Jinghu South Road, Dingzhou Chenyang, Xialanjiang Yijun Water Village.

The water village is located at the mouth of the Xialan River, only the southwest faces the land of Chenyang, the rest of the faces are all surrounded by water, the city is heavy in the wall, the horse pit is set up outside the wall, it is extremely precipitous, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

In Dongting Lake, such water villages are of different sizes and countless, all of which were occupied by the rebels who rebelled, and they were all named after their respective leaders.

In the spring of the second year of Jingkang (1127 AD), Zhao Huan summoned soldiers from all over the country in Gyeonggi Province to "King Qin". Zhong Xiang, the common people of Wuling in Jinghu Dingzhou, organized more than 300 righteous troops and rushed to King Qin of Bianliang City. Wang Song led the army to defeat the Jin people, and the volunteers who came to "King Qin" from all over the country were dismissed and returned to their original places, each with their own livelihood.

On the way back to his hometown, officials, soldiers, and bandits from all over the country competed to endanger the township, burning, killing and looting. Zhong Xiang did not disband the rebel army that returned to his hometown, but formed a village to protect himself and waited for an opportunity to move.

The Jin soldiers crossed the Jiangnan and committed crimes, and the officers and soldiers and the routs burned, killed and looted, and did all kinds of evil. The government levied and expropriated violently, the government was burdensome, the people were in dire straits, and the peasant uprisings were surging. Zhong Xiang set up himself as the king of Chu, set up his son Zhong Ziang as the crown prince, set up official subordinates, "equal to the noble and low, rich and poor", exempted from taxation, and the people corresponded.

Song defeated Kong Duzhou's troops to suppress it, and the rebels won the first battle. Kong Yanzhou sent a fine work to infiltrate the rebel army, Zhong Xiang was unprepared, and was captured and killed.

Since Zhong Xiang's death, Yang Mo, Xia Cheng, Huang Zuo and others gathered hundreds of thousands of people to support Zhong Ziyi, the young son of Zhong Xiang, as the crown prince, retreated to Dongting Lake, and built a water village in the staggered and steep islands of Dongting Port.

A few months ago, Cheng Changyu, the envoy of Dingli Town, led his division to attack the Righteous Army's Water Village, but was defeated by the Righteous Army. Cheng Changyu escaped by boat, and the car and boat and shipwright Gao Xuan were also captured by the rebels.

Although it was a great victory, it was only a fierce victory for the officers and soldiers with fierce firearms and heavy casualties for the rebels.

Hearing that the imperial court was going to send heavy troops here, the hearts of the generals of the righteous army felt a little heavier.

"Heavenly King, the official army has occupied the rich villages near Dongting Lake, we have no river to fish, no land to cultivate, and there is a shortage of food. If this continues, something big will happen in the stockade sooner or later!"

In the lobby of the water village, Xia Cheng, the leader of the rebel army, an ordinary peasant man in his 30s, sat on a chair with a blue face.

Long before the uprising, the Dongting Lake area was already dilapidated due to the government's long-term expropriation and looting, coupled with the burning and looting of the Jin soldiers.

The official army took control of the area around Dongting Lake, and the rebels wanted food and had to break through the blockade and return to land.

But even if the blockade was broken, the Song army's artillery and earth-shattering thunder were extremely lethal, and the rebels did not know how many casualties they would have to pay. If you stay on the water, hundreds of thousands of rebels will sit and eat empty, and food will be a problem after all.

At the head of the lobby was a young man in rough clothes, although he was dark, he was handsome, and his eyebrows were full of arrogance.

"Brother Xia, why bother to grow the ambition of others and destroy your own prestige!"

The stubbornness and arrogance on the young man's face were on full display.

"The prince was killed by the officials and soldiers, and this revenge is not shared. If you can't take revenge, what's the point of living? Besides, what can those wasted officials and soldiers do with our brothers? ”

The young man's name is Mrs. Yang, and because he is the eldest in the family, he is used to being called Mrs. Yang. The prince in his mouth is the original leader of the rebel army, Zhong Xiang, but he has been captured and killed.

As the nominal leader of the rebel army, Yang Mi was only 23 years old. When Zhong Xiang got into trouble, he relied on Yang Qi very much, and the two were half teachers and half friends. Zhong Xiang failed in the uprising, and his son Zhong Ziang was killed by Kong Yanzhou, the general of the Song army at the time.

Kong Yanzhou, who was a general of the Song Dynasty, immediately took refuge in the puppet Qi, and in the battle of Xuzhou, he was beheaded by Wang Song in a daze, and avenged Zhong Xiang's father and son in disguise.

"What the King of Heaven said is that this is not what the brother meant!"

Xia Cheng hurriedly said: "If you want to deal with the official army, it is best to have firearms." Otherwise official

When the army comes, the brethren can only defend themselves with flesh and blood. ”

The fierce general Huang Zuo nodded and said, "Brother Xia is right. When the imperial court arrived in Jiangnan, it had been in exile, and there was no time to make firearms. All their firearms were bought from Hebei!"

Everyone was stunned, and Yang Qi couldn't help asking: "Brother Huang, what you said, isn't it Wang Song from Hebei?"

Speaking of which, Wang Song's destruction of Kong Yanzhou can be regarded as avenging Zhong Xiang, and the righteous army owes him a favor.

Huang Zuo nodded and said, "What the Heavenly King said is right, it is Wang Song, the Xuanfu envoy of Lianghe and Shaanxi!"

Except for Yang Mi, everyone in the hall lowered their heads and took a breath of cool air.

For them, Wang Song's fame is so big and loud that everyone has to listen carefully.

When they were still fighting in a corner of Jinghu, Wang Song was already a world-famous prince.

"Wang Songwang Iron Spear, the Lianghe Xuanfu Envoy of the Great Song Dynasty, Tongzhiyuan, Saibawang, and Seven Steps can become a poem, he is really a hero in the world!"

Zhou Lun, one of the leaders of the rebel army, sighed.

"Wang Song, Wang Xianggong, God and Man also!"

Huang Zuo also pouted. can carry it hard with the Jurchens, such a character, Da Song is the only one.

"The times make heroes!"

Yang Mi said disdainfully: "Without the help of Princess Roufu, Wang Song is also a good woman, and it is difficult to cook without rice!"

Liu Qin, the leader of another water village, said enviously: "Wang Song, this guy, after walking the shit luck there, can actually share the bed with the princess, the straight lady is really comfortable!"

"If you don't say Wang Songhong, you can live in the sky!"

Yang Mi smiled, raised his head, his face was arrogant, and looked at Huang Zuo and said, "Commander Huang, where did you get this news?"

Huang Zuo said with a smile: "Heavenly King, Zhang Guo's brother in Xiazhai, he has fellow villagers in the army under Wang Song, and the relationship between the two is irreversible. The villain also got the news from him. ”

"It turned out to be Brother Zhang Guo!"

Everyone was in good spirits. Since Zhang Guo joined the Righteous Army, he has made many military exploits, but he never imagined that he still has such a relationship.

Yang Qi said loudly: "Commander Huang, you send someone to go and bring Brother Zhang Guo here, I have something to ask him."

Greeting the rebels who came and went in the village, passing through the noisy, market-like, messy square in front of the village, the nose was full of the smell of sweat and the smell of cow and sheep feces, and the sound of chickens and ducks was heard in the ears.

Looking at the "Great Sage Heavenly King" flag fluttering high on the flagpole on the right side in front of the hall, Zhang Guo calmed down and stepped into the walled hall.

Among the rebels, Zhang Guo was not familiar with Huang Zuo, one of the leaders, but also Yang Qi, Xia Cheng, Yang Qin, Zhou Lun, etc. Although he was quite appreciated by Huang Zuo, each water village was self-contained, and he was not very familiar with the leaders of other water villages.

As a sleeper in the Jinghu Intelligence Group, Zhang Guo has always wanted to do something. In his opinion, whether it was the Jin people or the Xia people, whether it was the pseudo-Qi or the Great Song Dynasty, these regimes were all stumbling blocks on the way of the Loyal and Righteous Army. If he can use this to weaken the strength of the Great Song Dynasty, when the time comes, when the loyal and righteous army pacifies the world, he will definitely be able to get a piece of the pie by virtue of his military exploits.

"Brother Zhang Guo, you are brave in battle, and you have a set of training. I didn't expect you to have fellow villagers in the Hebei Loyal Army, let's talk about it. ”

Yang Qi looked at the thin and weak Zhang Guo in front of him and nodded slightly. This Zhang family was killed by the official army, a child of Jinghu, his appearance is not amazing, but he is a real member of the fierce general, Huang Zuo's water village, and his current combat power is also the strongest.

Although Zhang Guo is thin and weak, his training is very methodical, and he has defeated the officers and soldiers several times.

From beginning to end, he never dreamed that this person would be loyal

The meticulous work of the army.

"Back to the king, my brother also returned to his hometown, and I learned about it from the villagers by chance. Don't hide it from your brothers, brother, I originally planned to go north to find the loyal army, Brother Huang Zuo treated me kindly, brother, I stayed. ”

Zhang Guo replied respectfully, and at the same time stabilized his mind. He has a baby face, and his actual age has already passed twenty years old.

As for the fellow villager he said, there is indeed a person, but this person is insignificant in the army, and it is difficult for others to find out for a while.

Huang Zuo nodded again and again: "Brother Zhang Guo said yes." He saved the lives of our Shuizhai brothers, and they have long been a family. ”

Yang Qi nodded, half relieved. He frowned and said, "Zhang Guo, I heard that the firearms of the imperial court were all purchased from Hebei, is this true?"

Zhang Guo's heart was excited, and the topic came.

He hurriedly replied, "Heavenly King, it is true. The brother has a fellow villager in the Loyal and Righteous Army, and according to him, except for Fanzi and Xia Ren, anyone can buy firearms from the Loyal and Righteous Army. If our brothers want to buy it, it shouldn't be a problem. ”

"According to what you say, can you and this loyal army be connected?"

Yang Qi continued to ask, his eyes fixed on Zhang Guo.

"Zhang Guo, in front of the king of heaven, there is one to say one, and there are two to say. If you can't get on the line, you have to say something and answer truthfully, and let's find a way to do it!"

Huang Zuo looked at Zhang Guo's face and hesitated, thinking that others were soft-spoken and couldn't contact the loyal and righteous army, so he hurriedly said it on the side.

Yang Mi looks young, but he is decisive and ruthless. In case things go wrong, Yang Mi blames him, but he is afraid that Zhang Guo will have a hard time.

"Although the Heavenly King and Huang Commander can rest assured, no matter whether it is difficult or not, the brothers will definitely do this!"

Zhang Guo hesitated for a moment, and said with a smile: "Heavenly King, brothers, in fact, even if we don't have the relationship of fellow villagers, we can buy firearms from Hebei." Otherwise, how can we supply more than 100,000 troops of the Loyal and Righteous Army and so many government personnel in the land of two rivers alone?"

Everyone suddenly realized. Zhou Lun smiled: "In this way, I am relieved." Anyway, we have a lot of gold and silver treasures in our hands, and we can use some to buy firearms, which just comes in handy. ”

Liu Qin was nervous, he shook his head and said, "Brothers, do we have to buy these things?" In my brother's opinion, with the strength of our brothers, we can protect ourselves. Do you really need to make such a big formation? ”

Zhang Guo said with a smile: "Brother Liu Qin, the imperial court wants to be connected with Sichuan. If there was no Sichuan, would the Great Song Dynasty still be considered a court? ”

As soon as Zhang Guo's words fell, Liu Qin had already frowned.

"This is the meeting of the leaders of the water village, and you don't pee to take care of yourself, do you have this identity?"

He was brave and brave, but after several battles, he was robbed of the limelight by Zhang Guo, and he was naturally unhappy.

Moreover, from the bottom of his heart, he and his subordinates only want to protect themselves, and they don't want to get out of power with the court. Zhang Guo these people are completely looking at things and are not afraid of big things, which makes him unbearable.

Huang Zuo stood up "Teng", pointed at Liu Qin and shouted angrily: "Liu Qin, listen, Zhang Guo is Lao Tzu's brother, Lao Tzu Shuizhai has the final say, do you think he has this identity?"

"Don't make any noise!"

Yang Qi said categorically: "Huang Zuo, you and Brother Zhang Guo are ready to go to Hebei for a trip." If the Loyal Righteous Army can send goods to Dongting Lake, it doesn't matter if we have more silver taels. If it can only be transported to the Yangtze River, we can only send troops. There are many people on our ship, so it's a big deal to fight!"

Huang Zuo and Zhang Guo bowed together and said, "Obey the orders of the Heavenly King!"

Zhang Guo saw that the faces of the leaders of the water villages were different, and his heart was half cold. These rabble, if they are still scattered and fighting on their own, how can they fight against the imperial court?