Jiang Tong didn't care either, and directly asked people to take this scholar down and detain him temporarily. The scholar saw that Jiang Tong did not kill him, nor did he struggle, and the Restoration Army escorted him out.

At this time, someone outside suddenly shouted: "General, he is a member of the Qing army, and he is a spy." When Jiang Tong heard this, he thought that this person's identity was not ordinary, and he had inadvertently caught a big fish. Suddenly came to the spirit, but when I turned my head to look, I suddenly felt angry.

It turned out that the person who shouted was Wang Hongliang, who had been persuading him before. Jiang Tong said to Wang Hongliang outside: "You really don't dare to punish you?" Someone, arrest him, and keep him under strict guard. ”

Wang Hongliang saw that Jiang Tong didn't want to believe himself at all, and he wanted people to arrest him. Wang Hongliang immediately shouted: "General, he is really a spy, he is the master of the Jingzhou prefect, and he is Zhou Chang." ”

When Jiang Tong heard that this scholar was the master of the Jingzhou prefect, his body stiffened, and he turned to the scholar and asked, "Are you really the master of the Jingzhou prefect?" ”

Wang Hongliang continued to shout on the side: "General, he is, really." The few times I went to Jingzhou, he came out to meet me. Wang Hongliang roared as he broke free from the hands of the Restoration Army soldiers, and then rushed into the camp.

Wang Hongliang said to Zhou Chang: "Master Zhou, what happened to you talking about some green battalion soldiers?" How can you come out and kill people indiscriminately. Look at what has become of our town, these days the Qing soldiers are not as good as the beasts. My two daughters were taken away by those brutes, and what retribution did I suffer at this time. ”

Zhou Chang saw that he couldn't hide, so he said: "I don't know, I'm just a master, and I am in charge of these green battalion soldiers there, and I don't know why they suddenly came out to make trouble." Jiang Tong saw that his eyes flickered, not like he was telling the truth.

Jiang Tong said: "If you are an ordinary person, it will be fine if I let you go." But since you are the master of the Jingzhou prefect, you must know a lot, so your treatment is different. You can be regarded as a person of half officialdom, if you confess honestly, I can spare your life. Since you don't tell the truth, I'm not welcome. ”

Then Jiang Tong waved his hand to the two soldiers next to him, and immediately two soldiers came over with horsewhips. As soon as Zhou Chang saw that he was going to suffer from flesh and skin, he immediately begged for mercy: "The general is slow, I said yes, the general asks." ”

Jiang Tongdao: "How many defenders are there in Jingzhou City now?" Zhou Chang said: "There are not many defenders in the city, only a thousand green battalion soldiers to defend the city. ”

Wang Hongliang on the side suddenly said: "General, did you hear me?" I'm not a spy, I'm not lying. Jiang Tong heard Zhou Chang's words, which were exactly the same as what Wang Hongliang said, but Jiang Tong still couldn't believe it.

Jiang Tong continued to ask: "What are these green battalion soldiers doing when they come out of the city and arrest so many people?" Zhou Chang said: "I don't know what the specific situation is." But I have read the official letter from Zhang Changgeng, the governor of Huguang, to the Jingzhou government. He asked all the state capitals in Huguang that were still under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, regardless of the military and civilians, to withdraw to Wuchang Mansion. As for whether other places have received this official letter, I don't know. ”

Jiang Tong was shocked and said, "All evacuate to Wuchang Mansion?" I'm afraid that there are more than 10 million people in this Huguang, how many people will be relocated here, Zhang Changgeng is crazy. Zhou Chang said: "Now the population of Huguang is only about eight million, except for the few places you have occupied, the remaining population is about five million. ”

Jiang Tongdao: "That's a lot, millions of people, just move, it's a bit too child's play." Zhou Chang said: "The account can't be calculated like this, this is a big battle." Although there are 5 million people to be relocated, most of the population of Huguang is concentrated in Wuchang, De'an, Huangzhou, Yuezhou, Changsha, and Hengyang in the east. In this way, I am afraid that the number of people who want to relocate will only be one million. ”

At this time, Wang Hongliang reacted and said, "My obedient, a million people, how can I move this?" Zhou Chang looked at Wang Hongliang and said, "Zhang Changgeng meant, of course, not to move everyone over. He said that he would try to move as young and strong as possible, so that the population would be much smaller. ”

Jiang Tongdao: "What are they moving so aggressively for? Zhou Chang said: "Although it was not said in the official document, but in combination with the imperial court's policy of moving the border and forbidding the sea on the southeast coast, the imperial court wants to implement a strong wall and clear the wilderness for you, so that you have no food to live and no soldiers to conscript." ”

As far as Jiang Tong's head was concerned, he couldn't figure out what this meant, so he said at the moment: "What do you mean, that is, the prefect of Jingzhou wants to run away?" Zhou Chang said: "Judging from the current situation, most of the time. ”

Jiang Tongdao: "Then what are you running?" Still going in the direction of Jingmen, aren't you the master of Han Changgu? He doesn't take you with him? Zhou Chang said: "Although I am the master of Han Changgu, I am a person from Jingmen, and now the imperial court only needs to move away the young and strong, so my wife and children will not be found." ”

Wang Hongliang next to him said: "You are lying, didn't you say that your parents have died?" Jiang Tong saw Zhou Chang's expression different, and immediately asked, "Yes, why are you lying?" ”

Although Zhou Chang was exposed, he was still reluctant to say it. Seeing this, Jiang Tong signaled to the two soldiers again. Zhou Chang saw the two soldiers leaning towards him, and suddenly said, "I said, I said." I am the master of the prefect, and I don't want to go to Wuhan. Because of Han Changgu this time, if he wanted to bring less young people, he went directly to Wuchang. ”

Seeing that Jiang Tong didn't understand, he had to explain: "Zhang Changgeng asked Jingzhou to retreat in order to cut off your supplies and troops. But Han Changgu took a few people with him, obviously he didn't carry out the official document and ran away directly. When he goes to Wuchang, it will be a dead end. ”

Jiang Tong understood at this time, and said: "If you don't go, you won't go, what are you running?" Zhou Chang said: "General, although my parents are no longer alive, I still have some relatives and friends. Now I don't go to Wuchang, so I have to return to my hometown. ”

Jiang Tongdao: "It's that simple? Zhou Chang said: "It's that simple. When Wang Hongliang saw that the two of them said it so clearly, Jiang Tong still had the intention of letting Zhou Chang leave. Suddenly said hurriedly: "General, Zhou Chang is the master of the prefect, and he can use him to go to the city." The general will be able to capture Gangneung Fortress without excessive casualties. ”

Jiang Tong had also wanted to attack Jiangling City before, but after learning about the specific situation of Jiangling City, he suddenly hesitated when he looked at his thousand people. After all, Gangneung City is a big city, and if you don't attack it, you won't have anything to do with it. But if you attack by yourself, you will lose your troops and lose your generals, and you will still be punished.

At this time, Marven came over and said: "Now these Qing troops are arresting people everywhere, why?" When he came in, he found that another scholar came in and said, "Where did this scholar come from?" These scholars are the most troublesome, or they should be cut directly. ”

As soon as Marven's words came out, Zhou Chang was taken aback. If you are cut down by this reckless man in a daze, you will be very wronged. Wang Hongliang next to him knew that Marven had always wanted to attack Jiangling City, and now this was a good opportunity. I heard Wang Hongliang say: "He is a spy of the Qing army and the master of the Jingzhou prefect." ”

When Zhou Chang heard this, he immediately shouted: "Wang Hongliang, what nonsense are you talking about?" I'm a spy there, I'm just a scholar who wants to go back to Jingmen. ”

Marven said: "What do you care about? You said that you are not a spy, then you take us to conquer Gangneung City, and we will let you go back. Zhou Chang was suddenly choked and speechless, if he took them to fight Jiangling City, even if they let him go, would he still be able to go back?

Marven walked over to Jiang Tong and whispered, "What now?" You won't really let him go, what if he is a spy? He has seen that there are only a thousand of us, and he can't let him go easily. ”

Jiang Tong pulled Marven aside and said in the same low voice, "I'm wondering if we should attack Jiangling City." Marven said: "You don't have to think about it, as long as Jiangling City is defeated, how good it will be for us." ”

Marven glanced at Jiang Tong and said, "I understand, you are afraid that this scholar is a spy, and he will trick us when the time comes." Jiang Tongdao: "This is not what I am most afraid of, I am worried that if something happens to our 1,000 army, the 3,000 people of the water division will ......." ”

Marven interrupted: "Why are you so verbose, you always think that something will happen to us." Why don't you want to think about it, we have conquered Gangneung City? Jiang Tong looked at Marven, and then at the other soldiers.

Wang Hongliang knew that at this time, only Jiang Tong could call the shots, so he immediately knelt in front of Jiang Tong and said, "General, the old man begs you, you can send troops." It's almost dark now, and if I wait, my daughter is really hopeless. ”

At this time, Wang Hongliang actually didn't have much hope, but he just wanted to know the result, otherwise he would not be willing to die. Looking at Wang Hongliang in front of him, everyone was silent. The surrounding soldiers also knew what the Qing soldiers were doing in this town.

Marven said to Jiang Tong: "Let's fight, didn't His Highness say that we resisted the Qing Dynasty in order to protect the people?" You look here, there are dead bodies everywhere. I just went to see it, as long as it is a female corpse, she has been humiliated before her death. What's the point of us waiting? Do we want to let the Qing army who committed sins retreat safely? ”

At this time, as long as the soldiers of the Restoration Army who went outside to see it, they all looked at Jiang Tong. Many people said: "General, let's fight, as long as we are avenging these people, even if we fail, His Highness will not blame us at that time." ”

There is a soldier who joined the Restoration Army in Nanfang County, and has stayed in Boryeong since then, so he has not made any contributions. Many of the people who joined the Restoration Army have been promoted, but he has always been a soldier. After seeing what happened here, I remembered the tragic situation in the south that night.

Immediately cried and said, "General, let's go fight." When we were in the south, our Restoration Army only withdrew from the south for an hour. When we return to the south, just like here, those Qing troops are not human at all. Even if I die on the way to attack the Qing army, I am happy. ”

When the soldier said this, he himself was speechless. Suddenly, he began to sing the military discipline song of the Restoration Army, and for a while, the soldiers around him also sang in a low voice. Because he remembered his own tragic experience, there was a thick tragedy in the song.

Seeing this situation, Jiang Tong knew. At this time, if he presses it again and does not attack Gangneung City, I am afraid that these soldiers will be in chaos. I had no choice but to say: "Okay, let's go and attack Gangneung City, but I have a request, that is, if we can't break through Gangneung City, we must obey the order and then retreat to Zhijiang." ”

Hearing that Jiang Tong finally agreed to attack Jiangling City, Marven took the lead and said, "Okay." If we really can't defeat Gangneung City, we will definitely listen to your orders and go straight back to Zhijiang. ”

Wang Hongliang saw that Jiang Tong finally agreed, and immediately kowtowed to Wang Hongliang to thank him. Jiang Tong ignored it and said to Marven: "If we go to a sneak attack, the firearms will not be used, and all the people in front will be replaced with knives and guns, and they will be wrapped in cloth." ”