In Xuzhou City, which is adjacent to the hinterland of Dugi in Henan Province, there are already corpses all over the place and rivers of blood. Everywhere, you can see groups of rebels under the banner of "Meng", breaking into it along the streets door by door.

Then they escorted the young men they had found one by one to the streets; After selecting the marks and characteristics on the body, they were beheaded in pieces at the street entrance; And for a while, blood flowed, converging into streams of all sizes on the brick and stone streets.

Among them, as long as there are thick calluses on the palms, sunburn marks on the body of armor and robes, there are edge marks on the head of the hat and helmet, and there are more wear and tear under the armpits; There are new injuries on the body; They all cut off their heads with knives and axes without hesitation.

Only those who are limb perfect, handicapped, too young and infirm, will be temporarily spared and put into temporary labor teams. This is also the basic screening method they learned from that virtual monk when they were in Guangfu.

In fact, even the means of breaking and capturing this city were copied from the monk who occupied the south.

For example, they first worked together to build and pile up a large number of hair rods and whirlwind cannons, and pushed them under the cover of large platoons and earththen carts; When the defenders who were beaten by riots and stones could not raise their heads, they then rushed the car with a cone and hit the door and took the ladder at the same time.

Since then, the defenders have been able to widen the gap after the heavy casualties, and finally open this fortified city known as "united as one" and "common hatred" at the cost of corpses that spread all over the city and extended inward.

Then it is a good reckoning of the loyal army that has a blood feud with the righteous army and its related people and things in this festival town. But under the strict orders and constraints from the leading general Meng Wei, at least it is not the indiscriminate, brain-style slaughter and venting methods of the past.

After all, as a general who commanded these rebel armies, he should have made progress and learned lessons from the north and south over the years. Especially after going north, Meng Wei felt more deeply the benefits and conveniences brought by the set of things from the "monk".

Despite this, he did not think that he had done anything wrong when he was appointed to the military government and intended to merge and liquidate the other party; At most, it is just that the vision is not clear, and the means of this secret operation and the ambition of the wolf are miscalculated.

And no matter how talented and outstanding he is, he can't change a basic fact; King Huang is the key person who was born in accordance with the mandate of heaven; And any existence that wants to deviate from his old man's will and path is undoubtedly a potential enemy of his Meng Yan.

From this standpoint, the more outstanding the talent of the so-called monk, the more harmful it is to the great cause of the righteous army; is like Wang Xianzhi back then, and like Liu Yanzhang who split the rebel army; Although it will not end well, it has caused repeated twists and turns in the cause of the righteous army.

However, as the so-called unpredictable thing in the world, the other party relied on the residual influence and strength left by the righteous army to really gain a firm foothold in Lingnan, and also took advantage of the situation to achieve a career.

didn't expect that he would become the son-in-law of choice that the Yellow King needed to rely on and borrow, and did not hesitate to use marriage to win him over; also pulled a group of people who were secretly benefited by it among the rebels in the military government.

So he, who had been ordered to be his enemy and fled in defeat, became extremely embarrassed. However, for the sake of the great cause of the Yellow King and the overall situation of the future of the righteous army, he could not temporarily put aside his personal honor and disgrace and have a banquet with that person.

Regardless of how others provoke and instigate, they are resolutely unmoved and do not take an attitude, so as not to delay and destroy the temporary good situation of the righteous military cause that Huang Wang is looking forward to.

However, now after entering the Henan Valley, Huang Wang's actions and behaviors have become more and more incomprehensible and unclear; Although he is still the left military envoy who moves forward bravely and trusts not half a point, everyone should envy the Yellow King's favorite general.

However, the Yellow King became more and more pompous and decent, more and more concerned about the strict hierarchy and the order of dignity and inferiority, and it became more and more difficult to get close and outspoken; Although he still does not punish those who say the wrong thing in public, it is no exception to find the wrong place and be punished afterwards, or be reprimanded and let go away.

For example, this time, because of some obviously inappropriate advances, he was temporarily sent out to deal with Xuzhou, a hard bone on the way to Henan Province; But he doesn't mind either, because it's something he's good at and happy to do.

But he was also disturbed by the change in the Yellow King's attitude towards the old court subordinates and other things; When Henan turned to Jianghuai, he took everyone to copy all the way, and used all the income of the wealthy families to strengthen the righteous army and help the people.

It was not until he went south to Jiangdong that he began to emphasize the kindness of Confucianism, and recruited scholars everywhere for his own use; After the defeat of Da Yuling and the re-stationing in another place, King Huang began to take the lead in accumulating business, and some old officials who "reformed the evil and returned to the right" began to be appointed around him;

When the rebel army went out of the mountain again to conquer Hunan, the military government began to accept some anti-water officials, and began to give preferential treatment and protect some righteous men and beloved families who were said to have taken the initiative to cooperate with the rebel army; and let his children serve under his command.

And when the battle of Xinzhou turned defeat into victory, the old enemy Huainan general Zhang Lan was eradicated, and the prosperity of the alliance of the righteous army from all walks of life was ushered in; The Yellow King even ordered people to directly plunder and search for the wealthy surnames and clans in those places. Instead, after taking the initiative to surrender the land, he ordered him to raise his own money and food for the righteous army.

Later, after crossing the Huaishui, Huang Wang's subordinates began to have no offense with the local autumn; Only recruit young and strong soldiers, and entrust their leaders and others to maintain the local area for a while. After conquering the Eastern Capital, the more and more began to accept the attachment of those former officials and generals of the imperial court, and let them be called lonely and widowed.

It is the people who are gathered around the Yellow King now, although they are not good at using soldiers to fight, but in the means of racking their brains to curry favor with Yingying, they are far superior to these old brothers of the rebel army who were born and died.

There are even many people who have been coerced by their methods, and they have been called brothers and sisters to have fun together, exhausting their pleasure and joining forces. Those who did not want to be with them were naturally isolated and excluded, and even the opportunity to meet the Yellow King became less and less.

However, the unlikable monk still insisted on his "unpopular" and "cruel and cruel" measures as always, and the wealthy surnames and eunuchs everywhere he passed were all in dire straits, and they died one after another.

Although Meng Kai still hated the monk who had hidden ambitions at the beginning and had the intention of occupying the dove's nest, he also had to admit that he had brought benefits and changes to the rebel army, and he was still very useful and convenient in various places of action after the army went north.

Despite all this, at least one point of the original intention of Meng Wei has always been the same, he firmly believes that as long as the Yellow King replaces the imperial court to sit in this world, maybe most people in the world will not have to live so misery and despair.

When the killing and cleaning liquid in the city gradually came to an end, Meng Kai received a report from his subordinates.

"Tell the left army, Meng (Juehai) vanguard has come to ask to see you."

"How could it be you,"

Then Meng Kai saw the person who came, and frowned. Because the other party voted for the lord of the Taiping Army early, and now Zhang Guiba, who is the pioneer flag officer.

"I invited the name of Meng Xianfeng to come, and I thought that I had a few words to pass on to the left army."

Zhang Guiba is neither humble nor arrogant.

"Why do you want to find me, instead of Shang Chief, or Gai Du Tong, Pang Commander and lead them? Am I particularly easy to deceive? ”

Meng Kai was unmoved.

"That's because the leader of my family has specially explained, although Meng Zuojun disagrees, he is one of the few people in the righteous army who has not changed his original intention; It is also the righteous wish of the people, the only remaining pillar. ”

Zhang Guiba said calmly and sincerely.

"What are you talking about, intending to provoke and alienate the brotherhood of my rebels? Do you think my sword and axe are not fast enough? ”

Meng Kai couldn't help but feel angry, but he found that he didn't have much anger in his heart.

"It's just a heartfelt statement, if the left army only has this bit of strength and pattern, and can't even listen to a few words, then I can only lead the neck and wait to be killed."

Zhang Guiba still retorted unfazedly.

"Well, you don't want to do that trick me, just listen to what you do with all that nonsense."

Meng Kai sneered.

"The leader has explained, and now the Yellow King's army has entered the customs unstoppable, however, Chang'an is the capital of the old dynasty for hundreds of years, but it is not so easy to clean up and operate. If you don't put your mind down, it will be a situation where the world is besieging enemies in all directions,"

Zhang Guiba

"There are a few key points in particular, and I implore the left army to inform Yu Huang Wang in a timely manner."

"First of all, we must beware of the plots and ambushes of the remnants of the imperial court in the city, especially the sneak attacks and assassination methods of those who are dead, and even in the name of surrendering and offering advice, the soldiers are tricked into plundering the people and killing indiscriminately, so as to provoke the resentment and contradictions between the rebel army and the soldiers and the people."

"Secondly, we must be careful of the Shatuo Department that the imperial court has appeased, especially the Zhu Xie clan, who also made great efforts in the Pang Xun Rebellion back then."

"If you can pursue after taking Chang'an, you can pursue more, try to capture and kill the ministers and officials of the imperial court, and weaken and drive out the remnants of the imperial court in the pass, especially the soldiers and horses of the eight towns in western Beijing to which the Shence Xing camp belongs."

。。。。。。。。

Outside Tongguan City, encouraged by the reinforcements, Qi Kerang personally led the defenders to fight, broke the outpost of the Huangchao Army, and killed a total of more than 10,000 people. However, before they had time to clean up the battlefield and count the captures, there were more thieves in the ancient road of Taoyuansai.

But it was Huang Chao himself who led the army to arrive immediately, only to see the morale of the thieves near and far roared in unison, the sound resounded between the Yellow River, and as far as the Huashan Mountain, especially heard, hiding from the soldiers and civilians hiding in the mountains, all of them suddenly lost color.

The conquest made Qi Kerang resist and fight hard according to the fortifications and camps in the Guanqian Gorge laid in advance, and fought from noon to unitary hour before they collected their troops. However, at this time, the soldiers were already very hungry, but they did not see the No. 4 grain and grass coming from the rear, so they made a commotion, burned the camp, and dispersed, and fled into Tongguan alone.

There is a valley on the side of Tongguan, and people are usually forbidden to come and go in the valley in order to collect commercial taxes, and people call this valley "forbidden pit". The army of Huangchao came in a hurry, and the officers and soldiers were also caught off guard, and the rout troops crowded and trampled on the valley road, and panicked to go from the valley and enter the forbidden pit;

Although the shrubs and vines inside are dense like spider webs, they have been stepped into a flat avenue overnight. Zhang Chengfan, who stayed in Tongguan, then distributed all his baggage and private pockets to the soldiers on the spot to be inspired and encouraged, and sent someone to the court to report urgently:

"The minister left Beijing for six days, and the first soldier did not increase one person, and the salary was not affected. On the day of the pass, the giant had already arrived, with more than 2,000 people to resist 600,000 people, the foreign army was starved and collapsed, and the forbidden pit was opened. The loss of the minister, the wok, the wok; The courtiers, ashamed of it! Or hearing that His Majesty has discussed the western tour, Gou Luanyu moved, and collapsed from top to bottom.

The ministers dare to risk death with the body of the dead, and are willing to discuss with the close secret and the ministers, and urgently recruit troops to save the defense, then the ancestors and Taizong's karma can still be supported, so that Huangchao will follow the death of An Lushan, and the death of Weichen will win the death of Ge Shuhan! ”

The day after writing this report, Zhang Chengfan's gorgeous bright armor and purple velvet were already covered with blood and mud so that they could not see their original appearance; And the crossbowmen of the Divine Strategy Army behind him were also in such a state of embarrassment.

You must know that these two thousand eight hundred Divine Crossbowmen are the last capable warriors that he and the disciples of the Jingshen Ce have tried their best to select. So he was especially eager for follow-up reinforcements.

As if following his thoughts, suddenly there was a burst of shouts and cheers behind the gate; However, it was the general of the infantry army of the right army who also made the grain and material of the pass and led a new batch of reinforcements to arrive and clear the customs. Of course, this batch of reinforcements was a hard-won result.

It is Zheng Jin, the prime minister who sits in Beijing, when the new and old Shence troops in Beijing are unusable, and the Shence camp is still too late; The order included the defense cabinet and servants of the hundred officials and officials, the children of the honor guards of each class of the Ouchi, and the clean streets and straight houses of the guards of the Jinwu and the prison gates; and even the guards in the marching halls and palaces in various places,

Only then was he able to muster together a fairly strong backup of more than 8,000 people. He also ordered the households in the two cities in Beijing and the cabinets, quality shops, and stacks belonging to the towns of various roads and towns to apportion and pay out a sum of money and grain of varying amounts, thinking that they would be used as a reward and use before the army, so that they could be used to send reinforcements on the road.

(End of chapter)