When a large army is besieged or confronted, it is often the weaker party who launches an attack. This is because they need to maintain morale and need simple small-scale battles to prove their combat power and demonstrate their exchange ratio.
From this perspective, the deposed dragon army's camp digging on the night of February 9th was certainly a success.
But on the second day, when the follow-up troops from the three northwest counties arrived, the morale of the opposite camp was still visibly rising. In contrast, it was the besieged seventh battalion that had been damaged in the previous battle. The Deposed Dragon Army, they could not stop being frightened when they saw the growing number of troops on the opposite side.
There is no way, for middle and lower-level soldiers, nothing has more visual and psychological impact than the enemy's strength that can be seen in front of them. All Zhang Xing could do was to mobilize the officer system, try his best to appease the soldiers, and say that "more soldiers may not be a good thing".
As for the Twelve King Kongs arriving to reunite with the Thirteen King Kongs, and Xu Shiying's loyalty and bravery, it is naturally a great thing. The fact that the Thirteen King Kongs together are a great master, and the fact that Xu Dalang never abandons his disciples three times in and three out, must be vigorously promoted.
In fact, now that the situation has reached this point, there is nothing else to say other than these.
On the other hand, the coalition forces on the opposite side, as the number of troops and horses further increased, became particularly lively and calm... People like Feng Wuyi were essentially the meeting point of the three forces in the northwest corner of Hebei. Several parties wanted to win over and annex. , but everyone also has their own ideas, not to mention that there are also Li Ding's subordinates who were specially divided by the British Duke in order to control Li Ding. Moreover, Fang Wuyi arrived with Fang Xuanqiao's mentor and literary master. , This time Bai Hengqiu sent Wang Huaitong in charge of connecting with Hebei.
Therefore, these people were very lively after arriving.
Feng Wuyi publicly proposed a peace negotiation, but was refuted by Bai Hengqiu, Duan Wei, Xue Changxiong and others with the same attitude;
Then Wang Chenkuo, the only rebel leader among a group of officers and soldiers, proposed to launch an attack immediately and be sure to sacrifice the heads of the three thieves Zhang to the British Duke. Everyone knew that he wanted to show their loyalty, so they treated it as a joke and no one paid any attention to it.
As a result, at this time, Wang Huaitong suddenly also proposed, but he wanted to persuade Zhang Xing to surrender... At this time, everyone was neither easy to refute nor happy, and some people were eager to fish in troubled waters, but they became entangled and quarreled on the spot.
Being able to struggle and make noise shows that you are able to handle it with ease.
The time passed with noisy and noisy, and the inner enclosed fortress was further improved... The big shots' quarrels in the tent did not delay the work of the grassroots soldiers and the gradually increasing number of civilians... And as long as the deposed dragon army continued to be besieged, The fundamental purpose is achieved.
Not to mention this, another group of troops arrived in the afternoon, and they were the vanguard of the Youzhou Army.
The leader, Bai Xiangui, was well known to be the best confidant of Luo Shu, the new owner of Youzhou Camp. After he arrived with three thousand cavalry, he was extremely respectful to the British Duke Bai Hengqiu and informed the Hebei heroes here that because they heard that After receiving the news, we were in a hurry, so the troops of the Youzhou Army were somewhat out of touch. They will arrive one after another tomorrow and the next day. The number will vary, but there will be a total of 20,000 horses. Luo Shu will also come in person. He must do justice to the British. Hebei will do its part.
His words were sincere and his attitude was humble. In addition, the military strength brought by Luo Shu was also there. Bai Hengqiu, who had been prepared for it, was of course good at comforting him and was extremely favored. Not only was he well treated and constantly rewarded, but he also made special promises. , when Luo Shu comes, give Luo Shu a unique position... Isn't this section of Qingzhang River generally running from southwest to northeast? His own Taiyuan army was located in the southwest, Duan Wei led the Dongdu army across the river in the southeast, and then promised Xue Changxiong to lead the Hejian army in the northeast, and then waited for Luo Shu to lead the Youzhou army to live in the northwest.
Of course, Li Ding wanted to lead the Wu'an Army as the rear army and the central army, while Feng Wuyi and Wang Chenkuo divided their forces. Wang Chenkuo was in the west, between the Youzhou Army and the Taiyuan Army, while Feng Wuyi was in the north, between the Youzhou Army. Between the Hejian Army.
The arrangement was perfect, especially bringing Luo Shu to the same level as Bai Duan and Xue, which gave him enough face.
It's just that Xue Changxiong and Duan Wei couldn't help but sneer secretly.
But I don’t know who to laugh at.
Seeing the coalition reinforcements coming again, the morale of the deposed dragon army couldn't help but drop again. There was a lot of discussion. Except for the Thirteen King Kong, a master who "can help the boss escape", when will his own serious reinforcements arrive? Even the middle and upper-level officers couldn't help but feel uneasy... They just felt that the whole of Hebei was coming to besiege, but all the hard work of two or three years was in vain. Some people even secretly talked that they should not have come to Hebei back then.
When you come to Hebei, everyone in Hebei is against you, and Jin is also against you. There is an ambush on all sides. You are completely isolated and helpless. What else can you hope for?
Northland, Iron Mountain Guard.
This is the southernmost guard on the west side of the Sea of Bitterness among the seven guards in the North. In terms of location, it is almost symmetrical to the White Wolf Guard across the main mountain range of the North. However, one of the two is It was named after the river, and one was named after the mountains.
Moreover, the mountains in Bailangwei are rugged, and only the Bailangshui is an obvious terrain. Although Tieshanwei is a mountain, the terrain is relatively gentle. Once you get out of Thudao Ridge, the remaining veins of Yanshan Mountain with extremely complex terrain and roads, as long as you follow the right path, If there is no problem with the exit, then it will open up instantly... In this land called Huaihuang, Tieshanwei and Luobo City are one high and one low. They are only covered by the terrain, and the roads are actually accessible.
Luobo City is located on the northwest side of Tieshanwei. It occupies the largest and most fertile basin in Huaihuang and leads directly to the Bitter Sea. It is famous for its large population and prosperous agricultural products, while Tieshanwei is famous for its mining industry and iron forging.
Both are also famous for their horse farms on Huaihuang.
Of course Xie Minghe didn't come here to buy horses or swords, he came here to ask for help... The leader of the Dragon Gang had a clear plan and clear goals. He had long ago ordered Bai Peixiong and others to go to their hometown, White Wolf Guard, to call for reinforcements, while he himself After visiting Murong Zhengyan, he hired another guide in Youzhou, and then went directly to Tieshan Guard. According to the map, he found a key figure in Tieshan Guard.
"So, the rumors are true. He was the one who started the Deposed Dragon Gang? Is Zhang Xing my nephew Zhang Xingyi?"
Two or three hundred paces outside the Demon Demon Hall in Wei Zhong, there is a simple but spacious house. The open door lets in the unique cold wind of early spring in the North. The blowing makes Mr. Xie want to shiver, but he can't help but speak. The red-faced man didn't seem to feel anything at all, he was just sighing. “When people first said it, I didn’t believe it. But in the past few years, more and more people have said it, and everyone said that if you don’t believe it, you have to believe it. But what they said was so outrageous, but I didn’t dare to really believe it... "
"Those words, if they are not too outrageous, are probably true." Xie Minghe was worried, but his face did not move at all.
"Chief Zhang's career is really big and cannot be faked." Zhang Gongshen agreed seriously. He was Xie Minghe's guide through Thudao Ridge on his trip. "There are also many people from the North who have seen it."
"I haven't seen him come back with a letter after so many years." The red-faced man, Huang Ping, Zhang Xing's uncle, shook his head again after hearing this.
"Chief, he has some difficulties of his own..." Xie Minghe still showed no signs of anxiety. "During his second expedition to Dongyi, he encountered a duel between two true dragons who separated from the mountains and avoided the sea. He was injured and suffered an earthquake. It is said that his head was damaged because of this and he could not remember anything... this matter Many people know it.”
"That's right." Zhang Gongshen nodded immediately.
"I know." Huang Ping sighed after hearing this. "I don't know how many people who came to see him mentioned this matter. Some said that he had damaged his head and could not remember the incident. Others said that this was a seed planted by the Black Emperor and it sprouted through his body."
Xie Minghe didn't know how to answer the question, but he still had to bite the bullet and say, "What do you think of Deacon Huang?"
"What can I say?" Huang Ping became increasingly helpless. "After all, he is my late sister's only child. Regardless of whether he forgot or didn't want to implicate us, or the Black Emperor really used some means to borrow his body, but after all, that body is also my nephew's... we can't let it go. He died and turned into bones before my eyes."
Xie Minghe understood and felt somewhat relieved.
And Huang Ping finally said what the problem was: "Actually, if he is really going to die, it will be simple. If you come to me, I will risk my life and go with you. But now according to what you said, his Life is not necessarily a certain death situation. It is you, the Deposed Dragon Gang, who need to be saved. This is not a matter for me alone, but for the entire Tieshan Guard..."
"What is the specific situation in Wei Zhong?" Xie Minghe asked seriously.
"Of course there is no need to hide it from you. I make it clear that Zhu Siming here in Tieshan Guard is old. The two deputy commanders have their own ideas, and Zhu Siming's two sons also have their own ideas. It has created a mess. As for me, originally When he left, he was just an ordinary protector. But later, when he was about to condense, he became a deacon and was in charge of Wei Li's correspondence and accounts. I don't know if it was because of Zhang Xing in the past few years. There are more..." Huang Ping explained helplessly. "I'm just afraid that if I bring it up, those people will definitely oppose it. They're afraid that if I pull people out, they'll take the opportunity to gather them in... So I'm afraid there really isn't a large army."
Where is this not happening?
Xie Minghe and Zhang Gongshen had seen a lot, and they understood immediately, but they both frowned.
"Then there's nothing we can do?" Xie Minghe thought for a moment and finally frowned, with a troubled expression. "The time is urgent. Please ask Da Si Ming to intervene. I'm afraid it's too late, right?"
"It depends on how many soldiers you want?" Huang Ping seemed to have an idea. "If it's okay if there are fewer people, then we can bypass a few commanders and I'll contact the people myself... This is the only way."
Xie Minghe was a little puzzled: "How many people can be contacted with this method?"
"It depends on the name of the contact." Huang Ping looked at the other party and gave a rare grin. "Here in the Northland, we have the customs and habits of the Northland. No matter whether young people or good practitioners, they can't stand loneliness. And the restrictions on individuals in Wei Zhong and the city are not the same as what you southerners think... ...It’s not like the young people in Luobo City have nothing to do with us... Don’t forget that your Chief Zhang originally came from Tingtao City, and was not from Weili."
"Then in the name of the Deposed Dragon Gang?" Xie Minghe's heart moved slightly and he asked tentatively. "How many people can be gathered in two or three days?"
"Four to five hundred...to six or seven hundred people?" Huang Ping thought for a while and gave the answer. "There are about 100 good people inside. The Deposed Dragon Gang has still had a great influence over the years, and many young people know about it."
"What about... the Black Emperor selected Zhang Xingyi?" Xie Minghe pondered for a moment and continued to ask.
"Thousands of people...but the best ones are still hundreds of people." Huang Ping thought about it again and still gave a definite answer.
Xie Minghe finally smiled: "What if it's in the name of Zhang Xingyi, the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang, who is a distinguished figure in the North?"
"Two thousand people, two hundred good hands." Huang Ping then laughed. "There really won't be any more..."
"Is there a horse?" Xie Minghe continued to ask.
"Don't worry about that. First of all, this is Huaihuang. Almost everyone who wields swords and guns has a horse, otherwise they can't come and go." Huang Ping said seriously. "Secondly, since I am ready to risk my life, I can no longer take care of some things. I will first borrow horses from the surrounding caravans and war groups, including Wei Zhong. If there are not enough, I will directly open the horse farm outside Wei Li before leaving... There must be one person. Two horses.”
"I..." At this moment, Zhang Gongshen spoke cautiously. "I have something I don't know whether to say or not. I was guarding Gubei City in Youzhou. If you guys go there, I will definitely be able to put it in Luoshan. But if you go further, you will reach Youzhou City. Now Manager Luo has already gone there in person. Even though Youzhou is empty, two thousand people can't move. They just blocked it. After a few days, your trip was in vain?"
"According to the conversation we had on the road, Luo Shu may not want to see us pass by." Xie Minghe said with a smile. "But as you said, without words and explanations in advance, leaving Youzhou at this time will inevitably be blocked, and delaying things will be the most troublesome... Deacon Huang, can we leave the sea of suffering and go to northern Shanxi?"
Huang Ping was stunned for a moment, then nodded immediately: "Unless the Sin Dragon appears after a few thousand years, it will naturally be possible to leave, and it will be faster than traveling to Youzhou."
"Well, we don't go to Youzhou, we go to Kuhai, from northern Shanxi, where Manager Hong is pretty reliable, and then we leave Heishan and go through the northwest of Hebei. Then we can take advantage of the chaos in the three northwest counties of Hebei. , I just said that the soldiers of Daijun Gao Taoist came to support, and with one person and two horses, they were so fast that the messenger couldn't keep up... This way, they can avoid the opponent's eyes and ears, and have a sudden effect." It was Xie Minghe's turn to feel relieved.
Huang Ping and Zhang Gongshen also breathed a sigh of relief... It would be nice if there was a way and a route, but I'm afraid there isn't.
"Since General Manager Hong is still reliable, how many people can Northern Shanxi send?" Immediately, Huang Ping, who had recovered his senses, hurriedly asked again.
"There are tens of thousands of people from northern Shanxi, but I dare not let them enter Hebei!" Xie Minghe continued to laugh. "For this kind of thing, too many people will be useless. The key is to not attract the attention of the officers and soldiers, to have the effect of a response and a surprise attack, and to be reliable... Two thousand people is a bit small, but it is enough to support the response."
The other two people were thoughtful and then suddenly realized.
Let's talk about the relationship alone. Northern Shanxi is definitely more closely related to the Deposed Dragon Gang. However, the word "reliable" sometimes depends not only on the position, but also on the entanglement of interests... In Northern Shanxi, Close to Hebei and Taiyuan, even if the overall position is stable, there is no guarantee that some people have other ideas. Here in Beidi, although the relationship with the Deposed Dragon Gang is a bit floating, it is better than being clean and pure. They and the Hebei Jindi There was no contact between the government and the army, only a simple anti-Wei stance.
Therefore, in this scenario, especially when the forces in Hebei and Shanxi are almost completely stirred up, reinforcements from the North are more useful to perform this kind of task.
If Bai Hengqiu had thought of this step in advance and played a chess piece here, he would be a master in the world, and he would not be wronged if he lost.
After a while, Huang Ping stood up and said: "Since there are two thousand people, let's not waste time. I will go find my brothers and friends now. When you two see each other, you will immediately go out to do things."
Of course Xie and Zhang agreed and stood up to see each other off. When Huang Ping went out with his fur coat on, he sat back down but was speechless for a while. They were only thinking about something.
After a while, Zhang Gongshen spoke again: "Manager Xie, we were in a hurry on the way, and we didn't have the chance to say some things. I don't know whether I should say it...but I still can't help it."
"General Zhang, please speak." Xie Minghe suddenly became serious.
"I have been in Youzhou for many years, and I have wandered around Hebei before. I can't say that I am well-informed, but I don't have a narrow vision. However, no force is as benevolent as the Deposed Dragon Gang, and no leader is as good as Chief Zhang. Such a person who can win people... I happened to be in the south before and after this incident, and I also went to Hongshan. I saw clearly that it was the Deposed Dragon Gang and Chief Zhang who took Liyangcang in order to prevent the people of Hebei from starving to death this year. Exposing a flaw and causing such a disaster...is it true or not?"
"certainly."
"But if that's the case, doesn't it mean that the Deposed Dragon Gang saved the whole of Hebei, but in the end the whole of Hebei came to besiege the Deposed Dragon Gang?" Zhang Gongshen breathed out, his words difficult. "what is this?"
Xie Minghe remained silent for a while.
"Then let me ask one more question." Seeing this, Zhang Gongshen was helpless and paused for a moment before continuing to ask. "Is Chief Zhang really sure he can come out this time?"
"It's okay to come out." Xie Minghe said seriously. "Think about it. When we met, we got the news that the chief blocked Bai Hengqiu's first blow and changed it to a siege. Since we blocked the first blow, we don't care whether it is the Fulong Seal or anything else. It means that The chief has some ability to protect himself."
Zhang Gongshen breathed a sigh of relief, shook his head again, but did not ask any more questions.
However, Xie Minghe suddenly laughed at this moment: "Actually, although I didn't show it, I was quite frustrated when I first learned that Bai Hengqiu had pounced on me. My thoughts were similar to yours. I felt that the world was unfair and good deeds should be treated as flaws. , good people have to be coerced, and in the end it is swords and guns, and evil people take advantage of it, and they actually feel that this world is not interesting anymore... But along the way, I have clicked on all aspects, but I have some insights, and I feel that things are not that good. Oops."
"How to say?"
"A simple truth is that the benevolent policies of the Deposed Dragon Gang in the past few years, including the release of grain in Liyangcang and the Hongshan meeting, are not without effect. Chief Zhang's actions are not without effect. It seems that Hebei She completely fell in favor of Bai Hengqiu, but that was only because Bai Hengqiu gained power for a while and continued his established stance. In fact, there were some fluctuations and thoughts inside." Xie Minghe lowered his head and smiled. "For example, I went to meet Feng Wuyi, and Feng Wuyi immediately agreed to help me persuade me to make peace; when I met Murong Zhengyan, Murong Zhengyan was lame while fighting our Dragon Gang, but he didn't order my arrest. Instead, he listened to what I had to say and then sent me out as a gift. Going further north, I met Manager Luo. While he was anxious and worried that he would be late and cause trouble, at the same time he had a private conversation with me and asked me about the situation in detail. Not to mention you, General Zhang. You are the backbone of the Youzhou Army and the foundation of the army. But when you heard that I was coming to the North, you actually took a leave of absence and sent me here in person. Now you come to ask me these questions. It is simply ridiculous. I regard myself as a member of the Deposed Dragon Gang...isn’t this the human heart?"
Zhang Gongshen did not refute.
"And these are just the situations in the north with the government troops who have always been in opposition to the Deposed Dragon Army. Those areas in southern Hebei have been under the benevolent rule of our Deposed Dragon Gang for two or three years. Liyangcang has benefited even more. Although I am now hundreds of miles away On the contrary, I have confidence that Bai Hengqiu will have a good look there!" Xie Minghe continued, his tone couldn't help but become more relaxed. "To take a step back, it means that this time we really failed, a big defeat, and there were not a few elites in the gang to help us. So what? When does your career have to be smooth sailing? Continue to gather people who are willing to do things. Let’s start over again, return to Pingyuan, Dengzhou, and escape to northern Shanxi and northern areas. As long as people are around, as long as we do the right thing and do it well, we can get up again no matter what!”
Zhang Gongshen's face turned red and he nodded repeatedly: "That's right! That's right! I will follow you no matter what when the time comes! Let's have a good time!"
Xie Minghe nodded and was about to say something with a smile, but suddenly narrowed his eyes: "If this is the case, why not do it now? General Zhang... you leave now and chase after Manager Luo! Chase to the shore of Qingzhang River !”
Zhang Gongshen was startled for a moment, then when he realized what he was doing, he stood up immediately and started to walk out. When he lowered his head and walked out the door, he turned back and said, "Thank you, manager, for giving me a token."
Xie Minghe was also stunned for a moment, and hurriedly turned over, but found nothing, so he thought for a while and told the other party: "Just tell Chief Zhang, I want you to ask, is the night view outside Stone City beautiful? Is the river cool? Cool?"
Zhang Gongshen repeated it again, lowered his head and turned out again. Surprisingly, before Huang Ping came back, he braved the February wind in the North and rode away.
The spring breeze in February in the north was very cold, but when I turned back to the Qingzhang River, the spring breeze was already green again, and the flowers were blooming everywhere... The afternoon banquet was over, but Wang Huaitong, the head of the Wang family in Taiyuan and the master of literary studies, did not rest. He set out on horseback, bypassed the encirclement, and went to Wucheng to meet Cui Tuan, another literary master and the head of the Cui family in Qinghe.
The only person accompanying him was his close disciple Fang Xuanqiao.
"Teacher, why are you advising the coalition forces to persuade Zhang Xing to surrender today..." Fang Xuanqiao, who was riding a donkey, looked at the camp full of halls in his field of vision and suddenly turned to ask.
"Of course it's because of your words and my eldest brother's letter." Wang Huaitong was also riding on a donkey, speaking briefly and directly.
"That's not what the student meant..." Fang Xuanqiao quickly corrected him. "I'm asking, Master, why do you still persist when you know that people like Mr. Bai who can make the decision will not agree at all in this situation?"
"The reason is very simple. Since I am involved in this matter, I naturally have to express my true thoughts." Wang Huaitong replied calmly. "Why bother whether the suggestion will be adopted?"
"Then what is the teacher's idea?" Fang Xuanqiao asked in turn after understanding. "Is it really because of what I told my uncle that I started to sympathize with the Deposed Dragon Gang?"
"pity?"
Wang Huaitong suddenly reined in the donkey, then turned back to face him. "It's not sympathy, it's worry..."
"Worried?" Fang Xuanqiao also stopped his donkey.
"If he was sympathetic, I would have been persuaded by him on Hongshan Mountain. Why would I do so many things for Duke Bai again?" Wang Huaitong looked at his closed disciple and explained calmly. "So, I don't have any consensus on the change of stance with the Deposed Dragon Gang, and I don't care about the nonsense that the eldest brother says about destiny. But, whether it's the eldest brother, you, or Feng Wuyi and those people these days No matter what, including what I saw with my own eyes, it can be seen to some extent that although the Deposed Dragon Gang is a gang in name, it is actually a serious gang. Not to mention the strict system, it can even be called a clean administration. Whether it is handled by the people of the upper and lower ranks, Zhang Xing also He is a benevolent master... In this case, the Deposed Dragon Gang is defeated and Zhang Xing is dead. Hebei and the Eastern Region will never forget it in the future. Sooner or later, there will be troubles; even those who come to besiege today will not be forgotten in the future. Even if it's done, I can't let it go. From time to time, someone will use Zhang Xing and the Deposed Dragon Gang to stab the people in today's military tent. I suggest this for their own good and for my own good."
Fang Xuanqiao thought for a moment, and then he made up his mind and nodded gently: "I'm afraid that before the future comes, the Deposed Dragon Gang will be able to make waves based on people's hearts. So what?"
"Let's see." Grandmaster Wang Huaitong was suddenly upset. He felt like he was stabbed out of thin air, and he reined the donkey forward.
Fang Xuanqiao quickly followed.
