Zhang Huai personally led a team of soldiers and horses and accompanied Eunuch Li to Lingqiu.
People from the Tiger Character Banner Foreign Intelligence Bureau have been secretly watching Eunuch Li from the capital.
When Eunuch Li, Zhang Huai and his entourage appeared in Lingqiu, someone from the Foreign Intelligence Service immediately sent news of their arrival to Xujiazhuang.
"Eunuch, we will reach Xujiazhuang twenty miles further. Do you think you should go to Lingqiu County for a rest first, or go directly to Xujiazhuang." Zhang Huai rode up to Eunuch Li's carriage.
Eunuch Li in the carriage said: "Our family was ordered to come here to recruit people. We will go directly to Xujiazhuang."
At this moment, a group of cavalry came galloping from a distance.
Seeing the cavalry team coming from a distance, Zhang Huai showed a hint of panic and ordered loudly: "Quick, protect Eunuch Li."
The carriage that Eunuch Li was riding in stopped, and the soldiers and horses of the army were guarding the carriage and Zhang Huai.
"What happened?" Eunuch Li in the carriage lifted the curtain and looked at Zhang Huai standing aside.
Zhang Huai turned his head and said nervously: "They are the cuirassiers of the Tiger Flag. The general is worried that they will hurt you, father-in-law."
Eunuch Li poked his head out of the carriage and frowned slightly when he saw a group of cavalry approaching in the distance. Then he said: "Are these people brought by Commander Zhang just useless snacks? A few bandits." It’s really useless to scare you like this.”
Zhang Huai lowered his head and did not refute.
If the soldiers and horses of Datong could defeat the soldiers of the Tiger Flag, they would not have recruited troops this time.
Eunuch Li in the carriage scolded Zhang Huai and Datong's troops, and then said: "Didn't our family ask your people to send the news of recruitment to the people of Tiger Flag in advance? Didn't you send someone to deliver the message?" ?”
For the safety of his own family, he sent people to Lingqiu in advance to meet the people of Tiger Character Banner, and confirmed that Tiger Character Banner was willing to accept the recruitment, and then came to Lingqiu to discuss the recruitment matter in person.
"The general did send people to Lingqiu, and Liu Heng did agree to accept the imperial court's offer." Zhang Huai explained.
The imperial court decided to recruit the tiger-character flag. Naturally, he, the commander-in-chief of Datong, would not cheat on this matter. He also hoped that after recruiting the tiger-character flag, he could keep his position as the commander-in-chief.
"Surround them."
The cuirassiers of the tiger-shaped flag surrounded Zhang Huai and Eunuch Li in the carriage, and aimed their muskets at the officers and soldiers surrounding the carriage.
"I am the general of the Datong Army. This person in the carriage is Eunuch Li from the palace. Eunuch Li has been ordered by the imperial court to recruit you with the Tiger Flag." Zhang Huai looked at the breastplates surrounding him and others. said the trooper.
One of the tiger-character flag cuirassiers rode out. He glanced at Zhang Huai, then at the carriage in front of him, clasped his fists, and said, "I, Yang Yuan, have been ordered by my proprietor to take General Zhang and the carriage in Eunuch Li is going to Xujiazhuang."
Hearing this, Zhang Huai breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the other party was not here to cause trouble for him and others, so he said: "Since Brother Yang is following Dongzhu Liu's order, please lead the way."
"There's no rush." Yang Yuan said expressionlessly, "I'd like to trouble Mr. Zhang and your men to hand over the armor you're wearing. I, the people from the Tiger Flag, will keep it for safekeeping. I'll give it back when you leave." For you guys."
Zhang Huai frowned and said with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone: "Don't you think what you Tiger Character Banner is doing is a little too much?"
"General Zhang, you have to understand that you are the ones who come here to recruit us, not us, Tiger Character Banner, who is begging you to recruit us. If you don't want to keep the soldiers, you can go back now without sending them away." Yang Yuan directly issued an eviction order.
"You..." Zhang Huai's face turned red.
After all, he was also the commander-in-chief of Datong, a dignified second-grade general, but he was threatened by a bandit, which made him feel angry.
At this moment, I heard Eunuch Li in the carriage say: "General Zhang, do as they say and hand over all your armor to them."
"Father, once we hand over our armor, we will have no choice but to be slaughtered by others." Zhang Huai reminded in a low voice.
"Hmph, if you, Zhang Huai, are really capable, you don't have to ask our family to make this trip in person. Could it be that if you leave some armor for you, you can defeat them?" Eunuch Li in the carriage snorted coldly.
Zhang Huai on horseback showed a hint of embarrassment.
Of course, you can't defeat him, but having armor on your body and weapons in your hands can give you some confidence.
"General Zhang, have you thought about it? Should you hand it over or not?" Yang Yuan urged impatiently.
Zhang Huai struggled with his face, and finally turned into a long sigh and said: "Everyone obeys the order and gives them all their armor for safekeeping."
With his order, the surrounding officers and soldiers handed over their weapons.
After the men of the Tiger Flag put away all the armor of the officers and soldiers, Yang Yuan said: "Follow me!"
After saying that, he turned his horse's head and walked along the official road at his feet in the direction he used to go.
Zhang Huai and his party came to Xujiazhuang under the supervision of the tiger-character flag cuirassiers.
Xujiazhuang is still as bustling and lively as ever, and has not been affected by the several attacks by the government troops. Every time the government troops retreat, many merchants come to Xujiazhuang to do business with the Tiger Flag.
"Here we are, my boss is inside the village." Yang Yuan tightened the reins and controlled the horse to stop.
Zhang Huai and his party also stopped outside Zhuangzi.
"Eunuch, we are here, please get out of the car." Zhang Huai said respectfully to Eunuch Li in the carriage.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a white and tender chubby hand, and then a three-mountain hat. Then Eunuch Li in the carriage bent down and got out of the carriage.
"Open the village gate." Yang Yuan ordered the soldiers guarding outside the village gate.
Two soldiers walked to the gate of the village, and one of them pushed an iron-clad wooden door open little by little.
When the door was fully opened, Yang Yuan said to Zhang Huai and Eunuch Li in front of him: "You two can come inside, but the officers and soldiers you brought must stay outside."
"Eunuch, what do you think?" Zhang Huai looked at Eunuch Li.
The weapons were all handed over, and he no longer cared whether the other officers and soldiers should go into Zhuangzi together, but this time the leader of the recruitment was Eunuch Li, and he couldn't do anything for him.
Eunuch Li said in a sharp voice: "Everyone you brought with you should stay outside. We can just bring the Jin Yiwei from Beijing with us."
For him, the soldiers and horses in Datong Town are not as safe as the royal guards he brought.
Zhang Huai turned around and said to the officers and soldiers he brought with him: "You all stay outside. I will accompany Eunuch Li to see Dongzhu Liu."
Yang Yuan walked into Zhuangzi first and led the way.
In Zhuangzi, there are three steps, one post, five steps and one sentry, and the guards are tight.
Eunuch Li also knew the environment he was in now, so he walked much faster.
Zhang Huai, on the other hand, looked around and realized that the layout in Zhuangzi was even stricter than that of his military headquarters.
