The county seat of Shanyang County is not large in scale. It was not until the 12th year of Chenghua that Fengyang Inspection Department of Shang County was renamed Shanyang County. It has not a long history. Therefore, there are not many buildings in the city, including official and private residences and Confucian temples.
The verandas and rooms are all small in scale, only Dacheng Hall and the county government office gate look more grand.
The gentry and people in the city had long heard the news of the defeat of the army at Junlingchuan. The local bandits in the county also took the opportunity to swarm up and attack pedestrians and merchants, causing panic in the whole city.
As a last resort, the gentry and people in the city elected Ye Pingzhang as the representative of the gentry and people. They asked him to bring a generous gift and go to the yamen to visit the county magistrate, edicts, guards and other important people, and also to inquire about him.
What is the strategy for the current situation in Shanyang County? If the county magistrate has no choice, he can only let the good gentry use their own money and efforts to organize local braves and suppress the local bandits.
Ye Pingzhang was about thirty years old and had a good physique. He had the reputation of being a scholar and had a rich family. He also had a teacher-student relationship with Zhang Wandao, the county's eunuch, so he was naturally promoted as a leader of the gentry.
Ye Pingzhang also brought four or five servants, each of whom carried a hand on his shoulder. In the name of reward, he brought a batch of wine and silk to the county government as a generous gift. Several government servants outside the government office saw the famous Mr. Ye and looked at them again.
He brought so many gifts, but without asking any questions, he made way for Ye Pingzhang and respectfully welcomed him into the Yamen.
As the saying goes, "The yamen opens to the south. If you have reason or money, don't come in." Mr. Ye's family is rich, so naturally he goes in and out of the yamen as if he were in his own courtyard. When he entered the lobby, he bowed his hands first, and then ordered his servants to bring in all the gifts.
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"County Lord, Teacher, General Zhang," Ye Pingzhang saluted the three people sitting high in the lobby, and then said to his teacher Zhang Wandao, the County Instructor, "Teacher, the officers and soldiers are at Junlingchuan University."
What happened to the defeat? Nowadays, gangsters are rampant, the gentry and the people in the county are talking a lot, some scoundrels are deliberately causing chaos, and the students are trying to raise money, but it is almost impossible to stop it. Is there any consideration in the Yamen? "
Zhang Jiaoyu looked much older than Ye Pingzhang. He was originally a civil servant in Henan, but because of his unsatisfactory official career, he ended up in this small and remote county as a teacher. Fortunately, his protégé Ye Pingzhang was very influential in the county.
Zhang Jiaoyu just thought that he would retire early to retire, so his style of doing things was to do less than to do more.
"Well... we happened to be discussing this matter. From my point of view, the bandits are just passing through the border just like they were in the eighth and ninth years of Chongzhen. As long as we stick to the county walls, within a few days, the bandits will naturally retreat."
Zhang Wandao of Shanyang County adhered to the principle that doing more is worse than doing less. He quoted the experience and lessons learned when the rebels were active in Shangzhou four years ago and believed that as long as the city was defended, the bandits would naturally retreat after gathering food in the countryside.
"In the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, hundreds of thousands of bandits returned to Shaanxi from Zhongzhou and passed through Shangluo. Our Shanyang County closed the city and defended it. The bandits retreated after only one day of attack. However, Luonan County opened the city to attack the enemy, but was retaliated by the bandits. The county
Tens of millions of people will die." Zhang Jiaoyu's official career has long been hopeless, so he only wants to maintain the status quo and does not want to cause more trouble.
However, the county magistrate Wang Zhizun was at the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period. After he arrived in Shanyang County, he actively followed Emperor Chongzhen's edict, desperately recovered the money and taxes that the county had owed over the years, and urged the county to catch up. He was eager to spark a fire. Wang Zhizhen was smart and capable.
In the process of chasing money and food, he had deep conflicts with the gentry who owned most of the land and tenant farmers in Shanyang County.
He knew that many gentry and common people were using their relatives and connections of the same age to report to the superior Shangzhou and even Xi'an Prefecture, trying to get rid of their own black hats. But this time the bandits forced into Shanyang County.
However, it gave him an excellent opportunity to make meritorious deeds. If he could exterminate this group of thieves, his official position as county magistrate would naturally be as secure as Mount Tai.
"What Zhang Jiaoyu said makes sense, but the bandits forced their way into the county and raided the villages, destroying the fields and crops. As parents and officials, if we just sit back and watch, I don't know how many people's houses and fields will be burned and plundered.
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As soon as Ye Pingzhang heard what Wang Zhixian said, he knew that Wang Zhixian's opinion was still in favor of sending troops to exterminate the bandits. Just as Wang Zhixian said, the properties of the gentry and people in the city are all outside the city. If the city is closed to defend itself, it will be tantamount to
All these properties were given to the thieves, and the losses would be huge.
Teacher Zhang is old and only knows how to protect himself and does not care about the interests of the gentry and people's property outside the city. Although Wangzhi County had a lot of conflicts with the gentry in the past due to the recovery of money and food, if he can actively send troops this time
, put down the rogue bandits. Mr. Ye believes that the good gentry will not embarrass the county magistrate so much in the future.
Zhang Yan, the guard on the side, also heard the hidden meaning of Wang Zhixian's words, but he was not the general responsible for garrisoning Shanyang County. It was just that before the military commander Zheng Guodong sent troops to attack Chuang camp, he was ordered to bring less than a hundred troops.
He only came to Shanyang County to carry grain. Unexpectedly, Zheng Guodong's entire army was wiped out in Junlingchuan, and he himself escaped.
Therefore, unlike the county magistrate, Zhang Shoubei had no responsibility to defend the territory. When he heard that even Zheng Guodong's army of more than a thousand troops was wiped out by rogue bandits in Junlingchuan, he was frightened and could not even imagine that with the help of his own weapons
More than a hundred soldiers and horses could destroy this group of bandits, so they hurriedly opposed Wang Zhixian's intention.
"Your Majesty the County! Generals Zheng and Ai Dusi are both brave generals in the border army and are known as warriors. Even they were defeated at the hands of bandits in Junlingchuan. Their life or death is uncertain. I think this bandit is very dangerous. We should still
As a precautionary measure, we should first defend the county walls before talking about anything else, right?" Zhang Shoubei was afraid that the county master who did not understand military affairs would let him lead a hundred officers and soldiers to wipe out the intruder camp, so he quickly raised his objections.
"The only officers and soldiers in the city are dozens of Qin soldiers under my command, and including the government officials and policemen, there are less than a hundred people. Once we leave the county walls, I am afraid it will be more difficult than good. County Lord, since ancient times, when using troops, we have been focusing on being invincible first and then seeking victory.
, I think the first priority is to defend the county walls."
The magistrate was very clever in urging money and food, but his understanding of specific military issues was very superficial. After hearing Zhang Shoubei's objections, the magistrate pondered for a while. Ye Pingzhang saw that the magistrate was influenced by Zhang Shoubei, and it seemed that
There was a tendency to change his opinion, and he hurriedly objected: "No, no, no, the defense only knows one thing, but not the other."
"According to reports from the good gentry of this county, the number of rogue bandits that entered Shanyang County was no more than a hundred people at most. During the previous battle of Junlingchuan, General Zheng and Ai Dusi advanced too rashly and were unfortunately attacked by tens of thousands of rogue bandits.
Only by ambush can the army be defeated. Based on this calculation, thirty to forty thousand bandits would have to be ambushed to destroy more than a thousand Qin soldiers. There are already a hundred Qin soldiers in this county. If we attack less than a hundred bandits, wouldn't it be like a lion fighting a rabbit?
"
Zhang Shoubei was unwilling to go out of the city to fight, so he described his more than 100 soldiers and horses as "dozens of Qin troops." However, Mr. Ye was eager to urge the officers and soldiers to go out of the city to exterminate the bandits and protect the gentry's properties outside the city.
It's an exaggeration. General Jiang actually boasted that the invading army during the Battle of Lingchuan numbered as many as 30,000 to 40,000 people, and also described the 200 soldiers and horses led by Li Laiheng and Gao Yigong who entered Shanyang County as "rogue thieves with less than 100 people."
", just to make the magistrate feel excited, he quickly sent troops to eliminate the rogue bandits.
Sure enough, after the county magistrate heard what Master Ye said, his expression was obviously moved by it. He kept repeating the words "With hundreds of Qin's powerful soldiers, defeat dozens of tired and disabled thieves", his confidence became more and more intense.
Becoming more determined.
Ye Pingzhang knew at a glance that the county magistrate had been mostly persuaded by him. But after all, Zhang Shoubei knew the soldiers, and judging from his appearance, he was still not willing to lead troops out of the city to fight, so Mr. Ye added another bargaining chip.
"The good gentry in the city have long hated these rogue bandits who are harming the people. Everyone has asked me to come and report to the county king. As long as the county king sends troops to suppress the bandits, the gentry in the city will have money and strength to contribute. Every family will
We can also gather two to three hundred brave servants to assist the county master in wiping out this bandit."
"Great! I never thought that I, the gentry and the people of Shanyang County, would have such a desire to serve the country every day!" After hearing Ye Pingzhang's request, the county magistrate was overjoyed. He felt that the gentry in the city could ignore their past grudges and spend money and efforts to fight against the bandits. This kind of service to the country would be great.
The heart is really eager.
"With hundreds of Qin's strong soldiers, we can defeat dozens of tired and remnant thieves. It's like a lion fighting a rabbit with ease. What's more, now there are gentry and people, out of the desire to serve the country, take the initiative to organize hundreds of local warriors to help in the battle. This
Isn't it possible that we are sure of victory? Zhang Shoubei, I think it is better to choose a day than to hit it, so let's set today as the day to send out troops to search for thieves and suppress bandits!"
"this……?"
Guard Zhang Yan heard that Wang Zhixian said "hundreds of Qinzhong's best soldiers", and he was very helpless. His total strength was less than a hundred. How could he become hundreds of strong soldiers just by talking?
But he saw that Wang Zhixian and Ye Pingzhang were having a pleasant conversation, and he made up his mind. He also considered that although the rogue bandits did not have less than a hundred troops as Master Ye said, but judging from the investigation of his men, they should
It's between one hundred and two hundred.
With the one hundred Qin soldiers under his command, plus the two to three hundred local warriors organized by Ye Pingzhang, he already had a great advantage over the bandits. After comparing their strengths, Zhang Shoubei took another look at Zhang Wandao, who was admonishing him.
Seeing the way the old man looked at his nose and mouth, he knew that there was no hope, so he had no choice but to nod and agree to the plan of Magistrate Wang and Mr. Ye.
After Wang Zhizun, the county magistrate, was praised by Master Ye, he felt that this battle was extremely certain, so he planned to lead the troops to fight in person. The officials, gentlemen and people in the city also felt that victory was already in their hands, and their hearts were excited.
At noon, Wang Zhixian, accompanied by Ye Pingzhang, personally took a large number of prominent gentry figures from Shanyang County to burn incense at Guandi Temple and pray to Emperor Guan Sheng to bless him for a smooth military expedition.
The old man who was looking after the temple had a flock of chickens. When he saw people coming in, some armed with swords, guns and sticks, he was so startled that the whole courtyard screamed and ran around. Three chickens spitted and flew up to the wall, and even flew chicken droppings into the house of the magistrate.
On the clothes, Wang Zhixian's face turned cold, and Ye Pingzhang, who was following him, said quickly: "Okay, okay, this is a sign that the county master will win and be promoted to three levels in a row!" Only then did the county master turn from anger to joy.
Zhang Shoubei also knew a little about military affairs. He first invited the officers, soldiers and local braves to have a feast, and then gathered in the open field outside the Guandi Temple to watch him sacrifice the flag. There were originally two tall flagpoles on the east and west sides of the empty field.
, but on weekdays there is only one bright blue flag hanging on the east flagpole with the word "Guan" written on it.
Today, an apricot-yellow flag was raised on the flagpole in the west, with a big "王" embroidered on it. The autumn wind blew, and the two large silk flags fluttered in the air, making a cheering sound, which made Wang Zhixian very satisfied.
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A group of squire figures, including the county magistrate Wang Zhizun and Ye Pingzhang, came out surrounded by a group of police officers. Two strange men were pushed out from behind. They were both stripped to the waist, tied up, and had purple scars on their chests and backs.
One of them was from the neighborhood, his surname was Liu, and he made a living by hunting. He once called Mr. Ye Pingzhang a local bully to others. He also said that no matter how prosperous Ye Xiucai's family was and oppressed the common people, sooner or later someone would come to deal with him and replace him.
The people of Li are venting their anger.
These words have already reached the ears of the wealthy squires, and they all think that he is secretly collaborating with the bandits, and sooner or later he will follow the bandits to rebel and become a disaster. Today, I will take advantage of the opportunity that the magistrate is going to send troops in person, under the banner of establishing his authority.
, arrested him, and falsely accused him of spying on the military for the bandits. Since they could not submit the documents to the state and county, they decided to sacrifice his head to the flag.
The other person who was kidnapped was named Li. He was a down-and-out scholar. He once wrote an article ridiculing Ye Pingzhang for his reputation as a scholar. He asked Master Ye to seize the opportunity, beat him up, and sentenced him to death privately.
The man surnamed Liu showed no fear, held his chest high, and yelled curses as he walked. The man surnamed Li was so frightened that he cried and still begs for his life, but to no avail. They were pushed to the middle of the field and ordered to kneel down.
In a moment, two bloody human heads were placed under the two flagpoles. A square table was placed between the two flagpoles, with the tablet of the god of flags and four-color offerings written on yellow paper. Wang Zhixian, Mr. Ye
, Zhang Jiaoyu, and Zhang Shoubei both burned incense and kowtowed in front of the tablet, which was quite pious. Although the atmosphere was not lively, it was very solemn.
After the flag sacrifice, the magistrate returned to the temple, burned incense and kowtowed in front of the statue of Guan Gong, silently wishing the gods to bless him with victory and success. Then he hurriedly put on the flag and asked Zhang Shoubei and Ye Pingzhang to lead the troops and prepare to set off.
Zhang Jiaoyu was old and did not go out with the army. He was still a little worried, so he grabbed Ye Pingzhang and asked in a low voice: "Although victory is within grasp today, there are many deceitful thieves, so we need to be more careful."
Mr. Ye laughed and said: "There are already a hundred strong soldiers in Qinzhong, and another two or three hundred strong soldiers in the country. We have reported on this group of bandits from many sources, and we can be sure that it does not exceed 200 people. Teacher, please rest assured and do not use it."
suspicious."
"Okay, okay, I hope so. Then I'll be waiting for the news at Guandi Temple."
Ye Pingzhang was so confident that he called his clan uncle who was standing nearby to see off his troops for the expedition, and asked him to accompany Zhang Jiaoyu to have a drink and chat, and wait for the good news.
His uncle, who was also a country squire, quickly agreed and whispered in his ear: "My dear nephew, your younger brother is still in Xi'an and won't be able to come back for a while. After you defeat the bandits, please submit the documents of the meritorious personnel."
Lieutenant General, please also fill in your younger brother’s name. If the imperial court favors him, he will live up to Uncle Yu’s half-life wish.”
Before the war even started, the Ye family had already begun to think about how to share the credit for the war. Ye Pingzhang was also full of self-confidence and replied easily: "Don't worry, old man, my brother's name will naturally be filled in."
After about another meal, the officers, soldiers and village warriors finally left the city. With the help of the officials and gentry in the city, Ye Pingzhang collected more than a hundred strong mules and organized them into a team of Ye family servants and Wang Zhixian's Yamen servants.
A "horse team" walked in front.
The Xiangyong who followed behind were all infantry, and the last one hundred officers and soldiers were also infantry. Only the leading guard Zhang Yan and his four soldiers were on horseback.
Wang Zhixian and Ye Pingzhang had selfish motives in letting the Qin army go last. In this way, when the bandits were defeated, the officers and soldiers would not be able to compete with their fellow villagers for credit, and important prisoners, women, war horses, armor, and various property would also be lost.
They all fell into the hands of Xiang Yong first.
Zhang Shoubei understood their intentions, but did not argue. He also had an idea. He had relatively rich military experience and knew how powerful rogue bandits were. He believed that his men and horses were at the end. If something happened, it would be easier to escape; if he could
If he can really defeat the thieves, he has a share of the credit. If he spends some money around Futai and talks about his achievements, it will not be difficult to be promoted to general. He understands that Wang Zhixian is the host and he is the guest, so he just
I don't want to take risks, I don't want my fellow countrymen to compete for credit.
Wang Zhixian was very happy to see Zhang Shoubei's respectful attitude. He and Mr. Ye were both riding on a healthy mule, and they walked away talking.
The county magistrate first praised Ye Pingzhang for his effective work and for raising so many village warriors and mules and horses. "If Futai knew that you were so dedicated to serving the country, I would definitely praise you very much. Now that the country is employing people, I will definitely ask for credit for you afterwards.
It’s never difficult to get promoted step by step.”
Ye Pingzhang bowed his hands in return and replied: "Duomeng County has cultivated you, and students should work hard to repay them."
"Haha, after the thief is eliminated, I will do my best to recommend you in front of Futai and reward you accordingly."
"Then the student would like to thank the county gentleman for his cultivation."
Zhang Shoubei was not impressed by the singing and singing of the two men. He saw that the hilly land ahead was narrow and there were many trees, which was not conducive to riding on horseback, so he persuaded Wang Zhixian, "Master, I think the mountain roads in this area are not easy to walk.
The forest is dense and there are many trees. If a fight breaks out, it will only be useful for short-range combat and not conducive to mounted combat. Horses will become a burden. It is better to dismount and walk."
Wang Zhixian thought for a while and felt that Zhang Shoubei was experienced in military affairs and his words were quite reasonable, so he replied: "What you said makes sense, then let's all dismount and leave the animals here, and the infantry will attack the thieves.
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But Mr. Ye found it difficult to walk on foot, and he felt that riding a horse was more majestic, so he objected. Wang Zhixian was hesitant between the opinions of Ye Pingzhang and Zhang Shoubei and could not decide, so in the end he had to leave some mules and horses.
, and then asked Ye Pingzhang and other twenty or thirty people to continue riding mules and horses.
This twist and turn did not affect the march of the officers and soldiers. Zhang Shoubei chose a relatively safe hilly and mountainous area and asked some officers and soldiers to stay here to guard the animals while the others continued to move forward. It didn't take long before they were far away from the city.
The sun has dropped a little, and the faint sunlight shines on the vast mountains and dense woods, making people feel more and more uncertain.
Zhang Shoubei felt that the wilderness was too quiet. Logically speaking, if the bandits were collecting food in the countryside, the noise should not be so small, whether it was the bandits or the fleeing people. He felt uneasy and was planning to let his men
When the Qin soldiers were being more careful, a loud arrow suddenly shot out from the dense forest in the distance.
Neither Wang Zhixian nor Ye Pingzhang knew what was going on, but Zhang Shoubei was horrified. Immediately, two more loud arrows were fired from the dense forest, followed by several blunders. Several squires riding horses beside Wang Zhixian were shot.
The bullet hit him, and he fell off his horse while screaming.
As soon as the sound of muskets fell, several more figures came out of the woods. They were half-kneeling on the ground, either setting up their bows and shooting arrows, or filling their muskets with bullets. Everyone was wearing felt arrow jackets, and it turned out that they were the ones that were circulating in Shangluo.
Intruder!
Zhang Shoubei knew that he was ambush and was very panicked. He quickly pulled out his sword and directed the Qin soldiers who were still capable of fighting to form a formation. However, Wang Zhixian and Ye Pingzhang were both frightened. The other squires were also in chaos, and the villagers were brave.
The people who commanded were all heartbroken, the troops were in chaos, and they had no intention of fighting.
Several groups of bandits emerged from the woods behind and to the side of the officers and soldiers. They all held swords and were full of vigor, and rushed into the rear of the officers and soldiers in one breath. Zhang Defei was quite tough. When he saw this, he knew that if he did not fight hard, he would be killed.
Whether it was the Qin soldiers or the Xiang Yong, they were afraid that the whole army would be wiped out, so they turned around with the Qin soldiers on the left and right to cover them up and fought to the death.
But Wang Zhixian was really in a bad situation. When he saw a group of thieves coming from behind him, he thought, "I won't survive this time." He couldn't think of any resistance at all.
As for Ye Pingzhang, his behavior was even worse than that of Wang Zhixian. As soon as Mr. Ye saw a young general with a red tassel and felt hat rushing out of the woods, he saw that he was holding a slender fire gun and pointed it in his direction.
I was so scared that my legs went limp and I peed all over my crotch.