The Eastern Front troops of the Deposed Dragon Gang withdrew to Lihu.
Facts have proved that as long as some grassroots backbones are persuaded and some core troops are driven to turn, the entire semi-out of control army will also turn.
As for pulling the team to Lihu, what matters is no longer one mouth of one person, but tens of thousands of mouths - nothing compares to a bowl of hot soup or a piece of hot cake after a long journey in the rainy season. Can soothe people's hearts.
And it would be even better if there was a dry tent and a shared fire source under the greenhouse.
But it is a pity that Zhang Xing and his left-behind organization on the Western Front of the Deposed Dragon Gang do not have the ability to continue to provide everyone with hot water for soaking their feet. In other words, if he could reach that level, Zhang Laosan, Wei's confidant and traitor, would not be forced into a desperate situation.
He dared to take the initiative and led 20,000 troops to attack Xuzhou.
Of course, these soldiers were not the only ones whose mental state had reversed. The exhausted leaders also reversed somewhat, but it was not enough, because Zhang Xing was obviously determined to fight, and the reason why they were in such a mess was because they were in the gate of Dongjun. When they entered the city, they suddenly heard the news that the imperial army had been dispatched, so they continued to retreat.
In other words, this battle is coming soon.
In this case, just like Wei Xuanding said before, everyone must be convinced, and as soon as possible.
"In terms of military strength, we now have 40,000 troops...and there may be 5,000 reinforcements. I have sent people to Mangdang Mountain to ask Wang Zhen to go north immediately." In a larger tent, there is a table next to the stove. On the top, Zhang Xing stood aside, talking to the map, but it was a relatively sincere talk, and beside him, there were so many people standing beside him that the tent was filled with the leaders of the Deposed Dragon Gang and other gang members. The central figure among the crowd. "And what about the enemy army? How many are there? You must know better than me."
"There are thirty thousand people in Zhang Xuguolong."
The attitude of the big leader Shan Tonghai is very interesting. In theory, he is the one who is most resistant to Zhang Xing in terms of political stance among the big leaders, but this does not mean that he is the one who wants to fight this battle the most. "But at the beginning, he could only send out 20,000 troops to Yuncheng, and the number of soldiers and horses that came to chase me was even smaller. Counting him to be the strongest, 20,000 people would come."
"That's 40,000 or 45,000 versus 20,000." Zhang Xing stretched out four fingers and gestured to the people around him. "The advantage is mine."
This is a huge truth, no one can refute it.
"As for morale, by the time we engage in battle, we must have been well rested and may even have a solid position, but they have come from afar, exhausted by the rain and mud, just like half of our soldiers now... So The advantage still lies with me." Zhang Xing continued to speak categorically. "There is also a battlefield. We are fighting locally. Our generals and soldiers must be more aware of the geographical environment of the battlefield. They must be ignorant...I mean, it is already too late. Just use Xu Shiying's plan. Fundamentally, it’s probably OK to make some repairs. Later, Xu Shiying will work with several local leaders such as Shan Tonghai, Xia Hou Ningyuan, and Liang Jiading to verify that it’s about right. We don’t expect it to be perfect.”
Xu Shiying responded immediately, and Shan Tonghai also gritted his teeth and nodded along with his two generals.
The latter really wants to fight.
"I won't talk about other logistical preparations." At this point, Zhang Xing stretched out his fingers. "We still have the upper hand... If they can come all the way and still outsmart us in terms of logistics, then we will be fine if they lose... So, in this battle, if we add the White Lady of the Heavenly Sword to this, we will obviously be better than the masters. , we actually have five wins and they have five defeats, there is no reason not to play.”
The tent was quiet for a while, but the breathing was generally heavy, coupled with the unique sour smell of sweat and rain, the aroma of hot oil soup and pancakes, and the constant chatter between Bai Yousi inside the door and at the table. Zhang Xing's eyes changed, and the atmosphere was actually a bit weird, with a little uneasiness and restlessness in the weirdness.
To put it bluntly, everyone, whether they are the leaders who retreated from the Eastern Front or the leaders who stayed behind on the Western Front, are still a little timid in general. Some people are scared of being beaten, and some people have no military experience, but in the end they are Somewhat timid. These people, faced with Zhang Xing's five wins and five losses, instinctively felt that something was wrong, but they could not refute it no matter how much they thought.
There are also some people who have indeed thought of some key flaws, but do not dare to refute easily.
But if you don't refute, there will be a war. A big battle between 40,000 people and 20,000 or 30,000 people will lead to rivers of blood.
"But Zhang Longtou." A middle-aged man with a cape outside his armor, who seemed to be one of the previous white knights, the so-called protector who joined later, was trembling inside the door far away from the center of the tent. Ask carefully. "I just want to ask one thing, what if Han Yingong comes to help? Han Yingong is now in Dang County and Xiayi. If the leader of Mangdang Mountain can come, he can come... When he comes, the battle strength is reversed, and he wins several times. Is it still useful to lose a few times?”
There was a sudden sigh of relief in the stuffy tent, and then there was a buzz.
Zhang Xing took his time and waited until the voice calmed down before looking at the person. However, he was full of words, but at this time he was a little stuck because he didn't know what to call the other person.
"Is it Protector Shen?" At this moment, Wei Xuanding, the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang who had been silent today, suddenly twirled his beard and laughed. "I remember that you were in Bianshui that day. You were very brave. Zhang Longtou also told me that you are a great hero and must be promoted! It's just that we were in such a hurry this time. We encountered this incident as soon as we came back. Many things happened. It’s too late!”
With that said, Wei Xuandingfu looked at Zhang Xing again amid the surprised eyes of others: "Longtou, this is the Protector Shen of Shen Qing you asked about last time when you pointed at the battle merit form. He is a Chengwu man, and his family is quite wealthy and has a large population. "
Zhang Xing was enlightened and immediately wanted to speak.
Of course, when the middle-aged man came back to his senses, he probably didn't expect Wei Xuanzhi to know about him, so he quickly bowed his head: "Chief Wei, Zhang Longtou, I'm not afraid of death, but..."
"I know." Zhang Xing answered immediately. "If Han Yingong really comes, it will be difficult for the family to take care of him. This is human nature..."
"What's human nature? Isn't it caring about family wealth and wife's young children, being greedy for life and fearing death? What kind of hero is this?" Before Zhang Xing could finish speaking, someone in the crowd suddenly couldn't bear it anymore and laughed loudly, which attracted echoes.
Of course, it also caused Wei Xuanding and several big leaders who understood the situation to glare at him, but they had no good way to refute.
This is the confrontation between those who come from a rough Jianghu background and those who come from a good family. When the Dragon Slayer Gang was first founded, it had a strong Jianghu color, and it has continued to influence it to this day. This is also an important reason why Liangjiazi was unwilling to get involved at the beginning. one of the reasons.
"I'm also afraid of death!" Zhang Xing was startled for a moment, then immediately raised his voice to interrupt the laughter. "Moreover, Protector Shen asked a very good question... We must make it clear. If Han Yingong comes, what will we do? Not to mention human nature, it must be made clear from a military perspective."
Hearing this, Protector Shen didn't have time to look back angrily, so he bowed his hands again and saluted, and everyone around him became quiet.
And Zhang Xing gave the answer without hesitation: "Let me make it clear... Han Yingong is coming, and the whole army is coming. Come in person, come before we start the war, and join Zhang Xuguo." , then we have only one retreat, which is not to fight this battle, and disperse quickly... Those who are willing to leave follow us to Hebei and escape from Puyang; those who are unwilling to leave, throw down their cloaks, hide their armor, and carry a knife to protect them. To save my family from ending up in the same situation as the people of Dang County."
These words were extremely impactful and covered a huge area. People on the Eastern Front were shocked and panicked, and people on the Western Front were panicked and shocked... But a considerable number of people quickly returned to normal. After all, , they were still in retreat in the afternoon, and they were planning to do this after arriving in Puyang.
"Zhang Longtou, why are you doing this?" Someone still asked anxiously. It was Zhai Kuan, one of the Zhai brothers who was based on the east side of Dongjun. Beside him, Zhai Qian and Huang Junhan also had similar expressions.
"If the two families come together, we really can't win, because although there is Jishui, it is not a natural barrier. Then we will be attacked from both sides... Of course, the most important thing is that we know from our previous combat experience that we Our soldiers are indeed inferior to those of the imperial court. If we don't gain enough advantages in the field, we can't fight. In fact, it's hard to say that Zhang Xuguo's 20,000 or 30,000 people can go head-to-head." Li Shu also suddenly spoke. "So what Zhang Longtou said is right, and I think so too."
The expressions of many leaders changed slightly, but most of them became increasingly restless.
"If we can't fight in the field, what do we say if we go back to defend the city?" Someone came to ask again, it was Shang Huaizhi, the former captain of Jiyin County. "Go and guard Jiyin City."
"That's a dead end." Xu Shiying suddenly spoke, taking a stand before Wang Shuyong, another powerful leader, and Niu Da, the leader of the powerful faction. "They ignored them, swept them in all directions, and finally gathered a large army to surround them. What should we do? However, this is why we must fight this battle together... If we have to fight hard, let's take advantage of our strongest strength. At that time, before they could react, they broke one of them, and the situation opened up... Third brother, is that what you meant?"
"Yes." Zhang Xing smiled slightly at Xu Dalang, showing some big white teeth.
Xu Shiying's name and strength speak for themselves. As soon as he opened his mouth, many people around him took a deep breath again amid the smell of sweat. Xiong Bonan, who was most anxious before, also clenched his fists at this time.
After Zhang Xing finished laughing, he glanced at the many people in the tent and looked at the protector:
"Old Shen, let me answer you next. If Han Yingong comes, but he comes too late, we will ignore it and only defeat the enemy in front of him, and then look back. If there are fewer troops and horses coming, for example, he will probably only send forward troops. When the army comes, we grit our teeth and divide our troops to rely on the city or Jishui to block it. After winning the battle here, we can go back. The reason why I must fight now is because it is raining at this time, the road is muddy, and They split up and were unaware of our combined forces, and were caught off guard by the large-scale battle itself, do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand." Protector Shen bowed his head again and again.
Zhang Xing also looked at the people around him: "Do you also understand? This battle not only has five wins and five losses, but there are also reasons for fighting."
The people around did not hesitate at this time. Wang Wulang and Niu Da, who had not had time to express their opinions before, were the first to respond, which attracted Ding Shengying, Zhang Shanxiang, Guan Xu and others to agree. Yan Qing, Zhang Jinshu and others took the opportunity to show off. Even Jia Yue also Hold the knife behind you to look around.
When things got to this point, they had probably unified their thoughts on combat. Zhang Xing looked around and saw a person. He remembered something and quickly gave another order: "Leader Cheng!"
"My subordinate is here!" Cheng Zhili, who was among the crowd, was excited and quickly handed over his hand. "Master Zhang ordered."
"Have you condensed the elixir?" Zhang Xing's words were sharp.
Under the attention of everyone, Cheng Dalang wanted to fool him, but he didn't dare. He just bowed his head and said: "I just condensed the pill, but I was hit by an arrow. It's really unstable."
"Whether you are safe or not, we will disperse later. Go back immediately to Putai and do your best to bring the Putai army from the river!" Zhang Xing ordered.
"Reporting to Mr. Zhang, it's not that I don't want to go." Cheng Zhili thought for a moment. "I can still protect the two leaders and the chief here. If I go to the podium, I will most likely be too late. Is it really useful?"
"Useful." Zhang Xing nodded immediately. "If we lose, you can just come and accompany us to Pu Tai; if we win, you can just go and cut off the Qilu army's retreat, and try to capture and kill as many people as possible; if we haven't fought yet, or Han Yingong comes, you can come Help out... This battle is a battle where all the help is needed, and we must try our best to do whatever we can."
"Got it!" Cheng Zhili gritted his teeth and responded.
"This time, don't take matters into your own hands." Zhang Xing paused, but decided not to save face for the other party. "This is not directed at you, and the same goes for others. You must realize that this is a total war, a battle involving life and death. You must abide by military discipline and military orders without any delay... I am not loyal enough to say, if it is really because of something After the defeat, after the war, Duke Li, Duke Wei, and King Xiongtian and I did nothing and went to take care of the gangsters in the gang first!"
The tent became completely awe-inspiring.
"If anyone has any other questions, or normal suggestions, please tell me quickly, we can't delay... we can't even delay it for a quarter of an hour." Zhang Xing's mouth was already dry.
"I have a question."
At this moment, Li Shu, who had been extremely quiet since the beginning of the village, but became extremely cooperative after entering this tent, spoke for the second time. "It's a purely military issue..."
"Mr. Li, please speak." Of course Zhang Xing did not dare to neglect, but he became vigilant and stared at the other party.
The reason couldn't be simpler. From the beginning to the end, he never mentioned Qu Tuda and his 10,000 Dongdu elite in the north to the people here. He thought that Li Shu, Niu Da, and Xu Shiying all had a tacit understanding with him.
But if Li Shu wants to undermine him, bringing this news out at this time may shake the morale of the army.
"Now the situation is very clear. This battle should be fought, and must be fought, but it must be fought quickly and urgently, so that Zhang Xuguo's Qilu army is caught off guard. Therefore, it is necessary to wait for work in Lihu." Li Shu didn't seem to understand Zhang Xing's eyes, he just looked around and said it seriously. "Do you think everyone is right or not?"
As soon as this statement came out, Zu Chenyan, Fang Yanlang, Du Caiqian and other confidants echoed... How could the dignified Li Dalongtou be verbally embarrassed? Young bastards like Zhang Laosan are admired by Taoist Wei who has settled down.
"But there are loopholes in this plan." Li Shu continued to look at the crowd. "It's not Han Yingong. No one understands Han Yingong's kind of Guanlong military head better than me... I can guess what they are thinking when I close my eyes... Zhang Longtou's design seems dangerous, but it is actually very right. I just said Han Yingong is coming. It is true that I can only run away, but there is another truth I haven’t told, that is, if nothing happens, Han Yingong will probably not move. Even if he senses some rumors, at most he will send a small number of people over, and a small number of people will come. It also moves slowly. In other words, the southern front seems empty and there seems to be no room, but there is not much danger. The real danger lies with Zhang Xuguo's subordinates."
At this point, Li Shu suddenly turned around to look at Zhang Xing and several big leaders with different expressions around the table: "Zhang Longtou, everyone, have you ever thought about it... What if the pursuers arrive in Dongjun? What if we stop pursuing them?" What to do? What if they know we are in Lihu but go directly to Puyang or stay in Zhencheng?"
The people around him were obviously confused.
Zhang Xing was also one of them: "What do you mean? They are chasing troops, why don't they chase them? Are they worried that Zhang Changgong will find out when our army regains strength? We have Yitian Sword and Purple Faced King, and it is not the turn of that pretty boy to come and go freely. .”
"I know." Li Shu smiled bitterly: "Zhang Longtou, you actually planned it very well. It is already the best solution to this situation... However, I think you did not underestimate the officers and soldiers, but They’re so overrated.”
Zhang Xing's heart moved slightly, but he laughed and said something incomprehensible: "I neither overestimate nor underestimate anyone, because I know that neither the upper limit nor the lower limit of a person can be measured by himself, Hero Bear It’s just a thought, only here and now and then that.”
Li Shu was startled for a moment and nodded slowly: "That's right. What I mean is that the Qilu officers and soldiers may be very tired, and I have noticed from the previous battle that Zhang Xuguo, Zhang Changgong, Yu Baimei and other outsiders are not close to Fan Hu. , Fan Bao, Jia Wugen and other locals are not of the same mind at all... Therefore, it is very likely that they will stop in Zhencheng, take a breath, and wait for a military order to attack us again... If so, we will be self-defeating and waste our efforts. ”
"Indeed." Zhang Xing nodded heavily, and then sighed. "then what should we do?"
"Someone has to be the bait to lure them here." Li Shu responded seriously, as if he had already had an idea. "This bait must be a real defeat, not a fake defeat, and it must be worth the risk of them chasing after it in the rain... It must make the people of Qijun and Zhang Xuguo and the Kansai people who are loyal to the imperial court unable to part with this bait."
The surroundings became inexplicably quiet. Even Bai Yousi, who had been restrained and not involved, looked back from the tent door holding a long sword... Obviously, Bai Yousi had understood what this uncle meant.
Zhang Xing seemed to be the same. He smiled and asked seriously: "What Mr. Li said, does he want a big dragon head to be used as bait?"
The Deposed Dragon Gang is a mixed bag, and can even be called a mob. There are indeed many brainless people in it, or the situation is too small. After hearing these words, everyone thought that Li Dalongtou wanted to force Zhang Dalongtou to pass, but Zhang Dalongtou made it clear on the spot that he was having trouble. It’s over.
Will there be a fight in the next moment? What else to fight?
But the next moment, it quickly became clear enough to hear a pin drop in the tent.
"Not bad." Li Shu turned around, with his back to Zhang Xing, facing all the backbone of the Deposed Dragon Gang, pointing his finger at himself, and spoke clearly. "Who else is better than me, Li Shu! You should know that I have sent people to harass Qi County several times. Below Zhang Xuguo, all the officers and soldiers of Qi County hate me to the core! Everyone, is there anyone who is willing to work with me, a long-standing blacklisted thief? Go back to Zhen City to lure the enemy deeper?"
This is what Zhang Xing just said.
No matter how calculating Li Shu was before, no matter how stupid he was when Yuncheng was lost, no matter what trouble the two of them would have in the future, or even at this moment, whether the leader of the Eastern Front was doing it for his own selfish reasons. In order to continue to maintain his influence in the gang that has hope of victory, he continues to fight against Zhang Xing, without delaying this long-standing gangster, who is now a great hero.
PS: Happy Chinese Valentine's Day everyone.
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