On the Yuhe Tower in Tongcheng, people were drinking and drinking. It was a reception banquet held in the name of the Tongcheng gentry for the Henan aid generals. Pang Yu took a rare opportunity to sit on the main table and looked up. At the head was Zhang Guowei, and on the left and right were Henan Supervisor Dai Dongwen and Shi Kefa.
, and then there is a majestic red-faced man, my actual guest of honor, Zuo Liangyu, the commander-in-chief of the Sichuan Army.
Pang Yu knew that Zuo Liangyu was born in Liao Town and was now stationed in Henan. He didn't know when he became the chief soldier of the Sichuan Army. But he read the official document and found that Zuo Liangyu's official position was indeed the chief soldier of the Sichuan Army.
I guess it's the same as Shi Kefa's right-wing political participation in Jiangxi.
Zuo Shuai is about forty years old and has a very tall build. Pang Yu is considered a tall man in Tongcheng. He is about the same height as Zuo Liangyu, but there is a big gap in width. Zuo Liangyu has broad shoulders and thick shoulders. If calculated by area, Pang Yu is
I'm afraid Yu is only half as good as him. Zuo Liangyu has a mighty aura just sitting there.
Before Zhang Guowei arrived, Zuo Liangyu's main force arrived in Tongcheng. Pang Yu did not see all the camps. He roughly estimated that they were between 15,000 and 20,000. They were filled with many people who were similar to living together, as well as various kinds of people.
Raising women and children, the population structure is very similar to that of rogues.
Zuo Liangyu has about a thousand horse servants, 60 to 70% of whom are armored. There are about 600 to 700 ordinary cavalry, and there are about a thousand auxiliary animals. This is Zuo Liangyu's core strength. The light cavalry are
This one far exceeded the local troops in Anqing, and the number of infantrymen on the march was about a thousand.
It is estimated that he has stolen many horses during his travels over the years.
All other parts serve these forces.
Such an army size is also very important in the entire Central Plains region. Based on Pang Yu's understanding of the various battalions of rogues, any battalion of rogues alone would be inferior to Zuo Liangyu in terms of strength. No wonder the rogues can be avoided.
Pang Yu was quite envious of the size of Zuo Liangyu's cavalry. Although the garrison camp had planned a cavalry division, it still had less than 400 people, and its combat power could not be compared with these battle-hardened servants. The only possibility was to win.
It's discipline.
With the arrival of the main force of the left army, there was an endless stream of grievances and grievances from all townships, and the bandits were almost encountered again along the official road. Pi Yingju and Shi Kefa avoided it, and the Shangguan did not come forward to support them. Yang Erming, the young county magistrate, was so overwhelmed that he could hardly resist.
Pang Yu witnessed another dispute at the county government office in the afternoon. The grain inspector sent by Zuo Liangyu demanded that the supply of military rations be based on 20,000 people. Yang Erming only recognized the 3,300 under the Sichuan Army's general officer establishment. The grain inspector was invited to
Henan Supervisory Army Dai Dongwen, after several disputes, was supplied with 7,000 men, but both Pang Yu and Yang Erming knew that the Zuo Army would grab enough for themselves.
The only good thing is that Zhang Guowei arrived in Tongcheng, all the Zuo soldiers retreated from the outside of the city, Yang Erming only left Dongzuo Gate to pass through, the people in the city finally dared to go out and walk around, three squads of government officials took to the streets, and the market returned to some normality.
This was the first time that Tongcheng was hit by military disaster. Even at the dinner table, Yang Erming was frowning, barely using his chopsticks, and just toasting with everyone.
At this kind of official banquet, the preferences of civil servants and military attachés are different. Sitting at the same table at this time, it is not easy for the civil servants to engage in those reciting poems and drinking orders. If it was received in the past, after three rounds of drinking, it would be divided into circles of civil servants and military attachés.
, the civil servants mainly exchanged some news about old friends who died in the same year, while the military attaches continued to drink.
But today Zuo Liangyu is the actual protagonist. The banquet always revolves around Zuo Liangyu, and everyone takes turns toasting to Zuo Liangyu.
Pang Yu and Zuo Liangyu were separated by three people, namely Xu Ziqiang, Henan Dusi Wang Yunfeng and deputy general Cheng Long. Xu Ziqiang and Cheng Long were also good hands at the wine table.
After a toast, Zuo Liangyu was quite kind, but he didn't say much. He drank as soon as the wine was done, and no one mentioned the conflict over the horse.
Pan Keda was the only one at the table who didn't speak much.
Pan Keda sat next to Pang Yu. Originally, he had the rank of guerrilla general, which was higher than Pang Yu's. But this year, Zhang Guowei also helped Pang Yu apply for the rank of general, which is equivalent to the guerrilla enjoyment of general.
His treatment and strength were better than Pan Ke's, so he was ranked below Pang Yu when arranging seats. As a veteran, his current status was not as good as that of Pang Yu, a newcomer of two years. Naturally, he was unhappy, and he stopped drinking after a few words.
.
Pang Yu ignored him and toasted Zuo Liangyu several times, trying to build a good relationship with him, but Zuo Liangyu drank it all in one gulp.
After another round of respects, Shi Kefa asked Zuo Liangyu, "Premier Lu had a great victory in Chuzhou last year, and then the thieves were captured. I thought that the thieves were weak, but when they came back this time, they were no less powerful than last year.
There were too many officers and soldiers to suppress the thieves, and there were also too many thieves. Shi was very confused. Commander Zuo had been conquering the bandits for many years, but he didn't know what his opinion was on the general trend of pacifying the bandits."
Everyone stopped their chopsticks during the banquet. Although there were many officials in the imperial court, the situation across the country was relatively vague. Information about rogue bandits came from many sources and newspapers. Military attachés like Zuo Liangyu, who had fought in the north and south, were the ones who knew the most about rogue bandits.
of.
Zuo Liangyu was originally a red-faced strong man, but now he was even redder after drinking wine. However, unlike his reputation, he was quite polite to others, and his attitude towards Shi Kefa was also quite respectful. He put down his chopsticks and said, "Go back to Shi Dao
Tai knows that although there are too many thieves, today's thieves are no longer the thieves of the past.
Since the rise of thieves, there have been no less than a million thieves. One in ten has been raped, twenty-three out of ten have been captured, and forty-five out of ten have been killed by the army. Those who remain alive are old thieves. These old thieves are vicious and treacherous.
Qiao, every time you fight with the king's army, if you win, you will take advantage of the momentum and drive for a long time. If you lose, you will scatter gold and silver on the ground, which is called buying road silver. There are many thieves in the army. This is one of the reasons why thieves are difficult to destroy."
Everyone here listened attentively. Pang Yu fought with the rogue bandits several times and was defeated. Because they were basically infantry, there was no question of pursuit, so he did not receive money to buy the road. When he was in Chuzhou, he heard other officers and soldiers say,
At this time, many civil servants were present, and Zuo Liangyu did not shy away from this, which surprised Pang Yu.
Zuo Liangyu paused for a moment, looked at Zhang Guowei and said, "However, the rise and fall of the thieves' power does not depend on the efforts of the officers and soldiers. In fact, due to the famine and political chaos, the traitors have no way to make a living, so they will naturally follow the thieves and then suppress them.
The crowds spread endlessly.
Shi Daotai said that the general trend of pacifying the thieves was that Zuo had been suppressing the bandits for several years, but he did not dare to say the general situation. He only dared to say that the number of thieves was now more than ten times that of Chongzhen in the five years."
As soon as he said this, there was a burst of exclamation from the people at the table next to him. Several civil servants looked solemn. Shi Kefa picked up his wine glass and took a sip and said, "If it weren't for Mianchi to cross south..." He hesitated at this point. Pang Yu had heard this before.
When Shi Kefa recounted this passage, he couldn't help but curse the officers and soldiers. It was because Zuo Liangyu was in Henan to suppress bandits when Mianchi was crossing south, so he couldn't curse at this time.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Guowei raised his glass and said, "This time Dai Daotai, Zuo Shuai, and Wang Dusi are here to assist in the suppression. I must work together with Zuo Shuai to suppress the enemy. We will not be afraid of ten times the number of thieves. We will defeat the thieves today."
... In the quiet Dongzuomen Nei Street, the sound of horse hooves echoed. Pang Yu glanced to the left. Zuo Liangyu's mount still had bow and arrow thorns hanging on both sides. I wonder if it was Zuo Liangyu.
His habit is to be fully equipped even for banquets.
After the banquet, everyone parted in the restaurant. Pang Yu took the initiative to guide Zuo Liangyu and took the opportunity to get closer to Zuo Liangyu by sending him back to the camp.
"Commander Zuo is a veteran who has been fighting for many years. He has just joined the army. He is not as good as Commander Zuo in terms of using troops or knowing the enemy well. I hope Commander Zuo will not hesitate to give advice to his juniors in the future."
Although Zuo Liangyu was drunk, he was still as steady as a rock on horseback. Hearing this, he said, "When it comes to fighting, veterans are more careful. New troops always need more spirit. Zuo has been fighting like this for many years."
For those who are fighting, the advice you give may not be so applicable.
You are the main army this time, Master Zhang is also here, you should just listen to Master Du’s orders."
When Pang Yu heard what was said, he quickly answered, "Sir Gao Yi, this massive concentration of troops is the right time to attack the thieves. We discussed in the afternoon to lure the thieves out of the mountain. My humble opinion is to let go of Qianshan and lure the thieves to Anqing."
After that, General Zuo cut off Shijingpu from Tongcheng and went down to the official road from Shipai to Anqing, and besieged the thieves on this section of the official road."
"These giant thieves are not so easy to be fooled. They are so obedient unless we want them to go. How does General Pang plan to lure them into a trap?"
"Zuo Shuaixiang is on an expedition in Henan. I am serving as Zuo Shuai to report the situation in Anqing. The year before last, bandits looted along the post road, and there was no money or food to support them along the way. This year, the officers and soldiers intercepted them everywhere, and their looting was limited. In Anqing,
As long as the city has enough money, food and materials, the thieves will definitely take advantage of it.
The lower officials let go of the stone tablets or hidden mountains and used the city as bait to lure them deep into the hinterland.
What I just said is that the thieves are coming from Qianshan. If the thieves are going to take the stone tablets, the lower official can join forces with Zuo Shuai and then surround them with heavy troops along the Wan River. This way we can win a big victory."
Zuo Liangyu thought for a moment after listening, and Pang Yu looked at him expectantly. Most of the afternoon meeting was about logistics, and no specific tactics were discussed. Zhang Guowei only mentioned luring the thieves out of the mountain, but did not cover the details of how to cooperate.
, seizing the opportunity at this time, Pang Yu naturally hopes to persuade Zuo Liangyu.
"Thieves come and go like the wind, can Shijingpu cut off their retreat?"
"I have reported to Commander Zuo that Shijingpu is the intersection of the post road and the pedestrian road. From here to Fucheng, there are mountains criss-crossing to the west. There are only trails. The bandits are not familiar with the terrain and cannot outrun the local soldiers and horses of Xiaguan. To the east, there are more
The paddy fields and rivers cut off the area and the thieves have no way to escape. The outposts of the rogue thieves are really fast, but as soon as their army comes out of the mountain, they will change their paces and cavalry. There will inevitably be a large number of people raising their families among them, so the movement will be slow, and the foot soldiers will also be killed.
As long as Zuo Shuai cuts off Shijingpu, Xiaguan can guarantee the defense of the city and cut off the bandits' escape route to the west. Please Zuo Shuai trust Xiaguan."
Zuo Liangyu laughed twice, turned to look at Pang Yu and said, "Zuo has heard General Pang's name for a long time.
General Pang was very heroic in the battle of Qingliuhe. Prime Minister Lu mentioned many times that there were strong forces among the southern soldiers. Zuo was also convinced by Premier Lu's words. Listening to General Pang's talk today, he is also a man who knows the military well in our generation.
"
Pang Yu was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect that Lu Xiangsheng would give him such a high evaluation. Zuo Liangyu said again, "It is for this reason that Zuo is willing to say a few more words to General Pang. What General Pang just said was just a quotation."
The thieves have entered the hinterland. As far as I know, Qianshan also has a pedestrian path leading to the city. Although it is not as big as the main road, it is not a small path.
If the thieves take this route, I will have to divide my troops and hide in the mountains. There are thousands of small roads in Anqing. Although the thieves are outsiders, General Pang must not underestimate them. The thieves are entrenched in Yinghuo Mountain. I dare to say that Anqing has
There are not a few people who surrender to the thieves, and many of them know the roads well. The news of my arrival in Tongcheng has probably reached the ears of those giant thieves. It may be difficult to lead them to Fucheng via Shijingpu, but I will have to divide my troops and attack
, if you are not careful, you will be ambushed by those thieves. Against these giant thieves, you cannot defeat yourself, but you can defeat the enemy."
"This..." Pang Yu did not expect that Zuo Liangyu had already studied the terrain of Anqing. When he was about to continue explaining, Zuo Liangyu waved his hand and said, "General Pang is a successful young man. It is reasonable for him to be eager to fight. We are the same."
Warriors, Zuo Mou and General Pang have some personal words. Those of us who lead troops to kill thieves must have our own reasons for doing things. I am stationing troops in Shucheng and have less than five days of army rations. Lord Zhu Du lets him enter the mountain. Lord Zhang lets him go.
When entering Tongcheng, if you arrive in a hurry and fail, whose fault is it?
What if the thief left Gushi and went to Henan at this time?
You must obey the civil officials in everything, and if you don’t get killed by the thieves, you will have to run and exhaust yourself to death.”
When Pang Yu heard this, he knew that Zuo Liangyu might have misunderstood. He thought that this plan was formulated by Zhang Guowei, and after deceiving Pang Yu, he asked Pang Yu to persuade him.
"When thieves first come, the people avoid them. The thieves leave the people and they have no way to make a living. When thieves come back, they will continue to be thieves. Today, there are no less than a million rogue bandits and tens of millions of refugees. If we can't kill them all in one go, there will always be giant thieves among them.
It will never be destroyed."
Zuo Liangyu probably drank too much. He glanced casually at the broken-down shops on the street and continued to say to Pang Yu, "But I only have one life. The thieves in the world, whether they are slaves or outcasts, will be killed."
It's a matter of survival on the head of a knife, and no one is easy to deal with.
We military officers fight against these giant bandits. If we win, we will be promoted to civil service first. If we lose, we will chop off our heads first. You have to follow your own rules when it comes to using soldiers. Only when you have soldiers can you speak. If you fight these thieves, behead them.
It doesn’t matter how many heads there are. You will win when you win, and you will lose when you lose. They all have a sense of proportion. In short, you can’t lose your head.”
Pang Yu was confused after what he heard. She discussed tactics with him, but Zuo Liangyu went so far and sounded like she didn't have a clue. She didn't know how to bring the topic back.
"King Chen Yu, who has just taken another seat, Zuo knew it well in Liao Town. It is easy for General Pang to march and fight, but he was born in the south of the Yangtze River and is always different from the northern border towns. You have to ask more about this matter of propriety.
This is an old team."
Zuo Liangyu seemed to be quite interested in talking. He sighed and said, "I came from Liao Town. I have seen a lot of things..." He stopped here. At this time, he had arrived at Dongzuo Gate, and the people in Zhuang Ban were far away.
When I saw the lantern in the distance, I saw that the city gate had already been opened, and Zuo Liangyu's servants were waiting outside the gate.
Zuo Liangyu sat up straight on his horse, as if he had suddenly sobered up. He stopped what he was talking about, glanced at Pang Yu and said, "I came to Anqing this time to quell the thieves. My officers and soldiers are here.
Whatever the superior officer plans, the troops and horses will fight accordingly. General Pang is here to invite you."
Pang Yu quickly clasped his fists, and Zuo Liangyu had already ridden out the door. His servants followed him out, and the queue was orderly. They quickly disappeared into the night outside the city, leaving only the shadow of a swaying lantern.
Pang Yu closed his eyes with a headache. It was obvious that Zhang Guowei's military order had no binding force on Zuo Liangyu, and he could not convince Zuo Liangyu. He could not help but rub his forehead and murmured, "How the hell did they fight."