In the middle of March of the 11th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong, the world-famous king of the giant Kou Xiying, officially submitted a table of surrender to Xiong Wencan, who was the prime minister of military affairs in Nangi, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Huguang and Sichuan. The Ming Dynasty granted him the post of deputy commander-in-chief, and allowed him to station his troops in Wangjiahe, Gucheng County, and renamed Wangjiahe "Taipingdian" to show the intention of recruiting peace.

At the beginning of the year, he lost successive defeats in battles with Zuo Liangyu and other officers and soldiers, and his adviser Xue Zhengxian was the nephew of Xue Guoguan, who was the chief of the court, and took the opportunity to encourage him to defect to the imperial court with the words of "about to surrender to get rich". He thought about it for a while, and finally thought that "sincerity and the concept of the country are mainly inside, and the care can be perfect", and strengthened his heart to seek care.

However, Zhang Xianzhong is very human after all, even if he is appeased, his means and thoughts are much more superb than those predecessors.

He first sent Zhang Kewang and other "famous and wealthy treasures" to find Chen Hongfan, who had some old feelings, and asked him to match, saying that "the great favor has not been repaid, and I am willing to lead the department to follow the horse and self-efficacy." Chen Hongfan was put into Xiong Wencan's account, and he already had the ambition of making meritorious contributions and being ashamed of himself, and when he saw this large deal sent to his door, it was a strange commodity to live in. With his introduction in the middle, Zhang Xianzhong was able to bribe Xiong Wencan with "golden hooves Qiu Qian, Zhu Qi Yingdou, and other goods". Xiong Wencan was greedy for money and afraid of war, so he readily agreed to play to the court on behalf of Zhang Xianzhong. In addition, Zhang Xianzhong still did not dare to relax, and sent Xue Zhengxian and others to Beijing with heavy gifts and money, "in and out of the prime minister's mansion, prejudice against the public, all give generous gifts", and lobby for his own family. In this way, Fang Jue is stable.

Unlike Beikou, the famous Zhang Xianzhong's request for appeasement attracted great attention from Emperor Chongzhen himself. In the early days of Chongzhen's ascension, he was full of spirit and was very determined to suppress thieves, but the more he came later, the more he felt that the act of suppressing the army was vain and exhausted the army, but the effect was not significant. In addition, in recent years, the ghosts of the Qing soldiers outside the customs have not dispersed, and the momentum is very loud, Chongzhen is quite uncomfortable with the loss of one and the other, so he treats the view that the wildfire is inexhaustible and the spring breeze blows and grows again, and gradually begins to tilt towards appeasement.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Xiong Wencan conveyed Zhang Xianzhong's intention to beg for Zhao'an to the imperial court. Chongzhen asked at the court meeting: "Did Qing say that this thief was killed?" ”

Yang Sichang fought with the main suppression faction, and tried to appease Zhang Xianzhong's necessity. First said, "Yes, first raise one or two shares to kill the thief, and then cut the rest, it is still not a miscalculation", and then said, "The thieves have been hanging for 20 years, which is a great harm to the Central Plains. It is because it has run through seven or eight provinces, and the party has reached more than one million, and it is impossible to suppress it, so it has to be appeased all the way to kill it."

Later, in the face of the constant questioning of the main suppression party, Yang Sichang simply raised the imminent Qing soldiers as a shield, and said, "The country's military strength cannot be both inside and outside, and the country's salary cannot be given to the middle. ”

Xiong Wencan, who wore a pair of pants with Yang Sichang, also pleaded that "at present, all the soldiers and horses have been withdrawn by border police, and there are only a few thousand infantry, and it is absolutely impossible to defeat the enemy", and even said, "If there are no soldiers and horses to send at this time, do not lightly say that thieves are easy to suppress, if there are soldiers and powerful, it will not become such a difficult situation", and wantonly echoed Yang Sichang's argument.

Some people in the main suppression faction were worried that Zhang Xianzhong insisted on maintaining the independence of the team, rather than being like Liu Guoneng and scattering all the people, and feared that there would be a danger of raising tigers.

With Xiong Wencan and Yang Sichang echoing each other from afar, coupled with the encouragement of Xue Guoguan, Chen Hongfan and others, after some discussion, the conclusions such as "the face should be used to suppress and appease" and "if he comes to surrender, he will say that it is reasonable to blindly kill him" has become a foregone conclusion. Zhang Xianzhong's acceptance of Zhao'an came naturally.

Of course, Zhang Xianzhong had earlier proposed that he should be the commander-in-chief of the Huguang army and have full control over the localities, customs and defense, and all aspects, so as to ensure that "there is not a single thief in Yun, Xiang, Jun, and Cheng hundreds of miles away" The Ming court would never agree. After some bargaining, Zhang Xianzhong won the title of deputy commander-in-chief, and his temporary post could only be hung under his own battalion head, and the troops were divided into garrisons in Gucheng.

In order to increase the weight of his surrender this time, in addition to his own family, Zhang Xianzhong also attracted many small and medium-sized forces to surrender together. Du Yingjin, Ma Shixiu, Jin Baiyuan and other forces, as well as Zhao Dangshi, are also among them. Among these people, Zhao Dangshi is second only to Zhang Xianzhong, so the imperial court also treated him differently, and the deputy general soldier did not give it, so he gave Zhao Dangshi a position of general, and arranged the station of Zhao Ying in Lutoudian in the northeast of Zaoyang County.

Similar to Zhang Xianzhong, Zhao Dangshi, a general, is also under the name of his own battalion head, except for a positive resignation, there is no substantial reward. When Zhao Dangshi heard that Zhang Xianzhong had reported to Xiong Wencan and asked the imperial court to allocate military salaries according to the quota of 100,000 people, he only felt funny, and even felt that Zhang Xianzhong was carried away. Thinking that now that the Ming Court supports many genuine officials and soldiers, they will inevitably face the dilemma of being stretched thin on money and food, where will they ignore the blackmail of Zhang Xianzhong, the newly descended lion.

Sure enough, as soon as the number of 100,000 people was reported, Zhang Xianzhong did not get any benefits, but was warned by Xiong Wencan. Xiong Wencan demanded that the Xiying must dismantle the troops and horses on the same day, but Zhang Xianzhong of course did not agree, and the short "honeymoon period" between the two sides immediately came to an end, and a new round of bargaining began.

On Zhao Ying's side, Xiong Wencan also sent someone to count the soldiers and horses, but Zhao Dangshi said that the total number of generals in the camp was only 20,000, and no matter how much Yunqian grain, rice and beans were all allocated from the imperial court, there was no other request. When the people who came saw that he had made concessions, they did not make any more difficult inquiries about the soldiers. Therefore, although Zhao Ying said that there were only less than 12,000 people at the moment, the amount of acquiescence approved by the imperial court was 8,000 more out of thin air.

The general of the Zhao battalion and the deputy commander-in-chief of the western battalion were nominally directly subordinate to Xiong Wencan, and Xiong Wencan placed the second battalion on the northeast and northwest sides respectively, under the pretext of "being each other's horns and defending the Xiangfu", but in fact they were fighting in isolation, in case "the giant and the coward will be in endless trouble". Zhao Dangshi naturally knows this truth, but he has nothing to say about it because of the consideration of Taoguang and obscurity.

What is "Taoguang Yanghui"? Specific to today's Zhao Ying, it can be summed up in one sentence of Chang Zeyu.

After Zhao Ying's troops were transferred to Zaoyang County, Zhao Dangshi asked Chang Zeyu about the next development direction of Zhao Ying, and Chang Zeyu replied: "Xi Zhu Sheng advised Emperor Taizu to 'build a high wall, accumulate grain, and slow down the king' nine-character plan to determine the foundation of Zuo. Now his subordinates are also vassals of his elegance, and he mentions nine characters in my Zhao Ying. They are 'fine military equipment', 'wide alliance aid', and 'shun the imperial court', and the lord can be used as a guide. ”

Zhao Dangshi nodded and said: "The three words 'fine military equipment' are indeed a top priority. Previously, General Xu pointed out at the meeting that the battalion was "fatigue", "lack of food", and "lack of armor" three diseases, and wanted to prepare them in this direction, and there should be no deviation. Then he asked, "What about the 'wide alliance' and the 'shun court'?" ”

"Guangjie Aid ......" Chang Zeyu had an insight, and said slowly, "There are clouds in the left: be prepared for danger in times of peace, be prepared, be prepared, and dare to use this rule." Although our battalion temporarily surrendered to the imperial court, if we thought that we would be at ease from now on, we would not be far away. Today's Ming Court, internal and external troubles, a hundred years of accumulated evils can not be eliminated overnight, self-careless, if our camp relies on this trip will be on the dead tree, in the end it will not be able to fall with it. Therefore, for the sake of today's plan, it is impossible to cut off the connection with the rebels in addition to surrendering to the army. I fish in its waters, and with them in one day, my camp will be like a fish in water, and I will never be controlled by others. ”

Zhao Dangshi said it deeply, but it was difficult to think through it for a while, and then asked: "If Mr. is high-minded, what are the foreign aid that can be used for the camp?" Huguang, Henan ground, the Eight Kings, Lao Huihui, Cao Cao, etc., are not to be trusted, what is the choice? ”

Chang Zeyu said: "The lord must not limit his vision, my battalion is now an official army, with this layer of identity, the road of foreign aid can be described as extending in all directions, and there is everything." Then he counted his fingers, "The subordinates are foolish, Li Zicheng, Kong Qingnian, Du Chunchen, at least these three people, the connection is inexorable." And Zuo Liangyu, Liu Guoneng, Chen Hongfan, our battalion can't take it lightly. ”

Needless to say, anyone who has seen him can see that this person is extraordinary, and he is now the king of Chuang, the nominal number one giant in the world, not to mention Chang Zeyu, Zhao Dangshi will do his best to continue to make friends with him.

Kong Qingnian and Du Chunchen were both businessmen. Since the rise of Liukou, it has long passed the grass creation stage of ploughing, raking, wooden sticks, and ox carts, and those who can persist in forming some climates until now are people who pay attention to layout. For example, Zhang Xianzhong, who seems to be a grass coward who lives in a panic, is actually very thoughtful, has a wide range of contacts, and has eyeliner in various places and even in Beijing. These informants used various identities such as merchants, prostitutes, and even eunuchs to cover up people's eyes and ears, or raise military funds and food for the Xiying, or run for the Xiying. As a mere one, he can be close to Chen Hongfan and Xue Guoguan, the minister of the DPRK and China, which is the best proof that Zhang Xianzhong is good at layout. In this world, there is no way, and it is difficult to be a thief.

Witnessing Zhang Xianzhong's energy, Zhao Dangshi was even more convinced that his move to arrange the offline in advance was correct and unmistakable. Kong Qingnian passed through Sichuan and Yunnan, and Du Chunchen passed through the southeast, and Zhao Ying's future development was inseparable from these two people.

As for Zuo, Liu, and Chen, they are all current generals of the Ming army.

Those who have always been able to serve as the commander-in-chief of the reinforcement and suppression are recognized as famous generals. In the past, Cao Wenzhao, Zu Kuan and others all made the liukou frightened, and now Zuo Liangyu is also brave and strategic. He has more than 5,000 troops, is currently the largest army in Henan and Chu, since Chongzhen was ordered to enter the Central Plains to suppress the Liukou, a few years of governors and governors everywhere have changed one stubble after another, but he has never been absent, and his power has long been incomparable under the gradual accumulation.

Unlike Cao Wenzhao's generation, Zuo Liangyu is not a stunned person who can only lead troops to fight, but actually has a shrewd mind. In just a few years, he relied on his soldiers and prestige to establish a huge network of influence in Henan, Huguang, Shaanxi and other places. It not only controlled many key fortresses, collected taxes and fees privately, but also added countless industries, reaching teahouses, pawnshops, money villages, gambling houses, green houses, and many other industries, making huge profits.

In addition, in order to stabilize his foundation, he secretly maintained a close relationship with the rogues around him, and it was not uncommon for the two sides to engage in shady business and business. It can be said that especially in Henan, Zuo Liangyu's right to speak is not under the governor Chang Daoli, such as Luo Dai, Kong Daoguang and other Ming generals, never listen to Chang Daoli or Xiong Wencan's dispatch, but all take Zuo Liangyu as the leader.

If Zhao Dangshi wants to gain a foothold in Yu and Chu, he can't ignore Zuo Liangyu, and it is only a matter of time before he establishes a good relationship with Zuo Liangyu.

Although Liu Guoneng has been recruited, after all, he is an old qualification among the rogues, and he has a friendship with Zhao Dangshi under the old king. Moreover, his person is resolute and resourceful, and he is more upright, and if he can be good friends with him, there will be no disadvantages.

As for Chen Hongfan, Chang Zeyu is not interested in the current military strength of this person. To be honest, he is certainly an old man in the army, but Xiang Nian's circle is in Liaodong and Jiaolai, and he can be regarded as a newcomer when he comes to Huguang and Henan. Chang Zeyu cares more about his ability to act in officialdom.

Chen Hongfan was born in Wuju, because he would come to things, he quickly mixed with the Kaiyuan general, and was later dismissed for dereliction of duty, but he soon went through the road and became a subordinate general of Juyongguan in Changping Town again. Two years ago, he was ordered to support Phi Dao, but he hid in Hiroshima and was dismissed. Unexpectedly, he moved around, and in less than a year, he was reactivated and came to Huguang. The ups and downs of the sea are the norm, but it is rare for someone like him to make a quick comeback and wave after wave. Chang Zeyu sent someone to understand that Chen Hongfan has a lot of connections in Beijing, and compared with Zhang Xianzhong in Xiying, Zhao Dangshi is lacking a channel to contact the nobles of the DPRK and China.

When Zhao Dangshi heard this, he could be regarded as having a preliminary understanding and direction of the three words "Guangjie Aid".

Chang Zeyu continued: "And 'Shun the court', without him, the key is in the word 'Shun'. The imperial court uses appeasement as a taming technique, and our battalion can also use it as a dormant technique. ”

Zhao Dangshi doubted: "According to this, following Liu Guoneng is probably the most obedient behavior of the imperial court." ”

"Everything is too much. The eight kings are rebellious and fierce, although they fall, they are stuck in the throat of the court like bone spurs, and they will be removed sooner rather than later; Breaking through the sky and cutting one's own wings, although it can show loyalty, but its weight and importance have undoubtedly fallen greatly, and I can't help myself. And our battalion is in the middle of the two, which can be described as impartiality and the golden mean. Chang Zeyu shook his head and said, "Recently, Prime Minister Xiong came to inspect the troops, and the eight kings competed with him, but the lord got along with him quite well, which is a good place." ”

Zhao Dangshi was still skeptical: "This is just an isolated case. If the court asks me to do something else in the future, I may not be as happy as I am today. ”

Chang Zeyu said: "No. Looking at this matter from the perspective of our battalion alone, it is insignificant. However, my lord, in the eyes of Premier Xiong, how will you feel about the reaction between you and the Eight Kings? ”

Zhao Dangshi seemed to have an understanding: "Mr. means ......"

Chang Zeyu said with a smile: "This time, the eight kings of Xiying have surrendered with our camp, which is a good opportunity from God. With this reference, the imperial court's order for him to make one or two points, and we will make three or four points, and there is no need for more, as long as it is a little more than him, and over time, the court's views on our camp and the western camp will be completely opposite. ”

When Zhao Dangshi heard this, he laughed with Chang Zeyu and said, "Mr.'s words are very good!" Then he wrenched his fingers and said happily, "Elite military preparation, extensive assistance, and shun the imperial court, with these nine characters as a guide, the road ahead of my battalion is suddenly clear!" ”

The two were talking, and there were reports that many people such as the inspection department of the Lutoudian inspection department asked to meet.