In the inner hall of the state ya, Tongzhi Zhuang Wenxuan carefully said to Liang Wensheng: "My lord, I heard that some people are making a fuss about the attack on the sentry post. ”

"Oh? Do you know who's behind it? Liang Wensheng was not panicked and asked calmly.

"I heard that it was Yao Shouning from the Inspection Department and Zhang Tonghan from the barracks. The two of them wrote a secret letter behind their backs and sent it to the prefect Du. ”

"I expected that someone would make a fuss about this matter, so I wrote to Master Du in advance. I didn't expect the two of them to be doing things behind their backs. Liang Wensheng was not angry, but replied lightly. At the same time, I thought to myself, just let them stay a few more days. After the bandit suppression is completed, slowly clean it up.

"Lord Liang, since someone has written a secret letter to Lord Du to complain, the lower official estimates that Lord Du will definitely inquire about this matter, and Lord Du must be prepared." Zhuang Wenxuan reminded.

"You mean ......?"

"Master Du is the seventeenth jinshi of Chenghua, and he has been in office for six years, and he must have the ambition to go further. He has the right to transfer and command 2,000 soldiers and horses, and if he asks Lord Du to send 500 troops, our state will recruit another 1,000 soldiers. In this way, the chances of winning the attack on Ma Qi Mountain are greater, and some credit can be shared to Lord Du at that time. In the future, with the help of Master Du, are you afraid that those small people will make trouble? ”

Liang Wensheng is such a smart person, he reminded him. He immediately understood that asking Lord Du to send troops was just a pretense, and pulling the cage was real.

Yes, Liang Wensheng said: "Your suggestion is good, I will go to Qingzhou tomorrow to meet Master Du." These days, you are hurrying to prepare for war, and Ding Zhuang's drills must also be carried out quickly. ”

"Xia Guan understands."

The next day, Liang Wensheng took a group of guards to Qingzhou Mansion in a sedan chair.

After meeting the prefect Du, Liang Wensheng turned over the courtesy. The prefect Du Yuandu asked: "Liang Zhizhou, this sudden visit is for the suppression of bandits?" ”

"Exactly, the lower official's visit to the prefect this time is to report to the lord the strategy drawn up by the lower official to suppress bandits." Liang Wensheng took out a folded book from his sleeve and offered it with both hands.

Du Zhifu took the fold and looked at it roughly, and said, "Where did the cannon come from in this strategy?" And are the brave warriors who infiltrate the bandits' lair and go undercover are reliable? ”

"Lord Hui, that cannon is not a general cannon with gunpowder, but a steam-driven cannon invented by a sage in this state, and the lower officials have gone to inspect it, and its power is no less than that of the general's cannon. The ten warriors who went undercover in the bandit's lair were Ding Zhuang, who had passed on information several times, and after many cooperations, they had won the absolute trust of the bandit leader. Therefore, the lower officials are more than 90% sure of this crackdown on bandits. Liang Wensheng replied respectfully.

"Okay, Liang Zhizhou is good at catching bandits and thieves, and this official has already heard of it. This time it's important to make sure nothing goes wrong. I already know about the attack on the last outpost, but some people secretly believe to me, saying that because of your command error, the inspection department has suffered heavy losses, and the bandits have taken advantage of the situation to gather and gain momentum. "Du Zhifu is also a little dissatisfied with Liang Wensheng about the attack on the outpost. After all, it happened under his rule, and such a major event occurred, and the prefect also had a slight impact.

"Your Excellency, please allow your Majesty to explain. The lower officials received a report that the three bandits in our state came and went frequently, and they had the intention of gathering Ma Qi Mountain to defend the danger. The original intention of the lower officials was to take advantage of the fact that the bandits were not gathered before they were gathered, and the soldiers of the inspection department were divided and suppressed. And Yao's patrol inspection prevaricated that the inspection force was insufficient, and he actually suggested that the lower officials ask the capital to send troops to suppress the bandits. More than 50 bandits actually asked the capital to send troops, where is the face of the lower officials? What is the face of the inspection department? It is clear that Yao Patrol is greedy for life and afraid of death, afraid of hands and feet, and does not have the courage and courage to fight with bandits! ”

"The inspection department is under the jurisdiction of the military department, and the subordinate officials have no right to remove the inspection, so they can only let it strengthen the strength of the outposts around the bandits' nests, strengthen prevention, and prevent the bandits from gathering, so the outposts are attacked."

Liang Wensheng finished speaking, took a cup of tea and drank saliva and continued: "The soldiers of the Patrol Inspection Division of Benzhou are negligent in training, and they have no courage to fight from the inspection to the ordinary soldiers. ”

Du Zhifu stroked his beard with his right hand, and thought to himself, there has been no war in these years, not to mention that the local inspection has no combat power, even if the soldiers of the guard station also have no combat power. encountered an outlaw bandit, and it was a sneak attack at night, and the same result was for any governor. Liang Zhizhou in front of him was not intimidated by the bandits who formed a momentum, or reported in a panic to request troops to suppress it, but actively prepared and planned, which is already commendable.

Since he has this determination, let him do it, after all, his reputation for being good at catching bandits and thieves is not false. After thinking so, Du Zhifu said: "Liang Zhizhou has this confidence, and the official is very pleased, and after Liang Zhizhou succeeds in suppressing the bandits, the official will ask for merit for you." ”

"Lord Xie Zhifu, with the support of the adults, the lower officials will definitely do their best to suppress the bandits. Xia Guan also had a request, according to the undercover detective, there were three or four hundred bandits on Ma Qi Mountain, but the bandits were in full swing, and the bandits around them were gathering together, and the number of bandits was growing rapidly. After a long time, it is quite possible to gather seven or eight hundred people. Only 1,000 soldiers could be organized in the territory of this state, and it was not possible to attack Ma Qi Mountain, so the lower official asked the prefect to mobilize 500 soldiers to help suppress the bandits. ”

After hearing this, Du Zhifu thought to himself that if he really had a firm grasp of nine out of ten as he said, and sent troops to assist in suppressing bandits, he would be able to get at least half of the work of suppressing bandits in the future, and with this merit, he might be able to rise to another level in three years. Even if it didn't work, it was because of his poor command, and I did my best to help, but it didn't affect me much. If I am really 90% sure, he is giving me a big gift in disguise. There is no reason not to accept such a good thing. But out of an abundance of caution, he asked, "Are you 90% sure?" ”

"Yes, there are ten warriors inside, four steam cannons outside, plus five hundred soldiers of the adults, the lower officials are ten percent sure."

"In that case, the officer will send you five hundred soldiers."

"Lord Xie, Governor!"

*************

After more than ten days of preparation, Liang Wensheng personally took command, with the three hundred Ding Zhuang led by Xu Tangyi as the vanguard. Fifteen hundred soldiers, carrying four cannons and carrying all kinds of baggage vehicles, drove into the foot of Maqi Mountain. Since Maqi Mountain is surrounded by water on three sides, and only the northwest is land, it does not take many troops to besiege Maqi Mountain, and 1,500 soldiers can easily surround Maqi Mountain.

After besieging Ma Qi Mountain, Liang Wensheng did not order the army to attack, and kept his troops at the foot of the mountain. There was a stalemate for two days, and there was still no sign of an offensive.

Duan Xiuhuai, a thousand households in Qingzhou Mansion, couldn't wait any longer, and directly found Liang Wensheng and asked: "Liang Zhizhou, I was in a hurry to let the army go, but I didn't fight when I came here." It's been two days, why are you still standing still? ”

Liang Wensheng smiled and said, "Duan Qianhu, don't be impatient. I'm waiting for the time to attack, and when the time comes, I will naturally attack the mountain with all my might. The time was not right, and the attack was thwarted. ”

"Timing? What kind of timing? Can Liang Zhizhou be express? Duan Qianhu asked.

Liang Wensheng smiled and said: "The art of war is cloudy: to fight a war, we must pay attention to the right time, place and people. Now that we do not occupy the geographical advantage, the robbers have lost the people by killing people and stealing goods, and plundering the people, and we only need to occupy the sky, and the certainty of victory will increase. As for what time it is, you can't say yet, but you'll know then. When it's time to attack, all you have to do is take your soldiers and carry the four cannons to the flat ground halfway up the mountain, and the rest will be arranged by the officer. ”

"Okay, since it's a secret that can't be disclosed, I won't ask, and then it's all up to Lord Liang to send it."

As soon as Liang Wensheng's army arrived at the foot of the mountain and set up camp, the bandits in the cottage immediately got the news. Don't look at this bandit's arrogant and cruel to the common people on weekdays, but when the real catastrophe came, they all panicked and showed their ugliness. There are those who are depressed, there are those who regret it, there are those who steal while they are in chaos, there are those who take the opportunity to slip away, and there are those who hide everywhere, but there are no ones who resist to the death.

The leaders of the bandits from all walks of life ran to the cottage lobby in a panic and asked Ji Chao and Chu Ying for advice, but the two leaders remained calm. Ji Chao looked at the noisy rabble in the hall, and couldn't help but feel angry, he stood up from the main seat and shouted: "Shut the fuck!" ”

Everyone in the audience heard that the big boss was going to speak, and then they stopped the noise.

Ji Chao continued: "There are only more than 1,000 people coming down the mountain, and they will scare you into such birds!" The gall is smaller than a rabbit! We now have five or six hundred people, condescending, guarding the danger, and I am afraid that the more than 1,000 people in the government will not succeed! ”

Chu Ying also comforted everyone at this time and said: "According to historical records, in the last years of the Yuan Dynasty, the Red Turban Army was less than 10,000 people in this cottage and defended it, and the 100,000 troops of the Yuan Dynasty could not be conquered for a long time. At present, the officers and soldiers under the mountain are nothing more than a rabble composed of some civilian Ding Zhuang and quick arresters, and they are all people who are afraid of death, and thousands of people are not to be feared. In addition, the road up the mountain is steep and narrow, it is difficult for the troops to deploy, and they are attacking on their backs, so we are waiting for work at leisure, and if the officers and men attack the mountain, they only need to cast rolling wooden stones down the mountain, so that the officers and men will suffer countless casualties. ”

"Second, if the officers and soldiers under the mountain besiege but do not attack, what should we do if we are trapped?" Zhao Ningchang asked below.

"There is enough food on the mountain for us to eat for half a year, as long as we hold the cottage, I don't believe that the officers and soldiers can surround it for half a year." Chu Ying said confidently.

When the leaders heard the two leaders say this, they gradually calmed down.

At this time, Ji Chao asked again: "Who wants to guard the first wall?" ”

Ji Chao asked, but there was no answer below. These leaders have their own little abacus, and they are not willing to defend the first wall.

Ma Wu said at this time: "The big boss, I supervised the construction of the wall, and I am familiar with it. Let me stay there with my brethren. ”

"Well, worthy of being my good brother! Anything else? ”

It was quiet again.

Ji Chao saw that he was unwilling, so he had to order the general himself: "Wei Laoqi, Xu Dazhui, you two bring your brothers to guard the first wall!" ”