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After the Gucheng uprising, Zhang Xianzhong's situation was very smooth for half a year. In late May of the twelfth year of Chongzhen, he and Cao Cao joined forces in Fang County to promote Cao Cao's renewed uprising and jointly attack Fang County. In July, when Li Zicheng was born
Suffering from fever, Zhang Xianzhong broke into the camp and fled to Zhuxi County in embarrassment. Zhang Xianzhong defeated the Ming army at Luohou Mountain in the west of Fang County and killed the Ming Dynasty general Luo Dai.
Because Zhang Xianzhong's troops were raised in Gucheng, Emperor Chongzhen had no choice but to capture Xiong Wencan, who had completely failed both strategies of suppressing and pacifying him. He was arrested and beheaded in Beijing. However, the result was that the troops chasing Zhang Xianzhong in Huguang were at a loss as to what to do, so Zhang Xianzhong seized the opportunity again.
Baituguan won a great victory and almost captured Zuo Liangyu.
Zhang Xianzhong became proud whenever he encountered favorable conditions and won a battle. From the time he stationed his troops in Gucheng, he was surrounded by a group of people such as Juren, scholars and mountain people. On the one hand, it broadened his horizons and made him understand things.
More, on the other hand, it also made Zhang Xianzhong feel arrogant, and he became more and more convinced that he was talented and blessed by God.
After Fangxian was captured, some impoverished and hopeless scholars defected to Xiying. Once these scholars betrayed the court, they all hoped to support Zhang Xianzhong to achieve great things. They themselves became the founding heroes of the country, and were granted the title of marquis, prime minister, and wife.
, and his name will go down in history. The bad habit of flattery and flattery existed around Zhang Xianzhong, and now it has become more serious.
Among them, only Gucheng student Xu Yixian is relatively clear-headed. Like Zhang Xianzhong's other military advisor Yingcheng student Pan Duao, he was a scholar who joined the Xiying camp when Xiong Wencan tried to recruit Zhang Xianzhong. Xu Yixian treated Zhang Xianzhong with ease.
The genius respected him like a god, and he fell in love with the Eight Kings at first sight. He even gave Xiong Wencan an ultimatum with the lives of his entire family to guarantee that Zhang Xianzhong would never turn back.
After Zhang Xianzhong defeated his old rival Zuo Liangyu in the Battle of Baituguan, Xu Yixian also advised him to learn from Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty's practice of "following advice like a flow", to avoid flattery and to act with caution.
After hearing his words, Zhang Xianzhong rolled his eyes twice. Although he was not good at reading, he was extremely talented and could judge people very accurately. How could he be deceived by those poor scholars? Zhang Xianzhong patted Xu Yixian on the shoulder and said: "Hi, Old Xu
, you’re right! I’m so close to confusing these bastards! Lao Xu, don’t worry, I’m going to find a topic to punish them!”
After dinner that day, Zhang Xianzhong chatted casually with a group of civil and military personnel in the old camp. When talking about the recent victory at Baituguan, some people said that it was not the officers and soldiers who were vulnerable, but the generals under his command who had brave soldiers and strong soldiers, so they were invincible; others said that a single person was invincible.
Even the commander's name is enough to scare the officers and soldiers.
Xianzhong laughed and cursed twice in his heart: "You son of a bitch, you bastard, I see that I like this bowl of food, so I brought it to you."
He played with his slightly yellow beard with one hand, narrowed his eyes, leaving a slit, and looked at the people vying for compliments from the corner of his small eye, smiling slightly and saying nothing. He waited for everyone.
After saying a lot of flattery, he slowly opened one eye and said: "To win a battle, we not only rely on the hard work of our soldiers, but also rely on divine help. Without divine help, even if our soldiers have great abilities, it will not work."
One person quickly said: "Yes, yes. The commander-in-chief is absolutely right. When the commander-in-chief rebels and obeys nature and people, he will naturally get divine help during the battle. If it were not for divine help, both Luohoushan and Baitu would not be successful in the battle."
Another person hurriedly continued: "In the Battle of Jingnan, it has been said that Cheng Temple personally fought and led the soldiers, and the sword could not hurt him at all. This was because Emperor Xuanwu helped. Therefore, Emperor Chengzu did not hesitate to save money and food afterwards, and recruited more than 100,000 civilians.
, overhaul Wudang Mountain to repay God’s blessing.”
Zhang Xianzhong was very happy when he heard this, so he asked, "I have won consecutive battles since I left Gucheng. Think about it, which god should we reward?"
The group of scholars then started discussing in various ways. Some people said that it was the True Lord Xuanwu who protected him, while others said that the Jade Emperor's surname was Zhang, and the commander's surname was also Zhang, so it must be the Jade Emperor's protection.
Zhang Xianzhong shook his head, pointed in the direction of the Guandi Temple near Laoying, and said: "I think, let's perform a stage opera to reward Emperor Guan Sheng. He is from Shanxi, and we are from Shaanxi. Shanxi and Shaanxi are the same family.
How can we win the battle without his help? The Jade Emperor naturally takes care of us, but he is in charge of heaven and earth and must be very busy with official affairs. He may not know about small battles like Bai Tu Pass. There is a gate nearby.
In the Emperor's Temple, we will first perform operas for Emperor Guan, and then we will perform operas for the Jade Emperor after we win a great victory."
Everyone agreed, saying that loyalty is "imprinted with the destiny of heaven". It is originally protected by the Jade Emperor, but the Jade Emperor is busy with things and sends Emperor Guan to accompany the army to help him at all times. It is very reasonable. Some people also suggested that it is best to perform operas for Emperor Guan.
Write a memorial tablet for Zhang Fei and place it in front of the statue of Guan Gong. Since he has the same surname as Xianzhong, he might also be able to help him secretly.
Zhang Xianzhong listened to everyone's random flattery, and felt angry and wanted to laugh in his heart. He deliberately said: "Well, let's add a memorial tablet to the third grandfather of my family. His surname is Zhang, and my father's surname is Zhang. If he hadn't died, he would have died a thousand times."
For many years, I have been looking for him to join our family. Look, where would be the best place to set up the stage?"
Several scholars replied at the same time: "Of course it is set up in front of the temple gate."
But the Eighth King countered: "No. The place in front of the temple is too small. We have many soldiers and it is inconvenient to watch the show. I think the place behind the temple is quite big, so it is better to put the stage behind the temple."
After a moment of silence, one person said yes at first, and then the second person agreed, and then everyone said it was a good idea. Some people praised it and said: Only the commander-in-chief could not think of such a fresh idea, nor would the commander-in-chief dare not.
think.
Zhang Xianzhong felt angry and ridiculous at the same time. He shook his beard, glared, slapped the table, and cursed loudly: "You are all bastards. Your family owns a high-hat shop. You always give me high-hats to wear. You are not afraid."
Losing money!”
"I say the East, but you don't say the West; I say black is white, and you also say black is white. From ancient times to the present, how can anyone put a stage behind a god's back? I said that on purpose, you guys
Just climb along the pole for me. If this continues, our team will have to smash the pot and beat the whole world! From today on, whoever just flatters me will have to take off his head!"
Seeing the embarrassment and panic of the flattering people on the left and right, Zhang Xianzhong felt very happy, but he did not want to embarrass them too much, so he laughed twice to dilute the embarrassing situation, "I always don't like wearing high hats.
, I wish you all could give me more advice. Since we want to work together to conquer the country, I should obey my advice and you should tell me everything. In this way, we can get things done. Right?"
Everyone said yes, they were all surprised and scared, and they thought Zhang Xianzhong was frank and easy to talk to. An old scholar was the boldest and hurriedly said with a respectful smile: "It is not uncommon for entrepreneurs since ancient times to be able to treat others with courtesy and sincerity like the commander-in-chief. It is rare."
It is rare in ancient and modern times to be able to be like the commander-in-chief who likes to listen to harsh words of advice and dislikes flattery."
Zhang Xianzhong stroked his beard and nodded slightly. He knew that the man was still flattering him, but he felt comfortable listening to it, so he stopped swearing. He stood up, patted Pan Duao, who was in charge of the copywriting, on the shoulder, and shouted
: "Come on, Lao Pan, come with me for a walk. We have something to discuss."
Since the Gucheng Uprising, Pan Duao had participated in secret discussions and was very trusted. Zhang Xianzhong took him alone to sit on the grass in front of the Guandi Temple and asked in a low voice: "Old Pan, after Yang Sichang arrived in Xiangyang, he was indeed very different from Old Xiong.
Same, it seems that after Xiangyang is consolidated, he will have to fight with us. Man, do you have any good ideas?"
Pan Duao replied: "I have thought about this matter very well. Yang Sichang is indeed a talented person among the court ministers, shrewd and experienced. If Chongzhen was not afraid of the commander, he would never let him out of the capital. But don't look at his new position.
He took office with three firepowers, but in the end he was powerless."
"How come?"
"First, the ministers and ministers in the imperial court have always been partisans and opposed to dissidents, and have deep sectarian views. Even though Yang Wenruo has extraordinary abilities and is deeply trusted by Chongzhen, he has no choice but to be attacked by many people in the imperial court and is hampered by difficulties."
"Secondly, Chongzhen has always been a stubborn and impatient person, and he is ungrateful to his ministers. Although he currently favors Yang Wenruo, if after a period of time, Yang Wenruo has worked hard to no avail, he will immediately become angry and punish him as much as he wants.
Just kill."
"Thirdly, in recent years, the imperial generals have been arrogant and lazy, brave enough to harm the people, and timid to fight. Yang Wen is weak and has no skills to control him. As time went by, they still refused to listen to the words of the governor and assistant minister, and Yang also ignored
There is nothing they can do. His Shangfang sword can only kill monkeys, but cannot scare tigers. With these three advantages, I say there is no need to worry about this war at all, victory is within grasp."
Zhang Xianzhong muttered: "What you said makes sense. Military Advisor Xu sees it the same way. But, man, Yang Sichang, the bastard, has mobilized a lot of troops. Zuo Liangyu, He Renlong and other generals don't dare to disobey him for the time being.
What strategies do we use to deal with the current situation?"
"At present, the first thing we need to do is stall for time to prevent the officers and soldiers from succeeding; the second thing is to drive a wedge between them. We need to drive a wedge between Yang Sichang and several generals, and we also need to drive a wedge between Zuo Liangyu and Madman He, so that the officers and soldiers can't work together.
.”
"Good!" Zhang Xianzhong praised, he stroked his beard again and asked, "Old Pan, Luo Rucai and Li Zicheng won a battle at Xiangyouping. I heard that more than 10,000 officers and soldiers were wiped out in one go. What do you do?
look?"
Pan Duao smiled and asked: "Commander, among the rebel commanders who surrounded and annihilated the official army in Xiangyouping, Cao Cao and Huntianxing had the largest number of troops. Why didn't Marshal mention Huntianxing but General Chuang?"
"Hahaha, Prime Minister Hui Deng is too slippery and his abilities are very limited. But this is my old friend Li Zicheng. He is extremely austere and treats others so well that he is inhumane. It is very unusual. I think Luo Rucai followed him.
If you mix them together, you will suffer losses sooner or later!"
"What the commander said is strange. How can he be called unkind when he treats others well? Since General Chuang treats others very well, how can Cao Cao suffer a loss?"
"You don't understand this, hehe." Zhang Xianzhong laughed and said, "Li Zicheng does not drink, is not lustful, is not greedy for money, and is extremely harsh on himself. Although he is also very strict with his subordinates, he will never let himself
Living a better life than his subordinates. Luo Rucai is just the opposite. He likes wine and sex, and is very lenient with his subordinates. He rewards his subordinates every day. What Luo Rucai can give to his subordinates is nothing more than wine, sex and wealth. What Li Zicheng can give to his subordinates is:
But it’s something that can’t be seen or even touched.”
Pan Du'ao lowered his head and thought for a while, then said: "Li Zicheng shared the same roughness with the soldiers. This kind of dignity could not be given by Luo Rucai. What's more, Luo Rucai could only reward the generals with gold and silver. Li Zicheng shared the joys and sorrows with his subordinates, but he allowed the soldiers at the lowest level to be rewarded.
, equally moved.”
"Yes, that's why I say that Luo Rucai always hangs out with Li Zicheng, and sooner or later he will suffer a loss. Lao Pan, this time in Xiangyouping, there is a young man nicknamed "Ruhu" in the camp who is making a big splash. I heard that he is a tiger
I don’t know how my adopted son compares to Ke Wang and Dingguo.”
Pan Duao smiled and replied: "Several young leaders are still young, and they are not as good as the 'Ruhu' now, but there will always be a time when they compete in the future. In this battle of Xiangyouping, 'Ruhu' Li Laiheng defeated the official army with 500 troops.
Three thousand is indeed a formidable force. There are so many generals breaking into the camp that it is no wonder that the commander-in-chief takes a high look at them."
Zhang Xianzhong waved his hand and said: "Okay, okay, don't flatter me. Lao Pan, you have written a lot of poems recently, right?"
Pan Duao had a brocade bag hanging beside him, and he often wrote poems and put them in it. He patted the brocade bag and said, "I have written several more poems since the beginning of spring, but they are not very satisfying, so I can only use them to cover the jar."
Zhang Xianzhong laughed twice, pointed at Pan Duao and said: "Old Pan, don't speak to me in such a literate manner. You people with scholarly background have drunk a lot of ink and have rebelled, and you still have scholars in your body."
The sour smell."
"If you want to be humble and say that your poems are not good, just say it is not good. Why do you always talk about 'covering the pot'? We are marching and fighting all year round, how can there be so many pots and jars for you to cover with poems?
Nonsense! Hahahaha, hurry up, Lao Pan, hurry up and read a couple of poems to me. Don’t worry, I’m not as good at reading as scholars like you, but I can still tell whether the poems are good or not.”
"Commander, please don't laugh." Pan Duao took off his brocade bag from his waist, took out a volume of poems, turned to the poem "Baituguan Blocks the Rain", held it in front of Xianzhong, asked Xianzhong to look at the poems, and then read
road:
"The sound of autumn wind and white rain,
The warrior was shocked.
Clouds gather in the desert mountains,
The long stream is horizontal.
The front frequency is drawn together,
Borrow chopsticks to wait for special expedition.
For those who ask about heaven,
Will it be sunny tomorrow?"
Zhang Xianzhong stroked his beard and remained silent. Although he didn't understand the terms "qianchi" and "borrowing chopsticks" very well, he understood the meaning of the whole poem.
"Old Pan, although you rebelled with our old Zhang and assisted me wholeheartedly in conquering the country, you are different from the soldiers! Do you think I am right? After all, you are a scholar who joined the army, and you are different in your bones.
The handle of the sword is like a calloused soldier on the palm of his hand!"
"Commander..."
Zhang Xianzhong waved his hand and asked directly, "Are there any good poems you have written recently? Let's listen to a short one."
Pan Duao smiled bitterly and shook his head. He felt that Zhang Xianzhong was extremely talented, but he could never settle down and was too free and easy. He took out another piece of Qijue and read:
"I have been to the Zen forest three times and have not participated in Zen.
One after another they called out to urge the whip.
I have spent all my years on the royal road,
After all the hardships, I don’t know how old I am.”
After listening to it, Zhang Xianzhong felt that the tone was very pleasant, but some words could not be heard clearly, so he went to read the poem manuscript for himself. He saw that the title of the poem was "Passing the Zen Forest Temple", and read the four lines of the poem again.
Because he was a very enlightened person, he had read books when he was a child, and he had been a scholar for two years, so he could appreciate every word in the poem. He savored the poem and said with a smile: "The writing is really good, but there are some
Not a single word is true."
Pan Duao frowned and didn't know what to say, so he asked: "Commander, please tell me which sentence is not true?"
"This first sentence is not true. Every time we pass by Zenlin Temple, most of the monks hide and practice bird meditation. Besides, you are determined to follow me, Lao Zhang, to conquer the country. I have never heard how much you believe in Buddhism.
Even if the monks don't avoid you at this time, will you have the leisure to practice Zen?"
"Haha." Pan Duao chuckled twice and explained, "Commander, the ancients didn't take every word so seriously when writing poems. This is just Bixing's technique."
Zhang Xianzhong smiled evilly and asked again: "How about the third sentence?"
"The 'laboring minister' in this poem refers to myself, which means that the hard-working ministers are busy working for the king, and the years are wasted on the king's road."
"Who is the king?"
"Of course he is handsome."
"There is no shadow of our country yet."
Pan Duao, however, looked serious. He stood up, raised his hands to Zhang Xianzhong and said: "Although the world is uncertain and the commander-in-chief has not yet ascended to the throne, Du'ao has surrendered to the commander-in-chief, and he and the commander-in-chief have the friendship of a monarch and his ministers. Ao is not the only one, all the commander-in-chief are like this.
This is not the case for civil and military officials."
These few words are truly high-level flattery, and they speak directly to Zhang Xianzhong's heart. He stared at Pan Duao twice, nodded repeatedly, and praised: "You scholars should understand some truths thoroughly!"
At this time, a young primary school boy ran from a distance. He hurried over and shouted: "Father, foster father, we have discovered Zuo Liangyu's soldiers and horses at night! Looking at their movements, they seem to be heading towards Agate Mountain.
Come!"
Zhang Xianzhong also stood up. He patted Pan Duao on the shoulder first, and then said to the junior high school colonel: "Hopefully, why are you so panicked? Lao Zuo is our defeated general, he can't bite me!"