A few days before Yang Sichang's fleet sailed east from Kuizhou, towards dusk, a small group of officers and cavalry, totaling twenty-eight people, galloped to the south gate of Xiangyang with their horses soaked with sweat.
Because there are widespread rumors in Xiangyang that Luoyang has fallen and the war in Sichuan is unfavorable, the city gate inspections have been very strict in recent days. No one is allowed to enter the city unless they have urgent official documents and they are verified to be correct.
This small group of cavalry immediately stood outside the suspension bridge. The young officer headed by it approached the city gate and took out the official document from the superintendent's camp, proving that he came to Xiangyang on urgent business.
The gatekeeper read the general's official documents carefully and understood that he was a junior officer in the Superintendent's Xingyuanbiao Camp, and his official title was also the general. His surname was Zhang and his given name was Dingguo.
But the gatekeeper was still worried. He raised his head and asked, "What other official documents are there on the stage?"
The commander-in-chief of the camp named Zhang Dingguo showed contempt and took out an urgent document sealed with lacquer and asked the gatekeeper to take a look.
The guard officer looked at the front and saw that it was delivered to Mr. Zhang of the Xiangyang Military Preparation Road. The word "urgent secret" was marked on the top. The year, month and day of the document was written on the middle seam on the back, and the top was stamped with the superintendent and assistant ministers to defend the gate.
He raised his head and said to Zhang Dingguo: "Please wait a moment. I will report to Mr. Mingli and I will be back immediately."
The young officer who came from the governor's camp said unhappily: "Brother, is the official document we got from the governor's camp fake?"
The gatekeeper smiled and said: "Don't be surprised, don't be surprised. The official document is of course true, but it needs to be approved by Mr. Li before the door can be opened."
"Brother, this is an urgent document. If I miss my official business, neither you nor I can afford it!"
"It won't be a mistake. It won't be a mistake. Mr. Li is sitting on the city gate tower. I'll be back right away."
When Yang Sichang was stationed in Xiangyang, there was a general with the rank of deputy general in charge of each city gate. During the day, he would sit on the upper floor of the city gate or work in the courtyard near the city gate.
After Yang Sichang went to Sichuan, due to the relaxation of the military situation within hundreds of miles of Xiangyang, all city gates were changed to Qian General garrison, but the south gate was more important, so it was changed to guerrilla general garrison.
The guerrilla general's name was Li Min'an. He read the front and back of the official document carefully and found nothing suspicious. However, he still did not dare to rest assured, so he had to go down to the city tower in person, stand in the city gate, and ask the general to come down.
The young officer who delivered the official document was called to him, looked him up and down, and asked, "Are you here specifically to deliver this official document?"
Zhang Dingguo replied respectfully: "Yes, sir."
General Li said: "In that case, please rest and wait in the Nanguan restaurant. I will immediately send someone to deliver the official document to the Yamen. As soon as there is a reply, I will ask you to take it back to the governor's office."
The young officer was secretly startled and said quickly: "Sir, I have come to Xiangyang to urgently mobilize troops. I must go to the Yamen in person tonight to hand over the military symbols. I cannot wait outside the city."
"Is there a military talisman?"
"Yes, yes." The young officer immediately took out half of the military talisman from his arms and presented it.
General Li was very familiar with the style of military talismans in the military governor's camp, and he understood that half of the military talismans brought by the young officer were genuine. Moreover, the military talismans were made of copper and could not be forged by others in a hurry. The look on his face began to relax.
After making peace, he said: "You wait for a while in the restaurant outside the suspension bridge, and also ask the brothers to have tea and rest. I immediately personally sent the official documents and military symbols to the Taotai Yamen and presented them in person. The military symbols are correct, so I asked my brother to bring them.
Take the brothers to live in the city. This is a formality and must be done."
The young officer said: "In this case, I have no choice but to obey the order, but please, General, please send the official documents and military symbols to the Yamen as soon as possible."
After saying that, he gave a military salute and turned around to cross the suspension bridge.
Not long after, General Li rode back from the Yamen in Xiangyang City and sent someone to call the young officer waiting outside the suspension bridge. He said that the adults in the city had read the urgent documents from the cabinet ministers and had compiled them themselves.
The military talisman allows them to enter the city and live in Chengtian Temple, waiting to be heard tomorrow morning.
General Li then asked: "How many brothers did you bring?"
Zhang Dingguo replied: "Sir, there are a total of twenty-eight people, including those with humble positions."
"Let's go into the city together. I'll send someone here to guide you to Chengtian Temple."
When Zhang Dingguo led his twenty-seven brothers into the city gate to Chengtian Temple, General Li stopped him again, avoided everyone for a while, and asked in a low voice: "There are rumors here that the war situation in Sichuan is unfavorable, is it true?"
The young officer said: "Please don't believe the rumors. Although the military campaign to suppress the bandits in Sichuan is not completely smooth, it is impossible for the two thieves Xian and Cao to escape from Sichuan. The cabinet minister is mobilizing troops to continue the encirclement and suppression. It will not be difficult to annihilate them all. Beware of spies.
Spread rumors in Xiangyang to confuse the public!"
General Li nodded and said, "Yes, there may be spies hiding in Xiangyang City, specifically spreading rumors. The day before yesterday, someone advised the prefect, Mr. Wang, to be extra careful in guarding the city. Mr. Wang also smiled and said: 'Zhang Xianzhong is far away in Sichuan. I don't expect it.
It won't fly from the sky!' I also thought that worrying about Zhang Xianzhong coming to Xiangyang would be too much."
Zhang Dingguo laughed and said: "Of course it's an oversight. Even if Zhang Xianzhong had two wings, it would still take ten and a half days to fly from Sichuan to Xiangyang!"
The general smiled and nodded, watching the small group of cavalry walking towards Chengtian Temple.
The crescent moon has set, and the night is getting darker.
Zhang Xianzhong led a cavalry of 1,500 men and was galloping on the road from Yicheng to Xiangyang. Less than ten miles away from Xiangyang City, he suddenly ordered the team to stop and rest at the foot of the mountain.
Because they have seen the lights on the south gate of Xiangyang City, every soldier is excited, but also a little worried, fearing that if they fail to succeed, they will lose all the brothers who have entered Xiangyang City. However, the military discipline of Xianzhong is very strict, and
No one talked in a low voice. When the third watch was about to come, Xianzhong loudly ordered, "Mount the horse!" The cavalry immediately stood up in formation and ran towards the south gate of Xiangyang.
In the blink of an eye, a fire broke out near Chengtian Temple, then a fire broke out near Duanli Gate of Prince Xiang's Mansion, and then a fire broke out inside Wenchang Gate.
The street was abuzz with people shouting loudly that the Biao Camp of Daotai Yamen was mutinied. The guerrilla general Li Min'an who was guarding the South Gate led a small number of soldiers to suppress the situation. He had just mounted his horse in the middle of the street inside the South Gate and came into the city at dusk to stay at Chengtian Temple.
Two dozen cavalrymen rushed over.
Before Li Min'an could figure out what was going on, he was caught off guard and was hacked to death by Zhang Dingguo, the leader, and fell off his horse.
In the blink of an eye, this small group of cavalry forced the gatekeepers who had no time to escape to open the city gate and lower the drawbridge. Zhang Xianzhong marched his troops into the city, divided his troops to occupy each gate, and at the same time sent people to shout throughout the city: "People do not need to panic, the officers and soldiers surrender."
No one will be killed!"
There were only sporadic battles in Xiangyang City. Most of the officers and soldiers surrendered, and a few of them fled the city in the chaos. Xiangyang City had dozens of streets and alleys, and many large and small yamen. Zhang Xianzhong occupied it without a major battle.
After Zhang Xianzhong entered Wenchang Gate, he first rushed to the camp where Yang Sichang stayed in Xiangyang, sent troops to occupy the military warehouse on the left side of the camp, and then rode his horse to Prince Xiang's Mansion. When he arrived in front of Duanli Gate, he met his adopted son Zhang Kewang coming out of the palace.
, the brothers pushed a tall old man with white hair and beard.
Zhang Xianzhong saw that King Xiang had been captured, and asked Zhang Kewang to send troops to closely guard the palace of King Xiang and not allow anyone to come in or out. King Xiang himself was taken away by Zhang Xianzhong himself for interrogation.
When everyone arrived at the Yamen of Yunxiang Road, Zhang Dingguo and Zhang Wenxiu, the other two adopted sons of the Eighth Kings, were already guarding there.
Zhang Dingguo stood in front of him and said with a smile: "Father, my dear, my son has finished the work."
Zhang Xianzhong smiled and scolded: "Son, you did a great job! You didn't encounter any difficulties when you entered the city, right?"
"Fortunately, it's easier than I originally thought. Thanks to the fact that we met the envoy sent by Yang Sichang to Xiangyang to mobilize troops on the road and took away his military symbols. If we only relied on the flags, uniforms and the official document we forged,
, it will be more difficult to make money in the city."
Zhang Xianzhong laughed happily, then stood up from the chair, patted Dingguo on the shoulder and said, "What a good boy, he is worthy of being the adopted son of the Eight Kings of Xiying! Do you understand? The most important thing is not the flag and uniform of the officers and soldiers.
It’s not official documents or military talismans, it’s your boldness, carefulness and natural look that makes the bastards guarding the city gate unable to see any flaws, I can’t help but believe it!”
Pan Duao, the military advisor of the Western Camp, and several wives and concubines of Zhang Xianzhong, who were originally captured and imprisoned by the army during the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Manao Mountain, were also rescued by Zhang Dingguo and Zhang Wenxiu at this time.
Everyone went to the palace to eat. Zhang Xianzhong poured a full glass of wine for Pan Duao and congratulated him on his safety. Pan Duao also returned the favor and congratulated him on the victory. All the relatives who were sitting with him toasted together.
The Eight Kings happily asked everyone: "Guess what move Yang Sichang will make next?"
Everyone said they couldn't guess. Anyway, he had no good moves to make. He would probably be arrested by Chongzhen for questioning and end up like Xiong Wencan. Zhang Xianzhong looked at Pan Duao again: "Old Pan, what do you think?"
Pan Duao, who had just been released, said with a smile: "According to my opinion, Yang Sichang has exhausted all his wits and lost two famous cities and two close vassals. He will definitely commit suicide."
Everyone in Xiying didn't know about breaking into the camp and attacking Luoyang. Zhang Xianzhong was shocked when he heard about it and said: "Ah? Please make it clear!"
"When I was imprisoned in Xiangyang City, I heard many people discuss it. Li Zicheng indeed conquered Luoyang and killed King Fu. Now that Xiangyang has been lost, King Xiang will also become the commander's assassin. How can Chongzhen spare him lightly?
Even if Chongzhen intends to revive him, the sectarian disputes in the imperial court are always fierce, and he is usually the target of public criticism. Why not seize the opportunity to attack in groups, put him to death and then quickly?"
"Is the news from Luoyang true?"
Pan Duao nodded and said, "Yesterday I heard in prison that the two yamen of Xiangyang Road and Fufu have sent people to find out. It is absolutely true."
Zhang Xianzhong scolded: "Damn it, I heard the rumor on the road and thought it might not be true. Look, are you angry or not? We are a step too late, and Zicheng is indeed ahead!"