Ying Tianfu, Liangjiang Governor's Palace.

Rockery ponds, swimming fish.

Hu Beizong, the governor of Liangjiang, was wearing a purple official robe, and he was standing on the stone bridge thoughtfully, and at this time, someone hurriedly stepped forward: "Report to the governor, there is a military situation in the southwest." ”

"Military intelligence?" Hu Beizong groaned: "The Japanese are coming again?" ”

"Yes." The visitor nodded and replied: "The Japanese invaders landed in the direction of the Shiping Guard, and immediately attacked a village, slaughtered all the people in the village, and set fire to the village. ”

Hu Beizong remained silent, war reports like this have been heard many times since he became the governor of Liangjiang, from the initial anger, to the current numbness and even indifference, as long as the Japanese are not eliminated for a day, such a tragedy will not end.

"So did Guang Jiqi make a move?" Hu Beizong asked.

Shiping Weisu is the jurisdiction of Guang Jiqi, and it is also a barrier to defend Ying Tianfu, Guang Jiqi is the most optimistic one among the young generals Hu Beizong today, although it is said that purely in terms of combat effectiveness, it is not as good as Qiu Dayu, but if it is about potential, it is Qiu Dayu who is far inferior to the former.

Now that the Japanese are committing crimes, it happens to be within his jurisdiction, and it can be regarded as the time for him to make meritorious contributions and leave a reputation.

"Nope." The visitor said with trembling lips.

"Bold!" Hu Beizong was furious: "As a general of the Great Zhou Dynasty, how can there be a reason for the people to suffer and cower? ”

"Where is he now! I want him to come back at once, and I want to take him for his crimes!" ”

"Your Excellency the Governor, it's not that Lord Guangjiqi doesn't move, but the Japanese robbers, and the Japanese ......," the visitor said here, and some couldn't say it anymore.

"What's wrong with the pirates?" Hu Beizong asked in a deep voice.

"After the Japanese invaded the villages and towns, they turned around and attacked the Shiping Guard, and launched an attack on the Shiping Guard." The man said in a trembling voice.

As soon as this remark came out, even Hu Beizong fell into a stupor, after all, since the beginning of the Japanese Rebellion, those Japanese invaded the state capital, and the officers and soldiers of the guard station cowered and did not dare to go out of the village to meet the battle, but they had never heard that there was a group of Japanese robbers who dared to attack the imperial court guard with heavy guards.

The so-called hitting a stone with an egg probably means this.

"The result?" Hu Beizong couldn't help but ask hurriedly.

Guangjiqi is a rare handsome talent, and the terrain of the Shiping Guard is also steep, just from the word Shiping, it can be seen that such a good general is a strong city, is it possible that these rabble of would-be robbers can really attack it?

However, deep in Hu Beizong's heart, there was actually a trace of unease.

"Your Excellency." The person who came trembled a little, and his voice was choked: "The stone screen guard is broken." ”

"The defenders were scattered, and according to them, almost all of them came to attack this time, and they were Japanese warriors with superb swordsmanship, and their leader easily captured General Guangjiqi."

"What!" Hearing this, Hu Beizong couldn't help but take two steps back and leaned against the railing of the stone bridge.

"Say what you say, you say it again."

Hu Beizong didn't believe his ears.

Guang Jiqi was defeated and captured?

This is something that makes Hu Beizong feel more unbelievable than the fall of Shi Pingwei.

"The defenders were scattered, the Shiping guard fell down, the enemy set fire to the guard, General Guang Jiqi's whereabouts are unknown, and according to the rout soldiers who escaped, General Guang Jiqi was captured by the leader of the Japanese Kou." The person came and reported in a trembling voice.

When he heard such news, he couldn't believe it, so he could only come and report it to Hu Beizong as soon as possible.

After all, the Shiping Guard is one of the important portals of Ying Tianfu, and if the Shi Ping Guard is lost, then the enemy can quickly point to Ying Tianfu.

Generally speaking, no Japanese invaders dared to attack a big city like Yingtianfu, but in the same way, no Japanese invaders dared to formally attack the guards of the imperial court garrison.

Of course, for Hu Beizong, the war between the southeast coast and the Japanese was no longer much different from the war.

"Quick! Send out scouts! Hu Beizong said repeatedly: "Go and search for Guang Jiqi's whereabouts, you want to see people in life, and you want to see corpses in death." ”

Guang Jiqi is now one of the important figures in the southeast to resist the Japanese, he is young, forge ahead, has his own unique views on the Japanese situation, is familiar with military books, and can live and learn, almost Hu Beizong can find the best generals under his own hands, if he really wants to launch a decisive battle with the Japanese in the future, then the sick general, it is none other than Guang Jiqi.

If it is true that he died young before he made meritorious contributions, this is not only Guang Jiqi's personal loss, but also a huge loss to the overall situation of the entire southeast anti-Japanese war.

"No need, the last general has seen Governor Hu." At this moment, Guang Jiqi's hearty voice came from outside the door.

With the voice, Guang Jiqi walked into the courtyard and saluted Hu Beizong from afar: "Thanks to the governor's concern, Jiqi is all right." ”

Hu Beizong looked towards Guang Jiqi, only to see that the man was still wearing a military uniform, his face was a little pale, and other than that, he didn't see any obvious injuries.

Hu Beizong couldn't help but show a puzzled look, and glanced at the person who reported the news just now: "Someone just said that Shipingwei has fallen?" ”

If the Shiping Guard really fell, how could Guang Jiqi rush to Ying Tianfu so quickly?

There must be something that I don't know.

Then we have to wait for Guang Jiqi to answer by himself.

"Yes, tell the Governor, the Stone Guard has fallen." Guang Jiqi clenched his fists and said: "The last general is incompetent, he did not resist the enemy's attack, and all the blame is borne by the last general." ”

"It's okay if people are okay, it's okay if people are okay." Hu Beizong opened his mouth and said, saying this, he looked at Guang Jiqi: "Jiqi, I know your ability, Shiping Guard, among the many guards under the rule of Ying Tianfu, should be regarded as one of the strongest guards, and the terrain is also easy to defend and difficult to attack, I don't know why it will be broken by the Japanese Invaders?" ”

"How many pirates are there?" Hu Beizong was in charge of the defense of the southeast, and also presided over the overall situation of the anti-Japanese war, and now that the Shiping Guard is broken, Ying Tianfu will be directly exposed to the front of the army.

So he was really interested in the specific details of the fall of Shi Pingwei, if Guang Jiqi didn't come, then he would definitely ask the people who came to interrogate him, but now that Guang Jiqi is in front of him, then no one can ask Guang Jiqi clearly.

"Report to the governor, there is not a single number of subordinates, but a rough estimate should be no more than a hundred, roughly between fifty and a hundred." Guang Jiqi said.

Hu Beizong was shocked when he heard this: "But a hundred? How many guards do you have in the stone screen? ”

"Tell the governor that there are a total of 800 soldiers in the Shiping Guard, but there were only about 500 of them stationed in the Guardhouse at that time." Guang Jiqi replied.

The guard system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, most of the officers and soldiers are borne by the soldiers, the soldiers are born to be soldiers, and they can only join the army from generation to generation, which is not a glorious thing, on the contrary, most of the soldiers are poor, although they can cultivate the land, but these lands are also owned by the state, it can be said that the military households are the personal slaves of the so-called chiefs, not only are they not free, but most of the harvests they cultivate must also be handed over to the imperial court and the guards, in fact, the combat effectiveness is quite worrisome.

Of course, after Guang Jiqi arrived at the Shiping Guard, he also tried to get rid of some malpractices, but it was freezing three feet, not a day's cold, even if Guang Jiqi was already a boss who could perceive the suffering, but excessive reform would touch the interests of many people, and Guang Jiqi's foothold was not stable, and he could not be implemented at all.

This is also the reason why Guang Jiqi has been talking about wanting to train his own troops, the main reason is that the guards of the Great Zhou Dynasty are really a little useless.

It's okay to maintain law and order in normal times, but in the face of a vicious and well-trained enemy like the Japanese Bandits, there is a feeling of vulnerability.

"So 500 people can't beat 100 people, and they are still defeated?" Hu Beizong felt a little incredulous.

"That's what I always tell adults." Guang Jiqi looked at Hu Beizong and said seriously: "The soldiers are expensive but not too expensive. ”

"The less than 100 Japanese robbers are all Dongying warriors, who have received strict military training since they were children, have excellent armor, and face the enemy head-on, I'm afraid that three or five guards are not opponents, not to mention that the other party's cooperation is rigorous, and often a rush can break us up, but this is not the key." Guang Jiqi sighed: "The key is that the leader of the Japanese Kou this time is a very powerful Dongying warrior, and it is ashamed to say that the last general has a few moves with him, and in just three rounds, he was captured." ”

"Three rounds?" Hu Beizong was obviously taken aback.

He is still very clear about Guang Jiqi's martial arts, although Guang Jiqi did not walk the rivers and lakes, but the means in the army, thunderbolts, big openings and closings, and killing the enemy are completely unambiguous.

With Guang Jiqi's skills, he was also captured by the opponent in three rounds, if it weren't for Guang Jiqi's deliberate exaggeration - after all, all the generals of the defeated army were very willing to describe the enemy as fierce and vicious, with green fangs to cover up their incompetence.

But Hu Beizong knew that Guang Jiqi was not such a character, although he had always expected the enemy to be lenient, but he rarely took the initiative to be alarmist and exaggerate the enemy's strength.

"Yes, three rounds." Guang Jiqi nodded and said.

"After capturing me again, those would-be robbers rushed to kill again, because the dragons were leaderless, and they were able to resist a little, but in the end they were still crushed." Saying this, Guang Jiqi gave Hu Beizong a rough overview of the whole story, and in the end, it was Yan Jiu who took the initiative to surrender, and after being sternly rejected by Guang Jiqi, there was a so-called covenant of three captures and three verticals.

"Actually, I didn't say yes." Guang Jiqi looked at Hu Beizong and sighed and said, "However, if he really has the ability to capture me three times, I'm afraid I won't have the face to continue to be an official in Da Zhou." ”

Hu Beizong looked at Guang Jiqi, couldn't help but think in his mind, and then said, "So, Jiqi, you don't have any means to deal with the other party?"

"If I allocate another 500 elite soldiers to you, can you make meritorious service and capture this widow?" Hu Beizong asked.

If you can get it, it really can't be better, everything can be solved.

And Guang Jiqi shook his head without hesitation: "I told others before, and now I can say it again to the Governor, that is, the guards of the Shiping Guard, which is already the result of a year of diligent training by the last general, compared to the ordinary officers and soldiers, they are already elite, but they have not resisted the attack of this group of robbers, even if the Governor can allocate more men and horses for me, but it may not be as easy to use as the officers and soldiers of the Shiping Guard." ”

"Therefore, if you rely on your subordinates alone, it is extremely difficult to make meritorious contributions."

"That's right." Hu Beizong sighed: "If you are not 100% sure, then even if you are transferred back to Qiu Dayu, I am afraid that you will not be the opponent of this gang of robbers." ”

"Then I mobilize a large army and encircle and suppress this group of Japanese robbers with a team of 3,000 people, do you see if it can work?"

In terms of warfare, Guang Jiqi is an out-and-out expert, so Hu Beizong is still happy to discuss it with Guang Jiqi.

"I'm afraid not." Guang Jiqi did not hesitate to pour cold water on Hu Beizong.

"I can't hide it, these widows, I very much suspect, are Wang Zhi's handiwork."

"Wang Zhi?" Hu Beizong was taken aback: "Having said that, Wang Zhi has been waiting for the imperial court to give him an accurate answer, but you and I both understand that Wang Zhi's conditions are just a fool's dream." ”

Wang Zhi's conditions basically include Wang Zhi's own whitewashing ashore and the addition of officials to the knighthood, if there is only this, it may not be impossible to agree.

But in addition, Wang Zhi also proposed that the imperial court should lift the sea ban and allow free trade on the sea, which is a fool's dream.

How can there be a reason for the imperial court to make a deal with pirates?

Of course, in return, Wang Zhi would dedicate a large number of his fleets to the imperial court, forming a powerful navy under the imperial court, from the original pirates, to a powerful fleet to maintain the order of the Western borders.

In addition, Wang Zhi would also present to the imperial court every year the trade income equivalent to 30% of the tax, as well as a large number of overseas treasures.

In Wang Zhi's view, this is really a plan to kill three birds with one stone, and everyone is happy.

After all, if you surrender by yourself, first, the imperial court will no longer have to worry about the erosion of the southeast coast, the second is that it will reap a large amount of extra income, and the third is that you and your brothers will finally no longer have to worry about it, and you can seek a stable old age for yourself and spend the rest of your life as a rich man.

All the court needs to do is let go of a policy that has long been outdated.

But there is only one crux in this matter.

That is, the imperial court will not make a deal with pirates.

As the saying goes, what I give you is yours.

What I don't give you, you can't want.

In the eyes of the imperial court, Wang Zhi used the peace on the southeast coast, the thirty percent tax and the tens of thousands of people under his command as bargaining chips in exchange for the lifting of the imperial court's sea ban, which was simply an insult to the imperial court.

Even if the sea ban is really lifted, it is the court's own mercy, not because of the request of a small pirate.

Of course - hundreds of years later, another group of smugglers, wanting to open the door to China, also launched a war.

And now, Wang Zhi is doing the same thing.

But his war was smaller.

Throw stones and ask for directions.