"Xiangcheng County Commander Wang Yong, I wish the county keeper peace and security.

The text on the seal mentioned the fall of Kunyang, which was confirmed to be the dereliction of duty of the scouts sent by Yong, and the lower officials had been punished.

Thanks to the blessing of His Majesty and the luck of the country, although Kunyang lost the southern wall, Zhou Hu led the army and civilians of the city to resist to the death with the streets and alleys of the city, and the rebels have not yet done their full strength.

Before the document was issued, the lower official got Zhou Hu's request for help, the request of Bang County, and the urgency of the country, the lower official did not dare to resign, so he and Liu Yi, the commander of Runan County, sent the soldiers of the two counties to help, and destroyed the rebel village in the west of Kunyang City in one fell swoop, and then relieved the siege of Kunyang.

Although the siege of Kunyang has been resolved, the rebels are still strong, and the lower officials are afraid that Kunyang is weak, and it is difficult for me to take care of Xiangcheng and Runan, so I implore the county guard to send reinforcements as soon as possible to protect the city and protect the people.

22nd year of Taixing, October 11."

“……”

After receiving the letter from Xun Yi, the governor of the western region, Li Minzai, the county guard of Yingchuan, carefully reviewed it.

As early as the tenth day of October, Xuchang County received a previous letter from Xiangcheng County Commander Wang Yong, which was sent by the latter on the morning of the seventh day of October.

In that letter, Wang Yong reported the news of the fall of Kunyang to Xuchang in a desperate tone, and at the same time begged the county to send assistance, Wang Yong's statement at the time was: "Kunyang has been broken, and Xiangcheng and Runan cannot be defended for a long time, if the county cannot send assistance, Xia Guan will only lead the whole city to die." ”

Even if it was hundreds of miles away, Li Min could feel Wang Yong's despair at that time and his ardent hope for reinforcements.

But the question is, how can Xuchang County have the spare strength to support Xiangcheng?

If there is the spare strength to send reinforcements, Li Min will not sit back and watch Kunyang be attacked by the rebels, after all, the rebels' strategy of 'wanting to gather troops in Nanyang', Li Junshou is not ignorant, if he can do it, he is naturally willing to pull Nanyang general Wang Shangde a hand.

The problem is, it really can't be done.

At this moment, Xiang Xuan, the rebel general who was outside Xuchang City, received the assistance of 30,000 Jiangxia rebels and surrounded Xuchang regiments.

What's more, Xuchang City itself is about to fall, how can he still take care of the counties under his rule?

Therefore, after receiving Wang Yong's last letter, Li Min, the guard of Yingchuan County, was mentally prepared to 'rule the counties to fall', and even he was not sure whether he could hold Xuchang.

Think about it, if the main force led by the rebel Qu Shuai Guan Shuo really captured Kunyang, Xiangcheng, and Runan, is it possible for him to attack Xuchang without dividing his troops to help Xiang Xuan?

Once Xuchang falls, it is equivalent to the fall of Yingchuan County, even if some counties are still resisting, it is difficult to recover the disadvantage.

In this regard, Li Min had no choice but to urgently urge the imperial court to send reinforcements while guarding Xuchang.

Unexpectedly, today's peak turned around, and Xiangcheng County ordered Wang Yongyi to change his desperate attitude towards the previous letter, and told him in a tone of surprise and invitation that Kunyang was still there.

I've lost a city wall, but I can still defend it?

Li Junshou never knew that his subordinate, Liu Bi, the commander of Kunyang County, had this ability.

『…… Zhou Hu?'

Li Min groaned.

If before this, this Li Junshou hated this Zhou Hu deeply, then today, he is impressed by this Zhou Hu.

He wouldn't believe Wang Yong's words in the letter - this Wang Yong has this kind of ability and courage, and he wouldn't have asked him for help with a sad face a few days ago, which shows that Kunyang almost relied on himself to block the main force of the rebels.

And the biggest credit should be that Zhou Hu.

Didn't you see that Wang Yong only mentioned Zhou Hu in addition to inviting merit? As for Liu Bi, the county magistrate of Kunyang County, Wang Yong simply didn't even mention it, which shows that Wang Yong more or less knows some specific situations.

Thoughtfully, Li Min turned his head to face the people in the room, raised the letter in his hand, and asked, "Wait...... What do you think of Wang Yong's writing? ”

The county lieutenant Cao Suo and the others looked at each other, they had not yet recovered from the shock of 'Kunyang is still holding on', but Xun Yi, the governor of the western region, reacted the fastest, and said: "Congratulations, congratulations, Kunyang is still here, but my Yingchuan has not yet reached the worst point." ”

After a pause, he said again: "I think that the county should immediately send someone to reward Kunyang, boost the morale of Kunyang to resist the rebels, and at the same time, recruit Zhou Hu for the county's use......"

When he said this, Xun Yi could be said to have raised his eyebrows.

You must know that during this period of time, he persuaded Li Min a lot in front of him, persuading Li Min to let go of what a black tiger thief leader had done and recruit this person for his own use, but unfortunately, not only Li Min hated Zhou Hu's evil behavior of 'burning the government and robbing officials', but even in the county guard's mansion, there were many objections, thinking that the county should not compromise with a bandit.

But now?

These people who held opposing opinions did not squeak one by one, and the reason was very simple, because Zhou Hu led the Kunyang army and civilians to block the main force of the rebels, so that his Yingchuan County had not yet entered the worst situation.

"Soliciting Zhou Hu......"

Li Min stroked his beard with a hesitant expression, and then looked at the text in his hand again. Sogou Library

He Xuchang County, the county seat of Yingchuan County, just resisted the 10,000 rebels under Guan Shuo's general Xiang Xuan, and he fell behind several times, and that Zhou Hu actually led the army and people in Kunyang to block the main force of Guan Shuo's rebels?

If he still had doubts about the ability of that Zhou Tiger before this, then at this moment, he finally understood how powerful the leader of the black tiger thieves was, no wonder Kunyang County organized officers and soldiers back then, and asked for help from neighboring counties, and he did not exterminate this black tiger thief for two or three years.

In view of Zhou Hu's ability, Li Min finally changed his mind about recruiting this person, but he still had one more concern.

He frowned and said to Xun Yi: "Zhou Hu led the Kunyang army and people to resist the rebels to the death, and the government also believes that the credit is not small, and it can be used to erase some of his evil deeds in the past, but Zhou Hu is unruly and unruly......"

Xun Yi immediately understood.

At the beginning, Zhou Hu 'burned the government and robbed officials', which can be said to show his attitude to the outside world, that is, if he was forced to be in a hurry, he would do anything.

This statement is even worse than Zhou Hu's 'burning the government and robbing officials', which is equivalent to threatening Yingchuan County, and it is no wonder that Li Min is angry and has always refused to issue a pardon to Zhou Hu for his crimes.

But now that the war in Yingchuan County is rotten, only Zhou Hu can take charge alone and bear a large part of the threat of the rebels for him, which makes Li Min quite hesitant.

"Your Excellency has been shaken, and I should gently persuade me to bring about this."

Seeing the hesitant look of the county guard in front of him, Xun Yi arched his hand and said euphemistically: "The rabbit is still in a hurry, let alone the people?" …… He talked to Zhou Hu and knew that he wanted to abandon the darkness and turn to the light, but on that day, Ye County ordered Yang Ding to show his own merits and force Zhou Hu to a dead end, so Zhou Hu made this decision in order to protect himself...... Today, the rebels invaded the territory on a large scale, Zhou Hu resolutely led the army and people of the city to resist to the death, even if the city wall was breached, he still retreated into the streets and alleys of the city to defend it, which shows that his heart is to the court, the county, and justice...... Such merits are considered by humble officials to be sufficient to cover up their past petty mistakes. ”

"Little in the past? Burning the government and robbing the officials, is it called a small mistake?'

Li Min couldn't help but glance at Xun Yi.

If it had been in the past, he would have spoken out, but today, for the sake of Zhou Hu swearing to defend Kunyang, Xun Yi's words did not make him feel too harsh.

On the contrary, he had a good impression of Zhou Hu, after all, Zhou Hu was not just defending Kunyang, but fighting to the death with the rebels in the streets and alleys of the city when he had lost a city wall and when the rebels had already entered the city.

Even Li Min couldn't imagine how a city could defend without losing its walls.

If he lost a city wall in Xuchang County, he would definitely not be able to defend it, and street fighting or something was unheard of.

Seeing that Li Min didn't say a word, Xun Yi stepped forward and persuaded in a low voice: "My lord, now that the war situation is erosive, the county can only protect itself, and cannot help the counties, which makes everyone in our county and counties in danger, but Zhou Hu led the Kunyang army and people to block the main force of the rebels. …… As for Zhou Hu himself, the adults also know that he is a thief, very uneducated, and he does not know that what he did in the past is a taboo for the court. ”

Li Min stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then asked, "Can you make sure that Zhou Hu will keep to himself in the future?" ”

As soon as he heard this, Xun Yi understood that the county guard in front of him had already moved, and hurriedly said, "I am willing to vouch for him." ”

"It doesn't have to be."

Li Min knew Xun Yi's character very well, but he would not force this subordinate loyal to the country to vouch for a thief.

He turned to look at the rest of the room and asked, "How ......can you wait?" What's the objection? ”

“……”

Everyone in the room looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Thinking about it, these people are not fools, how can they not know the importance of Zhou Hu at this moment?

At present, it is Kunyang who is the main force to contain the rebels, if in this case, he still bites the sins of Zhou Hu in Yingchuan County and refuses to pardon Zhou Hu, will Zhou Hu still swear to resist the rebels to the death?

You know, Zhou Hu was in danger that day, he could do anything, in case he hated Yingchuan County and refused to forgive him for his old crimes, and simply defected to the rebels, it would be very bad.

He Xuchang City is already in danger now facing a Xiang Xuan, let alone adding another Zhou Hu.

Considering these gains and losses, everyone in the room was silent, and Xun Yi secretly sneered.

Seeing that there was no objection from everyone in the house, Li Min turned to Xun Yi and said, "Okay, since this is the case, this government will guarantee it, pardon Zhou Hu's past crimes, and then appoint him as a ...... Lieutenant of Kunyang County. ”

Generally speaking, a county corresponds to a county lieutenant, but there are exceptions to everything, and under extraordinary circumstances, it is nothing to have a few more county lieutenants in a county, anyway, it is a very small official position.

Regarding Li Min's appointment of Zhou Hu, Xun Yi felt that it was inappropriate in his heart, and he felt that he was too stingy.

Now Zhou Hu's role is crucial, just make such a small official as the county lieutenant?

However, although he felt that it was inappropriate, Xun Yi did not raise any objections at the moment, after all, it was not easy for the county guard in front of him to accept that Zhou Hu, and Xun Yi also had to know how to 'accept it when he saw it'.

As for the future, with Zhou Hu's ability, are you still afraid that there will be no chance of promotion?

Thinking of this, Xun Yi bowed his hand and said, "My lord is wise!" …… Please write a letter of pardon immediately, take it to Kunyang immediately, hand it over to him personally, and tell him not to live up to the expectations of the adults. ”

"Hmm."

Li Min nodded slightly.