zhongwei is out of touch when he says this." Chang Qingyun said with a smile, "As long as Lord Zhentai goes here and succeeds in the battle, your charges will be washed away and you will get a good deal."
Gou Chengxuan was inexperienced in officialdom after all, and she was already confused by his few words, "Yes, I will definitely do my best."
Chang Qingyun then revealed his intention: He Rubin asked him to go back to Lingao to inquire about the military situation and mobilize the local people to join the army.
"Brother Zhongwei is a native of Lingao. This time he returned to Lingao with the Governor's proclamation to mobilize the courage of the Jinshen village. It is the so-called great opportunity to make contributions in a great opportunity."
Gou Chengxuan was shocked. We just left the Longtan, and now we have to go back to the Tiger's den. This is sending him to death. In Lingao, he is a person who is hated by everyone and disliked by dogs. Even his wife and father-in-law don't want to see him. If he hadn't been so easy to pretend, he would have been caught and hanged by the thieves long ago.
Now Mr. He actually wants him to sneak back to Lingao. He knows very well that the Australians are powerful, and their internal control and external defense are a hundred times better than the imperial court. The local wealthy gentry, no matter how dissatisfied they are with the Kun thieves, do not dare to openly confront them. Moreover, everyone has always been afraid that the Kun thief has the magic ability to transmit messages from thousands of miles away, and even private conversations may be detected.
As long as he makes the slightest move when he returns to Lingao, he will be dead.
He responded tremblingly: "I would like to thank Lord Zhentai for your kindness, but this thief is different from other thieves..."
Chang Qingyun's expression changed: "Brother Zhongwei, this is the military. Do you know that military law is ruthless?"
"Yes, yes," Gou Chengxuan was so frightened that his legs were weak. Not to mention that he was a wanted criminal. Even if he was an innocent and good citizen, he could be executed in an instant if he was accused of being a "thief." . "Please help me soften my cheeks," he immediately knelt on the ground and begged. "The thief hates me to the core. Once he is caught, he will be executed immediately..." He knew that his empty begging was not enough. He quickly added that he knew the ins and outs of several large merchants supported by Kun Ze in Lingao. He only told Chang Qingyun the ins and outs of these large merchants, "thinking it was due to his brother."
Chang Qingyun saw that he couldn't get any profit out of this, so he cursed secretly: "You are a poor country barbarian."
The opportunity for blackmail is gone. But he couldn't really push Gou Chengxuan too hard. After all, He Rubin didn't explicitly ask to send Gou Chengxuan to Lingao. If this person really returns to Lingao and is arrested and killed, the army will lose an important eyes and ears when they enter Lingao. Although Sun Tianbiao from the Lingao Guard Station came from Zhaoqing at night, this person is a military householder after all and understands the people's sentiments. It is limited and far less useful than a groundworm like Gou Chengxuan.
Furthermore, Gou Chengxuan was not a kind person at first glance, and he had no family or property to restrain him here. If he was cornered, he could just leave, or go directly to the bandits to betray the information about the officers and soldiers.
The so-called dispatching of Gou Chengxuan to Lingaodong Township to bravely respond to the officers and soldiers was originally necessary for He Rubin, but there was no consensus. Chang Qingyun was just using this false threat to squeeze out some profit.
Seeing that he really had no luck at all, Chang Qingyun had no choice but to take a step back and prepare to intercede for him in front of He Rubin as a favor.
He pondered for a moment and said: "There seems to be room for change in this matter, it's just Master Zhentai's fate..." He deliberately looked embarrassed so that Gou Chengxuan could accept his kindness.
Gou Chengxuan said quickly: "Brother Qingyun, I have a servant named Lai Da. He has a quick mind and is a native of Lingao, so he can take on this position."
Chang Qingyun saw that he was willing to send someone to replace him, so he was happy to go along with the situation, but he said some embarrassing words, which made Gou Chengxuan beg for a long time before finally agreeing.
After finally seeing off Chang Qingyun, Gou Chengxuan quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had finally learned how powerful this official was. Compared with the county magistrate who pretended to be deaf and dumb, almost everyone was like this. Bones of tiger. Gou Chengxuan felt more and more terrible about the official family.
Immediately, Lai was called over and told what happened one by one. Gou Chengxuan sighed: "I can't help it. I can only force you to go out and hide for a while."
Regardless of whether it is himself or Lai Da, even if he goes to Lingao with the imperial edict, he may not be able to mobilize the local braves to meet the army. The big players will not take action if they see the Kun thief retreating and running away. So his plan was to let Lai Da cross the sea to Qiongshan first, then hide, wait until the army marched towards Lingao, and then follow him.
As soon as the situation becomes clear, some local heroes will probably be dispatched, and by then Lai Da will be able to deal with it if he gets involved.
Unexpectedly, Lai Da disapproved of his plan:
"Ms. sir, you can't hide this from the masters." Lai Dadao said, "The villain is willing to go to Lingao."
"Are you going to Lingao?" Gou Chengxuan said in surprise, "Aren't you going to die in vain? That group of wealthy people originally had a problem with the Gou family, but now they are frightened by the power of the Kun thieves and absolutely dare not join the army." He Now the only two people left under his command are the Lai brothers. If he takes it from any big family that wants to please Kun Thief and gives it to Kun Thief, Lai Da will either lose his life or have to dig rocks.
"That's not necessarily the case." Lai Dadao said, "Except for a few big families who follow the Kun thieves wholeheartedly, most of them are just outsiders. How can they not be afraid if the government troops are coming to suppress them?"
As long as you're afraid, it's easy to do it. Return to Lingao and take out the official notices from the governor and the general. The wealthy people don't dare to respond immediately, but they definitely don't dare to harm themselves.
"... The Kun thief has been in Lingao for three years. Big households always collude with the Kun thief. After the army conquered Lingao, the court appointed officials to deal with the aftermath. The first step was to track down the traitors. If they had government connections, The book will not only not contribute to the crime of rebellion, but will also contribute to the maintenance of the place..."
Gou Chengxuan understood what he meant: There were indeed risks in this matter, but the benefits were huge. He couldn't help but look at himself with admiration at this wretched domestic servant.
"I didn't expect that you are so young, but you have such a big hole in your chest."
"The younger one was also forced." Lai Da's eyes were filled with anger. "Since the fall, the two younger brothers managed to escape with their lives. They have been thinking about revenge day and night..."
Gou Chengxuan knew that Lai Da hated the Kun thieves so much. In addition to losing his former status as a powerful slave, being unable to dominate and being abused by others, another important reason was that the woman he wanted, Chu Qing, was snatched away by the Kun thieves? ?Chu Qing is the maid of Gou Er's family. It turns out that she has already been promised to Lai Da. After the Gou family was destroyed, it was said that it fell into the hands of a thief surnamed Wu who was in charge of the farm. This man had three wives and four concubines, and they took over Chu Qing. Lai Da saw Chu Qing on the road several times, his eyes almost bursting with fire, but he did not dare to step forward and say a word, and even deliberately avoided her. This kind of hatred for seizing his wife is extremely vicious.
Lai Da continued: "...as long as the villains are not captured by the thieves, there is no risk to the big families. By the way, you can also find out some military information."
"I'll leave this matter to you," Gou Chengxuan pretended to be generous, "I don't want any of the gifts from the big family, I will reward you with them all."
"Thank you Xianggong for the generous gift." Lai Da immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "After the officers and soldiers defeated Lingao, and because Xianggong is a local native, how can the government deal with the aftermath without Xianggong? I will go and fight for Xianggong first. If you stand in front of me, then the big businessmen will be round if you want them to be round, or square if you want them to be square."
"Who did you go to first?"
"Huangjiazhai."
Gou Chengxuan was unwilling to give up. He was originally planning to accuse a member of the Huang family of being a "thief" and completely destroy the family.
"Xianggong" Lai Da knew what he was thinking, "There is nothing we can do to stop the Huang family. The fact that one of his third sons was killed by the Kun thief has made the Huang family invincible. The Huang family has strong soldiers and horses, and the Kun thief is fighting again." If there is a blood feud, it is not difficult for them to mobilize their country and bravery to respond."
Gou Chengxuan thought about it and it was indeed true, and couldn't help but feel discouraged. I could only curse a few words like "Huang Laogou Huang Pifu" and the like. Then he sighed and said, "I just hate that dad has never been found, otherwise he and Uncle Hu's team can also help."
"Since the thief didn't get Mr. Hu, he will naturally be safe." Lai Da comforted him, "After I go back, I will look for him secretly."
After the discussion was completed, Chang Qingyun went to the commander-in-chief again to discuss it. He Rubin was not interested in this matter at first, but when he saw someone willing to take the risk, he didn't have to fight for it anyway. Immediately, he gave him the required documents and rewarded him with ten taels of silver. General Lai folded the customs notice given to him into a long strip, wrapped it in oil paper and sewed it tightly with cloth, and then sewed it into his belt. Someone arranged to take a warship across the sea to Qiongshan.
In the war room of Ma Niao's headquarters, the staff were conducting battlefield operations around a huge sand table. He Ming and officers above the battalion were overlooking the entire sand table from a slightly higher stand nearby. This sand table was made based on the electronic map brought from the old time and space, plus the on-site exploration and corrections of the special reconnaissance team and the exploration team. Not only is the proportion accurate, but the expression of details is astonishing... This is a group of proportions Made by model enthusiasts, even a bridge and a village on the sand table...even though they are pitifully small, are also aged.
This sand table shows the topography from Lingao to Qiongshan County. This area is concentrated on this huge sand table.
Where to fight the advancing Ming army, this is the first question to be decided by the staff.
He Ming and most of his officers believed that it was not feasible to defend the enemy within the country, and the Fubo army must crush the Ming army outside Lingao while ensuring that most of the prisoners could be captured.
The first option was to fight near Qiongshan County. The Fubo Army took advantage of the fact that the Ming Army had just assembled and was not yet stable. They maneuvered by boat and on foot and suddenly appeared at the foot of Qiongshan County and defeated the entire He Ming Army. After being defeated, the enemy would inevitably retreat into Qiongshan County, and Fubo's army immediately broke into the city and captured prisoners.
The biggest advantage of this plan is that fewer prisoners escape, which can ensure that most of the broken troops are captured. The disadvantage is that the troops have to carry heavy weapons and supplies and walk hundreds of kilometers to Qiongshan. Although part of it can be transported by ship, the troops still have to carry necessary equipment. After this long march, the soldiers will be very tired.
In the end, if Qiongshan is defeated, some states and counties in the Ming Dynasty will fall, and Qiongshan is a county of Qiongzhou Prefecture. The shock of the fall of the prefecture will be much greater than that of a county seat. Moreover, there was also a deputy envoy patrolling Hainan Road in Qiongshan City. On the day the city was breached, it was not just a seventh-grade county magistrate who committed suicide, but also the prefect of Qiongzhou, the deputy patrolling Hainan Road and other important officials were buried together. This matter will cause a big fuss.
So this plan was quickly rejected.
The second plan is to defeat the Ming army at the foot of Chengmai County, relying on Youhuo Camp, and the marching distance can be shortened. The disadvantage is that some Ming troops will flee to Qiongshan, some will flee into Chengmai, and some will scatter in all directions.
The third option is the mountain pass in the area south of Ma Xiao. Setting up an ambush on the mountains on both sides, with Ma Xiao Xiao Tuan City as the front support point, is expected to capture most of the Ming army on the battlefield. The advantage is that our side is almost waiting for work, and the battlefield facilities are very comprehensive. The disadvantage is that some of the escaped Ming troops may escape into Lingao territory.
After evaluation, everyone believed that facing the enemy in Chengmai was a more ideal choice. The geographical location here is moderate, and the Fubo Army can maneuver within a short distance without consuming too much transportation power. It is also more convenient to evacuate the wounded and prisoners.
When the army comes to attack Lingao, given its mobility and logistics conditions, it must advance through post roads.
Coming out of Qiongshan County, the post road passes through Binlian, Yeli, Beipu, Daotang and then to Chengmai County. The Fubo Army can meet the Zhanguan Army at any point on this post road. u! ~!
