Li Xiao's series of questions made Huang Degong and Shi Kefa at the head of the city extremely embarrassed, and they were speechless and speechless.

Li Xiao saw that the two of them were silent, he knew that his words had already moved Huang Degong, so he struck while the iron was hot and said: "General Huang, morality and orthodoxy and the like, this king will talk about it here." Now, this king will talk to you about the strength of our army. ”

"Tang Wang, this ......"

Li Xiao ignored Huang Degong with an embarrassed expression, and he continued: "Chuangzi, you have also seen that since our army led troops south, Lianke Xuzhou, Huai'an, and Fengyang have quickly eliminated the stubborn Liu Liangzuo troops. And your troops and horses, first under the city of Huai'an, were wiped out by our army 30,000 elites, and then, and then lost most of Chuzhou and Yangzhou, and now only this lonely city of Yangzhou is left. It can be described as a domestic and external dilemma, and there is no help. And our army is elite, strong soldiers and horses, and there are heavy artillery to help, even if the Yangzhou city is strong, the defense is comprehensive, how long can it last? Even if you take 10,000 steps back, even if our army does not attack the city, but only besieges Yangzhou City for a long time, your troops and horses, no reinforcements from outside, and limited food and grass, how long can you hold out? ”

Li Xiao's words made Huang Degong's face ashamed, he opened his mouth, but he still couldn't speak, and finally just sighed long.

Li Xiao saw that his heart was moved, and he hit the railway while it was hot: "General Huang, as long as you can surrender the city here and lead the whole army to fight anyway, then this king can assure you that the lives and property of you and your subordinates can be absolutely safe." And everyone's official position, this king will also remain unchanged, just like you did in the Hongguang puppet dynasty. In addition, if you surrender here, the king will also greatly use you, so that you can form the eighth town of the Tang Army based on the soldiers and horses of the headquarters, and become the descendants of the king. In the future, your troops will lead troops to fight, attack the Tartars and Liukou in the north, and the middle schools in Nanping will be small, and General Huang will be very useful. The future and success of this future should be limitless. How about it, the conditions that this king said are lenient enough, can General Huang be satisfied? ”

Li Xiao first coerced, and then seduced, which made Huang Degong's heart excited like a drum, and for a while, he was nervous and calculating in his heart, and his face was very complicated.

Seeing Li Xiao now, it seemed that he was about to say that Huang Degong, and Shi Kefaton next to him was in a hurry, he hurriedly stepped forward and said loudly to Li Xiao: "Li Xiao, you say this way, it is nothing more than to persuade the Duke of Yasukuni to lead his troops to surrender to you, but do you know that the Duke of Yasukuni has always been loyal to state affairs and served the country, and he is the most relied on by my Hongguang Prison under the country. The headquarters also asks you, your troops and horses, thousands of miles away, and the troops are under the fortified city, as long as the Yasukuni Gong patiently guards the city and continues to deal with you, how can your troops and horses last long? It's not the end yet, only the veterans of the division are tired, and they can go all the way to retire obediently. Moreover, when the imperial court sees the difficulty of Yangzhou, it will definitely try its best to come to the rescue, and when the time comes, it will be attacked inside and outside, but it does not know ......"

"Enough!" Li Xiao sharply interrupted Shi Kefa's words and replied with a sneer: "Shi Kefa! When you say this, you really don't have a backache when you stand and talk. You have a sinister intention, let General Huang die for the Hongguang puppet dynasty, and die here, but say that he is loyal to the state and serve the country. This king also asks you, the emperor of Chongxing is above, he is the prince of the first emperor ascended the throne as the king, his legitimacy and legitimacy, is it comparable to that Zhu Yousong who is a rat? If the Duke of Yasukuni doesn't want to serve the Emperor of Chongxing, does he still want to continue to work for the Hongguang puppet dynasty that is about to survive? It's ridiculous! ”

Without waiting for Shi Kefa to reply, Li Xiao smiled coldly and continued: "Shi Kefa, you said that the imperial court has soldiers and horses to help, but I am afraid that it is just a bluff and emboldening yourself." I want to come to this king to lead troops south, all the way to here, from the south of Shandong to the Yangtze River, I haven't seen half of the puppet Dynasty reinforcements, how did I get to this Yangzhou city, then Zhu Yousong found out in his conscience, and suddenly sent a large number of reinforcements to save it? Taking a step back, even if Zhu Yousong's conscience found out and he was willing to send troops to rescue, what he could rely on was nothing more than the soldiers and horses of the four towns, and his subordinates had no mobile troops that could be mobilized without authorization. If he wants to borrow troops and horses from Zuo Liangyu and Zheng Zhilong, who have troops and self-respect, how easy it is to say that! It is not an exaggeration to even say that it is seeking skin with tigers. You lie like this, but I'm afraid that even a three-year-old child can't be deceived. ”

"You, you ......" Shi Kefa was ironically ridiculed by Li Xiao, his face was suddenly anxious, he held the battlements in his hands, his mouth was open, but he couldn't say anything.

Li Xiao looked directly at Shi Kefa's dodging eyes, and continued: "Shi Kefa, this king actually knows that you have been excluded in the Hongguang puppet dynasty, whether it is in the puppet court, or in the military towns of various state capitals, you have no real power. Crossing the river this time, you really want to make some achievements in the position of the governor of Jiangbei, so that the land of Jiangbei can be preserved, so as to show your own merits, and impress the ministers of the court. It's just that the king of this book said a sentence of heart-wrenching, you don't have any real power, and you have no soldiers and horses in your hands, and you want to protect this Jiangbei Prefecture with your own strength, isn't it a fool's dream? This king is thinking, the Hongguang puppet court really can't find a suitable candidate, so he sent you to serve as the unlucky governor of Jiangbei, and come to this Yangzhou city to die. You are so sad in the Shi Pavilion Department, you haven't reaped the benefits at all, but this matter of being angry everywhere and sending yourself to death is indispensable to the Shi Pavilion Department. It's a pity, you pig Bajie looks in the mirror, you are not a person inside and out, you are such a failure to be a man and an official, and you still don't introspect, and you are still talking wildly here, and you are really sad and ridiculous. ”

Shi Kefa heard Li Xiao's such ruthless ridicule and sarcasm to himself, and the anger and humiliation in his heart were simply difficult to describe in words. His face turned pale, his fingers trembled and pointed at Li Xiao, his eyes were like two sharp knives, almost able to poke Li Xiao under the city.

Seeing that Shi Kefa's expression was already embarrassed and angry, Li Xiao decided to give him another ferocious blow.

Li Xiao sighed lightly, and continued: "Shi Kefa, don't worry, if General Huang is attached to him, then the king will not be difficult for you, let alone take your life." The king will also send soldiers and horses to escort you across the Yangtze River to ensure that you return to the puppet dynasty smoothly. It's just that this king is thinking that the Shi Pavilion Department was ordered to come north and let this famous Jiangbei Governor Town, but the result is that the entire north of the Yangtze River, no place can be saved, but he can only return with a shy face, but not the Gungon ministers in the pseudo court, how will he see the Shi Pavilion Department who has returned in despair. That Zhu Yousong, will he cut you down, or even ask you to behead on the spot, it's really hard to say. ”

Li Xiao paused slightly, and then sighed and said: "This king is only afraid, even if Zhu Yousong can let you go, then Ma Shiying, Liu Kongzhao and others will not be held accountable for attacking you for losing land and dereliction of duty, but from now on, Shi Kefa, you will only be more excluded and despised by your colleagues in that puppet dynasty, and this day will be even more sad." is so aggrieved and suffocating, and living a good life, according to this king, it is really better to settle it here. ”

Hearing Li Xiao's unceremonious words, Shi Kefa trembled with anger, the muscles on his face twitched violently, his fingers trembled and pointed at Li Xiao, and finally with a bang, his eyes rolled and he fainted on his back.

"Master Shi!"

"Scott Department!"

Seeing that Shi Kefa was scolded by Li Xiao on the spot, Huang Degong and the guards next to him were shocked. Fortunately, they hurriedly took action and held Shi Kefa to prevent him from almost falling to the ground.

"Quick, take Master Shi down to rest." Huang Degong said hurriedly.

"Order."

After his subordinates took Shi Kefa, who had fainted, down to the city, Huang Degong stood alone at the head of the city, silent.

At this time, he suddenly felt that he was being cleared by Li Xiao's words, as if he had cleared the sky and pulled out the fog, but in his heart, he felt unprecedented loneliness and confusion.

Where do you go from here?

Li Xiao under the city, seeing Huang Degong's serious and silent appearance, did not persuade him anymore, just looked at him with a smile, and waited for him to make a decision.

It's just that after thinking about it, Huang Degong finally decided not to rush to make a decision.

He planned to discuss in detail with the two henchmen in the city, Weng Zhiqi and Ma Degong, and then reply.

So, he sighed and said to Li Xiao: "King Tang, your words are very reasonable, Huang was taught to listen, and he was inexplicably ashamed in his heart. It's just that this matter is very important, Huang is shallow, and it is still difficult to make a decision, and he will reply to King Tang after discussing this matter with his subordinates in detail. ”

Li Xiao smiled and said, "Yes." This king gave General Huang a day to discuss and discuss. It's just that if a day passes, if General Huang objects or does not reply, then the king will not be polite. Our army will immediately begin to attack the city, and the fate of your soldiers and horses will have to be left to fate. ”

Hearing Li Xiao's words that were clearly tolerant, but in fact coerced, Huang Degong felt a pang in his heart. A wry smile appeared on his face, and he hurriedly hugged his fists to Li Xiao and saluted, and then hurriedly walked down from the city with a guard.

Huang Degong and the others came down to the city, Li Xiao sighed slightly, but there was a smile on his face.

At this time, Cao Bianjiao, the mayor of the seventh town, stepped forward and whispered to Li Xiao: "Lord Li, in your opinion, will Huang Degong finally surrender to our army?" ”

Li Xiao laughed and said in a deep voice: "Huang Degong is not a fool, if he doesn't know how to make a choice when this king knows what is at stake, then you are underestimating him too much." From the king's point of view, Huang Degong went to discuss with his subordinates, but he was afraid that those generals under him, for the sake of their own future and property, would definitely try their best to persuade them to join the army anyway, and they would definitely be more active than this king. We're just outside the city, just watch the show. ”

Li Xiao was right, Huang Degong went to the official office in the city immediately, and discussed in detail with his two cronies, Weng Zhiqi and Ma Degong, whether to fight or surrender next.

Huang Degong briefly explained Li Xiao's words to the two, and Weng Zhiqi and Ma Degong immediately made statements.

Ma Degong, the former Chuzhou guard, was the first to express his position, and he said hurriedly: "Jingguo Gong, now that the prince of Tang has come to persuade him to surrender, such a good opportunity, Anke missed!" If you think about it, our army was defeated and lost from Huai'an City, and 30,000 elites were wiped out, and we have lost the capital to compete with the Tang army. Later, the general ordered you to abandon Chuzhou and retreat to Yangzhou City, and the only place that our army can defend now is a lonely city in Yangzhou. Now our army, there is no way to advance or retreat, sitting in the city of sorrow, and there is no rescue outside, only to defend Yangzhou all the way, in this way, I am afraid that it is really as Tang Wang said, even if the Tang army does not attack the city, our army will gradually collapse under great pressure, and gradually produce civil strife. This Yangzhou City, even if the general is willing to defend it, but the situation is stronger than people, how can he defend it for a long time. ”

He paused for a moment, and then said: "Duke Yasukuni, now that King Tang has promised us, everyone's titles and official positions are the same as before, and they will not change. With this article as a guarantee, we can surrender with confidence, so why worry? Besides, in the future, if we serve the Emperor Chongxing, it will be beyond reproach for the orthodoxy of the Ming Dynasty, isn't it much stronger than working under the Hongguang Prison State? Such a good opportunity, I hope that General Huang will grasp it well, don't miss the opportunity. ”

After Ma Degong finished speaking, Weng Zhiqi also interjected: "What Degong said is. In my opinion, the current Hongguang Imperial Court, I'm afraid that it is really a grasshopper after the autumn, and it won't be long after. If our army does not change its court as soon as possible and serve the Tang army to protect the wealth and nobility of the Tang army, when the Tang army attacks the city, it will regret it. In order to demonstrate the merits of our army, the Tang army will greatly reuse us, and in the future, we will go south to cross the river and fight, and our army can also be the pioneer of the king, and make great achievements in war, and the future status of the future is definitely much higher than now. This is public and private, and everyone believes that immediately leading the troops to surrender to the Tang Army and serving it should be the most urgent and critical thing. ”

After listening to the statements of the two, Huang Degong was silent, he sat on the tiger head chair and did not say a word for a long time.

In fact, up to now, Huang Degong has also agreed with the second general's statement, but he has not been able to step through the hurdle in his heart.

Because, no matter what others say, Zhu Yousong, the Hongguang supervisor, has the grace of knowing him.

He was able to appoint Huang Degong from an ordinary general soldier to the general soldier of Yangchu, promoted him to the chief of the military towns in charge of Huaichu and Huaichu, and crowned him as the Duke of Yasukuni and the Prince Taibao.

And now, he wants to betray his lord and be ungrateful, change his court, join the enemy in battle, and go to serve his sworn enemy Tang Army, and Huang Degong, who regards loyalty and righteousness, really can't persuade himself to do such a move.

And just when he was hesitant and didn't know what to do next, a personal soldier suddenly came to report, saying that Shi Kefa, the secretary of the military department, had woken up from a coma and was rushing over to ask to see him.

"Oh, is the Cabinet Department awake, what is he doing here?" Huang Degong subconsciously asked in a low voice.