Jiang Chong was naturally angry at Ye Mingsheng for splitting up and transferring his cronies and bringing in other surrendered bandits to make up for his losses, but as the saying goes, how can one not bow his head when he is under the roof?
Under the threat of death, although Jiang Chong was full of anger, he had to silently accept Ye Mingsheng's orders without daring to complain.
To be honest, Ye Mingsheng doesn't want to keep Jiang Chong. This person is capricious and leaving him will always be a disaster!
However, if Ye Mingsheng wants to stabilize the morale of the army and occupy the entire Posu Mansion, he needs to show his ambition and use Jiang Chong to play the role of buying horse bones for a thousand gold...
Since defeating the Lu Zhan'ao tribe and receiving a large amount of money and food, the logistical support problems that have been troubling Ye Mingsheng have been greatly alleviated, which also allows Ye Mingsheng to expand his army freely.
In order to enhance the combat effectiveness of his men, Ye Mingsheng selected more than 15,000 bandits who surrendered and absorbed about 5,000 people who could be reformed.
Because of the tight time and heavy tasks, Ye Mingsheng did not have time to conduct rigorous training on these people. He could only use a big stick and a carrot to simply train these people, and established the concept of military regulations and discipline in their hearts. And let them realize that if they follow him faithfully, Mr. Ye, they can get money and meat. If they don't abide by the military rules and disciplines and resist him, Mr. Ye, they will be killed.
Although the people have been selected and added to the battalions under his command, through the reactions of the military attachés of various ministries, these bandits of the Fengzhou Army who have been absorbed are generally very uneasy... ····
They were afraid that Ye Mingsheng's use of them now was just a temporary measure. After Ye Mingsheng used them up, he would eventually be held accountable.
As the leader of the army, Ye Mingsheng naturally knew that it would be difficult for the bandits who had been recruited to exert their full combat effectiveness under such a worrying situation, and at the moment there was still a hard bone to gnaw on at Baihu Mountain, so Ye Mingsheng Everyone at Mingsheng is united and cooperates sincerely.
Therefore, Ye Mingsheng felt it was necessary to set an example for these people to calm people's hearts and make these people work for him honestly.
Secondly, from a long-term perspective, Posuo Prefecture is the most serious banditry among the six prefectures in Liaoyang. Even if Ye Mingsheng wiped out the largest group of bandits in Zhensanshan, there are still seven or eight small gangsters and petty thieves in the counties and villages below Posuo Prefecture. Although these people did not pose much of a threat to Ye Mingsheng's rule, they were just like a toad that could not bite anyone, and he was also very hostile to others.
In order to completely control the Whirlpool Mansion, Ye Mingsheng will definitely not let these stragglers go. When the time comes, it will be imperative to conduct a thorough wipeout of the Whirlpool Mansion...
In order to reduce the workload and to eliminate these bandits faster, Ye Mingsheng's plan is to use two-pronged methods of suppression and recruitment. In order to make recruitment more efficient and fruitful, the best way is to let these bandits see an example. !
As for this model that can make people feel at ease now and serve as an example for recruiting other bandits in the future, Ye Mingsheng still thinks that Jiang Chong is the most suitable candidate for him at present.
Although Guo Zhiping, the commander of the cavalry battalion who was more trusted by Ye Mingsheng and more reliable, was also a bandit who accepted the recruitment, Guo Zhiping was just a small bandit when Green Forest was at its peak, and his reputation in Green Forest was not the same. It's not big, and it doesn't have much influence. Using him to promote it won't achieve the effect Ye Mingsheng wants.
As the chief general of Liaoyang Green Forest in Sanshan, and the former top general under his command, Jiang Chong had a great reputation in Posuo Mansion and even the entire Liaoyang Green Forest.
If Ye Mingsheng can make good use of his reputation and let other bandits see that Ye Mingsheng can treat them well after surrendering, people will naturally be attracted to him, and the resistance to recruitment will naturally be much smaller.
This is the biggest reason why although Ye Mingsheng didn't like Jiang Chong, he spared his life, assigned him two thousand troops, and granted him a seventh-grade commander's position...
After absorbing the 3,000 surrendered bandits under Jiang Chong, Ye Mingsheng, who had only 10,000 people at the time of the expedition, now has nearly 20,000 troops. When other people fight, the number of people decreases as they fight, but Ye Mingsheng here has The more people fight, the more people fight.
In the past few days, troops have been stationed at the foot of Baihu Mountain, but they have never attacked the mountain. On the one hand, Ye Mingsheng is studying methods of attacking the mountain with the generals, and on the other hand, he is integrating the troops in his hands and adjusting his deployment.
Just when Ye Mingsheng was ready to attack the mountain, the situation took a new turn. A bandit who claimed to be a close associate of Lu Zhan'ao quietly ran down from Baihu Mountain and came to the military camp, saying that he represented Lu Zhan'ao. Zhan Ao came to meet Ye Mingsheng.
Now that the person is here, there is no harm in meeting him. However, in order to prevent the other party from jumping over the wall and using despicable means to assassinate him, Ye Dong and other soldiers checked the bandit up and down, and only after confirming that there was no problem, they They were brought into Ye Mingsheng's Chinese army camp.
This young man of medium build and round face bowed his head when he saw Ye Mingsheng in the tent.
"The villain Liu Qiang meets General Ye!"
Seeing that the young man recognized himself at a glance, Ye Mingsheng asked with some surprise:
"you know me?"
"I once did business in Fengzhou City, and I was lucky enough to meet you. Your majestic appearance is firmly engraved in my mind..." Liu Qiang said to Ye Feng very flatteringly. Ming Sheng said
Ye Mingsheng was a little hesitant when he heard this. What kind of business does a bandit go to Fengzhou?
Most of them were selling stolen goods, or asking for information, but he didn't care about these details now. The most important thing was whether the other party was from Lu Zhan'ao?
If so, what were Lu Zhan'ao's thoughts when he sent someone to contact him at this time?
If not, what kind of conspiracy does the other party have?
After carefully looking at Liu Qiang, Ye Mingsheng asked lightly:
"Are you from Lu Zhan'ao?"
"Yes, Mr. Lu is my brother-in-law, and my biological sister is his fifth concubine!" Liu Qiang nodded and said:
"Master Lu wrote a personal letter to the Commander-in-Chief!"
After saying that, he took out a letter from Huaichong and was about to hold it to Ye Mingsheng with both hands. However, he just took a step towards Ye Mingsheng. Ye Dong snorted and took the letter from his hand, confirming the above After no poison was applied, he handed it over to Ye Mingsheng with confidence.
Ye Mingsheng opened the envelope and glanced at the content on the letter. Lu Zhan'ao's attitude on the letter was very low, saying that he was originally from a poor family and had no choice but to join the green forest. Now he has awakened and wants to start a new life. He hopes that Ye Mingsheng can Give him a chance to reform.
In addition, Lu Zhan'ao also mentioned that there are currently only about 5,000 troops on Baihu Mountain, 3,000 of which are under his command. Therefore, as long as Ye Mingsheng accepts his surrender, he is willing to take down Baihu Mountain is dedicated to Ye Mingsheng, and serves Ye Mingsheng with the hard work of dogs and horses...
In addition to the content of the letter, Ye Mingsheng also looked at the handwriting of the letter. The handwriting of the letter was not very good-looking.
However, it is horizontal and vertical. It can be seen that the cultural level of the person who wrote this letter should not be very high, but he should be very serious when writing this letter. This is also consistent with Lu Zhan'ao's status as a bandit and his status at that time. state of mind.
Although Ye Mingsheng felt that this letter was probably written by Lu Zhan'ao himself, as the Liu Qiang in front of him said, but Ye Mingsheng did not easily believe what the other party said.
After all, you can't tell whether the other party is really willing to surrender just by looking at a handwritten letter.
Lu Zhan'ao may have written this letter because he wanted to surrender, or he may have wanted to trick Ye Mingsheng and then teach Ye Mingsheng a lesson!
As the ancients said, half of those who have taken 100 steps are 90%. In short, the closer it is to this critical moment of victory, the less Ye Mingsheng dares to be careless.
In order to survive at this time, the other party will definitely resort to any despicable means. Ye Mingsheng would rather spend more time at this time to ensure that he can win steadily... ·
"I heard that your brother-in-law is Zhensanshan's most beloved general!" Looking at Liu Qiang, Ye Mingsheng said meaningfully:
Sensing the meaning of Ye Mingsheng's words, Liu Qiang immediately explained:
"Tens of tens of thousands of men and horses have been scattered by you, Commander-in-Chief, and now your army is surrounding the mountain. There are only a few thousand men and horses in Baihu Mountain. If you want to resist, you will undoubtedly be using your arms as a chariot and seeking your own death!"
"As the old saying goes, those who know the current affairs well are heroes. Although my Mr. Lu is grateful for Zhensanshan's promotion, after all, there are seniors and juniors, and there is a big family, so he doesn't want to fight stubbornly and fight for Zhensanshan. Buried with him!"
Ye Mingsheng nodded when he heard this, and then said with a smile:
"Your reason is good, but I think it's more than that. Isn't Lu Zhan'ao famous for his loyalty to Zhensan Mountain? Now write me a letter of surrender. What should be happening on Baihu Mountain now?"
Listening to Ye Mingsheng's words, Liu Qiang was suddenly startled, and then he felt Ye Mingsheng's two sharp eyes like falcons, as if looking directly into his heart, leaving the thoughts in his heart with nowhere to hide and nowhere to hide. Tibetan!
Before saying this, Ye Mingsheng was just guessing, but after seeing Liu Qiang's expression, Ye Mingsheng knew that he had guessed correctly!
Under Ye Mingsheng's gaze, Liu Qiang's expression changed several times, and finally he smiled bitterly and said with his hands in hand:
"Master Ye's eyes are as bright as fire, and the villain is convinced! Just as the master guessed, something happened on Baihu Mountain... Zhen Sanshan is about to die..."
As soon as these words came out, Ye Mingsheng's eyes suddenly narrowed and he began to think quickly. At this time, Liu Qiang continued to explain:
"When Zhensanshan was young, he went south and north in Liaoyang and suffered a lot of injuries. Now that he is older, his health has not been very good. Moreover, Zhensanshan is still very addicted to cigarettes. He can't do without a pipe all day long. Closer. Over the years, I have been taking medicine to support ""
"His health has been getting worse and worse in the past few days, but Zhensanshan has been blocking the news about his body before, so the big guys don't know much about the specific situation."
"But this time, when Jiang Chong made a surprise attack on the mountain, Zhen Sanshan visited Sandaokou in person to boost morale, but his body could not support him. Many people saw him vomiting blood and needing help when walking. He seemed to be in a hurry. The days are numbered!”
"In addition, Zhen Sanshan also found his disabled son Zheng Xiaolin. He probably wanted to help Zheng Xiaolin ascend to power before he died, so our Mr. Lu..."
Although Liu Qiang didn't tell the whole story, Ye Mingsheng also understood Lu Zhan'ao's thoughts.
This old boy may have had the idea that Zhensanshan could pass the position to him before, but now that he saw that there was no hope of succession, and that his own army was approaching the city and Baihu Mountain was in danger like eggs, he was so angry that he simply surrendered to him.
Or maybe there was Zhen Sanshan before, and Lu Zhan'ao felt that the people on the mountain were united and could block him, but now if Zhen Sanshan died, the people on the mountain would be scattered and unable to stop his troops, so he also Everyone has their own way of making a living.
Regardless of which of the two options Lu Zhan'ao has in mind, or he has other plans, at least for now, his reasons for surrendering are quite sufficient!
From Liu Qiang's remarks, Ye Mingsheng didn't find anything wrong...
And if it is true that Lu Zhan'ao's surrender was true and he could capture Baihu Mountain without using any weapons, that would be a great thing for Ye Mingsheng!
Baihu Mountain itself is just an ordinary mountain and has no value to Ye Mingsheng. The reason why Ye Mingsheng insists on attacking Baihu Mountain is largely because he wants to seize the money and food accumulated in Zhensan Mountain for decades. Have it for yourself!
Compared with this reason, annihilating the gangsters in Zhen Sanshan is secondary!
Therefore, there is a hidden danger here, that is, once the bandits on the mountain jump over the wall and burn the accumulated money and food, Ye Mingsheng will really cry without tears, and this trip will be in vain.
Therefore, Ye Mingsheng certainly hopes to capture Baihu Mountain without any blood and ensure that the money and food can be obtained safely...
After pondering for a moment, Ye Mingsheng, who had an idea in his mind, smiled at Liu Qiang and said:
"Since Lu Zhan'ao is willing to abandon the dark side and turn to the bright side, the Fengzhou Army is also willing to open the door and embrace him. Go back and tell Lu Zhan'ao that as long as he dedicates Baihu Mountain, I can promise the safety of his life and property and that of his men!"
"All the horses under his command are organized into a battalion of the Fengzhou Army. Lu Zhan'ao himself can serve as the seventh-grade commander of the Fengzhou Army!"
Hearing Ye Mingsheng's promise, Liu Qiang also smiled on his round face, raised his hands to Ye Mingsheng and said:
"Your Majesty, we, Mr. Lu, can rest assured with your words. Please give us three days. After three days, we will completely hand over Baihu Mountain to your hands!"
"Very good! Then it's settled!" Ye Mingsheng smiled and nodded.
It will take some time for the Fengzhou Army to attack the mountain now, and there is no fear that the Baihu Mountain will be turned upside down in three days. By then, it will be best for Lu Zhan'ao to hand over the Baihu Mountain as agreed. If the Fengzhou Army cannot be ready, , you can also do it yourself!
······················
······················
In a heavily guarded room on Baihu Mountain.
Zhen Sanshan, whose face was flushed and in good spirits, said to Zheng Xiaolin in front of him with some regret and apology:
"As a father, I thought that I had prepared enough for you to take over with peace of mind, but I didn't expect that in the end, people are not as good as God..."
"I drove away Jiang Chong and beat away Ji Qiwei. Unexpectedly, I lured Ye Mingsheng, the wolf cub, here!"
"Perhaps I should have listened to Jiang Chong and kill Ye Mingsheng in one fell swoop while he was still in Fengzhou!"
"If I had really done that at that time, I wouldn't have been in such a critical situation now. I really regret it now when I think about it!"
"Xiao Lin, I can't help you as a father!"
Feeling the apology in his father's words, Zheng Xiaolin, who had always been strong, couldn't help but feel a sore nose. He suppressed the grief in his heart and squeezed out a smile on his face and said:
"It's not a big deal. Father, didn't you always say that when soldiers come to stop you, water comes to cover you up? Although Ye Mingsheng is coming fiercely this time, Baihu Mountain will definitely be safe and sound!"
Hearing Zheng Xiaolin's comfort, Zhen Sanshan nodded slightly, but after hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but said:
"Xiao Lin, if it comes to the end when nothing can be done, don't resist stubbornly. It's not a shame for us bandits to surrender if we can't defeat the officers and soldiers. After all, it's better to die than to live..." ···”
"The poor and weak Fengzhou has been transformed into a new one in just half a year in the hands of Ye Mingsheng. It is full of vitality, which shows how powerful Ye Mingsheng's methods are!"
"Although my father has never seen Ye Mingsheng with his own eyes, I heard that this man has great ambitions and is broad-minded. I think he is also broad-minded and tolerant! If you give him the money, food, people, and horses, he won't kill them all. Absolutely awesome!"
Seeing that Zhensanshan had reached such a state and was still trying so hard to plan for himself, Zheng Xiaolin couldn't help but feel sad and shed tears even though he was strong.
Although Zhensanshan looks good at this time and is much better than he did a few days ago, Zheng Xiaolin, who is proficient in medical skills, can see clearly that Zhensanshan has run out of gas at this time, and his current complexion is just a return to his former glory. If nothing else, Zhen Sanshan probably won’t be able to survive tonight...
Looking at the tearful Zheng Xiaolin, Zhen Sanshan smiled, patted the back of Zheng Xiaolin's hand, and said lightly:
"Let dad get some sleep."
"Yes!" Zheng Xiaolin, who was guarding Zhensanshan's hospital bed, wiped his tears. He was going to send his father off for the last time tonight.
An hour later, Zhen Sanshan passed away in his sleep. The hero who had dominated Liaoyang for decades fell like this...
Regarding Zhen Sanshan's death, Zheng Xiaolin did not make any announcement and sealed the news in the yard. He knew very well that although he was Zhen Sanshan's son, he could not suppress the group of tigers and wolves in the mountain if his father died. Once the news is leaked, he will be torn into pieces by these people immediately!
