Yansui Town is Yulin, which was one of the nine important towns of the Ming Dynasty at this time, and was the most important military town of the Ming Dynasty in the northwest to prevent Tatar Mongolia.

Although Zhu Youzhen exterminated the "Four Kings", Gao Yingxiang, who occupied Yansui, was the strongest among the bandits. Gao Yingxiang has already concentrated the bandits in the Yansui area, with a total of more than 60,000 bandits.

Zhu Youzhen did not dare to underestimate the enemy, he also gathered the four military battalions, except for Li Hongjun stationed at Tongguan and receiving the grain road, the rest of the more than 35,000 soldiers gathered together and camped 20 miles southwest of Yansui.

"Yansui is a military town, the city wall is tall and thick, even artillery may not be able to blow down the city wall, generals, what is your best plan to break the city?" Zhu Youzhen is presiding over a military meeting.

"Now that the bandits are only one place left, we have no worries, even if we attack, we can also break through Yansui, besides, we still have grenades." Man Gui wanted to give him the task of besieging the city, he not only hoped to make meritorious contributions, but also liked the feeling, the feeling of rushing to kill on the battlefield and wielding a knife to kill.

"Although our army is smaller in number than the bandit army, its combat effectiveness and morale are superior to the bandit army, and the supplies are very sufficient. Now Yansui is a lonely city, and it is only a matter of time before Yansui is taken. "Zu Dashou's analysis is much more comprehensive, and the advantages of the four martial arts camps are all put on the table.

Yang Du, who was not smiling, stood up at this time: "Your Highness, the last general is willing to lead the men and horses of the headquarters as the vanguard of the siege." "He doesn't have the strategy of Yuan Chonghuan and Zu Dashou, nor does he have the domineering spirit of Man Gui, but he very much wants to prove himself on the battlefield and prove the strength of the martial arts training camp.

"Generals, the self-confidence you have displayed reflects the appearance of the Four Martial Arts Battalions and represents the invincible spirit of the Four Martial Arts Battalions. However, we still don't understand the situation of the bandits," Zhu Youzhen slowed down his tone slightly, everyone didn't have a good way to break the city, he had to wait and say, "We know that there are 60,000 bandits, but what is their morale?" What is the command talent of the officer? Do you have the determination and courage to fight with us? Tomorrow, we'll go down the city to see our opponents. ”

Just after the hour, Zhu Youzhen led the soldiers of the four military battalions to force into the south city gate, and the defenders on the city gate immediately left.

After a while, the south gate unexpectedly opened, and a large number of bandits came out of the south gate. Although they had different equipment and different clothes, their military appearance was neat and their steps were the same, and there was no fear on the faces of the soldiers, which was obviously different from the soldiers of the "Four Kings".

Zhu Youjian visually inspected and found that about 50,000 soldiers had left the city.

This is a clear statement that the battle will be decided.

"Why did Gao Yingxiang do this?" Zhu Youzhen kept asking himself. Although the bandits are neatly organized, their combat effectiveness will not exceed that of the four armed battalions, and if the melee continues, the result is unpredictable.

In an undominant battlefield, Gao Yingxiang is ready to decide the winner in a battle?

This is not the final decisive battle, if Gao Yingxiang wins, the imperial court will also send troops to encircle and suppress; If Zhu Youzhen wins, Gao Yingxiang will lose so much that he won't even have his pants.

Could it be Gao Yingxiang...... Zhu Youzhen's heart suddenly throbbed.

"General Yuan, hold my position, I will meet Gao Yingxiang." Zhu Youzhen didn't finish speaking, and he had already rode his horse and slowly moved to the front of the formation.

"Your Highness, no." Yuan Chonghuan chased after him, "The Lord must not be in danger. ”

"It's okay, with Gao Yingxiang's current situation, he will not rashly attack me without knowing our intentions. Hold me in place, and the army will not be disordered. Zhu Youzhen was resolute.

Zhu Youzhen kept advising, Yuan Chonghuan had no choice, he had to return to the headquarters, restrain the soldiers, and be ready to attack at any time, and at the same time he also reminded the archers in the army to open their bows and set up arrows, and once Zhu Youzhen had an accident, he would immediately help.

"On the other side, is General Gao Yingxiang?" Zhu Youzhan rode out of the battle and saluted to the opposite side, although the helmet was hung with armor, but the double knife was inserted in the scabbard.

The two sides are separated by a stone's throw away, and Zhu Youzhen's words can be heard clearly by the other side.

A general on the opposite side kept staring at Zhu Youzhen, and at this time Zhu Youzhen asked, he also rode out alone, "It's Gao Yingxiang below, but it's His Royal Highness King Xin?" ”

"Haha, General Gao's subordinates, although the equipment and armor are not neat, but the military appearance is neat, and the advance and retreat are moderate, it seems that General Gao is not a mortal!" Zhu Youzhen had already walked only ten steps away from Gao Yingxiang, and sat on his horse to carefully look at this legendary celebrity.

"His Royal Highness King Xin, marched thousands of miles from Beijing, first grabbed Tongguan, destroyed General Wang Er in a battle, and then destroyed Wang Zuohang, Wang Jiayin, and Wang Daliang. Whether it is personal vision or the combat effectiveness of the army, it is worthy of being a strong opponent for me. Gao Yingxiang was also looking at Zhu Youzhen carefully, secretly surprised in his heart, Zhu Youzhen was too young, although his stature was comparable to ordinary people, but the immaturity on his face could not be covered by armor.

"General Gao, the two armies are currently facing each other, how sure do you have to win?" Zhu Youzhen judged from the morale of the other party that Gao Yingxiang was a smart person, and there was no need to beat around the bush when talking to smart people.

"With the elite of King Ishin's army, there is really not much certainty of victory in the future." In front of Zhu Youzhen, Gao Yingxiang believes that there is really no need to hide it.

"Since the general knows that he is not the opponent of the imperial army, why didn't the general surrender early? and lest the soldiers of his subordinates suffer from the swords. Zhu Youzhen didn't expect to persuade Gao Yingxiang in a few words, he just wanted to touch Gao Yingxiang's hole cards.

"There is no way in the court. There was a great drought in Shaanxi, the crops were not harvested, the people were struggling to make a living, starvation was everywhere, they ate all the leaves, grass, and even the red mud eaten by the spring swallows on the mountains, and the government was greedy for ink, and taxes were not reduced, and the people were forced to sell their sons and daughters, and they were forced to eat their children. You, let me surrender to such a court? Gao Yingxiang's face turned red, and it was obvious that the memory touched his anger.

"The imperial court is ashamed of Shaanxi!" Zhu Youzhen knew that what Gao Yingxiang said was true.

The peasant uprising in Shaanxi was due to the great drought, the grain production was strictly reduced, and there was no harvest in some places, and the imperial court refused to reduce taxes in Shaanxi because the Liaodong front needed a large amount of materials and silver taels.

In order to keep their black yarn, officials in Shaanxi had to desperately force taxes locally. As long as they get the support of the imperial court, they will have the opportunity to be promoted and make a fortune, and they will not care about the life or death of the people.

The earliest uprising was Zhang Douyao of Mizhi County, who forced grain and taxes in the local area when he knew that the people had no overnight food. The angry people, led by Orion Wang Er, killed Zhang Douyao and opened the granary of the county government, thus kicking off the uprising.

"The hundreds of thousands of people in Shaanxi who starved to death, how can His Highness wipe them out with a word?" Gao Yingxiang stared at Zhu Youzhen, as if the suffering of the people in Shaanxi was Zhu Youzhen's fault.

"General Gao, this matter is a long story, you and I, just replace wine with tea in front of the army, and learn from Cao Mengde, how about it?"

"This ...... Good. Gao Yingxiang is not afraid to wear shoes barefoot, besides, he is ready to die and break the net.

Soon, the soldiers on both sides sent a square stool, two low chairs, and teapots and cups, and Zhu Youzhen and Gao Yingxiang sat opposite each other in front of the square bench.

"General Gao, although the imperial court is ashamed of the people of Shaanxi, General Gao led the troops to rise up, and he still inevitably suffered the fate of being exterminated by the imperial army." Zhu Youzhen picked up the teapot and filled Gao Yingxiang's teacup.

"It is better to die in battle than to starve."

Zhu Youzhen couldn't see any fear in his eyes, replaced by an unyielding flame, and his face turned red with anger. "What about their families? Men have no way to live, do the old and weak women and children still have a way to live? ”

"......" Gao Yingxiang was shocked, he couldn't say a solution, if he had a way, he wouldn't choose to rebel.

"If the general fights again, with the combat effectiveness of the general's subordinates, if our army wants to win, it is not appropriate to be afraid. Once the casualties of the officers and soldiers are too large, arousing the bloody nature of the soldiers, the general's subordinates are afraid that they will not even have a chance to surrender - in other words, if the general defeats me Zhu Youzhen, the imperial court will still send a large army to Shaanxi, how long does the general think it can be supported? ”

"Your Highness, ...... you" Gao Yingxiang glared at Zhu Youzhen angrily, if it was on the battlefield where the two armies were facing each other, if it weren't for the two sides drinking in front of 100,000 soldiers, Gao Yingxiang would be ready to fight Zhu Youzhen alone.

"You didn't think about your subordinates, you didn't give your subordinates a chance to live, and I'm here to give them a chance to live." Zhu Youzhen picked up the teacup, drank tea by himself, and didn't look at Gao Yingxiang.

"You...... I...... If Your Highness can spare my subordinates and give them a chance to live, I am willing to bear the sin of rebellion alone. Gao Yingxiang finally made up his mind, he knew that he was by no means the opponent of the official army, at least not the opponent of the Four Martial Arts Battalion, "But how can Your Highness ensure the safety of my subordinates?" ”

Zhu Youzhen stared at Gao Yingxiang's eyes and found that his gaze suddenly became unfamiliar and seemed empty, as if he was desperate before death.

"General Gao, I have exterminated the four-way bandits, a total of more than 130,000 people, of which more than 100,000 have been captured, except for those who escaped sporadically, less than one percent of the dead, do you know why?" Zhu Youzhen suddenly looked at Gao Yingxiang.

"......" Gao Yingxiang wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the right words for a while.

"Because they are all the people of the Ming Dynasty, I will leave them a way to live." Gao Yingxiang didn't know how to say it, so Zhu Youzhen had to say it for him.

"Your Highness is going to release them?" Gao Yingxiang knew that Zhu Youzhen was not lying, he didn't know why Zhu Youzhen took so many prisoners at first, but now he finally understood that if what King Xin said was true, it was to let them go home after the counterinsurgency was over.

"Put? Of course, it can't be in vain, and we'll talk about that later. Let me ask the general again, the people in Shaanxi are already struggling to make a living, how can you let your subordinates, all the people in Shaanxi, have something to eat? "The people take food as the sky, as long as the people have something to eat, they can live, no matter how difficult life is, Zhu Youzhen believes that with the character of the people of the Ming Dynasty, they will never rebel.

"The imperial court reduced or exempted Shaanxi's taxes, and then brought in grain for disaster relief." Gao Yingxiang is not a politician, he can't control the affairs of the military, he just hopes that his subordinates and his neighbors will have something to eat, and they can live until tomorrow morning and see the dew on the weeds.

"Now that taxes are being reduced, the people still have no food to eat -- to be honest, the imperial court has no food for disaster relief." Putting death to life, Zhu Youzhen first made Gao Yingxiang desperate, and then he could agree to his plan.