Gong Xiu led a thousand men and took a boat as a pioneer.

The soldiers under his command include gold miners, gold millers, gold diggers on the Han River, and tea porters who have returned home for nine lives. Counting the miscellaneous servants in the army, there are actually more than 1,100 people.

There are also a variety of weapons, including spears made in the Iron Hat Village, and weapons taken from the Yangzhou Staff Warehouse.

Of his four adult sons, only the second son was with him. The eldest son was assigned to listen to orders under Li Jinyi, and the third and fourth sons became Zhu Ming's personal soldiers.

Without any grain and grass baggage, the whole army went straight to Chenggu County by boat.

The residential areas and docks outside the city are very depressed, and there are not many people in sight.

The second son, Gong Yi, took a team of soldiers ashore, turned around the streets and alleys outside the city, and soon saw the city gate wide open.

A scribe with a group of officials knelt at the gate of the city and asked to surrender.

"There's no one in town?" Gong Yi asked.

The clerk replied: "The county commander, the county lieutenant, and the secretary have fled with the officials yesterday. Many wealthy families also fled, and the county decree said that the thieves were ...... It is said that the rebels burn, kill, loot and do all kinds of evil, and they will raid homes and destroy doors at every turn. The gentry and businessmen of this county, although they admired Zhu Xianggong's benevolence and righteousness, would rather believe it and were afraid that their family wealth would be robbed. ”

Gong Yi asked, "Who are you?" Why don't you run away? ”

The scribe said: "I am Jiang Youqi, the secretary of the Chenggu County Ya, who usually does not do evil, and is willing to work for Zhu Xianggong!" The county government should be in charge of the account books, and I have sent someone to seal them, just waiting for Zhu Xianggong to receive them. ”

"Very good, lead the way into town!"

Gong Yi was afraid of an ambush, so he led a team of people into the city first, and then went to report to his father after controlling the city gate.

Chenggu County was taken in this way.

Gong Xiu sent someone back to report the news, rested for half a day, and then headed towards Xingyuan Mansion.

Chenggu County is more than 50 miles away from Xingyuan Mansion, and all the vanguard troops arrived by boat on the same day.

The dwellings outside the city were all demolished, so that they could be used to defend the city, and second, to prevent thieves from using them to make siege equipment.

Most of them were young and strong, and they were trained into the army to defend the city, and their families could also take refuge in the city.

The people who were not selected were left to fend for themselves outside the city, and their houses were demolished and they could only sleep in the open.

The civil and military officials of Lizhou Road stood at the head of the city and looked at the thieves.

Liu Ying said: "These are just the vanguard of the thieves, there are not many of them, and they can go out of the city to destroy them to frustrate the enemy's spirit." ”

Xu Fuyan shook his head: "The whole army of thieves can leave at any time by boat, and they can't catch up." If you go all out to pursue the thief and flee in defeat, what if there are ambushes on the way? It is important to hold on to the city. ”

The proposed strategy was not adopted, and Liu Ying said: "There are too many defenders in the city, so you can divide the troops and camp at the foot of the mountain west of the city." In this way, they can cooperate with each other, attack and defend, instead of blindly waiting for help. ”

Xu Fuyan still didn't listen: "The officers and soldiers have not practiced for a long time, and their morale is low. By that time, the people in the city would be terrified. ”

Both have a point.

Liu Xuan had been an official in Shaanxi, and he had some understanding of war, and he looked at the problem purely from a military point of view, knowing that it was not a good strategy to be trapped in an isolated city. Divide the troops to camp at the foot of the mountain west of the city, which can not only use the troops rationally, but also cooperate with the battle in the city. It can also keep the rear passage and receive the food, grass and soldiers sent later.

And Xu Fuyan is worried about the morale of the people, the troops in his hands are too bad, where can he dare to divide the troops out? If one is not good, the whole army will be defeated, and maybe there will be people who are so frightened that they surrender the city.

Gong Xiu led his troops ashore and never left the ship too far.

He personally went to the city and shouted: "Listen to the officers and soldiers of Xingyuan Mansion, my family has occupied Yangzhou and Jinzhou, and the 100,000 army will come later. Those who know each other hurry up and surrender, maybe they can make you an official! ”

"Archery!"

Xu Fuyan ordered.

Arrows rained down at the head of the city, and Gong Xiu didn't have anything to do.

Several slender men carried a small boat two or three meters long as a shield, and the arrows they shot were blocked by the bottom of the boat.

Liu Huiyuan's face was ugly: "This thief said, the Zhu family father and son also occupied Jinzhou?" ”

Xu Fuyan nodded and said, "Very likely." Zhu Ming has been a Taishou in Jinzhou for two years, and he still has some foundation, and he can easily win the five counties of Jinzhou. ”

Liu Xuan whispered: "If you are based on Yangzhou and Jinzhou, I am afraid that you can really coerce 100,000 people to be thieves." ”

This was said quietly, but it made Wang Minwen and Han Siyan next to him change their faces drastically.

The two glanced at each other, quietly left the city wall, and each went home to find an opportunity to escape.

100,000 thieves, how can Xingyuan Mansion hold it?

Liu Xuan watched the two leave, and leaned into Xu Fuyan's ear and whispered.

After hearing this, Xu Fuyan said worriedly: "If we do this, even if we repel the thieves, we will be retaliated by the royal party afterwards, and we will be demoted to idle posts by fabricating charges." ”

Liu Xuan said: "Xingyuan Mansion is in danger, how can you still count personal gains and losses? If these two people are allowed to escape, the civil and military officials in the city will inevitably be disheartened. ”

Xu Fuyan thought about it again, gritted his teeth and said, "Go and do it, I'll carry it if something happens!" ”

Liu Yang retreated, called two teams of officers and soldiers, and went straight to the mansions of Wang Minwen and Han Siyan.

The two birdmen dragged their families and were blocked before they could go out.

Liu Ying didn't say a word, and directly ordered the arrest of people and put them under collective house arrest in the Yamen of the Transfer Division.

Then he led his troops out of the west city gate, confiscated all the goods on the two official ships, and brought them back to the city for military supplies.

……

Zhu Ming's main force has exceeded 10,000 people. But there are only more than 1,000 elites who can really fight.

After he came to Chenggu County, he appointed the county commander and the county lieutenant, and left 500 soldiers to guard the city, so that these people were responsible for transporting grain in Chenggu County, and then continued to move forward with the army.

A short distance from the journey came when a small boat caught up.

"Big brother!" Bai Qi clasped his fists and saluted, holding a spear in his hand and a pair of bows and arrows on his back.

And behind him, there were Fu Yuanheng and Lei Guan standing.

Zhu Ming was pleasantly surprised: "Why are you here?" ”

Bai Qi is fifteen years old this year, and he has grown into a beautiful young man, with a shadow of Shen Yourong between his eyebrows.

He said: "My father stayed in Yangzhou to do civilian work, and in the past few years, I have practiced martial arts with Brother Zhang, and I have read some military books, and I plan to come to the army to show my skills." These two gentlemen were sent from Jinzhou, so they brought them together to see their brother. ”

"Very good," Zhu Ming asked the two again, "Have you figured it out?" ”

Fu Yuanheng and Lei Guan were both students who were persuaded to quit.

Fu Yuanheng said: "Fu Yuanheng has died of illness in Jinzhou, and the student will change his name to Fu Shou in the future." ”

Lei Guan said: "Lei Guan has also died of illness, and he will be renamed Tian Wendao in the future." ”

"I have wronged you, and I will definitely be able to restore my real name in the future." Zhu Ming said solemnly.

Changing his name and surname is nothing more than not wanting to affect the family.

Fu Yuanheng and Lei Guan, the former is from Zhejiang, and the latter is from Fujian. was repeatedly plagued by Fang La and the officers and soldiers, and the family property was no longer one in ten, and they hated the court so much that they felt that the Great Song Dynasty was really hopeless.

Bai Qi, Fu Yuanheng, and Lei Guan all stayed under Zhu Ming's account to listen to orders. At noon, the army stopped to rest, and by the way, they sat down to eat, and Bai Sheng took them to get acquainted with their colleagues.

said that Bai Sheng didn't know a few words, it was also relative, and he had followed Zhu Ming for many years. Reading, writing and arithmetic are certainly fine, and they are familiar with it and understand some big truths.

Tens of thousands of troops, it is impossible for all of them to take boats, most of them walk along the river, and the ships accompanying the army are mainly used to transport baggage.

In the evening of the same day, ten miles away from Xingyuan Mansion City, Zhu Ming ordered the whole army to camp.

The next day, we continued to move forward and came to the city of Xingyuanfu.

Zhu Ming took out his binoculars and carefully observed the situation of the city defense: "There are people in the city who know the soldiers, and they are quite decently arranged, and they will inevitably suffer heavy losses if they blindly attack." The main force can stay here, divide the troops to occupy Baocheng (Baocheng Town) and Xixian (Mian County), and turn this Xingyuan Mansion into an isolated city. ”

"General, I'm going to occupy Xicheng," Li Jinyi volunteered, "there is a choke point, and it is guaranteed that the officers and soldiers of Lizhou, Xingzhou, and Sanquan can be blocked, and not a single officer or soldier will come to the rescue of Xingyuan Mansion!" ”

"Go," Zhu Ming nodded in agreement, and said to Tu Shen, "You lead the troops to capture Baocheng, and after taking the city, immediately organize the people to strengthen the city!" ”

"Yes!"

Tu Shen and Li Bao's troops were all brought by Zhu Ming from Jinzhou. The rest of the Jinzhou army ordered Zhang Guangdao to train his life and train thousands of elite soldiers to guard the east gate.

Shi Yuangong said: "In these two cities, I have businessmen who know each other, and they can shoot arrows and send letters to persuade them to surrender. can't let those businessmen sacrifice the city, and they can also take the opportunity to separate. ”

After speaking, he took out a pen and paper and wrote down the names of those merchants.

In the past few years, Shi Yuangong has been running around with Yundang paper, deliberately making friends with gentry and businessmen.

Once the rebels threw a letter into the city, with the names of the merchants written in black and white, the defenders would definitely suspect that those merchants were internal responses, and perhaps directly forced the merchants to rebel.

Of course, it is more likely that the defenders of the two cities will surrender directly under a surprise attack.

Zhu Ming smiled and praised: "Mr. Shi has a clever plan." ”

Shi Yuangong said modestly: "It's all small carving skills, and it's difficult to get into the hall of elegance." ”

Since the defenders did not divide their troops to camp in the west of the city, Li Jinyi and Tu Shen swaggered around the city with their troops.

Liu Xuan was shocked when he saw this: "The thieves are going to Xixian and Baocheng!" ”

Xu Fuyan was like falling into an ice cave: "It's over." ”

West County is stuck in the west and south and Baocheng is stuck in the north.

If the two cities are lost, the entire Hanzhong Basin will be blocked, and the city of Xingyuan Mansion will be completely reduced to a turtle in an urn.

In particular, Baocheng is located at the exit of Baocheng Road. As long as they occupy this place, the Shaanxi officials and troops will not want to come out of the Baochuan Road.

Liu Ying suggested: "It's better to go out of the city for a decisive battle." ”

Xu Fuyan said bitterly: "The defenders in the city have not practiced much, but they are just a group of civilians who have picked up weapons, but there are less than a thousand warriors. It may still be possible to defend the city, but it is inevitable that it will collapse at the touch of a button when it goes out of the city. ”

Liu Huiyuan complained: "I should have abandoned Xingyuan Mansion and retreated to Lizhou with soldiers and baggage. From Hanzhong to Lizhou, the mountains and rivers are steep, and the majestic passes are heavy, which will inevitably be able to block the thieves, even if you lose Hanzhong, you can kill it back! ”

"What's the use of talking about that now?" Liu Xuan didn't have a good airway.

They didn't dare to give up Xingyuan Mansion, otherwise the entire Hanzhong Basin would be gone.

After the incident between Fang La and Song Jiang, the imperial court's punishment of officials who lost their cities and lands became more and more severe.

Zhu Ming ordered: "The conscripts go to cut down trees, the carpenters build leveling cannons, and the stonemasons build stone bullets!" ”

The Iron Hat Village had forged a raw iron cannon, but it was too bulky to stay in Golden State to defend the city.

The army only brought some tiger squat cannons, the power was too small, and it was useless to siege the city.

It's better to return the gun!

(End of chapter)