On October 12, the 11th year of Chongzhen, thirty miles north of Ruzhou City, in the camp of the Ruzhou Army.

"Today, I know that it is easy to become an army, but it is difficult to raise an army! Hey! Yu Zilian shook his head and sighed.

In fact, Yu Zilian still didn't say a word, that is: "The aftermath and compensation of the soldiers are even more difficult!" “

After the establishment of the Ruzhou Army, it was also ability and luck, and Yu Zilian has always been relatively smooth. However, when he began to raise the army for a long time, he found himself in a big trouble.

In a word: it's food! No matter how powerful an army is, as long as there is no food and salary, it will be dispersed sooner or later. The reason why Yu Zilian has been able to support until now, except for Tuntian in the north of Ruzhou, his status as a civil official can get some food and salary from the imperial court, which solves part of it; If you are lucky enough to win all the time, and you can fight by fighting, then you will solve the other part; In addition, because Wu Shigong wanted the Ruzhou Army to block the western flank, he sold and gave away some of the weapons and grain and grass of the Ruzhou Army at a very cheap price.

But Yu Zilian knows that this is not a long-term solution. Because Henan is not the main battlefield, Yu Zilian's Ruzhou army is also very embarrassing in the imperial court, so now the food and salary allocated by the imperial court is getting less and less.

What's even more terrifying is that Yu Zilian and Wu Shigong still have personal grudges, so Wu Shigong may cut off the supply of weapons and grain and grass for the Ruzhou Army at any time. Besides, the last time Wu Shigong was arrested by Qincha, Yu Zilian also had palpitations, and he was unwilling to have any more relations with Wu Shigong.

However, as the battle progressed, the funding gap of the Ruzhou army was getting bigger and bigger, because of the drought, there was almost nothing to be done in the tuntian, and Yu Zilian had to transfer grain and grass from the army to the local disaster relief.

What is even more distressing is that no matter how many victories are won one after another, the Ruzhou army will always inevitably suffer casualties. The money for the bereavement and healing flowed out like flowing water. made Yu Zilian eager to conjure a cornucopia.

For this reason, Yu Zilian could only take the initiative to disarm, first reduce the Ruzhou Army to 12,000 people, and then demolish the east wall to make up the west wall, and work hard to support the operation of the Ruzhou Army. He finally realized that Wu Shigong had always been troubled by the financial problems of the Runing Army.

Sometimes Yu Zilian is also very envious of a military attache like Zuo Liangyu, if he is as shameless as them and has no bottom line, then he can resort to the trick of plundering the people.

"My lord! If the reward for soldiers is too much and the pension in the army is too heavy, can you save one or two? It can also be held up for a little longer. Zuo Yin advised.

"I can't bear it!" Yu Zilian was helpless, "It's nothing more than to let the soldiers have no worries, and there is a lot of difference compared with that Wu Contempt." My son regards me as a father and brother, and I should treat him as a son. Our Ruzhou army is united, just because Erlang is not afraid of being disabled! ”

Yu Zilian did learn a lot from Wu Shigong's Runing Army. Therefore. He also learned the advantages of treating soldiers well and attaching importance to bereavement in the Runing Army. Although this standard is still some distance from that of the Runing Army, it was among the officers and soldiers at that time. It's definitely a good salary. In addition, Yu Zilian has always taken the lead in combat. That's why the Ruzhou Army was maintained as a very united group.

Thinking of his hard work, Yu Zilian's words couldn't help but bring out a complaint: "This Ming Dynasty is so ......!" Hey! Sometimes I admire Wu Weifu. After so many years and so many troops, he was still able to hold on? It's just a loss of reputation. Now, if I can make my son healthy, I don't want to be in vain. ”

"Sometimes I figured it out. This Ruzhou army is not my family's private army, but also an official army. I dragged it out for a while, saved one person for a while, and one day I couldn't do anything. At most, let go, and go back to Changzhou to study. ”

"Why do you say that?" Zuo Yin immediately accused, "Tens of thousands of tigers can look at adults!" And how can you think of beggar bones just after the adults have just passed? Looking for the government and the opposition, how many people have raised a strong army with white hands like adults? I really want to give adults a blow to the head. ”

Yu Zilian hurriedly bowed to Zuo Yin and apologized: "Mr. taught a lesson." Zilian thanks! However, there is no need to worry too much about the long-term plan, and now the Tartars outside the customs will offend the Beijing division again, and I will be the king of Ruzhou Junqin, how to pass the current pass! ”

"What do you think you should do?" Zuo Yin asked.

"The matter of eating the king, the matter of loyalty! The whole army is ready, and three days later, go north to King Qin! Yu Zilian made a resolute decision.

Regarding King Qin, Zuo Yin has no objections. However, Zuo Yin still has some opinions about the dispatch of the whole army: "My lord! Ruzhou is the foundation of this army! Do you send more guards to prevent the thieves and other families from prying eyes? ”

"Don't leave a single soldier, the whole army will be dispatched!" Yu Zilian had already figured this out, "The Tartars are strong, and it is useless to go to three or five thousand, it is better to go into battle with all of them, at least it also makes the Tartars have some scruples." As for Ruzhou fundamentally, I will let Wu Weifu send troops to maintain it. ”

"Huh?" Zuo Yin thought he was having auditory hallucinations, "How could an adult think of General Wu Bing?" Isn't that a wolf in the house? ”

"Ruzhou is the gateway to Henan, and if you want to protect Runing and return to Germany, Wu Weifu has to send troops." Yu Zilian explained. Then he was silent for a while, and praised Wu Shigong rarely: "That Wu Fu is still a trustworthy person, and he has never repented of his promise." If you are someone else, that is really to lure the wolf into the room. ”

These words also silenced Zuo Yin. They all know the urine nature of those officials in the Ming Dynasty, if other officials are allowed to interfere in the Tuntian Zhuangzi of the Ruzhou Army, when King Yu Zilian Qin returns, those Tuntian Zhuangzi may be swallowed by them and there will not even be bones left.

"But if General Wu regrets not leaving, it will be a troublesome matter!" Zuo Yin zuihou advised. Pinning your hopes on the credibility of people who have a personal vendetta is not easy to think about.

"Hey! Who would want to do this when there is a way to go! Yu Zilian sighed, "Actually, there is nothing wrong with those people falling into the hands of Wu Yanfu. Besides, King Qin's danger this time is abnormal, and I may not be able to get out of the way. If that's the case, it's better to let these family members of the sons and daughters follow Wu Weifu, at least have a full meal! ”

That night, Yu Zilian wrote a letter to Wu Shigong in his own handwriting, and there were only eight big characters in the letter: "I will go to King Qin, temporarily entrusting Ruzhou!" ”

On October 13, the 11th year of Chongzhen, Liu Zeqing's mansion in Caozhou, Shandong.

Liu Zeqing instructed in detail to the cronies in front of him: "You must strive to meet the elder brother and determine the date when he will send troops." The Tartars are already active in Tongzhou and Dezhou, and we are alone in the north, and we are likely to be besieged. Let Brother Changjing cooperate with us, and there will be a good response between the two armies. Remember! We must let the elder brother strengthen ties with our army. ”

Over the years, Liu Zeqing has abided by what he said to Wu Shigong back then: the practice of preserving strength, and there has been no war in Shandong, so his Caozhou army has maintained an army of 20,000. Of course, the most combat-ready troops among them are only 4,000.

Because of the income from the salt farm, coupled with Liu Zeqing's wanton annexation of land in the disaster year, and then trade with Wu Shigong, his small life was actually quite beautiful.

But when the imperial edict came this time, Liu Zeqing was not happy. Why is Qiu Lei, the general soldier of Shandong, stationed in Dezhou, able to resist the Qing army's invasion of Shandong in his hometown, while his Caozhou army wants to go north to King Qin?

But the edict of the imperial court could not be ignored. That's going to King Qin, it's not an ordinary troop transfer, at least Liu Zeqing has to make a loyal posture.

So Liu Zeqing prepared to transfer 5,000 troops to the north. However, because he was afraid of encountering risks on the way, he thought of Wu Shigong and wanted to take care of each other with Wu Shigong's Runing army and go north together.

"But handsome! The villain must not dare to slack off day and night, but it will take more than ten days to come and go, can the handsome man delay here? The cronie asked.

"It's not easy to figure it out? You don't have to worry about that. And also! In case Brother Changjing refuses to send troops and asks him to make his words clear, then I will make another arrangement. ”

"It's handsome!"

"Then hurry up!"

Watching his cronies leave, Liu Zeqing began to ponder: What reason to delay for a few days? It's still the old way, mixed sick leave! It's bedridden. Solving this problem, Liu Zeqing walked to the back house with satisfaction, Liu Zeqing accepted a concubine a few days ago, and now he really needs to be "bedridden".

On October 14, the 11th year of Chongzhen, Li Lu was in the camp of Nanyang City.

Li Lu stood on the high platform of the school yard and shouted in front of more than 7,000 soldiers: "Brothers! How has the master treated you all these years? You can also touch your chest and think about it. No more nonsense. This time, the master is going to go to King Qin! ”

"The bad goods that don't have eggs at the border can't even tie a hole tightly, and they keep letting the tartars go to the capital. The master who came out of the capital couldn't help it, so he wanted to go to meet the Tartars to see if they were three-headed and six-armed. ”

"In a word: voluntary! Those who are willing to go with the master are welcome, and those who are unwilling are not embarrassed. If you want to go later, the brother will come to the front to report his name, and there is really no brother to accompany the master, so the master will go by himself, at most more than 100 catties will be thrown there, and he will also let the Tartar see the demeanor of the masters in the capital! ……”

Before Li Lu finished speaking, the soldiers below were furious: "I am willing to fight with the big handsome!" ”

Li Lu has always been very good to his soldiers, he made a fortune, and the soldiers also made small profits, so now that Li Lu is so agitated, those soldiers are surging and difficult to suppress.

Half an hour later, Li Lu listened to his subordinates with a red face: "Dashuai, there are more than 5,000 brothers who have signed up!" ”

"There are too many people! Let's draw a thousand five! But there is a prize for those who sign up! Li Lu waved his hand and said.

"Handsome! Are there fewer people? ”

Li Lu immediately burst out loud: "We have 1,500 horses, and one person and one horse can run faster." And I must have been walking with my brother-in-law, what are you doing with so many people? You think I'm stupid? Don't you think about the safety of your brethren first? ”

Hearing this, the surrounding cronies suddenly chuckled. (To be continued......)