In the lobby of the Bingxian Yamen not far from the south gate of Xiangyang Prefecture, Zhang Xianzhong sat and waited for a while, but still did not see Pan Duao arrive. He couldn't help but cursed: "Damn it, why is old Pan not here yet?
!”
Zhang Xianzhong usually has an irritable temper. What's more, he has just entered Xiangyang City tonight and has a lot of things to deal with, and he doesn't want to stay in the military and military yamen for a long time.
He asked Bai Wenxuan again in a slightly reproachful tone: "Didn't you just say that Lao Pan was coming to see me soon?"
Bai Wenxuan smiled helplessly and replied: "Mr. Pan said that he would come to see the commander soon. He has not rushed over now, or he was caught up in other things and couldn't distract himself for the moment."
Zhang Xianzhong waved his hand and said: "What else is more important than coming to see me!"
Zhang Dingguo said at this time: "Mr. Pan is very popular in the prison. He bribes all the guards who guard the prison. He is very casual, so he has made friends with many prisoners in the prison.
Now that the commander-in-chief personally led the army to defeat Xiangyang, not to mention some young and strong prisoners in the cell who were willing to obey, even the old and sick ones wanted to follow the commander-in-chief, and Mr. Pan had no choice but to pester him.
I just saw with my own eyes Mr. Pan standing outside the Donghua Gate of the Palace, being surrounded by hundreds of people, and it was difficult to escape for a while."
"Hahaha……"
Zhang Xianzhong burst out laughing and said, "Damn it, I'm still going to fight, but I didn't come to Xiangyang to open a nursing home!"
He immediately ordered Zhang Dingguo to go outside Donghua Gate immediately and help Pan Duao recruit all the young prisoners into the army. The old and sick prisoners would just be sent away with some money.
Then, he said to Bai Wenxuan: "Xiao Bai, you go around with me. There are important things waiting for me to do, but I don't have time to hang around here!"
After Zhang Xianzhong finished speaking, he strode out, with Bai Wenxuan following closely beside him, followed by a large group of their soldiers.
Bai Wenxuan asked as he walked: "Commander, are you going to execute King Xiang?"
"snort"
Zhang Xianzhong snorted lightly through his nostrils and said: "I don't have time to kill him now, let's ask that dog king to live longer!"
They got on their horses outside the Bingbei Road Yamen and rode along the street towards a place with brighter fires. The sound of roosters crowing could be heard from everywhere in the city, and a line of fish belly white began to appear in the eastern sky.
…………
After the weather dawned, fires everywhere in the city were extinguished one by one by peasant soldiers supervising the people. Zhang Xianzhong's notices to calm the people were posted everywhere on the streets and at the city gate.
He strictly enforced military discipline: Anyone who commits robbery or commits adultery will be punished on the spot.
The notice also mentioned that Xiangyang's current officials, big and small, and household squires would not be killed as long as they did not cause people to resist their own heavenly soldiers.
There were several groups of cavalry, holding Zhang Xianzhong's order arrows, patrolling the streets and alleys throughout the city. Anyone who disobeyed Zhang Xianzhong's military orders or wantonly disturbed the people would be tied up on the spot or beheaded on the spot.
The city of Xiangyang is quiet, even better than when the army was there. The shops along the street are also open under the order, and ordinary people still light incense at the door and have red paper "Obedient" posted on their foreheads.
Two words.
There were about 3,000 people in the rear group of Zhang Xianzhong's Western Camp. Most of them were hungry people who had been captured after the attack on Yicheng yesterday. They also marched outside Xiangyang City at the turn of Chensi.
Zhang Xianzhong ordered the newly arrived troops to be temporarily stationed in the Nanguan area and not to enter Xiangyang City yet.
At the same time, he dispersed the thousands of officers and soldiers and hundreds of prisoners who had surrendered in Xiangyang City and organized them into his old army. He marched 3,000 of them out of the west gate and stationed them on the west bank of Tanxi until the foot of Xiaoding Mountain.
, and there are more than 2,000 troops stationed outside Yangchun Gate.
Both of these troops have placed old thieves around Zhang Xianzhong as leaders, and more capable generals are responsible for their leadership. They are intensifying their formation and training, and they are not allowed to enter the city casually.
Only more than a thousand of Zhang Xianzhong's elite cavalry veterans and the family members of the old camp were stationed in Xiangyang City. This ensured that Xiangyang City was in order and the people could live in peace as usual.
The people inside and outside Xiangyang originally knew that Zhang Xianzhong had been stationed in Gucheng for more than a year. At that time, he did not disturb the civilians and were not very afraid of him. Now they see that his troops have indeed maintained strict military discipline after arriving in Xiangyang and do not kill people indiscriminately.
, and few rapes and robberies occurred, so I felt at ease, but some wealthy families were still frightened.
Because only Fancheng across the river was still in the hands of the army, and Wang Shuzeng, the prefect of Xiangyang, had also fled there, Zhang Xianzhong took care of some military affairs before breakfast.
He personally climbed up to the top of Linjiang Gate and looked towards the north bank of Xiangjiang River for a while. He also inspected the terrain of the North City, and even ordered the cannons on Wenchang Gate and West Gate to be moved to Madame City and Gongchen Gate to face Fan City.
There are two riverside docks over there.
There was originally a pontoon bridge on the Xiangjiang River, but after Zhang Xianzhong's Xiying troops attacked Xiangyang, it was burned down by the defenders of Fancheng. Therefore, now they only need to use artillery to control the docks along the river on the other side.
Just prevent Fancheng from sending people by boat to attack Xiangyang.
After coming down from the north gate, Zhang Xianzhong returned to his old camp in Prince Xiang's Palace. He entered through the back gate of the palace city and then passed through the back garden before arriving at the harem where Prince Xiang's concubines lived.
Zhang Xianzhong's wives Ao and Gao had already changed their clothes. They were freshly dressed and waiting for him in the palace.
When Mrs. Ao and Mrs. Gao saw Zhang Xianzhong coming in, they hurriedly rushed to greet him. Thinking that they would almost never see each other again, they couldn't help but shed tears.
Zhang Xianzhong smiled and looked at the two of them for a moment, then looked at Ao Shi's youthful and charming face with suspicion, and then said sarcastically: "Didn't you return to my side again?
What's your sore nose? Are you afraid that I won't like you?
Don’t worry, I will still like you as before. Damn, ladies, without a beard, you will shed a lot of tears! Your tears will only be shed in front of men, why don’t you use your tears to fight?"
His last words made everyone on the left and right couldn't help but laugh secretly.
Zhang Xianzhong didn't take it seriously. He turned to an old camp leader and asked, "Where is Mr. Pan? Why haven't you seen him yet?"
The leader hurriedly replied: "Come back to the commander-in-chief, Mr. Pan is waiting in the Cheng'en Hall ahead."
Zhang Xianzhong immediately walked out of the harem, passed through two courtyards, and walked into the courtyard of Cheng'en Hall through the back corner door. As expected, he saw Pan Du'ao standing under the verandah talking with several generals.
As he walked, he shouted happily: "Oh, Lao Pan, it's been a whole year, and finally I see you again! I came in from the harem, didn't you know?"
Pan Duao went down the steps to greet him and replied: "I just heard that the commander-in-chief has arrived in the harem. I thought that the commander-in-chief would sit in the harem and have a big talk with the two ladies, so I waited here and didn't dare to go in and disturb him."