Zhang Xing returned to Jiyin with the prisoners, and without any delay, he just threw Li Qingchen and his two subordinates into prison, and immediately sent people to recruit Xu Shiying, Wei Xuanding, and Niu Da on their own initiative.
These three people, plus Zhang Xing, can be regarded as the four people who really have the decision-making power in the two remaining counties on the Western Front of the Deposed Dragon Gang. The four people gathered together, Zhang Xing immediately reported the information he had obtained, and then put forward his own suggestions.
"So, third brother means to eat Ma Hu first?" Xu Shiying frowned slightly.
"Yes." Zhang Xing nodded seriously. "What do you three think?"
"This coincides with a certain general." Wei Xuanding twisted his beard and smiled.
The chief of the Deposed Dragon Gang is talking about Meng Shanggong. After the latter revolted and gained the land of four counties, he couldn't wait to call himself General Song Yi internally... Song Dynasty was the chaotic period before Bai Diye, which facilitated the establishment of a country around Liang County. The ancient country covers at least half of the Central Plains, and its people's ambitions are self-evident... Mengshan Gong had long ago proposed the idea of concentrating superior forces to capture Ma Hu, but it was only rejected by Zhang Xing, Xu Shiying and others.
Because that suggestion was completely a blind move because the main force of Han Yingong's army was unknown. When Taoist Wei talked about this at this time, he was just laughing.
"If you really follow his wishes, you can accomplish something by accident." Zhang Xing didn't care about this at all. "Luck is also part of fighting... If the situation is really desperate, we have to do something similar."
"Having said that, I still object." Taoist Wei thought for a while, returned to the topic, and gave a slightly unexpected answer.
"How?" Zhang Xing asked in surprise.
"I thought Ma Hu was a bait before, thinking about how scary Han Yingong was behind him, but since Han Yingong multitasked and didn't pay attention to us at all, then Ma Hu's mere four or five thousand soldiers are nothing to us. What?" Wei Xuanding analyzed with a smile. "If he comes to us, we will resist at all levels; if he goes to fight Meng Shanggong, let the general give it a try; and if he is going to besiege Xiayi, just sit back and watch him waste away... The only thing The worry is that the white-skinned dumplings of the internal servant army will collapse at the first touch, or simply fall."
Zhang Xing was silent.
"That's what I mean too." Xu Shiying hesitated and gave his choice. "Chief Wei is absolutely right. The key is not Ma Hu, but Han Yingong. Since we know that Han Yingong's thoughts are not with us, why bother to provoke him? It shouldn't be a big problem to concentrate our troops to kill him, but there will definitely be losses. When the time comes, we will Having angered Han Yingong, he stopped entangled in the court dispute and directly led his troops south, so what do we do?"
At this point, Xu Shiying paused for a moment and continued to speak seriously: "Of course, it all depends on the third brother's intention. It's just a superficial opinion."
Zhang Xing nodded, noncommittal.
Niu Da waited for Xu Shiying to finish speaking, and finally spoke: "To be honest with Third Brother, I think it's okay to eat it, but one thing is that we actually don't have enough troops. It's two counties, but the main force is The horses have all been transferred to the Eastern Expedition... What remains here are only five to seven hundred in each county to maintain security and patrol daily. Then Chief Xu leads five thousand soldiers, Third Brother's here has three thousand soldiers, and I have three thousand soldiers. ...Even now, as many soldiers and horses as possible from various counties have been dispatched to Jiyin, there are only three thousand more soldiers, so our total..."
"A total of fourteen thousand..." Taoist Wei blurted out.
"Where are there so many?" Xu Shiying said with an embarrassed smile. "Chanyuan must be guarded, and Baima is also a key point. Jiyin needs to leave some backup... I estimate that even with all our strength, we can only move ten thousand people."
"That's what I mean." Niu Da glanced at Xu Shiying, and then continued to speak earnestly to Zhang Xing. "Third brother, can ten thousand recruits really defeat four to five thousand Dongdu knights and Guanxi garrison? We must use Meng Shanggong's people, people from the inner army, and Dangshan to help, right? But these people can't Is it really reliable? The internal servants said that they were knowledgeable and just wanted to use the relationship with Bei Ya to pull them, but if they really gave them the right words, they would probably surrender; people like Meng Shanggong were even more afraid of them. Power is not afraid of virtue; that is, Dangshan can count on something, but its combat effectiveness is not enough..."
"I understand what you mean." Zhang Xing suddenly interrupted the other party with an expressionless face. "Not to mention that if you lose, even if you win, you have to consider the losses... If you lose too much, it will be more difficult to cope with the subsequent pressure, and it will also attract inappropriate thoughts from the Meng brothers and the internal servants; even if you lose less, , it may also be regarded as a lack of effort, which will also lead to inappropriate thoughts; the only good result is that we put in a lot of effort, but the losses are minimal, and the fight is extremely beautiful, then it will be appropriate... Is this what you mean?"
"Yes!" Niuda gritted his teeth and responded.
"But that made Han Yingong even more angry and concerned..." Chief Wei added in time. "Instead of doing this, it is better to wait and see what happens, or summon Yuncheng's army to be safer."
"Yuncheng can't move." Zhang Xing responded simply. "It's not that I'm afraid that they will steal the merits, but Yuncheng is too important... Now it seems that these imperial officers and soldiers have their own agendas. Unless their roots are touched, few are willing to fight with all their strength. Instead, Qi County Zhang Xuguo is a great hero, the one who fights the most without caring about his own life, and is also the most troublesome to us. But with Yuncheng in hand, Zhang Xuguo can't move his army alone, so he can't touch our foundation."
The others naturally nodded, but their eyes were fixed on Zhang Xing.
Obviously, the big leader wanted to fight, otherwise he would not have called everyone over for discussion. However, as the other three people finished expressing their positions and clearly explained their interests, he has not nodded until now. He can't tell what he is thinking. with ideas.
"As for Ma Hu, I have some ideas." Zhang Xing sighed. "You think it is better to be still than to move, and it is reasonable to be late rather than early. However... if Han Yingong reaches an agreement with Dongdu, and Zhang Xuguo and Han Yingong merge directly, what will we do?"
"Of course we retreat to the river." Taoist Wei laughed dryly and then became serious. "So, Zhang Longtou still wants to fight?"
"Of course." Zhang Xing answered seriously. "My reason is that we should delay as long as possible when the rebellion first started. Now that we have reached this point, we cannot expect to avoid war. Instead, we should seize the opportunity to win every battle and defeat it. A little bit at a time, so that we can be less squeezed and have more vitality in the future..."
"There is some truth..." Taoist Wei nodded and wanted to say more. "But, since you..."
"But I respect your wishes..." Zhang Xing interrupted the other party directly. "There are four of you. Although I am the leader, you three are determined not to fight. I have nothing to say."
As he said that, he actually fell down on the chair behind him. It seemed that he was tired from the previous trip and it was only now revealed.
Seeing that the opportunity was not good, Xu Shiying quickly stood up and said: "That's absolutely not the case. Third brother's knowledge and decision-making are better than ours. If third brother really feels that a fight is necessary, then fight... I came to Jiyin before and said specifically, When the imperial army is pressing down on the territory, we must be firm and unyielding, and we must not let anyone go out."
Niuda also opened his mouth to speak.
"That's the problem." Zhang Xing only waved his hand to stop him. "I am just inclined and do not have absolute reasons or firm confidence to fight this battle... Otherwise, I would have summoned the leaders to ask questions together. With my prestige in the past six months, I would ask in front of everyone, how many of you What does it mean? I asked you three to come, and you three know what I mean, so how can you not listen?"
The three of them were silent together.
"Let's all go back. We all have things to do." Zhang Xing didn't say much. He just stood up and waved his hands to chase them away. Then he turned back to the room and left the other three people hanging in the backyard of the county mansion.
Of course, needless to say, it was clear from his expression and body movements that the big leader was very dissatisfied with the outcome of this impromptu high-level meeting.
The three people had no choice but to watch each other for a while. They could only come out together and walked through the backyard and front hall where Jia Yue and Yan Qing were responsible for Wen Yiwu. They came to the street outside, got on their horses, and walked hundreds of steps. , then they stopped at a T-intersection, and then faced each other, feeling a little unhappy and worried.
"I think Zhang Longtou was doing reconnaissance this time. On the one hand, of course he noticed that Han Yingong was distracted and knew that we are not in danger for the time being; on the other hand, he probably also saw the power of the Dongdu warriors and the Kansai garrison... So , I can't help but feel a little depressed." Wei Xuanding was the first to analyze.
"That's all I can think of." Niuda sighed. "Besides, it's true. When Dongdu was recruiting warriors, I almost got in, but it was just a step too late. That's why I met Zhang Sange... The Shangwu Army Recruitment Army formed two years ago was basically a gathering. The elite of the world; there is no need to say more about the Guanxi garrison; as for Han Yingong... he is Han Bolong's biological brother. No matter what, he is much better than us wild boys in fighting."
"Who says it's not?" Wei Xuanding nodded, surprisingly he didn't say anything, but just came to see Xu Shiying again. "What do you think, Chief Xu?"
"I'm a little worried..." Xu Shiying, who was in a daze, came back to his senses and said thoughtfully. "Tell me, you two, is it possible that Zhang Longtou doesn't think that the Wei army is too strong, but that we are too weak? Or maybe he thinks that we people have no integrity and dignity, and are not opponents of the government and the army at all?"
Taoist Wei and Niu Da were both startled.
After a while, Niu Da was still speechless: "Isn't this the same as thinking that the army is too strong? Anyway, he is worried that he will not be able to defeat him, so he wants to grab a bite as much as possible... Besides, when our rebellion went smoothly last year, wasn't it just Zhang San? Brother reminds me all day long that the army is actually very strong, so let’s not be self-righteous, right?”
"Also..." Xu Shiying laughed dryly and said no more.
And Taoist Wei wanted to say something, but he rarely kept his mouth shut.
In this way, the three of them separated at the crossroads. Taoist Wei went to the southeast to deal with the defense there... When the southern part of Jiyin was raided that day, two county magistrates escaped. Chief Wei took advantage of the situation and took over the general affairs of a county. This was also his special They care about Jiyin's defense... But Xu Shiying and Niu Da just left the city to cross the river together, and then headed straight to the north and northwest to return to their respective defense locations.
Speechless that day.
But in just one day, or just one night, the situation changed significantly - Jiyin received a new intelligence notice, and Ma Hu actually divided his troops to besiege Xiayi.
The five thousand soldiers were divided into two, two thousand stayed in Dang County, and three thousand went to Xiayi. Whether they were fierce or arrogant, that was the taste anyway.
This incident was of course beyond the expectations of many people, and it was an absolute fighter.
Others did not mention it. When Wei, Xu and Niu saw such a situation and thought of the unhappy ending of yesterday's meeting, they unanimously sent a letter to Zhang Xing, suggesting that they wait for Meng Shanggong to speak and take advantage of the situation. Join forces together and swallow Ma Hu.
Zhang Xing had nothing to say, the situation had indeed changed.
However, Meng Shanggong, who has always been the main fighter, did not propose to the Deposed Dragon Gang to fight together this time. Instead, he maintained a strange silence. Whether it was Zhang Xing or several leaders of the Deposed Dragon Gang who were ready to take the opportunity to change their stance. Anyway, everyone was very surprised... And just when these people were confused, just one day later, on the third day of mid-April, the news came that Meng Shanggong directly sent troops.
They sent out separate troops, 12,000 people, rushed out from four counties, and then went straight to Dang County.
When the news came, the first reaction of Xu Shiying and others was that they were stunned, and the second reaction was that they were angry to death... Meng Shanggong's attitude was too arbitrary. Basically, no one believed it, and he wanted to do it himself.
But when Qi returned, it was impossible to let it go. Xu Shiying reacted the fastest. He immediately raised three thousand troops and took the initiative to move towards Jiyin. After only a day and a half, he quickly marched to Jishui, opposite Jiyin City. North Shore.
After hearing the news, Niu Da also immediately returned from Chanyuan across the river and prepared two thousand troops in Puyang. Even after hearing that Xu Shiying sent troops quickly, he took the initiative to let Guan Xu lead a small number of Puyang troops first.
In this way, coupled with the four to five thousand soldiers that Jiyin itself gathered rhythmically, it seems that the small 10,000 soldiers and horses have been gathered together.
However, by this time, basically everyone realized that no one was the supreme strategist descending to earth, and no one could control anyone in the overall situation.
Or to borrow Zhang Longtou's words, the development of the situation will never be carried out according to the will of one person.
On April 16th, Xu Shiying's entire army crossed the river and met up with Zhang Xing and Wei Xuanding's Jiyin tribe on the south bank of Jishui. Then they began to organize the army while waiting for Niuda... As a result, Niuda did not wait, but another one News that catches people off guard.
Monsang wins.
More than 12,000 people attacked in different directions, and by virtue of their familiarity with the geography, they headed straight for Dang County. The route was smooth. After the vanguard arrived at the city, someone set fire to the city during the day. The guard in the city was worried and took advantage of At the foot of the city, the Meng's rebel army had not yet fully assembled, so they directly ordered the troops to put on armor and carry out troops, abandoned the city and headed west to Xiayi.
It is said that the forward Meng Zhigui had the style of a general. He was not in a hurry to enter the city. Instead, he followed and pursued, killing dozens of soldiers, and calmly allowed the follow-up troops to take Dang County.
The situation was changing day by day, and no one knew what to say.
Especially at this time, the troops have gathered, and many core gang members have also gathered... Whether it is the civil and military leaders at the beginning of the uprising, such as Zhang Jinshu, Chai Xiaohe, Guo Jingke, the Lu brothers, etc., or Zhou Weishi, Guan Xu and other descendants who participated as deputy helmsmen, or were cutting-edge military officers and local officials who were selected to become deacons later in the year, were picked up by the Deposed Dragon Gang for only one month because of their cultivation and ability. The so-called "Dharma protectors" who were mainly locals, and even Ma Ping'er and Wang Xiongdan who were stationed there were all with the army... together they would probably cost over a hundred.
Under this situation, many people did not dare to speak, and it was difficult to hold a meeting. They just gathered around Zhang Xing, Xu Shiying and Wei Xuanding.
"Then we withdraw?"
Wei Xuanding was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. He had a certain level of understanding of the situation and the so-called conspiracy. He had a little talent in the so-called great wisdom, whether it was written or written government orders, but military issues and specific details It's just a little bit worse.
"How is it possible to withdraw again?!" Xu Shiying was equally anxious, but she blurted out and refuted it in front of everyone in the military camp outside the city, even scolding him. "What if the front leg withdraws and the back leg Meng brothers are defeated again? Even if the victory is still the Meng brothers, they succeed in one blow, swallow the mahu, and have the army at hand, but what if they turn around and beat us?"
Wei Xuanding was speechless immediately, but he was angry at Xu Shiying's tone and stamped his feet without saying a word.
Seeing this scene, many newcomers were stunned, and some even shook their heads secretly... After all, these people were not discovered by the Deposed Dragon Gang until after the Chinese New Year, partly because they did not make the trip and were suppressed by the qualifications of Juyi. The other part is naturally resistant to rebellion and belongs to the selected ones... And they all look at these high-ranking people in the gang with some strange eyes.
"Since the troops have been assembled, it is not easy to disband directly." Zhang Xing, who was relatively silent during this meeting, also said patiently. "Otherwise, the morale of the military will be in chaos."
"What should we do?" Taoist Wei remembered his previous promise to Zhang Xing, gritted his teeth and maintained a respectful attitude. "That's the order from the big dragon head."
Xu Shiying also realized that she had lost her composure, and immediately handed over to Taoist Wei, and then looked at Zhang Xing seriously.
When the peripheral core gang members saw this, they all stared at the famous Zhang Dalongtou.
Zhang Xing knew that he had to make a decision at this time, but he was silent for a long time, and then he calmed down and gave the serious order: "You cannot retreat, but you must press forward immediately to facilitate support or defense when things change... Niu Da Don’t wait any longer and let him follow up.”
Everyone was speechless, and then with a bang, they set off south that day.
On the afternoon of April 17, six or seven thousand troops marched to Zhouqiao. At this time, the front reported that Chuqiu, Mengshangong's lair on the opposite side, was safe and sound, and there was no abnormality. However, the Meng family guard left behind in Chuqiu asked for The Deposed Dragon Army detoured to the east and transferred to Shanfu County in Jiyin, which directly bordered Dang County, for support.
Don't be too obvious about your defensiveness.
At this time, the leaders, protectors, helmsmen, and deacons accompanying the march gradually became familiar with the march, and finally dared to speak. There was a lot of discussion for a while:
Some people suggest that the overall situation is the most important thing, there is no need to worry about this kind of people, just go around quietly;
Some people say that the wind must not rise, and suggest that Zhang Dalongtou take advantage of the emptiness of Chuqiu and take it directly;
Others suggested setting up camp here at Zhouqiao, waiting for news from the front, and Niuda leading his troops from behind to follow up, so as to be prepared for movement with silence and strike later.
In the end, it was Zhang Xing who made the decision. There was no need to take a detour, no need to pay attention to the warnings ahead, and no need to attack other people's nests. He just took the fastest and best road and continued marching south... At the same time, he repeatedly told Meng the purpose of the trip. The rebels made it clear that the Deposed Dragon Gang was here as reinforcements, not as enemies.
After the temporary meeting ended, the deposed dragon army, about 7,000 strong, crossed the border without hesitation from Zhouqiao Town, which was a crowded town last month, and entered Chuqiu County, Liang County.
That night, we camped about ten miles away from Chuqiu County.
On April 18, the troops still did not wait for Niuda's subordinates who were only half a day away, but continued southward at Zhang Xing's insistence.
On April 19, the deposed dragon army crossed the Bianshui River and entered Yucheng County. At this time, they had been marching for four consecutive days and had just crossed a not-so-narrow river. Before they could gather on the south bank, they saw countless The Meng rebel army of the Qing Dynasty... was defeated.
This is completely different from the previous intelligence, but it seems to be excusable, because Meng Shanggong has stopped providing military information since the Deposed Dragon Army entered the country, and the Sentinel Cavalry of the Deposed Dragon Gang has also been in the territory of the Meng's Rebel Army. He relaxed his vigilance due to He's needs... In fact, this was the original hinterland of the Meng's Rebel Army. For various reasons, the deposed dragon army was almost completely stunned and completely caught off guard. The troops didn't have time to put on their armor, and a lot of ordnance and flags were still thrown on the shore. The hundreds of wheelbarrows and carts that accompanied the army didn't have time to load and unload. In addition, many of the army members were new recruits and mixed with some civilians. But it caused panic to spread from the defeated troops of Meng's rebel army to the entire army in an instant.
Under the already setting sun, Zhang Xing got on his horse and stood on the embankment, looking around. He could almost see his own crowd instinctively retreating towards the pontoon.
If we retreat, I am afraid that most of them will be drowned in the Bianshui River, and the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang will also become a joke... Even if there are ups and downs in the future, Cao Mengde will inevitably be there. Recruiting took away most of the plot.
"Xu Shiying!"
Zhang Xing set up a pergola and took a look, and immediately sighed. When he reined in his horse and turned around, he had already steeled himself and scolded him sternly. "You come to organize the army! All military leaders obey his orders! The deputy helmsmen accompanying each county assist in organizing the army! Hurry up and put on your armor, weapons, and flags! Put up your flag first."
Xu Shiying, who was also a little distracted, immediately responded. More importantly, those leaders and helmsmen who were everywhere like headless flies, as well as the team generals and first-level officers who automatically received the status of deacons after the year seemed to have found the root, and immediately began to summon their respective Subordinates may gather here under Xu Shiying's banner.
"Wei Xuanding!"
Seeing Xu Shiying's flag raised, Zhang Xing turned around on his horse and gave the order again. "Let Guan Xu follow you and lead his hundreds of Puyang soldiers along the river embankment to maintain military discipline... The troops who broke out and collided with the troops will be killed, and the soldiers and horses running around will also be killed. The most important thing is that no one is allowed to do so without authorization. Cross the floating bridge!”
Taoist Wei, who seemed to be relatively calm all the time, also responded. However, when he tried to mount the horse, he failed several times in a row. It was Jia Yue who ran over under the eyes of Zhang Xing and carried the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang. Butt on horse.
After Taoist Wei and Guan Xu left, Zhang Xing continued to turn his horse to look. At this time, Jia Yue had already gathered with two hundred personal guards, waiting for orders. However, after he glanced over, he stared at the original Just follow your core group of followers:
"Everyone else who has joined the Deposed Dragon Gang, regardless of their cultivation or position, come with me! Xu Shiying, give us your horses together! Jia Yue, take my 'Deposed' Big banner! Take the people and follow me forward!"
With that said, he immediately got off the river embankment, picked up his horse and headed south towards the direction of the already swarming defeated troops.
"Zhang Longtou, why don't you put on your armor first?"
In the chaos, someone tried to remind me.
Zhang Xing looked back, but he didn't see who it was, and he couldn't explain it in public, so he just shook his head: "It doesn't matter, I will go to battle in white today!"
PS: Thank you to the new alliance leader, Mr. Zongyuan Thousand Miles, for reaching 120 alliances! What auspiciousness!
