To the southwest of the temporary old camp of Tiantai Mountain, Luochengyan in the south of Fangqian Town, Dongyang County, this place is now the location of the remnants of Yin Can's anti-Qing rebel army that once crisscrossed Jinhua, Shaoxing, Taizhou, Chuzhou and other places with wide influence.

In the second year of Jian Guolu, after the defeat of Jiang Shangshi, the Qing army invaded Jinhua Mansion. Since then, in addition to the inhumane massacre carried out by the Qing army in Fucheng, there have also been continuous killings in various parts of Jinhua.

For a time, Yin Can of Shengxian County, Zhou Qingui of Yushan, Zhao Qiu of Dongyang, Monk Chen of Fangqian, Bai Xianxian, Yu Maogong of Xinchang, as well as Jiang Shuyao, Ren Zhonghua, Xu Shouping, Tian Chu, Seng Moru, Gao Wanzhong, Ding Liangzhi and other departments and the people of the neighboring Yongkang, Jinyun, Xianju, Shengxian, Xinchang, Tiantai, Zhuji, Dongyang and other counties flocked to the "Baitou Army" and Fengsheng Yin Can of Shengxian County as the commander to raise troops against the Qing Dynasty.

In the first month of the second year, the Qing army dispatched the Qing army from Jinhua, Shaoxing, Taizhou, and Chuzhou to encircle and suppress Yushan, the base camp of the Baitou Army, and ordered the township regiments to practice self-defense, fabricate the "Thousand Family Books", track down those who are not at home, and punish them as bandits and burn them. The rebel army suffered heavy losses due to being outnumbered, and Yin Can, as the commander, was forced to retreat to Fangqian, Wenzhou and other places for a time to unite with the local anti-Qing rebels.

In March of this year, Zhou Qingui and others welcomed Yin Can back. After Yin Can returned, he reorganized military discipline and strictly prohibited plunder. After that, it defeated the local garrison and encircled and suppressed the Qing army, and once captured Jinyun County, with a battalion of more than 80 miles.

In March of the fifth year of Jian Guolu, that is, last year, the Qing army once again mobilized the troops of Jin, Taiwan, Shao, and Chu, and cooperated with local regimental training to launch a large-scale encirclement and suppression of Yin Can's rebel army. The rebels were outnumbered, and Yin Can was forced to lead the army to retreat to Tiantai, where he was captured by the Qing army in Zhexi and killed in Chengdong Street, Dongyang County. And Yin Can's generals Zhou Qingui, Ni Liangxu, Chen Ru'an, Wang Boying and others commanded the remnants of 500 troops and retreated to Luochengyan.

Luochengyan is easy to defend and difficult to attack, in history, Zhou Qingui and others insisted on resisting the Qing Dynasty for more than 30 years by virtue of their geographical advantages, until the 14th year of Kangxi, due to the surrender of a leader of the righteous army, which led to the complete annihilation of the anti-Qing army.

During this period. Although the Qing army cooperated with the regiment to train and assist in the defense on the left to form an encirclement of Luochengyan, Zhou Qingui could also take advantage of the lack of strength of the Qing army to attack, and if the battle situation was unfavorable, he would continue to retreat and wait for an opportunity.

Originally, Ma Jinbao dispatched some of the Qing troops stationed in Jin, Qu, Yan, and Chu to cooperate with the siege of Zhoushan, but Zhou Qingui naturally wanted to make a fuss after getting the news. It's just that before he could send troops, the news of the chaos in Dongyang County came. The Nantang battalion, which was already quite famous in eastern Zhejiang, infiltrated Dongyang County under the command of the fledgling commander, and defeated the Qing army in two field battles, and even went down to Dongyang County.

Such news forced Zhou Qingui and others to temporarily stand still and wait for the situation to change, but soon the Qing army besieging Luochengyan withdrew to Fucheng, and the Ming army restored the previous defense line of the Qing army with the cooperation of regimental training, so that Zhou Qingui was bound to touch this nail if he wanted to send troops.

It's just that the reaction speed of this Ming army is not only in the use of troops, Zhou Qingui and others have not yet finished studying how to face this Ming army, which also resisted the tyranny of the Manchu Dynasty. This Ming army sent a messenger to invite Zhou Qingui to Dongyang County for a meeting in the name of the current Jinhua prefect, that is, Sun Juren, who had supervised the army in Zhou Qingui's army, and arranged for Chen Wen, the commander of the Ming army, to discuss cooperation between the two armies with him.

Regarding Sun Yu, Zhou Qingui and others have all worked with him, and they can trust his character. However, on the one hand, the place of the invited meeting was Dongyang County, which was far away from Luo Chengyan, and on the other hand, for the brave and cunning commander of the Ming army, Chen Wen. They did not dare to take it lightly, so that the meeting was postponed again and again. Until this moment.

In the hall of the Chinese army in Luo Chengyan, due to the news of the Ming army's recovery of Yiwu, Zhou Qingui and others had to get together again to discuss.

"Sun Juren recently issued another invitation, and tried to ensure that it was comprehensive, I thought about how Sun Juren said that he had also worked with everyone under Yin Shuai's command, and his character can also be trusted. Therefore, I plan to reply to him tomorrow and meet with that Chen Dashuai. Brothers, what do you think? ”

Hearing that Zhou Qingui planned to go to Dongyang County alone to discuss cooperation matters, Ni Liangxu didn't think about it. I blurted out. "What Brother Zhou said is very true, how can Sun Juren say that he is also a Jinhua, although his temperament is too tough, but he is a loyal and upright person, and he is definitely not a traitor, since he is a guarantor, I think that Chen Dashuai also values my brothers, so he will invite him so many times."

Ni Liangxu's words immediately aroused the approval of several people around them, and they had a supportive attitude towards joining forces with the Ming army to resist the Qing Dynasty, in their opinion, it was like when the army rose against the Qing Dynasty, and it was not also the rebel armies scattered all over the country who united together to fight against the Tartars. It is beneficial to join forces with the Ming army now, or even just to see what conditions the other side offers.

It's just that for this matter, there are no fewer opponents in Luo Chengyan's rebel army than Ni Liangxu and others, and even their arguments have affected more people's senses of the Ming army.

"This must not happen!"

Seeing that Wang Boying objected again, Chen Ru'an, who was standing in Ni Liangxu, asked bluntly: "Does Brother Wang doubt Sun Juren's character and credit?" ”

"That's not what he meant, Sun Juren is familiar, his character is valuable, and he is definitely not a treacherous villain. It's just that Chen Dashuai, I heard that all his previous use of troops was based on deception first, and then he broke it with force. Such a person, if not a traitor, is by no means a good person. If Brother Zhou goes to Dongyang County, if he can't negotiate, it is difficult to guarantee that he will not hide from Sun Juren to do some pickled things. ”

"Soldiers, treacherous! This is what Sun Wuzi said, the Tartars are powerful at the moment, and they naturally have to try to take advantage of the war with soldiers, otherwise how can they consume those traitors who don't want their ancestors if they continue to fight hard. ”

"Then it won't be like this every time, will it?!"

"Okay, everyone is thinking about the lives of Brother Zhou and our brothers, as well as the brothers who have fought with the Tartars with us until now, there is no need to fight for a blushing face and a thick neck. Brother Zhou, if you have a thought, it is better to repair a book and ask Sun Juren to arrange a meeting in a nearby place on your behalf, such as Fangqian Town or Dapan Town, so that the brothers can rest assured. ”

Seeing that Chen Ruan and Wang Boying quarreled again, Ni Liangxu had no choice but to persuade him. In the end, a compromise was come up with in order to reach a compromise.

It's just that Wang Boying already has a preconceived impression of Chen Wen, so he naturally refuses to easily agree to Zhou Qingui's meeting with him. He Decheng, who held the same opinion as him, got up and took out a piece of handwriting and handed it to Zhou Qingui and others to see.

This is a notice written by the commander of the Ming army to Jinhua's father, and what he said is not unreasonable. It's just that this text appeared in this Luo Chengyan, but it was not that Chen Dashuai sent someone to hand it over to Brother Zhou. Or maybe it was us, but it was brought in by the Ming army surrounded by arrows. This kind of behavior is clearly to be wary of us, so how can we trust this person? ”

"Brother He, everyone is a soldier who uses soldiers, the two sides have not yet negotiated, so we should be on guard, if you change it, you will open the door wide, and you are not afraid that we will suddenly enter the hinterland?"

"So, does Brother Chen know that there are already people on this Luocheng Rock who have secretly descended the mountain to join the Ming army?"

“……”

Chen Wen's defensive psychology against Luo Chengyan's rebel army. There was no concealment at all, because in his opinion, the real opponent was the Qing army that was about to return. And Chen Wen's defensive psychology also led to an increase in disagreements within Zhou Qingui's rebel army, and at the end of this meeting, it was still temporarily shelved as before, depending on the development of the situation.

………………

At the same time, among the officials of Jinhua Mansion, Li Zhifang, the magistrate, had lost patience with Luo Chengyan, who had high hopes before. turned to look at the "Letter to the Father of Jinhua" released by the Ming army in front of him word by word, trying to find some opponents' ways of thinking from here. In order to get the answer hidden in the extremely abnormal layout of the Ming army at the moment.

"The general of the Ming Dynasty was captured, and the chief military officer of Dalan and Jinhua was guarded, Chen"

"I would like to tell the people of Jinhua's fathers and officials:"

"Since the collapse of the Bingxu River, my father has been suffering for a long time! When Hu Qi first arrived, he was slaughtered. Father and son mourned, husband and wife were incomplete. In the past, the place of wealth was reduced to a ghost domain; The land of string songs, all the ruins. and made the people angry. Please return late, that is, add an axe until the deceased's pillow and water are red. Yao seals the earth, and almost becomes a cave where fierce beasts devour people. ”

"And the pseudo-signed general is an official of China. Be willing to be a rebel minions. Chase and urge classes, and apply poison punishment. The Russians were harsh, and the people were either burdened or driven into ravines. There are even more pseudo-handsome horses and treasures, treason and monarchs in the front, and greed and cruelty in the back. Famous officials are real bandits, no different animals. The home of the middle class, all plundered; The ugly room has been taken away. Those who do not obey are hung upside down in the street, or flogged to death, or drowned with vinegar into their mouths and noses. And Li Min called on the side of the road, the old and weak starved to death, and they were extremely miserable. This is a tragic phenomenon that has not been seen for 3,000 years. But those who have people's hearts, when they see and hear it, they all shed tears and gnash their teeth and are angry. ”

"However, since ancient times, I have been the land of Fuyun, and it is not inhabited by slaves. Although the husband has no revenge, the situation is to trample the old state?! Although Yu is a few talents, he never dares to forget his ambition to recover. It is a night of training soldiers, Fagu governing the army, and has won 8,000 tigers, all of which are selected sharp soldiers. Now according to the king's order, he sent out to conquer the army, captured the handsome in a battle, and then fled to the city, and broke it with a drum. In the near future, Hangzhou will be taken directly, and the two capitals will be recovered, so as to meet the hope of the fathers and elders, and comfort the souls of the ancestors. ”

"Now that Jinhua has been restored, it is to make an appointment with his father and elders for three things, thinking that it is a military law: those who take the people's grain of rice and do not give gold will be beheaded; Those who enter people's houses without a handsome order will be beheaded. If you have a wife or daughter, you will be able to do it. All the people should block their own business, as the foundation of Zhongxing. ”

Yu Su was stupid, afraid that his father would not know my will, so he announced it far and wide, and he heard it. I would like to advise. ”

An essay is hundreds of words, Li Zhifang has read it before, and can even recite it. And the one in his hand was sent by Ji Zhenyi, the magistrate of Lanxi.

Ji Zhenyi and Li Zhifang were Jinshi in the same year, and they were sent to a government as officials, and they had a great friendship. Previously, Li Zhifang was transferred back to Yiwu and the green battalion of the Qing army besieging Luochengyan back to Fangfucheng, and Ji Zhenyi sent a group of regiments to train and assist in defending Fucheng, and did his best to support it to resist the siege of the Ming army at any time.

It's just that after the Ming army took Yiwu, it stopped, not only did not attack Jinhuafu City, but also did not even attack Pujiang County near the left, which really puzzled Li Zhifang and others.

It's just that when the news of Chen Wen's conscription training in Yiwu came, Li Zhifang suddenly realized that this Ming army commander was different from other generals. is so steady and steady, it is clear that he has great confidence in the means of using soldiers and the army he has trained. And this Chen Wen also seems to be only acting at his own pace, and there is no sign of interference from external forces.

Whether it was the withdrawal of the Yiwu defenders to keep the viable force of the Jinhua Green Battalion, or the transfer of Luo Chengyan to monitor the Qing army to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, or the act of disbanding the regimental training soldiers back to their hometowns, at this moment they were no longer as wise as before.

Gazing at the text, the lines are full of words that are coherent with the main contradictions between the Manchu rule in Jinhua and the people of Jinhua. In particular, the massacre of the city, the excesses of taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and the most colorful part of the evil deeds of Ma Jinbao and his subordinates, this is clearly to stimulate the will of the people of Jinhua to resist the Manchus through hatred.

Realizing that he had already touched some of Chen Wen's ideas, Li Zhifang hurriedly picked up his pen and wrote down his analysis of the situation in the letter, preparing to pass it on to Chen Jin, the governor of Zhejiang and Fujian, and Xiao Qiyuan, the governor of Zhejiang, thinking that when the Qing army returned to help and encircle and suppress, he would be able to understand the enemy in front of him a little more.

A moment later, Li Zhifang's draft letter appeared on the manuscript paper, but as he continued to polish it, the servant guarding the door walked in with a scout-like man.

Opening the letter he sent, Li Zhifang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The prefect and the guard of Jinhua were captured by the Ming army, and as the acting general officer, he had held out in Jinhua Mansion for a long time, and he had never thought of quelling the rebellion alone, and the hope he longed for was finally coming. (To be continued.) )