In the battle of Tongguan a month and a half ago, it was rumored that Sun Chuanting had set himself on fire, and the charred corpse was difficult to identify. The strategic goal of breaking into the army had been achieved, and the news that "Sun Chuanting was dead" was quickly spread in Shaanxi and several neighboring provinces. But in fact, on the day that Tongguan Guancheng was breached, Yang Zhaofeng and Hao Mingluan successfully rescued Sun Chuanting, Qiao Yuanzhu, He Zhen and others who had gathered at that time under the cover of the Imperial Zhai Army.

A few people rode the fast horses that had been prepared, and together with the five hundred horsemen of Hao Mingluan's subordinates, who had rushed out of the siege from Tongguan Guancheng, they first withdrew to Weinan County, picked up Sun Chuanting's family, who was temporarily living here, and then continued to run west without stopping. On the way, Huayin County, Huazhou, Weinan County and other places fell into the battle of the invading army, and Sun Chuanting also wanted to go to Xi'an Fucheng to gather troops and horses to fight again. However, within a few days, Wang Genzi opened the door and let the army enter the city, and Sun Chuanting was disillusioned. Yang Zhaofeng took the opportunity to suggest to Sun Chuanting that he go south to Hanzhong Mansion, because once the invasion army occupied Xi'an Mansion, whether it was to the west or north, it would be unimpeded, and only Hanzhong Mansion in southern Shaanxi relied on the Qinling Mountains, Zhongnan Mountains and other lofty mountains to block, and could protect itself from danger and become its own defense system. And with its backing to Sichuan, there is support and a way out.

Sun Chuanting except for Hao Mingluan's 500 cavalry, no soldiers and no money, if he wants to resurrect, he must have a relatively stable stronghold for respite, and after careful consideration, he can't find a more suitable place in Shaanxi than Hanzhong Mansion, so according to Yang Zhaofeng's arrangement, through the Qinling Mountains through Fu Luo Road, he first arrived at Yangxian County in the east of Hanzhong Mansion.

At that time, the Ming army in Shaanxi was in chaos, running separately, Zhao Guangyuan, who was originally stationed in Hanzhong, had already protected Ruifan and hid in Sichuan, and Fucheng was entrenched by Gao Ruli and Wu Dading, two Ming armies who retreated from Guanzhong. These two people were once He Renlong's subordinates, although they had pledged allegiance to Sun Chuanting, but the people's hearts were unpredictable, and at this delicate time when the Ming army's civil and military forces faced the inconsistency of the army's surrender, no one could guarantee that Gao and Wu would not move their minds.

Under the persuasion of Yang Zhaofeng and Hao Mingluan, Sun Chuanting dispelled the idea of going directly to see Gao Ruli and Wu Dading, and first asked Yang Zhaofeng to go to Hanzhong Mansion to explore the situation.

When Yang Zhaofeng arrived outside the city, he only claimed that he was Sun Chuanting's sword and pen officer, and only after being received by Gao Ruli did he tell Sun Chuanting that he was not dead. Gao Ruli was shocked, and hurriedly found Wu Dading, and the two invited Yang Zhaofeng to the side room to chat, and attached great importance to it.

"I don't know where the military gate is?" As soon as Gao Ruli, who had blistered eyes, showed a surprised expression, his two eyeballs widened as if he was about to roll out of his sockets, "Brother Wu and I think about the safety of the military gate day and night, and we must do our best to protect the military gate." ”

Yang Zhaofeng said calmly: "You two don't need to worry, everything is fine in the military gate." As he spoke, he took out the Great Seal of the Overseer that he had prepared in advance, unwrapped the cloth, and placed it firmly on the table in front of him.

Gao Ruli and Wu Dading took the big seal and looked at it carefully, and both nodded to themselves. Sun Chuanting's life and death are subject to different opinions, and the conclusion has not yet been reached, but if the army really harvests Sun Chuanting's body, it will definitely not miss important items such as the sigils and seals that Sun Chuanting carried with him, and now Yang Zhaofeng is full of confidence to take it out, it seems that Sun Chuanting is not dead.

Wu Dading put down the Great Seal of the Inspector and said, "Is the military gate in Hanzhong?" We immediately brought someone to greet us. ”

Yang Zhaofeng said: "The location of the military gate cannot be revealed yet. ”

"Why?" Gao Ruli was stunned, "Could it be that he can't trust the two of us in the military gate?" ”

Yang Zhaofeng shook his head and said, "No, the military gate has his reasons for doing this." Just imagine, if the thieves knew that the military gate was still alive, how could they not kill them with all their might? Even if the military gate is in Hanzhong now, the news must not be leaked, otherwise not only the military gate, but also the two will suffer a catastrophe. ”

Gao Ruli nodded and said: "The partition wall has ears, and the military gate is thoughtful. ”

Wu Da ruled: "This is the reason, but Shaanxi cannot be without an owner for a day, if there is no military door to preside, the Shaanxi official army is scattered, and it will be difficult to escape the fate of being broken by the thieves after all." The two of us can hide in Hanzhong for a while, but we can't hide for long. ”

When the Ming court heard that Tongguan had fallen and Sun Chuanting had died, he was shocked and rushed to the hospital, and proposed from the prison that Yu Yinggui, the former governor of Huguang, who had been impeached and imprisoned by Yang Sichang, be appointed as the right attendant of the military department and replace Sun Chuanting, the governor of Shaanxi, in the hope that he could clean up the mess and turn the tide. Yu Yinggui learned from the experiences of Ding Qirui and Sun Chuanting, followed Wu Fu's example, and bargained with the imperial court. But when the eyebrows were burned, the court completely lost patience, and in the end, Emperor Chongzhen was too lazy to argue with the court officials, gritted his teeth, and took 50,000 internal money to Yu Yinggui to urge him to go.

With 50,000 taels to save the decline of the whole Shaanxi, the ambition of the imperial court and Emperor Chongzhen made Yu Yinggui dumbfounded. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was not a problem, so he simply said that he was sick and would not leave, and it was a big deal to go back to the prison to live, maybe the children's nest was still hot. He is not afraid of boiling water, and the angry Emperor Chongzhen has no choice but to dismiss him. Shaanxi is currently in an embarrassing situation of no director, and if Sun Chuanting returns to the front of the stage, he will naturally still be the number one leader.

Gao Ruli echoed: "Exactly, I heard that the thieves took Xi'an, and recently sent troops three ways, trying to occupy the whole province of Shaanxi, one of which is from Hanzhong." If the military gate enters Hanzhong, it will raise its arms and call out, and attract soldiers and horses from all over the world to meet, and dare not say anything else, at least it is still very promising to keep Hanzhong. ”

Yang Zhaofeng said: "This matter is not in a hurry, the military has its own plans, what the two of you have to do now is to take care of the Hanzhong Mansion, don't break into the future of thieves, and let the rioters and mobs succeed first." "Most of the generals were born in Shaanxi, and now they are driving back to Shaanxi, and their own township party relatives and friends have seen the situation and echoed it, not to mention the countless small gangsters who were originally in Shaanxi. Before the army arrived, the riots in various prefectures and counties in Shaanxi Province had become more and more intense, and it was difficult to contain them. Compared with northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong, the situation in Hanzhong Mansion is better, but it still cannot be taken lightly.

Wu Dading patted his chest and said: "Please relax in the military gate, I have lived in Hanzhong for more than ten years, every grass and tree is very ripe, with me staring, no one in Hanzhong dares to make trouble." In the past few days, there have indeed been some Xiaoxiao who want to take advantage of the chaos, and they have all been arrested by me. "He has followed the little red wolf for many years to chaos the states and counties of Hanzhong Prefecture, and he is very familiar with the geography of the mountains and rivers in Hanzhong Prefecture, as well as the situation of black and white. In Shaanxi dialect, the red wolf is the meaning of the jackal, the little red wolf is known for its cunning, and Wuda Dingqing is better than the blue out of the blue, and the heart is more.

Yang Zhaofeng agreed, and said: "The military gate has long known that the two are sincere, and it is enough to be ashamed. The restoration of Shaanxi will also be supported by the two of them. When I came, the military gate said that the two co-battalions would be newly established, and the deputy general of the left co-battalion would be Mr. Gao, and the deputy general of the right co-battalion would be Mr. Wu. When the situation stabilizes a little, it will be reported to the imperial court, and the official appointment will come down soon. ”

Gao Ruli and Wu Dading glanced at each other, unable to hide their joy, and even thanked them. When the two of them followed He Renlong, they were not considered the main descendants, and then they sniffed out the direction of the wind and hurriedly defected to Sun Chuanting, but compared to the generals of the He family army like Chen Yong, the size was too small, although Sun Chuanting pardoned and appointed, it was difficult to enter the inner circle of the Shaanxi Ming army, which can be said to be unwilling. Now Sun Chuanting's vitality is greatly damaged, but there is also a Ming court behind him, and he can be promoted to the top military generals under the command of the feudal officials, which is still a great incentive for Gao and Wu from humble backgrounds.

Sun Chuanting doesn't have anything at present, and all he can get his hands on is his reputation, but the seemingly illusory reputation is still more valuable than real money in front of those who need it.

"Is there any military protection at the military gate?" After Wu Dading was happy, he asked carefully.

Yang Zhaofeng saw through his mind at a glance, he knew the nature of people, and he would definitely not let go of the opportunity for a person like Wu Dading who pursued fame and status. Just like speculation, Sun Chuanting is at the trough of the difficulty, if he can take advantage of the situation to buy the bottom and become a veteran who supports Sun Chuanting's comeback, the future prospects are bound to be broad. From this point of view, at this moment, the fewer people around Sun Chuanting, the greater the value of him and Gao Ruli, and the next discussion of conditions and affairs can also be considered.

Judging from the early contact, Gao Ruli and Wu Dading's hearts are generally towards the imperial court rather than the army, and the goal of Yang Zhaofeng's trip is actually basically completed. It takes a long time to see people's hearts, and with only a few words, it is impossible for Yang Zhaofeng to cover up the two of them, so he said a few perfunctory words and covered up this topic lightly. Wu Da saw that he didn't leak, so he didn't ask any more.

Yang Zhaofeng returned to Yangxian County and told Sun Chuanting what had happened, and Sun Chuanting was a little calm. According to the original plan, Sun Chuanting wanted to establish a base camp for the counterattack army in Hanzhong Mansion, but as Yang Zhaofeng said to Gao and Wu, Sun Chuanting could not reveal his identity at present. The external excuse is naturally that the strength accumulation is not complete, and it is afraid of attracting a large-scale attack by the invading army. The internal consideration was that if Sun Chuanting wanted to maintain the situation in Hanzhong Mansion, he must not fall into the hands of a single officer.

Gao Ruli and Wu Dading jointly operated Hanzhong, they were a group, and if they went rashly, they could only go into the mouth of the tiger, and they had to bring in other troops to form a situation in Hanzhong Mansion in which several forces contained each other, so that Sun Chuanting could maneuver and balance and seek the most stable situation. According to the intelligence collected by Hao Mingluan from the periphery, in addition to those armies that surrendered or were destroyed in battle, Shaanxi could still win over Bai Guangen and Sun Shoufa.

As for Chen Yong in Qinzhou and Guanfumin and Niu Chenghu in Ningxia, one side was too close to the invading army and the strength was too weak to retreat, and the other side was too far away to pass through the heavy defense of the invading army and came to Hanzhong, not to mention the Yulin Weizhu army in northern Shaanxi. But Bai Guangen in Guyuan Prefecture is only one Fengxiang Mansion away from Hanzhong, and his strength is very strong, which is very worthy of being wooed. Sun Shou's law is in Zhongnan Mountain, which is close at hand, and it is also easy to meet.

Regarding Bai Guangen, Qiao Yuanzhu was worried that he had always been violent and untamable, and he had committed many evil deeds, and recently killed Zheng Jiadong, and the crime was really revealed, I am afraid that it will be difficult to escape arrest and treatment, and it is not suitable for appointment. Yang Zhaofeng was blunt, thinking that Qiao Yuanzhu was pedantic. He put forward three reasons for winning over Bai Guangen: first, Bai Guangen has a strong army, and if he can return to moderation, it will be a great help; Second, Bai Guangen is familiar with the Chuang Army, and it is his credit to recruit Li Yangchun, the general of the Chuang Army, in Henan; Third, the reason why Bai Guangen killed Zheng Jiadong was that the two armies fought to escape from the fire, and it is really impossible to say whether it is right or wrong, if Bai Guangen can be exonerated and he will be able to tie his heart.

Qiao Yuanzhu still had objections, and Yang Zhaofeng said, "If Bai Guangen is cornered and surrenders to the thief, our army will be defeated", which made him speechless. This is the most simple and easy-to-understand truth, like Bai Guangen, Li Zicheng's old age, the dog jumped over the wall in a hurry, maybe he would really change himself and get into the arms of the army. If the enemy is strong, I will be weaker, and everyone can calculate this account. What's more, Bai Guangen's influence on Shaanxi is far more than one point, even if Bai Guangen is earned in Hanzhong and then finds a way to divide and disintegrate his troops, it is better than watching him turn his back on himself and join the enemy.

The plan was decided, and Sun Chuanting began to send people to lobby everywhere. Yang Zhaofeng then proposed to Sun Chuanting that he ask the Huguang Governor Yamen to send troops to aid Shaanxi.

In the surrounding provinces of Shaanxi, only Huguang can be called strong so far. When Sun Chuanting went out to fight in Henan, the Huguang Governor Yamen only acted as a response, and did not hurt his muscles and bones, Sun Chuanting had already met and cooperated with Zhao Dangshi, and the two sides were no strangers.

Sun Chuanting is not Chen Shiqi, and Shaanxi's decline is far from being comparable to Sichuan. Sun Chuanting can not think about many things, the most important thing is to repel the invading army and protect Shaanxi, but other than that, it is all empty words. He can accept Bai Guangen, how can he resist Zhao Dangshi? Zhao Dangshi sent Yang Zhaofeng to rescue himself, which shows the sincerity of the thief. Hao Mingluan tried his best to pry him at the same time, Sun Chuanting didn't have any worries, so he asked Yang Zhaofeng to contact Huguang.

The Tang newspapers of Shaanxi and Sichuan were handed to Zhao Dangshi almost at the same time.

The progress on both sides is expected, and Zhao Dangshi has not been idle during the waiting period, from military to government affairs, they are all preparing in full swing, and everything is ready. So as soon as the news is received, the mobilization of troops can be immediately started.

For the specific deployment, Xu Hui, the commander-in-chief of the army, led 6,000 people from Yunyang Mansion to the Xiaojie Battalion, the Changhong Left Battalion and the Changhong Right Battalion, and went to Hanzhong Mansion in advance from Xing'an and Pingli County.

The Qingtong battalion that remained in Yunyang Mansion was transferred to Guo Ruke's army, and the original garrison of Nanyang Mansion totaled 7,000 people to continue to defend the north of Huguang.

The Bai Wang army, which was originally stationed in the north and south of the river, went north, except for the Wuya battalion to continue to defend the river and hold the waterway, and the Jinghe front battalion to garrison Suizhou and keep an eye on the three passes of Yiyang, the rest gathered in Xiangyang Mansion, and set aside the national security battalion, Yichong battalion and Changhong front battalion of Zhao Dangshi's army to Bai Wangjun, so the 16,000 people of Bai Wang's army were responsible for sitting in the core area of Huguang.

Zhao Dangshi personally led the Feijie Left Battalion, Feijie Right Battalion, Changning Battalion, Zhang Yingyuan and Wang Yuncheng from Zuo Mengeng, and Song Ji and Ma Tiebei from Huang Degong, a total of 11,000 people to enter Sichuan by water.

The rest of the 11,000 Huang Degong people from Runing Prefecture, 7,000 people from Zuo Mengeng from Wuchang Prefecture, and 5,000 people from Fang Guoan from Huangzhou Prefecture continued to be stationed in place.

Sichuan's Wang Laixing army of 27,000 people was responsible for receiving Zhao Dangshi's army.

All localities and departments, nearly 100,000 Zhao battalion troops, overnight, should move at the right time.

——————————————————————————————————

Note: As mentioned earlier, He Zhen was mistaken, and he should have been rescued like Sun Chuanting, and it has been changed.