The handsome young man clapped his hands, laughed, and said, "Master Zhao is worthy of being a county captain. You will hit the mark with one guess!"
"Sure enough, it's you!" Zhao Ying didn't just rely on guessing.
The other party killed the county soldiers, but did not kill his family, but robbed his family. He must have some demands, so the other party would find him sooner or later, but he did not expect that the other party would come so quickly.
He squinted his eyes, looked at the handsome young man, and said, "Tell me what conditions you have!"
The handsome young man was Liu Xiu. He looked at Zhao Ying with a smile and said to himself, "That's right! This county captain is really quite capable. He has a smart mind and quick reactions, and he can be calm in the face of danger and not panicked in any situation."
Liu Xiu said: "Our conditions are very simple, Deng County."
Zhao Ying took a breath and frowned secretly. He stared at Liu Xiu for a long time and asked, "Who are you?"
Liu Xiu did not hide anything and said bluntly: "Zhu Tiandu Department! Of course, Mr. Zhao can also call us another name, Han Army!"
Zhao Ying was shocked. It turned out that they were the Chongling rebels! He asked in a solemn voice: "Who are you?"
Liu Xiu said: "Master Zhao doesn't have to worry about who I am. What I can guarantee to Master Zhao is that as long as Master Zhao is willing to accept our conditions, I can guarantee that Master Zhao's family will be safe and sound."
"You want Deng County! What a big appetite!" Zhao Ying murmured.
Liu Xiu looked up and smiled and said: "Our appetite is not only Deng County, but also Xiangxiang and Tongling!"
Zhao Ying's mind changed and he immediately understood that the purpose of the Chongling rebels was to knock down all the counties around Caiyang. They wanted to establish a base in Nanyang with Caiyang as their heart.
After thinking about this, Zhao Ying couldn't help but laugh and said: "People's hearts are not enough for snakes to swallow elephants. You are waiting for Chung Ling to rebel, and you still want to annex three counties in one breath?"
Liu Xiu walked up to Zhao Ying, stood still, and said: "The reckless thieves have no moral principles and are acting against the will. All the knowledgeable people in the world are now rallying to attack him. I think Mr. Zhao is also a hero among men. He should know how to obey the laws of heaven."
yes!"
Zhao Ying narrowed his eyes and asked: "Do you really think you can swallow up the three counties of Deng County, Xiangxiang, and Tongling? The total military strength of the three counties is..."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Xiu answered: "There are more than 3,000 people in total. And our Zhutiandu Division now has 30,000 soldiers. It will be easy to capture Deng County, Xiangxiang, and Tongling!"
Liu Xiu was lying with his eyes open. Zhu Tiandu didn't even say 30,000 people, but now there are less than 5,000 people. However, Liu Xiu believed that Zhao Ying didn't know much about Cai Yang's situation. How many troops did his side have?
He won't be very clear either.
Seeing the change in Zhao Ying's face, Liu Xiu took a step forward, and the distance between the two became closer. Zhao Ying subconsciously stepped back. At the same time, he lifted the hand holding the sword hilt upwards, Sha,
He drew his sword half a foot away.
Liu Xiu gently pressed his sword-holding wrist and said with a smile: "Master Zhao, don't be impulsive! The reason why we invited Master Zhao's family away this time and even made a special trip to the city to see Master Zhao is to save Master Zhao's life.
We are also saving the lives of Master Zhao and his family!"
Zhao Ying looked gloomy, stared at Liu Xiu, and asked, "What do you mean by this?"
Liu Xiu said with a smile: "Master Zhao, think about it, if our army of 30,000 soldiers arrives in Deng County, can the more than 1,000 county soldiers under Master Zhao be able to defend Deng County? When the city is broken, Zhao
How can the Lord still survive? Deng County has been lost. With Zhen Fu's personality, can he not resent Lord Zhao? Can he let your family go?"
Hearing this, Zhao Ying's face became more and more gloomy. According to what Liu Xiu said, based on his understanding of Zhen Fu, the latter could indeed do it.
However, when the other party said that there were thirty thousand rebels in Chung Ling, he really didn't believe it.
He snorted coldly and said: "Your Excellency, don't show off your strength in front of me. As far as I know, the Chung Ling rebel army only has 3,000 people. It only took 35 days to capture Caiyang. How can it be possible to expand the force to 30,000?"
"
Liu Xiuxiao asked: "Does Mr. Zhao think the information he got is really reliable? If we don't have the strength to compete with the county army, will we raise an uprising in Chongling? Even if our army's strength is still
It’s less than 30,000, but it’s not far behind. At least it’s more than enough to capture Deng County!”
Zhao Ying was silent. He believed Liu Xiu's words. Even if Liu Xiu's words were true, there were only 10,000 Chongling rebels, and Deng County's more than 1,000 county soldiers could not hold on at all.
Seeing Zhao Ying's wavering attitude, Liu Xiu said seriously: "As a county lieutenant, Mr. Zhao is naturally well-informed and should be very aware of the major events in the world. Now across the country, the big rebels include Red Eyebrows, Green Forest, Bronze Horse, and small ones.
There was a climax of the rebellion, with heavy companies, You Lai, big guns, five flags, etc., too numerous to count. Not long ago, even the armies of Wang Kuang and Lian Dan were defeated by Chimei. Wang Kuang was injured and Lian Dan was injured.
After being killed, does Master Zhao think that the reckless thief can really last long?"
Liu Xiu's words were like a knife inserted directly into Zhao Ying's weakness.
Wang Kuang and Lian Dan's troops were defeated by the Red Eyebrow Army. Not only was the imperial court shocked, but local officials from various places were also shocked. This battle really showed that the imperial court was weak and the end was approaching.
Liu Xiu continued: "The Xinmang imperial court is a broken ship full of holes, and it is rotten to the bone. Talents like Mr. Zhao should conform to the general trend of the world and stand with people of insight!"
Zhao Ying's momentum gradually weakened. Although he was reluctant to accept it, he had to admit that what he said was true. He slowly pushed the sword that he had taken out back into the scabbard and held the hilt tightly.
His hands slowly loosened.
He was silent for a long time, then raised his head, looked at Liu Xiu, and asked, "Excuse me, who are you?"
Liu Xiu took a step back, raised his hands to Zhao Ying and said, "I am Liu Xiu, Uncle Zi Wen!"
Zhao Ying opened her mouth in surprise and looked at him in disbelief.
Liu Xiu! He is Liu Yan’s younger brother Liu Xiu?!
Now Liu Xiu can be regarded as a number one figure. As the second-in-command of the Chongling rebel army, it is difficult for people to know him. Zhao Ying subconsciously looked around and saw that there were only four people around Liu Xiu.
He could never have imagined that the second-in-command of the Chung Ling Army would dare to enter Deng County with only four people and find him. How much courage does this have to have, and how much confidence does it have in the strength of the Chung Ling Army?
Zhao Ying and Liu Xiu looked at each other for a long time. He sighed softly, returned the salute, and said: "It turns out to be General Liu. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm Zhao Ying, your words are true!" After a pause, he asked: "What if I
Leading the army to defection, your army can..."
Liu Xiu answered: "I have already said that I can ensure the safety of Mr. Zhao's family!"
"I'm not just talking about my family, but also the people in the city!" Zhao Ying said with a frown.
"After our army entered the city, we did not harm the people in the city! Master Zhao must have heard of our army's behavior in Caiyang. What our army did in Caiyang is the same when it comes to Deng County." Liu Xiu
Said sternly.
Hearing this, Zhao Ying breathed a sigh of relief. He changed the subject and said, "Master Zhang is a good official. I hope that after your army enters the city, you can let Master Zhang go!"
Liu Xiu said: "As long as Mr. Zhang is willing to defect to our army, when our army enters the city, Mr. Zhang can continue to be the county magistrate of Deng County and continue to govern Deng County!"
Zhao Ying's eyes lit up and she asked: "General Liu, are you serious about what you said?"
Liu Xiu smiled and said, "Master Zhao cares more about Master Zhang than he cares about himself."
Zhao Ying said meaningfully: "Deng County can be governed without me, but it cannot be managed without Mr. Zhang."
Liu Xiu nodded, and he appreciated Zhao Ying a little more.
Now Zhu Tiandu Department has just started, and it is the time to hire people. He may not pay attention to the other person's virtue, but only pay attention to the other person's ability. But if the other person has both virtue and ability, Liu Xiu will of course like it more.
He said cheerfully: "Sir Zhang can continue to serve as county magistrate, but I don't think Mr. Zhao is suitable to continue to be county magistrate."
Zhao Ying's expression dimmed, but he soon relaxed. He smiled bitterly and said: "If General Liu thinks that I don't have the talent of a county captain, I can also go back to my hometown in Yanqu to farm."
Liu Xiu looked up and smiled and said: "Master Zhao has misunderstood me. I mean, with Master Zhao's talent, it is really unfair to only be a county captain. If you stay with my elder brother in the future, you will have greater success."
Deeds!"
Zhao Ying looked at Liu Xiu in surprise. After a while, he bowed his hands and saluted, saying: "Thank you, General!"
Liu Xiu persuaded Zhao Ying to surrender without much effort, mainly because he had done a good job in the preliminary preparations.
He kidnapped Zhao Ying's family first, giving him a huge psychological advantage before negotiating with Zhao Ying. At the same time, Zhao Ying's psychological defense began to collapse.
Under the dual pressure of the general trend and the restriction of his family, Zhao Ying's defection became a matter of course. However, as the county captain of Deng County, Zhao Ying's attitude directly determines the ownership of Deng County.
After talking about the business, Zhao Ying asked curiously: "General, when will our army arrive in Deng County?"
Liu Xiu said: "We can arrive tomorrow evening."
Zhao Ying asked in surprise: "So fast!"
Liu Xiu smiled and said: "Soldiers are valuable and quick!"
Zhao Ying secretly sighed. Fortunately, he accepted Liu Xiu's conditions and agreed to defect to the Chongling Army. Otherwise, in such a short period of time, he would not be able to find reinforcements, let alone hold on to the city!
He thought for a while and said: "Since our army will not arrive until tomorrow night, the general will temporarily stay in my house for these two days. It is much safer than staying in an inn!"
What he said was not only a sincere invitation, but also a test of how much Liu Xiu trusted him.
Now that Deng County still belongs to the imperial court, Liu Xiu, as the number two figure in the Chongling rebels, lives in the home of his county captain and may be captured alive by him at any time and handed over directly to the imperial court for reward.
As long as Liu Xiu had some concerns about him, it would be impossible for him to agree to live in his house. Unexpectedly, Liu Xiu didn't even think about it and immediately responded: "In this case, it will be troublesome for Mr. Zhao!"
As soon as he said this, not to mention Zhao Ying was surprised, even Yan Guang, Feng Yi, Fu Jun, and Jiu'er broke out in a cold sweat for him.
Zhao Ying was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but asked tentatively: "General trusts me so much, isn't he afraid that I will suddenly betray him?"
