Bingxian Zhang Kejian, named Yuxing, was born in Tunliu, Shanxi. He was a Jinshi in the fourth year of Chongzhen. He was first appointed as the magistrate of Huixian County. In the twelfth year of Chongzhen, he was promoted to Huguang Qianshi, supervising the armies of Yunyang and Xiangyang. When Yang Sichang was stationed in Xiangyang to suppress the bandits, Rely on it more.
The Bingxian Yamen where his office was located was not far from Wenchang Gate, so after a while, Li Minan rode back from the Bingxian Yamen.
After Li Min'an returned to the gate of the city, he immediately sent someone to call Liu Xingguo, who was waiting outside the suspension bridge, and told him that Master Zhang had read the urgent official document of the Master of the Ministry of Defense and had personally compiled the military talisman. Now it is approved. They entered the city and stayed at Chengtian Temple to rest, waiting to see them again tomorrow morning.
He then asked: "How many brothers did you bring with you this time?"
Liu Xingguo replied respectfully: "General Hui Li, including those with low-ranking posts, there are a total of twenty-eight people."
"Let's all go to the city to rest together. I'll send someone here to guide you to Chengtian Temple."
Li Min'an ordered people to go outside the suspension bridge to greet the remaining twenty-seven people who came with them to lead their horses into the city. He led Liu Xingguo aside alone, slightly away from everyone, and then asked him in a low voice: "Everyone is here now." There are rumors that something bad happened during the suppression campaign in Shu, but is it true?"
Liu Xingguo replied to him: "General Li, please don't listen to rumors. Although the suppression of Sichuan was not completely successful militarily, it was impossible for the two thieves Xian and Cao to escape from Shu.
The Lord of the Cabinet is now mobilizing more troops to continue the encirclement and suppression. It will not be difficult to annihilate them all in Shu. General Li must beware of spies spreading rumors in Xiangyang City to confuse the public! "
Li Min'an nodded when he heard this, and said: "That's right, it's impossible to say that there are spies hiding in Xiangyang City, dedicated to spreading rumors.
A few days ago, someone persuaded the prefect, Mr. Wang, to be extra careful about Xiangyang's city defense. Mr. Wang also laughed and said, "Xian and Cao are far away in Sichuan, how can he still fly to Xiangyang from the sky!" ', I think the same way. Now that I'm worried about the two thieves Xian and Cao coming to Xiangyang, it's too much to worry about. "
Liu Xingguo said with a smile: "Of course General Li is overly worried. Even if the thief really sprouts two wings, it will probably take ten and a half days to fly from Sichuan to our Xiangyang!"
Amidst a burst of hearty laughter, Li Min'an, the guerrilla general responsible for guarding Wenchang Gate in the south of Xiangyang, also smiled and watched Liu Xingguo walk towards Chengtian Temple, but he did not see the twitching smile on the corner of Liu Xingguo's mouth the moment he turned around. A sinister smile appeared on his face.
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The waning moon has just risen, and the night is getting darker near the third watch. This year's winter in Xiangyang is also colder than in previous years. Especially at night, without the warmth of the sun's rays, the night wind is even colder, and the river is covered with frost. A thin layer of ice.
The great bandit Zhang Xianzhong, also named Bingzhong and Jingxuan, was originally from Liushujianbao, Haotan Township, Weidingbian County, Qingyang, Yan'an Prefecture, Shaanxi Province. He was one of the leaders of the peasant army in the late Ming Dynasty, and even gained a certain reputation when he first started. Above Chuang Wang Li Zicheng, he is the only giant bandit who can be as famous as Li Zicheng in the later stage.
He studied when he was young, and later started a small business selling red dates with his father. When he became an adult, he first worked as a policeman. After he was dismissed for some reasons, he went to Yansui Town as a border soldier. He violated military law again and was removed from the army. He has been living in the countryside ever since. .
In the third year of Chongzhen's reign, 24-year-old Zhang Xianzhong gathered villagers who could no longer survive in his hometown and formed a team to start a rebellion, calling himself the "Eight Kings".
Because he knew a few words, worked as a policeman, and served as a frontier soldier, he knew a lot about military affairs, was brave, resolute, tenacious, resourceful and good at fighting, so the team quickly grew.
By the fourth year of Chongzhen, his team had become one of the thirty-six battalions with Wang Ziyong as the leader at that time, and it was the strongest battalion among them. Because he was "long and thin with a yellowish face, he must be one foot and six inches tall." , Zhen Jinguo Xia, known as 'Huang Hu' in the army."
At this moment, the giant bandit "Eight King" Zhang Xianzhong led a cavalry team of 1,500 people and was galloping silently on the road from Yicheng to Xiangyang. He saw that Xiangyang City was less than ten miles ahead.
Gu Yu suddenly ordered his cavalry team to stop advancing and rest at the foot of the mountain next to the official road. He also strictly ordered everyone not to raise fire or make any noise, and to take good care of the horses and not to neigh.
The reason why Zhang Xianzhong ordered the army to stop here was because the lights on the south gate of Xiangyang City could be seen here, and every rebel soldier at the foot of the mountain was filled with excitement.
But amid the excitement, there was also some worry. I was afraid that if the surprise attack failed, the brothers who had sneaked into Xiangyang City would lose everything. Everyone sat and rested quietly against the horses, and no one spoke aloud. .
Zhang Xianzhong sat and rested for a while, then stood up and looked at the sky and moonlight. It was almost the third watch, and he shouted loudly: "Mount the horse!"
The 1,500-strong thieves' elite cavalry immediately got up and mounted, and slowly marched towards the south gate of Xiangyang City. Under the dim light of the waning moon, it was dark, and it would be difficult to spot this marching thieves unless they were close at hand. City army.
In Xiangyang Fucheng, most of the thieves and bandits rushed into Sichuan, and the war here was temporarily suspended. The city defense only focused on strictly guarding the six gates of the Fucheng, and strictly checked the soldiers and civilians who came in and out.
However, no sentries were arranged for detection anywhere outside the city. Even the soldiers responsible for guarding and watching on the top of the city had already relaxed, and no one was on duty after the second watch every night.
When Zhang Xianzhong led his cavalry and rode about two miles outside Wenchang Gate, the third watch of the drum had just been played in the city.
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Even when the Chinese New Year is approaching, the city of Xiangyang seems very deserted at midnight. This is all due to the spread of rumors. People cannot distinguish the truth from the false, but the panic has already spread secretly.
Suddenly, a fire broke out near Chengtian Temple in Xiangyang City, then a fire broke out near the Duanli Gate of Prince Xiang's Mansion, and then even more fire shot into the sky inside Wenchang Gate.
The street was buzzing with people for a while. In many places, people shouted wildly, "The Biaoying camp of Daotai Yamen has mutinied." The soldiers and civilians in the city were panicked. Many shops and houses along the street lit up lights, and then lit up lights. Blow it out quickly.
Li Min'an, the guerrilla general responsible for guarding the safety of the south gate, led a small number of soldiers to rush down to the city gate tower, preparing to suppress the rioting soldiers and people in the city.
He had just got on his horse in the city gate cave when he saw Liu Xingguo, who had entered the city at dusk yesterday, rushing towards him with more than 20 cavalrymen. He was wondering in his heart: Shouldn't they live in Chengtian Temple, why would they come here at this time? What to do?
Just as he was about to ask questions, he heard the commander-in-chief Liu Xingguo shout loudly: "General Li, there are spies making trouble in the city. Quickly guard the south gate."
As soon as Li Min'an was distracted, Liu Xingguo rushed to him. He hurriedly shouted: "The spies are making trouble in the city, what are you doing here, Mr. Liu..."
Suddenly a white light flashed, followed by a rain of blood. The guerrilla general Li Min'an was caught off guard, and Liu Xingguo chopped off half of his neck with a knife. He tilted his body and fell down on his horse.
When his soldiers on the left and right saw that their general was hacked to death, they no longer had the arrogant attitude of the past, and immediately fled in all directions.
Liu Xingguo led his cavalry to chop wildly, and in a blink of an eye, they killed the officers and soldiers guarding the gate. He forced those gatekeepers who had not had time to escape to open the city gate, lowered the drawbridge, and set the Wenchang Gate on fire. city gate tower.
