Hong Chengchou, a political officer in Shaanxi, was still immersed in the grief of the suicide of Wu Zhiwang, the governor of the three sides, and stayed in that small building for a whole afternoon, without coming out or calling anyone in.

For tonight's banquet, whether to invite Hong to participate in politics, Xu Liang still had a trace of hesitation in his heart.

In terms of loyalty to the court and Emperor Chongzhen, Hong Chengchou and Huang Daozhou, the official of Pingliang, are undoubtedly on the same level, and they belong to the kind of purity and excellence.

And Xu Liang is undoubtedly not very qualified. Moreover, the primary purpose of his banquet tonight did not sound particularly pure, and he was suspected of digging into the corner of the Ming Court.

Xu Liang stood in front of the small building for a long time, and finally decided that it would be better not to invite Hong to participate in politics, so as not to cause trouble.

Tonight's goal is to win over the two tiger generals, He Renlong, the Qingyang garrison, and He Huchen, the general of Yansui.

In the main hall of Xu's mansion, a table of exquisite wine and food has already been prepared. Xu Liang and Dai Feng waited early, and after a while, He Huchen and He Renlong arrived as promised.

As for the special feature of tonight, He Huchen and He Renlong could guess that after the banquet began, the four of them didn't have much gossip.

After eating and drinking for a while, Xu Liang put down his chopsticks, looked at the other three, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, I will find you tonight, Xu has something important to discuss." ”

He Huchen, He Renlong paid attention to Xu Liang at the moment when Xu Liang put down his chopsticks and listened carefully to Xu Liang.

"Throughout the past six months, the war in Shaanxi, whether it is a thief or a civilian army, it is our army in Shaanxi Province that is fighting to the death with the enemy. From the beginning to the end, the court did not send a single soldier or salary to support. "Xu Liang said." Although Wu Zhiwang, the governor of the three sides, committed suicide, he repeatedly wrote to the court. asked the court to send reinforcements, but when it was presented to the city of Beijing, it was like a stone in the sea. The battle of Hanzhong, Xi'an, and Fengxiang Sanfu, the soldiers who came forward desperately were all our soldiers in Shaanxi Province, and the war has been fought so far, our men and horses have been disabled, and the general soldiers of Ningxia have died. Guyuan guerrillas died, the deputy general of the Liang army died, Governor Liu died, and even the governor of Wu committed suicide! The reinforcements of the court are far away, and the people's army led by Huang Ziren and Gao Yingxiang has broken through Fengxiang Mansion and is approaching Pingliang Mansion! That despicable and shameless Gao Zilin is still hiding in the shadows, staring at him! ”

Xu Liang sighed heavily, and looked at He Huchen and He Renlong with burning eyes. Waved his right hand vigorously, raised his voice and said, "To this day, I don't know what He Shoubei and General He think, but for me Xu Liang. I think it would be foolish to have illusions about the court again, a difficult and dangerous situation. It is up to our local officials in Shaanxi to solve it themselves! ”

"In the past, we had people from all walks of life in Shaanxi, and we were scattered. No one obeys the other, and each fights his own. Xu Liang pressed his hand on the edge of the table. "Now, we can't do that." We must unite and defend against the enemy together! ”

Xu Liang said that the stars were flying, He Renlong cut off Xu Liang's words, and said in a loud voice: "Lord Xu, you said it, as soon as you say Lao Tzu, you will be angry." Shaanxi is in chaos like this, and the court does not care about natural and man-made disasters. Hehe, on the ground in Liaodong, hundreds of Houjin soldiers disturbed the border, and the Shengshang and the ministers of the court were so nervous that they were transferring troops and sending generals. On the ground in Shaanxi, tens of thousands of thieves and the people's army swaggered across the border, and the court turned a blind eye! Liaodong is the heart and liver of the court, and our Shaanxi is raised by the stepmother! What "the Son of Heaven guards the country, and the king dies", I'm bah! That's because Liaodong is close to Beijing, and the ministers of the court are afraid of death! ”

He Renlong waved his hand directly at Xu Liang and said, "Lord Xu, you chew words in front of a few of us, what do you have in mind, just say it." ”

Xu Liang stroked his palms and smiled, "Okay, this official appreciates a straightforward person like He Shoubei!" Xu Liang and He Huchen and He Renlong arched their hands, stared at the two and said sincerely, "Let's not talk nonsense!" On the ground in Shaanxi, there are not many people who can be eyed by Xu, and He Garrison and He Zongbing are the first two. I am looking for two of them to come here today to give the two generals a safe future. ”

"Huh?" He Renlong chuckled.

Xu Liang said, "Don't hide what the two generals said, the war in Shaanxi is like this grandma, although the main responsibility does not lie with you and me, but now the governor of Shaanxi is dead, and the governor of the three sides is also dead." The adults who are qualified to carry the black pot are basically dead. The court will be held accountable in the future, and we won't be able to escape. ”

"Hey, Lord Xu is not right," He Renlongwei shouted: "The people in Shaanxi are in turmoil, it is a natural disaster and a man-made disaster, we are brave enough to suppress it, but our soldiers are weak and weak, and we are unable to completely suppress it." How can we be blamed for it? The court also has to be reasonable! ”

Xu Liang sneered and said, "General He, when has the court been reasonable?" Does General He have the emperor's favor in the court or does he have a cabinet scholar to protect him? This official dares to guarantee that once the court is held accountable, the first batch of officials to be dismissed will be two generals! ”

He Renlong and He Huchen were silent. As Xu Liang said, He Huchen is a little better, He Renlong really started from the small soldiers in the base house, and accumulated military merits step by step, so that he can sit in the position of the current Qingyang garrison general. He is in the upper echelons of the court, and he does not have any strong backers, otherwise, just relying on the name of He Maniac, He Renlong should have been ranked in the general rank a long time ago.

"What do you mean, Lord Xu?" He Renlong hesitated and asked, "You said you want to ensure a safe future for us?" ”

Xu Liang nodded heavily and said, "Not bad." Although I am very disgusted with the use of such vicious words as forming a party for personal gain, the current situation is that if our generals in Shaanxi do not unite again, a catastrophe will really come. ”

Xu Liang looked directly at He Renlong and He Huchen, and said, "My idea is that my Liang army and the two generals will unite to form an offensive and defensive alliance. The four of us here represent the Liang Army, the Pingliang General Army, the Qingyang Garrison, and the Yansui General Army, which are the four most important forces in Shaanxi Province. For the sake of today's plan, only if our four armies unite and hug together and advance and retreat together, then, no matter how the court treats us in the end, we can fight for it, and we will not be slaughtered by others! ”

He Renlong and He Huchen listened and fell into deep thought for a long time. He Huchen raised his head and said with a wry smile: "What Lord Xu said is not unreasonable. Only nowadays. The troops under General Ben and General Qingyang Garrison He were all disabled, and the total number of soldiers and horses under his command was only three or four hundred. Even if you form an alliance with Lord Xu, it won't change anything. ”

Xu Liang laughed, and said to He Renlong and He Huchen: "The two generals don't have to worry, since the four of us have formed an alliance, of course, there are blessings to share, and there are difficulties to share." Rest assured, my Liang army has recently recruited another five or six thousand recruits, and I am going to divide these people under the two generals to replenish the strength of the two generals. ”

He Renlong immediately rubbed his hands. Said curtly: "This, how embarrassing is this." ”

Xu Liang waved his hand very generously and said: "Since the alliance is formed, it is a family, and the family does not speak two words." The two generals do not have to be polite. ”

He Renlong immediately bowed his hand and grinned: "Lord Xu is noble, and He is sincerely convinced." ”

Xu Liang said, "Tomorrow, the two generals can find General Dai to hand over the personnel." The officer believes. The five or six thousand recruits, under the leadership of two battle-hardened generals, will be able to form a combat force to the fullest. However, then again, since it is an alliance. After all, an alliance leader was proposed, and Xu Moumao recommended himself and was willing to be the leader of the alliance. ”

He Renlong was stunned. looked at Xu Liang and pondered for a while. grinned: "Lord Xu Gaoyi, the most convincing person in He's life." Lord Xu came to be the leader of this alliance, it was well deserved, and He was convinced. ”

He Renlong thought to himself, the Qingyang soldiers of Lao Tzu were all abolished, and then asked the court to allocate silver and two to restore the system, I don't know if it will wait until the Year of the Monkey Ma Yue, this Xu Liang in front of him will help restore the army without saying a word, Lao Tzu has inherited such a big affection from him, and it is natural for him to be the leader of this alliance.

Xu Liang smiled slightly, looked at He Huchen, the chief soldier of Yansui, and asked, "General soldier He, what do you mean?" ”

He Huchen said in a deep voice: "Although Lord Xu has allocated new soldiers to enrich the strength of our army, General Ben believes that the position of the leader of this alliance should be a prestigious and capable person to sit on it in order to serve the public. ”

Dai Feng glanced at He Huchen and said in a deep voice: "The position of the leader of the alliance must be done by Xu Liang. If it were someone else, the old man wouldn't recognize it. ”

He Huchen glanced at Dai Feng and said with a smile: "If General Dai says so, then what else is there to discuss?" Isn't it over that Lord Xu is the self-proclaimed leader of the alliance? Do you still need to call General Ben and He Garrison over and discuss it with hypocrisy? ”

Xu Liang heard it, and General He was not convinced that Xu Liang was sitting on the position of alliance leader. Thinking about it in my heart, He Huchen is the chief soldier of Yansui, in terms of age, he is at least one round older than Xu Liang, in terms of grade, He Huchen is a second-grade military general, although this year is Wenzun and Wuhumil, the grade of the military general is not valuable, but it also depends on who is right? Obviously, Xu Liang's identity from Sipin Pingliang is not enough in the eyes of General He.

Looking at the four people in this room, He Zongbing believes that he is the most suitable to be the leader of this alliance.

Xu Liang snorted secretly, he was bound to win this so-called alliance leader, if the alliance leader gave up to General He, then Xu Liang was busy, wouldn't he make wedding clothes for others? If that's the case, Xu Liang might as well not engage in this bad thing of forming an alliance.

Xu Liang asked He Huchen with a smile: "General He, then who do you think is qualified to be the leader of this alliance?" ”

He Huchen glanced at Xu Liang, his lips twitched a few times, and he had the heart to say that he was qualified, but he had just received the thousands of soldiers and horses sent by Xu Liang, and if he snatched Xu Liang's position as the leader of the alliance in a blink of an eye, it seemed too shameless.

He groaned for a while, looked at Xu Liang and said with a smile: "Don't hide what Lord Xu said, you are old and have just entered the officialdom." Among the four people present, in terms of experience, prestige, and grade, they all respect General Ben. Originally, the position of the leader of the alliance should naturally be done by General Ben, but this matter was proposed by you, Lord Xu, and General Ben is not easy to take by force. General Ben can give you a chance to convince me. ”

Xu Liang's face changed suddenly, and He Huchen said these words, proving that he really intended to be the leader of the alliance. Xu Liang scolded in his heart, this He Huchen is really a white-eyed wolf who can't be raised, he wronged himself and deliberately brought him to Xu's mansion to recuperate, and invited Lang Zhong, changed the medicine, and sent Yahuan to wait, this bastard actually didn't appreciate it.

"What chances? Mr. He, please speak. Xu Liang asked through gritted teeth.

He Zongbing said indifferently, "It's very simple, right now, Huang Ziren and Gao Yingxiang are leading tens of thousands of people's troops towards Pingliang Mansion, if Xu Liang and I can lead us to defeat the people's army, this general will admit that you, the leader of the alliance, really deserve your name." Otherwise, General Ben will be the leader of this alliance! ”

Bang! As soon as Mr. He's voice fell, Dai Feng became angry, snorted angrily, and said, "Mr. He, don't bully people too much!" ”

General He was-for-tat, glared at Dai Feng, and said, "General Ben only respects heroes!" If Xu Liang really has the ability, he will prove it to the big guy. ”

"You!" Dai Feng got up angrily and glared at General He, exhaling a rough breath in his nostrils.

Xu Liang stretched out a hand, pressed Dai Feng back to his seat, stared at General He again, and asked, "If this official kills the people's army, General He, what should you do?" ”

General He raised his head and said, "Then General Ben will recognize Xu Liang's position as the leader of your alliance." ”

Xu Liang shook his head and said in a deep voice, "This is not enough. If this official kills and retreats the attack of the people's army, He Huchen, I want you to swear to be absolutely loyal to me in the future and never betray! ”

He Huchen was stunned, his eyes widened and he shouted: "Lord Xu, this is an alliance, not a deed of sale!" ”

Xu Liang said indifferently, "General He should know that the people's army has captured Hanzhong Mansion and Fengxiang Mansion one after another, and there are many generals in their hands, and there is a demonic martial arts master Gao Zilin hidden in the shadows, if you want to kill the people's army, it is not easy." ”

Immediately, Xu Liang's eyes became sharp, and he said, "Since General He is not convinced, then let's let go of the gamble!" What's the matter, is Mr. He also the kind of person who can't afford to lose? ”

He Huchen didn't expect Xu Liang to be so ruthless, and he actually wanted to make conditions for himself. I was unwilling, but I thought that the people's army was strong, and the strength of the attack was estimated to be three to four times that of the soldiers defending the city, and there was a rare opponent like Gao Zilin, a master hidden in the shadows, and he would give a fatal blow to the generals who fought at any time.

As Xu Liang himself said, it is not only not easy to kill the attack of the people's army, but in He Huchen's view, it is simply an impossible task.

Mr. He's face changed for a while, and he finally clenched his fists and made up his mind.

"Well, once you say it, it's hard to chase the four horses! Lord Xu is interested, and General Ben will have a fortune with you! If you kill the people's army, the general will recognize you as the leader of the alliance, and will always follow you, and will never rebel. If Xu Liang can't kill the retreating people's army, then this alliance leader will be the general! ”

"Good!" Xu Liang stroked his palms and smiled, "Today's matter between this official and General He, everyone here is a witness!" ”

"Hmm!" He Renlong and Dai Feng nodded in agreement.

Xu Liang shouted to the family in the house: "Come on, prepare pen and ink!" ”

He Huchen and the others were taken aback and asked, "What do you want to do with pen and ink?" ”

Xu Liang said solemnly: "I will definitely write down such an important matter as the alliance of the four armies and the selection of the leader of the alliance. ”

After a while, Xu Liang took out a covenant that had just been drafted, took the ink clay, and placed it in front of He Huchen and He Renlong.

He Huchen's face was ugly, "Lord Xu, what are you doing here?" ”

"Words have no basis, words are evidence."

He Huchen said angrily, "Lord Xu, are you doubting General Ben's personality?!" ”

Xu Liang shook his head with a smile and said, "Where, I'm just worried that Mr. He, your nobleman will forget things, in case you can't remember us?" ”

"Humph......"

Eventually, all four people in the room signed the covenant and put their fingerprints on it. (To be continued......)