After coming out of the military headquarters, until the gate of the imperial city, Sun Yuan pursed his lips and said nothing.

Huang You naturally knew that Sun Yuan had done a bad job in coming to Nanjing to ask for war this time, and he had been in a depressed mood since Lu Xiangsheng was martyred and Sun Yuan ran to the south. In addition, in the past three years, the state affairs have been rotten day by day, and he is much older.

Seeing that Bai ran and lay down this time, his heart was also depressed, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed deeper under the sun.

When he got out of the imperial city and stood on the bridge, Sun Yuan slapped him hard, and his mood calmed down a lot, and he suddenly said: "Shi Butang, it's really disappointing!" ”

It was rare for Huang You to see Sun Yuan so lost, and he comforted him with a strong smile: "Taichu this is the 'Jiangnan wanderer, I saw Wu Hook, and the railing was patted all over, no one would, and I was on the verge of it." 'What does Fang Cai Shi Butang say, can you agree with my Yangzhou Town's move to send troops?' ”

"Denied."

"What, how come?" Although he had been mentally prepared, Huang You couldn't help but scream.

Sun Yuan smiled bitterly, and was not in a hurry to board the car, so he walked slowly by the river with Huang You, and explained the situation to Huang You in detail as he walked, and then said with some regret: "I have been leading the army for a long time, and I am decisive in killing, so I will inevitably get into the habit of the military camp." What I said to Shi Shangshu was not too radical? ”

"Good scolding!"

"What?"

"Taichu, I said that you scolded Shi Kefa well." Huang You sneered: "Although Shi Xianzhi's fame is big, the pattern in his chest is very small. When Lu Gong worked with him, he once said that Shi Xian's character is impeccable, but his brain is extremely confused, and sometimes he even eats the ancients. Whenever there are strange ideas, they think they have a plan, but in fact, they are ridiculous in the eyes of others. Lu Gong really sees people accurately, this Shi Xianzhi is reluctant to pay not to mention, he is still a person who has no responsibility. A sentence that someone is responsible for an accident or a defeat of the army, and it really speaks the hearts of him and the dumb princes of the six departments of Nanjing! ”

Sun Yuan was silent.

The more Huang You spoke, the more angry he became, and his laughter became scathing: "The princes of Jiangnan, or the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty, usually talk about their hearts and minds, and report to the king when they die. Personality is noble, but what good does such a person do to the country? The state uses them to protect the territory and the people, and they are happy to win a good reputation when they die, but what about the country and the people? ”

"Our Yangzhou Town sent troops to Kaifeng this time, and it is a good thing to win, and everyone is happy. But if there are three longs and two shorts, then you must be held accountable. The cadres of the military department who agreed to send troops to the Taizhi will take the blame and resign, and maybe they will be dismissed from their posts and imprisoned because of their unfavorable command. When Songjin was defeated, wasn't Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the military department, arrested and imprisoned, and then abandoned the city? The past can be learned, if we lose this time, all the officials of the Nanjing Military Department are afraid that they will also fall. Moreover, the household department that gave us military expenses should also be held responsible. At the beginning, instead of taking a huge risk and agreeing to our Ningxiang Army to send troops, it would be easier for them to directly do otherwise. You say, if you were Shi Kefa, how would you decide? ”

Sun Yuan had already vaguely had such a thought in his mind before, but he hadn't been able to think so thoroughly. Now listening to Huang You's analysis, he immediately came to his senses and shook his head: "What's the matter, is it because I can be peaceful, I don't care about this country, regardless of the life or death of the people in Kaifeng?" ”

Huang You also felt a sense of depression in his heart, and said bitterly: "Isn't it because the state affairs are so bad that they are like this because the government and the central government are full of princes who know how to be officials and how to behave? Some people don't know anything but being officials. ”

Speaking of this, thinking of state affairs, tears burst out of Huang You's eyes, and then he took a long look: "General." ”

Sun Yuan was frightened and hurriedly helped him up: "Brother Huang, you and I are like brothers, if you have something to say, why do you need to?" ”

Huang You: "Kaifeng is in danger, Henan is in danger, the Central Plains is in danger, the Ming Dynasty is in danger, the general can't give up!" ”

Sun Yuan gritted his teeth: "Brother Huang, don't worry, I won't give up." In any case, at most five days, our Ningxiang army will go north. You sent me an order to return to Yangzhou Town, and ordered the Weizi Battalion, Yuanzi Battalion and Cavalry Battalion to immediately mobilize before the battle, and all of them were to assemble in Fengyang the day after tomorrow to prepare to enter Henan. Brother Huang, let's think about it again, how to prepare the military salary, and how to get the talisman for the transfer of troops from the military department. ”

Hearing Sun Yuan's order to send troops, Huang You looked excited and straightened up: "Yes, my subordinates will immediately fly pigeons and send a message back to their hometown, so that the troops will all move." ”

Then he sighed again: "It would be nice if Liu Ge Lao was still here." ”

Hearing him mention Liu Yuliang, Sun Yuan's heart was sad, and he didn't answer: "Think about it, think about it, there is no endless road." ”

But the soldier talisman was stuck in Shi Kefa's hand, and Sun Yuan told him that he was stiff before, where can he think about this method.

After returning to his mansion in Nanjing, Sun Yuan sat in the study and thought for a long time, but he couldn't get the point.

Seeing that the sky was approaching dusk, he didn't feel a little depressed in his heart.

I also regret it in my heart, I knew that I would not invest all the money in the navy in the past three years, but as for now, if I want to launch a major campaign across the three provinces, the military expenditure is nowhere to be found. Otherwise, now Lao Tzu will directly raise troops to the north regardless of it, and wait until this battle is over.

However, the navy is the way to go, and there is nothing to regret.

At this time, a rush of footsteps came, and I saw Huang You walking in with a serious face: "General, something is wrong." ”

"What's the matter?" Sun Yuan asked urgently.

Huang You: "Yongcheng Liu Chao rebelled, and sent troops to attack Suzhou and threaten Fengyang. If our army wants to enter Henan to participate in the war, the road has been cut off. ”

"Where is Yongcheng, who is Liu Chao, and how did he do the opposite?" Sun Yuan was a little inexplicable: "Yutu." ”

Huang You hurriedly found a map and spread it on the ground.

Sun Yuan squatted down, only glanced at it, and said casually: "Things are a little troublesome." ”

It turns out that the topography of Henan is relatively distinctive, and the topography of Henan is complex, with high terrain in the west and low in the east. The north is the Taihang Mountains, the west is the Qinling Mountains, the south is the Dabie Mountains, the Tongbai Mountains, the central and southern parts of the country from northwest to southeast across the Funiu Mountains for 800 miles, the mother river Yellow River traverses the east and west, and the east is the vast Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.

Therefore, from Nanjing to Henan, there are generally two ways to go. One is to go north from the Grand Canal, enter the Huai River, and then follow the Huai River from the direction of Xuzhou to the west. However, this road is a bit far away, and the Ningxiang army entered Henan this time, and the military situation was urgent, so naturally they could only take another shortcut.

This shortcut is from Chuzhou to Fengyang, and then through Suzhou into Henan. This area is a large flat plain, which is very suitable for large army movements. Moreover, it is densely populated and a traditional agricultural area, so the troops can also be replenished.

And Yongcheng is the first stop from Nanjing into Henan.

As soon as you pass Yongcheng, not far away is Guide Mansion, that is, Shangqiu.

Zhuxian Town is only 200 miles away from Shangqiu, and it will be there in two days.

Therefore, this road was the only passage for Sun Yuan's Ningxiang army to enter Henan.

And this passage has now been truncated by a sentence called Liu or something.

Huang You nodded: "We're in big trouble." ”

"It's okay, so what ...... Liu?"

"It's Liu Chao."

"Well, since Liu Chao dares to stand in front of my Ningxiang army, then pick up the grass and beat the rabbit and clean him up." Sun Yuan disagreed.

What is that Liu...... Yes, it's Liu Chao, but he is an unknown junior, and he didn't even leave his name in history. Even if it is a rebellion, it is estimated that there are not many people and horses, just a small thief, not worth noting.

Huang You: "You can't be too careless at the beginning, this Liu Chao is a strong general, an old man who fights in battle, and has rich military experience." Moreover, he has coerced a large number of people and soldiers this time, and his strength is very great, and if our army wants to clean him up, I am afraid that it will take a lot of time. The key is that the rescue of soldiers in Kaifeng is like fighting a fire, don't delay in Yongcheng. ”

"Will there be a delay?"

"I'm still a little worried, although Yongcheng is not big, but it is the key place of eastern Henan and Huaixi, the city wall is extremely high, and there are too many thieves, there are 100,000 of them."

"How much?" Sun Yuan was startled and asked.

"One hundred thousand."

Sun Yuan: "Brother Huang, it can't be a mistake, right?" ”

"How can I make a mistake, Ma Yaocao's emergency military reports have been sent to Nanjing, this is the copy I just got here." Huang You smiled bitterly and handed the general newspaper to Sun Yuan. Ma Yaocao is Ma Shiying, the governor of Fengyang. Ma Shiying, whose name is Yaocao, is a native of Guizhou, and is now presiding over Fengyang's military affairs.

Sun Yuan hurriedly took it and read intently.

Huang Youzhi reported in a hurry: "Here, Ma Yaocao said that he had personally led the Fengyang garrison army into Suzhou, and Liu Chao's army had set off from Yongcheng, and the military flag of the department covered the sky and the sun, and the camp stretched for more than 20 miles, and Fengyang was shaken. The people of Suzhou, Fengyang, and Lingbi fled in large numbers, and even Xuzhou was full of shock. ”

"It looks like it's really menacing!" Sun Yuan nodded, and the emergency military report said that when Li Zicheng surrounded Kaifeng, Liu Chao asked to recruit local bandits to assist in fighting thieves, and the imperial court used him as the chief military officer of Baoding, and ordered him to lead troops to rescue Kaifeng.

Liu Chao recruited soldiers at the beginning, and reported that he wanted to rescue Kaifeng, but he just shouted a few big words, in order to be an official. Now, the court really ordered him to lead troops to relieve the siege of Feng, but he was afraid and didn't dare to go over.

As a native of Henan, Li Zicheng is so powerful, but he sees it in his eyes, and he asks himself if he is in the past, but he is just sending him to death. So, he found many excuses to refuse to send troops.

At this time, Wei Jingqi, the imperial history of Yongcheng, couldn't see it, and when he saw the heavens urging him, it was still difficult to listen to his words.

The two had a personal grudge, Liu Chao was annoyed by him, and slaughtered Wei Yushi Manmen, and killed all the officials in the city, erected a banner, and rebelled against the city.

Wang Han, the governor of Henan, led his troops to fight, but the whole army was wiped out, and even he was beheaded by Liu Chao.

"A local tyrant is not worth mentioning." Sun Yuan said disdainfully: "What ...... Liu?"

"Liu Chao."

"Yes, Liu Chao is nothing, and Brother Huang, you don't have to care. As soon as my Ningxiang army arrived, it would be able to crush it in an instant. ”

Huang You said with a serious face: "At the beginning, Zhuge was only cautious in his life, you can't underestimate this Liu Chao." (Guoshi.) /2/2080/)--(Guoshi/)