Chapter 2: The Defeat of Xuzhou

"Your Highness, there is something that the minister doesn't know to talk about, shouldn't he talk about it?" Zhang Zhi said, his tone only had a sense of righteousness, where did he say that he was saying that he should not see it, but again, I must see it.

"I don't know what?" Luo Rucai asked.

Luo Rucai also has a little trust in Zhang Qian.

Zhang Zhen has not been able to hide everything from Luo Rucai during this period of time, and Luo Rucai has to admit that Zhang Zhen's ability is much stronger than Ji Qi.

Although Zhang Zhen is only a third-class jinshi, he is also a jinshi, and he has been mixed up in Beijing, and he is better than Ji Qi for how the Ming court operates.

Zhang Zhen has been doing things, which makes Luo Rucai feel very deeply, and straightens out Cao Ying's upper and lower levels. Before, Cao Ying's combat strength was not inferior to that of the official army, but at this moment, Luo Rucai had a feeling that he was an official army. It's no longer a grass platform team.

Therefore, Luo Rucai also attaches great importance to Zhang Qian's advice.

"If the king is the king of Wu, he should be self-respecting and majestic." Zhang Zhen said: "Otherwise, you should be laughed at by the villain?" ”

"Who dares to laugh at me?" Luo Rucai snorted coldly and said.

"Your Highness, be called: 'Lonely.' Zhang Zhen said.

Luo Rucai was speechless for a while. I immediately felt a bit of a headache.

He Luo Rucai grew up in a small bandit's den, and he never cared about etiquette, but Zhang Zhen had a mind to Jun Yao Shun, otherwise he was born as a dignified scholar and couldn't be a gentleman, how different is he from a villain? He always felt that the source of many of the chaos in Cao's camp was Luo Rucai, such as the officers below ignoring the law and discipline. Therefore, he is bent on eliminating the gangsterism on Luo Rucai, and how to eliminate it is to use etiquette.

Of course, Zhang Zhen also thought about Luo Rucai, Luo Rucai was born like this, and he must be impatient with too cumbersome etiquette. Therefore, Zhang Zhen cut a lot of etiquette. But for Luo Rucai, it is still like a tight spell.

And Luo Rucai was using Zhang Qian, so he couldn't say anything, and said: "I, no, I know." Then he held his forehead and said: "Lone blows the river breeze, a little dizzy, Mr. go and get busy, go back and rest for a while." ”

Then he fled.

Luo Dai, who was marching on the north bank of the Huai River, after receiving the order, without saying a word, had already taken thousands of horses under his command, left the brigade, and went east.

It's just that from this place to Xiashan City, it will take a day or two to travel.

Before that, the news came to Xiayi first.

Under the city of Xiayi.

Since Ma Shiying retreated, Zhang Xuan and Yuan Shizhong were nervous for two days, and then they were relieved to get the exact news that Cao Ying's army had attacked Fengyang Mansion along the Huai River.

Immediately Zhang Xuan and Yuan Shizhong met a head, determined the following behavior, Zhang Xuan sent people to report to Luo Rucai on the one hand, and sent soldiers on the other side to encircle and suppress the remnants of the official army, such as the west to Guide, the east to Xiao County, the south to Yongcheng, and the north to the Yellow River, there are two soldiers and horses in the activity.

It sounds good to chase the remnants of the officers and soldiers, and if it doesn't sound good, it is to collect food.

After all, the army is scattered if there is no food, and in order to maintain the morale of the army, many things have to be done.

At this time, many things also reached Zhang Xuan's ears,

For example, what Yang Shenzu did in Xuzhou.

Zhang Xuan saw it, and said secretly in his heart: "Yang Shenzu is still a talent, and he has entangled so many people in Xuzhou Juran. ”

However, Zhang Xuan was not happy yet, and the news came one after another.

"What Wu Jiaji was defeated?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback and said, "What's the matter?" ”

The person who came was none other than Yang Lao Wu, a close confidant of Yang Shenzu, who said: "General Yang gathered Cheng Jikong, Wang Daoshan, and Zhang Fangzao, gathered tens of thousands of horses, and fought with the official army in Wujiaji. The official army was headed by Senator He Tengjiao, and there were thousands of soldiers from the Ding family under his command. and more than 10,000 soldiers from various departments. He Tengjiao broke the righteous army and killed Zhang Fangzao? ”

"What's going on?" Zhang Xuan said: "With General Yang's ability, there are only 10,000 people in the official military region, how can he be defeated?" With thousands of cavalry against more than 10,000 officers alone, General Yang could not win, and he would not be defeated. ”

"When the formation was arrayed, because General Yang promised the official title, Cheng Jikong, Wang Daoshan, and Zhang Fangzao, the three leaders, all said that all departments were brave and invincible, and they could defeat the enemy and kill He Tengjiao without General Yang going out. General Yang saw that there were few officers and soldiers, so he allowed them. As a result, when the three leaders attacked Wujiaji, the Ding clan soldiers suddenly came out, and then they were defeated, Zhang Fangzao ran away without attacking, and died in the chaos, tens of thousands of troops collapsed at one time, and General Yang could not save the defeat, only retreated. Yang Lao Wu said with a little wry smile.

The only thing Yang Shenzu was wrong about was that he believed too much in the combat effectiveness of these Xuzhou people.

"Ding clan soldiers?" Zhang Xuan frowned and said, "Who is it?" ”

"The Ding family is a big family in Yongcheng, and the hometown where they live is Ding's hometown, a generation of eunuchs, and the former governor Ding Qirui is a member of the Ding family. Because the world is very chaotic, when Ding Qirui was the governor of Henan, he selected some elite soldiers to take care of the township. Liu Chao was in turmoil, and the Ding family took refuge in Suzhou, which He Tengjiao used. He Tengjiao is an official for the Ding family, and Ding Qiguang is a general, and the following have official positions. Yang Lao Wu said: "That is, the soldiers of the Ding clan suddenly appeared, and the leaders were caught off guard, so they were defeated." ”

"Hmph." Zhang Xuan snorted coldly and said, "It's really an official of the Ming Dynasty." ”

Ding Qirui is fighting like a bird, he is extremely incompetent, Zhang Xuan thought it was a matter of ability, but now it seems that Ding Qirui still has a hidden hand

, otherwise, how can the Ding family be entangled with thousands of families.

In fact, Zhang Xuan blamed Ding Qirui, at least Ding Qirui took care of the family very much, but these thousands of Ding are not the credit of Ding Qirui alone, and there is also a Ding Chukui. Ding Chukui is Ding Qirui's uncle, Ding Chukui is in Ma Shiying's camp at the moment, and he also participated in the ambush of Liu Chao. Most of the things in the family are presided over by Ding Chukui. At least take He Tengjiao's way, and replace the family with a master of the economic system, but it was Ding Chukui's idea.

"My lord, my general asks my lord to march into Xuzhou, otherwise the Xuzhou soldiers will collapse, and my general can only withdraw from Xuzhou." Yang Lao Wu said.

The so-called people's hearts are scattered, and the team is not easy to lead.

He Tengjiao's big victory shattered the hearts of all the thieves in Xuzhou, and he remembered the prestige of the imperial court. Therefore, they no longer think about the fame and wealth of the Great Shun Dynasty.

Zhang Xuan was indeed a little moved in his heart.

Without him, he is now in urgent need of supplements, and the area around Xiayi and Yongcheng is almost white. It simply can't support the army for long.

This area can't stay for a long time, to the west is Li Zicheng's territory, with the current relationship between Cao Ying and Chuang Ying, where to fight the autumn wind is not a good choice. As for Fengyang Mansion to the south, Ma Shiying had just retreated, and Zhang Xuan didn't want to confront it without repairing it.

In this way, Xuzhou is a good choice.

It's just that Zhang Xuan still needs to wait for Luo Rucai's order.

As soon as Zhang Xuan thought of this, he heard the sound of footsteps outside the door, Zhang Su walked over and said, "Congratulations general, the king has come to order?" ”

"Order?" Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand to take it, but saw that it was a scroll, and when he reached out and touched it, he immediately felt the smooth lines, and knew that this was not paper, but silk. Zhang Xuan opened it and took a look, but saw that there was a fixed format on it, arranged vertically, and the beginning read: "King Wu's decree." "Write the specific content below, let Zhang Xuan take charge of several departments, threaten Fengyang, act cheaply, and so on. But they are all four or eight languages, and occasionally one or two rare characters come in, all of them are pavilion style, and they are written as if they are printed. Zhang Xuan glanced over, and there was a trace of a red seal in the blank space behind, Zhang Xuan could see that it was a seal character, and he could vaguely see it, as if it was "the treasure of King Wu." "Four big words.

Zhang Xuan secretly said in his heart: "With this, I have enough freedom of action." Zhang Xuan then said to Yang Lao Wu: "You just go and tell your general, saying that I will take this army and Xiao Yuan's camp to the east in a few days, and let him pacify the hearts of the good people." Before we arrive, don't be exterminated by the officers and soldiers. ”

Yang Lao Wu said happily: "Thank you, thank you, thank you." ”

Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, "Go ahead." Don't keep your family waiting. ”

"Yes." Yang Lao Wu immediately agreed, and then went out, according to the rare sound of horses' hooves, and disappeared outside the camp after a while.

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