From the evening to the night of 12 November, it took Chen Miao nearly two hours to finish telling the ins and outs of the 'Battle of Kunyang'.

During this period, Zhang Zhai listened silently, glancing at Guan Shuo who was drinking silently from time to time.

In fact, he did not come to ask Guan Shuo Xingshi for his guilt, but to ensure the purpose of 'gathering troops in Nanyang', and to make final contact and consultation with Changsha a year ago.

But he didn't expect that on the way to Zhaoling, he got the news and learned that Guan Shuo was still Zhaoling, so he was very annoyed and came to Xingshi to ask for guilt......

Well, this is a misunderstanding caused by the poor inquiry of the people below.

Thinking of this, Zhang Zhai hugged his fist towards Guan Shuo and said apologetically: "Guan Shuai, this time it was Zhang who was reckless, please forgive Guan Shuai." ”

“……”

Guan Shuo glanced at Zhang Zhai with the wine bowl, he didn't have the cheekiness to say anything about Zhang Zhai after the defeat in Kunyang, so he nodded slightly and revealed the matter.

This made the atmosphere in the room a little lighter.

At this time, Chen Miao asked Zhang Zhai about something: "I don't know how Zhang Qu made Zhou Hu meet in the first place?" ”

"Zhou Hu?"

Zhang Zhai frowned slightly and recalled, and said slowly: "When I was planning to agitate in Nanyang, I accidentally learned that someone was instigating public opinion in the name of my righteous teacher, and I sent someone to investigate, only to learn that those people were from Kunyang ......."

"Is it Zhou Hu's man?"

Chen Miao asked in surprise, and Guan Shuo, who was drinking silently beside him, also glanced at it with a little curiosity.

"Hmm."

Zhang Zhai nodded and continued: "At that time, Zhou Hu occupied the side of Yingshan in the north of Kunyang, plundering caravans, including the caravan of the 'Luye Freemasonry'...... In order to divert Wang Shangde's attention, Zhou Hu sent people to spread rumors in the northern counties of Nanyang County in the name of my righteous teacher......"

"It turns out that Zhou Hu and Wang Shangde still have that grudge? No wonder this Zhang Zhai wrote a letter to Guan Shuo, asking Guan Shuo to try to win over Zhou Hu......

Chen Miao thought secretly.

After thinking about it, he asked Zhang Zhai: "Has the envoy seen that Zhou Hu?" ”

"I've seen it."

Zhang Zhai nodded slightly and said, "At that time, I learned that it was Zhou Hu's person who pretended to be my righteous teacher, so I came to Kunyang in disguise and met with that Zhou Hu......

"And then you saw that Zhou Hu's talent?" Chen Miao asked in surprise.

As if he had guessed a little bit of Chen Miao's thoughts, Zhang Zhai shook his head with a wry smile and said: "As Chen Qushuai said, I talked with that Zhou Hu that day, and I did see that this person was not ordinary, but I still never thought that one day he would become an obstacle to my righteous teacher......"

Speaking of this, he turned his head to look at Guan Shuo and asked, "A year later, Zhang sent a letter to Guan Shuai, and the letter involved Zhou Hu, I wonder if Guan Shuai has received it?" ”

Of course, Guan Shuo knew which letter Zhang Zhai was referring to, and after nodding slightly, he said inexplicably: "I received it, and I also tried to recruit that Zhou Hu, but ......"

After hesitating for a moment, he told Zhang Zhai about the negotiation process he had with Zhou Hu at that time.

At this time, Zhang Zhai knew that Zhou Hu had put forward a request to Guan Shuo to 'draw Kunyang, Xiangcheng, and Runan counties as their territory'.

Seriously, if he hadn't known the result, even if Zhang Zhai had met with that Zhou Hu, he wouldn't have agreed to this excessive request immediately, so it was no wonder that Guan Shuo felt that Zhou Hu was arrogant at the time and refused the matter.

But it turned out that Zhou Hu did have the qualifications to put forward this condition, and the result of Guan Shuo's rejection of Zhou Hu was that the army was defeated in Kunyang, losing more than 50,000 troops.

Not to mention Zhang Zhai, even Guan Shuo regretted it, if he knew this, it would be better to agree to Zhou Hu.

But it's already too late, and instead of regretting it, it's better to think about what comes next.

"Can Changsha resume the war?" Zhang Zhai asked about the topic he was most concerned about.

Guan Shuo glanced at Zhang Zhai and said expressionlessly: "At the moment, I only have less than 30,000 troops left in my hands, if I want to resume the war, I will either recruit troops nearby or transfer troops from Jiangnan...... In any case, I am afraid that we will not be able to send any more troops before the middle of next year. ”

Obviously, Zhang Zhai was not satisfied with this answer, he frowned and said: "The situation in Nanyang is very urgent, if the 'flanking attack' cannot be carried out smoothly in the coming year, I am afraid that Master Jing Chu will not be able to support it for ......a long time" Saying that, he turned his head to look at Chen Miao and asked, "Can Chen Qushuai help?" ”

Chen Miao understood the importance of 'flanking Nanyang', and nodded when he heard this: "I can reinforce Guan Shuai by another 3 to 50,000 troops......

Hearing this, not only Zhang Zhai, but even Guan Shuo's face looked much better.

However, at this time, Chen Miao asked again: "But...... What about Zhou Hu? ”

Hearing this, Guan Shuo, whose complexion had changed a little, suddenly tightened again.

Yes, although it was true that he could borrow 350,000 troops from Chen Miao, what about Zhou Hu in Kunyang?

At present, he only has less than 30,000 troops left, and the Jiangxia Yishi led by Zhu Yu is only 35,000, even if Chen Miao transfers another 50,000 troops after the year, the total number of troops is only 85,000.

This year, he led 80,000 Changsha volunteers and 10,000 green forest thieves to capture Kunyang, which was only a few thousand troops at that time. - If Zhou Hu had another street fight, he wouldn't be able to stand it.

"I'll go meet that Zhou Hu and convince him to defect."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Zhai said in a deep voice.

"I'm afraid it's hard to ......"

Chen Miao shook his head and said: "As far as I know, that Zhou Hu has been recruited by Yingchuan County and awarded the position of lieutenant of Kunyang County, and considering the hatred of the local people in Kunyang for my righteous teacher after the first battle in Kunyang, I am afraid that it will be difficult for Zhang Qushuai to persuade that Zhou Hu ......"

Zhang Zhai pondered for a moment, frowned slightly and said, "Let's try it." ”

Hearing this, Chen Miao stopped persuading, after all, from the position of a righteous teacher, he also hoped that Zhang Zhai could persuade Zhou Hu - in the current situation, Zhang Zhai was probably the only person who could make Zhou Hu change his mind.

The next day, Zhang Zhai and his entourage, who stayed in Zhaoling for a night, rode to Kunyang in the wind and snow.

The journey was hard, needless to say, and it took six full days for Zhang Zhai and his entourage to arrive outside the southern city gate of Kunyang on November 18.

At that time, the city gate of Kunyang was closed, and Zhang Zhai could only shout under the city, asking to open the city gate and let them enter.

Seeing that someone was shouting from the city, the black tiger thief guarding the city asked the city: "Who are you waiting for?" ”

Zhang Zhai explained: "It is a businessman in the past. ”

As soon as he heard that it was a businessman, the black tiger thief guarding the city pointed in the direction of Ye County and shouted to the city: "You go southwest to Ye County, my Kunyang is in a new big change, and I will not accept people from other towns before the beginning of spring." ”

Zhang Zhai persuaded him several times, but the black tiger thieves on the city wall were unmoved.

In desperation, Zhang Zhai could only say: "I have an old relationship with your leader Zhou, and I want to see the leader of Zhou." ”

As soon as he heard that the other party had an old relationship with his own boss, the black tiger thief on the city wall did not dare to refuse anymore, and hurriedly told the city gate official.

The guard of the southern city wall of Kunyang, Sun Xiu is the main and Liu Tu is the deputy, and today it is Liu Tu's turn to take office.

Hearing that there was a group of merchants outside the city who had an old relationship with his own big leader, Liu Tu was very surprised, and asked the black tiger thief who came to report the news: "Is it a businessman from Ye County?" ”

The black tiger thief shook his head: "I don't know, I look quite vivid." ”

Liu Tu asked again, "How many people are there?" ”

The Black Tiger Thief replied, "About eight or nine." ”

Seeing that there were only eight or nine people, Liu Tu was not worried, he followed the black tiger thief to the city.

In the rumbling sound, the south gate slowly opened a line.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhai and his entourage led the horse into the city and collided with Liu Tu and others.

"Do you know our Grand Leader?" Liu Tu looked at Zhang Zhai and asked with a frown, although he was a reckless man, he also felt that Zhang Zhai and his party had a strange background.

Seeing that Liu Tu was followed by more than 20 heavily armed black tiger thieves, Zhang Zhai of course understood that the other party was suspicious of his group, so he hugged his fists and said: "In Xia Zhang Zhai, I had a relationship with Leader Zhou, please tell Leader Zhou in the name of the general, and Leader Zhou will definitely meet me." ”

Liu Tu asked about the others, but Zhang Zhai was silent.

In desperation, Liu Tu beckoned a black tiger thief and ordered: "Go, tell the big leader, just say that a foreigner named Zhang Zhai wants to see him." ”

"Yes!"

The black tiger thief braved the snow and ran towards the city, and after a stick of incense, he came to the county government and Zhao Yu's house.

"The Great Chief."

hugged his fist towards Zhao Yu, who was sitting in the room and was reading, and the black tiger thief respectfully said: "There are a few outsiders from outside the city, and they want to ask to see the big leader, the first person, he only said that his name is Zhang Zhai, and Liu Benmu interrogated the others, and the person didn't say anything......

"Zhang Zhai? Nanyang Canal envoy Zhang Zhai?'

Zhao Yu closed the scroll in surprise, called He Shun forward, and ordered: "He Shun, you personally go to the city gate and lead that group to the righteous house......"

As he spoke, he lowered his voice and said, "If someone comes or the rebel side, tell Liu Tu not to leak the news." ”

He Shun is Niu Heng's subordinate, and when Niu Heng is not doing anything, he is the chief of the guard next to Zhao Yu, so he naturally knows some inside information, so it is not surprising that his own big leader will meet a rebel.

After a while, He Shun led people to the South City Gate and met Zhang Zhai and his party.

I saw him hug his fist towards Zhang Zhai, and said with a slight smile: "The big leader sent me to correspond, Mr. Zhang, please." ”

Of course, he did not forget to remind Liu Tu and said to Liu Tu: "This person may be a rebel, so the brothers should not leak the news." ”

Liu Tu suddenly glanced at Zhang Zhai and naturally understood what to do.

A moment later, He Shun took Zhang Zhai and his party to the Black Tiger House.

After inquiring with the black tiger thief in the Black Tiger House, He Shun said to Zhang Zhai: "Mr. Zhang, the big leader has reached the second floor, but the second floor is narrow, Mr. Zhang and the others may be inconvenient, why don't you let the others rest underneath?" ”

Of course, Zhang Zhai understood what He Shun meant, nodded, and said to the people behind him: "He Xuan, you take everyone to rest underneath." ”

After that, he ignored everyone's persuasion and followed He Shun to the second floor.

Sure enough, what was waiting for him on the second floor was the same black tiger thief leader he had seen last year, wearing a tiger stripe mask.

And Zhao Yu finally confirmed that the person who came was the Nanyang envoy of the rebel side, Zhang Zhai.