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At dawn, the generals and above of the left army stationed in Xiangyang, Fancheng, and various places along the river, as well as civilian officials such as the supervising army, the praise painting, and the secretary in charge, except for those who had to stay in the flood land, gathered in the lobby of Zuo Liangyu, the "general of the flat thief." Due to the short summer nights, although it is still early, the east is already full of sunshine, and the lights and candles in the lobby are brilliant. At first, everyone greeted each other in the lobby and whispered about it. When the hour arrived, the sound of dong, dong, and dong drums sounded in the second door, and the lobby was suddenly silent. After a while, Zuo Liangyu left the backyard hall surrounded by the chief officer of the Chinese army and several personal generals, entered the lobby through the back door, turned the screen, and appeared in front of the respectful and solemn civil and military officers. Although his body was not as good as before after Zhu Xianzhen's defeat, on the surface, he still looked like usual and was very majestic.

Zuo Liangyu sat down on the chair covered with a tiger skin in the middle, did not speak, coughed lightly, and glanced at a Chinese general standing next to him. The general immediately placed a yellow and red brocade box in his hand respectfully on the table. Everyone knows that the yellow box contains the emperor's holy decree, while the red box contains urgent documents, military intelligence messages, and important reports sent by the military department or other central yamen and the governors of various places. Seeing that Zuo Liangyu had sat down, the chief officer of the Chinese army said to everyone:

"All the civil and military classes are divided!"

After everyone finished talking, Zuo Liangyu said softly: "Sit down!" The crowd said in unison, "Thank you!" Then they all sat down on the stools they had set up. Everyone's mood was uneasy, and they all looked at the commander, hoping to guess from his face the good fortune and misfortune of the whole army. Zuo Liangyu glanced at the crowd of civil and martial arts and began to speak:

"Tell all of you to ...... today"

Zhong Wenwu suddenly stood up and listened solemnly. Zuo Liangyu didn't ask everyone to sit down, and continued:

According to the Shinno gentry. The thieves' forwards, led by Liu Zongmin, Lao Huihui, Ge Liyan, Wang Long and others, about 80,000 people, will leave Xinye this morning and rush towards Fancheng. The two thieves of the whole army are hundreds of thousands, and they will also come later. Xiangyang controls the upper reaches, and is the traffic point of Henan, Chu, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces, and has been a battleground for soldiers since ancient times. The emperor issued a strict decree. We were instructed to hold on to Xiangyang, thwart the enemy's fierce front, and then enter and restore the Central Plains, and not let a single thief enter Chu. The soldiers' inscriptions flew like snowflakes, all hoping that our army would stick to Xiangyang and prevent the thieves from crossing the Xiangjiang River. Ben Yuan has received great favor from today, no matter how dangerous it is, he should not live up to the trust of the imperial court and make all Chu fall into the hands of thieves. Today's events. Must be entranquished, stubborn! ”

Zuo Liangyu said the word "stick" in an aggravated tone, which surprised the generals. Without waiting for anyone else to speak, he continued:

"King Xiang was martyred in the spring of the previous year, and he didn't say it. But Jingzhou is also a feudal land, Chengtian is where the emperor's mausoleum is located, if there is a fall, my generation will not escape the death penalty. ”

Everyone hears the word "capital offense". All of them were shocked, and some people's faces turned pale.

"Thieves. Several times more than me, after a winning streak, the sharpness is very strong. Our army claims to be 200,000, but the number of soldiers capable of fighting is only in the early 100,000s, and they are all newly recruited and untrained. The situation is dire. I hope that you will work together, serve the country loyally, and act in accordance with the military orders. If you act without permission or flee first when you see the enemy, you will not be spared! This morning, all of you have stayed at the line to eat, and you should not leave a step before the meal. Listen to the paging of the Chinese army, and go to the festival hall to listen to the face-to-face teaching. Retreat! ”

All the civil and military replied in unison: "Obey!" Uzunaki exited the lobby.

Zuo Liangyu returned to the festival hall and immediately ordered several senior staff members such as the generals and supervisors and praise paintings to invite them into the festival hall and accompany him to summon the generals. Although he despised this group of civilian officials in his heart, he had to do so because of the system and habits in the army. Before summoning the generals, he said to his senior staff:

"You are well aware of the current situation. The safety of the whole Chu and the good luck of the three armies are all on me. Ben Yuan read little poetry and books, was promoted from a soldier to a marshal, and was awarded the title of a thief general. To this day, I am exhausted. Gentlemen, if you have any clever plan, please speak quickly and let Ben Yuan decide. Without further ado, the forward elite infantry cavalry led by Liu Zongmin will arrive 780,000 times tomorrow afternoon. ”

The staff looked at each other, and no one could say anything. After a pause, a zanhua stood up and said in a thick Xiangxi accent: "Junzuo, I have a bad opinion about my humble position, so I don't dare to say it rashly." ”

Zuo Liangyu glanced at the speaker. This is a praise painting from a high background, surnamed Liu, a fellow villager of Yang Sichang, who was recommended by Yang Sichang two years ago. Zuo Liangyu was generous to him, but he has always been very estranged; And the praise painting has never been in vain. Zuo Liangyu nodded lightly and said, "If you have any good ideas, just say it." ”

Liu Zanhua said: "From the point of view of humble duties, at present, for the survival of our army, the people who can worry about it are not in Xiangyang, but in De'an and Chengtian. ”

Zuo Liangyu was shocked and asked, "Why?" ”

"My army of 200,000 gathered in Xiangyang, fighting, defending or leaving, and it is up to me. The person who worries about his humble position is the Jianghan Plain, which is empty for thousands of miles. If the thieves attack Xiangyang with a large army on the one hand, contain our army, and on the other hand, send a wise and brave general, lead 30,000 elite soldiers, from Tanghe County to the south, through Huyang, into Zaoyang, rush to Suizhou, break through De'an, and then occupy Yingcheng and Jingshan, and return to the division to capture Chengtian, then our army is like a lonely hanging in Xiangyang, and the rules for helping have been cut off, and there is no way to retreat if you want to go. At that time, the soldiers were shocked, people had no solid will, and the slightest setback would inevitably collapse themselves. Wen Hong Chengchou's defeat in Liaoxi is like this. Humble and courageous, bold and outspoken. On that day, Inspector Hong had Liang Guogong and his son leading hundreds of thousands of tigers and Pixiu to rescue desperately and could not be rescued, our army was lonely upstream, how to prepare in advance, fortunately, I hope that the adults will think twice! ”

The title of Liang Guogong was selected to be given to Li Shouhan among the several titles drawn up by the Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy after careful consideration by the imperial court, which means that it is the pillar of the country. Some people also say that the King of Liang of the Yuan Dynasty guarded the southwest territory for the Yuan Dynasty, which is very similar to what the current Grandpa Li's father and son do, so they have such a title.

Zuo Liangyu thought about this danger, but he didn't take it very seriously, and now he listens to Liu Zanhua's words and attaches great importance to it. He looked at the other staff, and apparently agreed, but no one spoke, afraid of taking responsibility. Zuo Liangyu said to Liu Zanhua: "According to the detailed investigation reports for several days, it seems that the thieves only want to seize Xiangyang with all their might. It's a ruthless move like you said. The intruder and his left and right have not yet thought of it. After listening to my husband's words, I made up my mind even more. ”

"What is the boss going to do with the pass in front of him?" Liu Zanhua asked quietly.

In front of him, Zuo Liangyu had already completely impressed this Liu Zanhua. At the moment, he also unabashedly explained his plans and plates to Liu Zanhua.

"Do you think Xiangyang can hold it?"

Zuo Liangyu seemed to be asking Zuo Mengeng, who was standing aside, but in fact he was asking Liu Zanhua.

Zuo Menggeng, like most generals, went through the battle of Zhuxian Town. He was afraid of the Cao coalition army, not to mention the current disparity in strength between the two sides, and he felt even more uncertain about holding Xiangyang, but thinking of Zuo Liangyu's remarks in the early morning, especially a few heavy words about "my generation is inescapable of capital crimes", he didn't dare to directly say that he couldn't stick to it, and paused for a moment before he went around the bend and said: "Fancheng is difficult to defend; Xiangyang City is blocked by the Xiangjiang River, and it should be able to hold it. ”

Because he said that "Fancheng is difficult to defend". Zuo Mengeng was worried about being scolded by his father, so he had already erected all the hairs on his body, tensed the muscles of his whole body, and prepared to meet his father's anger. Zuo Liangyu looked at his son, and scolded in his heart, "Vulgar talent, unbearable!" He lamented again, "Why is that guy in the east, whether it is a son or a daughter and son-in-law." All of them are the best among people, right? Is it really a gas count? After taking a sip of tea and suppressing his anger, Zuo Liangyu said slowly: "You are wrong, you can't hold this Xiangyang City right now!" ”

"But ......" Zuo Mengeng didn't expect Zuo Liangyu to say the words "can't hold on" by himself, "But my father said this morning that 'I must stick to it'......"

"Of course, 'you have to stick to it,'" Zuo Liangyu interrupted his son. "If you don't 'stick to it', as soon as the thieves come, they will abandon the city and leave, how can you be worthy of the emperor Longen? Besides, I easily abandoned Xiangyang. Wouldn't Song Yiniao's group join me immediately? ”

In order to avoid the name of Yang Sichang's father Yang He, Song Yihe, the governor of Huguang, wrote "Song Yiniao" in the name thorn handed to Yang Sichang. This sycophancy was immediately spread as a joke in officialdom. At this time, Zuo Mengeng heard the words "Song Yiniao" and wanted to laugh, but he held back and respectfully waited for his father to say more.

"But 'holding on' is not the same as holding on. Holding on is my determination as a general, and whether we can hold it depends on the time, location, people, and especially the strength of both sides. Now when we talk about each other, we are the same; In terms of geographical advantages, we have a Xiangjiang River, but it is not enough to be ashamed. Speaking of people, over the years, we have claimed to be 200,000 horses, and the imperial court has been paying 25,000 soldiers, do you want more than 100,000 people to drink the northwest wind? Therefore, we must raise our own military salaries, and if we raise our own military salaries, we will inevitably disturb the people, and the people will naturally be dissatisfied with us, and we will not be able to talk about peace. As for the troops, you also know that the enemy is outnumbered, and the newly formed rabble will have no difficulty in contending with the thieves. ”

Seeing his son's puzzled face, Zuo Liangyu continued: "Since we can't hold it, there are only three roads in front of us. One is to hold on to help, but where are the reinforcements? Sun Baigu was newly defeated; Song Yiniao's soldiers don't say that they won't come, even if they come, they will be beaten by meat buns and dogs, and they will give the thief a good meal in vain; So this road is absolutely impassable. The second is to be like Lord Yang and Hu Dawei, defend to the end, the city survives and survives, and the city dies and dies. In this way, our own reputation will be saved, and the court will henceforth lose an army that is best able to suppress thieves, so this road is not feasible. The third way left is to hold on first, and when it is really impossible to hold on, the whole division must retreat, and save a strong army for the emperor and the court! ”

Zuo Mengeng showed a smile of relief and admiration on his face. It turned out that my father had already had a plan to retreat from the whole division, but he said it so well, and it was high-sounding!

"What my father has seen is very much! ...... we go next? ”

"All I'm going to tell you is what to do next." Zuo Liangyu proudly picked up his glass and took another sip of wine, "We have built dozens of warships in Xiangjiang, what do you want to do it for?" ”

Zuo Mengeng was stunned again, and replied hesitantly: "Father wants to fight a water fight with the thieves?" ”

"Stupid!" Zuo Liangyu scolded again in his heart and said: "The thieves come by land, and there is no water army, what water battle can be fought!" I prepared these ships for the sake of the whole division! ”

So he talked to his son about his detailed plan. He said that the "rogue" striker will arrive in Fancheng tomorrow afternoon. The left army also had to resist in Fancheng, but it could not fight to the death, and a few warships were responsible for taking the defenders of Fancheng back to the south bank in batches. The main force will defend the south bank by the river, and how long it can hold it is difficult to predict. No matter how long you hold out, you must retreat with speed and without confusion. In this way, the baggage, food, and dependents of the army must go first, so as not to drag mud and water when they get it, and once the "rogue" cavalry pursues, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Father wants to use a warship to transport the baggage, food and soldiers' dependents away?" Zuo Menggeng's heart suddenly lit up.

Zuo Liangyu nodded: "Without further ado." I have called you here to entrust you with this important matter. You're going to get ready tonight. Most of the ships are to depart tomorrow morning. A small number of warships took the officers and men on the north shore back to the south shore one after another. Moor in place in case you need it. ”

Liu Zanhua, who was silently watching Zuo Liangyu's arrangement, just twisted his beard and smiled.

"The marshal has not yet sought victory, and he has already been invincible!"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"The marshal, knowing that Xiangyang must be lost to the hands of thieves, so he made preparations in advance and ordered the young marshal to load the baggage onto the ship. Once the thief is unstoppable, the whole army will go east, or to the sky. Or De'an, even Wuchang and Anqing. Liu Zanhua paused slightly, feeling that this should be the time to explain his identity and intentions!

"Zuo Shuai never thought that if the army went east, the officials along the way would close their doors, and follow the story of Fu Zonglong, using the excuse that the military discipline of the left army was not strict, and he was afraid of entering the city and disturbing the people. How should the marshal deal with himself? ”

"If the thieves chase thousands of miles with a large group of cavalry, follow the old trick of Zhu Xianzhen that day. Desperately chasing, the crowd of your army is far from the elite of the past, and at that time, the team will be defeated with a drum, how should the marshal deal with himself? ”

Liu Zan's tone was more than just now. became less polite, and in his words, the boundary with Zuo Liangyujun became clear. A mouthful of your army, a mouthful of a left handsome.

But this sentence. But like a cannonball, it smashed into the hearts of Zuo Liangyu's father and son.

Zuo Mengeng didn't do it, but it was his son Zuo Liangyu, the muscles on his Zitang-colored face twitched a few times, stopping Zuo Mengeng's straw bag temper that he tried to attack Liu Zanhua, and his face was still like water.

"Since Mr. said so, he must be able to draw a perfect strategy for Zuo's whole army?"

"Zuo Shuai, do you know when was the last major battle in this Xiangfan land?" Liu Zanhua deliberately sold a pass.

"A big war? Mr. is it said that the battle of the Yuan lord Kublai Khan went south to Xiangyang? ”

"Yes!" Liu Zan raised his eyebrows and began to get to the point.

Zuo Mengeng on the side was a little like falling into the clouds and mist.

He didn't know that the two cities of Xiangfan were located at the southern end of the Nanyang Basin, which was the boundary between the north and south of the Central Plains. Xiangyang and Fancheng are interdependent on each other in the north and south of the Han River, "crossing Jingyu, controlling the north and south", the terrain is very dangerous, it is a place where soldiers must fight since ancient times, and it is also a border town of the Southern Song Dynasty to resist the Mongolian army. In November of the third year of Xianchun (1267), Liu Quan, the general of the Southern Song Dynasty, presented a strategy to Kublai Khan to attack and destroy the Southern Song Dynasty, "attack Xiangyang first, and withdraw its defense". Liu Quan's suggestion that "the strategy of attacking the Song Dynasty should be engaged in Xiangyang first" played a crucial role in the entire process of Kublai Khan's destruction of the Southern Song Dynasty.

"Begging for a map!"

Pointing to the Hanshui, Xiangyang, Fancheng, and the surrounding cities of Wuchang, Jiujiang, and Anqing on the map, Liu Zanhua talked eloquently.

"Since the Eastern Jin Dynasty operated Jiangdong, the barrier of Jiangnan is Xiangfan in the west. The students are not talented, and several old friends in the south of Mengjiangnan do not give up, and speak to the big boss on their behalf. If the commander plans to go east with the whole army, please fight the thieves in the land of Xiangfan for several battles. First, with the courage of the thieves, to prevent the thief cavalry from pursuing eastward. Second, the marshal fought against the thief army in Xiangfan and other places, which just showed the might of the left army and the people in Jiangnan. ”

The original face of Liu Zan's painting gradually appeared in front of Zuo Liangyu's father and son.

As he said, although he is Yang Sichang's fellow countryman, and he was also recommended by Yang Sichang's hand to serve as a staff member of Zuo Liangyu's subordinates, his fundamental identity is Donglin or the boss behind Donglin - Jiangnan Group sent to Zuo Liangyu's army to sit on the detective!

"Jiangnan and other places, since the Battle of Chengzu Jingnan, for hundreds of years do not know about the military revolution, if the millions of thieves and soldiers who broke into Cao and Cao came to the city, not to mention all kinds of perverse things, just all kinds of adultery and plunder will make Jiangnan's vitality greatly damaged. Where I stay in the capital, how can I be so ravaged by this generation? Therefore, the people of Jiangnan Shiren implore the marshal to be able to act as a barrier to the south of the Yangtze River in the upper reaches! Emulate the things of the sheep back then. I thought that Daming retained a share of the vitality of Zhongxing! ”

The conditions are out, and Zuo Liangyu should respond to the plea of the "scholars and people" in Jiangnan to act as a guardian dog guarding the west gate for the land of wealth in Jiangnan! Of course, the so-called scholars and ordinary people will never include those tenants, tea farmers, and machine households.

"Thanks to the love and trust of the people of Jiangnan. However, there are 200,000 soldiers under the command of Zuo, but there is only a military salary of 25,000 posts, in order to feed the 200,000 army, a certain family has already offended the people in Xiangyang and other places, how can they still retain a vitality for the Ming Dynasty in Xiangfan? The gentleman said this, but he didn't dare to take it. ”

Zuo Liangyu's price has also been opened, and it is okay to ask Lao Tzu to guard the gate, so you have to let the watchdog eat his stomach before he can bite the thief, right?

"It turns out that the marshal is worried about food? It's easier to say! A few days ago, the student received a letter, which was written to the student by Hou Fangyu, a handsome world friend and a talented man in Jiangnan. In addition to asking the students to transfer the Jiangnan scholars' pleas to the marshal, he also said that he and his former waiter of the Ministry of Rites, Qian Qianyi, had boarded the boat and headed west on the day the letter was sent. On behalf of the people of Jiangnan, I would like to come to labor the army. Speaking of this, Liu Zanhua took out a letter written to Zuo Liangyu by the talented son of Zuo Liangyu's old prefect Hou Sui from the sleeve of his robe.

In addition to the words spoken by Fang Cai Liu Zanhua, the letter was accompanied by a silver bill opened by a Shanxi merchant. The amount marked on the face of the ticket turned out to be one million yuan!

"Commander, please rest assured, all the food and salary supplements, armor and weapons and gunpowder are all reported by Jiangnan scholars. Even if it is the supply of soldiers, it can also be recruited in northern Jiangxi, Jianli, Chuyang, Anqing and other places, but the adults must beat the thieves in the land of Xiangyang! ”

Liu Zan's words made Zuo Liangyu's father and son look at each other, and Zuo Liangyu saw a little fire in his son's eyes, and nodded slightly.

After dawn that day, notices were posted on important roads inside and outside Xiangyang, saying that he "sat in Xiangyang and severely suppressed the thieves" and asked the people to "live in peace and not panic." He also reiterated the strict order prohibiting rumors and investigating spies, and urged the people to "earnestly obey." After Zuo Liangyu had breakfast, he rode out of the gate under the escort of a large group of generals, inspected the garrison deployment in the city in several places, and especially checked the preparation of the cannon batteries, bows and crossbows, and rolling wood and stones. He also went out of the west gate of Xiangyang and inspected the deployment of the guards along the river. Because the invasion army was coming, the atmosphere of war in Xiangyang was extremely strong. The soldiers and civilians were afraid that Zuo Liangyu would defend Xiangyang to the death, but it seemed that the situation of the decisive battle had been decided. (To be continued......)