Since the Tang Dynasty, with the development of the imperial examination system, the struggle between the imperial power and the aristocracy has been victorious, and in fact, by the early years of the Song Dynasty, the aristocracy in China as a social group no longer existed, and the imperial power ruled the vast empire mainly through officials selected by the imperial examination system rather than by blood-born nobles. The power groups of vassal kings, eunuchs, feudal towns, and foreign relatives that had threatened the imperial power in the past no longer existed in the face of the powerful alliance of imperial power and imperial examination officials, and it can be said that the quality of life and safety of emperors after the Song Dynasty were much higher than those of their predecessors. But with the development of the imperial examination system, a new problem arose in front of the imperial power - that is, the gentry group.

The so-called gentry group refers to officials at all levels and the reserve of officials, including Zhishi officials, feudal officials, donor officials, and students of Guozijian and Fuzhou County School, although the Chinese aristocracy in the Ming Dynasty has declined, but the gentry group has formed a new, more powerful privileged class. The gentry were higher in legal status than the commoners, and the Ming Law stipulated: "All Beijing officials and officials above the fifth rank outside have committed crimes, and they are not allowed to ask questions without permission, and below the sixth rank, listen to the history of the imperial patrol, and ask questions according to the judge and the division, and discuss the punishment of the district." If a prefecture or county official commits a crime, the boss under his jurisdiction is not allowed to inquire without authorization, but only allows him to issue the reason for the crime and seal it up. If it is allowed to be questioned, it will be replayed according to the law, and the judge will be allowed to make a judgment before the trial is confirmed." That is, if an official commits a crime, he is not tried by the judicial authority, but must be tried by the imperial power or a superior official. Moreover, even if an official is found guilty, he or she can be dismissed, transferred, or demoted. Those who have not served as officials also enjoy other privileges in trial; Economically, the gentry were often exempted from labor and money and food; Therefore, the gentry often relied on their legal and economic superiority in the township to annex land, accept donations, oppress the good, embezzle tuntian, default on taxes, and even fight against local officials. By the late Ming Dynasty, the gentry had formed a behemoth through the intricate relationships of the same year, teachers, fellow villagers, and colleagues, and even the supreme imperial power was helpless in the face of this group. As a member of the Jinshen group, Yang He knows very well what will happen if he offends the Shaanxi Jingentry, although due to the backward economic level, the Jinshen in the northwest of the late Ming Dynasty has a much lower voice in the court than in Jiangnan, North and South Zhili and Shandong, but Yang He himself does not have a strong friend in the court, and the only support is the trust of the Son of Heaven, but as we all know, this holy family is probably the most unreliable thing in the world.

Therefore, it is not difficult to imagine the anxiety in Yang He's heart these days, as the saying goes, "only when you can fight can you make peace", if you want to appease, you must first beat the enemy on the battlefield and be afraid, and then there is room for lobbyists to divide and decompose. But to his complete surprise, according to the information received by the daily scouts, the peasant army did not attack, nor did it make a detour to the south, as he expected, but remained where it was.

Yang He knew very well in his heart: the large number of displaced people coerced by the peasant army also consumed a large amount of grain every day, and it was very unwise to stay where they were, why did this happen?

In war, even the best and most gifted commanders cannot know both sides of the war, and in most cases, commanders know very little, and those parts that are shrouded in fog must be filled with genius, experience, blood, and even luck, and find that tortuous path to victory. Although Yang He was not a genius commander, he also understood this truth, but the night attack that day seriously frustrated the morale of the officers and soldiers, and all he could do now was to wait for the reinforcements from He Huchen and Du Wenhuan to arrive.

While Yang He was looking forward to reinforcements, Liu Cheng's residence ushered in an uninvited guest. On this morning, Liu Cheng watched the drills of his subordinates in the open space in front of the camp as usual, but saw Du Gushen running over mysteriously, only saying that there were guests. Liu Cheng was suspicious in his heart, he was a guest who had no relatives and no reason, and he couldn't see it, but he couldn't bear Du Gu's death and begging for nothing, so he had to go with him.

As soon as Liu Cheng entered the house, he saw a person sitting on a chair, with only two eyes covered in a black cloth on his head, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed, so he turned his head and shouted to Du Gu: "I don't see this kind of rat with his head and tail exposed, drive him out quickly!" ”

"Liu Baihu hasn't seen him for a few days, and his temper has grown a lot!" The man stood up and untied the black cloth on his face: "Don't blame Du Gu, you know too many people here with my face, it's better to cover it!" ”

"How are you?" Liu Cheng couldn't help but widen his eyes, turned his head to Du Gu and said, "You go and call Du Ruhu Du and Brother Du, just say that his nephew is back!" ”

"Wait!" Du Guoying stopped Du Gu and said to Liu Cheng: "I came this time for another matter, and I don't want to see my uncle!" “

Why is that? Since I learned that the thieves surrounded Yan'an, I think that although Brother Du doesn't say it, he is still worried about you in his heart. ”

"Lord Liu doesn't need to ask about this matter anymore, it's not the time for our uncle and nephew to meet!" Du Guoying's attitude was very resolute, and he arched his hand: "I came this time to have official business." “

"Business?" Liu Cheng couldn't help but be stunned, his meaning was very obvious: he was under the top military commander of the Ming Dynasty in the northwest, what else could you do here?

Du Guoying's face was slightly red, but he quickly regained control of his emotions: "Lord Liu, I am now the chief whistle under the 'two-sided light'.

“

"'Two-sided light'?" Liu Cheng was stunned when he heard this, and then remembered that this was the nickname of a leader in the peasant army, and his nerves immediately tensed.

"Du Gu, you go to the courtyard and watch, everyone who comes says that I am recuperating from the cold, and no one is there!"

"Yes, sir!"

When Du Gu went out, Liu Cheng turned around and carefully closed the door tightly, then turned around and sat down, and said with a smile: "Brother Guoying is really a hero, he can stand out anywhere, but I don't know what to do with me this time?" ”

"Without him, I came this time to ask Inspector Yang to surrender on his behalf, and I want to ask you to introduce him on my behalf." Du Guoying took out a framed red paper from his arms and handed it to Liu Cheng: "This is a gift list for the governor, and of course you are indispensable." ”

Liu Cheng glanced at the gift list and put it aside with a smile: "We are also old acquaintances, you don't have to hide it from me, right now, your leader has just won the battle, why do you want to surrender?" It's not a trick. “

Du Guoying sneered: "It's good to win the battle, but it's not the 'two-sided light', but the other leader Li Hongji." “

"Li Hongji?" Liu Cheng thought about it for a while and didn't remember the name. Du Guoying saw Liu Cheng's confused face, so he explained carefully. It turned out that after Li Hongji's successful night attack, his reputation among the peasant army was great, and many small poles with only thirty or fifty or more than one hundred people were also put under his command, and soon his strength had surpassed many of the leaders who were originally above him. And he still insisted at the meeting of the leaders of the families to turn his troops east, cross the river to Shanxi, and even said that if the other leaders did not agree, he would go east alone and act alone. The Great Chief, Shen Yikui, tried his best to persuade everyone to act in unison, but he never succeeded. This is the real reason why the peasant army has not made a big move these days.

"Crossing the Yellow River in the east and attacking Shanxi? This Li Hongji is a powerful character! Liu Cheng thought to himself, he knew very well that in this game between the court and the thieves, the purpose pursued by the two sides was different: the purpose of the court was to eliminate the thieves, and the purpose of the thieves was only to survive, so for the peasant army to leave Shaanxi, a relatively closed region from the outside world, crossing the Yellow River east into Shanxi would open up a completely different new situation, no matter what the final result was, Yang He, as the governor of the three sides, would definitely step down.

"Then does the leader of your family approve of or oppose the eastward crossing of the Yellow River?" Liu Cheng asked.

"Naturally, it's against it, this guy thinks that there are white flour buns and mutton soup to eat every day, and he will be satisfied if he marries a few beautiful aunts, where is he willing to cross the Yellow River east?" Du Guoying's face showed a disdainful smile, obviously he was quite disdainful of the "two-sided light" vision.

"You can't say that, if not, how would you have this opportunity?" Liu Cheng smiled and patted Du Guoying's shoulder: "If this thing is done, if you don't talk about your previous crimes, you will definitely be able to go further." Speaking of this, Liu Cheng picked up the gift slip and flicked it in his hand: "If you give me the share, I won't want it, I will transfer it to Zhao Wende Zhao to join the army for you, what this person said in front of the governor, if he is willing to speak, this matter will become eighty or ninety." ”

The Governor's Palace, a watch.

"Jiansheng, do you think there will be no fraud in this matter?" Yang He looked at the gift lists on several cases and asked with some hesitation.

"I don't know if it's true or not!" Zhao Wende carefully considered his words: "But people who come may wish to meet and learn some inside information about the thieves, this will not be wrong." “

"That's it!" Yang He nodded, and included the past dynasties in his sleeve without revealing a trace: "Jiansheng, you let people bring the gifts, and then lead the person in through the side door, don't let outsiders see it!" “

"Yes!" Seeing that Yang He agreed, Zhao Wende couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief in his heart, the five hundred taels of silver on the gift list that Liu Chengsai gave him, and the thirty Nanjing satin horses were finally in the bag.

After a while, the gift was brought in, a total of three thousand taels of silver, and ten treasures, Yang He casually picked up an agate cup and played with it in his hand, he couldn't bear to let go, and after a while, he ordered his subordinates to store the gifts, and asked, "Is the person coming?" “

"Waiting outside!" Zhao Wende replied.

"Come in!"

After a while, Du Guoying was quietly brought in, and the usual communication and honor guards were simplified, and Zhao Wende whispered to Yang He: "Du Guoying knocks to see your lord!" “

Yang He nodded slightly, he looked up and down at Du Guoying, who got up from the ground, bowed slightly to show his salute, and asked the other party to sit down, and asked, "I heard that the leader of your family sent you to beg for surrender?" ”

"Exactly!" Du Guoying replied: "The leader of my family doesn't want to be a thief, so he asks the master of Taiwan to take it in." ”

"Hmm!" Yang He nodded noncommittally, and then he began to ask Du Guoying about the various situations in the peasant army, Du Guoying replied fluently, as the inquiry progressed, Yang He's face became more and more peaceful, and he smiled a little more, and finally Yang He said to Du Guoying: "You go back and tell the leader of your family, as long as he changes his mind and serves the court wholeheartedly." The court will naturally reuse him. Now that thieves are everywhere, it is a good time for a strong man to gain fame, the army has won, and he will naturally have his share in terms of meritorious deeds! If the leader of your family can obtain the head of this person, the official will protect him as a guerrilla.

Do you also have a future? ”

Du Guoying hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you for the cultivation of Master Zhangtai!" “

"You bring this back!" Yang He took two blank confessions on the side, wrote a few lines on them, and stamped them with the governor's seal, sealed them and handed them to Zhao Wende. Du Guoying hurriedly took the letterhead from Zhao Wende's hands with both hands, Yang He kowtowed a few more times, and was taken down by Zhao Wende. A few minutes later, Zhao Wende returned to the house, only to see Yang He's face was very ugly, and hurriedly asked in a low voice, "My lord, is there anything wrong?" ”

"Hmph, I can't imagine that there are such characters among the thieves, if they are really allowed to cross the Yellow River eastward, not only will it be difficult for the leader to protect, but the Ming Dynasty will also be in danger. If the order goes down, if there is a person who beheads the thief Huang Lai'er, also known as Li Hongji, he will be rewarded with 3,000 taels of silver and given to 100 officials! ”

"Yes, sir!"

"Also, urge the two generals Du and He to lead their own troops to rush forward, and be sure to rush to Liujiayuan within five days, I want to pacify the thieves in one fell swoop!"

According to Yang He's order, He Huchen and Du Wenhuan led about 2,000 elites to Liujiayuan at dusk on the fourth day, and about 10,000 main forces were about 20 days behind, and they would definitely not be able to catch up with this decisive battle, but at this time Yang He could no longer afford to let the peasant army enter the Yellow River east into Shanxi.

The actions of the officers and soldiers broke the temporary calm within the peasant army these days, and under normal circumstances, this temporary alliance of large and small chiefs had a strong centrifugal force, each leader regarded his subordinates as his own private property, lest they be annexed by the strong, and the closeness of their relationship was inversely proportional to the advantages and disadvantages of the situation, and when the situation was good, these leaders would often go their own way, or collect grain, or besiege the county town and the cottage; And when the situation of the officers and soldiers is critical,

The weaker of them often have to give up some of their autonomy in order to seek refuge from the strong, and the strong often take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their control over the weak or even swallow up the other party to strengthen themselves. This state of affairs was evident in the number of guards they led at the meeting, and each leader brought with him the most skilled and loyal men to ensure his own safety.