"This Ming bandit is also smart, 'build a high wall, accumulate grain, and slow down the expedition', and the strategy adopted is similar to that of Ming Taizu." , Lin Richeng's master stood up and saluted, "Lord Zhang, if the Ming army really implements such a strategy, favors Taiwan, and laughs at the mainland's dragon and tiger fighting, it can be attacked and retreated, and the Central Plains of Dingding is unknown." ”

The implication of the master's words, to put it bluntly, is that the Ming army is so good, why don't you Lord Zhang go to Conglong.

"The Ming thief does have the atmosphere of a new dynasty, but I was appreciated by the emperor and appointed the second-class jinshi, and the emperor's favor is deep, how dare I not report it!" Zhang Zhongxing sneered, "Besides, the Ming thief is crowned by the monkey, and a large number of women are selected as officials, how can a seven-foot man of my generation be a minister and work in the same hall with the woman who combs her hair and dresses twice." ”

"Really?!" Master Qingke and a few other scholars screamed.

"Of course!" Zhang Zhongxing told them that "building high walls, accumulating grain, and slowing down the expedition" came from the mouth of a Wupin household girl of the Ming bandits.

How can a woman enter the court as an official! The people in the hall who read the books of the sages were all angry. Lin Richeng and other bankers don't think so, as long as they are capable, why can't a woman be an official?

Lin Richeng, the general of the Yang family, has heard a lot of commentary, since Mu Guiying can be in charge, if there is really a woman who is better than him in fists and feet, he can completely accept this woman's command.

Zhang Zhongxing glanced at Lin Richeng, "What's more, my hometown has thousands of acres of fertile land, no matter how much I want to steal from fate to gain a high position, I can't give away the land that my ancestors have worked hard to accumulate for generations to give to the thieves." ”

"What do you mean?" Lin Richeng jumped off the chair at once. Land is the lifeblood of Lin Richeng, and Zhang Zhongxing's words stimulated his G-spot.

Zhang Zhongxing seemed surprised, "Doesn't Master Lin know yet?" The Ming bandits have declared that they want to recover all the land, nationalize any land, and carry out the so-called land reform. ”

"The land of the four seas, owned by the Ming Dynasty." The master remembered the words on the Ming army's proclamation, "Could it be that this is the meaning of land nationalization." ”

"I heard from the guys at the Dajia Inn that the state-owned land has been fully implemented on both sides of Da'an Creek, and the Ming bandits claimed to give a certain amount of silver compensation. If you want to come to Taiwan, you will only get a blank slip in the end. Zhang Zhongxing looked at Lin Richeng's face and added another fire.

"The land is mine! It doesn't work to give money. Lin Richeng stood up suddenly, and his tone was calm, "The ancestors crossed the ocean and reclaimed these fertile fields, and they can't all be lost in my hands. ”

Lin Richeng has long forgotten the purpose of Zhang Zhongxing's coming, he is not going to serve the imperial court now, but is ready to fight hard for his own land, since the Ming bandits want to rob their land, he must fight to the death.

The crowd in the audience was excited, "The owner is right, these lands are all hard worked by our ancestors, and we must defend the land and our homeland." ”

"Okay, as long as the owner of Lin Zhuang makes up his mind, the people of Qingpu are united, and the Ming bandits will definitely be discouraged!" Finally mobilized the emotions of these reckless people, Zhang Zhongxing breathed a sigh of relief and told the plan he had planned for two days.

"The Ming bandits are powerful, it is not advisable to take it, it can only be the Daxing regiment to practice the township bravely, all the people are soldiers, and the hard village of the earth fort is built, and the deep ditch is high," Zhang Zhongxing asked Lin Richeng to turn the entire Qingpu into a big fortress, and began to build the earth fort from the side of the Dajia River, surrounded by deep ditches, and prepared more rear teams, and the surrounding villages watched and helped each other, and the bandits must be difficult to move an inch before the trench wall.

"That's a brilliant plan!" Everyone in the hall applauded.

Changhua County is full of the atmosphere of war, all the city gates are closed, and the city tower is full of green battalion soldiers. Zeng Yuming took away the North Road Association Brigade, Changhua City's current strength is less than 200, Changhua County Tang Jun and North Road Association Battalion garrison Huang Zhaoqiu are worried every day, how to hold the city.

Seeing Zhang Longtan appear under the city, Tang Jun, the magistrate of Changhua County, was really overjoyed, he looked behind Zhang Longtan from the city tower, and his brows furrowed again, "Why did you escape from the bamboo moat city alone!" What about your family? ”

"My lord, my family has arrived in Qingpu."

After entering the city, Zhang Longtan respectfully sent the letter, "This is a handwritten letter from your lord." ”

In the letter, Zhang Zhongxing explained his deployment in detail, "It is difficult to enter and suppress the Ming bandits, but it is not difficult to defend. At present, the key is to order the whole county to 'defend the land and defend the homeland' so that the gentry and merchants of Changhua can unite as a city; ”

He asked Tang Jun to immediately convene the squires of Changhua North Road to gather in Qingpu to discuss the plan to protect the thieves and retreat from the thieves, and at the same time send people to report the situation in Changhua to Taiwan's Dao Yuduo and Taiwan's town chief soldier Lu Dasheng, and try to get a batch of shotguns, guns, and mountain-splitting guns from them, and at the same time send reliable businessmen to Hong Kong to find a way to buy a large number of arms from foreigners.

Zhang Zhongxing is Tang Jun's old boss, and the relationship between the two is extraordinary. After reading the letter, Tang Jun deeply admired Zhang Zhongxing's strategy, and immediately asked Huang Zhaoqiu, the garrison of the Xiezhong Battalion on the North Road, to discuss.

"Lord Tang, our Changhua City is saved!" Huang Zhaoqiu was overjoyed holding the letter, and a big stone hanging in his heart finally fell, and he couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "Master Zhang is really talented!" ”

That night, Tang Jun and Huang Zhaoqiu, as well as the heads and minds of the villages and villages of Changhua County North Road, such as Qijiaojiao, Daduxi, Lombokjing, Wuwa Yao, Shalu, and Niushutou, gathered in Qingpu.

Hearing what kind of land the army wanted to state-own, the heads and brains of the villages were excited, and they unanimously expressed that they would resolutely confront the Ming army to the end.

Zhang Zhongxing told them in detail about the strategy he had planned to suppress bandits, "...... The Ming bandits used Western methods to train their troops, and they were well-armed, and it was difficult to win with the strength of one village and one village alone, so we must gather the strength of all villages in Tainan, one fort after another, and the forts and forts were connected. ”

In the end, he said with a smile, "As long as the Ming bandits dare to invade, the villagers are brave and brave to hide in the ditch, bird guns, guns, and mountain splitting cannons are fired together, and the villages are watching and helping each other, and the front and back are flanked by the left and right, and the bandits will be wiped out when they are in the trench wall." ”

The vast majority of people admired Zhang Zhongxing's plan, so it would be difficult for the Ming bandits to move an inch. Some people also raised doubts, feeling that all the people are soldiers, and there are deep ditches and high bases everywhere, and the farmland will be barren.

Tang Jun opened his mouth and released a satellite according to Zhang Zhongxing's instructions, "This time to kill the thief is different from the previous help to suppress." If the Taiwanese gentry can serve the country loyally, the imperial court will definitely waive the money and grain for three years. ”

Can you really waive three years of money and food?! The crowd was skeptical.

Zhang Zhongxing stroked his beard, "Although the squires are assured to kill the enemy, this official will rush to Fuzhou Mansion tomorrow to meet the governor Wang, and plead to him in person, one is to ask for the dispatch of elite teachers to rescue, and the other is to ask the imperial court to exempt money and grain." ”

"Okay, there are no worries, and we will be more energetic to suppress bandits!" The squires who participated in the deliberations were overjoyed and praised in unison.

Zhang Zhongxing picked up the teacup and moistened his throat, "When the imperial army crosses the sea to quell the bandits, and when the meritorious deeds are rewarded, all the people in the audience are the first to make meritorious contributions." ”

He glanced at the heads of the villages, "This is a real military merit, don't talk about the reward." Those who want to reward Lan Ling, those who want to make up for the lack of county officials and magistrates, and those who want to wear the general manager, the general manager, the capital division, and the garrison, as long as the merit is enough, it is not a problem. ”

After hearing this, the heads of the villages were all overjoyed.

At the meeting, Tang Jun and Huang Zhaoqiu, in accordance with Zhang Zhongxing's strategy, set up defense zones for each village on the map, agreed on a mechanism for mutual cooperation between villages, and also promised to help purchase Western arms.

After the meeting, the sky was full of stars.

The squires who attended the meeting could not take a break, and set off overnight, wanting to rush back as soon as possible and organize their villages.

Tang Jun, Huang Zhaoqiu and Zhang Zhongxing also rushed to the county seat overnight.

On the way, Tang Jun spoke a little hesitantly, "My lord, do you have to leave tomorrow!" ”

Huang Zhaoqiu, like Tang Jun, both hoped that Zhang Zhongxing could stay in Changhua to help with military affairs and help command the green battalion soldiers and militia regiments in the territory.

"There is no soldier to be saved outside, and there is no city to defend inside."

Zhang Zhongxing sighed, politely declined the invitations of Tang Jun and Huang Zhaoqiu, and said that he would rush back to the mainland to conduct a group exercise, and when a sharp division was trained, he would definitely cross the sea into Taiwan to suppress bandits.

On the morning of the 10th, all the villages on Changhua North Road took action, and the vast land from the county seat to the south bank of Dajia River became a large construction site. Within a radius of hundreds of miles were large and small camps, and countless trenches, walled walls, horse rejection and other fortifications were laid. The common people of all villages were also organized into a team, and even the women and children were also incorporated into the Huotou camp.

At the same time, Huang Zhaoqiu, the garrison of Tang Jun and the North Road Xiezhong Battalion of Changhua Zhixian County, also sent many people to summon the owners of all villages and villages on Changhua South Road to Changhua City to discuss "defending the land and defending the homeland".

On this day, Zhang Zhongxing took a cargo ship from Lukang to Fuzhou.

The ship was sailing on the sea, and Zhang Zhongxing and his two entourage cats were in the cabin, staggering to sleep, and woke up in the afternoon.

The sea boat was very undulating and bumpy, and Zhang Zhongxing couldn't sit still in the cabin and walked out. The sea breeze carried a damp smell across his face, and he felt a salty smell.

Seeing that there was a vast expanse around him, and the sea water was all dark ink, Zhang Zhongxing's head was even more dizzy. He was about to retreat into the cabin when he heard the ship's lookout scream, "Look, what is that!" ”

In the distance, two milky white centipede boats flashed from the place where the white waves were rolling, and they were paddling one after the other, sailing quickly in this direction.

"A thief, definitely a thief!"

Zhang Zhongxing looked at the sail shadow of the centipede ship, and his heart suddenly cooled by half. At this moment, the owner of the ship grabbed his hand, "Quick! Lord Zhang, hurry up and change into sailors' costumes. ”

This is the formation of coast guard ships carrying out maritime patrol tasks, the main masts of the two ships are hung with the flag of the Ming Navy, and the coast guard ship walking in front of someone has a loudspeaker to broadcast, "We are the Ming Imperial Coast Guard, please stop the ship immediately for inspection." If you disobey, you will be responsible for all the consequences! ”