Chapter 130: Preparation II

Zhang Xuan said: "General Liu." After going back, I told General Gao that this expedition to the west could not be won, and I didn't blame him. But it is necessary to bluff and pretend to be 100,000 with 30,000 people. If it can't be done, it will be dealt with by military law. ”

Liu Tichun immediately said: "The last general understands. ”

Zhang Xuan also believes in too high a skill, this virtual and real means, I am afraid that a high skill is more familiar than Zhang Xuan's play.

However, there are many things that cannot be hidden from the discerning people. To do a play, you have to do a full set. Zhang Xuan then said: "Cao Zongyu." ”

"The end will be." Zhang Xuan said: "You go back and prepare immediately, withdraw the army from the south, and withdraw all the troops of Huang Chaoxuan and Zhang Xianbi." ”

"Yes." Cao Zongyu's heart moved, as if he had guessed something. He followed Zhang Xuan for too long. Many things about Zhang Xuan can be seen, or a tacit understanding. But Cao Zongyu never talked much. If you know it, you don't know it.

Zhang Xuan said: "Wang Jincai, you take the people of the headquarters to Hengyang to change the defense. ”

Wang Jincai immediately said, "Yes." Then he said, "General, I'm afraid I don't have enough men." ”

Cao Zongyu's headquarters plus Zhang Xianbi and Huang Chaoxuan's two departments, whether they can fight or not will not be said. The minimum number of people is more than three times that of Wang Jincai's department.

Zhang Xuan said: "You only need to be stationed in Hengyang. Don't worry about anything else. ”

Wang Jincai's heart moved, and he said secretly: "According to the general's order, I'm afraid I will have to give up several county seats." "But an order in the army is an order, and understanding or not understanding does not prevent the execution of the order. said, "Yes." ”

Zhang Xuan transferred Cao Zongyu back, not only to show the enemy weakness, but also to make the enemy believe that the army in Xiangxi was the main force. There is another reason, that is, he needs someone to sit in Changsha on his behalf. It seems that the people who come up from below like to do it themselves, just like that.

Although Zhang Xuan was promoted by Luo very quickly, after all, he was promoted step by step from the bottom. On top of the key battles, he is still willing to do it himself, just like going south to fight in Guangzhou, from the beginning, Zhang Xuan did not think of sending others, but prepared to go himself.

After he left Changsha, there must be a seat in Changsha, in terms of trust, ability, and qualifications, Cao Zongyu is the best candidate under Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan naturally wanted to exchange Cao Zongyu back first.

"General." Zheng Lian panted and said, "Zhang Tongchang's information has been found." ”

Zheng Lian went to find a lot of demoted officials for Zhang Tongchang's information, but fortunately, Zhang Tongchang has not been in the south for a year or two. There are a lot of people who know him. Therefore, after Zheng Lian asked a few people, he finally figured out the details of Zhang Tongchang.

Zhang Xuan said: "Let's talk about it. ”

Zheng Lian said: "Zhang Tongchang, after Zhang Juzheng, during the Apocalypse, the Emperor of the Apocalypse rehabilitated Zhang Juzheng, posthumously crowned Zhang Juzheng, and in the Chongzhen period, he posthumously crowned Zhang Juzheng's eldest son. And Zhang Tongchang is the great-grandson of Zhang Juzheng, so he became an official and was sent to the south to appease the kings. As a result, Beijing fell, and he handed over the vassal king in the south for a long time, and as for the current situation, it is not very clear. ”

Zhang Xuan said: "It turned out that he was still a famous minister. ”

Zhang Xuan said to Liu Tichun: "Tell General Gao that if you can capture this person, spare his life." ”

"Yes." Liu Tichun said.

Zhang Xuan still has some respect for a big guy like Zhang Juzheng. But it's just admiration.

After the general arrangement, Zhang Xuan discussed some details, and then let everyone disperse.

Zhang Xuan also discussed with Yao Qisheng the issue of grain and autumn harvest.

Yao Qisheng said: "General, please rest assured that the grain and grass of the Southern Expedition will be moved out by the general, but the general can give a number." How much grain exactly? ”

Zhang Xuan pondered for a while.

This time the Southern Expedition is different from the previous ones, with a taste of surprise attacks, not too much but fine. Zhang Xuan was going to send Deng He, Xu Du, Luo Dai, and even Zhang Xuan's headquarters to more than 30,000 people.

All of them are the elites of Zhang Xuan's old department.

"Forty thousand people have a month's worth of grain and grass," Zhang Xuan said, "and all ten of them are cooked for food." ”

In fact, Zhang Xuan felt that this assault probably didn't need a month's food, only ten days' food. ”

If you can't get from Chenzhou to the mainland of Guangdong within 10 days. Or fight from Yongzhou to the city of Guilin. This raid had already failed.

And when I arrived in Guangdong, I was really not afraid of running out of food.

Because the food is to the enemy, it is a very common thing for the soldiers, but it is only for the common people, but it is not very friendly.

"Xia Guan understands." Yao Qisheng said.

Zhang Xuan sent Yao Qisheng out and said to Zheng Lian: "I have one thing for you to do." ”

Zheng Lian said: "General, please speak." ”

Zhang Xuan said: "There will be great changes in the south, but I don't know what the situation is." It's not clear where to start, so I'm going to have to do both. Whether it is the road leading to Guangxi or to Guangdong, it must be explored one by one. and make arrangements in advance to plant people on the side of the Ming army. I trust you the most, and this matter is related to the success or failure of this battle. I want you to do it. ”

Zheng Lian said: "Please rest assured, general. The lower officials must do a good job. ”

Zhang Xuan didn't think that Zheng Lian was the best candidate, he hoped that Hu Tang would do this thing, and people would hate it when they were in use.

Whenever it was time to employ people, Zhang Xuan turned over his entrainment, and he always felt that there were few people. Such a thing must be done by reliable people, and also with a certain amount of brain and power.

The Qing army's early siege methods were clumsy, and in many cases, if they were able to capture the fortified city, they would first place people in the city, and the inside and outside should be combined. Break down the gates.

These arrangements require wisdom.

Zhang Xuan was also not at ease, and said: "Let Sanbao follow you on a trip, take care of everything, you can't always be an attendant by my side." ”

Zheng Lian said: "The lower officials are willing to follow the general for the rest of their lives. ”

Zhang Xuan said: "But I can't waste talent. "At any given time, a truly trustworthy talent is in the minority.

Zheng Lian took the order and went south with Ma Sanbao and hundreds of people dressed as merchants. Zheng Lian didn't know how far the situation had developed in the south, the only thing he knew was that time was tight. Don't dare to slack off.

is also in a hurry, as well as Hu Tang.

Hu Tang set out from Guilin and walked all the way to Guangdong by water. But the journey wasn't easy.

The situation of the two emperors of Shaowu and Yongli has already had an impact. From Guangdong to Guangxi, local officials are standing in line.

Originally, the ground in Liangguang was not very peaceful, and when Longwu was there, he was desperate to use force, and the exploitation of the people of Liangguang was not light.

And the Ming Dynasty has long been rotten to the bones, Longwu levied one tael of silver in Liangguang, and the people below collected at least ten taels of silver.

The high cost of taxation has allowed thieves to run rampant on the ground.

That's it.

While the Liangguang government can still function, these thieves can still be suppressed. When the government of Liangguang and Guangxi was divided, it was not able to suppress the local thieves at all, and no matter what kind of thieves were raging.

Even if Hu Tang walked on the waterway, he had to deal with thieves from all over the world.

Fortunately, the guards sent by Zhang Xuan to Hu Tang were all elite in the army. The rabble of thieves is no match at all. Otherwise, it would not be a big joke that Hu Tang, the director in charge of the intelligence affairs of the two radios, died at the hands of thieves before he completed his mission.

However, for such a situation, Hu Tang is also happy to see it. After all, for every point of weakness of the Ming army, for the Xia army, the chances of victory will be one more point.

In Hu Tang's heart, Qu Shiyun and Ding Chukui are already superior to each other, and the reason is very simple.

On the road from Guilin to Guangzhou, it is the place where there are more thieves after leaving the border of Guangxi, and then the forces of the two sides are intertwined. There are the most thieves, and the officials and soldiers are used to defend each other, not even just not to suppress the thieves, but also to appease the thieves, among which Ding Chukui has done the most excessively.

Even many times, there is no distinction between soldiers and thieves.

And the two are above the official rank, and Ding Chukui is above Qu Shiyun, but the actual control ability is so different.

There are other reasons for this, of course. For example, the time when the two arrived, but fundamentally, there is a difference in the ability of the two.

Although Hu Tang traveled all the way, when he walked to the city of Guangzhou, he already had a trace of inclination in his heart.

This time, Shaowu and Yongli are fighting, and I'm afraid the winner is Yongli.