In the great changes, there are far more people with thoughts than Wang and Huang of the Red Gun Society.

Not far from the north gate of Qiongzhou, there is a dim and narrow alley. At the end of the alley, a house with an inverted eight-character door is quite imposing. It's just that the high walls of bricks and the stone steps with green moss steps confirm the antiquity and decline of the house.

Walking through the gate, you turn the corner and pass the gatehouse, and there is a deep patio. Looking up, there was only a small sky on the eaves.

Continuing along the corridor under the eaves of the east wing, after passing the corridor between the transept and the main room, a slightly larger patio appeared in front of you.

In front of the main room, a man dressed in a tunic and carrying a sword at his waist waited for the visitor a little nervously. As if he knew his master's thoughts, the visitor quickly nodded to his master and said softly:

"My lord, it's a big deal!"

"Good!" The master slammed his palm with his fist, and then waved his hand and made a gesture of please: "Brother Lixing, please speak in the hall!" ”

The owner of this old mansion is Lu Benxue, the hereditary deputy of the Thousand Households who guarded the city in Qiongzhou.

He was about forty years old, of medium height, and with a fierce aura between his eyebrows, he was obviously a capable official. But it is precisely because he wants to do things and can do things that he has never been able to enter the blue eyes of previous officials.

Lu Benxue originally planned to be like his ancestors, guarding this hereditary official position for the rest of his life. But since Qiong Mei was clearly working against Chengdu, his mind was a little different.

Recently, the governor of the Yamen Xingwen Qiongzhou Office issued an order "after the improvement of the army", and Lu Benxue's secular position, like almost all the hereditary officers in the institute, has become a hardcore crop of investment funds.

Some officers were happy, others were angry, but Lu Benxue was calm as usual. It's just that he has secretly made up his mind to take advantage of the current situation in Qiongmei to make a career.

As for one of the factors that prompted Lu Benxue to finally make up his mind, it was the guest who visited today, Yi Lixing, a student from Qiongzhou.

Yi Lixing was originally from Dayi, his parents died early, he was unmarried and had no children, but there were many women around him. Yi Lixing participated in two student examinations in Dayi, and both ended in failure. Estimating that it was difficult to earn fame in Dayi County, which is full of talents, he settled in Qiongzhou a few years ago and became a college entrance examination immigrant.

Yi Lixing has a skill, that is, everyone is drunk and I am sober, that is, he is a bit maverick, so he is not pleasing in a group of amiable Qiongzhou scholar circles. However, his family has a lot of wealth, he is bold and generous, and he has won back a lot of popularity for himself.

Lu Benxue and Yi Lixing drank a big meal, and spit out the truth to each other after drinking, and since then they have become friends who have forgotten the year. This time, Lu Benxue took advantage of the rain to make a "rest plan" and let his subordinates scatter and flee, which was Yi Lixing's ghost idea.

When the guests took their seats, Lu Benxue smiled and said, "Mr. Yi, the soldiers are scattered, and Qiongzhou is already an empty city. Next, it's time for Lord Xu to order someone to take me for dereliction of duty! It is better for us to leave the city early and rush to Chengdu! ”

"I'm afraid that Lord Xu hasn't given the order yet, and the local thugs outside the city have already broken through!" Yi Lixing replied with a smile. However, he immediately rejected Lu Benxue's proposal, even though it was his previous master plan.

"Lord Lu, before we go, we have to finish one thing. After that, Master Lu is not allowed to go to Chengdu......"

"What do you do first?" Luben asked. From Yi Lixing's expression, he could see that his mastermind had a new idea.

"The soldiers didn't run out. Wang Siniu called some of the people who had run away back. Now the west gate has been sealed, the east gate and the south gate are controlled by the Red Gun Society, and the north gate is in the hands of your family......"

"What about Huang Huan?" Lu Benxue interjected and asked.

Huang Huan walked out of the West Gate and didn't know where to go. Wang Wuniu rode out of the city on a mule, and there were a few people who would go out of the city with red guns. It is estimated that the students are going to ask for help from Wangzhuang in Dayi, Chongzhou, and Mingshan, or they may have gone back to their hometown Wangjiashan to call for help. ”

Lu Benxue was a little puzzled: "They ask for help, this is a good thing!" Why should we mix? If you want to mix, it is better to simply raise troops and arrest Yang Shen and Xu Kongtu to offer treasures, wouldn't it be troublesome? ”

"How do you deal with the thieves outside the city?" Yi Lixing immediately retorted, "Do you want to go to the city in person to fight and fight to the death with the thieves?" As a result, Zhang Hongbin saw the situation and raised troops to take refuge in the Shu Palace, so he was crowned an official and entered the knighthood, but the adults were covered in blood, but there was only an empty city in Qiongzhou as a meeting gift, and they had to compete with Wang Siniu, Huang Huan and other countrymen? ”

"I am a warrior, what is the use of the city? It's still an affordable one for two thousand soldiers! Lu Benxue replied in one word, indicating that he had just done it on purpose, and the two of them laughed heartily.

"Huang Huan was originally promoted by an adult, and Wang Siniu was also recruited by an adult. In this case, it is better for adults to sell it again, so that Wang Siniu can be justified! ”

"How about the official to make him an assistant camp?"

"Not good!" Yi Lixing shook his head, "Wang Siniu is at the head of the line, and his sudden high position will only make the generals in the battalion dissatisfied, and there will be chaos......"

Since Yi Lixing had an idea, Lu Benxue waited for him to continue: "...... Zhizhou Xu Kongtu led the troops is right. It is better for the adults to repair a letter before leaving, and publicly promote Wang Siniu, saying that he is deeply expected by the people, and it is appropriate to give him the responsibility of guarding the city...... Privately, it made people signal to Wang Siniu......"

"Mr. Yi is thoughtful!" Lu Benxue nodded, but stretched out his hand to Yi Lixing. Yi Lixing immediately took out the submission from his sleeve, and Lu Benxue didn't look at it, so he got up and used the seal on the confession.

"What's next?" Luben asked.

"Didn't Lord Lu say that you are a military attache and are willing to lead troops? Now the elite soldiers in Qiongzhou are all in the hands of Zhang Deaf, and those soldiers are all trained by you with one hand and one foot......"

"That's good!"

Lu Benxue slammed the table with his fist and said categorically: "We split up overnight!" Mr. went to Chengdu, found Mr. Liu, and submitted a letter to Liao Fu on behalf of the official to correct his heart; This official took his family to Pujiang, entered the Qiongzhou camp on the grounds of complaining, and killed Zhang Deaf! There are 100,000 stones of grain in Yicang in Qiongzhou, which is the old book of Yang Shen and Xu Kongtu, and they must be imprisoned......"

"Lord Lu is really a hero! Kill the generals and capture the army, full of pride! Yi Lixing praised while also spreading his palm to Lu Benxue.

Lu Benxue responded with a letter in his sleeve.

The two looked at each other and laughed, and went out of the city.

……

Baizhang Pass in the north of Mingshan County, controls Yaqiong official road, and is the only place to pass from Yazhou to Chengdu. After the Baizhang Pass, 200 miles is the provincial capital Chengdu, a horse Pingchuan, there is no danger to defend, so there is a saying that "those who get a hundred zhang get Chengdu" in ancient times.

At the foot of Baizhangguan Mountain is Baizhang Town by the Linxi River. After crossing the wooden bridge over the river, it entered the territory of Qiongzhou from the boundary of Yazhou.

The Baizhang Pass in the north of the famous mountain city and the Jiamen Pass in the west of the city used to be the news place of the Yazhou Guard. Now that the Yajia garrison regiment has been established and the thousand households have been abolished, these news sites will naturally be taken over by the garrison regiment.

The garrison of Baizhang Pass originally only had one company of dissatisfied members in the garrison battalion of Mingshan County. However, a few days ago, the garrisons of Yazhou, Yingjing, and Mingshan counties suddenly drove to Baizhang Pass, with more than a dozen barbarian cavalry in the middle, crowding this small Guancheng to the brim.

On the evening of April 6, the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the sky was overcast, the stars and the moon were gone, and it was obvious that heavy rain was coming.

It is close to the rainy city of Yazhou, where two-thirds of the year is cloudy and the rest is rainy. The common people have long been accustomed to the weather, but they still collected the things to dry, closed the door and went to sleep.

Sure enough, it was almost hourly when it rained heavily in the sky. For a time, heaven and earth were shrouded in mist.

In this world of water and fog, there are a few people who have not fallen asleep. One of them is Liu Daozhen, the new head of the Shu Wangfu in Yazhou.

In the north gate tower of Baizhang Pass, a faint light leaked out of the cracks in the doors and windows. Liu Daozhen was sitting in front of a simple wooden table, an oil lamp swaying gently in the wind. There are several pieces of letter paper on the table, and it is the letter that Chen Huainian entrusted his nephew Chen Shida to transfer to the son.

Liu Daozhen served as a priest in Yazhou, but he was a native of Qiongzhou who was like a fake. When he was admitted to the lifter, he also occupied the quota in Qiongzhou. Fortunately, Qiongya is a close neighbor, and if you go back to your homeland to see, it is also a more than a day's drive.

But now Qiongmei and the Shu Wangfu are facing each other-for-tat, Liu Daozhen is a prince of Shu Shizi's trust, and the commander of more than a thousand soldiers, how can he leave the camp and return to his hometown without authorization?

Liu Daozhen was thinking about her heart when the wooden door suddenly creaked and was pushed open. The mountain wind that poured in suddenly blew the paper on the table in all directions, and also blew the oil lamp to the ground.

"KUI, why are you still so reckless! You have to learn from the world, what a young man! What a graceful bearing! ”

"Daddy! That's a dragon species, not a mortal in the world! ”

The young man who entered the door quickly closed the door, kept the wind and rain out, then took off his wet raincoat, dried his hands on his chest, and then picked up the letters on the ground one by one and put them back on the table.

"I have never believed in the theory of gods and ghosts. This is not a matter of being born into a dragon race, it is a personal cultivation to the point where it is not hot! ”

Liu Xundu saw that his father was about to start washing himself again, so he hurriedly used the business that his father cared about to change the topic:

"The first company of the Mingshan Battalion and the first company of the Yazhou Battalion have reached Ganxi and Heizhu respectively, less than fifty miles away from Qiongzhou. Dad, are we in a hurry? If you startle the snake, the son of the world will blame ......"

Liu Daozhen patted the letter paper on the table and shook her head slightly:

"There are not only Yang Tianguan and Xu Kongtu in Qiongzhou, but also the old bandits in Niujiaozhai. Chen Huainian's letter is clearly written, these old bandits will not change their stubborn nature, and sooner or later they will cause trouble. Instead of being unable to prevent it, it is better to slaughter it all, and it will be a hundred!

There is also food in the city of Qiongzhou. In the city alone, there are 100,000 stones of dry grain! plus the gentry's private warehouse, I don't know how many. Zhang Shilin was seriously injured and carried back to Yazhou, didn't he say that Yang Tianguan was more luxurious than the prince?

This batch of grain, I am red-eyed, what about a bandit who has been hungry for a long time? Xu Kong was angry with his book, thinking that the bandits could recruit An, but did he know that he didn't lure the wolf into the house? We are stationed in a hundred zhang just in order to deal with all aspects, just in case! ”

"In this case, it is better to take advantage of Zhang Hongbin's stay away from Qiongzhou and attack Qiongzhou City at night! took Qiongzhou, arrested Yang Shen and Xu Kongtu, and then slowly litigated with the imperial court! ”

Liu Xuandu's method is exactly what Liu Daozhen wants to do. However, this is not Lushan County, which is a mixed Han and Yi place, and we must take into account the reactions of all aspects, especially the reactions of the Shu Wangfu and the Shu Shizi.

"Let's wait. Qiongzhou is not as good as Lushan, it is a big city. Once the army is under the city, it will be unsightly, and our father and son will be in a dilemma......"

Father does not talk about the army, but about father and son, Liu Xuandu immediately understood where Liu Daozhen's real concerns were.

The boss of the Fu family was the first to take refuge in the Shu Palace, first with Hong Qihui, and then with Cao Santai, thinking that as soon as Cao Santai left, he would be able to straighten out. Who knew that the prince ordered it, but it was Liu Daozhen. However, Liu Daozhen is Fu Yuanxiu's teacher in the state, and his qualifications and diplomas are clearly displayed there, Fu Yuanxiu can't fight openly, and he has to endure it if he is angry. The name of "the second millennium", I don't know how long he is willing to endure it.

"Since...... That dad must divide the army and cut off Zhang Hongbin's way back to Qiongzhou first! ”

"Sending troops out of Ganxi and Heizhu for my father to occupy the left bank of the Linxi River, that is, to prevent Zhang Hongbin from retracting to Qiongzhou. Again...... Pujiang Li Yunyi is from the Shu Palace, and Zhang Hongbin can't go back. ”

Liu Daozhen pondered for a moment, but still whispered the truth to her son. Then he sighed: "I don't know how many secret hands the prince has left for Qiongmei!" The prince of the world, he is really a genius from heaven! Yang Shen, Xu Kongtu and Li Chuandi, if they don't fight with the sky, they will definitely die without a place to be buried! ”

"They expect the emperor in the Jinluan Palace to administer justice......"

Before Liu Xuandu finished speaking, he heard a rush of footsteps outside the door. Liu Xundu quickly turned around and opened the door, and several generals hurried over a young eunuch. The raincoats on their bodies were drenched.

"Grandpa Cao......"

"Young Master Liu, has Lord Lingzun ever slept?" As soon as Cao Side's words came out, he had already caught a glimpse of Liu Daozhen sitting at the table.

"Boss, Qiongzhou Yingxiao! Here's the chance we've been waiting for! Cao Side stepped into the city tower with one foot.

On the evening of April 6, the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the first part of the Yajia garrison regiment stationed at Baizhang Pass, under the leadership of Liu Daozhen and Cao Side, braved the pouring rain and rushed to Qiongzhou. Before dawn the next day, one company each of the Mingshan Battalion and the Yazhou Battalion, its vanguard troops, smoothly marched into Qiongzhou City from the south gate controlled by the Red Gun Society.

Soon after, the main force of the Yajia garrison led by Liu Daozhen and Cao Side appeared outside the stone bridge at the west gate of Qiongzhou, blocking the main point of the bandits who were attacking the city and retreating to Qiongshan.

In the early morning of the second day, the protector troops of Xinjin, Dayi, and Chongzhou also arrived outside Qiongzhou one after another. The only surprise was that Hu Heng, the imperial historian of Shangchuan South Province, appeared in person under the city of Qiongzhou.

Linqiong, a thousand-year-old city famous for Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun, is like a magnet, attracting forces from all sides.

They took different paths to reach the same goal.