Fuzhou City.

Fuzhou is now the most prosperous city in southern Liaoning.

In May, Chen Ping's troops conquered the city, looted the city's goods, and when Li Zhaoji sent Chen Liuzi south to preside over the military administration, Fuzhou was handed over to the Oriental Trading Company.

Merchant ships from the south to the north will be anchored in Niangniang Palace, in which soldiers, ammunition, and ordnance from the south are distributed here, or handed over to the main force of the Oriental Brigade in the north, or sent to the training camp on Changxing Island, or sent to the construction site of Jinzhou City Defense, Fuzhou is the material distribution center of all roads in Liaodong.

Li Laiheng and Guo Sheng took a small boat from Niangniang Palace to go ashore, and met Tang Mu who came to contact them at the port, and the two met and hugged each other.

Tang Mu patted Li Laiheng's chest and said, "Laiheng, your kid has gained weight on Changxing Island this time, look at me, I have lost weight, do you know why?" ”

"General Tang is in charge of military affairs, so he naturally works harder." Li Laiheng said with a smile.

Since the landing, Li Laiheng has been cooperating with Tang Mu, and the two have a good personal relationship, Tang Mu said with a smile: "You brought 5,000 soldiers at once, of which 3,000 are cavalry, just by equipping these cavalry with war horses and all kinds of equipment, I almost broke my leg." ”

After the arrival of the Shun army, the two sides carried out a new round of transactions, Li Zicheng originally wanted to take advantage of the Oriental Trading Company, send troops without sending horses, and then arm after arriving in Liaodong, but where is Li Zhaoji so easy to be taken advantage of, and finally after a round of bargaining, Li Zhaoji promised to use the war horses and equipment captured from the Qing army to arm the Dashun cavalry, but everyone needs to pay another fifty taels of silver from Dashun.

This is actually the advantage of Da Shun, among which bows and arrows and armor have been traded for a long time, and there is no need to calculate again, but Li Zhaoji allocated two horses to each cavalry of the Shun army, and there were also saddles and stirrups, and the cold weapons such as spears and sabers needed by the Shun army should also be complete.

It's just that Dashun's side is only promising not to give money, and Li Zhaoji's side is also preparing not to deliver the goods, so the first thing to solve at today's meeting is this matter.

"Our Dashun will not let General Tang work in vain." Li Laiheng said with a smile.

"Come on, let's go into the city."

Tang Mu took Li Laiheng into the city, and Li Laiheng and his entourage of sixty or seventy people entered the city and entered a large courtyard that was temporarily requisitioned as a military station.

At the gate of the courtyard, Tang Mu looked at the people behind Li Laiheng and asked, "Laiheng, do you have military armor on your people?" ”

Guo Sheng's expression was indifferent, and he asked: "What does General Tang mean by this, is it possible to go to the banquet of your general, and even his own soldiers are not allowed to enter the door?" ”

Tang Mu smiled awkwardly and said, "General Guo, don't misunderstand, come on, come first." ”

The party entered the courtyard gate and found that the courtyard was empty, Guo Sheng immediately became vigilant, Tang Mu opened a door next to the main hall, in which there were knives, spears, armor and other ordnance, Tang Mu said: "I only talked to you today, but the commander of the Guangdong army, Chen Ping, and the two generals under his command came without prior notice."

General Guo, come to Heng, the big shopkeeper of my family means that it is better to hit the day than to hit the day, and the generals of the Guangdong army will be detained today.

Moreover, you are here to do this, so you can't suspect us of using means. ”

Originally, Li Zhaoji and Dashun agreed that after the Shun army arrived, they would first disarm the Cantonese army to prevent it from causing chaos, and then go north. Li Laiheng and the others didn't expect that they would do it today.

Through Li Laiheng, the Dashun side also knew that although the combat effectiveness and equipment level of the Guangdong army were not as good as those of the Eastern Brigade, they were very different from the ordinary Ming army.

Of course, the Dashun side also knew that Li Zhaoji would also plot against this army, so he withheld a lot of money, and he also wanted to use it as a bargaining chip to divide a part of the Guangdong army.

Not to mention anything else, Suarez's field artillery company is now the treasure of the Dashun army, a field weapon. The Cantonese army was equipped with field artillery of the same level, and although there was an artillery company that had already served in the Eastern Brigade, there was still an artillery company, and what Li Laiheng wanted was this artillery.

Seeing that Li Laiheng and Guo Sheng were a little hesitant, Tang Mu smiled and said: "Lai Heng, don't you want an artillery company, the general in charge of Chen Ping's artillery will also come today, if he is willing to belong to your Dashun, then this artillery is yours, if you are unwilling, hehe, it's another matter." ”

"No wonder you let my people be axemen, let us be bad people, you come to be good people, aren't you?" Li Laiheng said.

Tang Mu spread his hand: "If you don't want to be this bad guy, then transfer your personal soldiers out of this courtyard, so as not to show your tracks." ”

Li Laiheng smiled: "This bad guy, why don't I be it." ”

As he spoke, Li Laiheng beckoned, and the soldiers poured into the room, took off their robes, and revealed the chain mail and knives inside.

Shunjun was born as a thief, and for more than ten years, he has done countless things to rebel, so he is very cautious in dealing with outsiders, and there has never been a time when he does not carry a blade.

Tang Mu nodded slightly, took Li Laiheng and Guo Sheng into the door, pointed to a small door on the side and said: "There is a small door that directly enters the main hall, and behind the door is a screen, and you can enter the main hall after kicking it over."

Chen Ping is also cautious, so I want to lock the door of this room outside, and your people are packed up, but they are not allowed to move or make a sound. ”

"I'll explain." Most of these people are Guo Sheng's people, and Guo Sheng beckoned his soldiers to get up.

Li Laiheng pulled Tang Mu to the bottom of the corridor and said, "General Tang, since you and I have known each other and cooperated with each other, I have never had a red face, I really want to make you a friend." I still remember that when I first arrived in Liaodong, you lacked cavalry, so I asked the people I brought to participate in the battle, but I didn't hesitate at all.

This time, you have to help me and take down that artillery, your trading company has no shortage of artillery. After the deed is done, I will have a good reward, and you will make an offer. ”

Tang Mu smiled and said, "It's easy to say, it's easy to say." ”

Guo Sheng explained everything, the room suddenly quieted down, Tang Mu sent someone to lock the door, and entered the main hall with Li Laiheng and Guo Sheng.

Who knows, the two who were still fighting just now, as soon as they entered the door, Tang Mu turned his face, he suddenly sped up and rushed to the back of the main hall, and then, the sound of hurried footsteps came, and twenty relatives rushed out of the back hall, wearing armor and holding swords and shields in the front row, and holding two flintlock pistols in the back row.

Outside the door, there was a loud sound of footsteps, and two infantry companies rushed in, and a six-pounder gun entered the door, and set up a formation.

Guo Sheng and Li Laiheng were both shocked, Li Laiheng said: "General Tang, you have set up an ambush yourself, so why do you still let my people hide?" ”

"Come to Heng, I'm sorry, this ambush is set up for you, there is no good banquet today, it is a Hongmen banquet." Tang Mu said helplessly.

Guo Sheng and Li Laiheng's eyes widened, and they understood that what they had just done to distribute clothes and armor and set up ambush arrangements were all fake, and the purpose was to trick all the relatives into that room and then lock them up logically, Li Laiheng couldn't help but be annoyed, he didn't even notice it at all, and he still treated the other party as his own.

"Come to Heng, let your people surrender, there is no need to leave a drop of blood here today." Li Zhaoji's voice came from the side door, and he sat in the gazebo, smiling and waving at Guo Sheng and Li Laiheng.

Li Laiheng was furious: "Li Zhaoji, all the previous things were all deception, is it just for today?" ”

"It's deception, it's not deception, let your people surrender, and I'll give you an explanation." Li Zhaoji said lightly.

Guo Sheng and Li Laiheng are not fools, and they are also very vigilant, but the problem is that since the two of them arrived in Liaodong, the Oriental Trading Company has been warm and welcoming, and has never regarded themselves as outsiders.

Not to mention anything else, the camp where the 5,000 Shun troops live on Changxing Island is now carefully prepared by the Oriental Trading Company and expanded from the training camp.

As if to put pressure on Lee Lai-hyung, the artillerymen loaded the six-pounder gun with two shotguns, and the line infantry loaded their bayonets.

"What will you do with my men if they surrender?"

Li Zhaoji thought for a while: "Even if I don't use the word correctly, the word surrender is really a bit excessive, let them come out, how to come, how to go back." ”

"Do you think we're three-year-olds? If my men go back, tell the brothers in the camp that we have been captured, and we will surely take down your thousand recruits, so that we can be safe. Guo Sheng said angrily.

Li Zhaoji smiled: "No need to change, I don't want to harm you." I just want you to stay on Changxing Island for a longer period of time, and don't rush north. ”

"What do you mean, planning so much, taking so many risks, just for this?" Li Laiheng squinted at Li Zhaoji and asked in a deep voice.

Li Zhaoji spread his hands: "Be honest, let's sit down and talk." ”

Li Laiheng nodded, Guo Sheng and Li Laiheng walked towards Li Zhaoji, Tang Mu approached and searched his body, and searched for a dagger and a knife from Guo Sheng's body, although he was wearing chain mail, he did not let him take it off. And Li Laiheng has a dagger and a pistol on him, and this pistol was given by Li Zhaoji.

But just when Tang Mu was searching, Li Laiheng punched him in the abdomen, and Tang Mu suddenly became a big prawn, but he bent over to cover his stomach and shouted, "Don't act rashly." ”

Only then did the relatives and entourage stop the fists and kicks that they were going to deal with Li Laiheng, Tang Mu rubbed his stomach and said to Li Laiheng: "I lied to you, I should be punched by you, but you kid is too ruthless." ”

Li Laiheng snorted coldly, noncommittal.

The two followed Li Zhaoji to the flower hall, where a banquet had been set up, but there was still a person sitting.

"Introduction, Wu Sangui's son-in-law, Xia Guoxiang, Lord Xia." Li Zhaoji introduced.

"I've heard of it, but I never thought that there was Wu Sangui in this matter." Li Laiheng said coldly.

Xia Guoxiang smiled and said, "You are joking. The first to cooperate with Mr. Li was our Liaozhen, and you joined later. ”

Li Zhaoji waved his hand, signaling the two not to have a verbal dispute, Li Zhaoji said: "Ambush you, there is no other meaning." I just don't want to send troops north so early, and I don't want to tear up my face with the Cantonese army.

There is one thing, although it has not been identified, but I believe you know it. In the matter of sending troops to Liaodong, our Oriental Trading Company was strongly supported by Liaozhen Ping Xibo.

Dashun, Liaozhen and our Oriental Trading Company have common interests in sending troops to Liaodong, so everyone tacitly turns a blind eye to each other.

But with your Dashun sending troops to Liaodong, these things have changed. ”

"Where has changed?"

Xia Guoxiang said: "The reason why we sent troops to Liaodong was because the three of us did not want the Manchus to win in the pass, so we copied the back road.

But now the situation has changed, and the Dashun side hopes that the Manchus will be defeated, so they send troops to attack Longtan, but our Liaozhen and Dongfang Trading Company do not want this, which is not in our interests. That's why this game was set up and you were ambushed. ”

"What Lord Xia said is not all the truth, in fact, he just doesn't want Dashun to win in the short term. Wait another two months, and we won't care, and we'll help you. Li Zhaoji did not hide it, and told the truth.

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