Hukou is "the north gate of Jiangxi water", water transport is very developed, it is the only place in Jiangxi that can reach the sea through the river, along the Yangtze River, can go up to Wuhan, Chongqing, down to Nanjing, Shanghai. Along Poyang Lake, it can lead to Nanchang, Ji'an and Ganzhou. It is known as "the key to the rivers and lakes, the thoroughfare of the three provinces"; "Pohu Lake, Shoe Mountain Town, Double Bell Wins the Imperial Capital" is the best name.

Xingang is the first important town in Hukou, there is Liu Shifa, the general of the Gan bandit army, he is the younger brother of Li Liejun's confidant Liu Shijun, originally Liu Shijun led twelve battalions of troops to guard Jiujiang City, but halfway out of six battalions were brought to Xingang by Lin Hu and Liu Shifa, it can be seen that the bandits in western Jiangxi attach importance to Xingang, but not long ago, the Gan bandit army fierce general Lin Hu took three battalions of troops to occupy Shahe Town, and handed over the huge Xingang to Liu Shifa.

This Liu Shifa became a general of the Jiangxi army based on his brother's care, although his ability is not as strong as Lin Hu, but he has an advantage, that is, he is very obedient and rigorous, so that he can check the camp every night, and the camp will be checked every night, rain and rain will not fall, in terms of military discipline, it is particularly strict, that is, he committed it, and he did not make mistakes, so although this person has repeatedly been troubled by those Gan bandit officers who were born in the professional class, he has won the hearts of the army, and the life of the soldiers is indeed one of the best in the Gan bandit army, and Li Liejun can hand over Xingang to him is also a recognition of his ability.

On this day, Liu Shifa was studying in the camp when he suddenly reported that Lin Bao, the guard of Shahe Town, asked to see him.

Liu Shifa was very surprised, thinking that this Lin Hu's toughness is unparalleled in the Jiangxi army, compared to his brother Liu Shidu, two days ago, the spies over there came to report, saying that the front of the Central China Army had fought with Lin Hu's three battalions in Shahe Town, and it had been a day and a night. So he was very surprised by Lin Bao's arrival.

With a "Pass! Lin Bao hurriedly came to Liu Shifa, and cried without saying a word. This crying made Liu Shifa's second monk even more confused, and he hurriedly said: "Lord Lin, what's going on?" Why are you crying so much? ”

Lin Bao raised his head at this time, his face was full of tears, and he said very sadly: "Lord Qiqi, Lord Liu, yesterday, under the banner of the Central China Army, Li Chun personally led three regiments with a total of eleven battalions of troops to storm Shahe Town, and General Lin Hu relied on the defensive project previously arranged in Shahe Town to fight fiercely!" ”

"And how is the battle going now?" Liu Shifa asked with concern.

As soon as this stubble was mentioned, Lin Bao cried again, and said: "General Lin is still resisting stubbornly, but after all, he is outnumbered and is about to be defeated, so he came with half a battalion of wounded soldiers to implore the adults to help him!" If the adults don't save him when he sees death, General Lin will live and die with Shahe Town, and he will take his own resignation and take that battalion of wounded soldiers to the defeated generals and swear to fight to the death with the Beiyang Army! ”

Liu Shifa was shocked, he knew from the soldiers who fled back last night that Lin Hu's battle was not easy to fight, but he didn't expect the war to come to such a tense and urgent situation, this Lin Bao is Lin Hu's brother, and he is also Lin Hu's favorite general, Lin Hu treats him closer than his own brother, Lin Hu can shoot him to ask for help, it can be seen that the war has reached an imminent time. He hurriedly put down the scroll in his hand, and counted all the three battalions in his hand, leaving only one battalion in Lin Bao's hand to guard this new port, with Liu Shifa's plan, if he can save Lin Hu with these three battalions, it is naturally good to be able to hold Shahe Town, if he can't save it, at least it is good to be able to leave Lin Hu and return to Xingang. After making up his mind, Liu Shifa took the three battalions out of Xingang, and the light car was also fast along the way.

However, although he thought well, he still didn't understand the sinister hearts of the people, as soon as he left Xingang on the front foot, Lin Bao took over the defense of Xingang justifiably, and after aiming all the cannons at Liu Shifa, ten thousand cannons fired at once, and Liu Shifa was caught off guard, and the three battalions of men and horses were hit by the shells from behind, and in less than half an hour, nearly half of them were killed and wounded.

"Lin Bao, I'll do your ancestor!" Liu Shifa, who came back to his senses, scolded loudly, but he also knew that even if he scolded the immortals, it would be useless, so he had to let the three battalions quickly withdraw from the range of Xingang artillery bombardment. After this liquidation, the three battalions only had less than one battalion left, and Liu Shifa shed tears in distress.

"Report!" The spy sent earlier said, "My lord, an enemy army is coming from Shahe Town to kill our army!" The enemy army numbered more than a brigade and was armed with several heavy guns! ”

"What!" Li Shifa was taken aback, as if to match his surprise, a cannonball fell not far from him, and there was a bang, and a big tree with three people hugging each other broke with a bang. The army was even more frightened, and their faces turned pale with fright, and they had no morale! In fact, I don't blame them, there are cannons in front and back, but their flesh and blood are sandwiched in the middle, which is really pitiful.

Just when Liu Shifa felt that the sky should not be called, and the earth was not spiritual, suddenly a black horse carrying a young man in his early twenties galloped over, this person arrived in front of Liu Shifa, immediately tightened his bridles, and after the black horse stopped, the young man dismounted and came to Liu Shifa, and arched his hand: "May I ask who is the commander of the third battalion, Liu Shifa, Lord Liu?" ”

Liu Shifa sighed and said, "I am!" ”

The young man took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to Liu Shifa with both hands, saying: "Lord Liu, this is a letter of persuasion from my army commander Chang Zhenbang Chang to my lord!" Please read it! ”

Liu Shifa stretched out his hand to take the letter of persuasion, but when he opened it, it was a blank paper, a white paper without even a single ink spot, Liu Shifa couldn't help but smile bitterly, and circulated the blank paper to his subordinate officers.

When these officers were attacked by the enemy on their backs, their morale was low, and they gradually had the heart of surrender, but this blank piece of paper came, but it suddenly angered these officers, and these officers roared angrily: "Although my Jiangxi army is defeated, but he is also a man who stands up to the sky, what is he Chang Zhenbang, there is nothing in the book of persuasion to surrender, don't we have the strength to fight?" Please also ask Lord Liu to give an order and take the brothers back to Xingang! Even if you can't capture Xingang, the brothers will die in battle! ”

Liu Shifa looked at the excited officers, a little helpless, just now, with his own troops, whether there are heavy weapons, whether it is to recapture Xingang or Shahe Town, it is unrealistic, and he has not even seen the other side in exchange for a burst of artillery bombardment, and the whole army is annihilated. He Liu Shifa can't afford this responsibility, and I believe that none of the officers present can afford this responsibility, since the battle is hopeless now, the only thing he can do is to let more brothers go home. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, Cang Langlang pulled out the saber on his waist, put it on his neck at once, and said to the young man: "Let your brothers fall into this realm is all caused by my Liu Shifa's immorality and incompetence, and now Shifa can only die to repay the kindness of Lord Li Liejun's knowledge, after Shifa's death, you brothers may wish to cut off Liu Shifa's head and hand it to Chang Daren, maybe only in this way can Chang Daren let your brothers live." In this way, he died without regrets! After speaking, he was about to kill himself, and the officers and soldiers around shouted no, rushed over, and snatched back the saber in Liu Shifa's hand, and couldn't help but cry.

Everyone cried bitterly and wept with each other, which was enough to make those who saw the tears sad, but the young man who came to submit the letter of persuasion laughed, this laugh didn't matter, it made Liu Shiyou's Gan bandit army all look sideways, and even wanted to give this guy who didn't know what to do with his old fist.

Liu Shifa could never let his subordinates hurt this young man in public and private, so he hurriedly shouted back the few soldiers who had rushed over, pushed everyone away, and came to someone, and said: "Bold maniac!" Why are you laughing here? If you don't tell me why, I can't guarantee your safety! ”

The man smiled and said, "What about laughing?" What if you don't laugh? You dare to kill me? Aren't you afraid that Master Chang will fire all the defeated soldiers and kill all of you to talk to me underground? ”

Liu Shifa's face turned blue and said: "If I kill you, and then surrender to Lord Chang, I can't do anything to Lord Chang!" ”

When the man heard this, he pointed to the surrounding bandit army and said, "What capital do you guys have to bargain with Lord Chang?" Even the Mongols who descended from the heavens and the stars knew not to kill the messenger, although you are from Jiangxi, you don't even know this little bit of etiquette, what does Lord Chang want you to do! ”

"Boy, you're looking for death!" Saying that, Liu Shifa rushed out behind many angry soldiers, don't look at them fiercely, but Liu Shifa glared at him with his eyes, and pushed aside, which shows Liu Shifa's means of governing the army.

Liu Shifa turned his face, waited fiercely for Chang Zhenbang, and said coldly: "You kid has committed public anger, and what you have done has gone beyond what you should do as a messenger of persuasion!" So if I kill you, I won't be blamed by Lord Chang! As he spoke, he took a Hanyangzao from the hand of a soldier and put it on this collarbone, and there was no possibility of survival at this distance.

When the man heard this, he felt like he had heard a great joke, and laughed again.

"Boy, what are you laughing at!"

The man hugged his stomach and laughed and said, "Wait, you let me take a breath and then say, haha......"

"There is a way to stay in the green mountains without worrying about no firewood, whether you really help Sun Monkey or pretend to take refuge in Chang Daren, you must survive first before you have the opportunity to show the revenge in your heart! Otherwise, don't you want to go back to Xingang to settle accounts with Lin Bao and avenge the revenge behind your back? This is what Yu Gong said, and Yu said in private, how can the brothers be a dignified seven-foot-tall man, and sacrifice lightly? Especially in this mortal place, the ancients had three unfilial pieties, and no queen was great! Your grandfather has your father, your father has you, and who are you? It's a hundred times better for you to die, who will honor your parents and parents? Who will take care of the wife and children? Is it permissible to bury parents after death, wives to remarry, and children to change their surnames? Is this the work of children and grandchildren? ”

After the man laughed enough, he talked eloquently, and all the people who said the words were in tears, many of these people did all the way down from the green battalion, and the major national affairs had nothing to do with these soldiers, and who was the president had nothing to do with them, but the wives and children at home were their lifeblood, and when they thought of their death, the wives and children were in a miserable situation, and their anger was all gone, and their fighting spirit was gone, and many people fell to the ground and cried bitterly.

Liu Shifa smiled bitterly, and Han Yangzao, who was against the man's collarbone, also fell to the ground. He sighed and said, "You win, go back and tell Master Chang that I, Liu Shifa, am willing to surrender, and I just ask him to let these brothers go!" ”

The man said lightly: "The soldiers are divided into north and south, they are all Chinese, and money is not divided into north and south." If you are willing to follow Chang Daren as a soldier and eat loudly, Chang Daren will adopt you as a brother, and if you are not willing to follow Chang Daren, Chang Daren will let the brothers go home and give them the travel expenses, but the guns and ammunition, and the military uniforms and baggage must be left! ”

Liu Shifa smiled bitterly: "If it is as Brother Ren said, Liu Shifa is willing to surrender, but unfortunately what capital does the general of the defeated army have to bargain with Lord Chang?" I hope that Brother Ren will help me when the time comes, Liu Shifa is grateful, and I will thank Brother Ren in advance! As he spoke, he knelt down in front of the man.

The man hurriedly dragged Liu Shifa and said, "Lord Liu is polite, Lord Chang will definitely be gracious!" If not, a family is willing to apologize for its own crimes! ”

Liu Shifa said gratefully: "Brother Ren's kindness Liu Shifa is unforgettable, and he hasn't asked Brother Ren for his name!" ”

The man laughed and said, "Chang Zhenbang is me, I am Chang Zhenbang!" ”

This book was first published in Reading Rim