Late at night, the rain suddenly fell heavily. Jin Shenghuan on the top of the city was overjoyed. He rushed to the battlements and looked outside to see that the rebels had really withdrawn. He couldn't help laughing and said: "I can finally have a good sleep." However, even so, he couldn't help but laugh. They did not dare to be careless in the slightest, and ordered the soldiers to patrol strictly without any sloppiness. After all, Kuang Ren took advantage of the heavy rain to climb the wall and seize the city. It would be a big shame if the thieves killed him in return.
At this time, Wang Zamao just lay down outside the city, but he was tossing and turning and couldn't fall asleep. There was something important on his mind.
Someone knocked on the door, it was Pan Dahu: "Boss, something is wrong."
Wang Zamao stood up and opened the door, letting Pan Dahu into the room: "What's wrong?"
"It was raining heavily just now, so the brothers retreated and had nothing to do, saying that someone was asking about what happened when it got dark today..." Wang Zamao was shocked, someone sent from Wang Tizhong! At this time, he already knew that Wang Tizhong was on the other side of the Qingge River and was preparing to cross the water. However, he was secretly investigating him. Could it be that the news was leaked?
"It's impossible for the news to be leaked. We brothers all trust it. Even if someone snitched, it wouldn't have reached his ears so quickly just a few moments ago. It can only be said that there is suspicion in the king's body. Otherwise, he would not just send people to investigate secretly, but directly Take someone or trick you into meeting him!" Pan Dahu analyzed simply.
Wang Zamao nodded and then breathed a sigh of relief: "If it was just a suspicion, he couldn't find out who Chou Yin Mao was."
Pan Dahu frowned: "But the officers and soldiers came when it got dark. You led the troops to meet the enemy and chatted with them alone for a long time. Then the officers and soldiers withdrew. This was seen by many people. If Wang Tizhong knew about it, I'm afraid..."
"It doesn't matter. If it's just this little thing, I've already thought about how to deal with it. As long as what our brothers discussed just now isn't leaked, there's nothing he can do to me!" Wang Zamao waved his hand gently, but as soon as he finished his words, he heard someone in the courtyard. Someone shouted, and the soldiers hurried over to say that Wang Tizhong had sent someone to send a message asking him to go to the other side immediately to discuss important matters.
Wang Zamao was shocked, and Pan Dahu even shouted: "No! It seems that there is already suspicion in the king's body, and he will escape death."
"That's not entirely true." Wang Zamao was shocked and calmed down a little: "If you are just suspicious, Wang Zizhong will not kill me, but again: as long as what we discussed is not leaked, I will not die!"
"If he knows about the recruitment of officers and soldiers..." Pan Dahu hesitated.
"You know he has no intention of surrender?" Wang Zamao smiled coldly, and Pan Dahu nodded: "I'll call the third and fourth sons here to ask questions." After saying that, he turned around and left, and after a while, he said what he had discussed in secret before. Several people came over to find him, and each of them swore that there would be no rumors. Wang Zamao observed the words and deeds and found no lies, and felt relieved again: "If that's the case, go see him."
"Brother, why should we take risks? Why don't we surrender directly to the officers and soldiers and then explain to him? If he wants to surrender, the credit will still be ours. If he doesn't surrender, just fine." A confidant advised, and everyone agreed and persuaded him not to let him cross the water to see Wang Tizhong.
Wang Zamao thought for a long time, gritted his teeth and shook his head: "Wealth and honor are obtained at risk. If you surrender to officers and soldiers and are not reused and bullied by others, it would be better to be a thief. Only by taking the head of the king's body can you exchange for glory and wealth!" Now that we’ve decided to do it, we’ll do it big time!”
Seeing how determined he was, several people knew that they could no longer persuade him.
In the village on the south side of the Qingge River, Wang Tizhong picked out the flickering oil lamp on the table and said casually: "Do you think that guy will come?"
"If he doesn't come to explain that there is something wrong in his heart, the general has thought about how to deal with it?" Liu Xi frowned beside him.
Wang Tizhong stood up and walked to the door. He looked at the pouring rain outside and sneered: "Even if he comes, he can't prove that he has no evil intentions, but as long as he comes, there is still room for maneuver. If he doesn't come to Qingge River, we won't have to go through it." ".
"The general means that he has surrendered his officers and soldiers?"
"I'm not sure, but there is definitely something wrong, because I really can't figure out why he didn't kill him when facing hundreds of officers and soldiers, but instead chatted for a long time and then returned to the camp. Who would believe that there is nothing fishy in this!" Wang Tizhong heard this as soon as he finished speaking. There was a noise outside the hospital: "General, Wang Zamao is back."
Liu Xi, who was sitting in the room, stood up and walked to the door: "He is actually here."
Wang Tizhong was obviously a little surprised: "Maybe... it's not what we thought."
There was a strong wind and heavy rain outside. Wang Zamao came ashore and was already soaked. He did not come alone but brought five followers. However, he was surrounded as soon as he landed. A one-eyed dragon seemed to be smiling but not smiling: "Wang Zamao heard that You kid is a mess, you are really capable."
This person Wang Zamao knew was one of the confidants in the king's body, so he snorted coldly: "There is no need to add insult to injury. The sewer capsize will not drown me, as long as the boat does not capsize in the Qingge River." He looked around and said, "Where is the general?" ?”
"The general has been waiting for a long time." The one-eyed dragon raised his hand and pointed toward the southwest. There was a faint light coming from there. Wang Zamao stepped forward: "Then lead the way quickly, I am almost dying of cold." The one-eyed dragon chuckled and led the way, chatting casually with Wang Zamao. After a while, he arrived at the entrance of the village: "The brothers are waiting outside. Wang Zamao, just go in by yourself."
Moreover, Wang Zamao sneered, nodded slightly to a few followers, and then followed the one-eyed dragon into a courtyard. When he saw the surrounding guards, he knew it was the king's camp.
"Young man who cheated the officers and soldiers and lost the city deserves to be punished by the general!" Wang Zamao entered the courtyard and saw Wang Tizhong standing at the door of the hall, so he hurriedly took a few steps forward and knelt down in the muddy water in front of him, bowing his head. Please forgive me.
Wang Zizhong looked at Wang Zamao who was kneeling on the ground with a playful smile on his face, and reached out to help him up: "You are the one who destroyed the city, and you are also the one who lost the city. If people use their merits to atone for their sins, you should pay for their sins." Take credit."
This... Wang Zamao was startled, and Liu Xi, who was next to him, pulled him into the room: "Okay, the general won't punish you. Quickly change your clothes and have a good chat with us about how you messed up the officers and soldiers."
Wang Zamao felt relieved, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "The officers and soldiers are extremely treacherous..." After saying this, he entered the house, changed his clothes quickly, drank some hot water to warm up, and then told the story of the past few days. Wang Tizhong and Liu I like to listen carefully and sometimes make eye contact.
At the end, Wang Zamao sighed: "I made a wrong step and I regret that I should have listened to that wild Taoist's nonsense and transferred all the troops to the riverside outside the city, but allowed the officers and soldiers to succeed."
"It's not your fault for this, that wild Taoist under your command. Anyone would be fooled." Liu Xi reassured him, and then changed the topic: "But I'm a little confused. When you attacked the city, the officers and soldiers were ready to send reinforcements, so why did they stop again? Why don't you go forward and just watch death without saving anything?"
"I didn't understand it at first. I guessed that the officers and soldiers who came to the rescue didn't get along with the officers and soldiers in the city, so they refused to save them. This kind of thing happens a lot among the officers and soldiers." Wang Tizhong and Liu Xi looked at each other and nodded. , There is nothing wrong with this. It is commonplace for officers and soldiers to have one side trapped in a tight siege and the other side not to save them. Gao Jie, Liu Zeqing, Zuo Liangyu, etc. have all done this kind of thing.
"Is there any other reason?" Wang Tizhong asked.
"Yes. At that time, I sent Tang Hu to lead thousands of refugees to build momentum there, which might have frightened the officers and soldiers' reinforcements. After all, the officers and soldiers are all timid." Wang Zamao smiled bitterly and shook his head: "But I won't know the true meaning until it gets dark today. s reason".
"Oh? What's that for?" Wang Tizhong raised his eyebrows.
"This matter is extremely confidential. I wanted to take the general across the river tomorrow and meet before we discuss it." Wang Zamao said cautiously in a low voice, "The officers and soldiers want to recruit you."
ah! Wang Tizhong and Liu Xi looked at each other, and both saw the other's surprise. They originally wanted to trick this guy into talking, but he took the initiative to tell the whole story. Could it be that he was wrongly blamed.
"Be more detailed." Wang Tizhong's face was solemn. He picked up the bowl and drank some water, but his hands were shaking. Wang Zamao saw this detail and muttered in his heart. Could it be that he was also moved: "It was getting dark yesterday and then the sky cleared up. Suddenly, a group of more than 300 officers and soldiers appeared a few miles north of Wuhu City. I was shocked when I heard that Tang Hu couldn't even stop the 300 people. Could it be that the defense line there has been broken, but I thought if Tang Hu was defeated It’s impossible that no news came. I guessed that it might be officers and soldiers who took advantage of the loophole, so I led my troops to go and catch them all.”
"But why didn't we fight?" Liu Xi asked with a half-smile, and Wang Zamao sighed: "When I looked closer, the three hundred officers and soldiers were all armored cavalry, and I could feel the murderous aura hundreds of meters apart. , definitely the kind of warriors who have been on the battlefield for a long time. On the other hand, although I had thousands of people at the time, they were already exhausted and many of them were still hungry. At that time, I knew in my heart that if there was a fight, I would definitely defeat".
"You really make others more majestic! You are also murderous!" Liu Xi curled his lips, and Wang Zamao became a little anxious: "No matter how unpopular I, Wang Zamao, am, I have followed the general in the north and south and gone through life and death. Yes, you must have good eyesight."
"So you surrendered knowing you were bound to lose?" Wang Tizhong narrowed his eyes.
"No, no, no." Wang Zamao waved his hand vigorously: "No matter how powerful the officers and soldiers are, I still have five or six thousand people on hand, and ten of them can kill them all. Maybe the officers and soldiers also see it. When I came out, I didn't want to fight to the death, so I suddenly spoke in front of the battle, and I went."
"Who is the other party and what did he say?" Wang Tizhong shouted.
"The background is very big." Wang Zamao picked up the bowl and took a sip of water to calm down the chaotic emotions in his heart: "It's the eunuch of Dongchang who defeated King Chuang!"
ah! Wang Tizhong and Liu Xi stood up in shock: "How is that possible!"
"The real general, the real eunuch... He is actually very young..." Wang Zamao also quickly stood up: "Although the eunuch is young, he is very imposing... He is the kind of person who makes people look at him with just one glance. I’m heartbroken..."
"Okay, what did he say? Did he ask you to surrender?" Wang Tizhong calmed down his shock a little. At this time, his doubts about Wang Zamao faded a lot. If the officers and soldiers really came to recruit surrender, of course they must handle it with caution. It was necessary to discuss it face to face. Wang Zamao was right and excusable in not letting anyone pass on the message. It was not a concealment.
Wang Zamao smiled bitterly again and shook his head slightly: "They don't think much of me at all. They just asked me who I was and then said that I was Wang Tizhong's subordinate. I said yes, and he just asked him to bring you a message. If you wish, I am willing to surrender you to the third rank or above, and to be given the rank of general. If you don’t surrender, I will meet you on the battlefield and fight to the death. Let’s see who has a harder neck than you, King Chuang… King Chuang…” Wang Zamao is true and false. He made Wang Tizhong and Liu Xi change their expressions after adding more words. They sat in silence for a while, and paced back and forth for a while.
