Bingxian Zhang Kejian, named Yuxing, was born in Tunliu, Shanxi. He was a Jinshi in the fourth year of Chongzhen. He was first awarded the magistrate of Huixian County. In the twelfth year of Chongzhen, he was promoted to Huguang Qianshi, supervising the troops in Yunyang and Xiangyang. When Yang Sichang was stationed in Xiangyang to suppress the bandits,
Rely on it more.
The Bingxian Yamen where his office was located was not far from Wenchang Gate, so after a while, Li Min'an rode back from the Bingxian Yamen.
After Li Min'an returned to the gate of the city, he immediately sent someone to call Liu Xingguo, who was waiting outside the suspension bridge, and told him that Master Zhang had read the urgent official document of the Master of the Cabinet and had personally compiled the military talisman. Now it is approved.
They entered the city and stayed at Chengtian Temple to rest, waiting to see them again tomorrow morning.
He then asked: "How many brothers did you bring with you this time?"
Liu Xingguo replied respectfully: "General Hui Li, including those with lower rank, there are twenty-eight people in total."
"Let's all go to the city to rest together. I'll send someone here to guide you to Chengtian Temple."
Li Min'an ordered people to go outside the suspension bridge to greet the remaining twenty-seven people who came with them to lead their horses into the city. He led Liu Xingguo aside alone, slightly away from everyone, and then asked him in a low voice: "Everyone is here now."
There are rumors that something bad happened during the suppression campaign in Shu, but is it true?"
Liu Xingguo replied to him: "General Li, please don't listen to rumors. Although the Sichuan campaign was not completely successful militarily, it was impossible for the two thieves Xian and Cao to escape from Shu.
The Lord of the Cabinet is now mobilizing more troops to continue the encirclement and suppression. It will not be difficult to annihilate them all in Shu. General Li must be careful of spies spreading rumors in Xiangyang City to confuse the public!"
Li Min'an nodded when he heard this, and said: "That's right, it's impossible to say that there are spies hiding in Xiangyang City, dedicated to spreading rumors.
A few days ago, someone advised the prefect, Mr. Wang, to be extra careful about the city defense of Xiangyang. Mr. Wang also smiled and said, "Xian, Cao's thieves are all far away in Sichuan, how can he still fly to Xiangyang from the sky!", I think the same way.
, Now I am worried about Xian, Cao and the two thieves came to Xiangyang, it would be too much."
Liu Xingguo smiled and said: "Of course General Li is overly worried. Even if the thief really sprouts two wings, it will take ten and a half days to fly from Sichuan to our Xiangyang!"
Amidst a burst of hearty laughter, Li Min'an, the guerrilla general responsible for guarding Wenchang Gate in the south of Xiangyang, also smiled and watched Liu Xingguo go to Chengtian Temple, but he did not see the twitching smile on the corner of Liu Xingguo's mouth the moment he turned around.
With a wicked smile on his face.
…………
The waning moon has just risen, and the night is getting darker near the third watch. This year's winter in Xiangyang is also colder than in previous years, especially at night without the warmth of the sun's rays, the night wind is even colder, and the river is covered with frost.
A thin layer of ice.
A great bandit of the generation, Zhang Xianzhong, also named Bingzhong and Jingxuan, was originally from Liushujianbao, Haotan Township, Weidingbian County, Qingyang, Yan'an Prefecture, Shaanxi Province. He was one of the leaders of the peasant army in the late Ming Dynasty, and he was even famous at the beginning.
Above Chuang King Li Zicheng, he is the only giant bandit who can be as famous as Li Zicheng since he has reached the later stage.
He studied when he was young, and later started a small business selling red dates with his father. When he became an adult, he first worked as a police officer. After he was dismissed for some reasons, he went to Yansui Town as a border soldier. He violated military law again and was removed from the army, and he has been living in the countryside ever since.
.
In the third year of Chongzhen's reign, 24-year-old Zhang Xianzhong gathered villagers who could no longer survive in his hometown and formed a team to start a rebellion, calling himself the "Eight Kings".
Because he knew a few words, worked as a policeman, and served as a frontier soldier, he was quite knowledgeable about military affairs, and he was brave, resolute, tenacious, resourceful and good at fighting, so his team quickly grew.
By the fourth year of Chongzhen, his team had become one of the thirty-six battalions with Wang Ziyong as the leader, and it was the strongest battalion among them. Because he was "long and thin, with a yellowish face, he must be one foot and six inches tall."
, Zhen Jinguo Xia, known as 'Huang Hu' in the army."
At this moment, the giant bandit "Eight King" Zhang Xianzhong led a cavalry team of 1,500 people and was galloping silently on the road from Yicheng to Xiangyang. He saw that Xiangyang City was less than ten miles ahead.
He suddenly ordered his cavalry team to stop advancing and rest at the foot of the mountain next to the official road. He also strictly ordered everyone not to raise fire or make any noise, and to take good care of the horses and not to neigh.
The reason why Zhang Xianzhong ordered the army to stop here was because the lights on the south gate tower of Xiangyang City could be seen here, and every rebel soldier at the foot of the mountain was filled with excitement.
But amidst the excitement, I couldn't help but feel a little worried. I was afraid that if the surprise attack failed, the brothers who had sneaked into Xiangyang City would lose everything. Everyone sat and rested quietly against the horses, and no one spoke aloud.
.
Zhang Xianzhong sat down to rest for a while, then stood up and looked at the sky and moonlight. It was almost the third watch, and he shouted loudly: "Mount the horse!"
The 1,500-strong thieves' elite cavalry immediately got up and mounted, and slowly marched towards the south gate of Xiangyang City. Under the dim light of the waning moon, it was dark, and it would be difficult to spot the advancing thieves unless they were close at hand.
City army.
In Xiangyang Fucheng, most of the thieves and bandits rushed into Sichuan, and the war there was temporarily suspended. The city defense only focused on strictly guarding the six gates of the Fucheng, and strictly checked the soldiers and civilians entering and leaving.
However, no sentries were arranged for detection outside the city. Even the soldiers responsible for guarding and watching on the top of the city had already relaxed, and no one was on duty after the second watch every night.
When Zhang Xianzhong led his cavalry and rode about two miles outside Wenchang Gate, the third watch of the drum had just been played in the city.
…………
Even when the Chinese New Year is approaching, the city of Xiangyang seems very deserted at midnight. This is all caused by rumors spreading everywhere. People cannot distinguish the truth from the false, but the panic has already spread secretly.
Suddenly, a fire broke out near Chengtian Temple in Xiangyang City, then a fire broke out near Duanli Gate of Prince Xiang's Mansion, and then even more fire shot into the sky inside Wenchang Gate.
The street was buzzing with people for a while. In many places, people shouted loudly, "The Biaoying camp of Daotai Yamen has mutinied." The soldiers and civilians in the city were panicked. Many shops and houses along the street lit up lights, and then turned on.
Blow it out quickly.
Guerrilla general Li Min'an, who was responsible for guarding the south gate, led a small number of soldiers and hurried down the city gate tower, preparing to suppress the rioting soldiers and people in the city.
He had just got on his horse in the city gate cave when he saw Liu Xingguo, who had entered the city at dusk yesterday, leading more than 20 cavalry on horseback. He was wondering: Shouldn't they live in Chengtian Temple, why come here now?
What to do?
Just as he was about to ask questions, he heard Liu Xingguo, the commander-in-chief, shout loudly: "General Li, there are spies making trouble in the city. Quickly guard the south gate."
As soon as Li Min'an was distracted, Liu Xingguo rushed to him. He hurriedly shouted: "The spies are making trouble in the city, what are you doing here, Mr. Liu..."
Suddenly a white light flashed, followed by a shower of blood. The guerrilla general Li Min'an was caught off guard, and half of his neck was chopped off by Liu Xingguo. He tilted his body and fell down from his horse.
When his left and right soldiers saw that their general was hacked to death, they no longer had the arrogant attitude of the past and immediately fled in all directions.
Liu Xingguo led his cavalry to chop wildly, and in a blink of an eye, they killed the officers and soldiers guarding the gate. He forced those gatekeepers who had not had time to escape to open the city gate, lowered the drawbridge, and set the Wenchang Gate on fire.