The drizzle outside the tent started to fall again, and the discussion inside the tent actually got into the real deal. At this time, Bai Hengqiu looked at Qu Tuda.
Logically speaking, this person should not give the dignified British public the feeling of almost ignoring this person, because Qu Tuda's identity and position are here. As the actual number one military leader and number two figure in the Dongdu Army, Whether he is motivated by personal interests or coerced by his subordinates, he will naturally have thoughts of separation, withdrawal, and escape.
What's more, this man's courage has become weaker over the years, so much so that he has been nicknamed "General Long-Leggs".
However, perhaps due to the blessing in his heart, when Bai Hengqiu glanced at this person, he suddenly remembered this person's past, and additionally remembered an old incident buried behind the smoke and clouds of the great Wei Dynasty.
Let us also say that Qu Tuda has good qualifications, a very upright background, and made his fortune very early. However, together with Zheng Shanye, he lags behind people like Xue Changxiong and Duan Wei. There is a reason. Among them, Zheng Shanye was born in a good family, but his mother was very strict when she was alive. After his mother died, he quickly indulged in lawlessness, was punished and demoted, and fell from the echelon; and Qu Tuda's decline was slippery. , originated from an incident in his later years.
At that time, Qutuda was entrusted with the important task of supervising military affairs at a young age. He was fair and impartial when investigating the court's spare war horses, and found more than 20,000 hidden horses. This was of course a good thing. However, the problem was that in his later years, The late emperor of the Wei Dynasty was already very harsh to a certain extent. After hearing the news, he was so angry that he actually wanted to kill 1,500 officials in the Ma Zheng system, including the servants, in one day!
Let’s talk after the killing! What can Qutuda do?
I can only kneel down and beg the late emperor to deal with it in accordance with the law and not to kill people indiscriminately. But the late emperor did not allow it, so he had no choice but to beg to die with these people. There was no other way.
In the end, although the late emperor woke up and realized that doing so would put people like Qu Tuda in trouble, so he let some people go. However, Qu Tuda could only become conservative and serious after this incident, and then became more conservative and serious. He also lost his previous vigor. It wasn't until Yang Shen rebelled that he showed a little brilliance and returned to the public's sight. Only when he was in the hands of Cao Lin did he gradually come to use him, take charge of any side, and gradually control the troops.
When Bai Hengqiu thought about this incident, it did not mean that he concluded that Qu Tuda must have some attitude because of this incident. For example, he was grateful for Cao Lin's appointment and must want to repay his kindness; or he knew that Qu Tuda had A specific creed in life, and the priority in everything is to preserve the lives of subordinates... There may be some of these, but there may not be... The key to the problem is that Bai Hengqiu now realizes that after experiencing this The person in question is unlikely to be an impatient person or a superficial person.
And that being the case, what does Duan Wei's message, "Even if you go to the Western Capital, you will be under Dou Sun and others" count?
Why did he say that? Why do you pretend to be so vulgar? This person behaves differently...so, it cannot be used.
That's right, the "enemy" Bai Hengqiu is looking for is not the so-called "enemy" in terms of position. He is not looking for the person farthest from him. Otherwise, Feng Wuyi can kill him, and Luo Shu can also kill him. He is looking for the person who may lose control and betray him at the critical moment. He is looking for the variable that may collapse the coalition he is trying to maintain!
Zhang Xing is now a turtle in the urn, but since the pounce on that day did not work, how can he expect that the subsequent siege will go smoothly?
These people's positions were shaken, he was mentally prepared for a possible military crisis, or even failed in this trip to Hebei, but he did have to admit that from the beginning of this raid, his mental preparation seemed to have been It seems a little shallower.
Both Zhang Xing and the heroes of Hebei in front of him gave him a bit of a shock in Hebei. Sima Zheng directly shook the overall strategy and cast the biggest shadow on this battle... But to say it exceeded expectations, it was still He was most surprised by the power that the main body of the Deposed Dragon Gang, a "rabble" he had previously thought of, had unleashed.
Zhang Xing is a person to begin with, otherwise why would his British father abandon Kansai and punch this person first? Therefore, this guy led a group of gang elites to withstand the offensive. Although he was helpless, it was not surprising. Cao Lin was his biggest enemy before, a great master, and the pillar of the Wei Dynasty. He made a move to attract people. Zhilong Sima Zheng directly shook the overall strategic situation. That was his ability. Who would say it shouldn't be?
There are also the group of warlords, family leaders, and bandit leaders in front of us. They may be half-hearted, or hold back, and it is even more inevitable. If they are all honest and are frightened to the point of falling to the ground by their "taking Cao Lin", then That's weird.
In comparison, the district chief had defeated the main force of Dongdu and killed two generals. The news that Li Shu led a large army from Henan to come to the rescue made him feel a little scared and ashamed - he had underestimated Li Shu too much. I underestimated Zhang Xing's ability to win people.
But it's just a trace.
The drizzle continued, and the great master's thoughts kept changing unexpectedly. At this time, probably because of the coach's silence, the following discussion also entered a certain branch.
"The Deposed Dragon Gang must not have enough food and grass for a few days. Even if they have to spend money to defeat them, how can they negotiate peace at this time?!" Sun Shunde's beard was gray, and his eyes were widening as he trembled as he spoke. It seems to choose people to devour. "If this is the case, wouldn't the thousands of men who died in the battle have lost their lives in vain?! Who are you looking for revenge?!"
"It's not about peace, it's about persuading surrender." Wang Huaitong, a dignified Wenzong, could not be frightened by an old gangster on the other side. He just explained calmly.
"Persuasion to surrender, what kind of persuasion?" Sun Shunde sneered. "How can we say that Zhang San turned his back and surrendered as a courtesy? To put it bluntly, even if he really agreed and came like this, we would kill him, otherwise who knows whether he would have There is a dragon bone awl hidden under the Fulong Seal, are you ready to fight to the death with Mr. Bai?"
"Didn't General Sun say that? They have run out of food. If they can be given a way to survive, why do they have to fight so hard?" Wang Huaitong looked puzzled.
"The evil spirit is unpredictable!" Sun Shunde couldn't help but turned his head, as if he realized that it would be ridiculous to act like a gangster with someone like Wang Huaitong. "The heart of a thief is unpredictable! It's impossible to say that the third thief Zhang is so ruthless and weird... Didn't they say that the dragon should be deposed! What kind of dragon? Those who are good at benefiting the world are dragons! According to this saying, Mr. Bai We are dragons among men! We are also dragon colts! There are some weird people who think that they can become gods by deposing a few dragons!"
Wang Huaitong also smiled, obviously unwilling to argue with the other party about such nonsense, and just said it seriously: "Everyone, have you reached a conclusion on the food issue at Zhang Xing's place? Is it just these few days?"
"It should be." Li Ding interjected. "Faster, shorter, at most three to five days..."
"Where are the horses?" Wang Huaitong continued to ask.
"There is no calculation. If we really do it, it will be endless if we cook Liuhe boots and eat each other's soldiers... As long as they kill horses, they will lose the ability to break out and fight, and their morale will collapse; as long as they start to run out of food, Then he will be exhausted... then Bai Gong can take action." Li Ding continued to explain. "To put it bluntly, if the smoke changes, we will be able to detect abnormalities and test the attack... Therefore, based on the current situation, it is still a matter of determination."
"You still have to think carefully about killing a horse." Dou Qi analyzed carefully. "Although the deposed dragon thief is besieged, his morale is sufficient... I personally estimate that the first three to five days after killing the horse will still be adequate."
Wang Huaitong was puzzled: "The seven battalions of the Deposed Dragon Gang fled back that day, at least a thousand horses, enough to eat. Why do they say that when the food is exhausted, morale will inevitably weaken?"
"Because fodder and firewood also affect morale." Wang Chenguo interrupted at the right time to explain. "My lord, serious food and horse meat are not the same thing. Generally speaking, when the reserves are sufficient, fodder, including firewood, and even soy, vinegar and oil, should be delivered according to the food and according to the day... ...In other words, when it comes to eating horse meat, it’s not just food that’s gone, and now it’s starting to rain again.”
Wang Huaitong was stunned.
And Xue Changxiong didn't say anything at all at this time, just watching coldly... No matter what these people said, he would not agree to take the initiative to attack. As for Li Ding who wanted to attack Li Shu and also participated in the siege of Zhang Xing, That is this guy's own business and has nothing to do with him, General Xue.
"So, you don't know how much food there is at Zhang Xing's place?" After coming to his senses, Wang Huaitong still seemed to insist on his position. "What if, what if, the Deposed Dragon Gang has ten or twenty days of extra food, and can continue killing horses for another ten days? Do you want to persuade them to surrender... .It is not only to persuade to surrender, but also to test and check... If the food is exhausted, that’s it. If the food is still enough, it is better to negotiate peace as soon as possible!”
"That's good." Feng Wuyi immediately became energetic after hearing the peace talks. But many people in the tent just wanted to laugh.
Bai Hengqiu also looked at Wang Huaitong... He realized the problem. Wang Huaitong and Feng Wuyi seemed to be the people with the closest stance, but in fact they were very different. They were both literati, and both had some problems. It is natural that people with conscience want to solve problems through politics rather than force. However, Feng Wuyi looks at it from the local standpoint in Hebei, while Wang Huaitong looks at it from the standpoint of Jin... Therefore, Feng Wuyi may fall to Zhang Xing, but Wang Huaitong is undoubtedly one of his own.
The situation has changed. There is no need to worry about these things with Wang Huaitong on his side. If Wen Zong wants to "persuade", he will "persuade". At least it will show that he has tried his best and appears to be morally noble, right?
Can Zhang Xing really be surrendered?
After thinking about this, Bai Hengqiu finally spoke: "The prince wants to persuade you to surrender and test it, which is fine, but you can't go in person. Zhang San has the Fulong Seal. If the prince's cultivation is past, I'm afraid he will just become a man with no hands." A scholar with the power of a chicken... I don’t think Zhang San would do such a thing, but I can’t let the prince do it, otherwise the world will think that I despise the prince.”
"My student Fang Xuanqiao is a smart man, and I trust him and can let him pass." Wang Huaitong was silent for a moment and chose to obey.
Fang Xuanqiao, who was sitting next to and behind Wang Huaitong, leaned over slightly. If Bai Hengqiu hadn't been so advanced in cultivation, he might not have been able to see this person at all.
"Feng Gong can also send people to follow." Bai Hengqiu nodded and continued to look at Feng Wuyi. "Both of them are benevolent people. Although I don't agree with it, I don't think things can be so good. But the situation is like this. If I can't give you a chance, doesn't it mean that I can't take care of the people of Hebei?"
"Thank you so much, Mr. Bai." Feng Wuyi's spirits were slightly lifted.
Xue Changxiong, Li Ding, Dou Qi and others did not interrupt, not only because they did not want to question Bai Hengqiu needlessly, but because they knew in their hearts that Feng Wuyi was one of the predetermined solutions to this battle, and there was no need to interfere. .
Now that he had spoken, Bai Hengqiu could only continue: "What everyone said just now is very good. The Eastern Front will follow your opinions and let Zheng Shanye withdraw his troops to defend the city. What do you think?"
Most of the people were speechless, but at this time, one of them couldn't help but speak, and it was Qu Tuda:
"Mr. Bai, my subordinates are taking the liberty. General Zheng is leading a group of defeated soldiers, and their morale is already low. Then we will soon know about the rumors in the direction of Dongdu... If the large army of the Dragon Army comes to attack at this time, we can go But what if the Deposed Dragon Gang sends a sharp force to attack, and there is an emergency situation with General Zheng and he cannot support it?"
Bai Hengqiu glanced at Qu Tuda, his expression unchanged: "General Qu Tuda, do you have any suggestions?"
"Mr. Bai, the morale of the Dongdu Army is low. Why not replace it with the Taiyuan Army, the Wu'an Army, the Hejian Army, or even the Youzhou Army?" Qu Tuda responded sincerely. "I'm also afraid of missing Mr. Bai's important event."
"Mr. Bai has an order, of course we are happy to obey." Luo Shu quickly expressed his stance.
"Then where does General Qutu think the Dongdu Army should be positioned?" Bai Hengqiu ignored Luo Shu, but his eyes actually fell on Duan Wei, who was frowning.
"The Dongdu Army can go sweep Ji County for the general and recapture the grain road." Of course Qu Tuda would not be timid at this time. What he wanted was a firm expression at this time.
"You mean, after today, the Dongdu Army was confused by Sima Zheng's news, their morale was low, and their morale was unstable. They only wanted to return like an arrow, and fought on their way back to Ji County, but they showed the intention of returning to the army?" Bai Hengqiu Ask with a smile.
"That's exactly what I mean." Qu Tuda replied sincerely.
"Duan Gong, Xue Gong, Wang Gong, General Manager Luo, Li Fujun, Feng Fujun, General Qutu, General Sun, General Liu, General Dou...and General Wang Chenkuo, these people stay, and the rest Everyone, please go out." Bai Hengqiu was silent for a moment and then spoke.
Everyone knew that the British prince had unified his thoughts from the highest level, or had made a direct decision, but they quickly got up and left.
Among them, Fang Xuanqiao was included.
He folded his hands and left the big tent among a group of military documents. He came to the muddy ground with drizzle outside. When he looked up, he saw Su Jing in the shed in front of the Chinese army tent and under the general platform. Fang Zheng was sandwiched between a group of soldiers and looked around. He was about to walk over with a smile, but unexpectedly someone grabbed him from behind. When he turned around, it was a middle-aged officer he didn't recognize.
"Zhang Gongshen, the captain of Anle in Youzhou, has seen Fang join the army." The man immediately handed over his hand.
Fang Xuanqiao was stunned, smiled and nodded.
There was a crowd outside, but the Chinese army tent was empty, with only twelve people sitting there.
"Everyone, the truth is very clear. It's difficult to say it in front of the people below. Now I will say it directly. The joint efforts of the Dongdu Army and the Taiyuan Army here are not enough to maintain the coalition." Bai Hengqiu glanced at the rest of the people and spoke simply. "It's not that I can't trust you, it's that the army has been united in a hurry and cannot entrust the life and death of the country to a mere ten-day friendship! The Dragon Clan said that I am good at benefiting the world, so there are some things that I will decide... .....Duan Gong, please ask your commander-in-chief Wu'an to go to Ji County and rebuild the grain road."
Everyone changed color at the same time.
"Mr. Duan, are you willing to go?" Bai Hengqiu asked directly without a moment's free time.
"Yes." Duan Wei hesitated for a moment, but agreed, and then took the initiative to look at Li Ding. "Li Silang, are you willing to send troops and horses to follow me?"
Li Ding was stunned and speechless.
But Bai Hengqiu raised his voice and said: "No matter who it is, please agree first, otherwise, you can engage in military law today... Cao Lin can die, but no one can die!"
In the almost frozen tent, Li Ding thought for a while and simply looked at Bai Hengqiu... The latter faced him without hesitation, without wavering at all.
I don't know how long it took, but the young warlord nodded in response: "It doesn't matter to anyone else. Mr. Duan is my benefactor, so of course I am willing."
"General Qutu, Zheng Shanye is a person in name only. He despises his subordinates. He is just another clan general. Let him defend on the eastern front. I am really worried... To put it bluntly, if he is really captured by that guy again. The commander and deputy commander were killed. I'm not afraid of the collapse of the Eastern Front. I'm just afraid that the two commanders will immediately become masters... Go ahead and come back for him!" Bai Hengqiu looked at it immediately after receiving the reply. To Qutuda.
Qutuda didn't hesitate at all, he simply stood up, bowed his head and saluted: "Yes!"
"The Dongdu Army Camp, I will take charge of it from tomorrow on!" The British Duke nodded and continued to speak. "Li Silang stays here and works hard as General Dou's deputy to control the camp here."
"Yes." Li Ding agreed again, and he agreed very simply.
"The rest of the people are still waiting..." Bai Hengqiu continued. "Who has any objections?"
"Didn't I say that? You can engage in military law today, and no one below Cao Lin is immune to death... Who dares to have any objection?" Xue Changxiong said with a smile.
"Then to be honest, I don't dare to give orders to the Hejian Army? Mr. Xue, please respect yourself." Bai Hengqiu responded solemnly.
Xue Changxiong was immediately awe-inspiring.
"Everyone, I am not joking about what happened today. If anyone really objects to this arrangement, I will deal with it immediately without hesitation." Upon seeing this, Bai Hengqiu glanced at everyone again, his tone serious. "But I also know that with force and prestige, no matter how obedient you are on the surface, you must be very resentful in your heart! Otherwise, if Cao Lin's power was eliminated that day, you should have bowed down. How could you have caused what happened today? But everyone, please remember What about the old story of the day when Grand Master Sima Hong instituted the system of joining the army with the twelve generals of the Eight Pillar Kingdom and the Four Records, and unified Guan and Long?"
The other eleven people were surprised. How could they not understand that this was someone's biggest political promise?
"The twelve people in the tent today, Duan, Xue, Luo, and Li, can be the four-pillar kingdom; Wang Feng can be the two soldiers; and the rest can be the one-guard generals!" Bai Hengqiu spoke slowly, but his words were clear and unmistakable.
I don’t know how many times the tent fell into a strange silence.
This time, it was Xue Changxiong who broke the silence: "Young Lord, the Wei Dynasty is still here!"
"I know." Bai Hengqiu glared. "Of course, Cao Lin has been destroyed by me, and Sima Zheng raises his troops to the east capital, then Jiangdu will be in chaos, Cao Che will die, and the Wei Dynasty will be destroyed by then! In other words, the Wei Dynasty will be destroyed by my hands. Can we count on this matter? Is it perfunctory for thousands of generations?!"
Xue Changxiong was silent again, and Feng, Wang, Luo, Li, and Duan also looked strange.
"Since the great Wei Dynasty was destroyed by me, how can we stop now?" Bai Hengqiu continued. "I dare to ask you, next, if I don't do the things in this world, who will do it? If I don't take advantage of the benefits in this world, who will take advantage of it? It's Zhang Xing, who confuses the people with his monstrous words and deceives people's hearts... I'm not saying that he can't do anything in the world, but with his actions, won't the heroes of the world be cut to pieces by him? In the future, won't the world seem to be suppressed by the Fulong Seal! How can a hero tolerate this? ? And with such intolerable evil, you may not be able to defeat it, or you may not be able to plan, or you may not be able to calm down, or you may not be determined..."
At this point, Bai Hengqiu suddenly laughed out loud. The real energy in his laughter was not only shaking the military tent, but also surrounding the entire Chinese army camp. After laughing, he stood up and He pointed his finger at everyone present: "Gentlemen, gentlemen! If I hadn't come to Hebei this time, you would all be in the mud under Zhang Xing's feet! How can you still doubt that I can't divide the benefits of the world with you? That's what happened today. It’s settled! Let’s hold the armor together, take the wealth and wealth together, and the whole world can share it!”
Under the shed outside the tent, there were countless lieutenant generals and soldiers. Although they didn't know what "community" meant, they were already stunned. Fang Xuanqiao, Zhang Gongshen, and Su Jingfang were sitting together, chatting and testing each other. When I got here, I couldn't help but feel lost for a moment.
"It's probably going to break up." Fang Xuanqiao was the first to come to his senses, rolled up his sleeves and said with a smile. "Then let's put it like this. You two will each go back to the camp with the general to prepare something, find an explanation, and then just go to my place. I will go back with my mentor to make the paperwork, and then we will go to the Weizi to find out the truth. "
At noon, Zhang Gongshen passed by Feng Wuyi's camp, and Su Jingfang left Wu'an's army before the troops took off, and met Fang Xuanqiao together.
As expected, Fang Xuanqiao was so loyal that he took two of them as his entourage, plus a group of escorting soldiers, holding a white flag, and crossed the already muddy fortifications to the camp of the Deposed Dragon Gang.
Zhang Xing was playing chess with Ma Wei when he heard the news and asked, "What does this mean? Are you asking to surrender at this time?"
"There is some persuasion to surrender, but you should ask about the food and grass in the camp..." Ma Wei's cheeks and face may be a little pale because he hasn't drank for a long time, but his brain is still fast. "There must be brothers outside who are doing something to disturb them."
Zhang Xing nodded in approval and asked with a smile: "Then shall I meet alone or in public?"
"The chief will come to see you one by one in turn." Ma Wei still spoke simply. "Don't forget, we have many friends in the opposite camp. Since they are students of Duke Huaitong, it will be easier to make arrangements."
Zhang Xing nodded again and did as he was told. The people were welcomed into the camp and everyone was placed separately. At this time, he knew that Su Jingfang was among them, so he took the lead and summoned him immediately.
"Uncle Master." When Su Jingfang saw Zhang Xing, he knelt down and bowed down, speaking concisely and concisely. "The Deposed Dragon Gang has won both the east and west fronts, which has affected the troops here. If we want to argue, in the past few days, only Bai Hengqiu has been equally kind and powerful, and the situation seems to be stable."
Some people died, but not completely...
