In the middle of the night.

In Tongguan, the supervisor Li Huaxi changed into a military uniform, carried a sword at his waist, and stood on the review stand of the barracks.

"The loyal soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, the rebel army of 60,000 soldiers and horses, has been surrendered by Chen Bing."

"They used to be Ming merchants, but now they are following the rebellion of the rebel minister Liu Jun, and now, they are moving towards the ghost gate. They were stationed twenty miles outside the pass, and in three days' time, the rebel artillery would arrive, and at that time, Tongguan would be difficult to resist the rebel artillery attack. ”

"Your Majesty is on a personal expedition and is leading 100,000 reinforcements to arrive."

"But as a soldier of His Majesty the Ming Dynasty, how can I let His Majesty put his golden body in danger and come to the battle in person? Tonight, we will take the initiative to attack and take advantage of the new arrival of the Han army, when the artillery has not yet arrived, and we are arrogant and underestimate the enemy, and kill them by surprise. ”

"As a Ming soldier, being able to defeat the rebels with his own hands is an honor given to us by God, and it is also an opportunity given to us by God."

Li Huaxi shouted loudly, "Soldiers, the time has come for you to make meritorious contributions, let the blood of the rebels soak our robes!" ”

"Whoever kills one rebel will be rewarded with twenty pieces of silver, and ten acres of land will be given to Kanto."

"Whoever kills the rebel lieutenant will be awarded the ninth rank officer, and those who can kill the rebel military academy will be awarded the seventh grade. If you can kill the rebel general, you will be awarded the fifth rank officer. ”

"If you kill the rebel general Zheng Zhilong, you will be made an earl and given ten thousand gold!"

There must be brave men under heavy rewards, and the lack of training and military pay in peacetime has become the only way to motivate the military by giving generous rewards in wartime and improving the rewards for military achievements.

The Qin army below didn't react when they began to hear about those loyalty and meritorious deeds, but as soon as they heard all kinds of rewards, they immediately came to their senses, and began to shout slogans such as killing the enemy and long live. The momentum immediately increased a lot.

"Let's go!"

Li Huaxi was originally a native of Shandong, a Jinshi of Chongzhen for seven years, and served as a magistrate in Huzhou and a Taoist in Tianjin. Therefore, he was promoted by merit. Promoted to governor of Shaanxi, but as soon as he arrived in Shaanxi, Chongzhen died, and not long after, Emperor Longwu also died, and Liu Jun usurped the throne.

Waiting for Liu Jun to clean up the deficit and recover the tax arrears, he also had to levy the deed tax, which caused the dissatisfaction of the rich people in the world, and there was no Liu Jun's family in Shaanxi at this time. Therefore, soon Shaanxi and Gansu reversed.

Li Huaxi was also awarded the rank of Cabinet Scholar, and this time he was specially sent to Tongguan to supervise the teacher with a Shang Fang sword.

In the face of the Han army outside the Guan, Li Huaxi and others did not have any good way, and yesterday Daotai put forward a plan.

However, the so-called strategy is nothing more than a night attack on the Han army. For the night attack, Ma Shiyao objected, because the Han army was extremely elite and well-defended. Even if it is stationed in the camp, there will not be many loopholes.

Opposite. Night raids are too much of a test of an army's skills.

And their current Tongguan garrison is still pieced together.

The total is only 7,000, but the Han army on the opposite side has 80,000, and they have to stay.

No more than 3,000 people can be sent.

Use 3,000 to sneak attack 60,000 Han troops, even if some of the Han army still has some artillery and so on, the Han army in the camp will not be less than 40,000 or 50,000.

Ma Shiyao objected. It's a pity that no one listened to him.

Fortunately, because of his opposition, in the end, Li Shixi did not choose him to lead his troops to a sneak attack, but transferred another general to lead the troops.

Ma Shiyao knew a little about Li Huaxi and knew that this was a very traditional official.

But he still does not approve of or optimistic about his move to send troops.

Li Huaxi's ancestral home is Shanxi. Later, the family moved to Shandong. His great-grandfather was a tribute to the Shibumen, and after taking his family to Shandong, he made a living from farming, and Li Huaxi's grandfather was only a farmer, but the family had been farming and studying heirlooms, and when he finally passed the Jinshi examination and became an official.

Li Huaxi's official reputation as an official is not bad, he has done a lot of practical things, and he has also made meritorious deeds in providing relief to more than 100,000 victims during disasters and famines.

However, like many other gentry, he was dissatisfied with Liu Jun's usurpation of power, and even more dissatisfied with his new policy, and was extremely dissatisfied with the imperial court's demand that officials settle accounts to make up for the shortfall, and also to collect five years of tax arrears from the gentry's family, as well as the collection of deed tax.

Eventually, he joined the rebel army and became a member of the support for the restoration of the Ming Dynasty.

Ma Shiyao didn't believe how loyal Li Huaxi was to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty was rotten to the roots, there was nothing to be nostalgic for, he believed that Li Huaxi and many other officials were just playing the banner of Zhu Ming in order to oppose Liu Jun.

I heard that when Li Huaxi was worried in his hometown of Zhoucun, he took advantage of his position to force the local government to rectify the order of the market and crack down on the bullying and tyranny of local ruffians and hooligans and corrupt officials, attracting many businessmen to open shops and do business, and there were as many as thousands of commercial routes in the village market.

Li Huaxi even privately took the commercial tax of the market, and then put up a sign that the market was exempt from taxes to attract businessmen to come and operate. As a result, Zhou Village became more and more prosperous, and even had the title of the first village in the world.

But such a Qing official and capable minister also resolutely opposed the new dynasty.

Ma Shiyao is also very confused sometimes, what is going on in this world, who can dominate?

However, since the defeat of Luoyang, although he is now an official and leading troops in the Xi'an Imperial Court, he has been thinking about more and more things, and he has gradually understood some things.

In tonight's night attack, Ma Shiyao didn't believe that it would succeed at all, but Li Huaxi insisted on sending 3,000 soldiers and horses.

This is to send to death.

Thinking of the chaotic war for more than ten years, Ma Shiyao is also a little tired, when will it be a head if it goes on like this? I don't know the news of the defeat of King Chuang, and the Han army is invincible, and it seems that the world has been settled.

On the school ground, three thousand night raiders and horses had already lined up to set off, and Ma Shiyao looked at these people, but he only seemed to be looking at a group of dead people.

He believed that these people might not come back if they went out.

Tomorrow many women will lose their husbands, and many children will lose their fathers.

Suddenly, Ma Shiyao felt that all this was very disgusting and terrifying.

"Call all the battalion officers." Ma Shiyao said to the soldiers.

It has been more than ten years since the Ming Dynasty rebelled, and now it has become a loyal soldier of the Ming Dynasty. Ma Shiyao shook his head, if Da Ming was still the same Da Ming in the past, maybe he would accept this new identity now.

But the Ming Dynasty has died after all, and the current Ming Dynasty is just a fake, deceiving himself.

The 4,000 soldiers who stayed behind were basically subordinates of the original Chuang army, and the generals who led the troops were basically old brothers.

Ma Shiyao looked at everyone and said slowly, "These people who went out of the customs tonight will not come back." ”

The officers did not speak, this is a very obvious thing, only those civilian officials can't see such a simple thing clearly.

"Now there are only 4,000 people left in the pass." Ma Shiyao said again.

Everyone remained silent and didn't know what to say.

4,000 people guarded a pass, and in the face of 60,000 elite Han troops, they were all desperate.

"Reinforcements from Xi'an have to arrive in five days."

An officer finally couldn't stand this oppressive atmosphere, "General, why don't we withdraw." ”

Ma Shiyao looked at this brother, who is also an old brother of the army, who has followed the rebels to fight in the world for more than ten years, and he has to say that his luck has always been very good to live to this day.

"Where to retreat?" Ma Shiyao asked rhetorically.

Yes, where to retreat, there is still a way. Now is not the time of the Ming Dynasty, it was not terrible to lose the battle at that time, it was a big deal to play hide and seek with the official army, but now it is different.

The Kanto region is no longer available, and when the Han army arrives in one place, it will be like an iron bucket, the official army is stationed, and the local reserve army, township soldiers, militia groups, and even the villagers are all protected by the armor system.

To the east, they simply can't hold on.

But to the west, there is the Han army behind, and they can escape for a few days, and to the southwest, it will not be long.

"Brothers, it's been more than ten years, I've been calling around, running around, to be honest, I'm really tired." Ma Shiyao said.

Many people nodded, they were indeed tired, and they were even more tired and confused.

"Now the situation, this world must be the big man, do you say yes?"

Everyone nodded, it was indeed very clear. Before, Luoyang was a tree against the flag, and the gentry of the world responded one after another, but now it seems that those people are useless at all.

Ma Shiyao continued, "It seems that Liu Jun is the true son of the dragon, and it has only been a few months since the founding of the Han Dynasty, but under Liu Jun's rule, various places have already seen changes. In the Kwantung provinces, there are no homeless people anymore, they are all busy plowing the fields and working to earn money. ”

"To be honest, everyone has seen the new dynasty and new policy, except for being a little tough on those big households, it is good for ordinary people. Rent and interest were reduced, and the return of land and silver was reduced. ”

An officer nodded, "Yes, in the past, I was just because the taxes at home were too heavy, all kinds of increases, I couldn't survive at all, the local big families still had to be squeezed, and the officials had to be persecuted, so I joined the rebel team in desperation. ”

"Yes, in the past, no matter where we went, as soon as we raised the flag and greeted us, there were immediately countless responders, and the people rebelled with us. But now, how many people are still willing to rebel with us? ”

"The people are like this, until they can't live anymore, who is willing to risk killing their heads to rebel."

"There is no future for rebellion."

Ma Shiyao listened to the sighs of these old brothers, and also sighed.

"Brothers, I've been thinking about it for a long time these days, thinking about the 100,000 soldiers and horses we gathered in Luoyang, King Chuang, but what about it, as a result, they were beaten clean overnight, although there are also traitors, but even if there are no traitors, have we really beaten the Han army? The Han army is one million, all of them are elite, well-armed, well-trained, and well-fed, and we will never be able to defeat him. ”

"Brother Ma, if you have anything to say, just say it, it's all your own brothers here."

"That's it, let's get it straight, Brother Ma."

Ma Shiyao nodded, "Okay, just say this to everyone, then I'll say it." I plan to surrender to the Han army, and I also plan a way out, and I don't want to run around like this for the rest of my life. If the brothers support me and are willing to follow me, then everyone will join together and take Tongguan to annex. If there are brothers who are unwilling to surrender to Han, then I will not stop everyone, you go by yourself. ”

As soon as the words came out, there were many humanitarians, "What else to think about, we all followed Brother Ma and descended." ”

"It's down." (To be continued.) )