In fact, what the sentinel saw and heard from a distance was not the full reason and true situation of Yin Tuo's army's defeat.
Li Dan sent Shen Wu and others to sneak into the enemy camp at night when the enemy offered money to retreat, and released the "false news" that the old camp in Jiyang Mountain had been captured by the Lou family, and that all the grain, grass, and family members had been transported away.
Although this news was denied by the generals, the story that Deng Zhongjun was beaten up and rushed back by his subordinates spread like wildfire and spread more and more widely, indirectly confirming the "news" that began to circulate at night.
Yang Dayi didn't expect that his trick would turn out to be a miracle, and Li Dan didn't even know about it.
This incident not only affected Yin Tuo's judgment, but also greatly disrupted the mood and motivation of his men during the attack.
Under the sudden appearance of an ambush and bombardment by the general's muskets, the Yintuo tribe began to believe that they had really been deceived by the Lou family and coaxed into being human shields, and that Yin Shuai had been tricked by them!
The failures and casualties made them angry and frustrated, and the officers were worried about the safety of their own families and could not concentrate on their command. As a result, after the commanders were killed or seriously injured one after another, the team inevitably became disorganized.
What's terrible is that Yin Tuo has been focusing on how to attack from the beginning, ignoring the necessary precautions.
When setting up the formation, in order to facilitate the rapid attack and rotation of the troops, he forgot to order the deployment of anti-horse and other facilities in the front, causing the defeated army to rush directly towards the Chinese army. The panicked Chinese army beheaded the defeated soldiers. The two sides fought against each other as if they were fighting against each other. The situation was completely out of control.
Seeing that he was helpless, Yin Tuo had to retreat quickly surrounded by his own soldiers to avoid being injured by the rebel army.
To say that he wanted to retreat to Wutang to reorganize his troops and fight again was actually to hide his shame, because the defeated troops who were rushing around did not obey the command at all and only wanted to return to the Jiyang Mountain camp.
In addition, his flags and golden drums were lost in the chaos, and he was unable to summon his subordinates to reorganize. As a result, when the defeated army came to the shore of Daihu Lake, they were intercepted and intercepted by Yang Dayi and others.
When Yin Tuo saw that his retreat was cut off, a large number of soldiers began to beg to surrender. Knowing that the momentum was not good, he hurriedly led his soldiers to the northwest. However, he encountered three hundred officers and soldiers from the Tie Linglong Tribe and Fengshan Mountain to intercept and kill him.
After breaking out of the siege, Yin Tuo was injured, and there were only a dozen soldiers left around him.
Originally, he thought that Sun Gu's Dayuan Village still had nearly 3,000 people and could regroup. After finally arriving at Dayuan, they learned that Sun Gu had been killed in the battle last night.
After an inspection, Yin Tuo found that there were less than a thousand people left in the village, and that the food and grass were burned due to the attack and later looted by the insurgents.
He was helpless when he saw it, knowing that Dayuan would definitely not be able to stand, and the army would soon find it, so he led the people with a certain amount of food and grass, burned the camp and fled to the mountains in the north.
It can be considered that he left in time. Half an hour later, Ma Jiu led the escort team to cross the river by boat and boarded the right bank. After reconnaissance, they arrived at the camp that was already in flames.
Two days later, after it was confirmed that the baggage and family members had arrived safely at Chashan, Lou Shiming and Lou Shifan led more than 1,200 core troops, together with about 2,700 people from the original Yintuo tribe who had been incorporated, and left Jiyang Mountain with satisfaction. Camp, go to Chashan and join Liang Xie at Lou Zishi. An empty camp was left behind by the officers and soldiers.
At this time, a large number of armed forces had gathered at the foot of the mountain, except for more than a thousand Li Dan's subordinates (Yang Dayi, Tie Linglong, etc. who were not suitable for public appearances) under the banner of Geyang Guards Training. They were either cleaning the battlefield, searching for remnant enemies, or had already gone to Dayuan and Ma Jiu. At the same time, three squadrons including Lin Shuntang were also stationed on both sides of Shangban Bridge to rest and replenish personnel, as well as Sheng Huaien's Department, which had about 1,500 people recruited before and after passing by.
There were also 500 Guangxin garrison, 600 Shangrao navy and 2,000 official troops who later came out of Shangrao city.
These people must have unified command. After consideration, General Yu and Liao Shen sent their deputy general Li Ting to take charge.
This man had a guerrilla rank. When he was fighting against Japanese pirates, his luck suddenly broke out and he was promoted to four levels in a row.
However, because he was too militant, he later caused great trouble by attacking and killing the leader of the Miao people when recruiting them. As a result, he was sent to Shangrao to work as an idle guerrilla.
This time, thanks to Lou Zi's blessing, not only was it reactivated, but it also performed well during the defense of the city, and was therefore selected by General Yu.
Learn about the enemy on the mountain
The army retreated, and the officers and soldiers immediately held a military meeting. Li Ting was about to pursue him, but Sheng Huaien quickly suggested not to rush, and to divide his troops into two groups, one to monitor his retreat, and the other to go up the mountain to recover the Jiyang camp.
Li Ting agreed and took the local soldiers up the mountain himself, General Sheng Qian led the regiment for surveillance, and Guangxin soldiers provided backup.
Sheng Huai'en knew that he wanted to win the victory and was happy to give him favors, so he wished him well and led Li Dan to track down the enemy first.
The battle was won, and everyone was in high spirits and morale along the way. Li Dan asked Sheng Huaien: "We have worked hard for several days, why don't you let them pursue us? This way we can have a good sleep after entering the camp."
"Occupying the enemy camp and regaining the lost territory are great achievements. If Li Guerji wants it, just give it to him." Sheng Huaien replied casually:
"Anyway, I have made a lot of contributions along the way. If there is soup, I should let others get some. This is a general with a big heart!
Besides, the general has recommended to the superiors that I will remove the word "test" of "thousand households" in three months. I might as well be a colleague with Li Youyi. Why not do it as a personal relationship? "
"I didn't expect that you, Shanda, would also learn to be gentle and flexible." Li Dan laughed.
"Oh, if I don't understand as well as you do after all these years, wouldn't I make you laugh out loud?" Sheng Huai'en curled his lips: "I hang around with you all day long, and the white pig will be dyed black!"
"Don't talk nonsense, that's called near-zhuzhechi!" Li Dan corrected him.
Sheng Huaien laughed a few times, caressed his beard and said, "No matter what, there were no dangers along the way. I actually got the thing done. Thinking about it, it's like a dream. Li Sanlang, I have to thank you. You contributed a lot!
But I still haven't figured it out. Why are you willing to take risks with me?
And this battle was more thrilling every time. I know that I am doing it for fame and the general's plume on that helmet. Why on earth are you doing it? "He looked at Li Dan:
"It's weird enough that you don't behave like a young master and come out to respond to a call. You also take the initiative to fight against the rebels. Do you think you are lucky or do you know that the rebels will not live long? Where did you get the courage? Tell me, what did you do? What is it?"
"For a woman, are you satisfied?" Li Dan rolled his eyes at him angrily: "Sheng Shanda, when did you learn to ask for stories?"
"I wonder, isn't it possible?" Sheng Huai'en said happily: "For a woman? At such a young age, who's dancer has you fallen in love with, or whose golden lotus are you planning to seduce?"
"I'm not that mean, how could you think of me like this?" Li Dan was silent for a while and then told Meng'er that her father was convicted and her family was taken to Nanjing and exiled to the northwest.
"She didn't want to leave her father alone and choose to live and die together as a family." Li Dan became depressed when he talked about this matter. He had been too focused for so many days, and he still thought about it again.
"So?" Sheng Huaien asked.
"At first, I wanted to do something and be busy every day, so that I could think less or not think about it. Later I thought this is not bad. At least I have done inspections, so can I do better tomorrow?
When she becomes an official, she will have the opportunity to meet powerful people in the court, and even the emperor, and she can ask them to help her say a good word or pardon her family.
So no matter how difficult the battle is or how many enemies there are, I will try my best to defeat them in order to spread my reputation! "
"Are you serious?" Sheng Huaien was surprised. He originally thought Li Dan was just joking, but he didn't expect that he really wanted to reverse the case for the Chen family.
"Little brother, listen to my brother's advice. This is not just talk." Sheng Huaien shook his head and said:
"Look at General Yu and Li Youyi, who are not full of merit and have led troops for more than ten or twenty years, but how many of them have the opportunity to meet high-ranking officials in the court? Let alone meet the emperor!
I see, this is just an idea, and it’s very difficult to implement. If you really want to help the Chen family, you might as well send someone to give them some silver coins, which will help them make their lives easier and make things easier for them. That's the right thing to do. "
"So I have to work hard to make money!" Li Dan turned around and said seriously: "I have thought about it. It took so much effort to get a ninth-grade sesame mung bean official. When did I climb to the capital to get it? ?I’m afraid my beard will turn gray!
"
"No!" Sheng Huaien agreed.
"So, I have to make two preparations. Not only can I earn money to support them, but I also have to support my aunt and this large group of brothers. My current idea is, if the road to becoming an official is too slow, can I use money to atone for their sins? Woolen cloth?"
"Redemption?" Sheng Huaien's eyes widened: "Doesn't it cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of silver?"
"It's not difficult to get money. Just tell me if it's possible, right?" Li Dan currently has more than 20,000 taels seized from Hua Jushuo in his treasury. This time, Da Yin Tuo estimated that he also seized a lot of money, so he didn't spend any money at all. Take it seriously.
President Sheng Qian frowned and tugged at his beard and thought: "It's hard to say. Ordinary crimes can be redeemed as long as they are not heinous, but cases like the Chen family's case offended the emperor... Tsk, it's hard to say. It depends on His Majesty’s mood.”
"Okay, if I give the emperor two hundred thousand taels, do you think he will feel better?"
"Ah?" Sheng Huaien blinked for a long time before saying, "You, you really spent a lot of money!"
"I have thought about it. If two hundred thousand taels is not enough, I will add another two hundred thousand. I don't believe that the emperor will not be tempted!"
"Shh!" Sheng Huaien was so frightened that she almost rushed over to cover his mouth: "Look, why are you a woman who keeps your mouth closed?" He complained, looked back and thought about it again, and said:
"Hey, Saburo, there may be a faster and more economical way than throwing money at you. Why don't you take this route?"
"You mean the imperial examination?" Li Dan grinned and shook his head helplessly. Having lived for fifty years in his previous life and struggled with examination-oriented education for forty years, Li Dan really doesn’t want to be involved in the imperial examinations in this life.
Although it is impossible for him to have a clear memory of his previous life in his mind, hating the imperial examination has been his instinctive reaction since he was a child.
Although he had no difficulty at all in reading books that others found difficult to understand, and for some reason he knew how to segment sentences when he read them, and it was effortless to understand them, he just didn't have much interest in taking part in the provincial examination or the provincial examination.
"What, are you afraid of exams?"
"It's a joke. I'm not afraid of going into battle to kill the enemy, and I'm not afraid of sitting face to face with the Second Heavenly King. Am I still afraid of the examiner?"
"Isn't that enough?" Sheng Huaien encouraged him: "You, unlike us, who can only read half of a book, are different from us, you are the son of the prefect.
For example, if I say that I am taking a scientific examination, people around me will laugh to death, and the examiner will say, "Why are you, a warrior leading a soldier, doing this?" You won’t pass the exam!
But if Li Sanlang wants to take the exam, who would dare to talk nonsense? Even if you are wearing armor now and are followed by Qian Baierlang, it is still called "civil and military", right? "
"Come on, don't put a big hat on us. What do you want to say?" Li Dan interrupted and asked, unable to laugh or cry.
"I want to say, don't you want to go to Beijing, don't you want to see the emperor?" Sheng Huai'en pointed north with his riding crop:
"Isn't it enough for you to be named on the gold medal list? If you don't have the opportunity to go to the palace to answer the question correctly, why don't you ask the emperor to pardon the Chen family? If the emperor still refuses then, it won't be too late for you to offer two hundred thousand taels in person. Ah!"
"Hey, if you say that... it seems reasonable!" Li Dan tilted his head and thought: "At least I have a chance to meet high officials and even the emperor."
"That's right!" Sheng Huai'en was happy: "This person needs to be open-minded and lively. Just like before I met you, how could I have imagined that a war could be fought like this? This road for you is impassable, and that road is difficult. Da, why can't you change the way, or go both ways at the same time..."
"You are so active in asking me to take the scientific examination, are you not thinking about the Chen family?" Li Dan suddenly stabbed him.
"Hehe, of course I won't do it for the Chen family. But if there is a friend like you, Li Sanlang, in the court, it will be of course a lot of benefits, right?" Sheng Huaien showed his white teeth and narrowed his eyes like a fox.
At this moment, a knight came from the front. It looked like he was a sentry rider from an official army. He came closer and grabbed the gray mule by his crotch, gave a military salute and reported:
"Mr. Qian, we were guarding the enemy's rear guard from a distance, and found that they did not go to Shangrao, but towards Chashan! Do you want to continue to follow?
? "
"Oh? Didn't you go to Shangrao?" Sheng Huai'en left the group and pulled the reins (he was now riding Yin Tuo's Snow Blue Lion, so he was very proud of it). He looked back at Li Dan who was following him and asked doubtfully:
"These two heavenly kings are really different in their behavior. Saburo, guess what tricks your business partner is playing? He doesn't want to join forces with his father. He can't be planning to start his own business?"
"How is this possible?" He vaguely knew that although Lou Zishi was defeated later, it probably wasn't now, and that he withdrew when he failed to besiege Shangrao the first time. Li Dan thought for a moment and replied, "Lou Zishi withdrew his troops."
"What did you say?" Sheng Huaien looked at him in surprise.
"Lou Shiming is stationed in Chashan to serve as a rear guard for his father. In other words, the Lou bandits should withdraw their troops from Shangrao soon. You can order the sentries to investigate in the direction of the crossings of the Raobei River. If the enemy is preparing ships and pontoons, then This can be confirmed."
Li Dan said, secretly worried. He didn't know what happened to Feng Shen. Five days had passed, so why hasn't there been any return yet? It couldn't be that he was discovered in Lou Zishi's old camp? Thinking of this, he frowned.
Dismissing the sentinels, Sheng Huai'en ordered the entire team to stop and rest where they were, and asked Dou San'er to set up a guard. He walked to a sycamore tree and sat down. When Li Dan came over and sat down, he reminded:
"I just said that the Second Heavenly King will continue the business agreement between you and him? He is a traitor, so be careful not to let this deceive you!"
"Thank you for reminding me, brother. Since I have an appointment with him, I don't intend to break my promise." After finishing speaking, Li Dan said jokingly: "Don't worry, your 10% will be indispensable!"
"Am I worried about this 10% profit? I don't want you to suffer because of this!"
"I know. I will do it more secretly, making it difficult for others to get the handle." Li Dan said, changing his tone: "But... Lou Shiming is different from his father and brother."
"How is it different?"
"This man is smart, knows how to advance and retreat, and understands the truth. In short, he is a person who can communicate. He is not as rebellious as Lou Zi, nor is he dedicated to being Li Shimin like Lou Zi.
You can see that he restrains his troops, rarely burns, kills, and loots, and the team's fighting ability is strong, which shows that this man is not only a good leader of troops, but also he has courtesy and integrity in his heart, at least he has not lost his dignity.
I mentioned the recruitment to him last time and reminded him not to harm or harm the people.
Although Lou Shiming has not promised to turn back, I can see that he still sympathizes with the people, so I feel that if I support his position within the Lou family, it will not only make the place less prone to corruption, but also establish a powerful opponent for Lou Shiyong.
Instead of making them work together externally, it would be better to make them internally contradictory and antagonistic. Just like this time, if there weren't differences between the Lou family and Yin Tuo, how could we have taken advantage of this? It is impossible to say that the Yintuo army was in disarray and was defeated. "
Li Dan felt that he was not only supportive of Lou Shiming, but also somewhat sympathetic to his opponent. Of course, he would not tell Sheng Huaien about this. After all, he was an officer and might feel disgusted by this.
