The summoning place was at the county government office.
After the group of people entered under the leadership of Gu Jian, they saw that although the house occupied a large area and had many houses, the furnishings were very simple. They immediately looked at each other and suspected that they had come to the wrong place.
They make a living by plundering, no matter in the Central Plains or even Korea, some ordinary rich people, who have been promoted to officials, also have large and luxurious houses. They thought that Wang Zheng, the Xuzhou Mu's house, was naturally more extraordinary, but he didn't expect it to be
So unexpected...
After waiting in the hall for a short time, Wang Zheng and Guo Jia arrived hand in hand.
Among the group of people who came this time, except for Guan Cheng, everyone had known Wang Zheng for a long time but had never met him. Now that they saw the real person, they all naturally opened their eyes wide and wanted to take a closer look.
Unsurprisingly, they were surprised again. The so-called "Reincarnation of Zhang Jiao", the famous Xuzhou Mu who swept the Shandong Peninsula in a short period of time, turned out to be such an ordinary-looking young man?
When they were looking at Wang Zheng, Wang Zheng was also looking at them.
Among the people who came this time, in addition to Guan Cheng, there were more than ten people. Wang Zheng paid special attention to three of them. One was naturally the burly man who looked like the leader at first sight, and there were two others, a young man.
He is the oldest, about forty years old. He is quite thin, has a strange appearance, and has deep eyes. However, he is the only one among them who is dressed as a scribe, and he is probably a mastermind.
The other man was not tall, slightly chubby, and always had a smile on his round face. He seemed harmless, but Wang Zheng's eyes lingered on him for a little longer.
There was nothing I could do about it. The last time Xu Du came to visit Dong Zhao, he almost suffered a big loss and left a deep impression on him. At this time, when seeing any fat man, he would inevitably think of "pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger".
"I've met Zhou Mu."
"I am a guest from afar. There is no need to pay such a big courtesy. Please get up quickly."
After waving his hands for everyone to sit down and ordering the maid to serve refreshments, Wang Zheng nodded to the burly man as a greeting and then looked at the ancient sword.
Gu Jian immediately introduced: "General, this is Zhang Chongyue, Zhang Qushuai, the leader of the rebel army from Daheishan Island."
Then he said to Zhang Chongyue: "The man next to Zhou Mu is Mr. Guo Jia, our army's sacrificial wine drinker."
Wang Zheng nodded, and he already knew through Guo Jia's popular science that most of the pirates in the Bohai Sea are concentrated in the Miaojin Islands, of which Daheishan Island is one of the southern islands.
The Miaojin Islands are located at the intersection of the Bohai Strait and the Bohai Sea, facing Tieshan, Liaodong across the sea to the north, and Penglai, Shandong, to the south. It can be called the "throat" of the Bohai Sea and the "gateway" to Beijing and Tianjin.
His eyes fell directly on Zhang Chongyue. Wang Zheng smiled and said, "Daheishan Island is far away from here. When did Zhang Qushuai set off?"
"Ten days ago." Zhang Chongyue replied with cupped hands, his voice deep and strong.
"Is the journey going smoothly?"
"Thanks to God's good will, the wind and water have been smooth these past few days. The brothers who are sailing the boats are also good hands. They walked very fast on the road. Not long after setting off, we met some merchant ships near Gaoshan Island."
Zhang Chongyue said with a smile: "I see that this merchant ship is quite impressive. There are actually ships from the North Sea Navy escorting it on the left and right. We don't want to delay the summons of the state pastor this time, otherwise we might get some benefits, haha."
"Beihai Navy?" Wang Zheng immediately stared at it: "How many people are there?"
"It's just four ships and a few hundred people at most." Zhang Chongyue showed a sneer on his lips and said disdainfully: "If it weren't for Zhou Mu's impatient waiting, our brothers could easily destroy these ships.
!”
At this time, Guo Jia suddenly smiled and interjected: "Qu Shuai's surname is Zhang, and he lives on Daheishan Island. Could it be that he has some connection with Zhang Bolu, the Sea Dragon King?"
Hearing this, Zhang Chongyue was startled at first, and subconsciously looked at Guan Cheng. Seeing that the other person shook his head, indicating that he had not said anything in advance, when he looked at Guo Jiashi, his expression suddenly became more serious.
"This Guo Jijiu is so knowledgeable." He said seriously: "He is the ancestor of this family."
Pirates have existed in China since ancient times.
However, before the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, this type of people relied more on the vast ocean and the advantages of navigation to escape tyranny and gain opportunities and rights to survive. They were mainly barbarian tribes and escaped slaves. Although they were also targeted by the government for encirclement and suppression,
In fact, there was no actual evidence of banditry and plunder. Until the Western Han Dynasty, the activities of Dongyi, Baiyue and other maritime tribes were more commonly referred to as "danmin" rather than "pirates".
It was not until the appearance of Zhang Bolu that the titles of "pirate" and "pirate" were truly included in official records.
In the third year of Yongchu reign of Emperor An of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Bolu wore a red hat and crimson clothes and called himself a "general". He led only more than 3,000 people to start an uprising in Qingzhou. In just one year, he set off a huge momentum and invaded three coastal states.
Nine counties, kill two thousand stone commanders!
In terms of achievements, they are not inferior to those of Wang Zheng today. He sent Pang Xiong, the imperial censor, to supervise the troops to attack them. Bolu and others begged to surrender, and they gathered together in search of restoration. The party members
Of course, the Han Empire at that time was not comparable to today. It was not so chaotic that it was full of wars, and it could easily mobilize enough troops to quell the chaos. So Pang Xiong, the imperial censor, was sent to supervise the troops to attack it. Zhang Bolu and others were defeated and begged to surrender.
Then he surrendered and rebelled again. In the fourth year of Yongchu, Zhang Bolu once again gathered 300 people with Bohai, Liu Wenhe in the plain, and Zhou Wenguang's rebel army to jointly attack Yanci (now Huimindong, Shandong) and Gaotang (now Yucheng, Shandong).
, and then crowned with a five-beam crown and a seal ribbon.
This time the imperial court was completely upset. This time it directly dispatched tens of thousands of troops from You and Hebei states to suppress it. Seeing that Zhang Bolu could not do anything, he led his troops to move to Daheishan Island in the Miaojin Islands.
In the end, Zhang Bolu did not die at the hands of the official army, but was destroyed by the aristocratic family.
The sea is of course the best barrier, but human survival requires rice, food, and fresh water. Therefore, any pirate group in ancient and modern times, at home and abroad, must have someone to support it on land, who not only provides supplies but is also responsible for selling stolen goods.
In the fifth year of the Yongchu period, the Li family in Le'an used a trick to lure Zhang Bailu ashore and then ambushed him.
But no matter what, Zhang Bolu had the courage to rebel in the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty and persisted for three years. Zhang Bolu could also be regarded as a momentary hero, and his name was left in history, becoming the first pirate recorded in the history books of the Celestial Dynasty.
After listening to Guo Jia's introduction, Wang Zheng nodded, looked at Zhang Chongyue and said with a smile: "After the hero, he is indeed extraordinary. Qu Shuai can be regarded as inheriting the legacy of the martyr. I admire him very much..."
After a few polite words, the conversation changed: "I wonder how much Zhang Qushuai knows about the Beihai Navy?"
Hearing this, Zhang Chongyue smiled confidently: "Zhou Mu also knows that the business I am doing can be regarded as a journey between life and death. If the dangers are not inferior to those on the battlefield, how can I dare to be careless?"
"There is a saying in the art of war that if you know yourself and the enemy, you will never end a hundred battles. When it comes to understanding, not only the Beihai Navy, but also the Beihai Kingdom, and even a local like Xiao Guan may not be as good as me!"
"Oh?" Wang Zheng was noncommittal and just glanced at Guan Cheng casually.
Hearing this, Guan Cheng's eyes flashed with dissatisfaction, but a smile immediately appeared on his face: "Qu Shuai is a senior hero, and Cheng is a young boy, how can they be compared? Of course they are inferior!"
In the original history, the future Guan Cheng should actually be better than Zhang Chongyue. After all, one has a name in history and the other has no such person. However, at this time, the former is not yet established, but the latter is not only far more qualified, but also more
With the blessing of his ancestors, he became the nominal leader of the Bohai pirates early on.
Of course, Guan Cheng was originally a Yellow Turban bandit turned water thief, and his initial sphere of influence was more in the rivers of Beihai. The two of them were at peace with each other originally, but as Guan Cheng's momentum began to rise in recent years
It was fast and violent, but there were also several conflicts and frictions.
There were so many people on Zhang Bolu's side that Guan Cheng had to bow his head and give in every time.
It's just that Zhang Bailu has the help of other pirates, and Guan Cheng also has the help of the Yellow Turban bandits. In addition, although the number of his men is relatively small, they are all brave enough to fight. In addition, the two men's main territories currently do not overlap.
It's considered high. So far, it has maintained a peaceful situation.
But it was already a bit reluctant.
Since there is a long-standing grudge between the two parties, why did Guan Cheng agree to recruit Zhang Bolu into the gang this time?
In fact, he not only agreed, but also put a lot of effort into it, giving up many benefits, and even gave away part of an island he currently occupies to Zhang Bolu. Only then did he get Zhang Chongyue's consent and agreed to participate.
.
Otherwise, Wang Zheng's reputation alone may not attract Zhang Chongyue's attention.
After all, Xuzhou is still far away from the Bohai Sea.
As for why Guan Cheng did this, was it because he was loyal to Wang Zheng, and in order to help him succeed, he was even willing to laugh off his grudges with his competitors?
Of course it's impossible.
Before the group arrived at Xiapi, Gu Jian had already given Wang Zheng a secret report in advance. Guan Cheng had said beforehand that if he could help Wang Zheng seize Beihai Kingdom, he hoped to ask Wang Zheng to reciprocate and do him a favor.
As for this favor, naturally I want to use Wang Zheng's power to help him complete a "snake swallows the elephant" plan, taking the opportunity to eliminate and annex Zhang Bolu!
Wang Zheng agreed, but after all, Guan Cheng was still a member of the Yellow Turbans, barely half of his own people, and if he really wanted to capture Beihai, it would be his own turn to face the problem of the Bohai pirates.
Compared to the rebellious Zhang Chongyue, it would be more beneficial for Guan Cheng to be the leader of the pirates.
"Then, I would like to ask Commander Qu." Wang Zheng asked sideways: "How many ships are there in Beihai? How many soldiers are good at fighting? Who will be brave? If the two armies confront each other, what should we pay attention to? What are the enemy's strengths? What are the weaknesses?
What?"
"Suppose our Xuzhou navy attacks Changming County, Donglai from the sea, what are the chances of winning?"
"There used to be a Taishi Ci in Beihai Kingdom, but now there are no brave generals except Wu'an Kingdom!"
Zhang Chongyue waved his hands and said: "We people have always traveled back and forth between Liaodong, Beihai and North Korea. When it comes to combat power, the soldiers in Beihai are worse than the North Korean army, but they are far inferior to Liaodong!"
"Going to the counties along the Beihai coast, usually only a few or two ships can pass without hindrance. At the beginning, the Beihai navy came to offend and defeated them several times. Now..." Zhang Chongyue said proudly: "When you see my flag, you will look far away from the wind.
Escape."
"With such an army that has neither fighting spirit nor courage, Zhou Mu has nothing to worry about!"
"In addition, there are many of our sons and daughters entrenched in the cities along the coast of Liaodong. If Kong Rong really wants to escape to Liaodong, let him get out of the Bohai Sea by chance. Once he goes to Liaodong, he will fall into a trap!"
A pirate on the side said: "Commander Qu, if Kong Rong really goes to sea, Zhou Mu will win but he will lose. How many people will be able to protect him?"
"This time we responded to the call of Zhou Mu. There are no less than ten teams from the islands that are willing to join forces. Excluding those who are just trying to make up the numbers, there are still seven to eight hundred war-resistant sea ships with more than 6,000 people. How can we let this old man do it?
Crossing the Bohai Sea?”
They assured each other that Wang Zheng would not believe everything. Since time travel, he has never placed all his hopes on others.
For Wang Zheng, the Bohai group of pirates were just a precautionary tool, not a backbone to rely on.
In the past month, Gu Jian and Guan Cheng have been recruiting bandits in the Bohai Sea, but he has not been idle in Xiapi either.
According to Wang Zheng's strategy, the main purpose of capturing Beihai was not to open up frontiers, but to tie up Yuan Shao's troops in Qingzhou to prevent him from unbridled marching straight into Xuzhou.
If the two sides cannot afford to fight in the short term, the navy will be an indispensable part of Jiangdong in the future, whether it is strategy or defense.
Therefore, Wang Zheng also recruited a large number of sea ships during this period. He also selected some people from the army who had been fishermen or had water experience as the backbone, and then began to train thousands of soldiers in the days.
In a short period of time, these people are not required to become truly combatable sailors, as long as they can avoid seasickness, are not afraid of water, and can swim.
Wang Zheng's plan is to take the Bohai pirates as the vanguard, attract the main force of the North Sea navy, and at the same time cover the landing of thousands of soldiers in Changming County to conduct island operations. He strives to capture this city in the shortest possible time, and even quickly attack the entire territory of Donglai.
control purpose.
In this way, even if something unexpected happens here in Beihai Kingdom, at least a nail will be buried in the easternmost part of Qingzhou.
You can even use Dongnai as a base to concentrate your main forces and attack Beihai from the back. Once you control the Bohai Sea and Dongnai, on the one hand, you can supply grain, grass, and troops by sea to allow the forwards to attack Pingthou.
There is no need to worry about the future. On the other hand, whether it is to deal with the enemy's counterattack, sniping, or interception, there is room for maneuver. You can also look for opportunities at any time to attack the enemy with troops and start a decisive battle.
In short, since he is going to attack a place like Beihai from Xuzhou, in Wang Zheng's eyes, the first thing he must master is sea control!
"Great kindness." Wang Zheng said with a smile: "Everyone of you is a hundred times more confident. I also feel that this victory is more likely to be won. However, there is one thing. If the minister is not secretive, he will lose his identity. It is a big thing for soldiers to do it before they take action.
, be sure not to let out even a hint of news.”
"Don't worry, Zhou Mu." Zhang Chongyue nodded and said, "You just said a word, and a few of us came all the way here, and then we went through fire and water without hesitation. We treated it as selling our lives to Zhou Mu.
"
"However, when things are done, you, Zhou Mu, will get a country, but I only want an island. Gu Xiaowei has agreed to it before, so what if I don't agree with Zhou Mu?"
Wang Zheng knew about this. Gu Jian had previously said in a secret letter that the other pirates just wanted some gold and silver, but Zhang Chongyue made a separate condition and wanted Nanchangshan Island.
The largest island in the Miaojin Islands is Nanchangshan Island, which is governed by Huang County, Donglai County. It covers an area of only a hundred miles. As far as Gu Jian and Guan Cheng know, apart from a mild climate and a Huangshan Mountain, there seems to be no
Something surprising.
But since Zhang Chongyue raised it alone, both Wang Zheng and Guo Jia had speculations in their minds. Maybe there was another mystery here?
But it doesn't hurt to allow it for the time being.
"It's just an island." Wang Zhengzhuang said with a smile as if he didn't care: "When Gu Jian met you, every sentence and every word he said represents this general and our millions of soldiers and civilians in Xuzhou!"