The 40,000 Puji bandits did not land in Zhangtai, but bypassed Gantang Bay and sailed into the waters east of Longyan, occupying several islands near the shore as strongholds. On June 4, 30,000 Puji bandits entered the territory of Longyan one after another and set up camp on a gentle slope more than ten miles east of Longyan City......

Gongliang Youqin's unexpected action not only disrupted the deployment of the Qingyan Army in Zhangtai, but also caught everyone in Longyan City off guard and panicked.

Gongliangyouqin's gray and white sideburns were scattered in the wind, and his face was gloomy looking at the Longyan city wall more than three feet high.

Cheng Zengzhi of Longyan Yi trembled and entered the Puji military camp that seemed to be unaware, looked at Gongliang Youqin, who had been with a straight face, and plucked up the courage to say: "The king of the county once agreed with the marshal that your army would attack Jian'an Fort from Zhangtai in a roundabout way, and then join the army to swallow the gorge, why did the marshal appear outside Longyan City?" ”

Gongliang Youqin snorted coldly, and the hum containing Dan Xi went straight through Zeng Zhi's ear drum, Zeng Zhi's heart was like a heavy blow, and he shook twice, almost unable to stand.

Gongliang Youqin turned around and stood with his hands sheared, leaving only Zeng Zhi with a huge figure, but the colossal momentum revealed made Zeng Zhi breathless.

Gongliang Youqin said slowly, and his voice was so hoarse that it was terrifying: "It's not your turn to question me." After the Qingyan Army's Feng Yuanyuan Department retreated into Zhangzhou City, it drew 5,000 troops from Zhangzhou and sent them to the area of Jian'anbao, and it was not difficult for our Puji Army to gradually clear the Qingyan Army in Zhangtai, but I was afraid that Zongzheng Xun Da would not be able to survive at that time. When you return to the city, you just need to say: Our army crosses, as long as we levy enough grain and grass, we can ensure that Longyanqiu will not be damaged, and if Longyan City refuses to accept it, it will not be able to protect the city and kill people. ”

Zeng Zhi only felt that the corners of his mouth were slightly salty, stretched out his hand to wipe it, his face was already dripping with sweat, and he hurriedly said: "So good, so good, it's just that the situation in the city is different from the past, and the big handsome will have to take care of it for some time." ”

Gongliang Youqin was slightly restrained, turned around, and asked, "What's the difference?" ”

Zeng Zhi replied: "Longyan was originally an important town in my southern Fujian, with a perennial garrison of about 15,000 people, and last year it reached 20,000 people, all of which are loyal to the elite of the county king, the situation in Longyan has always been controlled by the county king, but after the county king took away the 15,000 elites, the situation is a little different." ”

Gongliang Youqin Yin smiled: "I didn't give you a good reason, the Longyan family probably doesn't want Longyan City to be ruined." ”

Zeng Zhi thought to himself: The Puji bandits did not ask to enter the city, and it is not difficult to do these requests, not to mention the secret order of the county king, Ding Mianchen and others should not obstruct it. But when he rode through the long, empty gate hole, he was apprehensive for no reason.

Ding Mianchen, the captain of Longyan Yi, frowned, and said: "No, the grain in Longyan City is not large, if all the money is allocated to Gongliang Youqin and Gongliang Youqin is not as good as the appointment to move westward, what should you and I do?" ”

The defenders of the city gave the grain to the besieged city, and they didn't kill themselves? Zeng Zhi's heart was shaken, he didn't know whether to take out Zongzheng Xunda's secret order, and glanced at He Zhou, the capital of Longyan Yi, who was kneeling behind the case, and saw that his gaze was stopping on him.

"It's better to give a batch first, and let Gongliang Youqin send 10,000 troops westward in advance."

Ding Mianchen sneered and said, "If Master Zeng is sure to persuade Gongliang Youqin to do so, then I have no opinion. ”

"How can you not be convinced?"

"Feng Yuanyuan led 5,000 Qingyan troops to pass through the Dazhangtai Valley and appeared in the area south of Jian'an Fort, and Xu Ruyu personally led 10,000 Qingyan troops to disappear for several years, and there are 30,000 Qingyan troops in the eastern foothills of central Fujian.

Gongliang Youqin suffered from the destruction of the two roads in Fuzhou, and I am afraid that I will not take this risk at this time. He Zhou frowned, if he didn't lose grain, the Puji army would not go west to relieve the siege, but he was afraid that Puji would breach the contract and attack Longyan instead. I didn't know how to make a decision for a while, but I waved my hand and asked the two assistants to retreat, leaving me in the gloomy hall to think.

Ding Mianchen has a slight white face, but when he was established, there were several deep wrinkles engraved on his forehead, his cheekbones were raised, his chin was narrow, his lips were thin and thin, and he looked straight, leaning forward, and his figure was very lonely. Filled his mind with the events of the past month, Ding Mianchen, with the support of several generals, slowly rode his horse to the mansion in the west of the city.

Seven months ago, Zongzheng Xunda led 15,000 Southern Fujian guards to besiege Jian'an Fort, three days, the fort was broken and slaughtered, and none of the 4,000 people in the fort survived.

The fifteen thousand guards led by Zongzheng Xunda were all clan soldiers of the Zongzheng family, and the Longyan family did not notice it in advance. All the 15,000 soldiers and horses who participated in the massacre were trapped east of Hutong Gorge, and not only that, but there were also 17,000 or 8,000 soldiers and horses trapped there in Quanzhou.

Eighty percent of the more than 30,000 trapped Southern Fujian guards were the clan soldiers of the Zongzheng family.

When Qingyan raided Xiying and trapped more than 30,000 guards in the Tiger Swallow Gorge, the Southern Fujian family suddenly thought of the Zhangtai tragedy.

If Xu Ruyu really wanted to avenge his father's subordinates back then, I am afraid that not many of these 30,000 guards would be able to come out.

In the past, the Southern Fujian family thought that the defense of Yongjiabao was empty and not enough, but now they all guessed that Xu Ruyu had set up a plan to create something out of nothing in Yongjiabao, and when the Nanmin Guards really attacked Yongjiabao, they would inevitably encounter stubborn resistance.

The families of Southern Fujian did not expect it wrong this time, Yongjiabao not only has 800 Baoding, but also 500 elites of the Qingjiang Cavalry Battalion (including 200 soldiers of the Baiyi Secret Battalion), as well as 1,000 Baiyi elites, and the other 2,500 Xinding are also selected from 100,000 Tuntian people, and after half a year of training, in addition to nearly 10,000 young people to help defend, making the Yongjiabao first-line stronghold on Xiaoqingshan is solid.

Ding Mianchen secretly calculated how much the trapped guards' food stocks could last, and thought: Maybe it won't take half a month, and the Zongzheng family will withdraw from the sky of Southern Fujian, but how can he drag the Puji bandits here for half a month with his own strength? Ding Mianchen tapped his forehead lightly, and Orr thought again: If Zongzheng Xunda really abandoned the trapped 30,000 guards, Zongzhengjia still has a considerable number of troops in Fengzhu and Putian, and the 20,000 water army in Quanzhou Shuiying is also completely owned by Zongzhengjia.

Thinking of this, I felt resentful in my heart, and my breath was rough, and I looked up and saw my father's attendant standing in the middle of the street looking this way, and I was shocked, and secretly said: My father has something important to look for me at this time. Urging the horse to gallop to the front of the house, he handed the reins and the whip to the doorman, and asked, "What happened in the house?" ”

casually said: "The valve only said that you will go to see him when you come back, and I don't know what the specific matter is." ”

Ding Mianchen hurriedly stepped into the inner house and saw Ding Xiruo, who had an old face, saluted respectfully, and asked, "Father, what are you asking people to find their children?" ”

Ding Xiruo said: "The Ding family is at a critical juncture, I want to hear your opinion." ”

Ding Mianchen was speechless, thinking: How could my father guess my thoughts?

Ding Xiruo sighed: "Don't you think you've been too respectful to my father for the past six months?" If it wasn't for my battle of will, how could I have broken off your marriage with the Zheng family, haven't you forgiven me today? ”

Ding Mianchen lowered his head and said in a low voice: "The child doesn't dare." ”

Ding Xiruo said: "Back then, Zheng Menghuai and I had a disagreement because of the same style, the argument was fruitless, the sword dance during the banquet, I couldn't fold it on him in a hundred moves, and I felt faceless for a while, and walked away, but I forgot that I was going to propose marriage for you." Since then, the family has not been in contact with each other, so that you will miss that marriage. ”

"The child has long forgotten ......"

"I thought you had forgotten, but when the news of the Jian'anbao tragedy came the year before last, I knew that you hadn't forgotten, and you couldn't forget the girl of the Zheng family who swore to die for you......"

Ding Mianchen burst into tears and choked up: "The child is the eldest of the Ding family, you must not marry, it is I who have lost her, I have lost her......"

Ding Xiruo sighed, opened his eyes and looked out the window, and was silent for a long time.

The changing glow on the city walls is like an unpredictable life. If the Ding and Zheng families had married, the power of the Zhangzhou family would have been twisted together, and they would not have been broken by Zongzheng Xunda one by one. Although he thinks so, he knows that everything is irreparable, and his son's tragedy is created by himself and cannot be changed.

Ding Xiruo said, "I will take you to meet a man who has been entrusted to bring you something. ”

Ding Mianchen hid the sorrow in his heart, followed his father to the side compartment on the east side, and saw a figure sitting in the dark in the house.

The man sensed the arrival of Ding's father and son, stood up and turned around, and a pair of eyes appeared unusually bright in the dark room.

Ding Mianchen was surprised, a name was about to blurt out and he closed his mouth vigilantly, and said in a low voice: "Yang Shang? ”

The person who came was Yang Shang, the captain of the Qingyan Army and the commander of Gantang. Yang Shang led a guerrilla attack outside Longyan City two months ago, and had a face-to-face encounter with Ding Mianchen.

Yang Shang said: "I was entrusted by someone to bring this thing to General Ding. He took out a slightly faded red Luopa from his bosom, "My lord found this Luo Pa in October last year by the newly slaughtered Jian'an Fort, and later handed it over to Zheng Gong, who asked me to hand it over to General Ding. ”

Ding Mianchen closed his eyes and turned around, and the bright face that appeared in his mind that night and night resurfaced, and the long stream of tears that could not be stopped fell.

Yang Shang continued: "Gong Zheng is convinced that if General Ding had known, he would definitely not have let the Zhangtai tragedy happen. ”

Ding Mianchen looked at his father blankly.

Ding Xiruo sighed: "The situation no longer allows me to wait for the family to wait and see, from now on, I will pass on the position of the head of the family to you, you can decide for yourself." ”

On June 6, a fire broke out in Longyan City on the coast, and the granary in the inner city of Longyan, together with the surrounding Torture Cao Hall, Torture Rafter Hall, Right Prison, and Hucao Hall, were reduced to ashes in a sudden fire.

Longyan Yi capital He Zhou, Yi Cheng Zeng Zhi looked at the scorched earth in front of him with the support of several scribes and more than 100 servants, and wanted to cry without tears.

Yi Wei Ding Mianchen walked over, his face was covered with a layer of fly ash, and his clothes were stained with a few black stains, obviously just coming out of the fire.

Ding Mianchen said: "The fire is separated by Dingxi Street, and it does not burn to the west, and it is separated by the inner city wall, and it does not burn the people in the outer city, but it is just ......."

"Just what?" He Zhou knew that this was the case, but he couldn't help but ask.

Ding Mianchen hesitated for a long time before saying: "The east of Dingxi Street in the inner city was turned into ashes in the heavenly fire, and more than 80,000 stones of stored grain were turned into coke. ”

Zeng Zhi sneered a few times, stood up, and said: "Arson points are all over the more than 20 places around the granary, Ding Mianchen, have you ever seen such a strange heavenly fire?" ”

Ding Mianchen heard Zeng Zhi call him by his name so unceremoniously, his heart rose with anger, and he said coldly: "The inner city is heavily guarded, and preparing the granary is the top priority. ”

He Zhou shouted in a deep voice: "Let's discuss it when I go home." ”

Zeng Zhi looked at He Zhou's dark face and closed his mouth unwillingly.

The northwest corner of the Longyan Yi Shoufu was also caught in the fire, and a large part of the mansion wall collapsed, and the corners of He Zhou's mouth twitched a few times, exhaled, and walked straight into the military hall.

Zeng Zhi glanced back, only to see Ding Mianchen coldly glance at himself and then turned his head to look elsewhere, his heart palpitated, and he thought: Ding Mianchen must have seen something. After chasing a few steps, he leaned to He Zhou's side and whispered: "The secret room of the Blue Flame Army cannot enter the inner city, and there are twists and turns in between. The inner city only has official offices, granaries, armories, and barracks, and it is impossible for civilians and merchants to enter the inner city. ”

"You still want to teach me this?" He Zhou was anxious and angry, and reprimanded, "It's just that the military rations are burned, and Gongliang Youqin is urging under the city again, how is it good, you have a plan?" ”

Ding Mianchen said in the back: "The squire of Longyan will not sit idly by, and adults should not worry about military rations." ”

"But how to raise the first batch of 20,000 stone grain and grass promised to Gongliang Youqin?"

But at this time, the Jingwei outside the door entered the report: "The family in the city knows that the grain burned is destroyed, and donates 1,000 stones of grain and 10 pigs and sheep to alleviate the urgent need." ”

Zeng Zhi's eyes lit up and said, "From the Ke family, the turnover is urgent. ”

Ding Mianchen snorted coldly, and secretly thought: Zeng Zhi still can't see the situation clearly at this time? looked at He Zhou intently, and saw that he vaguely guessed the truth, but he didn't dare to tell it, and he couldn't stop sneering in his belly.

He Zhou asked: "Why is the family not for sale?" ”

"The military order is current, and it can be forcibly requisitioned."

Ding Mianchen said with a smile: "There are reasons not to sell it, but Lord Zeng forcibly obtained it." ”

Zeng Zhi wanted to speak, but He Zhou waved and motioned for him to retreat.

He Zhou's eyes swept over Ding Mianchen and said, "Mianchen, your Ding family is the head of the Longyan families, this military ration really can't be forcibly requisitioned?" ”

"If you resist the Qingyan Army, you may be able to levy it, but if it is a bandit, you can't force it."

"Oh?" He Zhou looked at the subtle changes in Ding Mianchen's expression suspiciously, and said, "The 10,000 elites of the Qingyan Army wanted to go down to Zhangtai four days ago, but there is no trace of them today, and the Ding family really has no news at all?" ”

Ding Mianchen laughed and said: "The Longyan General Post directly reported the military information to you, Lord He, and the whereabouts of the Qingyan Army should be asked by my Ding family to you." What's more, now that the Puji bandits are outside the city, maybe they don't necessarily know. However, the lord thought that Mian Chen did not have the right to know about the military aircraft, so he could not mention it. ”

He Zhou's expression was solemn, and he lowered his voice and said: "The king of the county is trapped in the east of the Tiger Swallowing Gorge, what does it mean that the Ding family is at the bottom?" ”

Ding Mianchen smiled, the cold light in his eyes was like electricity, and said: "If the Puji soldiers invade the inland, it is still two to say whether the king of the county can solve the difficulty, but the foundation of Longyan is bound to be destroyed. Puji can actually land from Zhangtai and go straight down to the Tiger Swallow Gorge from Jian'an Fort, but if he wants to borrow the road from Longyan, he will never be able to, and he will not be able to make the Longyan family even more desperate if he wants to give food to the old enemy. ”

He Zhou thought to himself: This fire was really put by the Longyan family, even if it was burned, he didn't want to give it to his old enemy Gongliang Youqin.

With the power of the Ding family, Ding Mianchen is the natural candidate for the capital of Longyanyi, but after Zongzheng Xunda ascended the throne, Longyan was regarded as the focus of the northern defense, and the strength of the Ding family was a little weak.

During the reign of Zongzheng Xunda, with the help of the power of the Puji bandits, he wantonly attacked other families, except for Zhangtai, Longyan was the most troubled area of bandits, and the family withered, and he had long held a grudge. At this time, Zongzheng Xunda and tens of thousands of elites were trapped between Hutun Gorge, Yongjiabao, and Zhangzhou City, and the power of the Longyan family once again gained the upper hand in Longyan.

Regardless of the secrets of Ding Mianchen and the Zheng family, as Xu Ruyu analyzed, the Longyan family would rather the Qingyan Army enter Zhangtai than be swept away by the Puji bandits. The Ding family came out to cheer for the Qingyan Army, and the rest of the family responded.

The biggest problem for Puji to send troops to Zhangtai was the supply of grain and grass.

Puji did not have much grain in Wenling, and if the Puji army that entered Zhangtai did not want to go to great lengths to transport it from Puji Island, they had to turn to Longyan for help.

Seeing Ding Mianchen's tough ** naked statement, He Zhou couldn't hold back the chill in his heart, sat on the high-backed Taishi chair, and asked dejectedly: "Are you so sure that the king of the county will not be able to get out of the Tiger Swallow Gorge?" ”

"Six days have passed since the Tiger Swallow Gorge was sealed, the Puji bandits have not penetrated an inch inland, and Quanzhou has failed to gather 100 troops. What can the king of the county do to solve the predicament, the Qingyan Army and the Southern Fujian Guard Army are both defeated, who will be cheaper in the end? Do you still have to explain the truth to the adults? ”

He Zhou hurriedly said: "Gongliang Youqin and the king of the county have already made an appointment, and they will not disobey it." ”

Ding Mianchen thought to himself: If this is the case, he sighed and said: "I'm afraid that the adults themselves can't believe this reason." After a pause, he said: "The He family in Putian has nothing to do with Zongzheng and the Yan family, so don't destroy the foundation of the entire family because of Zongzheng Xunda's appreciation of you." ”

He Zhou stood up violently, pinched the sword blade sharply, and a sword light suddenly slashed towards Ding Mianchen, the half-unsheathed long sword crossed his neck, and said viciously: "The Ding family really doesn't know where the 10,000 Qingyan army led by Xu Ruyu is?" ”

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