The three counties of Fuzhou are all finished; Thinking of those old brothers who had followed him and turned their backs, Zhu Cun didn't know whether it was loss or melancholy, or regret and relief. And according to the confessions of those prisoners of the official army, not only the rebels in Fuzhou finished the game, but Yuezhou is also said to have been beaten down.

Shang Rang, the deputy head of the rebel army who was repairing on the ground, was lucky enough to lead his troops to catch up with the rebel army's main formation. However, he left more than a dozen people such as Li Tangbin and Zhang Hou, the generals who guarded Yueyang, but after repeated defeats and losses, they sacrificed their officers and troops to the subordinates who opposed the water, and they were beheaded before Yuanmen.

So here's good news and bad news. The good news is that the generals are still resisting and have not completely fallen; The bad news is that it can be said that on the outskirts of Gangneung, there are no more rebel forces to support and echo.

If you want to rescue Jiangling, you must penetrate Yuezhou, which has been occupied by the official army, before you can follow the Yangtze River system connected by Dongting Lake and enter the territory of Jiangling in Jingzhou upstream. Therefore, this is also a crucial moment for the reinforcements that are coming all the way to the present, whether to stabilize the existing situation or take the risk of continuing to forge ahead.

He thought about it and stepped into the devastated festival hall, but he was directly guided to the flower hall in the side courtyard that was still intact.

"Brother Zhu came just in time, I want to ask what your plans are after this."

Zhou Huai'an, who was sitting on a table to deal with official business, said lightly to Zhu Cun.

"Are you interested in sitting in Tanzhou and becoming this family, anyway, you are also the master of the army. I can give you three or five thousand men from those recruited soldiers, and then allocate a batch of money and grain for you to raise some young men on the spot. ”

"Then, I'll leave a group of veterans to assist your headquarters in training, and rebuild the new frame of the Kokang Army."

This is also the result of Zhou Huai'an's careful consideration, in this peripheral place and important node far away from the basic plate outside the mountains, in addition to the newly established Liangtai Yuan and the transfer station, to re-support a highly friendly force that is close to and inclined to himself; There are many benefits for future actions.

Moreover, as long as there is sufficient common ground and the exchange of interests as a bond, this kind of relationship cannot be easily provoked and broken by external forces. It's like Cao Shixiong and Wang Chongyin, who are stationed in Jiangling.

"Old Void, if I don't do it with you."

But after hearing these words, Zhu Cun said seriously as if he had made up his mind.

"Anyway, all of my current situation is from you. And why not this well-deserved name and righteousness? On the contrary, I have suffered so many benefits in vain.,It's really unsteady.。。 ”

"But I have a lot of rules, and I don't want to ruin my old friendship and relationship because of this."

Zhou Huai'an was also a little surprised, but then he said sincerely.

"Since they are also rebels, why can't I follow the rules that your people can follow."

Zhu Cun looked more and more determined.

"There are rules and regulations to have a scale of advance and retreat, these dirty things in this Tanzhou, aren't they just a lack of rules and constraints, and let everyone act recklessly."

"Since I have followed you, of course I have to follow your rules; I've seen some of it.,Although the rules you set are strict.,But that's a good rule that doesn't have to bully and poison the people.,You can also live in peace.。。 ”

"I can't guarantee that I can do a good job in the future, but I can swear that there will be another one of these subordinates who dares to commit crimes, and I will know him with my own hands."

Well, Zhou Huai'an was indeed a little surprised that he was able to say such a rough and unreasonable content, and he couldn't help but say:

"Then I might as well be respectful and welcome Brother Zhu to join my Taiping Army's career. May we participate in the grand event and recreate the peaceful world, and enjoy wealth and happiness together. ”

+1 for old allies and new subordinates.

。。。。。。

Xunyang City, Jiangzhou, Jiangxi Province, which has been occupied by the Huangchao Righteous Army for more than a month, is shrouded in a brightly lit Thorn History Mansion under the rainy night.

Cui Miao, who was once born in the Gaotang House of Qinghe Cui, one of the five surnames and seven wangs of the famous family, was also an observer of eastern Zhejiang in the imperial court, and is now a ceremonial envoy of the Cupola General's Mansion and an ambassador for the preparation of the stage; He also walked slowly through the long corridor with mixed feelings, and looked through the carved window at the leaders of the rebel army who were feasting in the hall and becoming more and more dissolute.

Since they can appear here, they are naturally all generals who lead one army to several armies. Except for the Yellow King in the middle who has a horizontal eyebrow and looks forward to it, although his skin is rough and dark, and there is a bit of a noble style;

Sitting on the left hand side is Gu Pan's rebellious, even if he is wearing a splendid robe, it is difficult to hide the fierce spirit of Shang Rang; On the right hand side is Pang Shigu, who has a thin body and long arms and was once nicknamed "Old Monkey", even if he has passed the age of standing, he is still like a monkey, and his hands and feet stop for a moment;

There is also Ji Kui, who has a raw sharp-beaked monkey cheek and a pair of fierce triangular eyes, and Fei Chuangu, who has a disgusting and ugly ugly face; Meng Juehai, who has a round face, a big nose and small eyes, and a yin vulture patrolling outside; Like an old farmer, his complexion is complete, and the soil is scum, but he pretends to be a decent Chang Hong; and Liu Ying, who is handsome in appearance but full of philistine atmosphere, and so on. . .

Therefore, although the scale of this feast is not very large, it basically includes the vast majority of the high-level positions of the main force of the rebel army. And all this is a bit ironic in Cui Miao's eyes, although he is now one of these demons. It was a voice that sounded, but it was Shang Rang beside Huang Chao who had already noticed him.

"It's Cui Daguan who is here."

"Just tell me about it, and by the way, explain one or two things for Brother Xiao Meng"

Hearing the greeting, Cui Miao suddenly shook off the melancholy and melancholy of a scribe as if he had changed into a person, and replaced it with a sincere, loyal and cautious expression, and naturally joined the atmosphere during the period.

"For the safe return of Brother Meng, drink his mother well, relieve bad luck, and go to the mold."

"Lao Meng, don't worry, with your ability and qualifications, Huang Wang will assign you the same strong people."

"Those few dogs that don't have long eyes, I sent someone to clean them up, I don't think there will be news in a few days."

After taking a seat opposite Huang Chao, Cui Miao noticed that the center of their topic was that the only one who was out of step with the smug ambition present and drank was Meng Wei, who was full of vicissitudes and depression.

According to Cui Miao's private information, when he withdrew from the defeat of Guangfu, there were still hundreds of followers; However, on the way to return to the north of Chenzhou and want to gather the old department, he was ambushed by the local tyrants and his entourage was killed and wounded; After escaping, he was caught in a dark mine and did hard labor.

It wasn't until more than half a month ago that he led the crowd to overturn the supervision and escaped, and it took several hardships all the way to find the station of a peripheral rebel army; However, the other party obviously didn't believe his identity, but instead arrested him as a spy and prepared to behead him; At the end of the day, a small leader recognized him and took out his money, but the people who followed him were all cut down in anger.

Therefore, after he came back, he looked so bitter and hateful. Of course, as far as Cui Miao knows, he is afraid that his revenge will not be avenged for a while. Because the peripheral rebel army that wanted to behead him as a spy before no longer knows where to run and eat; It is not surprising that even if they rejoin the official army or become a local local group.

You must know that according to the past practice, the rebel army in the late Tang Dynasty, led by Huang Chao, generally carried out sentinel food or food in the places where it had been fought. The former is to send collection teams of varying numbers and scales to rural areas outside the cities to collect grain and become large eaters; Basically, it is a temporary measure and an extensive style of eating wherever you go, so there are many omissions and mistakes.

The latter is to demarcate an area as a certain rebel army to meet the needs of replenishing troops on the spot and gathering the necessary supplies for a period of time; It is a further means of looting and gathering, and the cleanup of local wealthy families is also more thorough;

On the basis of these two, a third way was later developed; It is often referred to as guarding the township. That is to say, among the main forces of the rebel army, which is growing day by day, a small number of men and horses are successively assigned to guard the back road, and also to provide follow-up money, food, and material transportation; In order to reduce the pressure and waste on the supply of the formation.

It can be regarded as the occupied territory to be more fully excavated, developed and utilized; (This is also a kind of influence change and chain reaction brought about by the chaos of a traveler entering Lingnan.) ）

But the good times didn't last long, and since Cao Shixiong and Wang Chongyin took the initiative to occupy Jiangling, they used the ready-made example of not leaving; Some of the rebel divisions who went to the sentry for food and food also began to follow suit in their own places far away from the main formation, and began to enjoy the long-term benefits of the local area in the name of defending the township.

Of course, after creating a fait accompli, they will still symbolically send some money and food to the original belonging, in order to maintain a certain title and substantive origin and subordination. But for the middle and upper echelons of the main force of the righteous army who want to return to their northern hometown to raise their eyebrows, it is inevitably a disguised betrayal and continuous weakening.

But it is the so-called truth that the law does not blame the public, especially when these partial teachers who spontaneously defend their hometowns are still driven by their vital interests, and begin to secretly and faintly connect together to protect and echo themselves, and secretly resist the candidates appointed by the General's Office, or when they begin to disobey the order; Most of the rebel army, which has already fought far away, is unlikely to give up a good momentum and upper hand in order to liquidate them and turn back.

As a result, Gangneung, as the initiator, inevitably became a thorn in the flesh and hatred in the heart of some people; Therefore, even under the continuous attack of the Shannan official army, not only will there be no reinforcements from this formation, but also strictly order that other troops who are about to repair are not allowed to fight without authorization.

On the other hand, as the source and supporter of the Gangneung side's transportation exchanges, the internal purge and liquidation of the left-behind division from the Canton Province were carried out to cut off the foreign aid and echo that it insisted on. It can be regarded as an indirect means of punishment and oppression, but it is a pity that Meng Kai, who obviously has a huge advantage in military strength and reputation, still failed.

And the General's Mansion also cut off one of the most important sources of stability and transportation; At this time, some people panicked and nervous, wanting to make up for the involvement and responsibility, and proposed in front of King Huang to divide the troops and go to Lingdong to "set things right" through Jiangxi.

However, it was delayed and shelved for a long time because of too many internal disagreements and controversies; Then, with a right-wing army of soldiers and horses being sent to attack Fuzhou, but said that the local epidemic broke out and stopped in Hongzhou and refused to leave, the general's mansion basically broke off this idea and idea of weakening its own control in disguise.

So as far as Cui Miao thinks, Meng Kai's revenge for being expelled from Guangzhou after his defeat is not so easy or even a distant thing. However, as a descendant, especially a descendant who began to be valued and relied on by the "Yellow King", of course he would not do the unsociable act of "everyone is drunk and I am sober".

In fact, when he was greedy for life and afraid of death as a thief in the court, there was no retreat or hope; Maybe others can be appeased and appeased for the time being, but he, a traitor, is absolutely unable and has only a miserable death.

is because he can only secretly despise and dislike these vulgar and mud-legged leaders, but he wants to try his best to meet and do what he likes, to seek more power and trust in this anti-thief group that wants to pry the general trend of the world;

In this way, there may be a day in the future when he can relist the genealogy as a great contributor to the preservation of the Qinghe Cui clan; Or it is a certain channel with enough power, and the fact that it is like those Heshuo Fang towns is outside the authority of the imperial court.

Therefore, this former left military envoy and Guangzhou stay-behind Meng Wei, who came back from losing power but was still valued by Huang Chao, is a good person to take advantage of the situation to send charcoal in the snow to be a good object.

So he also half-truthfully enlightened Meng Wei a few words according to the beginning of everyone's words, and put forward some suggestions and strategies that seemed feasible to the other party; As a means of avenging the other party and countering Lingwai. finally made Meng Wei, who was drunk and his face red and black, cheer up a little bit of silence.

"Report..."

At this time, there was an urgent report from outside, interrupting Cui Miao's hard work.

"The Huainan Army has crossed the river."

Suddenly, there was a cacophony of all sorts of cups and cups of wine, falling or overturning.

There are also drunken muttering:

"Huai... Huai、、What's coming.。。 ”

"It's the Huainan Army, the Huainan Army is finally calling."

(End of chapter)