At this stage, a large part of some of the relatively powerful rogues are the "golden generation" of the first year of Chongzhen's uprising. As a native of Shaanxi, the monk Wang Wang of Qili was no exception and took a ride on the anti-Ming ride.

In the first few years, he mixed more miserably, in the official army under the slaughter of the rush like a rat crossing the street, until Chongzhen five years attached to the then first-class Kou Zijin Liang before the salted fish turned over, and gradually sat big, and Zijin Liang Wang for his own use, full of stars Zhou Qing, scorpion block Tuoyangkun and so on and called "Shaanxi Twenty-four Families".

After the fall of Wang Ziyong, King Qi was confused for a while, he was strong, but not too strong, and he was not able to act alone under the surrounding officers and soldiers. Therefore, he first followed Zhang Xianzhong, the eighth king of Xiying, at the junction of Shaanxi and Henan, and later joined forces with Lao Hui Hui Ma Shouying. A few months ago, in November of the eighth year of Chongzhen, he was defeated by Zu Kuan, the chief soldier of the reinforcement in Jiusong, and turned to Gao Yingxiang, the king of Chuang.

In the first year of Chongzhen, those who have survived until now are basically of some scale. Although he has suffered heavy casualties under the pressure of the officers and troops like Gao Yingxiang and others in the near future, the horizontal comparison is quite acceptable. also because Yao Tiandong was replaced after he died in the battle of Wuli Bridge in the east of Chuzhou City, and he became one of the ranks of several high-level leaders in the camp.

The two most important younger brothers of King Qi now are Nine Dragons and Zhang Fatzi. With the support of these two battalions, he can continue to sit firmly in the top few positions of the camp, and he is on the same level as Zhang Yichuan, the sweeping king, and Liu Guineng, who broke into the sky.

Nine, the fat two suffered a loss, the first time to find him, as the eldest brother, he will not sit idly by, it just so happened that Gao Yingxiang was recuperating in the camp for the past two days, so he took the two younger brothers to the door to theorize.

When he left the camp, he was in a hurry, and the nine and fat two were snot and tears, and the neat king was negligent and did not figure out what happened. He originally thought that the nine dragons were the victims, and his side was in charge, so he stood on the side and watched the changes. Unexpectedly, Zhao Dangshi choked back the nine dragons with a few words, and he felt that if he didn't make a move, his side would be defeated in today's game.

"It turned out to be the king of neatness, and the name is like thunder, and he has admired it for a long time!" Zhao Dangshi knew that the nine dragons and Zhang Fatzi had nothing to worry about, and now this neat king was the real hard stubble. Because he couldn't figure out the details of the other party, he decided to pretend not to know about the relationship between King Qi, Nine Dragons and Zhang Fatzi.

King Qi smiled and looked very kind: "It's notorious, but following King Chuang to pick up some food, how can it compare to the prestige of General Zhao's slashing Cao General Army, and the name of defeating the Stone Soldiers?" ”

Liu Zhe heard the hostility in his words, and said, "Who doesn't know that these two splashes are the companions of your monk Wang?" Are you giving them a head start? Remind you, this is not your monk's camp, but the camp. There is no place for you to bluff. ”

Since Wang Ziyong's death, no one dares to call King Qi "Wang Monk" anymore. At this moment, Liu Zhe's anger did not subside, and he relied on Gao Yingxiang's presence, speaking unscrupulously and extremely provocatively.

King Qi was not annoyed, he laughed at his ridicule, shook his head and said, "Brother Liu's words are wrong. We all work for King Chuang, so what do we have to do with and not be with us? There is only one big brother in the camp, and I only recognize the king of Chuang. With a word, Liu Zhe was pushed back.

Zhao Dangshi thought secretly when he heard this: "This neat king has some city mansions. I heard Liu Zhe muttering in a low voice: "What kind of garlic ......?"

Gao Yingxiang now has three main partners, and in terms of strength, the neat king is close to the first three and ranks fourth. The situation was difficult, and it was the time when all battalions needed to work together, Gao Yingxiang returned to his anger, but he was not so confused that he really wiped the face of the king and caused the relationship between the two parties to break down.

His face sank like water, he pondered for a moment, and said to Zhao Dangshi: "Brother Zhao, as you said, my righteous army should act with righteousness first. I have been with the nine and fat brothers for many years, and I am familiar with them as people, although the personality is a little perverse, but in the end I am still a good man who values righteousness and knows proportion, and I fight with you, only out of impulse, and there is no intention of harming each other. At present, the foreign enemy is approaching, if we wait for the brother to fight the wall, defeat can be expected, Brother Zhao is a reasonable person, and he will not care. ”

Before Zhao Dangshi could speak, Liu Zhe's face turned dark, as if he was about to attack, Gao Yingxiang glared at him and said, "The sword has no eyes, who can keep Han Gon safe in the chaotic array?" You are all from a fighting background, what is it to suffer some flesh wounds? Lie down for a few days, and you are a good man again! ”

Even Gao Yingxiang said so, no matter how unhappy Liu Zhe was, it was difficult to say it. I could only breathe a few breaths and twist my head. Seeing this, Zhao Dangshi knew Gao Yingxiang and the intention of the mud, so he could only say: "What King Chuang said is true. ”

Zhao and Liu had no objections, and Gao Yingxiang replied to King Qi and others: "Brother Zhao first came to our camp, some rules are not clear, and it is reasonable to have some disputes with the brothers in the camp. The three brothers are all heroes, and they also give me a high face, so don't pursue this matter anymore. ”

Who doesn't give the face of the king? Nine Dragons and Zhang Fatzi were still angry, but the neat king knew what was wrong, first agreed to Gao Yingxiang, and then said to Zhao Dangshi: "My two brothers have a violent temper and are offended, look at Zhao brother Haihan." ”

The matter is a foregone conclusion, no matter how reasonable Zhao Dangshi is, it is still not as deep as Wang Yemao's roots, thinking that this step is the best result, and it is useless to fight again, so he squeezed out a smile and replied: "Words are heavy, words are heavy." It's the little brother who doesn't know the depths. He said two more kind words to the nine dragons, and the nine dragons rolled their eyes and didn't look at him at all.

forcibly persuading peace, it seems that everyone is happy, but in fact, there is an undercurrent surging underneath, and no party will be convinced. Zhao Dangshi originally had some admiration for Gao Yingxiang, but through this incident, he found that Gao Yingxiang was more than powerful, and his power seemed to be slightly insufficient. He can't remember why Gao Yingxiang died in the end, but he knows that Gao Yingxiang is not the only king.

Not to mention this, the matter has come to this point, both sides are not good to say anything, the neat king and the nine dragons, Zhang Fatzi have nothing else to do, looking at Zhao Dangshi and awkward, after a few perfunctory words, they left together. Liu Zheyu was angry, and his hind feet were also out of the big tent. Huang Long was cautious and found an excuse to follow Liu Zhe, and in the blink of an eye, only Zhao Dangshi, Gao Yingxiang and another thin man were left in the gloomy tent.

The candle shadow flickered, Zhao Dangshi raised his eyes and looked up, Gao Yingxiang's knife-like side face showed hard lines. It is such a man who is under pressure that is far from being experienced by ordinary people. Zhao Dangshi suddenly thought again, if he put himself in his shoes and sat on that tiger skin chair, what choice would he make?

While thinking about it, the condensed atmosphere was broken by the thin man who was always silent on the side of the chair: "Brother Zhao, you bow your head and are silent, but you are worried about the other party's talent?" ”

Zhao Dangshi hurriedly said: "No, no. However, thinking of Han Yingtou's injury, he had some concerns. ”

Gao Yingxiang said slowly: "Oh, I forgot to introduce it. This brother's surname is Liu, and he is nicknamed 'Breaking the Sky'. ”

"Breaking into the sky" Liu Guoneng, one of the three major cadres in the camp today, although his strength is not as good as the sweeping king and the scorpion block, ranking third, but he is quite strategic, well-versed in literature and ink, and is a rare all-rounder among the rogues. And because he has a good relationship with the generals Li Zicheng, Cao Cao, Luo Rucai, etc., the real energy may still be above the sweeping king and others. Gao Yingxiang valued him very much, and often called him to discuss countermeasures, and his contact with the camp was closer than that of the other battalions.

Zhao Dangshi had heard of this person's decent style before, and the military discipline of the subordinates was relatively good, so he had a little more respect for him on the basis of politeness, and said with a courtesy: "The younger brother has seen Brother Liu." He didn't have any intention of making friends with the neat king and others, and he only paid attention to politeness and decency in his speech. But for Liu Guoneng, he was sincere and wanted to get closer, and his title was changed to "big brother" to show affection.

Liu Guoneng smiled and said: "Brother Zhao, don't say anything else, just say that you only relied on one battalion to repel Shi Yan's white pole soldiers, this ability is really admired by my generation." As he spoke, he looked at Gao Yingxiang, and Gao Yingxiang nodded slightly.

The stone soldiers are not ordinary officers and soldiers, and their mountain combat capabilities are outstanding. An important tactical reason why the rogues from all walks of life have been repeatedly suppressed is that the officers and soldiers rarely dare to go into the mountains to pursue and suppress them. Once the situation is broken, the officers and soldiers will often hide in the deep mountains and old forests, and the officers and soldiers "look at the mountains as if they are trapped", and "the soldiers have been stationed for a long time, and the rice and beans they need are becoming more and more expensive, so that they cannot support them." It is to force the thief to the mountain, not to embarrass the thief, but to embarrass himself", the mentality of being afraid of the mountain like a tiger can be seen. Although Zu Kuan and other border troops are fierce, they are good at field warfare in a wide area, and they are also afraid of mountain warfare, so it is not an exaggeration to call Shi Yan soldiers a rare special elite in the Ming court. But such a force still lost under Zhao Ying, and Liu Guoneng's praise really came from his heart, and he had no other intentions.

Zhao Dangshi was a little ashamed and said: "It is an honor for the younger brother to be praised by Brother Liu." But that battle was mostly a matter of luck, and it was really not enough to worry about. ”

Liu Guoneng knew that he was humble, but said: "Brother Zhao is not very old, but he is not frivolous, but humble and self-denying, calm and practiced, far beyond us." The blue is better than the blue, and our righteous army has a successor, and great things will be accomplished. ”

Gao Yingxiang was silent, and after saying a few words earlier, he sat on the chair and remained silent. Liu Guoneng obviously knew his temperament, so he simply spoke on his behalf, and only heard the voice of Zhao Dangshi and Liu Guoneng talking in the quiet tent for a while.

The two chatted for a while, and Liu Guoneng seemed to want to try Zhao Dangshi's strategic vision, and asked: "Brother Zhao has been leading the development of the battalion independently since he entered Sichuan, and he can flourish and grow under the joint suppression of officials and troops in various places, and his vision must be extraordinary." I would like to take the liberty of hearing your thoughts on the current situation. ”

Before Zhao Dangshi came, the preparation for this part was the most sufficient, and he always paid attention to the general trend in the past, Liu Guoneng suddenly asked, he was not a little flustered, and said calmly: "The little brother is not talented, so he dares to talk a few words of nonsense." ”

Liu Guoneng grinned: "Brother Zhao only cares about Changyan, but there are three of us here, so you don't have to scruple." ”

As he spoke, Zhao Dangshi secretly observed the two of them, only to see that not only Liu Guoneng, but even Gao Yingxiang was sitting in danger at the moment, with a solemn face, knowing that today's trip had reached the most critical moment. If you can match the two of you with what you want, then everything is easy to say; If it is twice the same, then if you want to get Gao Yingxiang's recognition, I am afraid it will be difficult to get such a good opportunity as today.

Thinking like this, Zhao Dangshi took a deep breath, first calmed his restless emotions, and then said in a deep voice: "The two of you already know that the current situation of our righteous army is very sinister. In Huai, there are Cao Fu Zhu Dadian and Liu Liangzuo, Yang Yufan, Ni Pet, Miao Youcai and other departments; In Yu, there are Yufu Chen Biqian and Zuo Liangyu, Mou Wenshou, Chen Yongfu, Chen Zhibang and other departments; In Yun, there are Yun Fu, Song Zushun, Qin Yiming, Lei Shisheng and other departments. Premier Lu Xiangsheng coordinated the overall situation, Zu Kuan, Yang Shien, Wang Jinzhong, Zhou Weiyong, Li Mingfu, Liu Zhaoji, Luo Dai and others came and went without a trace, intercepting and besieging the soldiers and horses of our righteous army everywhere. Although our righteous army broke through separately, it was still powerless in the face of the ferocious wolf-like officers and soldiers. In addition, it is not an exaggeration to say that this is the most critical moment for our righteous army in the past few years, and it is not an exaggeration to say that this is the most critical moment for our righteous army in several years. ”

After saying so much in one go, Zhao Dangshi was exhausted, so he could only suspend his words. Everywhere, Gao Yingxiang and Liu Guoneng glanced at each other, looking quite surprised. At this time, there are not many rogue masters who can grasp the current situation so accurately, so they called Qu Shuai at the level of Sweeping King and Neat King, they are not prepared, and they may not be able to tell the story as eloquently as Zhao Dangshi. Obviously, this was the first shot and successfully attracted the attention of Gao Yingxiang and Liu Guoneng.

Liu Guoneng condensed his eyebrows, revealing a few horizontal lines on his forehead, and approached Zhao Dangshi two steps and said: "The official army is pressing forward step by step, and the crisis is lurking, Brother Zhao can know this well, and he must have a way to deal with it." ”

Zhao Dangshi did not change his modesty: "I don't dare to be the 'countermeasure', I only have some foolish opinions, and I ask the two for advice." ”

Liu Guoneng said solemnly: "Brother Zhao, please speak, listen to me." ”

"The officials and troops are surrounded on all sides, and Yunyang is a remote corner, which is difficult to cross and close. Moreover, the officers and troops in Henan, Chu, Huai and other places are dense, and they are strictly guarded and cannot be crossed. For today's plan, I can only return to Shaanxi and return to my old roots. ”

Shaanxi is the base camp of the Liukou, which has been operating for many years and has a strong foundation. Sun Chuanting, the new governor of Shaanxi, once analyzed and said: "There has always been a thief, Zhang is everywhere, and if he is trapped, he will return to Qin, and the land of thieves will benefit Qin Ming." He pointed out the base on which the Liukou relied for survival and recovery. Most of them are Qin people, who are not only familiar with the geography of Shaanxi, but also familiar with the local customs and the recruitment of soldiers and horses. Although Lu Xiangsheng has a very strong ability to organize and coordinate, once the rogues escape from the encirclement and return to Shaanxi, even if he has the ability to penetrate the world, it will be difficult to rearrange and deploy troops for a while. The rogues took advantage of this opportunity to return to their hometown, and they had a chance to catch their breath and regroup.

After Zhao Dangshi finished speaking, Liu Guoneng did not speak immediately, but seeing that his eyes were shining, Zhao Dangshi believed that his words hit his heart nine times out of ten.

After a while, Gao Yingxiang's deep voice sounded from above: "What I want to break into the camp is a hero like Brother Zhao." In the future, Brother Zhao can also participate in military discussions. ”

The meaning of these words could not be clearer, and returning to Shaanxi is the strategy set by Gao Yingxiang. Zhao Dangshi's words have been affirmed by him.

Liu Guoneng also said heartily afterwards: "Sure enough, the hero sees the same thing." Brother Zhao and King Chuang thought of going together, isn't it fate? After finishing speaking, he got closer and gently patted Zhao Dangshi's right arm.

However, in the final analysis, this is just the first meeting, although Gao Yingxiang and Zhao Dangshi agree with each other, they have no intention of staying with him for a long time. As for the specific deployment of the operation, it is still necessary to wait for the discussion and approval of several other leaders at the military meeting in the future. However, for Zhao Dangshi, this first hurdle can be regarded as being stepped over by him, winning the flag, and being appreciated by Gao Yingxiang, he is already very satisfied.

After a while, Gao Yingxiang said that he was a little sleepy, and he had the intention of sending off guests, so Zhao Dangshi knew that he was retiring.

As soon as half of his body leaned out of the tent, a long sigh came from the back of his head, he squinted back, and caught a glimpse of Gao Yingxiang's originally upright upper body softening with the sound, leaning on the back of the chair.

That sigh sounded to Zhao Dangshi, which contained not only melancholy and loss, but also exhaustion and helplessness. His heart was shocked, but his footsteps did not stop, and he left without looking back.