1

In front of Shenglong Village, Tang Hai stood still with a solemn expression.

Everyone stood behind Tang Hai without saying a word, and Wei Siren smiled with a bloody head in his hand.

The thirty sergeants of the Bashan Righteous Army were all worried because they did not know what the good luck and evil were.

The door of the cottage creaked and slowly opened, a big man wearing a felt hat and a saber hanging from his waist, hurriedly striding forward, followed by more than a dozen tiger-backed bear-waisted heroes, all of whom were wearing swords, dragons and tigers. Tang Hai recognized from afar that it was Li Zicheng who was at the forefront, followed by Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Gao Yigong, Li Guo, Yin Shicai, Zhou Qing, Gao Ruli, Guo Tianxing Hui Dengxiang, Yuan Zongdi, Zhang Yichuan, Hao Shaoqi, Bai Jiuhe, Tuoyangkun, Liu Tichun, Lin Yangcheng, Liu Guoneng, Yidougu and other generals.

Seeing that the other party was menacing, and they all wanted to show their weapons, Tang Hai said: "Hugh must be reckless." The crowd had no choice but to give up.

Li Zicheng and the others got closer and closer, Tang Hai saw the happy face on his face, and he was less than a hundred steps away from him, so he jumped off the horse and stepped to greet him.

Li Zicheng arched his hand and said: "Zicheng met a magpie around his head this morning, and he suspected that a happy event was coming, and the benefactor came, which was just the right omen." ”

Tang Hai arched his hand and said with a smile: "After bidding farewell to Hanzhong, he and his brothers often thought about King Gaode, prayed day and night to come to vote as soon as possible, and now he and his brothers came with 18,000 Bashan Buddhist soldiers, vowing to join the king of Chuang. ”

Li Zicheng saw that Siren was holding a bloody head in his hand, and thanked him: "The living grass He Zonghan has been with me for more than ten years, and I never thought that I would do such a shameful thing, but fortunately, the benefactor broke the evil and stood up for me to cut it off. ”

Tang Hai said: "King Chuang's love, Tang Hai dares to disobey!" ”

Li Zicheng asked Liu Zongmin, Li Guo and others to greet Tang Hai one by one, Li Zicheng grabbed Tang Hai with one hand and wanted to invite Tang Hai forward, Tang Hai took a step back and said: "King Chuang first, please." Li Zicheng said: "You are a benefactor, and etiquette should come first." Tang Hai said: "Chuang Wang Weijia Hai, Tang Hai admires, just a trivial matter of giving food and clothing, how dare you call yourself a benefactor." Li Zicheng said: "If you receive favors from others, how can you forget it, and the benefactor will not refuse." Tang Hai said: "King Chuang is commensurate with his benefactor, which is really tormenting Tang Hai." Zicheng said: "Okay, then I'll call Brother Tang." Brother Tang listened to my heartfelt words: since the world for ten years, has come to vote for countless righteous people from all walks of life, after the defeat of Tongguan, since the soldiers are widowed, poor and destitute, compared with other heroes, like the fireflies than the moon, the stubborn stone than Mount Tai, the world's people with lofty ideals want to raise the righteous, all vote for other heroes. Brother Tang is not ashamed of being humble, and he brought troops to gather, and he was very moved, so please be sure to move forward to show his respect. Tang Hai couldn't postpone it, so he had to say: "Since King Chuang is so meaningful, why don't you and I join hands and enter the village side by side." Zicheng was overjoyed and said: "Okay, you and my brother go into the village side by side." ”

When everyone arrived at the tent, they said: "Brother Tang came at the right time today, the wise men Niu Jinxing, Li Yan, and Song Xiance happened to teach in the tent, plus Brother Tang, it can be said that four joys are coming, haha." ”

Tang Haidao: "I have heard the names of Niu Jinxing, Li Yan, and Song Xiance for a long time, and I don't want to see you here today." ”

Zicheng turned back to Li and said: "Guo'er, quickly set up a banquet in the tent, and my uncle is going to drink with all the heroes today." Li said "obey" and turned out. Only then did Tang Hai know that Li Guo was Li Zicheng's nephew.

Zicheng took Tang Hai and other ten people into the account, introduced Niu Jinxing, Li Yan, and Song Xiance to Tang Hai one by one, and introduced Tang Haidao: "Everyone, the Tang brothers broke the evil and established the righteousness in the rivers and lakes, and made the court unpeaceful, even the two emperors of Tianqi and Chongzhen heard of the great name and slandered it as 'the first robber in the world', and the Tang brothers and their seventeen heroes are real heroes and heroes." Niu Jinxing said: "Fortunately, fortunately." Li Yan said: "Admire, admire." Song Xiance gave a thumbs up and said, "Hero, hero." Tang Hai showed a frightened look on his face, and bowed: "Ashamed, ashamed, the three heroes praised it, King Chuang and the three heroes pointed out the country and the people, for the people, this is the real hero of the world, Tang Hai is at most a reckless man who fights unevenly." ”

Zicheng said to Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, and Li Yan: "Brother Tang once saved my life, and he is a benefactor of self-righteousness, and today he brought 18,000 Bashan Buddhist soldiers to gather for righteousness, which is a great joy." Zicheng in this Shangluo Mountain soldiers are not more than 10,000, will not be more than 100, can be described as a small general, two years did not dare to rashly go out of the mountain, now there are three heroes to help, and there are Tang brothers to lead the troops to gather righteousness, self-determined to re-emerge from the rivers and lakes, re-raise the banner of righteousness, and vow to compete with the official army again. Niu Jinxing patted the table and applauded, and said happily: "Great, I'll discuss the plan to raise the flag immediately." ”

At this time, Li Guo had already brought people to bring wine and food, and Zicheng was invited to sit down, Zicheng was in the center, Niu Jinxing, Li Yan, Song Xiance, Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Li Guo, Zhang Yichuan, Liu Guoneng, Li Shuangxi, Hui Dengxiang, and Tang Hai, Xiaolong, Duan Qi, Ala Tai, Shan Yong, Shi'an, Liu Jia, Ye Yang, Si Ren, and Wang Feng on the right. After three rounds of drinking, he glanced left and right, and saw that Wenchen was free and easy, and the military generals were mighty, and his face showed joy.

Since the defeat of Tongguan and fled into the mountains, Li Zicheng has been worried about the future of the righteous army, two years of constantly thinking about their mistakes, day and night thinking about the resurgence of the mountain, today finally waiting for the opportunity, seeing that he is about to lead his troops out of the mountain, galloping the rivers and lakes, chasing the Central Plains, so he was excited, and bowed to everyone: "Everyone, this time out of the mountain, the stakes are very high, the righteousness of the world is in this move, and it has become ignorance, and I hope that the three gentlemen and all the heroes will give advice." ”

Li Yan put down his wine glass and arched his hand: "The ancients said, those who win the hearts of the people can be the Son of Heaven, those who win the hearts of the Son of Heaven can be the princes, those who win the hearts of the princes can be doctors, and those who win the hearts of doctors can only be guests." Dare to ask the ambition of the king, want to be the son of heaven? Seigneur? Doctor? Or a doorman? ”

Li Ziyuan was overjoyed, and when he saw Li Yan asking like this, he immediately smiled, his face was solemn, and he said: "The Son of Heaven is mediocre, the court has no way, the people are displaced, and the common people have nothing to live on. ”

Li Yan said: "Chuang Wang Hongzhi is noble, and I admire it." The ancients said: The world is an artifact, and the virtuous live in it. Today, a group of heroes rise together, each with their own ambitions, but in Li Yan's view, only King Chuang can be called a hero. The king has both ability and political integrity, should conform to the will of the people, and be brave to be the first in the world, how can he blindly be humble and lose the expectations of the people in the world? ”

Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance both said: "What Li Gongzi said is very true. ”

Li Zicheng bowed to Li Yan and said, "Please teach me, sir." ”

Li Yan said: "I think that the court has no way, and the people cannot survive, and the king should do the opposite, but he must give the people a way to live." In the next suggestion, King Chuang went out of the mountain this time, held high the banner of 'Juntian free grain', the army captured the state and county, opened a warehouse to release grain, averaged the real estate, and the people had grain and land, how could it be that the king should be grateful to Dade? Gou can be like this, wherever the army goes, the people welcome it, and the hearts of the people in the world are all returned to the king! ”

Li Zicheng was overjoyed and said: "Li Gongzi's words made Zicheng suddenly open and be taught. ”

Niu Jinxing clapped his hands and applauded: "Li Gongzi is a good one who does the opposite, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful."

Li Yan said: "Mr. Niu has won the prize. ”

Niu Jinxing said: "The discipline of the officers and soldiers is corrupt, burning and looting everywhere they go, doing all kinds of evil, and the king should show the world as a benevolent and righteous teacher, kill less, punish carefully, and provide disaster relief." Now Henan has been suffering from famine for many years, and heard that Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai went to Sichuan, Xiong Wencan and Zuo Liangyu led the Henan officials and troops to follow, and the king of Chuang waved his army eastward at this time, and implemented the policy of less killing, prudent punishment, and disaster relief, and the hungry people in the world must return from the wind, Niu Jinxing dared to guarantee with his head, and the king of Chuang led 10,000 people to enter Henan, and between the ten months, the army could reach 100,000 people. ”

He was overjoyed, got up and bowed again: "Mr. Kill, be cautious, and take disaster relief measures, and keep it in mind." He also said to Li Guo: "Guo'er, tomorrow will kill Mr. less, and be cautious in punishment as a military discipline to know the whole army, and those who violate the order will be beheaded." ”

Li said: "Yes, the child knows." ”

Liu Zongmin said: "King Chuang, I have heard that Mr. Song is proficient in the method of Qimen Dunjia and can measure the things of ghosts and gods. ”

Zicheng looked at Song Xiance: "What does Mr. mean?" Zicheng said this with a smile on his face, and his tone was gentle, which made people listen like a spring breeze.

Song Xiance laughed and said: "Don't hide from the king and list as a general, Song Mou has already obtained two hexagrams and two verses before he came to vote: one is 'Eighteen sons, the main artifact.'" The second is that it flows into the main trunk of the river and falls into the eighteen beaches. If you want to go to the clouds, start from Yanmen Pass. ’”

Isn't "Eighteen Sons" just "Li"? Li Zicheng was overjoyed in his heart, but his joy was not revealed, and he smiled lightly: "How can you believe in asking God about divination?" We wait for the army to rise, wholeheartedly serve the people, live up to the sky, live up to the earth, do our best, and follow the will of heaven for success or failure. Mr. Song is proficient in strategy, what tricks can he teach me? ”

Song Xiance said: "Song thinks that King Chuang's current expedition, even if he and General Tang's two armies are united, is still a meager force, and it is not enough to achieve a big thing. As Mr. Niu said, when the army entered Henan in the east, he first captured the small county, raised grain and grass, collected the hearts of the people, and after more than a month, the army increased greatly, and then took Zhengzhou, Luoyang, and Kaifeng, and occupied the hinterland of the Central Plains. Then go west, take Xi'an, conquer Shaanxi and Gansu, build a country, solve the worries, and then go straight to Beijing from Yanmen Pass, and return to the king tomorrow. ”

"What does Brother Tang think?" Li Zicheng listened to Song Xiance's words, his heart was happy, seeing that Tang Hai had not said a word, he expected that Tang Hai must have his own ideas, so he asked with a smile.

Tang Hai smiled slightly, arched his hand towards everyone and said: "What the three gentlemen said is extremely true, if you want to fight for the world, you must win the hearts of the people. When we raise troops, we should first divide our friends and enemies, resolutely suppress them, show no mercy, love and protect our friends, and strive for them for our own. Tang Hai thought that today's forces can be divided into three: first, the emperor, court officials, imperial relatives, officials and soldiers, and landlords and gentry, who want to put the righteous army to death and then hurry up, and the righteous army can be said to be incompatible, and they are mortal enemies such as us. This force will be broken by our righteous army, and when they meet on the battlefield, they should be killed. Second, the hungry. Most of the hungry people were landless and landless peasants, merchants who bought and sold in small capitals, these people were oppressed by the landlords and the government, their money was stripped away, and they hated the emperor, court officials, imperial relatives, officials and soldiers, and landlords and gentry, and they were my best friends of the righteous army. We should take this force for ourselves and love it with all our hearts. Third, a small number of honest officials, righteous officers, landlords and squires who do not want to be enemies of our righteous army, as well as the corporal of the world, we should treat them with courtesy, and we must not kill the innocent in vain. These people are neither friend nor foe, friend or foe. Love is a friend, kill it, become an enemy. We are called the teachers of benevolence and righteousness, we should be cautious in punishing and killing less, not a single person in vain, and holding high the banner of breaking evil and establishing justice, we will be invincible and invincible. ”

After Tang Hai finished speaking, Li Yan applauded and praised: "It's a good one to divide friends and enemies first, such a high argument makes Li Yan's eyes wider." ”

Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance also applauded.

Li Zicheng said: "Brother Tang has been wandering the rivers and lakes for 20 years, and he pursues the principle of 'breaking the evil and standing up, not in vain. Zicheng once promised Brother Tang: 'Killing one person is like killing my father, and adulterating one person is like adultering my mother.' Today, in the presence of the three gentlemen and all the generals, I swore an oath to heaven: I will become an army, destroy evil and establish righteousness, not one in vain, kill another, as if I killed my father, and adulterously another, as I committed adultery with my mother. When the army arrived, the land was free of grain, and the army and the people enjoyed together. Gou broke his promise, and he died in the chaos of the army, laughing for the heroes of future generations for thousands of years. ”

After finishing the oath, he said to his subordinate generals: "Zong Min, see Xiu, you have been fighting with me for many years, although you have fought bravely, there is still the danger of the carriage, and the defeat of Tongguan, why?" I thought about it again and again, all because there was no sage to help, today to meet the three gentlemen and Tang brothers, it is really a blessing for itself, a blessing for the generals, a blessing for the righteous army, I swear now, you keep it in mind. I have already given Brother Tang the token of the leader of the Righteous Army, the Sword of Breaking the Evil Spirit, and worship him as the supervisor of the Righteous Army, no matter who it is in the future, including me, if it violates military discipline, Brother Tang has the right to capture and behead him. ”

The generals said: "Obey the orders of the commander, destroy the evil and establish the right, not one person in vain, kill one person, such as killing my father, adulterating one person, such as adultering my mother." ”

Tang Hai saw that he was sincere and all the generals were strong, and he was very happy in his heart, so he said: "Dashuai, our brothers and other eighteen people are stationed in the mountains fifty miles away. ”

Self-enlightenment: "The ancients said: The Central Plains did not fight, and the troops in the Xijing realm moved. We want to seize the Central Plains, the first to seize Xichuan, this place is easy to defend and difficult to attack, soldiers must fight, Tang brothers, you can lead the troops to Xichuan to contain the officials and troops in the city, if you can attack, then attack, if you can't attack, then besiege, wait for me to go to Henan first to seize grain and grass, recruit troops and buy horses, and then rush to attack it with you. ”

Tang Hai said: "Tang Hai will go back to the camp for scheduling." ”

Zicheng said to Li Yan again: "Li Gongzi can send people to spread rumors in Henan in advance, and say straight that I Li Zicheng is a teacher of benevolence and righteousness, not killing or plundering, free of grain, and happy with the people." ”

Li Yanxi said: "Obey the order." ”

2

Tang Hai received the order of the self-made general and returned to the Xianshen Village, and summoned the generals to discuss: "King Chuang ordered our army to go to Xichuan first to contain the officers and soldiers, what is the plan of the generals?" ”

Ala Tai said: "Marshal, with all due respect, King Chuang let us fight in Xichuan, the purpose is to cover him to go to Henan to grow, maybe a few months later, he is strong and strong, but we have become wounded and disabled." ”

Tang Hai was slightly stunned, and the generals also discussed privately, Tang Hai comforted everyone: "Since we have raised righteousness, we are all a family, and I will not regard us as outsiders, and the generals should not be suspicious." ”

Duan Qidao: "Marshal, let's go to Xichuan to see the opportunity to act, if we can attack, we will attack, and if we can't, we will go." ”

Tang Hai nodded silently.

After the plan was completed, Tang Hai issued a general order, ordering Xiaolong, Wolf Ba, and Lin Yuan to lead the front army to go first and camp fifteen miles east of Xichuan, and Ala Tai, Siren, and Zhang Chuan led the rear army to sneak to the west of Xichuan and camped fifteen miles west, and he and the generals led the Chinese army to camp in the north and south of Xichuan City.

Three days later, the generals besieged Xichuan County according to the plan, and the guards He Renlong's life was partial to Huahu and Wei Xiu, who led 3,000 elite soldiers to meet the battle, and were defeated by Xiaolong, Wolf Ba, and Lin Yuan. Seeing that the righteous army was strong, He Renlong ordered the city gate to be closed without fighting.

After waiting for two days, he didn't see the official army out of the city to face the battle, Tang Hai summoned the generals into the account and said: "The Xichuan defenders are closed and don't come out, and we have few soldiers and generals, so it is not suitable to attack, but our army is short of food and grass, and it can't be delayed for a long time, how is it good?" ”

Liu Jia said: "Only wait for the army of King Chuang to come and attack together." ”

As he was talking, Jin Zi came to report: "Li Yan sent people to sing everywhere, 'Open the door early to welcome the king, and the king will not pay for food when he comes.'" Now there are hundreds of thousands of hungry people in the countryside of Henan, and the people are overjoyed when they hear such tempting songs, and they are all looking forward to the army of King Chuang, and I heard that King Chuang has led his army to Dengzhou, Fangcheng, Nanyang and other places. ”

Ala Taidao: "The marshal's original plan was to force Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai to rebel, and after the two attracted the official army to Shaanxi or Sichuan, we took advantage of the emptiness of Henan to enter the Central Plains eastward. Now that the plan has been accomplished, we are here to defend Xichuan, and let others pick the ready-made fruits. ”

Tang Haidao: "What does General Ala Tai think he should do?" ”

Ala Tai said: "In the troubled times, the money and food of soldiers and horses are the most important, and we can't stay here for a long time, so it is better to abandon the city and go to the countryside to kill the rich and help the poor, recruit troops and horses, and expand our strength." ”

Tang Haidao: "What the general said is extremely true, but if you abandon the city and go, one will violate the order of the king and general, and the other will not take Xichuan, and our army will have to worry about the eastward advance." ”

Duan Qidao: "The marshal is extremely worried, it is better to design and take Xichuan first, solve your worries, and then go to the countryside to recruit troops and horses." ”

Tang Haixi said: "How to take Xichuan? ”

Duan Qidao: "The Xichuan defenders are afraid of the battle, we can send people to publicize the army to the east, and then let the front army deploy in the east of the city, the army and the rear army are in ambush twenty miles east of the front army, and the defenders in the city think that the front army is left behind the broken men and horses, and they must go out of the city to pursue, the front army pretends to be defeated, lures the enemy into the ambush circle, and then annihilates it." ”

Shan Yong said: "If this is the case, then Xichuan City can be obtained." ”

Tang Hai pondered for a while and said, "This plan is good, it's just ......"

Duan Qidao: "The marshal is worried that the officers and soldiers will not be fooled? ”

Tang Haidao: "Xichuan guard general He Renlong is Zuo Liangyu's love general, Zuo Liangyu can fight well, repeatedly defeated Zhang Xianzhong, his subordinates are not mediocre, I heard that He Renlong is fine and deceitful, brave and strategic, if we follow the plan, he does not go out of the city, or how to spend time and food with us!" Or maybe the former army feinted defeat, and the officers and soldiers did not chase after it, or He Renlong sent chasing soldiers after chasing the soldiers, what could he do? ”

Duan Qidao: "If he doesn't go out of the city, I'll wait to go by myself, and then come to attack the city when the soldiers are strong and strong." If he pursues and then pursues, why don't we ambush and then set up ambushes? ”

Jin Zi said: "I have a plan, or I can lure him out of the city," everyone listened, they all looked at Jinzi, and Jin Zi said: "Since He Renlong is resourceful, we can do what he likes, the army and the rear army are secretly transferred, and dozens of people can be sent to set up banners, empty thunder war drums, and defend the camp." He also asked the rear army to send 1,000 men and horses to move back and forth in the camps around the city, and every time they moved, the generals changed their flags, the sergeants changed their clothes, and the ranks changed their shapes, so as to suspect the officers and soldiers defending the city. ”

Zhang Zhou smiled: "Girl, the officers and soldiers don't dare to go out of the city when they see this situation, what kind of trick are you trying to lure the enemy, haha." Ye Yang, Si Ren, Lu Qi and others laughed, and they all said that Jin Zi was naïve.

Jin Zi replied: "Leave a flaw in the bluff, you can order two or three sergeants to pretend to be lame and mix in the sergeants who are transferred back and forth, and then let the camp deliberately use wet wood to make a fire to cook when cooking every day, and the wet wood burns up and smokes, since He Renlong is meticulous and resourceful, he will be able to find the lame sergeant, and it can be inferred that although the army is dressed in different clothes and flags, it is actually the same pair of people, and it can be found from the smoke of the stove that there are less than 100 people in the camp......"

Ala Taizan said: "This plan is very good, once He Renlong finds out that we are bluffing, he will definitely attack the nest." Liu Jia said: "If this plan is successful, He Renlong can be captured, and Xichuan City can be taken away." Ye Yang pointed at Duan Qi and Jin Zi and said with a smile: "He Renlong has been crisscrossing the field for many years, and I didn't expect it to be planted in the hands of you two female generals today." ”

Tang Hai was overjoyed and ordered: "Xiaolong, Wolf Ba, and Lin Yuan led the 3,000 people of the former army to move to an open place five miles east of Xichuan City and set up camp, facing west to arrange a square array, dispatching 1,000 men and horses every day to act according to the plan, and if the official army attacked, they would feign defeat and leave. "Xiaolong, Wolf Ba, and Lin Yuan led the order and retreated.

Tang Hai also ordered: "Ala Tai led 2,000 troops and subdued on the north side of ten miles east of the front army, and Siren led 2,000 troops on the south side of ten miles east of the front army. "Alla Tai and Si Ren were overjoyed and took the order to retreat

Tang Hai ordered again: "Tang Xi, Liu Jia, Zhang Chuan, and Lu Qi led 4,000 troops to hide on the north side of the front army, and Hong Shi'an, Ye Yang, Wang Feng, and Wang Yu led 4,000 troops to hide on the south side of the front army. The two ambushes can not intercept the first wave of pursuers, if the second pursuer chases, the soldiers on the north side lead the troops down the mountain to cover and kill, do not let them pass, and do not let them return to the city, and the soldiers on the south side go straight to Xichuan City and capture the city. After an hour, if there is no second pursuer out of the city, he can evacuate, lead his army eastward, and join the army with the previous pursuer. "Eight will each withdraw.

After the dispatch was completed, Tang Hai retreated to Shigou with Shan Yong, Jin Zi and 5,000 sergeants to camp and listen to the news of various armies at any time.