The arrival of Zhang Xing and 5,000 reinforcements completely changed the situation. Everyone realized that the previous bad situation, which was neither embarrassing nor embarrassing, and could easily lead to the destruction of both the enemy and the enemy, would never return, because the deposed dragon had the initiative.
There are so many things that can be done to help the rebels...or simply put, the overall situation of Jiyin is 80% decided.
In fact, at this time, many people thought that the previous lack of embarrassment simply did not exist. The rebels were simply confident and did not want to kill innocent people indiscriminately, so they endured this.
Turning around, the coach Li Shu did not hesitate at all, and immediately sent a local as a messenger into the city, reiterated the peace terms to Song Chang, the prefect of Jiyin, and opened the city now. Bygones are bygones, and all officials will be sent out with courtesy.
As for the consequences of not opening the city, they unexpectedly did not mention it this time. Instead, they clearly mentioned the next phase of the rebel army's military plan. If the Song governor did not open the city today, the rebels outside the city would not attack by force, but would let Shan Da
Lang and Wang Wulang, two powerful men from this county, will go out early tomorrow morning to divide their troops into six thousand troops to sweep Shanfu, Chengwu, Jinxiang, and Zhouqiao cities.
This ensures that Jiyin County City is completely surrounded, and possible reinforcements from Liang County are kept at the periphery.
It’s unclear what the reaction in the city will be, but the rebels are obviously getting organized here.
The two sides met by the river. As expected, more than 5,000 people from five counties were established on the outskirts of the site and divided into five camps.
It was already noon after setting up the stronghold, and they announced an extra meal before dinner to show appreciation to the reinforcements and the besieging troops who had worked hard to help the stronghold. They cooked fish soup and fish soup, put more soy sauce, vinegar and ginger, and added each
One pancake per person. For ordinary grassroots soldiers who have two meals a day, this kind of treatment, which is basically purine soup and pancakes, is undoubtedly an extra encouragement, so it is rare to be inspired.
Then, the two leaders Zhang and Li, together with several big leaders, leaders, and officers at all levels, patrolled the camp to boost the morale of the rebels. They even repeated their old tricks and asked them to sing wildly inside the camp as a unit... It was chaotic and chaotic.
Amidst the noisy local songs, the top of Jiyin City seemed particularly silent.
"They can't stand it."
Bing Yuanzheng, the leader from Kuangcheng, put down his soup bowl and looked around with a sneer. He couldn't hide his pride. "The defenders in the city are all locals. Song Chang, his son and Liu Ben wanted to defend, but the morale of the soldiers below was lost. They
What can we do? This city will be attacked within ten days, and by then Jiyin County and Dongjun County will also be in the hands of our rebels. And with more than a thousand people from each county of Jiyin, we can easily connect 20,000 troops. Then we will follow
According to the previous discussion, the river and Jishui are connected, and the east direction is calm, and the momentum is like breaking bamboo, penetrating the eastern border, dividing the world, and the general trend is rolling... At that time, what will happen if the real dragon and immortal descend to the earth? "
"Brother Bing, what you said is wrong." Another leader, Yang Defang, responded with a twist of his tongue. "As for the evil that the Wei Dynasty did in its hometown of Eastern Qi, if a god or a real dragon came down to earth, he would also help us... The four supreme beings are watching from above.
, there is no unworthy supreme being in the world...haven't you heard? The reason why the saint launched the Three Conquests in a hurry was because the Tower of Tongtian, his path to the king, collapsed and he didn't want to be known. As a result, when he went to Jiangdu,
The tower that was just rebuilt collapsed again."
There was a commotion all around, and there was a lot of discussion immediately. Even Wang Shuyong and Shan Tonghai were surprised for a moment, and Xiong Bonan couldn't help but ask directly.
The atmosphere seemed particularly harmonious for a moment, even a little fiery.
Zhang Xing and Li Shu, on the other hand, still looked as usual, and couldn't help but look at each other, and then immediately saw what the other party meant. With such a complacent attitude as soon as they gain power, these scholars are probably no better than those few.
Leaders who come from rich families are easy to serve.
But what else can be done?
In the evening, a reunion banquet that had such an excellent atmosphere that even Shan Tonghai was so interested in pretending that his uncle's incident never happened ended successfully.
Even when it was over, Xiong Bonan still held Zhang Xing's hand and sighed, saying that this is the true heroism and true loyalty that the rebels should have. If they can be so free and happy every day, they will die for the Deposed Dragon Gang in the future.
willingly.
Zhang Xing was speechless... This kind of dynamic situation where all things compete could be found everywhere... But facing this Xiongtian King who was actually a bit naive, he could only smile and agree.
There was no words to say that night, and Zhang Xing had no intention of usurping Li Shu's authority as commander, so he went directly to the back camp to sleep. Li Shu suppressed a certain desire and calmly arranged the patrol and defense matters for the army, and then ordered the military rations before dividing the troops tomorrow morning.
Preparation work... It was not until the second watch that I returned to my tent, but I couldn't wait to drag Du Caiqian, who had been out of sight during the day, onto the bed.
The two are true life-and-death acquaintances, so naturally they can have a direct heart-to-heart relationship.
"Actually." Du Caiqian scratched his thigh thoughtfully. "From my point of view, Zhang Longtou didn't do anything beyond imagination, nor did he do things very exquisitely. Some things he even did were quite paranoid.
, and caused a lot of trouble..."
Li Shu listened carefully and only asked in the dark: "What about?"
"For example, what happened to Shantong Hai Clan Uncle, as long as some methods are used, it will not be so rough..." Du Caigan said with a smile. "Besides, from my point of view, he was almost deceived by such crude methods at the time.
"
Li Shu responded with silence.
"However." Du Caiqian said again. "When he found out, he didn't seem to be too surprised. Instead, he dealt with it immediately. Those who were willing to submit were forgiven, and those who were unwilling to submit were immediately killed... In fact, there was no sense of propriety here.
OK... Then after the killing, he just pretended that this had never happened and continued to burn the debt. After burning the debt, he decided to use the slogan "Depose the Dragon Gang to raise troops for the common people", which was also weak... But in the end, he borrowed
Because of this incident, Magistrate Chai and I have changed the positions of helmsmen, which seems to be a bit of an antelope hanging its horns."
Li Shu was still silent.
"I've thought about it, and if there's anything he does really well, it's probably that he has foresight and can grasp the key points, as if he knows what to do even if he closes his eyes." Du Caigan thought about it.
After thinking about it, I continued. "For example, as soon as the rebels took the city, they immediately released food and money to win people's hearts. However, they did not release all the food, and kept half of it as military rations, and 20% of the money, and the rest was used as military rations.
It was somewhat prescient that military pay and rations should be audited against the government treasury... Many people were dissatisfied with this matter at that time, some felt reluctant to give up, and some were ready to take matters into their own hands, but he persisted... And this time, if not
There are sufficient military rations and stable supply lines, and there are sufficient military pay for new recruits. Even if the people are enthusiastically joining the army, how can we easily dispatch the troops properly?"
"That's right." Li Shu finally agreed in the darkness.
"That's not all. After releasing the money and food, he immediately burned debts. At the same time, he immediately appointed the local governor and shouted slogans to depose the Dragon Gang...According to his meaning, this time he came here because he was anxious to support this place. He will wait until he returns.
, we also need to take advantage of the slack farming season in winter to conduct an inventory of official and private fields, grant land to those who have merit, and cultivate land without merit. We also need to restore taxation, but we must change the previous situation of random harvesting and overharvest... Let me tell you, this matter
It's still troublesome to say it, because the land grant system has been a mess for many years. Many people suggested that the public land should be divided directly... But he insisted that if it were divided now, the meritorious people would not be able to be rewarded in the future, and the disabled people would not be able to be rewarded.
If we cannot appease the army, the taxes used to continue to support the army will also be in chaos."
"That's it." Li Long sighed loudly on the couch. "That's it... Lao Du, do you mean... do you mean that although he is young, he seems to be an old thief with many years of experience?
It seems that he has rebelled countless times and suffered countless losses, so he can withstand all kinds of sideways and work with peace of mind, as if he knows how to rebel even with his eyes closed?"
Du Caiqian paused for a moment, then responded in the darkness: "That's really the case."
Li Shu hesitated for a moment, then continued to ask: "Then do you think he had long been thinking about rebellion and was deliberately planning it, so he ended up here?"
"Definitely not." Du Caigan's tone also became strange. "Definitely not... Li Gong, Zhang Longtou is actually a little weird here. He seems... he seems to be a little impatient with this rebellion, not very enthusiastic.
You must know that the appearance of other people at the banquet this afternoon has been very obvious. Almost everyone is thinking about the future situation, and everyone feels that there is a lot to do. Even Xu Dalang, who was so hesitant and steady before, can once start on the white horse.
But he also became enthusiastic and excited. Only our Zhang Longtou seems to be the best at what he does, but he always seems to be a little less enthusiastic, as if he has been banging gongs for a day."
Li Shu suddenly realized.
However, considering that it was too dark and in order to avoid scaring his close friends, he could not tell the other party directly that he was not optimistic about this rebellion. He was just pretending to be calm, and like Zhang Xing, he was
Not optimistic from the beginning.
It's just that Zhang Xing is younger and doesn't cover up.
Of course, this brings the question back to where did Zhang Sanlang get the attitude of an old thief? Is he really deliberate and has studied countless things to rebel?
But where does the time come from? Don’t you need to have sex? Don’t you need to practice? Don’t you need to eat and sleep? Don’t you need to deal with the ups and downs?
Or is it from reading a book?
But which of those official history books can be trusted with the content of the rebellion? If we follow those history books to rebel, we might not even be able to incite the Deposed Dragon Gang, right?
Things seemed to have fallen into some kind of fog again, but unexpectedly, compared to the shock and impatience during the day, Li Shu felt much more relaxed... because at least he learned that the other party was not without mistakes and flaws, and could only
It is said that we have grasped the key issues and organized them in an orderly manner.
Of course, it's still scary, but it's just not as stressful.
Or maybe he just needs someone to talk to to help him get over the shock of the day.
"Actually, that's all. The reason why I came here this time is to ask Li Gong face to face." At this moment, Du Caigan took the initiative to speak. "The situation is so good now, what on earth are you and Zhang Longtou doing?
Say? Dragon head, dragon head, it’s impossible for a dragon to be headless, but it can’t be a two-headed dragon, right?”
Li Shu opened his mouth to speak, but swallowed it directly. Then he thought about it and was confused for a moment.
To put it bluntly, it’s not that he and Zhang Xing, the two leading leaders, don’t want to rebel. In terms of motivation for rebellion, they are definitely at the forefront of the world. But the problem is that this time they rebelled, they both rushed to the top.
Driven by the situation to rebel.
Therefore, neither he nor Zhang Xing has a long-term plan. They are all thinking about how to get out of this situation when the imperial court suppresses it.
Survive and preserve your vitality... Who has really thought about how to divide the spoils if the rebellion succeeds?
In fact, if this were not the case, how could two people be so candid in safeguarding the so-called overall situation and maintaining the so-called balance? Shouldn't they follow the path suggested by Taoist Wei and fight for their wits first?
But looking at it now, Zhang Xing is so capable, and Xu Dalang is also said to be quite capable. If they unite as one, really bring the situation to a standstill, and survive the imperial court's encirclement and suppression, how can we really say that the Eastern Border is connected?
If we can really connect the eastern border from here to Dengzhou, the Wei Dynasty will be abolished, okay?
The last trace of people's hearts will be dispersed, the heroes in the world will rise up, the aristocratic families in Jiangdong will no longer wait and watch, and the ambitious people in Guanlong will no longer hide.
When the time comes, I don’t know whether the Deposed Dragon Gang can depose the dragon. These sloppy local tyrants and useless scribes will all turn into dragons from snakes by then!
Li Shu's repeated silences and hesitations felt like an escape from Du Caiqian. Therefore, the latter thought about it and couldn't help but remind him: "Mr. Li, what on earth are you thinking?"
?When we worked for Yang Gong before, we only thought of taking advantage of the dragon's power and replacing it with those Nanya nobles? But now that the Yang family is gone, and it is incompatible with the Wei Dynasty, are you independent?
If you have it, we naturally have nothing to say and we will try our best to help you, but how should we deal with Zhang Longtou; and if not, what do we think of Zhang Longtou?"
This question completely confused Li Shu.
In other words, he forced this talented man from a famous Kansai family into a corner... After all, the other party was his life-and-death friend, and the most trustworthy person after Yang Shenyu. Why would he ask such a question at this time?
You have to give the other party an explanation.
"Let me put it this way." Li Shu turned half over in the dark night, cautiously, but extremely sincerely. "People are either born to want to be emperors, or we Kansai people, watching the Cao family steal the country
In the past, there were role models, but not everyone had the mentality that I could replace them...
"For example, if Yang Shen wants to rebel, it is because the Yang family was originally the Zhong surname of the Wei Dynasty, and the current saints look like that, so he had this idea...
"And when I first went to help the Yang family, one reason was that the current saint suppressed me and refused to give me a future because of my one disobedience; the other reason was that the Yang family and his son saw that I was talented but could not tolerate them, so they tried their best to make friends with me.
I, I am naturally grateful for their kindness...and before Yang Shen's defeat, I didn't have any extra thoughts."
"So, after the defeat, you started to have other thoughts?" Du Caiqian came to listen solemnly. After hearing this, he finally couldn't help but interjected and smiled slightly.
"That's right." Li Shu sat up directly on the couch, and his tone became more solemn. "One is Yang Shen's stupidity. I have a true friendship with him, and I regard him as a close friend at this time, but I still can't understand why he can't
Why do you always make mistakes when using my strategies..."
"I actually think that Mr. Yang had his difficulties back then, but..." Du Caigan hesitated. "But I also know your anger, because you are the mastermind, and you led a strategy that he didn't use.
, so it is inevitable that you will feel that if I, Li Shu, were to do this, why would it be like this?"
"Let's not talk about this matter." Li Shu sighed. "After all, I don't want to deny Zang's old friend, but this matter, coupled with the subsequent exile life... you should understand this even more... Sometimes I feel that with my talent,
Is my whole life going to be so useless? I am unwilling to give in, but I am powerless and have to swallow my anger."
"Of course I know, and I know that it must be ten times harder for you than me." Du Caigan also stood up and started to do it. He grabbed the other person's hands in the dark night and spoke sincerely. "Because you are ten times better than me, because of your background.
He is ten times higher than me, and he also has the hatred of being the mastermind of Yang Gong's defeat!"
"So, I have the will to be independent." Li Shu continued to speak seriously. "I always feel that I still have to work hard to do something, and this life cannot be easily handed over to others!"
"Does that mean we need to be independent?" Du Caigan asked seriously.
"It's really not..." Li Shu slowly shook his head. "I really didn't expect that step... Because to stand on one's own in the rebellion, isn't it just to be a loner and fight for the throne? I was a fugitive a few months ago.
How can I think of this step all at once? In the final analysis, it’s just that I don’t want to be inferior to others, and then it depends on the situation and whether I can meet someone who can convince me.”
"I understand." Du Caigan shook the other person's hand and lowered his voice in response. "The situation is not that big yet. This is obvious... The other thing is actually also obvious, but I can't help but ask another question.
Let me ask you, Zhang Sanlang really can’t convince you? What’s the shortcoming?”
"My background is too low, not just ordinary, but too low. Don't say that compared with me, compared with other people, it seems low." Li Shu said one thing. "And he is too young. At my age, I am asked to come."
Are you going to bow down to him? As for his talent, it is certainly outstanding, even extremely outstanding, but at the moment, it can be said that he is a talent in Nanya, a younger Xianggong Zhang... But what about military strategy? What about cultivation?
"Now everyone knows that the battle at Douzigang was not fought by him, but by Li Jia Si Lang, and he also borrowed the Putai Army from Li Jia Si Lang. As for cultivation, at the moment, it is just that both the Ren and Du lines are open.
It's just a matter of pointing directly at the Ningdan, even I am not as good as... There are not many people who can convince people from the point of view of cultivation. There are only two people in the world, Sima Erlong and Bai Sanniang... He is far from enough.
"
"That's the truth." Du Caigan answered seriously. "Unless he can marry Bai Sanniang and take Li Silang under his wing, he will naturally be invincible... But how difficult is it?"
"If you really marry Bai Sanniang, will he make the decision or Bai Sanniang? Or should I say, Bai Sanniang or the British Princess?" Li Shu laughed and shook his head. "If Li Silang really joins the gang, why isn't he from a higher family background?
Li Silang, who has outstanding military skills and is of the right age, is the leader?"
"That's true." Du Caigan also laughed.
After the two of them laughed, Li Shu said seriously: "It's too early to say this now. I've been through it once. He seems to be a person who has the overall situation in mind. Both parties should know that the so-called bridging a big river to feed water, connects it.
If this matter in the Eastern Territory cannot be accomplished in one day, fighting for power and profit will become ridiculous. Even more, even at that step, we should be cautious... Because according to our strategy, the people who will actually fight in the Eastern Territory are from Hebei, and at most
The people of Jianghuai... Two outsiders want to fight for power, but the Wei Dynasty outside will not fall, there is no internal strife in Guanlong to the west, and there is no great authority inside, so fighting for this is not asking for death?"
Du Caiqian thought for a while and nodded, but he was still unwilling to give in: "Then is there a way to unite wholeheartedly and solve the problem without causing disputes? Although I was a little shaken by this person, I still have to say that this talent is really rare.
, if you want to achieve great things, talent comes first.”
"I'm quite happy with it," Li Shu said with a smile. "But I'm afraid he won't be convinced in his heart. He is also a person who can only 'put me first'..." At this point, the left-wing leader became serious again. "
We say every day that we have experienced it once, so our hearts are as solid as stone. In fact, if you think about it carefully, isn’t it the same for others? During the second expedition to Dongyi, a man came back with a corpse on his back. I should have known at that time that he had brought a big body with him.
Determined to come back!"
Du Caiqian nodded heavily, but couldn't help but sigh.
"Wait a minute, it's early!" Li Shu thought for a while, then had to let go and lie down, then turned over. "We will still have to cooperate sincerely for a long time to come, at least from today on.
Later, I had to convince others to take charge of the rear... Taoist Wei, on the other hand, was jumping up and down so early in the morning, just thinking that Zhang Longtou and I were falling into the trap, so we inevitably lost the pattern."
Du Caiqian also lay down, but he still had some insights: "Taoist Wei is also capable, but he just lacked so many 'experiences'..."
Li Shu just responded and said no more.
In this way, the two of them were able to speak for a while, and they explained and understood a little bit of their thoughts, but they were speechless all night, and it was rare for them to sleep peacefully until dawn.
But that was it. After all, they had to prepare for the division of troops the next morning, so they got up early, inspected the camp, supervised breakfast, and after eating, prepared for Wang Wulang and Shan Dalang to leave south.
At this time, people suddenly came to the city.
"What do you think of Zhang Longtou?" In the big tent, Li Shu turned around and asked Zhang Xing beside him, speaking calmly.
"While we continue to pack our things and prepare to go out, we will just meet the envoy at the Chinese army's tent." Zhang Xing blurted out. "It's the same thing without delay. The key is not to delay the time for those in the city."
The illusion.”
"I think so too." Li Shu agreed immediately and immediately gave the order.
After a while, a middle-aged man in brocade clothes with a sword and a high crown entered the tent majestically... Seeing the visitor, many people in the tent were stunned. Shang Huaizhi stood up in shock, then sat back down quietly.
"My official name is Song Chang, the governor of Jiyin County. Most of you have registered residence in this county and are considered my subjects. You should call me Junjun. Why don't you bow to Junjun when he comes here?"
It was Song Chang who looked around proudly and opened his hands to face him.
As soon as these words were spoken, Shan Dalang, Wang Wulang, Shang Huaizhi and several others hesitantly stood up and pretended to salute... Of course, after glancing at the two leaders, these people immediately reacted and started again.
Sit back.
Shan Dalang even straightened up and spoke out: "Now that our rebel army has the upper hand, since you have been here in person, you understand the importance, why do you still need to show off your words? If you have anything to say quickly, we
Just listen."
"Who are you?" Song Chang asked coldly.
"Shan Tonghai." Faced with the person who was considered his "king" last month, Shan Dalang felt a little guilty after all.
"I've never heard of him. I guess he's a rich man who can't stand up to the public." Song Chang sneered and asked, "Which one is Li Shu and which one is Zhang Xing? I only talk to these two people."
Shan Dalang's face instantly turned red and he held the saber on the spot. Unexpectedly, Shang Huaizhi stood up first and stood between the two of them. The latter also took advantage of the opportunity to introduce Song Chang:
"Song Junjun... The older one in front is Li Shu Gong, and the younger one on the right is naturally Zhang Xing Gong."
"Who is the 'junjun' with you, the one who sells the city behind his back?" Song Changfu sneered again at Shang Huaizhi, who was facing the tense skin, and then looked at the two people above. "You two, who is the coach, and who is with you?
Shall I talk?”
Li Shu glanced at Zhang Xing and then at Song Chang: "Song Governor, I have experienced Yang Shen's rebellion. Zhang Longtou conquered Dongyi for the second time and returned alone with his body. The two of us are unshakable in our determination to cut off the violent Wei and stabilize the world. You
You really shouldn't use this little provocation trick anymore, it will only make people laugh... You just said, what's the point of coming here? Do you want to agree to the conditions last night, accept our gifts, and let the city leave safely?
"
Song Chang was silent for a moment, and then said seriously: "As a prefect of a county and guarding the land for the emperor, how can you deceive yourself and others? What kind of gift can you ask for to leave the country?"
"Does that mean you don't agree?" Zhang Xing was obviously impatient. He was really impatient. "If you don't agree, you don't agree. The emperor regards the world as a child's play. It's his fault. I, the regular inspector before Fulongwei, can be here."
I can't finish it in three days, how ridiculous is it to defend the land for the emperor? You are defending the land for the imperial court and the emperor's uncle, both of which make sense."
"That is to defend the land for the imperial court." Song Chang paused for a moment, but remained serious. "It doesn't matter... Anyway, I was ordered to go to this city, and the responsibility of guarding the land has not changed. Surrendering by abandoning the land means surrendering by abandoning the land. How?
When you deceive yourself and others, what are you talking about as a gift?"
"That's good." Zhang Xing sighed and then joked, "So, you don't agree with the strategy? Then what are you here for today?"
"It's not that I disagree." Song Chang held up his sword and looked at each other. "Since you have enough troops, you can easily attack the city and seize the territory and isolate the reinforcements. If you continue like this, sooner or later we will all be destroyed... There will even be chaos in the city, which will only lead to disaster.
"Xiong, Shan, Wang, and Shang were still confused. After all, they had never seen such a thing. However, Zhang Xing, Li Shu, and the leaders who were scribes were somewhat awakened, but they couldn't help but look at each other in confusion.
"So what is going to happen?" Zhang Xing asked knowingly.
"Let me show you what a loyal minister is!" Song Chang slowly drew his sword, causing many people including Xiong Bonan to be alert, but their expressions immediately changed with the next sentence. "I'm here to repay the imperial court with my death, and you guys
Since you have taken my life, you should pardon the whole city, young and old, and allow a few loyal ministers to leave the country calmly..."
"All the young and old in the city are our brothers and sisters. They were restrained by you. We went to rescue ourselves. How can we expect you to come and save our lives?" Zhang Xing sat there, his words becoming more and more impatient. "You think I don't?
You know? Your family background is not high, and you are not as calm as the prefect Liu, so you are worried that the imperial court will punish the whole family after abandoning the city, so you simply die in exchange for the stability of the whole family. Who doesn't know this truth? I just don't know. Why did you do it before you died?
Are we disgusting and generous? The imperial court is tyrannical and you dare not say a word. We rebels are generous, so do we deserve to be pointed at by your sword?"
Others also woke up and scolded each other... Of course, Zhang Xing must be confusing the situation, because although there are fewer loyal ministers these days and it is a bit embarrassing, since Emperor Bai, the monarch's power has become increasingly important, and it is natural to pay attention to the word loyalty.
Yes, it cannot be said that they are just trying to save their family from sin and have no intention of serving the country loyally.
In fact, it was precisely because of this that Song Chang never thought that he had failed to frighten these people, let alone the backlash effect of such an argument. For a moment, his face turned red and he was extremely angry. It took him half a day to speak out in response: "To the loyal ministers,
You will know whether your blood is clear or turbid! Just take a look with your own eyes!"
After saying that, without hesitation, he directly wiped it on his neck. Blood spattered three feet and red beads flew and landed on many people.
In the big tent, everything suddenly became quiet.
Zhang Xing, on the other hand, was the first to stand up after a while. He wiped the blood on his face and felt a little strange in his heart, but he soon smiled and looked around:
"The blood of loyal ministers is indeed clearer! So when we, the righteous people, die under swords and axes in the future, our blood will definitely be clearer than his! The overall situation of Jiyin has been decided, who among you will take over the city defense?"
