The rooster has sung, and the sky will be bright. Ten miles away from Shijiazhuang Station, there were two people leading horses, looking at the west, seeing that the bright moon had slowly disappeared half of the side, both of them were extremely anxious.

Suddenly, a horse leaped out in the distance, and rushed towards the two of them, and when the two saw this, they looked at each other, turned over their horses, and went forward.

"How?" As soon as the three of them looked at each other, they asked in unison.

"As expected, that Zhu Chongzhen really had the idea to beat Wu Luzhen." The man said in a deep voice, "We will fight him, and we will not be able to win or draw." The musket could not hurt him. ”

"It's really difficult!" One person said in a low voice: "Wuqiao, could it be that this Zhu Chongzhen, does he really need the master of the door to take care of it?" ”

It turned out that the two people who were waiting, one was Duan Fang rescued by Zhu Chongzhen from the rebels, and the other was the Beiyang commander and Yuan Shikai who should be in Xinyang at this time!

The person who reported the news was a big man who fought with Zhu Chongzhen with a bow last night, this person's name is De Yigang, the word Yongchen, and he is under the banner of Alxa, Mongolia. His ancestors had fought with the monk Greenqin, but he died in the battle of Bali Bridge, and the family road fell from there. Deyi's parents died when he was young, and he was later adopted as a righteous son by Dehao and raised by himself. This person has excellent arm strength, especially good at archery, yesterday's battle, it was Zhu Chongzhen, and he can't be underestimated.

"Yongchen, you and Zhu Chongzhen fought last night, looking at his skills, how do you compare with the door master?" Duan Fang didn't answer Yuan Shikai's words, but continued to ask De Yigang.

De Yi just shook his head, "When he fought with us, he didn't give his full strength, I can't see it." However, in the end, he rescued Wu Luzhen and seemed to use all his strength. From that moment of view, although Zhu Chongzhen is terrifying and can be paired with the door master, his mastery is still slightly inferior to the door master! ”

"Then Wu Luzhen's matter, has it been done?" Yuan Shikai also asked.

De Yi just shook his head and sighed, obviously quite a pity, "No, Zhu Chongzhen is really powerful, he actually snatched Wu Luzhen, and the dead man only blew up his legs in the end." ”

After speaking, De Yi just told Duan Yuan and the others about last night's events in detail.

As soon as the two heard this, they looked at each other, and they both saw the fear in each other's eyes.

Duan Fang settled down, and then said: "This time, it's not really to kill Wu Luzhen, it's just an excuse." If you can find out the depth of Zhu Chongzhen, then last night's incident can be called a success! ”

"That's what I said," Yuan Shikai disagreed with Duanfang's words, "If Wu Luzhen doesn't die, his people will be between me and the capital, but if it's like a stab in the throat, I have to worry!" ”

"What's more, yesterday Chen Qicai came to report that Wu Luzhen had contacted Zhang Shaozeng in Luanzhou and Yan Xishan in Taiyuan to enter Beijing by three routes. If it really happens, in the decisive battle on October 15, the defeat of the master is also a defeat, and the victory is also a defeat; What are you fighting?! ”

The three of them stood on the side of the road, looking at the rising sun that was about to erupt from the distant mountains, but they all felt the cold autumn before dawn in their hearts.

"I don't know Yan Xishan in Shanxi, but I have seen Zhang Shaozeng," De Yigang said suddenly, "He has no plan when he encounters problems, and he can't make any big deals." What's more, most of the soldiers and horses under him were the old Beiyang Department of my Qingmen back then, how could he command the move? As long as one or two people are sent out of the door, and they can naturally drive Zhang Shaozeng away! ”

As soon as Deyi said this, Duan Fang and Yuan Shikai were both overjoyed, and Yuan Shikai said: "Yong Chen's words are extremely true! That Wu Luzhen's soldiers and horses are the team of my small station training, and he will definitely not move! If Cao Kun is transferred to lead the fourth town into the customs, then the Jin army is not worried! ”

The two of them were happy, but Duan Fang still frowned and pondered: "If it's so easy, then how can Zhu Chongzhen not think of it?" Since he can set off such a big wave and make me in the 17 provinces of the Qing Dynasty, how can I not know that Wu Luzhen, who is brave and scheming, is difficult to achieve great things? ”

"Wuqiao is saying, this Zhu Chongzhen, and there is a back hand?" Deyi just said when he heard this.

"I'm afraid I don't know it now," Duan Fang thought for a while, but he never to, "If you fight with someone like him, you won't be able to get crippled, but I'm afraid you won't see it." ”

Yuan Shikai suddenly thought of something, bowed his head and said nothing, Duande and the others saw this, knowing that he had thought of a key point, so they quietly beat their horses to the side and talked about other things.

"I heard Weiting say that before Wusheng Pass, the fourth town was defeated, what happened?" Duan Fang asked.

De Yigang said hatefully: "That Wang Yujia usually boasts that he is the hero of the army, but he can't imagine that he is so incompetent when he is really in the army!" He was rushed by, and he fell off his horse with a sword! ”

"You say with a sword?" Duan Fang was shocked: "How can this be? Wang Yujia has a German-made firearm in his hand, how can it make people break through the military formation? ”

"When we got the news, we didn't believe it!" De Yigang looked confused, although he was a master of archery, he also knew that firearms were in charge now. Swords, guns, swords, halberds, the era of samurai heroes, has been gone by the Yellow Crane and never returned, "If the ironclad cavalry can penetrate the firearms array of the foreigners, the monk king of the year will not be defeated so badly!" ”

When Duan Fang heard this, he knew that Deyi had just thought of his grandfather's death, and his heart was sad. At that time, Britain and France took advantage of the fire to rob and force the Qing Dynasty to change the treaty. Monk Lingqin led the iron cavalry to fight at the Bali Bridge, and also tried to use the horse to speed the knife and rush through, but was defeated by the foreigners' firearms, and the Mongolian iron cavalry has been sluggish ever since. Unexpectedly, today's offensive and defensive situation is different, the Qing Dynasty learned from Western law, used firearms, organized and trained the new army, and strengthened the army for ten years, but it was still able to defeat the iron cavalry sword, such a fact, anyone who knows, will find it difficult to accept.

"And who is the leader of the Southern Army?" Duan Fang then asked.

"The leaders are called Cai Jimin and Xiong Bingkun, two small eyes. But the one who was really in charge of the army, named Fang Xiaoru, was the one who led the cavalry to rush through. According to the Southern Line, he is Zhu Chongzhen's cousin, the orphan of the Yuezhou Fangfu that year. ”

Duan Fang let out an "oh", but asked again: "Have you found out the reason?" ”

De Yigang shook his head, "The training of the Beiyang New Army is all coached by German instructors, and you have seen it that day, and the sound is majestic and amazing. The way of walking is no different from that of the army of foreigners. ”

The two were hesitating, and suddenly Yuan Shikai shouted loudly: "I have it!" I've got it! ”

Duan Fang and Deyi just heard the shout, they all smiled, led the horse around, and asked Yuan Shikai, "What did Weiting think of?" ”

"I already have a way to break the game!" Yuan Shikai laughed and said, "Since ancient times, handsome people have never left their positions, and now Zhu Chongzhen has left the south for a ten-year appointment, which just gives us a chance!" ”

When these words were said, Duan Fang and De Yi Gang both high-fived, "Yes, that's true!" ”

Yuan Shikai laughed and said: "When I heard about Changsha that day, I knew that there must be something to be done. Sun Wen, the leader of the chaotic party, claimed to be the second in Hong Xiuquan, and he didn't want to think about what the rebellion of Hong Yang was like back then, and how much the gentry of the southern country hated Hong Yang! The Tan family in Chaling killed the rebel party and established themselves as governors, which is an excellent proof! ”

Duan Fang successively served as the governor of Huguang, Liangjiang, Fujian and Zhejiang, and once plotted against Liu Shipei of the Alliance, and he was naturally transparent about the relationship between the south and the chaotic party. The chaos in the south is not all under Zhu Chongzhen's control; I have been in the south for many years, and I know very well that the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River, because of the Hongyang Rebellion that year, most of them will not be in the same stream as the rebellious party. If there is really no help from the gentry of the southern country, this rebellion in the southern country will be a cooking without rice, and it will be short-lived, and its withering will be fast! ”

"What Wuqiao said is extremely true," Yuan Shikai said: "Since Zhu Chongzhen has arrived in the northern country, he has his own master to match him. The only thing to do now is to rush to the south immediately, cut off the connection between the gentry in Jiangnan and the rebellious party, and cut off the financial route of the rebellious party. ”

"In my opinion, first of all, you have to defeat Fang Xiaoru under the Wusheng Pass!" De Yigang suddenly said, "Although I have not experienced it in Jiangnan, I also know that those gentry are just grass on the wall, if we are strong and strong, we don't need to talk too much, they will know how to deal with it." ”

"Haha, I can't imagine that Yongchen has such a means!" Duan Fang smiled.

"Since that's the case," Yuan Shikai's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Wuqiao, you go to Nanjing, join forces with Tie Baochen, and be sure to cut off the party's financial route." I will go to Xinyang and meet the Fang Xiaoru who cut the flag for a while! ”

Yuan Shikai said that, he was about to beat the horse, but Duan Fang suddenly grabbed him, "Weiting, this time the southern country is in turmoil, and there are many variables." There is a dispute between the family and the chaotic party in Changsha, and the rest of the places will not be peaceful; Even in the chaotic party, when I heard Liu Shipei speak, it was just a plate of loose sand. Now that Zhu Chongzhen has left the south and come to the ten-year appointment, there is no one in the south to suppress him, and the struggle for power and profit must be indispensable. Therefore, this time the rebellion is still guided by the situation, and the division and disintegration are the top. ”

The two have been friends for many years, and most of the things in their hearts can be known. Duan Fang only said it briefly, and Yuan Shikai knew the strategy in Duan Fang's heart. He nodded, "Wuqiao, don't worry, after you go to Nanjing, I will send someone to see Li Yuanhong and provoke him to be ambitious." Didn't Sun Wen call himself Hong Xiuquan's second, you and I will work together to make the chaos of the party and the wall of chaos rise again! ”

Duan Fang laughed, "Exactly! After that, he turned his head and said to De Yigang:

"You quickly report the strategy discussed by me and Weiting to the Duke of Hao, and let him spread the word to the master."

Deyi just clenched his fists, "Don't worry, two brothers, I will report it to my father-in-law immediately." However, I would also like to take a trip to Xinyang. If nothing else, that Fang Xiaoru can actually break through the Beiyang Army Formation, I think it will be for a while! ”

Yuan Shikai laughed: "With the courage to help, within a few days, I will be able to capture Wusheng Pass and point directly to Hankou!" Let the door master no longer have to worry about these trivial matters before the decisive battle! ”

After that, the three of them parted ways and went separately to beat their horses.