Since Liu Guoneng was recruited by Xiong Wencan, the military governor of the five provinces in the eleventh year of his stay in Chongzhen, he has always carefully obeyed the constraints of Zuo Liangyu and other civil governors and ministers without any second thoughts.
During this period of time, he indeed fulfilled his duty as a "loyal minister and filial son" of the imperial court. Not only did he help Zuo Liangyu recruit and surrender his old brother Shetaitian Li Wanqing, but he also made many military exploits and was promoted from guard to deputy general. He even fought in the Agate Mountain.
Among them, he played a key role in Zuo Liangyu's defeat of Zhang Xianzhong.
But even so, he still could not gain the trust of the gentry in Ye County. The county magistrate regarded him as a domineering general who was both powerful and evil, and the gentry in the county regarded him as a very unreliable "thief".
When the intruders were still in Nanzhao County, Liu Guoneng repeatedly persuaded the gentry in Ye County and Wuyang County to donate food and salary so that he could send troops to search and suppress. However, these people were all extremely stingy. Not only did they not help provide food and salary, but they were in conflict with the county magistrate.
They colluded and embezzled a large sum of money that belonged to Liu Guoneng's soldiers.
Even Liu Guoneng's subordinates were very angry. They heard that Li Wanqing led his troops to kill more than a dozen merchants in Beiwudu, and after severely punishing more than a dozen businesses, the supply of wages, money, food and grass was greatly replenished. They unanimously begged Liu Guoneng to also order the soldiers.
When we wash the city in Ye County, we should take good care of these scornful gentry. Are we still afraid that there will be no food and grass, and are we still afraid that the magistrate will withhold wages?
However, since Liu Guoneng was recruited, he no longer had the recklessness and courage of the past. Liu Guoneng was always worried that others would regard him as a "tramp", so no matter what he did, he was cautious and abide by the law, and he was even more tolerant to the gentry and literati.
Liu Guoneng knew that Zuozhen had a bad reputation, so he ran the army more strictly in Ye County and never allowed soldiers to harass the gentry. Only on a few occasions did Liu Guoneng's officers and soldiers really suffer from hunger to the point where they could no longer stand it, so he left several places outside the county without gentry.
Plunder the villages of the Huda clan.
"Old Zhangpan is really dizzy from reading. When the intruders were weak, these gentry refused to give us a bunch of grass or a stone so that we could send troops to destroy the thieves. Now when the intruders have conquered Yuzhou and their troops and horses are strong, they
We are not allowed to hold on to the county seat, and we are forced to risk going out of the city to fight in the field."
"If the old boss is allowed to be at the mercy of these big players, our brothers will be killed sooner or later!"
Liu Guoneng's officers and soldiers were all full of resentment. Unlike Liu Guoneng, who could rely on the spiritual energy of "loyalty to the emperor and patriotism" to support themselves, they were shameless scoundrels who hated the gentry of Ye County.
Liu Guoneng also knew where everyone's dissatisfaction came from. He was not as brutal as Li Wanqing, who directly used force to suppress dissent in the army.
But the confidant officers who were with me sighed: "As a royal minister, I will die with no regrets for the four words of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. But brothers may not have this consciousness, and I cannot lead everyone there just for the sake of my own fame and fame."
It’s a dead end.”
Liu Guoneng's servants persuaded him in a low voice: "Master, we killed Zhang Xianzhong once in Agate Mountain and formed a big feud with Xiying. But we have neither old hatred nor new hatred with Chuangying. Let's talk to them.
Speaking of which, I think a bloody battle can be avoided."
Liu Guoneng shook his head and said: "What nonsense are you talking about? Hey! Ever since I, Liu Guoneng, surrendered to the imperial court, I have become a royal minister. I follow their cars and horses on the road, and everyone goes their own way. How can we talk about it? We can only use
Let’s talk about swords!”
The officer made a sad face and continued to persuade: "Many of our brothers are related to the Chuang Army. Do we have to go to the point of fighting with each other? What's more, today, whether it is the strength of our troops or the terrain, we are not strong enough.
Don’t have the upper hand!”
"Alas!" Liu Guoneng let out a long sigh. He did not hit or scold him, but said in a deep voice, "Today there is no other way but to fight to the death. I, Liu Guoneng, am willing to die for my country, to be a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, and to live forever. If you don't plan to follow me,
I can surrender to the intruders, and I think they won’t make it too difficult for you for the sake of everyone’s nostalgia.”
The confidant officers around Liu Guoneng looked at each other a few times, and everyone smiled bitterly and said: "The leader may have saved our lives, or he may have a life-or-death relationship with us. Since the leader has decided to be loyal to the imperial court, we are all willing to follow him."
The road from home to dark."
A scholar who followed the army on horseback had tears in his eyes when he heard this. He was a scholar sent by Zuo Liangyu to serve as a staff secretary in Liu Guoneng's army. At this time, he was deeply impressed by the unity and loyalty of Liu Guoneng's entire army and sighed: "Yiyi
Every time more dogs are slaughtered, the generals, although they were thieves in the past, are far more loyal and willing to die for the court than the gentry of Ye County."
Several officers behind Liu Guoneng heard the scholar emphasize that he was a "dog butcher" and "used to be a thief". They knew that he was speaking kindly, but they still felt uncomfortable in their hearts. They snorted coldly: "We are not dying for the court, we are just for the palm."
It’s just that the family effect is dead.”
"Alright! The intruder is not far ahead. Everyone is ready with their armor and ready to fight to the death!"
Liu Guoneng saw that the army was halfway through the march and was gradually approaching the store. He knew that the intruders were not far ahead. He collected his emotions and began to arrange his troops and mobilize his troops: "What is the situation of Lao Li on the south bank now?"
A detective horse replied: "General Li has marched in accordance with the order. The whole army is moving close to the river bank and heading west. We will not give the bandits a chance to easily cross the river to the south."
Liu Guoneng raised his horsewhip, made a snapping sound in the air, and said to the soldiers: "This group of thieves is led by Liu Fangliang. He is an old friend of mine. He is also a fiercest among thieves and is very comparable to his generation. With Liu Fangliang's
With his insightful vision, I don’t think he would do anything stupid like crossing the enemy line halfway."
The soldiers followed up and asked: "Then how should we prepare next? Should we attack or defend?"
Liu Guoneng looked around the river bank. After he put away his long sigh, his whole temperament suddenly changed. He was like an alert and cautious cheetah with fierce eyes. He replied: "The river bank is flat and empty. It is easy to attack but difficult to defend. Whoever attacks first will be captured."
Whoever takes the initiative in the battle will have a greater advantage!"
The soldiers behind Liu Guoneng were not as full of fighting spirit as he was. They were all worried: "We have fewer troops than the bandits. If we take the initiative to attack, once we are trapped in the bandit formation, it will be difficult to break out."
Liu Guoneng shook his head. He pointed to the south bank of the river and said: "Li Wanqing is supporting the south bank. Liu Fangliang is not a reckless person. He will definitely divide his troops and be on guard. Our military disadvantage is not big. What's more, although the bandits conquered Luoyang, one of the armored weapons was
It is new, but compared with the cannons and artillery of the official army, the soundness of the armor must still be insufficient. We will take advantage of the strong strength of the armored soldiers and respond to the enemy with a majestic formation. As long as we do not fall into an ambush, we will surely win a great victory."
The generals looked back at each other and saw that their morale was low and dejected, and they felt a strong sense of uneasiness in their hearts. However, Liu Guoneng had always been very strict with the army, and everyone admired his conduct. Even if he went through fire and water, he would not follow the same path.
It's dark, now, what are you still afraid of?
Everyone nodded together, clasped their fists and replied: "I am willing to die for the Palm Pioneer!"
Liu Guoneng looked at the slowly flowing river, his heart full of melancholy. He knew that this battle would be a disaster, but he also firmly believed that his loyalty to the imperial court would surely leave him a good name for future generations.
He looked back at the thousands of troops and saw the familiar faces of his brothers, and he could only make up his mind: in order to clear himself of his name as a thief, he had to let his brothers make sacrifices together!
"If the wealthy officials and gentry in Ye County could support me in the search and suppression of Nanzhao County at the beginning, and they could also agree with me in holding on to the county seat later, how could the situation be like this!"
Liu Guoneng grabbed the spear, pointed it forward, and shouted loudly: "The emperor is the emperor, and we are ministers. The relationship between monarch and minister is like that of father and son. If a son dies for his father, what will he hate? If a minister dies for the emperor, it is his duty to do so!"
"
The brothers behind him all looked at each other, and they all smiled bitterly and said: "The master is willing to die for the imperial court, and we are willing to die for the master, so what should we hate?"