"Yin Tuo? Ge Yang fell?" Zhao Chongbi shook his hand and half of the tea in the tea cup spilled out. He never thought of pressing the gourd and lifting the ladle.
"Then, then they are only two days away from Guixi. Aren't we vulnerable to enemies on both sides?" Even though he had been educated and nourished since childhood, he still had some changes in his expression.
Fortunately, the lake bandits were pacified. It was reported that the area at the mine was much quieter after the shock. Otherwise, how could we have been surrounded by enemies on all sides?
"I'm afraid it won't stop," Li Dan told him seriously, "I'm worried that Yin Tuo will cooperate with Lou Zi to attack Shangrao. Once Shangrao falls, do you think those people who have just fallen silent in the mine will make trouble again?"
Zhao Chongbi trembled, and now he couldn't sit still: "What, what should we do? Guangxin Mansion and Fuzhou Mansion are in ruins, and Jiangnan West Road is in danger!"
"I guess Nanchang still doesn't know about the changes in Guangxin Mansion, and they have too much time to take care of themselves." Suddenly a light flashed in Li Dan's mind:
"Oh, let me tell you how did Yang Xing think of sending someone to assassinate him. They and his son have decided to attack Fuzhou, so they want to make some noise in Yugan to divert Nanchang's attention."
"There is King Fengning in Shangrao and King Fu in Fuzhou. Both of them can be saved! But..." Zhao Chongbi did not say any more. In fact, what he said next was very clear. With such a small number of troops, it would be difficult to save even one, let alone two!
Nanchang sent people back with the ship yesterday. In response to the letter written by Zhao Chongbi, the right political officer, the chief envoy Yang first expressed his praise, and then complained that he could not allocate money, food and troops to assist.
Yang Tao (the Zuo Envoy of the Chief Secretary of Jiangnan West Province) went round and round in the letter for a long time and told him tactfully: Take care of yourself. Zhao Chongbi was so angry that he blew his beard and stared, but there was nothing he could do.
The commander-in-chief of the capital, Gao Chuo, had a human word and appointed guerrilla general Cai Gangquan to serve under him. Xu Cai Gangquan raised food and wages to form a battalion of guerrillas with a strength of 3,200 men, promising himself to exercise restraint and take advantage of attacks. engage in.
In addition, three hundred swords and guns and fifty sets of bows and arrows were sent with the ship. There weren't many things, but at least Cai Youyi didn't come empty-handed, which gave him some face.
Thinking of this, Zhao Chongbi let out a long sigh, there was nothing he could do, there were holes everywhere, and it was hard for General Gao to fight with fear!
If Gao Chuo heard Zhao Chongbi say this here, he would definitely shed tears of gratitude.
The city wall of Nanchang is two feet eight feet high, two feet one foot wide at the top, one foot five feet deep at the base, fifteen miles in total length, and has seven gates.
Such a behemoth, not counting the Peng Prince's Mansion in the southeast corner, which is more than 300 paces wide and 700 paces long, almost the same as a small county town, now has only two battalions of 6,500 defenders and 3,000 hastily assembled regiments. .
Of course, His Majesty the Emperor's grace allocated 2,500 Jianchang Right Guards, but these people, like the 1,500 guards of Prince Peng's Mansion, only obeyed the orders of Peng Wangyi's Guards, and he had no right to mobilize them!
Huangxi Town lost 10,000 mobile troops and most of its generals. Now if anyone says that there is a rebellion outside General Gao's city and needs to mobilize troops, Gao Ao will definitely tell him to get out!
However, he still tried his best to restrain himself in front of the chief envoy. After all, he was an official in charge of the province, a second-grade civil servant, and his immediate superior.
What's more, with the support of Yang Taige behind him, he still came to visit hand in hand with the two high-ranking officials, the Inspector of Punishment and the Political Consultant of the Left. No matter what General Gao said, he had to give him some face.
"Oh, I really didn't expect that Guangxin would be like this just a few days after he got down to business? Well, now, all the inns and transit shops in Shangrao are broken. I don't know what happened to His Highness Prince Fengning? "Yang Tao's eyes were sunken and his face was pale.
He had just received the good news of Anren's recovery and was happy for a whole night, and then bad news followed one after another. He knew that he could no longer stay in Jiangxi, so he took the initiative to resign.
But you have to go on without the emperor's approval. He is terrified day and night, not knowing what the next news will be. Even if one of King Fengning, King Fu, and King Peng were captured, the whole family would be imprisoned. At that time, even Taige would not be able to save him.
He secretly prayed that the new chief minister would take office as soon as possible, so that he could be relieved! Of course, this is his wishful thinking. Everyone knows that going to Jiangxi now is like trying to get something out of the fire, and he has no interest in accepting this mess!
Tang Xuan An
An secret curled his lips, thinking that you can hardly keep your official robe, so what do you care about His Highness? However, he still raised his eyes and watched Gao Ao cooperate with Master Yang in acting:
"Yes, if the county prince falls, this will be the first time since the founding of the dynasty. Everyone, we are all on the same rope, we must find a way quickly!"
He was beating the drum like this, and Gao Ao had no choice but to express his position, so he could only say: "I am also very anxious, but I have no choice but to have neither soldiers nor generals in my hands. It is hard for a clever woman to cook without rice. My anxiety, Di Xuan (character name of Tang Xuan), can definitely feel the same." .”
"Hey, Zilai (characterized by Gao Ao), don't exaggerate. What does it mean to have no generals? Aren't the commander Lu Jiyong, the general Tan He, and the guerrilla Cai Gangquan all here?"
"I've said it many times, Brother Di Xuan should know that Lao Lu is the official in charge of recruitment and training.
It is true that he has been in the army for thirty years, but he only really led the troops for the first ten years, and he spent all the latter years training troops. After Huangxi's defeat, he managed to recruit another two thousand new soldiers. I don't dare to let him go out to practice. I really can't bear this responsibility! "
He shook his head in an exaggerated way: "Cai Youyi just went to Anren yesterday with the ship. The Chief Envoy knows that, and he also went there to recruit troops. As for Tan He, needless to say, if he leaves the general, will he go there in person? Direct those team training sessions?
Furthermore, even if we send troops to Shangrao, how many people should we send? Isn’t it obvious that too little is useless and too much is useless? ” In fact, everyone already knew what he said, but it was just old talk again.
"Everything Master Gao said is true. However, the situation is not optimistic now. We must come up with a solution."
The inspector Lin Zhongtai (also known as Taiyue), who was sitting at attention, said: "Needless to say, everyone here knows what the situation is. I came here tonight just to discuss a solution with Mr. Gao. How to solve the current situation and how to proceed?
It is better to discuss some regulations than to be at a loss with both hands. It will be worthy of His Majesty and the common people. "
Gao Chuan rolled his eyes. He didn't want to speak up first. If the boat capsized, it would be his own responsibility.
"This..., thank you for your kindness, Mr. Lin. However, Gao is just a vulgar warrior, and it is his duty to lead the battle. In terms of strategy, it is better to ask the chief envoy to make decisions."
Seeing that he kicked the ball back to Yang Tao again, Tang Xuan was furious. "Then I would like to ask Master Gao, should our plan now be defensive or offensive?"
"Of course Mamoru."
"Why?"
"The surrounding area is full of thieves and beacon smoke. If we attack, where can we attack? Aren't the officers and soldiers going to be exhausted? Why not just wait for the arrogant enemy to become arrogant, and use the strong city in Nanchang to weaken his spirit, and then we can all be pacified!"
The more Gao Chuan talked, the more excited he became, waving his arms as if he was already winning.
"However, if you cannot leave the city and see thieves everywhere outside the city but dare not stop them, you may have violated your feudal responsibilities, and you will not be able to face the censor's impeachment in the future, right?"
"What are you talking about, Mr. Tang? Do you have to lose troops and lose territory to be worthy of Your Majesty and to fulfill your duties?" Gao Ao asked loudly and displeased:
"Last time when the army returned to Huangxi, I said no. What was the result? Are we going to spend all the remaining strength this time until Nanchang becomes an empty city?
Our responsibilities are all over Jiangxi, and if Nanchang is safe, Jiangxi will be safe. If Nanchang is lost, Ganzhou and Jiujiang are completely cut off by the rebels, and the entire province will be corrupted and irrecoverable.
Therefore, the Chief Envoy made it clear that the meaning of the lower official position is that no matter how many people and materials are consumed, the war must not be wasted. Even if everything outside the city is scorched earth, we must concentrate all our efforts to protect Nanchang.
Mr. Yang, we should immediately evacuate the people within forty miles around Nanchang, follow the example of the Yugan Scorched Earth War of Resistance, and organize militiamen and township warriors to actively train... "
"Slow down, slow down," Tang Xuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Master Gao is going too far. The enemy is in Fuzhou and Shangrao. They haven't reached Nanchang yet. Why are we anxious to fight in a scorched earth? Let's go back to the original topic, okay? "
"What I'm talking about is what to do now! Only by protecting Nanchang can we talk about anything else!"
"Well, let me say a few words." Yang Tao had a headache and had to interrupt: "Nanchang needs to be saved!" Everyone nodded in unison, and then heard him say: "Fuzhou also needs to be saved, and Shangrao has to be saved.
Tube. "The three of them were all stunned.
"Since the troops in Nanchang cannot be moved, where can we move our troops?" Everyone looked at each other, and after a long time, they returned to the starting point. No one spoke for a moment, and the scene was a bit... cold.
"I have an idea." Tang Xuan suddenly spoke, looked at the other three and lowered his voice: "Who do you think is commanding the only force that can deal with the rebels now?"
"You mean Zhao...?"
"Yeah, that makes sense."
"Mr. Lin, what makes sense?" Gao Ao was confused.
"Master Gao, look where do all the recent good news come from?"
"Raozhou Prefecture, you mean Zhao Tongzhi?"
Lin Zhongtai nodded: "Don't forget, he has another identity."
"Royal family? We all know."
"No, no, that's not what I'm talking about."
"Going to the right to participate in politics?" Yang Tao nodded and said, "I gave him this title to make it easier for him to do things."
"No, no, no, that's not what I'm talking about."
"You mean... His Majesty gave him the commanding officer of the former military governor's office before he left the capital?" Gao Ao also lowered his voice: "This matter can only be known to officials of the third rank and above. Mr. Tang, do you want to mention this? say what?"
The former military governor's office was in charge of Jiangxi's four guards (Jianchang, Geyang, Luling, and Yudu), eleven thousand-household offices, two group pastoral offices (Yu Gan Mabeizui, Poyang Longtan Temple), four ritual Wei Si (King Fengning, King Fu, King Peng, King Tan), because Zhao Chongbi came to Jiangxi to serve, so his military position was under the name of the former military governor's office, and the commanding officer was equivalent to the third grade of military rank.
Tang Xuan leaned forward: "What do you want to say, everyone should have already understood it tacitly? Look, why did His Majesty secretly give him a military position?
Although there is no explicit rule, it is a common practice that the royal family does not lead troops. However, he has a military position and has repeatedly achieved victory. This Raozhou has become the only government in Jiangxi that has not suffered a defeat.
It is said that Li Dan, the regimental trainer, is very capable, but I heard that Li Sanlang is only sixteen years old. With the reputation of his father, Li Wencheng, he is quite able to recruit villagers for his use. I am afraid that this man is behind the planning strategy. .
Our right-wing politician is a very good member of the Holy Family! "
"What Di Xuan means is that Li Sanlang is just a shield he pushed in front of him to block the censors from attacking a royal soldier?" Yang Tao seemed to understand a little bit: "But..., even so, it doesn't matter. How about it? Can we still go to the original place to see him?"
"Well, of course I don't have to join him in my humble position. Aren't we talking about saving Fuzhou and Shangrao?" Tang Xuan said what he meant:
"Now that he has just recaptured Anren, your Excellency has sent Cai Guerrilla to Anren to recruit new soldiers and rebuild a guerrilla camp. The original intention is to protect Anren and prevent Yang Xing's counterattack.
But now it seems that there are nearly 3,000 officers and soldiers and regiment training gathered there. Raozhou Minzhuang, who escaped from Ge Yang, can form a 1,000-man regiment training on the spot. If Cai Guerrilla recruits another battalion, then they will have 7,000 It is not known whether the military strength will be able to compete with the Jiangshan Army.
Even if we can't attack his back immediately, let him go south to regain Guixi, threaten Ge Yang, and hold back Yin Tuo, can we still do it, right? "
"Oh, that makes sense!" Yang Tao slapped the armrest: "Does Di Xuan want me to give him the power to do things easily?"
"Well, it's not unreasonable to grant temporary authorization." Lin Zhongtai also nodded: "It must be explained that Fuzhou and Shangrao will be relieved of their duties after they are settled. This can stop Youyou's mouth."
"Wait, wait." Gao Ao immediately became anxious when he saw how lively they were talking. He is a military commander, so he can naturally see the power in this, so he quickly asked: "What does it mean to act cheaply?"
"For the purpose of aiding Fuzhou and protecting Shangrao, we promised him the right to recruit, train, and deploy troops on an ad hoc basis."
"Then it can't be unrestricted. It's too general. If it's amplified, then..."
Tang Xuan stopped him with a smile: "Master Gao is serious. He is originally from the royal family and has a military position granted by the emperor. There is nothing wrong with temporarily taking charge of military affairs at the front. If you think he can't do it, why don't you send a general there or let him Cai Guoqi has full power
Responsible? "
Tang Xuan's intention is already obvious. He is from the royal family and has His Majesty's trust, so let him fight from the front! If he wins, it will be good for everyone. If he loses, he is a member of the royal family and they can't do anything to him.
"But this is not enough!" Gao Ao looked at everyone: "How can we recruit people if we don't have food or weapons? We also have clothes, flags, golden drums... Besides, even if we recruit people, how can we fight on both sides? If we want to resist two sides, To defeat the enemy, they need at least tens of thousands of troops!"
"Then let him do it!"
"What?"
"Let him recruit troops from all the recovered areas and the entire Raozhou Prefecture. Anyone can do it. Even the lake bandits he said he wanted to recruit, or the miners who are willing to be loyal to the government, as long as these people are willing to take a knife to deal with the Jiangshan Army and that Silver Tuo!"
After Tang Xuan finished speaking, he cupped his hands and said, "Master Yang, we can no longer be stingy at this time. We should allocate a generous amount of money to him and let them purchase everything they need. As long as the situation in central Jiangxi can be controlled."
"But, how much does this cost?" Yang Tao asked with bared teeth.
"For example, five thousand liang."
Lin Zhongtai advised in a low voice: "If you can save both houses, five thousand liang is not expensive."
Yang Tao sighed: "Okay, five thousand liang will be five thousand liang, it's better than losing your head!"
Two days later, Li Dan, who was watching the progress of the Jinjiang Bridge project, was urgently called back to the city. He walked into Zhao Chongbi's living room in the county government office and saw him facing a pile of paper in front of him.
"Sir, what's going on?" Li Dan asked in surprise after bowing, "I feel like you are still wandering in a dream. Could it be that Nanchang has sent you some bad news?"
"On the contrary," Zhao Chongbi pushed the stack of papers over: "You can see for yourself, you can't tell whether I am in a dream or they are in a dream."
Li Dan took it and looked at it, then scratched the back of his neck in disbelief: "This..., is this appointing you as the full commander of the front line? Don't they know your royal status?"
"How could it be? These guys are all smarter than monkeys!"
"Then... Oh, I understand!" Li Dan suddenly understood the intentions of this group of people: "Hey! This is a trap!"
"Humph, Wu Wanliang, you agreed to recruit two extra battalions of soldiers. Look how generous these gentlemen are!" Zhao Chongbi said with a hint of irony in his tone. Read the book
"Your Majesty, are you going to refuse or refuse?" Li Dan asked.
Zhao Chongbi sighed: "I think I can't refuse, I can only accept."
"But... where can we find these 60% of the troops? They can't just fall from the sky?" Li Dan made an unpleasant joke:
"They are just thinking about things in Nanchang city. Recruitment takes time, and after recruiting, it also needs to be assembled and trained. How can it be so easy? By the time the troops are formed, Shangrao will be on the verge of collapse!"
"That's why I sent someone to call you back to the city. I want to hear what suggestions you have?" Zhao Chongbi looked expectant.
"Your Excellency should not have accepted this appointment. What are you doing to make me the governor of Central and Southern Jiangxi? You are clearly putting your Excellency on the fire!" Li Dan said angrily.
"Oh, how can I not know the thoughts of those people? It's just that I am a member of the Zhao family. If I don't stand up for others, how can you expect those elders to die with all their strength?" Zhao Chongbi smiled bitterly: "Please don't say more, just take it. Take it, let’s think about what to do next.”
"Hmm." Li Dan touched the soft short beard on his chin that he was not used to, and said thoughtfully, "Anyway, this appointment is of some use."
"how to say?"
"It's just a good time to pull the tiger's skin and raise the banner. Isn't Zhou County Master going to convene a meeting of the squires today to discuss funding?
Make this matter clear to everyone and tell them that after receiving this order, the army can enter Fuzhou and Guangxin openly to fight. This will be very beneficial to opening up trade routes. In addition, I have another idea... "
Li Dan rolled his eyes and said softly: "Although Nanchang gave five thousand liang, it is obviously not enough.
Recruiting soldiers to give Anjia money, equip them with clothing and armaments is almost gone. Where do the rewards for fighting and the food and wages consumed on the way out come from? The Chief Secretary pushed six
Erwu pretended to be dumb. How does this work? "
The corners of Zhao Chongbi's mouth curved slightly: "Shan Lang must be trying to trick the businessman again?"
