At the beginning of April, the rainy season ushered in Annam. The sky often falls with a drizzle, and often after the rain is clear and the sun is shining. A shower had just passed, and the sky was still overcast. On the avenue northwest of Hanoi's West Gate, from a distance, a large group of people is coming. "General Liu, they are here, and the commander-in-chief has led his troops to triumph!" He Meng, who greeted him at the city gate, said excitedly to Liu Yongfu.

"I heard that Commander-in-Chief Deng is not yet in his first year, is this true?" Liu Yongfu asked. "This is true, but age does not represent anything, Commander-in-Chief Deng's knowledge, wisdom and greatness have far exceeded the boundaries of age, I dare to guarantee that there is no second person in the current Qing Kingdom who can compare with him!" “haha！ Since ancient times, heroes have been young people, and they have led the way for hundreds of years! Liu Yongfu actually chewed the words and made a fuss, but it sounded a little nondescript and awkward.

Tang Jingsong, a military officer standing next to him, was taken aback when he heard this, and he observed what they said and connected with what they had done, which was completely a rebellious remark. It's hard for them to eat the bear's heart and leopard's gall, and this self-proclaimed lord wants to rebel by sending troops to Annan? Just when Tang Jingsong was thinking wildly, a large group of people came to the front. Ahead of the road was a team of horses, numbering about 20 people, followed by French prisoners, which was the most eye-catching.

A large number of Annan people gathered on both sides of the avenue to watch the liveliness, and the voices of the people were boiling and bustling. The French prisoners came, and the people stopped clamoring and quieted down. The costumes of the People's Army were already familiar to them, but the artillery units that followed them shocked them once again. "I didn't expect your department to be equipped with such a powerful cannon, it's really enviable." Liu Yongfu praised him, and He Meng smiled at Liu Yongfu's praise. After the artillery corps passed, it was followed by captured French artillery of various types.

Liu Yongfu's eyes were hot, which made his eyes even hotter. Captured rifles were drawn on the carriage, and the rifles that were randomly stacked exuded a charming glow. A caravan of horses came, and the officers on the horses dismounted. Seeing this, He Meng hurriedly ran up, only to see a young general unhurriedly dismounted his war horse. Liu Yongfu looked carefully, the young general was in moderate stature, although a little thin but very sturdy. A white face was flushed, and although the eyes looked soft, they were not angry but powerful, and they were bright.

"Report to the commander-in-chief, He Meng, deputy commander of the 2nd Brigade of the Annan Provisional Formation, report to you, please instruct!" "My faithful warrior is good!" Deng Zixuan smiled and stretched out his hand, He Meng held Deng Zixuan's hand with some excitement and said, "Commander-in-chief!" I ask to be returned! "What's the hurry! Don't worry, I have more important tasks for you. After Deng Zixuan finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Liu Yongfu. He Meng hurriedly introduced. Looking at Liu Yongfu, who was a head shorter than himself, Deng Zixuan clenched his hands into fists and said: "General Liu's name is like thunder, and his fame is shocking to China. ”

Liu Yongfu was a little flustered and hurriedly said: "General Deng, Liu is ashamed. The general led the army of tigers and wolves to sweep the French army, which will surely be famous all over the world and immortal. Then Liu Yongfu introduced Tang Jingsong. General Deng, Tang Mou is a courtesy! Tang Jingsong was actually a little flustered. Deng Zixuan glanced at him lightly and nodded, then turned to Liu Yongfu and said: "General Liu, Annan is your home, and guests from afar should be entertained, does General Liu do his landlord's friendship?" "General Deng! Please, please, please! ”

Liu Yongfu personally entertained Deng Zixuan and others at the former residence of the city defense commander in Hanoi. The scene was enthusiastic, and the huge living room was full of guests. In addition to Deng Zixuan, there are Bai Sheng, He Meng, etc. In addition to Liu Yongfu, there are also military advisors Tang Jingsong, subordinate generals Wu Fengdian, etc. The guest and host entered the table, Deng Zixuan first said: "Bai Sheng!" "Here! Commander-in-Chief, please. "The next step is to hand over all defense to General Liu!" "Yes! Subordinate Order! ”

Liu Yongfu was shocked when he heard this: "General Deng, are you going to leave Annan?" Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "General Liu, you are too worried, I will not leave Annan in the short term." I'm going to say something big in front of everyone. Everyone must remember that Annam is the paradise of China, there is no doubt about this, so General Liu should do something. The next step is to guard General Annam Liu, Emperor Annam Nguyen exists in name only, you can take him back, but you have to hold the military power in your own hands, remember that the power comes out of the barrel of a gun! Liu Yongfu was overjoyed when he heard this: "I hope General Deng will help!" "No problem, I have decided to give you all the guns, artillery, and military materiel captured by the French army. I want you to expand your army and recruit troops. In order to strengthen the combat effectiveness of your troops, I will leave people to train your army and help you secure your defenses. In order to prevent the French from continuing to invade the north, you have to send people deep into the south to harass and attack the French, so that they will not be able to live in peace for a moment, and in this way, you will have peace of mind! ”

"General Deng, thank you for your great kindness, Liu will never let you down!" Liu Yongfu suddenly rose with pride. Stimulated by alcohol, the scene became more and more lively. In addition to the excitement, what Liu Yongfu longed for seemed to fall from the sky, and he was drunk. That night, on the north city wall, a black shadow sneaked down the city wall, and as soon as he landed, two big men appeared and held him with guns. Deng Zixuan's temporary mansion, in the bedroom, he was closing his eyes and recuperating. A man in civilian clothes, not in military uniform, walked in.

The man in civilian clothes had a somewhat gloomy face, probably around 40 years old. "Report to the lord, the person sent by Tang Jingsong was captured outside the city, and the letter was found on this person." The visitor put a letter on the table and withdrew. Deng Zixuan didn't have to guess to know what was written in the letter. "Someone!" The captain of the guard walked in. "Go and invite Tang Jingsong."

About an hour later, Tang Jingsong appeared in Deng Zixuan's guest room. Deng Zixuan did not get up to greet the guests, but looked at the guests coldly. Tang Jingsong was a little apprehensive when he entered the room, and suddenly he saw the letters on the table and understood everything. This guy was relaxed and sat down calmly. "Mr. Tang, don't you want to explain?" Deng Zixuan asked calmly.

"I don't need to explain what to explain to the great rebels. I, Tang, was born a person from the Great Qing Kingdom, and died as a ghost of the Great Qing Kingdom. "Tang Jingsong seems to be a little righteous." Mr. Tang! You see me as an executioner, and I want to kill you? Why should I kill you? Since you can see that I will not hide it from you, I will soon wave my troops into Guangxi and fire the first shot to overthrow the Manchu dynasty. ”

"General Deng! You won't succeed, trying to overthrow the Manchu Qing is delusional, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is a lesson from the past. However, the lives were devastated, and it was the people of Li who suffered in the end. "Tang Jingsong is righteous and stern." Mr. Tang, I know it's hard to get you to change your mind, so let the hard facts do the talking. But I want to tell you, Annan is the land of China, and must not be ceded to the French, whether Mr. Tang wants to be a hero or a sinner through the ages, there are two paths in front of you, whether to continue to assist Liu Yongfu to stabilize Annan, or to act as an eagle dog of the Qing court. Think again. Mr. Tang can leave with your letter and send it off! "The captain of the guard walked in.

Tang Jingsong walked out of the mansion in a daze, almost not believing his eyes. He carefully identified that the letterhead had indeed not been opened, and suddenly he realized that Deng Zixuan was asking him to assist Liu Yongfu in plotting against Annan. The next day, early in the morning, Tang Jingsong saw Liu Yongfu and said: "General Liu, it is certain now that Deng Zixuan completely took the opportunity of sending troops to Annan to rebel. "Rebellion?" Liu Yongfu was taken aback when he heard this, and then secretly rejoiced, but he was not easy to show in front of Tang Jingsong.

"How so?" Liu Yongfu asked knowingly. It was Deng Zixuan who told him in person, and then Tang Jingsong retold it in detail. Liu Yongfu said: "General Deng's rebellion is his business, and it has nothing to do with me. I now need General Deng's help to get through the difficult time ahead. Mr. Tang, if I am asked to go against General Deng, it is purely looking for death. As the saying goes, those who know the times are junjie, which is my standing capital. Mr. Tang, besides, I'm not a citizen of the Qing Dynasty now, so I have to go with the flow! Tang Jingsong was speechless.

After Tang Jingsong went out, Liu Yongfu said to his subordinate general Wu Fengdian: "Looking at the surname Tang, he is not allowed to spoil my big things." Liu Yongfu confirmed that Deng Zixuan really wanted to rebel, and he was simply overjoyed. He knew that he was restless in his bones, and now that a powerful backer has appeared, where to go in front of Liu Yongfu? But the situation was not clear, and after thinking about it, he decided to see what he was saying.

"Report to the commander-in-chief, subordinates come to report, please instruct!" Early in the morning, He Meng's figure appeared in front of Deng Zixuan. "You may be seated!" Deng Zixuan personally served a cup of tea, and He Meng immediately stood up again and took the tea in fear. "Don't be nervous, soldiers should be calm and calm, not humble or silent." "The commander-in-chief's instructions, his subordinates keep them in mind." He Meng raised his head with his chest straightened.

Deng Zixuan's face was grim and said, "He Meng! "Here!" "I officially appoint you as the commander of the Recruit Brigade!" "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief, for your love!" "The battalion under your command will be built, and I will give you the officers of the first brigade to teach the brigade, and on this basis, a recruit brigade will be formed. Which road to Mingyue Villa you have walked! "Yes, Commander-in-Chief!" "At present, Wang Xiaoer is transferring weapons and ammunition, you lead the team to secretly enter Dingming County through Mingyue Villa, and immediately start forming a recruit brigade. Wang Xiaoer's village guard team and caravan guard team have several thousand people, all of whom have undergone basic military training, and on this basis, you select personnel to form a recruit brigade, with a tentative number of 3,000 personnel. Then your task is to ・・・・・・. ”

Half a month later, an envoy sent by the French commander Guba arrived in Hanoi via Haiphong. Deng Zixuan and Liu Yongfu discussed. "General Deng, by all means, how can I receive that instead of you." When Liu Yongfu heard that he asked him to receive the French envoy instead of Deng Zixuan, he was immediately confused. Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "General Liu, if you want to deal with the French for a long time in the future, you must make them afraid of you." Just imagine how majestic it is for your Black Flag Army to annihilate 5,000 soldiers and horses of the French army in one go. ”

"General Deng, I can't be greedy for merit and steal for myself." Liu Yongfu was terrified. "General Liu, I will cooperate with you to play a double reed. You have to make the French think you're strong. Because you need time, which is very important. Tang Junshi, you say that! Deng Zixuan asked the silent Tang Jingsong.

Tang Jingsong stood up a little embarrassed and said: "General Deng's move is Anbang's policy, the purpose is to make the French army dare not attack the north easily, and to buy time for General Liu to recruit troops and strengthen the defense in the north." Liu Yongfu bowed his head to express his admiration. Receiving the French envoy, Liu Fucheng regarded himself as the king, and Deng Zixuan played the role of the general under his command. The French envoy and Deng Zixuan spoke in English, which shocked everyone.

There is no need to guess, Deng Zixuan fooled the French envoy with a hand, this guy believed that it was the Black Flag Army that wiped out 5,000 French troops. Deng Zixuan personally accompanied the French envoy to visit the prisoner camp for French officers and soldiers. He was allowed to talk and ask questions in the soldiers' barracks, but in the officers' barracks, he was only allowed to look and not ask. This guy saw that the French prisoners were living well, and expressed his sincere admiration for the Black Flag Army.

Then Deng Zixuan led the French envoy to visit the officers and soldiers of Bai Sheng's 1st Brigade. A large banner of the Black Flag Army was unfurled in the wind in the garrison barracks, and the signboard in front of the barracks reads the 5th Brigade on the left side of the Black Flag Army. It is not difficult to see that this is a deliberate attempt to fool the French envoys, and Deng Zixuan's ecstasy array is actually to let the French commander be fooled.