The weather in February, the book friend neatly _ reason* to provide ~ from time to time, the north wind whistles, bringing up a few scattered snowflakes. Occasionally, a sandstorm would be swept up by the north wind and spread all over the front. In the whole of Shaanxi, except for a few larger towns, there are basically no people.

On a terrible night in the frost and wind, in the northern part of Shaanxi, in the desolate mountains east of Guyuan Town, on a bare hill with only a tall pine tree towering over a few large stones, at the fork in the Yangjiao Road, there was a silent and silent troop of undressed cavalry, about three hundred people.

A burly cavalryman, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a bearded sideburns, like the statue of the king or the wrestler in the ancient stone carving art of the dragon mén, with a solemn and majestic demeanor, riding motionlessly on a horse, holding the reins in one hand and holding a large red flag tightly with the other.

This large flag carries a banner tassel made of snow-white horsehair and a silver spear with a white light, and the center of the flag is embroidered with a large character "Chuang" in black satin. This big character of dragon flying and phoenix dancing, even in the dark, is very eye-catching.

In front of the banner, there is a particularly tall horse, with a short mane and tail, the horse is dark gray, with white sè spots, mao curly, very similar to dragon scales, so it is called an oolong horse. Some people don't know this name, but they just see it as maosè and impure, so they call it Wubargma.

Riding on it now was a thirty-twelve-year-old warrior, tall, broad-shouldered, with bulging cheekbones, full heavenly, a high nose, deep eye sockets, thick eyebrows, and a pair of large, piercing eyes that were staring forward and contemplative. This kind of eye often gives people a sense of perseverance, composure, and wisdom.

He is Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng wore an old white sè pointed felt hat often worn by northern peasants, and the tip of the hat was folded down. Because it was already cold on the plateau night in October of the yīn calendar, he wore a half-worn green cloth-faced sheepskin robe over his iron armor. In order to take it off at any time in a battle that could be encountered, all the buttons on the robe were loosened, but a war belt was used to tie it at the waist.

He carried a bow on his back, a sword and a cowhide quiver painted with vermilion and gold, and a dozen carved arrows in it. In the eyes of today's people, the face of this quiver can only arouse a kind of beautiful imagination, and they do not know that it contains the political significance of resolutely rebelling against the imperial court. Originally, in the Ming Dynasty, only the utensils used by the royal family were allowed to be decorated with vermilion lacquer and gold painting, and others were forbidden.

In the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang also made a special strict regulation: officers and sergeants were not allowed to paint gold with their quivers, and violators would be executed. However, this regulation is of no use to Li Zicheng. He carried this quiver on his back from the year he began the uprising, and he never changed it.

In the past seven years, this quiver has galloped tens of thousands of miles with him, crisscrossing half of China, and has been battled, grinding sulfur in some places, and carrying knife wounds and arrow marks in some places, and almost the entire quiver has faded in the wind and sun, rain and snow, and dust and sand flying in the years and months.

"Brothers, get off your horse and rest!"

Li Zicheng said as he jumped off the horse lightly, and the hilt of the sword touched something, and a pleasant metallic sound came out. The warriors beside him naturally dismounted. Naturally, the guard posts were set up far away, staring vigilantly around.

Those who followed Li Zicheng were all veterans of the rebel army. Liu Zongmin, Li Guo, Hao Shaoqi, Liu Fangliang, Zhang Nai and others are among them. It can be said that although the number of cavalry in this small unit is small, the combat effectiveness is quite strong.

However, halfway through, they still ran into trouble. The trouble does not come from the government, but from the local armed forces. In this place of Shaanxi, the folk customs have always been strong. Don't look at the perennial shortage of soldiers here, one moment is the rebel army coming, the other time is the official army coming, in fact, they are all passing by. In Shaanxi, the real head snake is still as many as the local armed forces.

If you want to survive on the 1uan land of Shaanxi, and you don't have a little armed force in your hands, it will definitely not work. Therefore, large families in Shaanxi have their own nursing homes. Some are quite numerous, hundreds of people are common, and some are even as many as thousands. Whether it is the rebel army or the official army, it is relatively taboo to take care of these families.

These so-called caretakers, usually look like they are still tǐng docile, whether it is the rebel army or the official army, if they want to fight the autumn breeze, there is generally no problem. However, if you want to eat them all, you'll have to think about whether you're going to get a few teeth broken. So, in general, as long as you get a little benefit, it's okay. It's really hard to fight with these caretakers, it's not very cost-effective.

However, in the past few months, these landlords in Shaanxi have been armed and their actions seem to be somewhat abnormal. They actually began to take the initiative to attack, plotting against the lone rebel troops. Even, knowing that the other party was Li Zicheng, they dared to do it. Li Zicheng traveled alone this time, and he ran into a group of landlords.

Originally, it was possible to eliminate them. The landlord army, that is, three or four hundred people. However, Li Zicheng considered that he would have to pay the price of dozens of people, and felt that it was not cost-effective, so he took a detour. As a result, I didn't expect that those landlords were armed, as if they had eaten aphrodisiacs, and they actually caught up.

When all the soldiers dismounted, Li Zicheng glanced at everyone cordially, and then walked towards the ancient pine with strong branches. The terrain is higher and you can see the surrounding topography more clearly. In fact, Li Zicheng estimated that those landlord armies would definitely not really chase them to the end, and they would give up after chasing them out for a while.

It is reported that those landlord armies may have been instigated by the Tiger Ben Army or the imperial court, which will be unfavorable to Li Zicheng and others. The mastermind behind the scenes is the rhetoric of the imperial court, and Li Zicheng does not believe it. The current imperial court has no strength to attack him Li Zicheng at all. Therefore, the only possibility is that someone from the Tiger Ben Army has arrived in Shaanxi.

Who came to Shaanxi in the Tiger Ben Army? Li Zicheng deduced that it was probably one of Zhang Zhun's concubines. Perhaps, it's the NV named Dong Shuyan. The Wenxiang Sect used to be in Shaanxi, and it also had a rudder. Dong Shuyan was originally a person who smelled incense. She came with Zhang Zhun's will, and it is completely possible that she wants to do something behind the Shaanxi rebel army.

"Big brother, it's safe."

Liu Zongmin came up from behind and reported to Li Zicheng.

"Good!"

Li Zicheng nodded.

"Zhang Zhun's hand is really long, and he really thinks that he can dominate the world?"

Liu Zongmin stood beside Li Zicheng, his eyes were dark, and his tone was very unfriendly. Among the generals around Li Zicheng, the one who is most disgusted with the Tiger Ben Army is Liu Zongmin. Before, someone once proposed whether to send someone to get in touch with the Tiger Ben Army and fight the world together, but Liu Zongmin resolutely refused.

Liu Zongmin's reason is simple. If the Shaanxi rebel army defected to Zhang Zhun at this time, there would definitely be no benefit. At this time, the Tiger Ben Army was already strong and strong, and Zhang Zhun's side was also full of talents. At this time, it is absolutely impossible to take refuge in the past, that is, to get food and clothing, and to get ahead. It's still more cost-effective to have your own territory. Cutting the land and calling the king, tearing the soil and sealing the marquis, is the most real.

Regarding Liu Zongmin's opinion, Li Zicheng has not expressed his position. In fact, his heart is also not accurate, how to fight Zhang Zhun in the end. This time, he went out alone, that is, to Guyuan, and negotiate with other rebel leaders how to take the road in the future. Shaanxi rebel army, where to go.

A bright moon came out of the dark clouds, unusually bright. Li Zicheng suddenly saw a bright red notice posted on the tree, with a human head drawn on it, slightly similar to his appearance. The following inscription is the governor of Shaanxi, Sun Chuanting. There is also a written "Xijiang Moon" one below:

This is Li Chuang's traitor,

Now the dog is dying.

Things rushed away.

Four heavenly soldiers caught up.

Cast a net of heaven and earth,

He had nowhere to hide.

The soldiers and civilians are tied up and surrendered,

yù with brocade clothes to promote the reward.

……

At the back of this "Xijiang Moon" is Li Zicheng's name, age, place of origin, physiognomy characteristics, and different rewards for capturing or killing him alive. Li Zicheng finished reading the notice, snorted softly with his nostrils, looked at Liu Zongmin beside him, and asked with a smile: "Have you seen it all?" ”

"Phew! The imperial court has been beaten out of the capital division! Liu Zongmin said stupidly.

Regarding the withdrawal of the imperial court from Beijing, the views of the Shaanxi rebel army have always been quite complicated. Some people think it's good, some people think it's bad. Perhaps, Liu Zongmin is a typical example.

Some people feel that the imperial court was forced to withdraw from the Beijing Division, which is indeed a good thing for the Shaanxi rebel army. What's so good? The power of the imperial court was weakened. In the future, if you want to deal with the Shaanxi rebel army, it will not be so easy. In other words, the Shaanxi rebel army is safer.

However, some people feel that it is not a good thing for the imperial court to withdraw from the Beijing Division. The imperial court withdrew from the Beijing Division, and the Tiger Ben Army entered and occupied the Beijing Division, and the eyes of the people in the world were all focused on the Tiger Ben Army. A new empire, a new true son, seems to be born in the hands of the Tiger Army. This made Liu Zongmin and them feel very uncomfortable.

To say that when the Shaanxi rebel army first started its army, its thinking was indeed very simple, that is, it wanted to beg for food. However, after seven years of exhibition, the top brass of the Shaanxi rebel army have already tasted the taste of power. Some of them, in the dead of night, will also fantasize about what it would be like if they one day ascended to the Ninety-Five Throne.

However, all these illusions were shattered with the entry of the Tiger Ben Army into the Beijing Division. Obviously, in front of the Tiger Ben Army, the Shaanxi Rebel Army does not have much chance. This, of course, can make a lot of people feel uncomfortable. If the top management feels uncomfortable, the major policies will naturally be seriously affected.

"*** Sun Chuanting!"

Li Zicheng laughed loudly, then snorted at the notice, drew his sword, brushed the ground twice on the notice, and shaved off a few pieces of bark. Soon, the proclamation was completely shattered, and a few pieces of torn paper flew away with the wind.

"Let's go!"

Li Zicheng waved his hand and went down the mountain.

I have to rest tonight, and tomorrow morning, I have to hurry. He must rush to Zhenyuan within the specified time, otherwise, some rebel army leaders who are not on good terms with him will have to spread some rumors behind their backs that they can't find the north. It's Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, maybe they will have some other ideas.

"Alas!"

"I'm afraid it's not easy!"

Thinking of the consultation meeting in Zhenyuan, Li Zicheng couldn't help but sigh softly.

All the way east, Li Zicheng's heart is heavy. As for the content of this consultation, Li Zicheng really does not have much hope. Because, there are too many differences between the leaders of the Shaanxi rebel army. With his ability, he simply can't bring everyone together.

Not to mention anything else, even between him, Zhang Xianzhong, and Luo Rucai, I am afraid that it will be difficult to unify opinions. There are already a lot of disputes over the territory of the three people. Until this dispute is completely resolved, how easy is it to reach an agreement?

After the Huben army occupied Luoyang, the imperial army relaxed the encirclement and suppression of the Shaanxi rebel army, so that Li Zicheng and others had a chance to breathe. They seized the opportunity to actively expand their territory in Shaanxi and began to build a base for the first time.

Right now, Li Zicheng's troops are in Guyuan. Zhang Xianzhong's troops are in Pingliang. Luo Rucai's troops, in Qingyang. These three towns, all important towns in the northwest of Shaanxi, formed a Pinzi battalion with each other, and confronted the imperial army near Xi'an.

Since the Tiger Ben army was stationed in Luoyang, the imperial army had to pay attention to the direction of Luoyang. The main force of the imperial army is in the Tongguan area. Hong Chengchou personally sat in Tongguan. Therefore, the threat of the imperial army to the Shaanxi rebel army was no longer great. The problem of the Shaanxi rebel army now is no longer the imperial court, but the tiger army.

What kind of attitude should the 36th Battalion of the Shaanxi Rebel Army use to face Zhang Zhun? In fact, before the formal negotiation, the big leaders of all walks of life had already passed the gas. The way out for the Shaanxi rebel army in the future comes and goes, and there are nothing more than a few.

The first way out is naturally to take refuge.

The Tiger Ben Army was also born in poverty, and most of the soldiers of the Shaanxi Rebel Army were the same. From the perspective of bringing down the imperial court, the purpose of the two armies is the same. Therefore, if the Shaanxi rebel army wants to take refuge in the Tiger Ben army, Zhang Zhun should welcome it. However, what kind of treatment will you get after taking refuge in the Tiger Army? That's the core problem.

Optimistically, after defecting to the Tiger Army, they should all be able to continue to serve as commanders, continue to lead troops to fight, and continue to enjoy a certain amount of power. In the future, the Tiger Ben Army will be the top of the world, and they should have their share in the rewards. And the conservative estimate will be deprived of military rights and thrown into idleness. After all, as long as it comes to the issue of military power, no one has anything to say.

Zhang Zhun is a person who is quite incomprehensible. There are really too many claims about him from the outside world, and no one knows whether it is true or false. But, to be sure, he is also a power-hungry man. Whoever threatens his power will definitely be cleared.

To be honest, in the past, between the Shaanxi rebel army and the imperial court, there were a lot of tricks such as fake Zhao'an. Every time after deceiving the imperial court, the Shaanxi rebel army immediately rebelled. It is estimated that Zhang Zhun is very aware of this situation. If he doesn't do anything, he is very likely to deprive all the high-level leaders of the Shaanxi rebel army from power and then put them under house arrest.

The second way out is to divide the court and resist the courtesy, and the well water does not interfere with the river water.

The main area of activity of the Shaanxi rebel army is actually still Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Huguang, Sichuan and other places, in fact, all passing by. For a long time, the Tiger Ben Army has not appeared in Shaanxi. As long as the Tiger Ben Army does not enter Shaanxi, the two sides can coexist peacefully.

The question is, what if the Tiger Ben Army wants to enter Shaanxi? If the Tiger Ben Army wants to dominate the world, how can it be possible to let Shaanxi out of its control? If the Tiger Ben Army enters Shaanxi in a big way, will the Shaanxi rebel army fight or not?

If there is a fight, with the strength of the Shaanxi rebel army, can it fight against the Tiger Ben army? Even the Tartars are not the opponent of the Tiger Army, the Shaanxi Rebel Army...... In terms of recruiting soldiers, the Shaanxi rebel army did not seem to have any special advantages. In other words, Tiger Benjun's "Juntian Order" is indeed very attractive! Even if the Shaanxi rebel army wants to pick up people's teeth now, it is too late.

The third way out is to unite with the imperial court and fight against Zhang Zhun together.

Li Zicheng estimated that with the strength of the Shaanxi rebel army, it would be very stressful to deal with Zhang Zhun alone. As long as it unites with the imperial court, it is the way out. I believe that the imperial court should be very welcome to the active cooperation of the Shaanxi rebel army.

The problem is that once the Shaanxi rebel army defected to the imperial court, or cooperated with the imperial court, it seemed that the quality of the army had changed. Even Li Ziwei himself didn't really want to cooperate with the imperial court. He just didn't like Emperor Chongzhen. If you don't pull him off the horse, his heart will be uncomfortable.

Subconsciously, Li Zicheng's resistance to this proposal has a lot to do with Zhang Xianzhong. To say that among the main figures of the Shaanxi rebel army, the most active in surrendering to the imperial court must be Zhang Xianzhong. Li Zicheng estimated that even if there was no result from this Zhenyuan meeting, Zhang Xianzhong would take the initiative to take refuge in the imperial court.

The fourth way out is to go west.

If you don't want to face the Tiger Army, and you don't want to cooperate with the imperial court, you can only retreat to the west, to Gansu, to Liangzhou, to Hami and other places. Over there, the mountain is high and the emperor is far away, and even if the Tiger Ben Army wants to chase it, I'm afraid it will have to chase for ten or eight years.

To the south, it is not possible, there is the territory of the imperial court. To the east, not to mention, there is the territory of the Tiger Army. To the north, is the desert. Only to the west can there be room for survival. The question is, to the west, can you get enough supplies? Is there enough troops to replenish it? Warriors of the rebel army, willing to go west? If the Tiger Army catches up, so what?

"Alas!"

"We'll talk about it then!"

Li Zichang sighed and slowly muttered to himself.

He couldn't make up his mind, so he had to walk for the time being.