"Come here, cut down the sacrificial flags of the imprisoned Dog Officer and his family, and then the army will immediately attack the city!"
Zhang Xianzhong received a report from Wang Dingguo, saying that there were dozens of official and military warships cruising in the Han River. Not only were the rebels unable to transport their troops to attack Fancheng, they were also shelled by warships on the shore, causing heavy losses. ∵八∵八∵Read ∵ book,.↗.▲o
The rebels had no warships, let alone a navy, and all the ships needed to cross the river had to be temporarily requisitioned. A small boat carrying only a few people could not compete with the huge official warships.
As a result, it would be impossible to cross the Han River during the day, but we could continue to smuggle thousands of people across the river tonight, otherwise the nearly a thousand soldiers already on the north bank would be unable to do anything.
If Xiangyang City cannot be captured, there are only two ways to go. Either go south to Yicheng, take the road to Zhongxiang, and then go straight to Wuchang. Either the whole army crosses the river and strives to capture Fancheng as soon as possible.
Choosing to go south is a long way, Zhongxiang is two hundred miles away, and the future of the labor expedition is uncertain. The advantage is that it can get rid of the encirclement and interception of Hong Chengchou's army, and the rebels can attack cities and seize territory as they like.
Crossing the river and going north, Fancheng is on the other side. The city's defenses are not as good as Xiangyang. The whole army may be able to capture it by force in two or three days, which can replenish food and wages as soon as possible. But crossing the river was a tricky matter. The rebels had few boats, and the government troops were hindered by the navy. It was quite difficult to cross the river.
Under the premise that he could not cross the river for the time being, Zhang Xianzhong decided to launch an attack on Xiangyang City. If there was an unexpected surprise, he would be able to eat his fill and escape before Hong Chengchou learned of his true movements.
"Report~! I am reporting to the commander-in-chief that the captured soldiers of General Wang Shangli have been released from the city, saying that we will use our soldiers to exchange for the lives of officials and their families!"
"...Oh? Wait a moment, let me think about it first!"
After hearing the news, Zhang Xianzhong withdrew the beheading order just now, and sent people to bring the soldiers to identify them. However, their identities were verified, and they were indeed soldiers under Wang Shangli's command.
After detailed questioning, everyone knew that Wang Shangli was only captured and did not die in the battle. In addition to him, there were hundreds of people detained in the city by the army.
"Commander Father, officers and soldiers have always been cunning and capricious, so we must be on guard. I hope my Commander-in-Chief will think twice!"
Having fought with the government and the army for many years, with victories and defeats, both sides tried their best to use all kinds of conspiracies and tricks, so Zhang Wenxiu did not believe that the defenders in the city had such good intentions.
"Commander, what the three generals said makes sense, but our army is still in the process of employing people. If we can really trade those officials for General Wang and his elite troops, it would be a good idea!"
The right military advisor Xu Yixian's starting point was completely different from Zhang Wenxiu's. Ma Yuanli had died in the battle, Zhang Nengqi was injured, Wang Shangli was captured, and Wang Dingguo was frustrated in crossing the river. No matter what method is used, it is good to add more manpower to the army.
"Yes, yes, yes! My son and the military advisor both have a point. This exchange of generals has been happening since ancient times. The officers and soldiers are also cunning, and it is difficult to tell the truth from the false. If Wang Shangli is really captured and not dead, I can replace him with an official, but How can I trust the officers and soldiers?"
Wang Shangli can be regarded as an effective member of his army. Zhang Xianzhong has great trust in him, otherwise he would not be sent as an internal response. Even if he is captured by the army, he will be defeated. The Eight Kings will not blame him and can take advantage of the situation. It will be better to come back.
But whether the prisoner exchange was true or not, and what kind of mystery was involved in the process, this was what the Eight Kings were most concerned about. Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong was quite tempted by the prisoner exchange, but he still had doubts, especially about the sincerity of the officers and soldiers. I don't quite believe it.
"To report to the commander-in-chief, the soldiers who were released also said that in order to show the sincerity of the officers and soldiers, our army can first send people to rescue the wounded near the moat. [∞八[∞八[∞Read[∞书,.︾.o ＠There will be no artillery fire in the city, so you can safely take him in, and the time limit is two-quarters of an hour. If possible, the prisoners will be exchanged after half an hour!"
Swapping one for another, exchanging civil servants for generals, and exchanging petty officials and their families for captains and soldiers, is an absolutely cost-effective thing for the rebels who are about to launch a siege.
The more than a thousand men and horses Wang Shangli brought into the city were all elite soldiers. The Eight Kings did not want to destroy this elite force so easily. If they could exchange it for them, they would be able to fight against three thousand officers and soldiers.
"Hmph! If there are people in the city who are aware of current affairs, then they should act like this!"
Zhang Xianzhong agreed after thinking for a moment. He first sent two hundred people and dozens of carriages to load those who were still worthy of salvage. Those who were seriously injured were considered unlucky and could stay where they were to fend for themselves.
Herbal medicines are limited and must be reserved for emergencies. Even if someone is rescued, it will be difficult for a seriously injured person to recover without enough medicine and time, so why waste those medicines.
After the rebels captured Xiangyang, they stopped for a while and then immediately broke out of camp to guard against Hong Chengchou's massive counterattack. These seriously injured soldiers were unable to move in with the army on their own, and they could not be treated from any angle.
Even if the seriously wounded soldiers survived until morning, seeing themselves abandoned by their companions who came to search for the lightly wounded, all they could feel was despair. The only thing they could do was to lie motionless on the ground. Waiting to die.
The defenders also kept their promise and did not act rashly. They were quietly watching the thieves outside the city cleaning the battlefield. Since they were not here to attack the city, there was no need for everyone to make unnecessary trouble.
After achieving relatively ideal results in the first stage, the Eight Kings agreed to the next plan proposed by the defenders. Gucheng County Magistrate Ruan Zhidian, patrol censor Lin Mingqiu, and Qianshi Supervisor Zhang Dajing led Gucheng All the officials were escorted to the front of the formation.
First change the generals, then change the captains, and then change the soldiers. These are three specific steps. The best number of generals makes it easiest to control the exchange process. This can ensure that Wang Shangli and others can safely change back to the formation.
A team of dozens of people was also sent from the opposite side, and Wang Shangli and his two deputies were escorted from the city to outside the moat, and the "three-for-three" game began.
Wang Chengzeng, the prefect of Xiangyang, and his deputy Yang Shien hid behind the crenellations and took a peek. The reason why they took action was to delay Zhang Ni's attack time, and to find out what was going on in Gucheng.
Only by personally asking Ruan Zhidian, the magistrate of Gucheng County, and others can we figure out the whole story. Furthermore, if the army led by Hong Shaobao is still staying in Gucheng, it means that the whereabouts of Zhang Ni's rebel army have not been known.
If we can use these captured rebel soldiers to hold back Zhang Ni, we can buy half a day or even a day for the army to return for reinforcements. It is estimated that a day and night have passed since the flying cavalry delivered the message. I wonder if Hong Shaobao has already sent his troops south. .
Fortunately, these thieves were not killed before, otherwise there would be no bait for Zhang Ni to take the bait now. "This fish" is very cunning. Once it is decoupled, it will be difficult to catch it again. Therefore, Wang Chengzeng and Yang Shien are very cautious in their operations. .
Each side sent out a captain and nine soldiers to escort the prisoners under their command to a distance of about one hundred steps. Then the captain led three soldiers and three prisoners to a distance of twenty steps.
Both sides first took a look at the appearance of the prisoners being escorted from the opposite side. After confirming that they were correct, they began to replace them one by one. Since the most people were replaced at the end, no one had any intention of taking action on the other side. They were just very vigilant and took precautions, that's all.
After the exchange, they all returned to the formation and started the next batch of exchanges. The process was quite smooth, and there were no emergencies. However, there was still a problem for the Eight Kings...
"Commander, the total number of Gucheng officials and family members captured by our army is less than 300, while the officers and soldiers captured as many as a thousand of our soldiers. In the end, our army has no prisoners to replace, wouldn't we suffer a loss?"
Pan Dubiao, the left military advisor, had foreseen the final situation and reminded the Eight Kings in advance that they must make preparations in advance.
"What do you think of Zuo's military advisor?"
Zhang Xianzhong also thought about this problem, but he didn't say it out yet, and he didn't have any good solutions.
"Why don't we capture the people nearby to make up the numbers!"
Pan Dubiao believed that this move was only a temporary measure, and he did not kill them. He only captured them to deal with the prisoner exchange. There was no danger to them at all, and it would be bad if they were injured by artillery fire outside the city.
"Hahahaha... That's great! Just follow what Military Advisor Zuo said!"
Zhang Xianzhong wouldn't mind catching people to make up the numbers, as long as he could get his elite soldiers back, what he would use in exchange was the second priority.
In the city, Wang Chengzeng, the prefect of Xiangyang, finally met his subordinate Ruan Zhidian, the magistrate of Gucheng County, and hurriedly asked about what had happened these days.
"Ashamed to say, the commander-in-chief Chen Hongfan fled without a fight. The lower officials, Lin Shiyu, and Zhang Qianshi had to defend the enemy together with their lieutenants Ma Tingbao and Xu Qizuo. However, the bandit army was so powerful that we were outnumbered, and then Ma Tingbao and Xu Qizuo surrendered to the enemy one after another. , we will be reduced to... alas!"
Ruan Zhidian originally wanted to sacrifice his life for righteousness, but the bandit army did not give him this chance at all. He was tied up like a rice dumpling and was not untied until he entered the mountain.
Since his family members were also escorted by the bandits, Ruan Zhidian saw how miserable his family was and couldn't bear to abandon them and commit suicide alone, so he had to follow the bandits over the mountains and ridges in disgrace.
Lin Mingqiu, the imperial censor who was once a prisoner with Ruan Zhidian, saw this and comforted him: "The Ming Dynasty does not need to blame itself. We have tried our best to keep ourselves useful. We just want to inform the prefect of the ins and outs." , and then you can be loyal to the imperial court!"
Lin Mingqiu asked someone to bring him a map and drew out all the routes he could remember for the bandit army's advance. Ruan Zhidian also tried hard to recall this experience and made some additions, which could be regarded as a summary of what the bandit army had done these days. Everything was done in front of everyone.
Wang Chengzeng, the prefect of Xiangyang, looked at the path on the map and commented with a frown: "So, Zhang Ni is very cunning. If you hadn't been lying down among the rebels, we and the defenders would still be in the dark. , send this map to Hong Shaobao as soon as possible, and it will definitely help him! The three of you have worked hard all the way, there is no need to belittle yourself, it is just the situation. If you are not talented, I will definitely explain the truth to Hong Shaobao, and explain the truth to the court for the three of you. Explain the whole story.”
Wang Chengzeng would not unilaterally believe the words of the three people, but there is one supporting evidence, that is, the commander-in-chief Tang Tong. Tang Tong's army had just been wiped out in the mountains, and Jiang Mingwu met Tang Tong halfway.
According to the route of the bandits' advance marked by Lin Mingqiu on the map, as well as the oral accounts of the three people, there is a surprising overlap with Tang Tong's previous encounters. This shows that most of what Tang Tong said is true, and the statements of the three of them also have great merits. at.
If Hong Shaobao sends his troops back to help and fills in what he saw and heard in Gucheng, then the development of the whole incident can be fleshed out and the testimony of the five people can be directly confirmed.
Zhang Ni was just outside the city, so there was no need for the five of them to join forces to deceive, especially the three civil servants obtained through prisoner exchange. It was doubtful that their families could be preserved when all the people in Gucheng were massacred by the bandits.
However, the bandit army will not be able to enter Xiangyang City for a while. If they just send three civilian officials to carefully enter the city, it will not have any military effect.
Especially after Xiong Wencan was deposed by Hong Chengchou, Wang Chengzeng, the prefect of Xiangyang, was the highest local official and directly obeyed the orders of Fang Kongzhen, the governor of Huguang.
If Zhang Xianzhong felt that the three details he sent could influence Wang Chengzeng verbally, there were only two possibilities, either he was wishful thinking, or Wang Chengzeng was a waste without his own opinion.
Wang Chengzeng couldn't say how powerful he was, but he and his boss Fang Kongzhen had previously written to the court to take thunderous measures against Zhang Xianzhong's troops. This shows that Wang Chengzeng also believed that Zhang Xianzhong was faking surrender and must be guarded against.
Wang Chengzeng did not dare to completely believe the words provided by officials who had been captured by the rebels, even if they were all his subordinates. Most of their statements could only be used as his own reference.
We can only send people to place them in a house in the city after understanding the general situation, and keep them under good guard until Hong Shaobao or Fang Kongzhen arrives before dealing with them.
Wang Chengzeng did not want to treat these people, Jiang Mingwu and Tang Tong, because although these two generals were in a state of embarrassment when they knocked on the city, they were not captured by the rebels at least, at least Wang Chengzeng did not see such a scene.
Although Wang Chengzeng and Yang Shien were very suspicious of the two at first, their identities were directly proven soon after Wang Shangli led his fake officers and soldiers into the trap.
It can be said that Wang Shangli used his own troops of more than a thousand soldiers to clear away the stains on Jiang Mingwu and Tang Tong. Without Wang Shangli's troops, Wang Chengzeng and Yang Shien would not be able to safely and boldly use these two generals to defend the city.
Through secret observation of Jiang Mingwu's troops, Yang Shien discovered that although his soldiers were exhausted, they wished they could fall asleep after entering the city.
However, all kinds of weapons and equipment, including firecrackers, bows and arrows, and long knives, were all there, and there were no battle scars on the soldiers' bodies. They did not look like they looked like after being defeated and captured.
Since the seals, ordnance, and the bandit army can prove their identity, Wang Chengzeng and Yang Shien will no longer doubt the two generals.
Moreover, through the interrogation of Wang Shangli, they also learned in advance that the rebel army would adopt a method of cooperating inside and outside to attack Xiangyang. After that, the defenders used their plan to annihilate Liu Jinzhong's men in one fell swoop.
The officials who had been replaced could answer questions for Wang Chengzeng and Yang Shien, but they still had one question.
Since Zhang Ni crossed the mountains and ridges to sneak attack Xiangyang, but now Xiangyang city is impregnable, he sent people to cross the river, is this a sham, or is this a real plan?
Crossing the river to attack Fancheng, whether it can be conquered is secondary. These tens of thousands of bandit soldiers do not have enough boats. They only have dozens of small boats. In addition, the government navy is unscathed and can be dispatched to intercept at any time. How can the bandit army successfully cross the river? ?
If according to what Gucheng officials said, Zhang Xianzhong's route was so weird that he could deceive the talented and learned Hong Shaobao. How could he become so stupid after his first setback at Xiangyang City?
This is incredible!
Wang Chengzeng and Yang Shien could not figure out the mystery.
But no matter what, Xiangyang City must be defended, and Zhang Ni's troops outside the city can delay it as long as they can.
It would be best for Hong Shaobao to gather and annihilate this bandit army outside Xiangyang City before Zhang Ni realizes that the city cannot be breached and turns to other areas.
Otherwise, wherever Zhang Ni and his tens of thousands of troops go, it will be a serious problem for the imperial court.
It is better to get rid of it early than to get rid of it late. Both Wang Chengzeng and Yang Shien are eagerly looking forward to Hong Shaobao's army returning as soon as possible... 11... Friends who are reading, you can search "Blue Chinese Network" to find this website as soon as possible oh.
