Five days after the Bailuoji Water Battle, Wang Laixing led the training battalion north from Changde Mansion to meet Wang Guangyingjing and Houying, who were originally stationed in Jingzhou Prefecture, at Bailizhou in the north of Songzi County. Wang Guangying had already prepared hundreds of ships of various types here to carry the two battalions of the entire army with a total of 6,000 people to enter the river by water.

The wind is strong on the riverside, the waves are fluctuating, and the warships dotted on the water are slightly undulating. Wang Guangying was dressed in light armor, and the meteor quickly boarded the deck of Wang Laixing's ship. At that time, Wang Laixing was discussing the matter of entering the army with Zhang Ganxian, Lu Zhongheng and others, Wang Guangying briefly described the situation of the troops and horses, and then said: "There are three subordinates who want to introduce to the general manager. ”

Wang Laixing looked behind him and saw three people following, one was older and his face was wrinkled, one was slender and slender in his prime, and the other was about twenty or so burly.

When the three of them saw Wang Guangying's eyes, they immediately stepped forward to meet them, the older one was called Wang Jincai, the younger one was called Ma Weixing, and the youngest was Ma Weixing's brother Ma Bao. They all came to defect, hoping to be used in Wang Laixing's army.

"What is the relationship between Ma Jinzhong and the two of you?" Wang Laixing asked Ma Weixing and Ma Bao. Ma Jinzhong, who was originally nicknamed "Mixed 100,000", was originally a big Kou who had been in a long-term joint venture with Ma Shouying, the "old Huihui" and He Yilong, and surrendered Zuo Liangyu in Henan two years ago, and is still serving as the camp commander in the camp of Lu Guangzu, the general of the Zuojia Army.

"It's our distant brother." Ma Weixing replied.

Wang Guangying said: "Ma Weixing and Ma Baoben have followed Hui and Ge for many years, after Ma Shouying died, He Yilong recruited Song Yihe as a standard officer, and they followed He Yilong to caress him, and Wang Jincai was He Yilong's general. I didn't want to sacrifice thieves to break Qizhou last year, Song Yihe and He Yilong all died in military accidents, and the soldiers and horses were scattered, and the three of them gathered some remnants of the soldiers to fight against thieves in Yingshan, Huoshan and other places. ”

"Oh, there's something else." Wang Laixing nodded, but he didn't think so. He was also born in a rogue, and he knew what these people thought, Wang Jincai, Ma Weixing, and Ma Bao were very likely to hide in the mountains after He Yilong's death to resume their old business.

Wang Guangying continued: "They set up a village in Huangzhou Mansion to protect themselves, and General Zuo sent Ma Jinzhong to recruit many times before and after entering Wuchang. It's just because they have always been obsessed with Zhao Shuai's majesty, and they only hate to have no chance to take refuge. ”

"So, there's an opportunity today?" Wang Laixing smiled.

"It's also a godsend, giving villains and others the opportunity to serve as the governor." Wang Jincai raised his head and tattooed like a newly cultivated field, and he looked very sincere, "The villain waited for the previous few days to patrol outside the village as usual, but he didn't take a few strange people, and under interrogation, he learned that it was the thief 'over the mountain harrier' Gao Jie's generals Li Chengdong, Hu Maozhen, Du Yonghe, etc., who wanted to go south to follow the thief, and the villain didn't allow him to get the plan, so he was sent over. "Gao Jie's desire to kill Zhao Dangshi in Nanyang Mansion was spread under the instruction of Zhao Dangshi, and even Wang Jincai and others already knew about it.

"It's a great achievement to get them." Wang Laixing nodded and said, "Where are the people?" ”

"He was put in the camp until the governor was released." Wang Guangying responded.

Wang Laixing pondered for a moment and said, "Since you have taken it, you will send it to Fanhe City to listen to the fate of the lord." He also said to Wang Jincai, "I already know the sincerity of the three of you to join our army, and my soldiers and horses will go to Sichuan, and where you need to use your life, the three of you will return to serve in the army." As long as you give up your life, a good future is indispensable. ”

The three of them were happy with each other, and promised in unison, and then Zhang Dang took the arrangement first. Wang Guangying turned to say: "Two days ago, the thieves and soldiers and horses had passed through Jingzhou Mansion, and according to the instructions of the general manager, let the boiling water and land go by themselves." They plundered many fishing boats and barges in Yidu, Changyang and other counties, and went up the river by land and water, and now it is estimated that they have reached the territory of Kuizhou Prefecture. ”

"Okay." Wang Lai was in high spirits, facing the whirring river wind, raised his hand and said loudly, "Pass my order, the whole army is ready today, and the sun rises tomorrow, and set off into Sichuan!" ”

The sky in eastern Sichuan is overcast.

Qin Qigong stood with his hands in his hands, staring at the black and thick sky.

The "stomping" sound made by the leather boots on the back stepping on the wooden grating was crisp, and when he turned his head, Sun Weizheng, who was a little bowed, bowed down and said: "Big drawer, the Tan family brothers are already waiting in the hall." ”

Qin Qigong said, "I know", looked at Sun Weizheng's sparse top hair and smiled: "Old Sun, my hair has fallen out a lot in recent years. ”

Sun Weizheng was stunned for a moment, and immediately replied: "For me Zhao Ying, for the lord, for the big drawn, why don't you lose your beard." ”

The two walked through the verandah and walked into the hall one after the other, where the three people who were originally sitting got up at the same time, the first one with a thin face and high cheeks was Shibaozhai guerrilla Tan Hong, and the slightly chubby figure on the left behind him was the guerrilla Tan Wen in Dazhou and other places, and the one with wide shoulders and short legs on the right was the guerrilla Tan Yi of Tianshengcheng.

"You may be seated." Qin Qigong smiled and beckoned them to sit down.

Waiting for the soldiers to refill the tea, Tan Hong said impatiently: "Mr. Qin, I recently heard that the thief from Chu invaded Sichuan, a few days ago, a group of soldiers and horses of his department arrived in Daning County by land, and the general Liu Gui was defeated three times in three battles, and he was powerless to stop it. The other branch of the other branch of the waterway was unobstructed, and it had already passed Wushan County. According to this progress, Qutangwei will pass in a few days. "Qutangwei is the location of the Kuizhou Prefecture, and the Qutang Pass is controlled nearby, which is the throat of eastern Sichuan, but in the past two years, the armament has been slackened, and there are few defenders.

Tan Yi said: "The thieves relied on the old obscenity to attract mountain bandits along the way, and now they have gathered thousands of people, which should not be underestimated. ”

Qin Qigong took a sip of tea, not as nervous as the Tan family brothers, and said leisurely: "The matter of offering thieves is known below, and today I invite three people to come to Jincheng Walled City, which is also for this matter." ”

Tan Hong said: "The thief has been chaotic in Sichuan more than once, and he is familiar with the Sichuan affair, and the tyrannical scene of the past is still in front of him. ”

Qin Qigong put down the teacup and said: "The three of you are not in a hurry, the power of the thief is known to the world." Since the chaos in my Sichuan has changed several times, the Fu Ya is unable to control the people, and the towns and departments are divided into self-reliance. In the northwest, there are Zhu Hualong, Long Fuhuang, Deng Ruoyu, etc., in the north, there are Cao Xun, Hou Tianxi, Yang Zhan, etc., in the south, there are Luo Yuxin, Huang Yiqing, etc., in the east, there are Ma Gan, Liu Linchang, Wang Wanchun, etc., and in Chengdu Fuzhong, there are Liu Jiayun, Zeng Ying, Lu Yinchang, Hao Xiwen and other generations, all of them, each does not give in to each other, and fights with each other. Xiang Nian, Chen Qiyu, Yang Sichang and other governors have laid a net of heaven and earth and cannot annihilate the thieves, and now in this state of scattered sand, it is impossible to curb the thieves. ”

Tan Hong nodded and said, "What Mr. Qin said is true." ”

Qin Qigong said: "Offering thieves into Sichuan, I Kuizhou Mansion bears the brunt, from the overall situation to know the subtleties, if the Kuizhou Mansion still goes its own way, then it is inevitable to repeat Liu Gui's mistakes." ”

"So what does Mr. Qin mean?" The three brothers of the Tan family looked at each other a few times.

Qin Qigong said solemnly and firmly: "To ensure that the Kuizhou Mansion is not lost, all the departments in our government must be twisted into a rope. ”

After years of power competition, after Wang Xiang was transferred to Guizhou, the military strength of Kuizhou Mansion was basically controlled by the Tan family brothers, in other words, these people currently sitting in the hall are essentially all the powerful figures in Kuizhou Mansion.

"Twisted into a rope, how do you say?" Tan Hong was older than the two clan brothers, and asked tentatively.

Qin Qigong sat on the throne and said loudly: "I received a handwritten letter from Zhao Shuai yesterday, Zhao Shuai is worried about the Sichuan affair, and has sent Wang Laixing, Wang Guangying and other troops to lead the army to pursue the thief, and is currently on the way. ”

When the Tan brothers heard this, they were all stunned for a while. Qin Qigong only didn't see it, and Zhengse said: "Zhao Shuai has received the grace of the mighty emperor and shoulders the heavy responsibility of protecting the land, not only limited to Chudi, but also to protect the surrounding provinces. Not long ago, the thieves were defeated for our army in Dongting Lake, and Zhao Shuai said, 'It is advisable to chase the poor men with the remaining bravery', and lead the army into Sichuan, not only to help suppress, but also to prevent the thieves from returning to Chu to make trouble. He added, "Invite three of them to come, one to report the matter, and the other to join hands to suppress the thief." Zhao Shuai, who is loyal to the heart of the country, has long heard that Kuizhou is the Kuizhou of the three, and the three have reached out to our army, and Zhao Shuai has given a strict order to take care of Kuizhou with all his might. ”

There is a hidden point in his sentence, that is, the sentence "Kuizhou is the Kuizhou of the three", the speaker has intention, and the listener also has a heart, as sensitive as how the Tan family brothers could not detect Qin Qigong's off-string sound.

To be honest, the Tan family brothers were invited to come this time, and they originally fought the idea of "twisting into a rope", but their "rope" was a "rope" with the Tan family in Kuizhou as the core, and Qin Qigong's Zhao battalion soldiers and horses stationed in Jincheng Walled City could only be regarded as an auxiliary army in their eyes. But Qin Qigong's subsequent revelation disrupted their overall plan, and the first thing they thought of in surprise was that their living space would be threatened by the squeeze of the guest army. Even if they have a good impression of Zhao Dangshi, it is related to the rise and fall of the family, of course, they have to worry a lot. And Qin Qigong also saw through their thoughts, and the gentle and clever sentence "Kuizhou is the Kuizhou of the three" immediately relieved them.

Qin Qigong knew in his heart that Zhao Yingying was powerful and led troops into Sichuan, even if the Tan family brothers were reluctant in their hearts, they didn't dare to really turn their faces and do the stupid thing of using the mantis arm as a car. Zuo Liangyu is very fond of doing things that forcibly coerce a small army to accompany him by virtue of his great strength, although this can expand his strength in the short term, but the cohesion of the army is very fragile, which is not the result that Qin Qigong wants. His suggestion to Zhao Dangshi was to "use Sichuan people to guard Sichuan soil, and use Sichuan soil to reward Sichuan people". Take the three Tan brothers as an example, since what they desire is control of the Kuizhou capital, then assure them of this commitment, so as to ensure the most basic sincerity of cooperation and mutual trust. In addition, the promise to reward them with more nearby land with reference to their exploits would be the icing on the cake to further strengthen their hearts and satisfy their wishes.

From the perspective of the three brothers of the Tan family, Zhao Ying really wants to enter Sichuan, with a few of them, it is absolutely unstoppable, and they are ready to be coerced When they heard Qin Qigong's words, they almost felt the same as the feeling of being in a desperate situation. As long as they ensure that the Kuizhou Mansion can still be in their hands, the nature of this whole thing will instantly change from "Zhao Ying wants to invade his own land in the name of suppressing the Kou" to "Zhao Ying will assist in the suppression of the Kou and at the same time promote himself", and the judgment was made.

The nature of things has changed, and so has Samtan's mentality.

Qin Qigong lost no time in sighing and added: "Sichuan has been divided for a long time, if you can't unite your efforts, sooner or later it will be difficult to escape the fate of breaking through and dedicating. Everything is difficult at the beginning, the three are the beginning, as long as they can ensure the safety of Sichuan, Zhao Shuai has merit, and the three of them will not lose their great merit. ”

When the Tan brothers heard this, they were immediately overjoyed. Qin Qigong said it tactfully, and the meaning was obvious, so he almost used the vernacular to explain "You follow Zhao Shuai to work hard, and when the time comes, you will get more than Kuizhou Mansion". Originally, they didn't have a choice, but now Qin Qigong took the initiative to provide them with options, and this option looks so tempting, why not?

Tan Hong watched Zhao Dangshi change from small to big, from weak to strong, and had long decided that Zhao Dangshi was worth following, otherwise he would not have been diligent and helpful to Qin Qigong, a Zhao battalion of soldiers and horses. Now Zhao Ying does not oppress people with power, and does things in a fair and honest manner, he can't help but feel that there is a providence in the dark, and secretly thinks: "If this is not the opportunity for Lao Tzu to operate?" ”

"Maybe it's abrupt to say below, the matter of joining hands, the three of them can go back and think about it carefully. Three days later, I was still waiting for three news in Jinchengzhai. Qin Qigong looked good and slowly picked up the teacup again.

But just when he lifted the lid of the cup, Tan Hong Huo Ran got up and arched his hand: "It doesn't take three days, what is there to think about such a thing?" Mr. Qin rest assured, Zhao Shuai's loyalty to defend the country, my brothers have admired it for a long time, and now it is a great honor to have the opportunity to fight side by side with Zhao Shuai, how can there be any excuse! ”

After he finished speaking, Tan Wen and Tan Yi also got up and said yes.

"Okay." Qin Qigong smiled faintly, his face was not wavering, and he continued to drink his tea. In his heart, he was calculating that there were 2,000 people under his Sichuan Commanding Yamen, and there were 6,000 soldiers and horses brought by Wang Laixing, plus 5,000 soldiers and horses from the Tan brothers, a total of 13,000 soldiers and horses, which was the basis for him to start attacking Sichuan for Zhao Dangshi.

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Note: The above "Shi Lang" should be named "Shi Lang", and "Shi Lang" was later changed to its name. The previous text has been revised, and the following text will be changed to "Shi Lang".