The news of the Liaodong Army's dispatch soon reached the ears of the rebels.

The main force of the rebels is now stationed on the outskirts of Laizhou, forcing Shandong refugees to attack the city on a daily basis.

Even dead bodies were used.

Just yesterday, Chen sometimes threw dead bodies into the city with a stone thrower.

As a result, Xie Lian sent someone to burn it on fire.

The officers and soldiers defending the city seem to be more desperate.

"Laizhou has not been captured yet, if the Liaodong Army comes, ......"

Liu Zeqing rubbed his sore eyes, turned on the oil lamp a little brighter, and opened the clothes on his body a little more.

The siege of the city for several days made this already bad-tempered general even more anxious.

"Marshal Du!"

Li Jiucheng rushed in, and before he sat down, he said: "I heard that the Liaodong Army has entered the customs, is it true?" ”

As for the strength of the Liaodong Army, there is no better than him.

Liu Zeqing pretended not to care, and said dissatisfiedly: "The Liaodong Army is coming, what are you afraid of!" ”

Without waiting for Li Jiucheng to talk back, he continued: "As the marshal of the army, you are actually afraid that if you become like this, let the people below see it, something will happen." ”

"Hey, I'm in a hurry, too."

Li Jiucheng sat down on the stool, "If the Liaodong Army is really here, everyone will be done playing." ”

"Yes, so what. Not to mention that everyone is human, let's just say that this news is true or false, not necessarily. ”

"What do you mean by that?"

"The emperor is suspicious, and even Inspector Yuan, who forgot to die in Guangqumen, has been killed, and Yang Chengying, who is even more arrogant, will have a trace of trust."

"What do you mean, this is a rumor deliberately released by the imperial court."

"That's right! We are allowed to spread rumors, and the court is not allowed to let out rumors? ”

These words made Li Jiucheng pat his thigh, and he almost fell in love with the emperor's child.

"So what do we do?" Li Jiucheng hurriedly asked.

"Count, count." Liu Zeqing said, "We withdrew the army for three miles, released Governor Qiu who was locked in the house, and asked Governor Qiu to convey his willingness to accept the appeasement on our behalf." ”

"Then take advantage of their carelessness to attack the city and take Laizhou in one fell swoop!"

"Exactly."

The plan was set, and the rebels carried it out immediately.

first took the initiative to withdraw the army for three miles, and then sent someone to inform Xie Shangzheng, who stayed in Dengzhou, to release Qiu Hejia.

Qiu Hejia, who has difficulty moving but has received preferential treatment in terms of food, looks much haggard because he is worried about the war in Shandong.

He glanced at Xie Shangzheng, who let him out: "What do you mean by this?" ”

Xie Shangzheng said respectfully: "Governor Qiu, you are our benefactor, we want to support you as the Son of Heaven, since you are unwilling, then we will not force it."

Now that the war has been raging for several months, although our army has repeatedly defeated the officers and soldiers, many soldiers are war-weary.

After the Governor of Qiu returned, he conveyed on our behalf that we were willing to accept the court's appeasement. ”

Qiu Hejia's heart jumped a little, thinking, what are these people doing.

However, since the other party let himself go, he went to Laizhou first and explained his doubts to the imperial court.

Qiu Hejia looked around and asked, "Where is General Zhang Tao?" I'm leaving with him. ”

Zhang Tao was the deputy commander-in-chief of Denglai, who was captured together with Qiu Hejia and did not surrender.

"Okay, I'll let General Zhang go and go back with Governor Qiu."

Xie Shangzheng thought that Zhang Tao was also a toothless tiger, and he didn't need to be afraid.

To do the game, of course, you have to be thorough.

Under the escort of the rebels, Qiu Hejia and Zhang Tao entered Laizhou in embarrassment.

Xie Lian listened to Qiu Hejia's words, but said coldly: "Brother Qiu, whether to appease the rebels or not, I don't bother you. ”

"What do you mean by that?" Qiu Hejia was stunned.

"There is a secret decree in the saint, as long as you and Zhang Tao come back, you will be escorted to Jingshi immediately and put on death row!"

"What? Governor Xie ......"

"Someone! Take them down, take them in heavy shackles, and send them to the capital. ”

As soon as the words fell, several soldiers rushed in and dragged Qiu Hejia and Zhang Tao away.

Don't give them a chance to argue at all.

Of course, even if you give it, it's useless.

This is what Chongzhen means, and no one can change it.

In fact, after Qiu Hejia and Zhang Tao were escorted to Beijing, they were immediately interrogated by the three divisions and convicted of a felony.

In March of the same year, he took them to the entrance of the vegetable market and beheaded them and abandoned the market.

That's of course an afterthought.

Xie Lian wrote a report on the situation, handed it to the official who escorted them, and gave it to the superintendent Liu Yulie when he passed by Changyi.

Liu Yulie thought that Liu Zeqing and the others' request was credible, and asked Xie Lian and the others to handle it quickly.

Xie Lian gathered the officials and generals in Laizhou to discuss the matter.

Yang Yufan, the commander-in-chief of the suppression of Deng, strongly objected: "Even if the rebels are afraid of the Liaodong Army, they cannot be fully trusted. If you want to appease the rebels, you must ask the imperial court to transfer the Liaodong Army into the customs.

The Liaodong Army will not enter the customs for a day, and we will not appease the rebels for a day. ”

"The entry of the Liaodong Army into the customs is just a rumor released by the imperial court, and it is not necessarily true."

Xie Lian analyzed: "We can't count on the Liaodong Army, so we must take advantage of this rumor to appease the rebels." After a long time, things will change, and I can't afford to wait. ”

"If the Liaodong army doesn't come, we can't appease them." Yang Yufan said, "These rebels have been plagued by Shandong for several months, and they are honest and dishonest, and people's hearts are unpredictable. ”

"I agree with Governor Xie's words, you should take advantage of the time to appease the rebels."

Prefect Zhu Wannian said: "General Yang, General Ling Zun Yang once fought side by side with the Liaodong Army, and he should know the strength of the Liaodong Army. ”

"To know is to know. The Liaodong Army marched rapidly, but the formation was not chaotic. Everyone is brave and charged. ”

Yang Yufan frowned and said, "But this doesn't mean that the rebels must be afraid of the Liaodong Army." ”

"Don't talk about this anymore, let's do what Liu Shilang said."

Xie Lian made the final decision.

As a nominally commander-in-chief, Yang Yufan was actually controlled by the governor.

In the case that Xie Lian and Zhu Wannian both agreed to appease, his words obviously did not carry enough weight.

However, he resolutely refused to leave the city, but wanted to stay in the city to defend.

Xie Lian and Zhu Wannian couldn't do anything about him.

"Since the two of you must go, don't set off together, one after the other, so as not to be caught by the rebels."

Yang Yufan saw that their attitude had been determined, so he had to persuade them.

Xie Lian and Zhu Wannian nodded.

On February 23 of the second year of Chongzhen, Xie Lian and Zhu Wannian went out of the city one after another.

According to Yang Yufan's reminder, they separated for a distance.

Xie Lian arrived first.

Liu Zeqing asked his subordinates to take advantage of Xie Lian's inattention and hit Xie Lian's mount with a stone.

The mount was in pain and rushed into the rebels with Xie Lian in tow.

The rebels lassoed the horses and dragged Xie Lian off the horse's back to capture him.

The Ming army came to appease the rebels, but they didn't expect this to happen, and they were in a daze, and found that the rebel cavalry rushed out, so they reacted.

Late.

Liu Zeqing commanded the rebel cavalry and scattered the Ming army with only one charge.

Zhu Wannian, the prefect who was behind the Ming army, was also killed in the rout.

The rebels took Xie Lian and two eunuchs to attack Laizhou.

I hope to use the three of them to make the Ming army defending the city throw a mouse.

Yang Yufan personally commanded the artillery in the city, and bombarded indiscriminately at three guys who imitated the "Son of Heaven".

With such determination, Laizhou barely survived.

The news of the failed appeasement was transmitted back to Jingshi.

"Ridiculous! Dressed in brocade, Wei Ti rode to arrest the lord and soothe the traitorous minister Liu Yulie. Chongzhen was furious, "Spread my will, and ordered Yang Chengying to quickly transfer the Liaodong Army into Shandong to quell the rebellion!" and crowned Gao Qiqian as the eunuch of the prison army and supervised the Liaodong Army. ”

Liaodong Army, dispatch!