Gou Xingwang said: "Just like Your Highness, you just said, we are always thinking about how to do things better. There are always too many concerns, but it makes us lose the momentum we used to. Think about it, when we were in Southern County, did you have any scruples? I didn't have time to think about that, and the knife was on my neck. ”

Zhu Youdong suddenly figured it out and said, "Yes, if we don't resist at that time, we will die." What else do we have but this rotten life? Of course, I am not afraid of death. ”

Gou Xingwang said: "Since we are not afraid of death, we have not died." Now that I have a lot of things, I can't make up my mind. I remember that when His Royal Highness first entered Guizhou, he didn't consult with anyone, and went directly with more than 3,000 people. At that time, did His Highness ever think about what would happen if he failed? ”

Zhu Youdong said with a smile: "Where do you still think about that, just think about how to beat the Qing army's ass, just don't let them win comfortably." What if you die? If you don't go, you're dead. Zhu Youdong was stunned for a moment, if he didn't go at that time, he would die, could he be better off if he didn't fight the Qing army now?

Gou Xingwang still didn't notice the changes in Zhu Youdong, and said: "Yes, not to mention that none of us were thinking about how to live at that time, everyone was working hard together." ”

Zhu Youdong suddenly laughed and said: "Okay, good brother, if we want to fight like this again, do you dare?" Gou Xingwang stared at Zhu Youdong, stunned for a moment, and said, "What is Your Highness talking about?" As long as His Royal Highness gives an order, I still have no hesitation. Don't say fight, even if you directly exchange my life, and never frown. ”

Zhu Youdong patted Gou Xingwang's shoulder and said, "You, don't say it so seriously, there is no hurdle that you can't pass." You come with me, I'll tell you. Then Zhu Youdong took the lead in walking towards Yutu.

Gou Xingwang also followed in and said, "Your Highness has made up your mind." Zhu Youdong said: "If you don't make up your mind, can the Qing court let us go?" Gou Xingwang said with a smile: "That's right, the Qing court is now eager to cut us with a thousand knives." ”

Zhu Youdong didn't answer, pointed to Yutu and said: "Look, there is a road here, go directly to Zhongxiang, pass through Yingcheng, and then go straight to Hanyang City, and we can approach Wuchang." ”

After Gou Xingwang glanced at it, he said, "This place is not close, it must be thousands of miles." Zhu Youdong said: "You are right, no less than a thousand miles." Gou Xingwang muttered: "Your Highness, what is the use of us going to fight this city thousands of miles away?" It's just a lonely city, and it's useless to fight it. ”

Zhu Youdong said: "Of course it is useful, if we defeat Hanyang and look across the river from Wuchang, what do you say the Qing army will do?" Gou Xingwang said: "Then what else can I do?" Of course, I don't want to take it back, otherwise, I can sneak attack Wuchang at any time, can the Qing army be peaceful? ”

Zhu Youdong said: "You are right, it's not just the Qing army in Wuchang that is not at peace. Even the Qing army in Huangzhou, north of the Yangtze River, and De'an, were also under the front of our Restoration Army. The population and food that the Qing army withdrew to Wuchang could not all be placed in Wuchang City. After all, Wuchang can't fit so much, and it is bound to be separated to several nearby cities. ”

Zhu Youdong pointed to Hanyang and said: "They want to distribute food and population to other places, and Hanyang is the first choice." Hanyang is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River and is a major transportation route. If you go by water, whether it's food, or population. can be the same as Wuchang. If we occupy Hanyang and rob the population and food, then it will be useless for them to evacuate, so they will definitely do their best to retake Hanyang. ”

Gou Xingwang said: "This is just a decisive battle with the Qing army in advance, and it has no impact on the overall situation." Zhu Youdong said: "Of course it has an impact, I want to use a Hanyang to attract all the surrounding Qing troops." Then he used the army to secretly cross the Yangtze River in the area of Huangpeng Mountain and attack Wuchang by land. ”

Zhu Youdong said excitedly: "As long as we succeed, the entire Qing army in Huguang will collapse in an instant." The predicament in front of us will be solved, and we can still accept a large number of young people who have been relocated by the Qing army. Our army will be incomparably stronger, and the army will enter Nanzhili to the east and approach Nanjing. At that time, the world will definitely be shaken, and the hearts of the people in the world will be greatly shaken, and the Qing army will no longer be able to mobilize a large army to encircle and suppress us. ”

Zhu Youdong looked at the map and said: "Even if the Qing court can make up its mind and deploy troops to encircle and suppress us, but their strength and financial resources will support the consumption of the army, and then the Qing court will be completely powerless." ”

Gou Xingwang looked at the excited Zhu Youdong, looked at the map, and was silent for a while. Cai said in a low voice: "Then the army we sent to Hanyang should not be left after such a big battle." ”

Zhu Youdong said: "It is true that there will not be too many survivors, they will face the siege of the entire Hubei Qing army." And Zhang Changgeng, it is not certain whether there is a pile of grain in Hanyang. If Chang Gung did not pile up grain in Hanyang, the army would not only face a brutal siege, but also have no food available. ”

After thinking for a while, Gou Xingwang suddenly said, "Your Highness, let me go." I will definitely wait until His Highness arrives and rendezvous with His Highness in Hanyang. ”

Hearing Gou Xingwang's words, Zhu Youdong suddenly couldn't make up his mind again. Since coming to this world, Gou Xingwang has always been close to Zhu Youdong. At the beginning, they farmed together in the south, and then raised troops together, and followed Zhu Youdong all the way to the south and the north. However, it is said that it is the other half of Zhu Youdong, when Zhu Youdong led the troops in southern Sichuan, Gou Xingwang led the troops to occupy northern Sichuan.

Now I know that I will probably not be able to come back if I go to Hanyang, not to mention that I will face the crazy attack of the Qing army. If the army on Zhu Youdong's side has a little problem, it will take too long. At that time, Gou Xingwang will only die in Hanyang. Not to mention, whether Zhu Youdong can lead the army to Wuchang, let alone attack Wuchang.

At this time, Jiang Chao came in and saw the expressions of Zhu Youdong and Gou Xingwang, and immediately said, "Gou Xingwang, what are you doing with Your Highness?" How do you feel that this situation is not right? ”

Gou Xingwang smiled and said, "Get out, it's your nonsense." Then he said to Zhu Youdong: "Your Highness, just let me go, basically I can go to the people here." I didn't die like Jiang Chao when I fought the war, but I had to be more patient than Jiang Chao. You also know that Zhou Dazhu has always been in Baoning before, and he may not be able to be ruthless when the time comes. If the time comes, if you can't suppress your soldiers, then your efforts will be wasted. As for the others, I don't think many of them are reliable. ”

Gou Xingwang thought for a while and said: "Just what Xia Guoxiang said during the day, it seems that he is thinking about His Highness, and everyone else is for their own little Jiujiu." There is no way to defend it for so long, let alone a city that has no hope. ”

When Jiang Chao heard Gou Xingwang say that he was impatient, he immediately argued: "Gou Xingwang, what do you say." Gou Xingwang was not angry, and said to Jiang Chao: "Jiang Chao, I know you are not convinced, but I still have to say a few words." If I can't come back, you and the rest of the brothers will do your best to protect Your Highness. When that day comes, remember to bring me some jars of good wine. Lao Tzu's generation has never drunk it happily. ”

Jiang Chao heard that Gou Xingwang's tone was wrong, and suddenly said, "What's wrong?" Gou Xingwang, you tell me clearly what is going on. Why do we protect Your Highness, do you want to be lazy? ”

Gou Xingwang said: "Just let me be lazy once, you are so fucking careful." Then he turned to Zhu Youdong and said, "Your Highness, since this is the only way, success will be so beneficial to my Daming." Why don't we do it? Your Highness, make up your mind. ”

Jiang Chao, who listened to Gou Xingwang's words, was stunned for a moment, and didn't understand what was going on. Zhu Youdong said: "Gou Xingwang, you have thought about it, the road I just talked about is not a big road to take. And everything is not clear. How many defenders there are, whether there is food and grass or not, we will not have much food and grass that we can give you now. ”

Gou Xingwang cautiously knelt down to Zhu Youdong and said, "Your Highness, the last general has thought clearly, as long as I have a breath of Gou Xingwang, I will definitely hold Hanyang." What is the situation is not clear, could it be that when we first started the incident, we understood the general trend of the whole world? ”

Zhu Youdong walked over, helped Gou Xingwang and said, "Okay, since my brother is so heroic, let's sacrifice our lives to fight." But brother must take care, you and I will meet in Wuchang and drink enough and have a good drink in Nanjing. ”

Gou Xingwang bowed his hand to Zhu Youdong and said, "Your Highness, now that the military situation is urgent, I will set off tonight, and I will only take ten days of military rations." Then he said to Jiang Chao: "Brother, you must protect Your Highness." After speaking, he ignored the two and went out directly.

Jiang Chao never understood what Gou Xingwang and Zhu Youdong were talking about. At this time, seeing Gou Xingwang leaving, he chased him out directly, shouting: "Gou Xingwang, you dog, why are you going?" You make it clear to Lao Tzu, what are you talking about, howling nonsense. ”

But Gou Xingwang did not look back, and went directly back to the camp and set off with his first army. Jiang Chao didn't speak when he came back to see Zhu Youdong, Jiang Chao suddenly said urgently: "Your Highness, what is Gou Xingwang going to do?" Which one are you singing? ”

Zhu Youdong looked at the map and said, "He went to Hanyang." When Jiang Chao heard this, he didn't care, and then after finding Hanyang on the map, he immediately jumped up and said, "What, Gou Xingwang went to Hanyang?" Isn't he looking for death? ”

Zhu Youdong said: "He is not looking for death, but to attract the Qing army for us, so that our army can capture Huguang." Jiang Chao didn't believe it, no matter how you look at it, Gou Xingwang is a lone army, and it doesn't seem like he wants to capture Huguang at all.

Zhu Youdong told him the method he discussed with Gou Xingwang, Jiang Chao was stunned for a long time, and it took a long time before he said: "This is too whimsical, how sure are we in this way?" What if it fails? Sichuan doesn't want it? ”

Zhu Youdong said: "Are we sure when we raise the army? It was precisely because we wanted to keep Sichuan that we had to choose to attack. Now that Gou Xingwang is going to Hanyang to attract the Qing army, what else can't we capture? Do we want to watch Gou Xingwang break and die in Hanyang City? ”

Jiang Chao was also aroused to be fierce, and said: "What His Royal Highness said is so angry, Gou Xingwang is not afraid, I, Jiang Chao, will be afraid?" How are we going to play, I'm the striker. ”

Zhu Youdong didn't look at Jiang Chao and said, "Don't worry, I have to make arrangements for other armies." However, you will take the army to Jianyang Town tomorrow to prepare for the march of the army. ”

Jiang Chao said: "Okay, as long as there is a battle, I, Jiang Chao, have never been afraid of anyone." But it's just a march, so it's not that difficult. Zhu Youdong said: "Of course, it's not just a march, you also have to find out the enemy situation on the route to Qianjiang." When the army arrives, you go to Longwan City to Jianli, collect boats on the Yangtze River, and then go down the river to meet at Huangpeng Mountain. ”

Jiang Chao said: "Just collect some ships, if there is anything difficult, just send someone to throw it and solve it." Zhu Youdong said: "This is not sloppy, you have to pass through the mouth of Dongting Lake, there are sailors of the Qing army in Dongting Lake, it is not easy for you to hide from their eyes." ”

Jiang Chao said: "How can there be a sailor, can those small boats and merchant ships I collected outrun their ships?" Zhu Youdong said: "That's why you should be careful, try to choose as many soldiers as you can go." ”