The Dongting Lake water thieves had never encountered a war with cavalry, especially the Western cavalry, which was famous for its bravery. Under the strong deterrent of the Western cavalry, the thieves collapsed without a fight. They fled in all directions in the wilderness, but the Western cavalry did not hesitate. Chase and chop hesitantly.
Really unable to outrun the horses, the rebel soldiers knelt on the ground and begged for their lives, but it was still in vain. Chen Qing issued a killing order and refused to accept surrender. The rebel soldiers who knelt down and surrendered were still chopped off by the cavalry.
Two hours later, the wilderness calmed down, and the 10,000 bandit army was almost killed. The general Huang Qian and more than a dozen generals on their horses managed to escape. In addition, a thousand people who entered the city because of The Song army in the city surrendered and survived.
But even so, they still could not escape death, so Chen Qing executed them all in a ritualistic way.
Nearly ten thousand people from all over the county came to the city wall and watched the scene outside the city. More than a thousand rebel soldiers had their hands tied behind their backs, kneeling on the ground dejectedly. Soldiers holding swords stood beside them.
Yang Guang, the magistrate of Huarong County, couldn't bear it. He cupped his fists at Chen Qing and said, "Since they have surrendered, why didn't the general let them go back to their hometowns to work as farmers? Instead, he killed them. Who will surrender in the future?"
Chen Qing said calmly: "I never expect the enemy to surrender on the battlefield. Since they have chosen to be water thieves, this is their fate. There is nothing to complain about. If they surrender, they can go home alive, then become water thieves." There is no price for being a thief. I want everyone to understand that committing yourself to being a thief will only lead to death."
"But what if they are forced to become thieves? They must be given a chance to change their ways."
Chen Qing looked at the county magistrate: "The county magistrate thinks they have no chance? No! They have more opportunities. They can just jump into the water with a piece of wood and go home. The reason why they don't escape is that they find it profitable to be a water thief. You can kill innocent people and rob property, and you can humiliate women arbitrarily without being punished by law.
If we are tolerant to them, who will give them an explanation for the innocent people they killed and the sisters they insulted?
If I don't arrive in time today, will the county prince have a chance to excuse them in front of me? What will be the fate of the county prince's wife and daughter? Have these county princes thought about it? "
The county magistrate Yang Guang was speechless for a moment, and General Zhao Ping whispered beside him: "Chen Dutong actually makes sense. These surrendered bandits are the first to rush into the city. They are often the most vicious thieves. They There is no merit to speak of. If you rush into the city first, you can occupy the big families and plunder more property."
Yang Guang, the county magistrate, sighed, "Actually, I just want to screen them. Those who have committed the most serious crimes will be killed, and those who have committed minor crimes will be punished in other ways. No criminals can be released, that's all."
"No!"
Chen Qing flatly refused, "The battlefield is their trial. My sword only cares about right and wrong, not fairness. I give orders and kill!"
"Woo——" the horn sounded, and the soldiers of the Song Army raised their swords and dropped their swords. More than a thousand heads fell to the ground, and the people on the top of the city screamed in surprise.
.........
Chen Qing immediately ordered that 11,000 traitor soldiers be built on the edge of Dongting Lake to build a palace to deter Yang Yao's traitor army. This meant that Chen Qing entered Dongting Lake to quell the chaos in an extremely powerful manner.
In just ten days, the brutal killings that occurred in Huarong County spread throughout the lake area. Not only were tens of thousands of water thieves deeply shocked, but even ordinary people realized that the troops sent by the imperial court this time were extraordinary and human. The nickname Mo Chen Qing soon spread throughout the rebel barracks and the streets of various prefectures and counties.
Some people are rejoicing, but some are also worried. They don't know what this top general of the Western Army will bring to Dongting Lake.
...........
Yang Yao's home base is located in Junshan, Dongting Lake. His army of tens of thousands is actually a partnership, formed by the merger of dozens of water thieves, large and small. On the one hand, Yang Yao is very powerful. If you don't rely on him, he will
Being annexed, some water thieves had to come to rely on him.
On the other hand, Yang Yao defeated the Song army who came to suppress the bandits several times, and seized a large amount of food and soldiers. In addition, he plundered on the Yangtze River and around Dongting Lake. He had considerable financial resources. Following him, he could enjoy good food and drink.
Therefore, many water thieves voluntarily attached themselves to him.
Of course, these water bandit leaders all had one condition in common: they were unwilling to give up their subordinates. Yang Yao also agreed to their conditions and allowed them to form their own strongholds. Seventy-two military strongholds were formed in Junshan. Yang Yao claimed to be a great leader.
The Holy King is supported by all his armies.
In the past two years, Yang Yao's army has developed very rapidly. Except for Yuezhou, which was guarded by Wang Yan, it could not take much advantage. The two counties of Huarong and Anxiang that were previously occupied were taken away by Wang Yan's army. The attack on Baling County also suffered a disastrous defeat.
.
But in Tanzhou to the south of Dongting Lake and Changde Mansion to the west, Yang Yao's army was extremely successful, occupying half of Tanzhou and the entire Changde Mansion.
The defeat of Huarong and the strong appearance of the Western Army Chen Qing caused great differences within Yang Yao. Some generals wanted to withdraw their base to Changde Mansion, but other generals refused to leave Junshan. Yang Yao was also in a dilemma.
Of course, he didn't want to leave Junshan, the 'Land of Longxing', but Chen Qing's arrival made him a little worried.
Yang Yao was not concerned about Hua Rong's defeat. Huang Qian was a Jiangxia water thief and was currently the second largest force under Yang Yao. Huang Qian's army was wiped out by Chen Qing, which was conducive to Yang Yao's control over his thieves.
It's just that Chen Qing's ferocious killings shook Yang Yao's military morale, which made Yang Yao very passive.
"I remember the king said that you had fought against Chen Qing?" Military Advisor Huang Cheng asked.
Yang Yao nodded, "It happened last year. There were only two of them, but they actually killed hundreds of my men, forcing me to evacuate. It was my most cowardly defeat."
"In addition to being tough, what is this person's strategy?" Huang Cheng asked again.
"He didn't fall for the military advisor's plan to empty the river, which shows that he is not stupid."
Huang Cheng shook his head, "This is not because he saw through us, but because Wang Yan set a trap in Huarong County to lure us to abandon the ship and go north, and finally encountered the cavalry and annihilated us. These were all Wang Yan's arrangements. Chen Qing was just a
He is just an executor. Once Chen Qing enters Yuezhou, he will fight independently, and I will be more concerned about his strategic ability."
Yang Yao snorted disdainfully, "So what if he has a strategy? In my opinion, strategy is only a supplement, and strength is the foundation. On land, I can't defeat his cavalry, but in the water, that's my world."
, even if he is the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, once he gets into the water, he has to be captured obediently!"
Huang Cheng laughed dryly, "That's true, strength is fundamental!"
Yang Yao punched the table hard, "So we have to find a way to lure him into the water to fight!"
At this moment, a soldier quickly ran up to the hall, knelt down on one knee and reported, "Your Majesty, the special envoy from Qi has arrived!"
Yang Yao was startled and said quickly: "Please come quickly!"
As early as three years ago, Liu Yu, the puppet emperor of Qi, sent people to recruit Yang Yao, but Yang Yao refused. He was extremely ambitious and did not want to become a minister of the puppet Qi.
Last year, the Puppet Qi Dynasty changed its strategy and no longer recruited Yang Yao. Instead, it recognized his status and expressed its willingness to form an alliance with him. This was in Yang Yao's interests. The two families hit it off and formally formed an alliance last autumn.
During this year, the Puppet Qi used the Yangtze River waterway to provide Yang Yao with a lot of armor and materials. They provided 20,000 sets of armor alone and 5,000 tents, which quickly increased Yang Yao's direct army from 15,000 to 15,000.
Thirty-five thousand people, at least from this point of view, Yang Yao is still very grateful to the puppet Qi State.
A young and shrewd envoy came in. This man was Zhang Mingzhong, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites of the Puppet Qi Dynasty and the grandson of Zhang Shuye, a famous official of the Song Dynasty.
He hesitated and annulled the marriage.
Zhang Mingzhong went to Dongting Lake as a special envoy last year and signed an alliance agreement on behalf of Liu Yu and Yang Yao. As a result, he was promoted from a foreigner in the Ministry of Rites to a doctor in the Ministry of Rites.
Yang Yao enthusiastically welcomed Zhang Mingzhong into the inner hall, pointed to a glittering golden chair and said with a smile: "How about this chair? I made it with sixty kilograms of gold and inlaid with more than eight hundred gems. How rich is it!"
"
Zhang Mingzhong smiled slightly and said: "Sure enough, he is not an ordinary person!"
He praises it with his mouth, but despises it in his heart. He uses gold to make a chair, but drinks tea from a big bowl. He is a vulgar guy.
"I came here this time to follow the orders of my emperor to discuss cooperation in a war. I wonder if your Majesty is interested?"