Chapter 17 The Journey of the Knights (17) (2-in-1 Debt Repayment)
At the end of August, Taoist Wei immediately went eastward to Dongping County to meet Zu Chenyan, and they immediately succeeded in hooking up with him.
In early September, all the leaders of the Deposed Dragon Gang who had received the summons returned one after another. Even to Pu Tai, even if Cheng Dalang could not come, Fang Yanshi, who was most dissatisfied with the troops crossing the river to attack Dengzhou, had already set off.
King Xiongbo Nanxiong promised that if the city of Dengzhou is destroyed in the near future, he will come alone.
However, Xiao Zhou and Lu Er, one of the Lu brothers, still temporarily stayed in Putai Water Village because of Zhang Xing's instructions.
That's right, for military purposes, the tidal flat was fenced off and became an important military area where no idlers were allowed to enter.
In early September, let alone the preparations of the Deposed Dragon Gang, let’s just say that on this day, Dengzhou County, which had been waiting for no reinforcements for a long time, finally announced that the city was broken, and the rebels poured into the city in large numbers. Immediately, the surrounding Yidu and Beihai,
Famous cities such as Linzi were also raided. Up to this point, the prosperous lower reaches of the river, which had been famous for its wealth as early as the period when the three clans were fighting for supremacy, and was once the core ruling area of the Eastern Chu Kingdom in the later period, was completely turned upside down.
To be fair, Gao Shitong was the last descendant of the Gao family in the Eastern Qi Dynasty, and Sun Xunzhi was also a powerful man. Even Wang Hou, who was able to compile the "Wuxiang Dongyi Lang Death Song", should have been a low-level official, and they all have a little understanding.
’s... So, even though the three leaders pushed each other away during the siege, they all had the traditional skill of letting the strangers come first. After the city was broken, they even occupied the territory, divided the city, and engaged in small-scale annexation. But in fact,
All three of them also issued relevant instructions to maintain military discipline, and abided by their commitments by opening official warehouses and distributing grain in proportion.
Killing officials, demoting officials, opening warehouses, recruiting troops, scheming, coercing and luring, recruiting heroes, trying to create a big alliance leader, these things are all things that should be done, and there are some things that should not be done.
However, this classic rebel wave did not last long.
After all, after the Dengzhou prefecture and county town were defeated, and then raided the surrounding towns, it was inevitable to assign leaders and separate routes to enter. At this time, the uneven quality of these leaders was revealed, and the lack of tight organization of the army was also clearly revealed:
Some leaders were born as officials, were strong, well-educated, and cultivated themselves. They could have some decent posture in their minds, and then they followed the description, but they forgot to provide food for the people, and spent all day making gestures with the surrendered officials in the city;
Some people are from the lower class, everything is going well, and they are most enthusiastic about sharing food and wealth, but they can't get along in front of the ladies of the official family;
Others are simply from city or village gangsters. They are the bravest in fighting and the least afraid of death. They are also the group whose status has improved the fastest after the rebels swarmed in. However, they cannot help but wantonly take control of a city and collect gold and silver.
Wealth, silk, wine, and women were all wanted, so that there was a lot of looting and killing.
Is there anyone who is an official but still knows how to provide food for the people?
Is there anyone who comes from a lower class background and is clean at the same time?
Is there anyone who was born as a rogue, and then suddenly woke up and stopped in time?
All.
But there are bound to be people who rush in. What's more, as the situation develops, hundreds of thousands of rebels attack cities and seize territory. With Dengzhou as the core, the territory is expanding every day, and the number of leaders who stand alone in one area and raise their own banners is also increasing every day.
, mutual obedience is getting weaker and weaker, and actions are naturally becoming more and more unscrupulous.
Of course, these things did not delay Xiong Bonan from returning to the upper reaches of Jishui River immediately after breaking the city. He was originally a master of condensing pills. During the long journey, he resorted to borrowing horsepower and could almost travel hundreds of miles day and night.
Despite the speed, he successfully returned to Niujiazhuang outside Puyang City on September 15th.
At this time, the situation in Niujiazhuang was completely different from when he left last month. At least there were many more people. Noble families and powerful people, officials and thieves, Hebei and the East, literati and warriors, all gathered together.
Xiong Bonan is known as the Purple Faced King and is a long-standing master of elixir condensation. He has always been rampant in Hebei, the Central Plains, and the Eastern Region. He has a wide range of contacts. In addition, he is undoubtedly the signature master in the gang and has a prominent status, so his The arrival of Niujiazhuang, in turn, caused waves in Niujiazhuang, which was already very anxious. Many people came to invite, visit, and make gestures, which made him dizzy.
Of course, King Xiongtian was quite capable. He first went to see Zhang Xing, Li Shu and Taoist Wei, then turned around and went to see the local landowner Niu Da and his friend Xu Dalang, then Shan Dalang and Wang Wulang, and then These are the heroes who are actually newbies who he himself is actually quite famous for.
And on the third day after Xiong Bonan arrived at Niujiazhuang, Taoist Wei couldn't bear it anymore and met with Zhang Xing and Li Shu at the same time. This was the highest decision-making authority of the Deposed Dragon Gang, which seemed to be very authoritative in theory and in practice. The floor held a small tea party first.
"Both of you."
Taoist Wei no longer wears Taoist robes, but wears clean green brocade robes, which complement Zhang Xing's dark brocade robes and Li Shu's plain brocade robes. When this theoretical chief takes the initiative to give After the two leaders poured the tea, they said simply. "You can't delay any longer, because the opportunity cannot be missed. No matter how big the differences are, it is time to take the overall situation into consideration and settle things one by one! What's more, King Xiongtian also Now that you're back, you don't have anything to say to continue the confrontation, right?"
Zhang Xing and Li Shu looked at each other and understood each other's meaning in an instant, which made them feel a little relieved.
To put it bluntly, there must be confrontation.
This time, the revolutionary cause is developing rapidly, and both sides and their respective leaders have brought back a lot of people. There will definitely be fierce disputes over the number of leaders. Personnel is politics, and this is related to the fundamentals of the two.
At the same time, there is still some obvious geographical and class opposition between people on both sides, which further causes the division of power between the two sides.
However, it was really not because of this that the two of them did not hold a formal reunion process for a long time.
"Chief Wei thinks that the reason why the two of us are unwilling to settle the matter is because we are confronting each other in private?" Li Shu spoke coldly, looking at the tea cup in front of him without moving at all.
"Isn't it?" Wei Xuanding sneered for a moment and asked back. "Those wealthy families who came here with you, Mr. Li, are proud of themselves. I just have to say it outright. I should be among you guys." Go on... In other words, I feel that the gang is low-level, and I feel that the leader system is disordered, so I almost just said that I should abolish the Dragon Gang and start a new one... Is this a lie? Mr. Zhang, can you bear it? "
The last sentence was clearly transferred to another person's face.
"Of course I can't bear it." Zhang Xing picked up the tea cup and answered with a straight face before Li Shu. "We are in rebellion now, not a separatist organization, so how can we have so many opinions? Besides, the form of a gang is to take care of Jianghu. Those who are established by the reckless people, what do you think of the tyrants and shogunate? Those who come from noble families are comfortable, but the friends who come from the Jianghu and the reckless people don't know what to do? This kind of thing can only be tolerated by the government and the people, and those who know better can do it. If you don't know how to take care of you, you can only make those children of Hebei aristocratic families feel aggrieved and become gang leaders."
"This is indeed the case." Li Shu paused for a moment, but he said simply. "It's not like I don't have brothers with a rough background. How can I not know this truth? Those disciples from Hebei came to participate in the righteous cause.
I will tell them about such a trivial matter, Chief Wei, don't worry too much... Or should I say that they have worked hard and are kicked out just because they said a few words?"
"It's not necessary to drive them out, but you should restrain yourself." Taoist Wei smiled again. "It's them who come to us, not us who come to them... If you don't understand this, you will cause trouble sooner or later... At the end of the day,
You should also follow the example of those people with the Cui surname, walk around and sneak away secretly, right?"
These words are a bit harsh, and I don't know whether it is because his true nature has been exposed or because his recent pride has made this Taoist priest have other thoughts.
Probably because of this, Li Shu glanced at the other party and did not respond directly, but looked at Zhang Xing again: "Master Zhang, what do you mean?"
"People change. If you experience more, you will admit it sooner or later." Zhang Xing replied seriously. "But you cannot be a big leader with such an attitude."
"Fang Yanlang is not qualified to be a big leader?" Li Shu also became serious. "Does he have no qualifications, no reputation, or no manpower and material resources to dispatch?"
"Then just add him." Zhang Xing also laughed. "If there are too many big bosses, the price will drop, and the other big bosses will also be dissatisfied."
Li Shu also laughed when he heard this: "Then he is the only one... On your right side are the leader Du, the deputy leader, Wang Wulang and Cheng Dalang. On my left side are Fang Yanlang and Xu Shiying.
There are three Shan Tonghai, but one is missing, plus Xiongtianwang, four against four, we make up the eight heavenly kings, and we can survive together."
"How ridiculous is Mr. Li?" Zhang Xing swallowed his tea helplessly and put down his tea cup to argue. "I would like the Huaiyou Alliance to help me, but how could they move? It's obvious that it's me and you and you... King Xiongtian should be listed on the list.
Right, this is really appropriate... I'll go tell Wang Wulang and ask him to give in."
"These big leaders are not the ones we have the final say on. We have to decide who the hearts of the people belong to." Li Shu immediately shook his head and laughed. "I think back then, when we met on the river, King Xiongtian followed me, but it was you, Mr. Zhang, who had just arrived...
But having said that, if you really think about it, become a big leader, and then be listed on the right side, it won’t hurt.”
Zhang Xing sneered in his heart and smiled on his face, but suddenly he looked at Taoist Wei who was watching with cold eyes: "Since the identity of King Xiongtian is unknown, and he is the number one expert in the gang, why not ask him to be directly subordinate to the three of us? We usually let Wei
Public dispatch cooperation?”
Li Shu was slightly startled, and Taoist Wei was also startled, but the latter immediately woke up and immediately put down his beard and raised his hands: "That's right! Even if you ask King Xiongtian himself, he will definitely choose this way! If you don't believe it, let's do it now.
Go and ask?"
Li Shu glanced at the two people in front of him, remained silent for a moment, and nodded slowly: "It's not impossible to act according to urgency... As for whether to ask or not, can't the three of us still make the decision? They should also think about the overall situation.
.”
Taoist Wei finally laughed while leaning on the table.
"How about the rest of the leaders saying the same thing?" Zhang Xing continued to ask. "Those who have opinions below are all listed as leaders, and each is accompanied by a few big leaders. Try to keep them in line on both sides. If not, take out a few from Duo De.
Those who are used to working alone should belong to King Xiongtian and belong directly to him... Including, when the matter of Dongping County is really completed, Mr. Zu Chenyan should also respect him and give him a big boss, but he
There is no need to assign him a specific assignment, it is better to be under the direct jurisdiction of the central government like King Xiongtian."
"I agree." Taoist Wei said without hesitation, of course he agreed...it would be strange if he didn't agree.
Li Shu pondered for a moment, thought about it, calculated, and then realized that this time, he seemed to have taken advantage, which was fair, so he nodded in agreement after a long silence.
"That's it." Chief Wei, who had gained a huge advantage, was radiant and overjoyed. "Is the matter settled?"
Zhang Xing and Li Shu both looked at Wei Xuanding, and looked at each other again. Then, Zhang Xing slowly shook his head: "I have said about small things, now it's time to talk about big things from the bottom of my heart."
"That's true." Li Shu sighed. "There are some things that we can do as well as we can, but there are some things that we really can't do, but we still have to deal with them."
Wei Xuanding looked at each other and spread his hands: "What do you two mean?"
"The matter couldn't be simpler." Zhang Xing held the teacup and looked at Taoist Wei and answered frankly. "Wei Gong, it's not that the two of us are alarmist, but that both of us have actually experienced the hardships of the central government and have seen the imperial court.
Therefore, even if the situation is so smooth, neither of us has changed our minds. We still feel that if the situation becomes too big, the rafters who are in the lead must die first, and those who commit trouble will be beaten, and they will be beaten severely..."
Wei Xuanding was about to speak but stopped.
"I know that some people will definitely say that I was frightened by the imperial court before and lost my energy." Li Shu shook his head in reply. "But I really haven't wavered at all. I am still the same as when I formed the gang, and even before.
Like Li Hu Xu Dalang in Zhuangzi, he has determined that it is inevitable that this wave of rebels will rise in power, and that they will be defeated by the imperial court. But..."
"But in this situation, even a smart man like Mr. Wei has been caught up in the situation, heated up, and determined to start an uprising." Zhang Xing sighed. "If the two of us insist on our opinions, it will not be effective.
On the contrary, there is the risk of being excluded... After leaving this door, they are all heroes from the hometown of Dong Qi, and they have suffered a long time in the great Wei Dynasty."
"So, it's not that we don't understand your feelings. You are all from the hometown of Dong Qi and have been oppressed. Seeing that the situation is so good and the possibility of justice is right in front of you, how can you endure it? In order to unite as one, we also
It's time to admit it." Li Shu's expression was still calm, but his words were coherent with Zhang Xing's.
"It's not just that." Zhang Xing also came to see Li Shu at this time. "Sometimes you have to admit that you can't just hide in the big waves. If you don't experience some things, how can you test the true hero?
They are some people who were a bit weak in temperament before. If they can survive it, they can become as solid as stone and become reliable. They are heroes who seemed to be safe and sound before. So what if they are gone... From this point of view,
Some things are unavoidable... In the past few days, I have sometimes thought about how things in history books remain the same over and over again. Aren't there smart people who have learned their lessons? As a result, when things happened, I finally realized that things and people
Under a certain situation, there is actually only one way. Human nature is like this. You can't hide if you want, or you can choose if you want."
"This is absolutely true." Li Shu raised his head and sighed after hearing this. "But we should make some preparations."
"This is what I want to say from the bottom of my heart today." Zhang Xing turned to look at Taoist Wei, who had a gloomy expression. "It is imperative to gather righteousness and do something. This is true, but we must also be prepared for failure.
...For example, if the main force of the army attacks, where will it come from? Where will we fight? If we win, let alone win, but if we lose, where will we go?"
"If we are defeated between Dahe and Jishui, we will naturally go to Hebei." Li Shu blurted out, as if he had already thought about it. "So we have to control Baimajin and try our best to gather water power; and if we are defeated south of Jishui,
Now, there will be some trouble... Although we can go south, we can't hide from the court's pursuers due to the flat plains in the south, so we still have to try our best to respond to the enemy north of Jishui."
"That's what I mean too." Zhang Xing responded seriously. "So the navy must be concentrated and commanded... If Cheng Dalang is ready, he will also try to bring back the ships as much as possible."
"The commander of the navy is particularly important. Who should it be?" Li Shu suddenly asked.
"Of course it's Xu Dalang." Unexpectedly, Zhang Xing waited for several breaths before giving this obvious answer.
"It can only be Xu Dalang." Li Shu responded quietly, but surprisingly he was not happy.
In other words, these two people say that they must dig deep into their hearts, but in fact, some words are really difficult to say... Just like Xu Dalang.
Xu Shiying's ability and his family's experience in running rivers, including the ownership of river forces such as the Lu brothers, make him the best candidate for this navy. This is certainly not bad. But at the same time, Xu Dalang is probably one of the real people below.
Among the big leaders who control the army, he is the most conservative and the one with the most evil intentions.
To put it bluntly, despite the fact that the Deposed Dragon Gang has only been established for a few months, in fact, the so-called temple demons are strong and Chi Qian is full of bastards. There are many internal contradictions in it!
The opposition between Zhang Xing and Li Shu is the most obvious one, but it is not necessarily the biggest and main contradiction at this time. The main contradiction at present is actually between Zhang and Li, two outsiders in name only, and a group of real people below.
The conflicts between powerful local families in the nameless hometown of Dong Qi.
Where does the money come from?
Where does the food come from?
Where do the soldiers come from?
Where will it come from?
Have you Zhang Xing and Li Shu come out?
Why not rely on these local tycoons and aristocratic families who have actual power? It is simply because these truly powerful people lack confidence and banners, and lack the ability to gather their peers, so they temporarily favor them.
These two people seem to be prosperous, commanding with determination and lofty attitude, but in fact they are trembling and walking on thin ice. They can only rely on correct judgment and command time and time again to turn the virtual into reality. But once they disobey the public, they are walking on thin ice.
If you make a mistake, you may be kicked out.
Therefore, from the perspective of Zhang and Li, they are not only the biggest rivals in the gang, but also comrades who oppose Wei, and they are also the smallest faction in the gang that must be supported back to back.
In fact, don't forget that the dilemma for Zhang and Li in the current situation is that they do not have the authority to control the entire gang... How do you say that?
Stop struggling, there are all Dongqi people outside.
Turning back to the eyes, Xu Dalang is the most dishonest big man. The last time he formed a gang, he wanted to manipulate the conflict between the two, but was suppressed by Zhang and Li. This time, he handed over the navy to save lives when necessary.
This Xu Dalang means that he has given the other party the power to retain the final strength and clean up the situation. Just think about it, Xu Shiying doesn't have to be mean-spirited, as long as the main force in the front is severely depleted by then, one or two people will die.
Shan Dalang, Wang Wulang, and Xu Shiying might be able to take advantage of this wave of power to do their own thing, integrate their forces, and kick the two outsiders over at the same time.
"Li Gong, do you think that Xu Dalang is the only person in this village besides the two of us who is unwilling to make a big move?" After a strange silence, Zhang Xing looked at Taoist Wei with a strange expression and said,
Suddenly he turned around and smiled.
"It's really possible." Li Shu also smiled bitterly. "But he didn't dare to say that he would not take action. On the contrary, he was more enthusiastic than anyone else... The last thing is that after the action, who of us will go forward to make arrangements, and who will take care of the situation later.
Prepare?"
"I thought about this for a while, and it seems that it all makes sense." Zhang Xing asked seriously. "How about guessing the copper coins? Or turning the compass... I have a compass, which Sisi gave me. It is said to be from Taibai Peak.
Someone who has been enlightened."
"No need." Zuo Longtou, the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang in front of him, sighed. "How can you rely on those things for such a thing? It is said that one hundred thousand soldiers are to be trained in Dongdu, but how can they recruit them properly before next year? The army must come from the north and the south.
Come from two sides, attack from the east... Therefore, those who are proactive in dispatching must go to the east, and those who are in charge must stay in the west. You are more familiar with Dongdu and Cao Huangshu, and there is also a saying with Du Po Zhen, you stay in the west
I will go forward..."
"Okay." Zhang Xing responded decisively without any hesitation.
Immediately, the two of them looked at Taoist Wei together.
The latter was silent for a moment, and seemed to make a pun: "Did you two underestimate the heroes in the gang?"
"No." Zhang Xing responded sincerely. "I tell myself all the time, don't underestimate the heroes of the world! It's just that people are in the game, and there is really only one way."
"That's fine!" Wei Xuanding thought for a moment. "Whether you are right in your thinking or we, the Dong Qi people, are right in trying it ourselves, the three of us have agreed on the outcome... When will we gather together to start an uprising?"
"Pass it on, it will be there in three days! As long as the people around you who are doing business can come over in time, you can also take the opportunity to let the news out, the big boss, the boss and so on..."
Zhang Xing simply arranged it. "But since we are going to take action, we must have flags and slogans... Li Gong and Wei Gong, are there still changes? If you don't care, just set up a red and white banner with the word 'Depose', I am red and you are white, and the middle
The banner with the word "righteousness" belongs to Wei Gong, and the big and small leaders can use different surnames to regulate the banner. The slogan is still to cut off the violent Wei and stabilize the world?"
"These are all meaningless things." Li Shu was silent for a while and answered casually. But after a while, he picked up the untouched tea on the table and took two sips before taking a long breath. "It's rare that you have the right."
Longtou is so determined at such a young age, and seeing you still so calm makes me feel a little more at ease."
Zhang Xing smiled bitterly and shook his head: "How can I be calm in my heart? To be honest, Li Gong, these days, seeing that the situation is very good, everyone told me that the twenty counties of the Eastern Border are within easy reach, I am actually a little shaken in my heart.
I have been thinking all day long, is it possible that we are really lucky and can achieve success in one fell swoop and completely open up the situation? If we miss it, will we fall behind others and let others become bigger?"
"You are so concerned about gains and losses that you are like a living person." Li Shu suddenly laughed, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
Taoist Wei, who had been ignored by the two for a long time today, finally spoke again: "Since the two leaders have reached an agreement, let's do this... Anyway, I agree with you two."
Yes, in any case, Taoist Wei and these two people have a certain common position. This is determined by the system... Zhang and Li have no doubt about this.
All I can say is that the Little Deposed Dragon Gang is really ridiculous.
Without further ado, Xiong Bonan's return greatly stimulated everyone in the Deposed Dragon Gang and caused a stir in Niujiazhuang. Although the two leaders, Zhang and Li, were inherently concerned about the incident, they could not go against the public sentiment and finally decided to formally gather for a righteous cause.
thing.
As for the previous rumors that the two leaders were confronting each other over the leadership position, they disappeared as soon as those rumors were released.
On September 17th, some officials from nearby cities who were connected with the Deposed Dragon Gang also arrived at Niujiazhuang in a grand manner, while those in Puyang City just around the corner just ignored them.
On this morning, the weather was fine, but the autumn wind was strong, which made people feel a little dizzy.
Amidst the howling of the autumn wind, the manor was crowded with people. Even the children of the Hebei family who were clearly dissatisfied with the gang system could not restrain their anxiety. They were whispering to each other in the central garden of the manor, repeating some rumors that had been verified long ago.
With the sound of wind.
It turns out that at this moment, before the official gathering tomorrow, the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang, Wei Xuanding, the leader on the left, Li Shu, the leader on the right, Zhang Xing, plus Xiong Bonan, Shan Tonghai, Wang Shuyong, and Xu Shiying gathered here, are holding a meeting.
An expanded personnel meeting was held in accordance with the previously established gang rules.
Needless to say about the meeting process, Zhang, Li and Wei have already reached an agreement through a small meeting, while Xiong Bonan is extremely high in cultivation but surprisingly an honest man. As long as Zhang Xing doesn’t make a big mistake, Wang Shuyong is destined to be a good person... This situation is
Next, Xu Shiying will definitely cooperate more actively than anyone else. Even if Shan Dalang has ideas, it is impossible to shake others.
Therefore, despite some verbal exchanges, before noon, the village acted like a court and formally posted a small notice.
It roughly says that although the two big leaders of the Huaiyou League are not present, the three-person decision-making group and the other four big leaders are present, which meets the decision-making standards, so a meeting was held. At the meeting, the three-person group and the four big leaders present were present.
The leader concluded and decided to introduce two leaders, Cheng Zhili and Fang Yanlang, to discuss matters inside.
Now here is the announcement, asking all the leaders and heroes in the gang, if there are any unjust things committed by these two people that need to be reported. If so, go in immediately and discuss it impartially; if not, act on the urgency and wait until noon.
To be identified.
At that time, the messenger was sent to the leader Cheng, but the leader Fang was able to enter directly as the leader and continue to discuss important matters within the gang.
The content of this small notice is extremely simple, but it makes all the leaders feel a little fresh. Even the children of the Hebei family have a certain understanding of this gang... because it cares about rules and procedures, and no matter how perfunctory it is, it is
Rules and procedures.
This kind of thing seems useless, and can even hinder normal decision-making under certain circumstances, but in most cases, it still has the effect of convincing people's hearts and strengthening their sense of identity.
Sure enough, at noon, Fang Yanlang, whose disdain was most obvious before, still walked in proudly as everyone greeted him.
After more than half an hour, in the afternoon, a larger list was officially posted. The list of officially added leaders is as follows:
One of the big bosses: Fang Yanlang;
The seven leaders: Zheng Ting, Chai Xiaohe, Yang Defang, Zhai Qian, Bing Yuanzheng, Du Caigan, and Huang Junhan;
A total of eight people belong to the left wing.
Including the previous left-wing leaders Shan Tonghai, Xu Shiying, leaders Liang Jiading, Xia Hou Ningyuan, Lu Mingyue, Lu Hongyue, and Guo Jingke, a total of fifteen people belong to the left wing.
One of the big bosses: Cheng Zhili;
Seven leaders: Fang Yanshi, Cheng Mingqi, Jia Yue, Zhai Kuan, Fan Dingxing, Zheng Detao, and Li Wenbai;
A total of eight people belong to the right wing.
Including the previous right-wing leaders Du Pozhen, Fu Boshi, Wang Shuyong, leaders Ma Sheng, Niu Da, Wang Zhen, Zhang Shanxiang, Ding Shengying, Ma Ping'er, and Zhou Xingfan, a total of eighteen people.
One of the big leaders: Xiong Bonan;
The two leaders: Liu Zhouchen and Zhang Jinshu.
There are three people in total, and another center wing is directly under the command of the top three people.
In the end, not counting the three of them, there were thirty-six leaders in total.
Yes, this number must have been deliberately gathered together. If nothing else, there are actually two people who are destined to be leaders. It is difficult to disclose them at this time. For example, Zu Chenyan of Dongping County and the deputy capital of Jiyin.
Wei Shang has great ambitions... But isn't it normal that there are thirty-nine or even more than forty of the thirty-six Tiangangs?
Among these thirty-six people, there are not only the officials and powerful officials from the surrounding areas who have been attracted, but also the heroes of the big gangs with great reputation in the distance, as well as the children of well-known aristocratic families, the newly recruited gangster rangers, and even the fallen generals.
There are even some surprises here. For example, there are a few people who formed their own factions when they arrived. Zhai Qian, the East County magistrate, his brother Zhai Kuan, the underworld tycoon, and Huang Junhan, a local tycoon and jailer. These three people are basically a small gang.
But as representatives of the powerful locals in the western part of Dongjun, it was impossible to really kick them out. Shan Dalang, Xu Dalang, and Wang Wulang were determined not to let their big boss fight against each other, so they had to reluctantly deal with it separately. Brother and that
Huang Junhan went to the left wing, and his younger brother went to the right wing.
In short, the appearance of the grass platform of the thirty-six leaders was finally put together.
However, probably because of the need to gather numbers and balance, this list seemed a bit unconvincing compared to the previous big boss supplements... There was some discussion at the time.
In the evening, it was discovered that a leader of the rebels from Ju Ye Ze was trying to turn back and disperse at night because he did not get the position of leader.
However, it has come to this time. Unlike the Cui family who just watched and left, how could they let him leave... Shan Dalang personally took action to kill this character, hang his head in public, and clean up the family. How could he let him go?
When people wake up, they want to rebel against Juyi.
The next day, when the sky was slightly bright, the village got busy, killing pigs and sheep, and preparing wine and banquets. Before noon, they finally prepared the horse blood, and then dragged over the three flags that had been embroidered overnight and prepared to erect them.
"It's a pity that Zu Chenyan is not here, otherwise there must be something heroic." On the small rammed earth platform, Chief Wei shook his head repeatedly and looked around in a low voice. "I always feel that something is missing..."
"That's not the case." Li Shu replied in a low voice. "Although Zu Chenyan's articles are good, most people here can't understand them. Even if he is here, he might as well not write them, or not read them after he writes them... And this kind of
As long as there is no trouble, the key lies in the subsequent uprising to seize the city."
"That's true." Wei Xuanding nodded in approval.
While talking, three big flags were slowly lifted up by several majestic sergeants and firmly fixed. A typical big flag with the word "righteousness" in the middle, and two red and white flags with the word "deposed" on both sides, immediately rolled in the autumn wind.
This is what is called rebelling.
At most, the next step is to drink a glass of blood wine and shout to cut off the violent Wei and stabilize the world. This is the formal process.
However, just as Wei, Li, and Zhang stepped forward together, stood on the earth platform under their respective flags, and then picked up the blood wine, Zhang Xing, who was originally calm and unfazed, suddenly took a step forward, causing the other two to be surprised for a moment...
But I didn’t think much about it.
Young people like to be in the limelight.
"Brothers, I have something to say!" Zhang Xing held the blood wine and looked around at the leaders in the audience, which really caught everyone off guard. "To tell you the truth, Mr. Li and I did not agree with the uprising so quickly at first, because we
They all feel that if they act too carefully, they will be targeted by Bao Wei in the future, and it will inevitably be worthless."
The audience was whispering for a while, and Wei and Li were speechless, but Li Shu couldn't deny it.
"However, I discussed it with Duke Li and Duke Wei for a long time, and after many discussions, we finally agreed to gather together again and officially raise the flag to raise the flag. What's the point?" Zhang Xing's body gradually became cold, and a gray-white light shone in it.
There was a strange light in the autumn sunshine. "After thinking about it, I actually didn't understand it until a few days ago... In fact, it's just two sentences!"
"The first sentence, I said it to Xu Dalang several years ago, and I will say it again today, and I will definitely say it again in the future... That is, princes, generals, and prime ministers would rather have the seed?! Why are those people from Guanlong sitting in the world?
And the heroes of Guandong become humble officials, or even become a humble official? Are you who are here today incompetent? Or are you born to be inferior to the people of Guanlong?"
The audience became more and more noisy, but it was completely different from the previous discussion. It was filled with anger. Even Xu Dalang opened his eyes wide at this time and stared at the people on the stage. He didn't know what he was thinking.
Li Shu was still holding the blood wine with an expressionless face, but Wei Xuanding could not help shaking his arms.
"The second sentence, which is easier to say, is that the world has been suffering for a long time! Why should five acres of land be used as ten acres of land to collect taxes? Why should we, who work hard, have to send all of it to Kansai and other countries?
Why are they in the palace? How come they have to work continuously, suffer numerous casualties, and build houses and towers for them, but they can’t even take a bite of fried sugar cake during the New Year and have to kneel down to thank the court?? Why do they conquer Dongyi three times and easily lose hundreds of thousands or millions of their families?
?Here today, none of you has any relatives, friends or neighbors who lost their families because of the Three Wars? Do you know that the big golden pillar in the Eastern Capital has been melted again? I tell you, this time they are going to be melted into iron and steel to make
Ordnance, come to kill us!"
"Then kill back!" Someone in the audience was already shouting. "Kill back!"
"That's right! This is the reason why Mr. Li and I are determined to give it a try!" Zhang Xing also sounded harsh.
“The country is in such a bad state, why don’t we fight back?
"The people in the place are in dire straits and everyone is suffering, so why don't you go and save them?
"If our Deposed Dragon Gang pursues advantages and avoids disadvantages because of temporary calculations of interests, and does not rebel today or come back tomorrow, does not fight tough battles, does not attack cities and seize territory, does not go to release food to save the people, and does not go up to face difficulties, the future of this world will be based on
What brings us here to sit down?!
"Therefore, I have also figured it out. Today, we must go against the opposite, and we must go against the opposite! There is a thoroughfare ahead, we have to go there, mountains of swords and seas of fire, we have to go even if it is a dead end! Let us create a path for the world
Come on! Isn’t it just a life?”
"Or is there someone here who is afraid of death?!"
"If you are not afraid of death, just follow the three of us and drink this wine. In this Dongjun, Jiyin, Dongping, three counties in one fell swoop, rebel against his mother!"
After saying that, Zhang Xing held the bowl with both hands and drank the blood wine. Li Shu and Taoist Wei quickly stepped forward and drank directly.
The audience was already in a state of agitation. Seeing this scene, they did not hesitate and rushed to pour blood wine.
After drinking a bowl of bloody wine, Taoist Wei remembered the previous rehearsal and wanted to roll up his sleeves and shout "Cut off the violent Wei"... But unexpectedly, Li Shu next to him summoned his true energy early, crushed the bowl to pieces, and then performed it in front of everyone.
Hui Guangzhen came out, raised his arms and shouted three times:
"Initiate! Initiate! Initiate!"
No one below Xiong Bonan dared to be lazy anymore. They immediately raised their arms and shouted three times: "Let's start! Let's start! Let's start!"
By the time he shouted it to the end, his voice had already filled the village and made countless birds fly away.
After three calls, the three of them placed a table under a banner on the stage and began to make arrangements:
Xu Dalang, Shan Dalang, Wang Wulang, and the Zhai brothers each sent two hundred elite troops to gather at Niujiazhuang to listen to the general tune here;
Then Xu Dalang, the Zhai brothers, Huang Junhan, and Guo Jingke entered Baima City, the county seat of Dongjun;
With Wang Wulang, Ding Sheng is reflected in Waihuang, with Zhang Shanxiang Fa Jishui;
Lead Shan Dalang to enter Chengshi City, lead Xiahou Ning to attack Leize City in Yuanming, lead Liang Jiading to encourage Ju Yeze's rebel army to leave Hezekou;
Following Fang Yanlang, Fang Yanshi entered Jiyin County and assisted Shang Huaizhi, the captain of Jiyin;
Following Niuda, Jia Yue entered Puyang City and contacted Niuda's biological father;
Bing Yuanzheng, Du Caiqian, and Zheng Detao entered Kuangcheng, Lihu, and Yuanju respectively to assist Li Wenbai, Chai Xiaohe, and Yang Defang who were serving in the three cities respectively;
Zhuxiong Bonan is stationed here, and together with the two leaders Liu Zhouchen and Zhang Jinshu, they command the central elite here and provide support at any time.
The matter had been discussed in the previous meeting. At this time, it was just a process, and the heroes did not hesitate anymore. After receiving their orders, they swarmed out of Niujiazhuang, dispatched everywhere, mobilized forces, and prepared to follow the plan.
, five days later, on the evening of September 23rd.
Let's say that just when Zhang Xing used the Deposed Dragon Gang as a fulcrum to push the wheel of history, Cheng Dalang, who was far downstream of Jishui, sadly left the hinterland of Dengzhou... There was no way, this place was too...
There was chaos. After several big leaders realized that there was someone behind him, they all changed their previous attitudes and became perfunctory and repulsive, even hostile... At this time, he remembered Zhang Xing's previous statement and did not hesitate to
The seized military supplies, money and food were transferred back, and he decided to stay in his hometown.
As mentioned before, his hometown is at the junction of Dahe, Bohai, Dengzhou, and Qizhou. Most of Bohai County is in Hebei, and only half of Putai County is in Henan. Therefore,
The main thing is to count Dengzhou, the junction of Qizhou.
Just a few days after returning home, a large group of rebels crossed Cheng Dalang's territory and headed for Qizhou in a show of force.
This really made Cheng Dalang feel complicated.
You know, because of the existence of Dongyi, Dengzhou has always been a special state and county. It has a large area, many cities, a large population, a developed economy, and many military facilities. It can also connect with Dongyi for trade. In addition, it is so far away from this time
The main core military base of the imperial court is relatively far away, so it is particularly meaningful... The three mainstream rebel armies chose to join forces to attack here, and they did not do so randomly.
This is the core state and county in the eastern part of the Eastern Border, just like Wei County in the south of Hebei, Youzhou in the north of Hebei, Jiangdu in Huainan, and Xuzhou in north Huaibei, all of which have strong political and military significance.
Therefore, there is no doubt that this wave of successful sieges has a rousing effect on people's hearts.
Returning to Cheng Dalang, he saw the army crossing the border with his own eyes. Naturally, he was worried that the situation would get out of control and lead to the situation mentioned by Zhang Xing in his letter. However, he also felt uneasy that he had only managed to gain half a county of Putai after a lot of hard work and was a little behind others.
.
What if these rebels easily capture Qi County?
Or what if a large-scale event upstream succeeds? How can I gain a foothold within the gang if I am alone?
At the same time, he, who had always been cautious and cunning, was a little uneasy about how the Dengzhou rebels had suddenly laid out their plans... This was a serious siege of a city. Who knew how many taels of flesh the Wei had left? And who knew there were still more people in the official army of the Wei
No heroes?
Is it certain that Jishui will succeed?
What about the Qizhou in front of us? The county magistrate here is said to be an old man from Guanxi. It may not be that easy, right?
Qizhou, or Qijun, Qizhou County, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, due to the reforms of the late emperor of the Wei Dynasty and the sage of the day, the name has already become messy, but one thing that is very certain is that Qijun has no county governor.
, there is only one low-grade but actually powerful county magistrate... Of course, His Highness King Qi is the theoretical master of this county, but His Highness King Qi cannot come over, so he is like many other counties where the capital is located.
, they only have the actual power of the county magistrate and no county governor.
And this county magistrate, who had only been in office for half a year, was called Zhang Xuguo.
There is no doubt that in these days, to be able to control the real power of a county and get into the palace, it requires talents from Guanlong, and Zhang Xing has to rely on auspiciousness... However, Zhang Xu, who is already fifty years old
If he didn't need anyone, or he was from Hongnong himself, he would have too many connections in Kansai.
My grandfather was born in a wealthy family, and my father was born as a commoner until he became the county magistrate. He came from a military background. In his early years, he followed Duke Ding Guoliu in his military expeditions in the north and south, and gradually rose to prominence.
Then the saint ascended the throne, and followed one of the saint's younger brothers to suppress another rebellious younger brother, and gained the most critical military success.
Only, Gao Li was betrayed, and one of the saint's younger brothers died, and the other one was probably going to die too...well...it was precisely because of this that Miao Honggenzheng, the head of the Guanlong Army, remained until he was fifty years old.
I just got a real powerful county magistrate, but he is not yet a big county, nor is he a serious county governor.
It's worse than one offering auspiciousness.
On the 23rd day of September, the autumn air was crisp and the clouds were light and the wind was light. I don't know if he had a clear idea, but Zhang Juncheng suddenly summoned all the officials in the city and held a meeting in the hall.
"Everyone, the situation is very bad, and I am an old man from Guanxi. I speak plainly. I will only talk about five things today. Please listen."
After everyone arrived, Zhang Xuguo took the main seat and got straight to the point.
"First, don't worry about the release of autumn grain, and don't wait for the imperial envoy to reply. Just open the warehouse to release grain, take half of it and return it to the local people to appease the people, and use the other half as military ration;
"Second, I want to go beyond the prescribed limit and appoint brothers Fan Hu and Fan Bao, two local tycoons, as captains and deputy captains;
"Third, I will illegally recruit 5,000 people from the county to make up for 10,000 county soldiers to defend against the rebels on the spot;
"Fourth, I want to write to Jiangdu and Dongdu, asking both sides to send me a master of condensing pills to prevent the masters of the traitor army from beheading;
"Fifth, we need to abandon the easternmost cities of Qi County and lead the rebel army to the narrow areas between Tingshan, Huashan, Baishan, Jishan, Queshan and Jishui in order to fight decisively.
"If the court blames me for the above five things, I, Zhang Xuguo, will take full responsibility. If the army is defeated, I, Zhang Xuguo, will commit suicide outside Licheng. However, if there is someone in the county who can't pass the buck and deceives the superiors and deceives the subordinates, I, Zhang Xuguo,
Xu Guo wants to kill people to establish his authority...
"After all is said and done, who of you agrees and who opposes?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes were only looking at the local thief Cao and wealthy man Jia Wugen. Unexpectedly, a person in the hall turned out directly. When everyone looked, it was Jing'antai Heishou who was in charge of public security in this county. It was said that he had just been cleared last month.
Yu Baimei, a young expert from the second line of Rendu... is a foreigner.
Now that this person was out of the queue, he held his hands in the hall again and asked proudly:
"May I ask Jun Cheng, why do you have to have brothers Fan Hu and Fan Bao?"
"The first is that the two of them are capable and powerful. If they don't take it, they will become thieves... Cheng Dalang was like this before. I heard that he had appeared in Dengzhou City before; secondly, their brothers have power on the Jishui River, and the thieves have a strong army.
, we must control Jishui before we can defeat it calmly." Zhang Xuguo's face remained normal and he answered calmly.
"My subordinate understands." After hearing the explanation, Yu Baimei nodded, bowed directly, and continued to speak sincerely. "Jun Cheng, in fact, in the past few months, the world has been turbulent, and the loyal ministers and filial sons have been patient for a long time, but they only eat meat.
You are despicable, and you cannot be a thief. Now that the county magistrate is the first in the world, he asked Yu to be the tip of the blade. Since Yu has taken on this responsibility, although he can bend his body, he cannot defeat his sharp edge!"
"Well said!" Zhang Xuguo stood up from the table and helped the other party up in the hall. Then he held the other party's shoulders and spoke fiercely. "Let these thieves see how we can cut with the blades of loyal ministers."
Head or not?!”
"I would like to follow Mr. Zhang." Hearing this, Cao Jiawugen, a tycoon in the city and a thief in the county, also directly bowed his hands and bowed down. "Put down the thief and put an end to the chaos!"
All the officials in the hall bowed down one after another to show their respect.
As the saying goes:
The Central Plains is full of ancient grasses, with knots like arrow bamboo and flowers like rice.
The white dew sprinkles the leaves and separates them, and the October frost wind cannot blow them down.
