Zhao Zhiqiang, who was formerly the capital of the township soldiers, made great contributions because he cooperated with more than 2,000 troops to defend Anji County.

The pacification envoys and transfer envoys of the two roads in the south of the Yangtze River, a total of four senior officers checked the battle exploits, and soon promoted Zhao Zhiqiang to the commander of the township soldiers, commanding all the remaining township soldiers in the Anji Valley.

Zhao Zhiqiang became popular in Anji County, and it didn't take many days for him to make new contributions, sending troops to cooperate with the rescue of Liu Chengdong's troops, and the casualties among his men and horses were very small.

The civil officials such as county orders, canonical histories, and teachings became more and more polite to Zhao Zhiqiang, and the squires who were almost frightened by Fang Lajun praised Zhao Zhiqiang again and again. With the help of Li Xiang, Zhao Zhiqiang's two mines made a lot of money......

Zhao Zhiqiang, whose career is on the rise of the period, is not complacent and carried away, but has greater ambitions: to seal his wife and son!

The Great Zhou army began a full-scale counteroffensive, and the Anji Valley was too remote and the terrain was too closed, and its strategic position was like chicken ribs.

Zhao Zhiqiang also has to overcome difficulties. He persuaded the deputy commander who led the 2,000 Xiang army to garrison the county seat to send 1,000 troops, and cooperated with his 1,000 men and horses to attack Xu Bai's camp guarding the mountain pass in the south.

The camp of Xu Bai connected the green hills on both sides, there was a river in the center of the camp, and there were small strong camps on the hills on both sides.

For five consecutive days, Zhao Zhiqiang commanded 2,000 men to attack Xu Bai's camp. The two sides fought very lively, and military reports describing the fierce fighting were sent up several times a day, but there were not many casualties.

Xu Bai's camp was not broken, and the casualties of the men and horses led by Zhao Zhiqiang were also limited, and the two warring sides had a tacit understanding.

In Zhao Zhiqiang's military tent, the meat is hot and the wine is fragrant.

"It's done! Brother Zhao, let's fight like this, can we capture Xu Bai's camp in the Year of the Monkey and run through the mountains and forests in the southeast to Deqing County? How can you cooperate with Liu Chengdong to exterminate Fang Tianding? ”

Deputy Commander Guo of the Guangde Army, who was ordered to be stationed in the Anji Valley, took a sip of cinnamon wine and said with a sad face.

"Well, the rabbit is still the best to eat in winter. Brother Guo really thinks that we need to capture Xu Bai's camp? ”

Zhao Zhiqiang and Deputy Commander Guo called them brothers, and they ate and drank as much as they could. At this moment, the wine is strong, the tongue is swollen, and the vision is a little wandering.

Deputy Commander Guo looked dazed, the corners of his eyes twitched a few times, and he didn't understand Zhao Zhiqiang's calculations.

Zhao Zhiqiang grabbed a handful of peeled dried fruits and stuffed them in his mouth, leaned his head over and said:

"With 2,000 men and horses in our hands alone, it's not enough for Xu Bai to beat him, so why talk about beating Xu Bai's camp?"

"Liu Chengdong is obviously grounded in the mountains and forests, and there is no way to talk about cooperating with Liu Chengdong to exterminate Fang Tianding, but the rhetoric given above is not too ugly."

"The national dynasty will not move south from the Anji Valley, cross nearly 100 miles of mountain roads, and approach Hangzhou from the west. It's too expensive, and there's no need for that. Let's make the momentum bigger, write more military newspapers for help, and share more credit. ”

Hearing Zhao Zhiqiang say this, Deputy Commander Guo seemed to be even more confused, and asked anxiously: "Why does Xu Bai want to cooperate with us?" ”

Zhao Zhiqiang smiled, and could no longer hide the pride in his heart, "Xu Bai, a thief, is not a brave man. Seeing our actions, I will definitely understand what we mean. ”

"If Xu Bai really fights with the two of us and attracts more armies of the country, won't the gains outweigh the losses?"

"Besides, what about Xu Bai defeating our army, taking Anji County, and controlling the entire Anji Valley? The northern exit is firmly controlled by the army of the national dynasty, and the Fang La army can only spend troops and grain in the Anji Valley, isn't that stupid? ”

Deputy Commander Guo carefully memorized every word of Zhao Zhiqiang, but there was an expression of admiration on his face, "Brother Zhao has a clear mind, and Brother Zhao can't compare." I wish Brother Zhao to be transferred to the Xiang Army as soon as possible, promoted to the commander, and even directly transferred to the forbidden army! ”

Zhao Zhiqiang's face was red, and he was hypocritically polite.

The two continued to call each other brothers, pushed the cup and changed the lamp, and fell asleep after drinking and hot.

Zhao Zhiqiang's camp is less than three miles to the south, and it is the mountain control camp of Xu Baibu of the Fang La army.

Xu Bai glanced at the moon, which was much sharper than yesterday, and sighed.

At present, the Great Zhou army is attacking from all sides, and the Yongle Dynasty is facing great pressure, and Xu Bai is very worried. With a war on all sides, as long as the Yongle Dynasty exposes a fatal loophole, it is at risk of collapsing.

"General, do you really want to cooperate with Zhao Zhiqiang's fake fight all the time? Zhao Zhiqiang's 2,000 people have average combat strength, and they have lost their vigilance in the past two days. As long as our army dispatches 3,000 men, it will be able to defeat it in one fell swoop. ”

The pro-soldier colonel behind Xu Bai said angrily that he really wanted to kill Zhao Zhiqiang, who was forcibly pretending.

Xu Bai shook his head, raised his eyebrows and said:

"And then? Attract more officers and soldiers and get into a fierce battle? ”

"Even if you take Anji County, you can't get through the northern gap in the Anji Valley, and you can't threaten Guangde County and Huzhou City, how much does it mean?"

"I hope that in the Great Zhou Army, there will be more speculative scum like Zhao Zhiqiang, and my Yongle Dynasty will be much easier. The most important thing at the moment is to train and raise troops, reduce casualties, and save food and grass. ”

The pro-soldier colonel gritted his teeth and nodded, and then hugged his fists and said:

"General rest assured, one-third of our soldiers and horses have been evacuated to the mountains and forests around the Anji Valley."

"There is also a third of the soldiers and horses, and more than 20 camps have been established in the dangerous places where the mountain road is controlled."

"The men and horses sent out by the camp in turn also dispersed the people in the mountains and forests in the west and south, and obtained enough food for 50,000 people to eat for a year."

Xu Bai's hand on the wooden stake on the wall clenched slightly.

It was Xu Bai's own decision to displace more mountain people and use every grain of grain found as military rations, and this move was appreciated by Yongle Chaozuo Xiangfei.

Xu Bai knew that he was doing evil, but he didn't regret it at all. The national strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty is too terrible, at the moment when disasters have been repeated and bandits are everywhere, just take out a little bit, and it is a situation where 200,000 troops have completely surrounded the Yongle Dynasty.

"I don't want to act unscrupulously, it's all forced by Da Zhou!" Xu Bai's eyes were complicated, and his fingertips turned white.

After Zhao Zhiqiang and Xu Bai rested successively, in Anji County, the door of Zhao Zhiqiang's father-in-law's new house was knocked.

Zhao Zhiqiang's father-in-law came to the main hall and apprehensively greeted a middle-aged man in a green cloth robe.

The middle-aged man has slightly protruding eyebrows, a very white and clean face, and a thin voice. He took two sips of tea impatiently, then disdainfully put the Jingde porcelain cup on the small case, and said neatly:

"You're a scholar, you should understand some truths."

"There are some things that you can't stop, no one can stop them."

"It's better to think more about yourself and your daughter."

The middle-aged man's tone was steady, without any emotional ups and downs, because he was speaking irrefutable facts.

The Wang family behind the middle-aged man was too terrifying, Zhao Zhiqiang's father-in-law only hesitated for most of the incense, then got up tremblingly, and said with a deformed smile:

"Please tell Young Master Wang, as long as I ensure my daughter's safety, I am willing to cooperate."

The middle-aged man's protruding brows stretched, and the light of the candle hit it, reflecting a little, "You are really a smart person, no wonder you married your daughter to Zhao Zhiqiang in the first place." The vision is very accurate, but the luck is not good. ”

"Li Xiang is making a fuss in Jiangnan, but there are big people who have said hello and made some exchanges, but he can't be moved. The old men in Jiangnan were angry, so they could only find another breakthrough to vent and investigate something. ”

"Hey, what's the matter, it's ......"

Departing from Hangzhou Bay by boat, two thousand miles north along the coastline, is the busy port of Mizhou.

The grain has been transported, and now it is salt sauce, live sheep, rice wine and other supplies that have been shipped overnight.

First there is a strong salty aroma, then the smell of sheep, and then the intoxicating taste of rice wine...... On the shore, behind a reef, a young man with a fishing fork couldn't help it.

"Brother Li Bao, why don't we rob him? Grabbing a random ship is enough for us to spend a long time. ”

Hearing the young man say this, other guys with different postures, different ages, tattered clothes, and fierce expressions also looked at the head of their group and splashed Li Bao.

Li Bao is a native of Heze, and his family has always been farming for a living until he was born as an alternative.

Many people think that Li Bao is very smart and capable, but Li Bao himself does not have the consciousness of going up every day. He didn't want to make a living from farming, he didn't even want to study and become an official, and he didn't plan to live a stable life in a business workshop.

When he was a child, he stole chickens and dogs, gathered people to fight before he was ten years old, and when he grew up, he was fighting everywhere, this is Li Bao, who has just turned eighteen.

Li Bao has not made a name for himself until now, but he always looks like he wants to do big things.

The strange thing is that Li Bao's family, friends, and neighbors didn't laugh at Li Bao much, and they also felt that Li Bao would do great things, and they didn't know where their confidence came from.

Even the teacher who cherished his talent back then and wanted to teach Li Bao to read but couldn't, didn't say anything like "mud can't support the wall". Every time the old gentleman saw Li Bao, he had to pull and persuade him, and then patted Li Bao's shoulder with a smile.

Li Bao chewed a kelp in his mouth, ignoring the expectant gazes of his brothers, and silently looked at every sea ship that rowed not far away.

"Boom". Dozens of people on the tattered fishing boat widened their eyes and looked at Li Bao in unison, thinking: What's the situation?

Li Bao at the bow of the boat bit a small pebble, angrily spit out a big mouthful of something into the sea, threw the kelp back, touched the handle of the knife and scolded in a low voice:

"Damn the Koreans, the Dongying people, dominate the fishing grounds and don't let Lao Tzu fish and collect kelp. Sooner or later, Lao Tzu will destroy your kingdom! ”

Due to the limited catch and import, and a certain medicinal value, kelp is a valuable thing in Dazhou. The kelp that Li Bao threw casually was bitten by his brothers and quickly disappeared.

When Li Bao heard the movement, he turned around and saw more than 20 people chewing and chewing there. There are also people with dirty faces, smiling there, looking proud of having eaten something good.

The corners of Li Bao's mouth twitched violently, and his hands trembled.

Thinking about it out of the corner of his eyes, Li Bao found that he had no reason to have a seizure, so he had to cough twice and turn around to support his forehead.

The chewing sound first became louder again, then slowly lowered and disappeared. After the sound of the waves, the sea breeze, and the sound of boats in the distance occupied the fishing boat again, Li Bao turned around.

Li Bao tried his best to make his expression more serious and righteous, and said in a reprimanding tone:

"Robbing these boats? Do you know what kind of ships these are? A ship to the south of the Yangtze River to transport military supplies! The officers and soldiers on the ship and escort, do you think they are vegetarians? We used to send people to death, not to grab things! ”

"Yongle puppet dynasty that gang of thieves, how many people have been killed! Even if we can really grab one or two ships, we can't do that, we have to let the officers and soldiers catch Fang Lana as soon as possible. ”

The young man who made the inquiry had the closest relationship with Li Bao, scratched his head and asked:

"Didn't the Yongle puppet dynasty say something, it's the law or something, and it wants to be the master of the poor people?"

"Where's the beak! Only the big and small leaders in Fang La's rebel army have lived a rich life, where are the other small people better? Now the hundreds of thousands of people who are following the Yongle Puppet Dynasty will be killed by Fang La alone! ”

"Then, timely rain calls Baoyi Song Gongming, is this called? How is Song Jiang? ”

"Song Jiang is not a thing! Fang La is a hero, and Song Jiang is a big thief! Walk for the sky? Phew! Only they ate wine in large bowls and divided the meat in large pieces. I have done all the bad things, and I have not seen anything to do. ”

"Hee-hee, it's still my brother who has insight. Then, the poor fishermen can't rob it, the good people can't rob it, the official and military fleets can't rob it, who should we rob? ”

Li Bao was asked. He pondered for more than a dozen breaths, raised his head suddenly, and said with bright eyes: "Aren't there pirates?" Lao Tzu doesn't rob others, he specializes in robbing pirates! ”

There was silence on board. After five breaths, there was the sound of knives and guns falling on the ship's plank.

Rough men and poor boys, who have little knowledge and can only be loyal listeners, hear this, look at the knives, forks and sticks in their hands, and they are simply out of the world: robbing pirates? It's better to rob the official army!

Li Bao said he would do it, and from the next day, he embarked on the road of fighting pirates and earning gold and silver.

The second batch of supplies from the Port of Mizhou has already been departed and transported from north to south.

The second fleet of ships in Quanzhou Port was even larger, traveling from south to north, and was already approaching the sea near Taizhou.