"The day after tomorrow? The day after tomorrow is fine."
Facing the returning Li brothers and sisters, Han Yingong, who was listening to the rain in a daze, did not panic at all, and even felt a little comfortable.
"The day after tomorrow is quite suitable. A city with thousands of people needs time to arrange properly. How can I not understand? Moreover, if the prince is so magnanimous, I can make it more convenient for him. He can go wherever he wants and take him with him. It doesn’t matter if there are ten or eight followers and three or five cars.”
Internal and external negotiations were all smooth and smooth, but for some reason, brothers and sisters Li Twelve and Li Thirteen looked at each other, each feeling more uneasy than the other.
Li Twelve has further realized from the attitudes of Wang Gonggong and Han Yingong that these two people have completely ignored him. Their choices have nothing to do with their own efforts. Their personal abilities, official positions, and family backgrounds, Including the identity of Cao Huangshu's confidants, they are nothing in front of these people who independently control an army and a city.
Han Yingong knew that the north was empty for a long time, but he was unwilling to go north, and his response was only perfunctory. The reason couldn't be simpler. He wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and he wanted Zhang Xuguo to gnaw at Ma Hu's five thousand soldiers. Zhang Xing, and then go north to clean up the mess... If he goes there by chance, he might be able to eat up both counties; if he goes by chance, Jiyin County won't be able to escape either.
Therefore, it is just right for him to land the day after tomorrow and leave the day after tomorrow or even one day later.
As for the five thousand Dongdu warriors who were separated, Li Qingchen, as the previous negotiation intermediary, had already known that it was essentially part of the political deal between Han Yingong and Dongdu, and was originally intended to be handed over to Zhang under the pressure of Uncle Cao. It must be fruitful, so we can try our best to start under the urging of the black-faced Lu Changheng.
In other words, after making this deal at the beginning, Han Yingong looked at the five thousand soldiers in a different light. Otherwise, how could he divide the army again?
It's not because those five thousand soldiers are probably not his capital anymore.
All the actions of this Guanlong military leader are based on protecting his core strength, and nothing else can be ignored.
But the funny thing is that before he came out of Xuzhou, all the soldiers and horses had nothing to do with him. They were still the imperial army.
The princes and princes in the city are also not kind.
This person looks polite, but he is just a last resort because he is not strong enough to face danger. He has already made up his mind and wants to decide whether to surrender in the future. He obviously wants to buy time and wait and see as much as possible, or he has already made an agreement with Zhang Xing in the north. Ask to be as benevolent as possible, so that if things happen again in the future, you can continue to make trouble.
Can you really take advantage of dealing with such people and make everything go smoothly?
And Han Yingong is even more worrying. If such a person returns to the Eastern Capital with his troops, will he really become a pillar of the imperial court and a pillar of the Eastern Capital? Are you sure you won't become a thug for Cao Zhongcheng's political opponents? Becoming a hidden danger to the current situation?
But thinking about it, Li Qingchen didn't know how to deal with it. He only felt that he was too weak and powerless in front of the situation and these people.
As for Li Qingzhou next to him, he was more straightforward and expressed his worries directly: "General Han, there is one more thing. I wonder how you plan to deal with the palaces and civilians in the city?"
Han Yingong narrowed his eyes slightly, but after his eyes swept over Li Qingzhou, he just frowned: "You, a girl who has just hung up the black ribbon, are not the ones who should get involved in military matters."
Li Qingzhou was not afraid at all, but directly faced him: "General Han, those palace people have the face of the royal family after all. If they involve the royal family, they also involve the saint, the emperor's uncle, the queen, and even the King of Qi and several emperors." Sun Zangzang, it would be easy for the general to deal with him easily in front of the battle today, but I am afraid that many key figures will be concerned about this in the future, which will in vain affect the general's future."
Han Yingong was startled, looked at Li Twelve, who was frowning silently, and then at Li Shisan, who was speaking righteously, and laughed for a moment: "It's quite courageous... But Li Shisanniang, do you know that I have done it before? Yu Dongdu has spoken, and Uncle Cao has also agreed. In order to stabilize the morale of the army, he allows me to make the decision in front of the battle and reward these palace ladies to the sergeants as wives? This matter has the emperor's uncle nodding, and it is the best of both worlds. What's the point? Are you talking about it? Could it be that it is better for these palace ladies to live with the servants than to marry a serious sergeant? "
Li Shisanniang was slightly startled and panicked. After a while, she tried her best to ask: "What about the people in the city?"
"Of course, the young men should be recruited as civilian husbands, and their property should be confiscated for the crime of collaborating with the enemy, so that they can be used as rewards in the army." Han Yingong was still magnanimous.
This was said so righteously that Li Qingzhou didn't know how to argue.
Seeing this, Han Yingong knew that the other party was suppressed by him, so he continued to speak kindly: "A girl like you has never seen the world, does not know the dangers of troubled times, and does not understand the seriousness of military affairs... Back then, our dynasty conquered all sides, that is, It is not uncommon to kill and surrender soldiers, not to mention just such a slight punishment? Moreover, since you have just come from Jiyin, you should understand that the rebels of the Deposed Dragon Gang in the north have also done these things? Palace lord After being robbed, they forcibly assigned them to sergeants in the gang. Now that the war has begun, the previous attitude of not treating the common people as civilian husbands has been wiped out. The entire Jiyin City has been forcibly recruited as civilian husbands... You can't just because those people are Thieves are bad people, so they think it's reasonable, but we are officials and good people, so we should reprimand them, right?"
Li Qingzhou was at a loss at first, but when he heard this, he couldn't help but express a little: "General Han, the people of the Deposed Dragon Gang give money and food. Although the people in the city are a little afraid, they are not against the Deposed Dragon Gang." .”
As soon as this statement came out, Han Yingong laughed on the spot.
Li Qingchen's complexion changed slightly and he stopped talking.
Obviously, one didn't believe it, and the other believed it for some reasons, and then became even more worried.
After Han Yingong laughed, he threw his hands away: "Okay! Li Shisanniang, don't talk about unnecessary things. Our two families are in-laws, so I just said a few more words. There is no room for you to interfere in this matter... Just be an envoy to the inside and outside with peace of mind. Once the city surrenders, you brothers and sisters will have your share of the military merits, so retreat!"
With that said, he was going to chase people away.
The Li brothers and sisters had no choice but to say goodbye and go to the camp to rest.
That night, the rain continued, and the brother and sister tossed and turned with their own thoughts.
Among them, Li Qingchen was particularly uneasy. Early the next morning, despite his weak body, he kept running and went directly to Han Yingong to ask for orders to go to Dang County and lead troops with Lu Changheng to raid Jiyin.
Han Yingong knew this very well, and Li Twelve Lang should have also realized that there was no room for maneuver in front of him, the leader of the army, so it was better to lead the troops in person and make meritorious deeds.
But how to say it? It's none of your business, so why not be generous?
So, he simply waved his hand, made a temporary military affairs document, and let the other party go.
It is worth mentioning that Li Shisanniang obviously had a grudge against the surrender of Xiayi and was unwilling to go at all, so the brother and sister parted ways.
Let’s not talk about how uneasy Li Shisanniang was, but just that Li Qingchen and Li Twelve Lang got the documents, took a few sergeants, and went straight to Dang County early in the morning. They rushed to the scene very early and happened to meet their former colleagues. Lu Changheng, a colleague from Dongdu, is planning to send out 5,000 Dongdu warriors.
When the two met, Lu Changheng was naturally surprised by Li Qingchen's appearance, but he was more delighted - Li Qingchen was unable to use his hands and feet because of Han Yingong. Is Lu Changheng feeling better now?
At this time, I met a person who was in the same row in the past and is actually in the same row now, so I was naturally happy.
Li Qingchen was also slightly relieved when he saw that Lu Changheng had already mobilized troops in the rain - in any case, this was the most practical and effective move.
But to be honest, even if there are 5,000 people, it is still troublesome to move out. Even if you are prepared in advance, it is indispensable to count the ordnance and supplies at this time. It is still indispensable to temporarily collect the civilians from Dang County. It is also indispensable to complain about the rain and not want to move. , especially these people are mostly the knights of the Eastern Capital who have the most things to do.
Li Qingchen assisted Lu Changheng, using good words and bad words, using both kindness and power, plus some promises and explanations about prospects, to finally persuade these people. However, by the time they finished their meal and set off again, it was already approaching noon.
Moreover, the marching speed also seemed a bit slow.
Of course, we are heading north after all.
"Have you persuaded Wang Zhen?" In the drizzle, Li Qingchen didn't have time to talk to Lu Changheng until now.
"No." Lu Changheng, who was wearing armor, rarely showed any expressions, but it was difficult to distinguish because of the rain. "I'm not Sima Erlang. How can Wang Zhen convince me? But he was obviously shaken because Sima Erlang went to see him before. I went there again and told him the interests and consequences. I guess he at least stayed put."
"He is also confused." Li Qingchen shook his head. "Now that the imperial court is encircling three groups, it is the general trend. He is standing still today. The imperial court has destroyed the Deposed Dragon Gang. What's better for him?"
"So what?" Lu Changheng also shook his head. "He is a Qijing master who was born in Fulongwei. The rivers and lakes are so vast. Where can he not go? The worst he can do is leave. That is Mangdang Mountain. How has it been really cleaned up in these years? That terrain is doomed as long as the officers and soldiers are not stationed permanently. It’s a den of thieves.”
Li Qingchen sighed, but felt a little hard in his chest and abdomen.
In this way, the two continued to talk about some information, from the movements of the deposed dragon army, to Han Yingong's posture, to the situation in Jiyin City, to the situation in Jijun, and so on.
At this time, Li Qingchen realized that it was not Lv Changheng who informed Han Yingong about Jiyin's emptiness, but the family member of a deposed Dragon Army prisoner who escaped from Chengshi. Moreover, these types of people have been running away in the past few days... There was even a person who came to Dang County the day before yesterday, claiming to be a high-level protector of the Deposed Dragon Gang, and claiming to know all about the military situation in the north.
"What that man said was different from others. He said that Zhang Xing actually collected the defeated troops on the Eastern Front in the rain. Now he has 40,000 troops and the material transfer is fully completed. He is planning to set up an ambush to eat General Manager Zhang first, and then turn around. Come and deal with General Han..." Lu Changheng said calmly.
"How did you deal with it?" Li Qingchen was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly asked seriously.
"I recorded what he said and made two copies. One copy was sent to Xuzhou, and the other copy was sent to General Han with the person. But General Han didn't believe it at all, so he sent the person to Xuzhou again." Lu Changheng Answer honestly. "Actually, it's not just General Han who doesn't believe it, but all the officers here don't believe it either, because no matter what, the logistics of 20,000 broken troops and 40,000 troops are so adequate, it's really a bit too much."
"Do you believe it?" Li Qingchen's face became increasingly ugly.
"I half believe it." Lu Changheng seemed still calm. "The trustworthy part is that although I have not been with Zhang Xing for a short time, I know some of his abilities. I know that he is always a talented person. He can do some outstanding things, and he may be able to capture 20,000 defeated troops; and What I don't believe is that even Zhang Sanlang was rebelling for the first time. How could he be so comprehensive?
"The logistics of the 40,000-strong army is not guaranteed at all. It must be prepared from the very beginning of the rebellion. It must be able to harvest food during last autumn's harvest, and the food must be properly preserved; it must be prepared after the spring of this year. Cloth, when the cloth arrives, it must be made into military uniforms; there must be designated bureaucrats and civilians, and there must be transportation plans and plans...
"These things and things are not what he has when he robs the middle palace. If the logistics of the 40,000 army cannot be guaranteed, the 20,000 defeated troops are just a burden, just waiting to be defeated by Manager Zhang. That protector should be just I saw Zhang Xing holding back the defeated army, but he didn’t understand logistics.”
Li Qingchen's expression softened slightly and he nodded slightly on the horse, but soon he slowly shook his head and became serious again.
Lu Changheng looked at it in surprise.
"I have the same view as you." Li Qingchen responded seriously when he saw this. "But I have been with Zhang San for a long time, and I always feel that he is not only outstanding in his abilities, but also has some unexpected gestures. In addition, after Jiyin and Dongjun were occupied by thieves, they have been extremely stable. There is no unnecessary news, so I am more worried than you."
Lu Changheng nodded repeatedly, and then sighed: "It is for this reason that I went to see Wang Zhen all night. It is also for this reason that I am urging troops to send troops today. I am always uneasy."
By the way, Lu Changheng is a well-known for his stability and rarely talks. Now he actually chatted with Li Qingchen for so long and even explained it, which speaks for itself.
In this way, the two of them were worried and doubtful, and just braved the rain to move forward. At the same time, the army was in no hurry and kept moving north.
Before evening, we finally arrived in front of Yucheng.
Logically speaking, Yucheng was controlled by the officers and soldiers of Liang County, which was the result of Zhang Xing's previous cleverness. But now that Han Yingong and Uncle Cao had reached an agreement, the two families became one family, and Lu and Li were leading the troops, so they naturally returned to the base.
Of course, the most important thing is that it is already evening, and it is natural to take a rest. Therefore, even though Lu Changheng and Li Qingchen feel a little uneasy, they can only prepare to camp on the spot and arrive as early as a few meters away from the city. Within two or three miles, sentries were sent into the city to request the other party to provide necessary material assistance.
However, after marching in the rain for most of the day, there were many complaints among the army. The general request conveyed through the officers was that the entire army should go to the city to rest and not live in tents.
Lu Changheng and Li Qingchen were a little nervous. They were not fledglings like Li Qingzhou who had left Beijing for the first time. They knew to some extent the lawlessness of these warriors.
However, considering that the long march was really hard, and that one of the two, Lu Changheng, had extraordinary cultivation, they were prepared to reluctantly agree, and then Lv Changheng led some appropriate people to personally control military discipline in response.
When the news came out, the whole army was filled with joy, and the speed suddenly increased, and they soon arrived at the city gate.
Then, not unexpectedly, the four gates of the county seat of Yucheng County were closed tightly, and there was no intention to open the gates because of the shouts of the army outside the city and the shouts of the messengers.
The anger in the army began to build up, and the shouts and curses quickly turned into commotion, but until this time, the city still did not accept the messenger.
At this time, Lu and Li realized the difficulty of leading the army.
There are only 5,000 people, but the march for most of the day has already become such a mess. It is difficult to imagine what the state of a 40,000-strong army, of which 20,000 were defeated on the front line, would be like.
With no choice but to do so, Li Qingchen and Lu Changheng could only ride over, tell their names in person, call to the city, and ask the other party to open the door, and inevitably made some guarantees.
But still no reply.
"Two captains, someone on the west side of the city couldn't bear it anymore and climbed directly to the city." At this moment, the army came to report lazily, but they brought a piece of news that made people feel numb. "Captain Zheng will be able to climb the city as if he were walking on flat ground with his good hands of immortality. This time he will surely open the door easily."
Li Qingchen was injured, so Lu Changheng did not hesitate to fight his horse and go first. The two of them had no doubt that if they rushed in at once, the army would lose control.
However, as soon as Lu Changheng reined in his horse, the worries of the two people almost disappeared, because at this moment, there was a sudden sound of drums on the top of the city, and then there was constant movement, and then they saw countless soldiers braving the rain. After climbing the city wall, everyone held guns and knives, carried shields and crossbows, and faced the outside world in unison.
Under such circumstances, no matter how good Captain Zheng is at making immortal energy, he will still be stabbed out of Xicheng.
Not only that, if you look closely, you can see that many of these soldiers are already wearing their armor, as if they were prepared in advance.
Li and Lu were at a loss for a moment, and then looked at each other, but seemed powerless - until now, they thought it was Cao Wang who sent the elite Liangjun garrison over because of his family's views.
But soon, as a person appeared at the top of the city, the two of them were completely stunned and lost their voices. Li Qingchen felt even more uncomfortable.
"Brother Lu, there is also Li Twelve Lang, right? You are all right!" Wang Zhen, neatly dressed, came to meet him on the city gate tower with several leaders, and then looked down while holding on to the tower wall. "Our brothers from Mangdang Mountain thought about it and decided to give Brother Zhang a helping hand, so we sent out troops early in the morning and took down this city very quickly this afternoon, somewhat faster than you. The troops and city are all here, so you can Don’t put too much hope in it... I would say, just retreat here, so as not to hurt the loyalty of our former colleagues. If that’s the case, you two can come in to take shelter from the rain and drink together!”
The two of them haven't answered yet.
Suddenly, on top of the city, a general came quickly from the west and shouted from a distance: "Are these two bastards, Lu Changheng and Li Qingchen?"
The two heard what they heard and hurried to look, only to see an object being thrown down from the air. When it landed, the surrounding sergeants screamed, and then the object was quickly brought to them by these sergeants... The two just One look, and you know what will happen to the team member who is good at immortality... This is a head.
At this time, the two of them looked at the wall again and recognized this person. It was none other than the youngest son of Zhou Xiaoming, the former deputy general manager of Xuzhou who was the favorite general of the current saint but died in Dongyi. Their former colleague is now Zhou Xingfan was the backbone of the rebels who deposed the Dragon Gang.
Zhou Xingfan came to the city tower and stood side by side with Wang Zhen. Without hesitation, he pointed his finger and cursed loudly: "The emperor is ignorant and unruly, and the violent Wei has lost people's hearts. We were all in the same rank in the past. Why do some people dare to draw their swords and rise up in anger?" An Tianxia, you two can only do the opposite and be two muddy lackeys with a mantis' arm like a cart?!"
Not to mention that the two of them were stunned, and there was no sound in the rain. Even everyone else in the city was also silent.
But the others lost their composure, but Zhou Xingfan, who was furious, had already grabbed a crossbow from the sergeant behind him, raised his hand and fired. Perhaps due to the dampness, his accuracy was not good enough, and he only hit Li Qingchen's crotch horse. The war horse neighed in pain, lost control of its hooves, and knocked Li Qingchen down on the spot.
Of course, after all, there were warriors from Dongdu around, and their quality was still sufficient. Everyone came to their senses, and those who picked up weapons picked up weapons, those who raised shields, and those who helped others quickly helped Li Qingchen up, and covered him with large shields. Got this captain.
On the top of the city, Zhou Xingfan, who fired a crossbow, still felt that it was not enough, but Wang Zhen's eyes were almost frightened and his veins were exposed, and he continued to curse: "Come! Come! Come! I, Zhou Xingfan, am on the city today, and there are only four people in the city. Five thousand people, let’s see how many lives you two Guanxi Han people have to throw away before they can cross this city and cross the Bian River! Today, the Dragon Gang and you and other lackeys of the imperial court are incompatible with each other!"
It was only then that Li Qingchen, who had been thrown down, came to his senses on the muddy ground, and then felt unbearable pain in his chest and abdomen.
"Sanlang, so many things went wrong later, aren't you angry?"
Zhang Xing, who had no idea that his four former colleagues and subordinates were now gathered together, had been busy for almost a whole day. At this time, he only took a break under a roadside shed and drank some hot porridge. Unexpectedly, the man who had been working hard with him all day came to Zhang Xing. Bai Yousi suddenly asked.
Of course Zhang Xing knew what the other party was talking about: deserters, traitors, dispersers, hesitants, cowards, and countless logistical and military troubles.
After hesitating for a while, Zhang Dalongtou decided to explain his thoughts on these matters to Bai Yousi in detail: "Actually, it's okay. The main reason is that the world has not reached a certain level yet, so people are inevitably confused... Some things are early. It was expected, and there cannot be any shortage of officers and soldiers."
Bai Yousi's heart moved slightly, and he asked seriously from one side: "What does it mean for people to be confused? Is it that everyone is thinking about betrayal?"
"No, there are only a few ambitious people, and there are basically few who take the initiative to engage in conspiracies... What I mean is that in a chaotic situation, everyone is worried that the situation will get worse, so everyone can't avoid each other. Beware of calculations, as this will cause people to have no mutual trust. Think about it, in order not to fall into a disadvantage, or to prevent yourself and your family from falling into some difficult situation, you can only act first, or act first before the situation changes. These responses... do not distinguish between positions, good or evil, but human nature." Zhang Xingyi said. "But this kind of behavior, from the outside, seems to be an active act of chaos, and it will indeed make the situation worse and worse."
Bai Yousi was a little stunned, but soon she realized a problem: "If the situation is so bad, and the enemy and ourselves are all confused, will it be useless to follow the rules and be a good person?"
"Of course not." Zhang Xing laughed and put down the empty porridge bowl. "The human heart is made of flesh, and everything must be done logically. If you tell others rules and be a good person, it may not be useful for a while, but if you do it more and persist, it will eventually be useful to some people... It's just that , this kind of thing depends on luck. Sometimes when you encounter a specific thing or a specific person, if you are a good person and abide by the rules, there will be no reward. You may even fall into a desperate situation or even die because of this person. Death will inevitably make people feel that the world is desolate and people's hearts are terrible, but in fact, most of the time, or if there are too many things, it is better to follow the rules than not to follow the rules."
Bai Yousi suddenly understood, nodded repeatedly, but thoughtfully, and continued to ask: "Sanlang, have you ever thought about writing down these thoughts and engraving them?"
Zhang Xing was startled for a moment, obviously heartbroken, but soon he put his thoughts away and gestured towards the military stronghold being built ahead: "Let's just win this battle! Zhang Xuguo's vanguard has already entered Dongjun. !”
Bai Yousi nodded heavily.
PS: Routinely sacrifice a new book, "The King" by Master Xin Haiyue
Thank you Mr. Lihua for another alliance!
Master Xin Haiyue's masterpiece.
(End of chapter)
