Although calm was restored in Wuchang Province, even greater unrest spread in Huguang.

With the news of Chongzhen's martyrdom spreading, countless bandits and bandits took advantage of the situation, and the people of the party responded to the news.

"Song Jiang" was originally entrenched in Dongting Lake water bandits, in the past two years, Shili has developed rapidly, not only on the water surface, but also repeatedly to the land to rob houses, in Yuezhou, Chongyang and other places known as notoriety. After learning that the Ming Dynasty was gone, Song Jiang gathered the 17 water villages of the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake, captured the county town of Linxiang under the banner of the Dashun Army, and after a lot of looting, he coerced thousands of people to join the army, and there were more than 10,000 people and horses under his hands, and he was known as 100,000 "righteous troops" to the outside world.

After Song Jiang's "righteous army" occupied Linxiang, everyone in the nearby prefectures and counties was in danger, and urgent documents were sent to the Huguang Governor's Yamen, and Wang Kefan was ordered to reinforce Chongyang County.

In the evening, the Yangtze River wharf in Wuchang Mansion was full of recruits from the Gongyi Battalion, and the four sentinels under Wang Kefan were about to board the ship and set off.

The wind is bleak and the river is cold, Wang Kefan just went out to suppress the bandits, and there is no reason to never return, but Du Yinxi and Niu Zhongxiao have heavy faces, as if they are bidding farewell to Jing Ke's prince Dan.

"Yuntai, the Songjiang water bandits threatened the southern foot of Wuchang Mansion, which has become a big trouble for the imperial court, you must be self-conscious after you arrive in Chongyang, and it is meritorious to have no fault! If Song Jiang comes to attack, he will rely on the city to hold on and wait for help, and he can't easily go out of the city to fight. "Gu Yinxi earnestly instructed: "If Chongyang can't do anything, Yuntai should retreat to Puqi and Xianning to continue to hold on, and must not let the thieves invade Wuchang Mansion with one soldier and one pawn, and after Zuo Shuai kills Bai Wang, he will lead the army to Chongyang to rescue ......."

Bai Wang was Li Zicheng's general who stayed in "Xiangjing" (Xiangyang), with 70,000 or 80,000 horses under his command, and after Chongzhen's death, he took the opportunity to launch a fierce attack on the Ming army, and captured Jingzhou Mansion and Chengtian Mansion one after another. Zuo Liangyu's army was unstable, and he was killed and retreated, and he had no time to take care of those bandits.

However, Song Jiang's water bandits were too close to Wuchang Mansion and seriously threatened the safety of the rear of the provincial capital.

There is a faint smell of conspiracy in this, as if someone is framing Wang Kefan. There are only some native soldiers in Chongyang County, and the city wall is not tall and strong, if Song Jiang brings a large team of men and horses to fight Chongyang, these hundreds of recruits will definitely be more auspicious.

The strange thing is that anyone with a discerning eye can see the danger here, but Wang Kefan seems to be completely unaware of it, and accepts the order without hesitation.

"Yuntai, although it is He Junmen's general order to send you to Chongyang, I am afraid that there are people behind me who are making trouble, don't die and fight with the thieves." Niu Zhongxiao's face was even more ugly, although he was He Tengjiao's henchman, he was in a semi-empty position in the Gongyi camp, Wang Kefan was his most powerful subordinate, and he was sent to death like this, which made him extremely dissatisfied: "If the thieves attack the city too tightly, you will lead your troops to break through, as long as you can make some military achievements, I will protect you from guilt in front of He Junmen." ”

Du Yinxi couldn't help frowning, and said sternly to Wang Kefan: "I have to do this as a last resort, but I must not kill the good and take the risk, otherwise the two of us will not be able to protect you!" ”

"Alas, that's not what I meant, and the gimbal isn't that kind of person......"

Niu Zhongxiao's idea was a common prevarication method in the Ming army, running away if he couldn't defeat the enemy, and then finding a way to atone for his sins.

This is understandable if we are too far apart in strength, but the reality is much worse. As soon as the Ming army encountered a strong enemy, they fled from the wind, and then cut off some people's heads to fill the number, and the defeat turned into a victory, and they also used this to invite merit and reward, and the people suffered from it.

Wang Kefan replied: "Please rest assured, the teacher does not dare to do such a frenzied move, disdains it, and does not want to do it!" …… The student is from Chongyang, and he must not sit back and watch Chongyang fall into the hands of thieves, and the two adults are too worried. ”

"That's good, alas, ......" Du Yinxi sighed softly, Wang Kefan's soldiers are all from Chongyang, in order to defend their hometown, they will definitely fight to the death with the water bandits, and it is useless to persuade them.

It's a pity that this army is full of vigor and is very different from other Ming armies, so it was lost in vain.

At this moment, several large carts rumbled into the dock and came to a stop beside everyone, the carts were full of grain bags, and a cart full of bows and arrows and firearms, and the escort officer took a silver box and sent it to Niu Zhongxiao.

"Yuntai, this is eight hundred taels of silver, don't be too little." Niu Zhongxiao pointed to the cart behind him again and said, "I know that you have always been short of food in the army, which is a little bit of the general's heart." Also, defending the city is inseparable from bows and arrows, I have gathered fifty bows and arrows, and twenty bird guns, you can also take them together. ”

No one will have too much silver and food, these bows and arrows are even better things, Wang Kefan's subordinates are all pikemen, with these bows and arrows, you can attack the enemy at a long distance, and the tactics of defending the city are much richer.

Wang Kefan thanked him with a salute, accepted the military baggage, and asked: "The last general is leading troops outside, if he urgently needs food and soldiers, can he raise supplies on the spot?" ”

"Of course, can you still let the soldiers go into battle hungry?" Niu Zhongxiao did not doubt him, and easily delegated the power of people, property and property.

"Chongyang is originally a county under Wuchang Prefecture, and if there is a problem with the grain and grass military supplies in Yuntai, Wuchang Bingbei Road can also help." Gu Yinxi recommended Wang Kefan to join the Gongyi camp, and had an extra concern for him, and instructed: "The war against Song Jiang is under the control of the chief of the imperial history and the zodiac, and Yuntai must be good at it, if you encounter something difficult, you don't have to stick to the law, so as to change from a power to a ......."

The zodiac chief in the mouth of the plug Yinxi is the Huguang patrol according to the imperial history Huang Shu. (In Ming Dynasty officialdom, Yushi was known as the Taoist chief.) ）

Huang Shu is scheming and tough, Wang Kefan and his wife and brother Hu Dahai have contradictions, I am afraid that the future will be very sad, and the battle against Song Jiang cannot tolerate the slightest mistake......

"Yuntai, the so-called generals are not subject to the orders of the monarch outside, if the zodiac chief intends to make things difficult, you must not be strong, what is the military gate in charge of everything!" Niu Zhongxiao spoke more directly, he was about to go to the front line in Xiangyang, and he couldn't reach Wang Kefan's side, for fear that he would be framed by Huang Shu.

"Xietai don't worry too much, I visited the zodiac chief before leaving, and he spoke very kindly." Wang Kefan smiled indifferently: "As a governor of the imperial history, the zodiac chief must always act in accordance with the laws of the imperial court, as long as the general does not make mistakes, there is nothing to be afraid ......of."

After the soldiers and supplies were loaded on the ship, Wang Kefan said goodbye to the two officers and set off with the army.

Du Yinxi and Niu Zhongxiao waved goodbye, and their expressions were quite solemn. As the ship faded away, the two looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

"Hey, Yuntai is a responsible character, but he is too loyal and honest, and he was deceived by Huang Shu's smiling tiger, and I am afraid that I will suffer a big loss this time!" Niu Zhongxiao couldn't help but complain.

"It's all a grind, Yuntai has the courage to do things, his character is extremely tenacious, and he should be able to pass through this pass......" The state affairs have been eroded to this point, and Du Yinxi deeply feels that talents are rare, and his expectations for Wang Kefan are very high.

A gentleman is constantly striving for self-improvement, and if he wants to make a career, he has to bear all kinds of pressure, if Wang Kefan can't pass this test, he will be a busy person who doesn't know everyone.

(PS: Today will usher in the first recommendation of this book, and the results will directly determine the fate of this book.)

Bandu will be changed to two changes a day, and to all book friends to visit the court, kneel to beg for recommendation tickets, kneel to beg for collection! Bow and weep blood, please! ）