Witnessing his brothers dying in grief and anger in battle, Zhang Ke was furious.
After returning to the city, he directly picked up the knife and rushed into the handsome tent.
"Zhang Tao, you thief, please accept your fate!"
Zhang Tao was being reprimanded by Sun Yuanhua. When he saw Zhang Keda coming to kill him, he was so frightened that he lost all his soul. He rolled and crawled without the courage of a general.
The handsome tent immediately became a mess.
Full of confusion, Sun Yuanhua stopped in front of Zhang Keda and shouted: "General Zhang, what do you want to do?"
Zhang Ke's eyes were weeping blood, and he pointed at Zhang Tao who was hiding in the distance and shivering, almost breaking his teeth.
"Sir, if Zhang Tao hadn't escaped before the battle, how could this battle have been defeated? If Zhang Tao was not killed, it would be difficult to comfort the morale of the army."
Sun Yuanhua was speechless.
Even as his close confidant, Sun Yuanhua felt that Zhang Tao had gone too far this time.
I really want to behead Zhang Tao...
With such a moment of hesitation, Zhang Tao actually recovered and bit back on the spot.
"This defeat is all due to you, Zhang Keda, being arrogant and unfair. Why do you blame me?"
Zhang Keda couldn't believe that people could be so shameless.
"What did you say?"
Zhang Tao also worked hard to survive.
"You Zhang Keda didn't treat our brothers from Liaodong as human beings. When setting up the formation, you put us at the top of the city where artillery support couldn't be supported, and you didn't give us firearms. It's a pity that we brothers only have swords, guns, bows and arrows in our hands.
, how to fight with the rebels’ muskets and cannons?”
He was in a hurry to bite randomly, but Geng Zhongming and Chen Guangfu seized the opportunity without thinking.
"Hmph, General Zhang has looked down on us from Liaodong from the very beginning. Military pay will be deducted when asked, and brothers will be beaten and scolded when asked. Since ancient times, I have never seen anyone like General Zhang behaving unfairly in the military.
"
"Lord Zhongcheng, after our brothers returned to Dengzhou, in which battles did we not lead the charge? But Zhang Keda is biased and does not regard us as his own people at all. If we compare ourselves with each other, which brother has no resentment?"
Zhang Keda was simply going crazy.
"You are so ambitious, but you stand on your own with money from the imperial court, and even disturb the local area in Shandong. How can you be trusted?"
He told the truth.
Dongjiang Town has had a long-standing problem of listening to propaganda but not listening to instructions. After arriving in Dengzhou, it has indeed caused serious harm to the place.
But the problem is, what Geng Zhongming, Zhang Tao, Chen Guangfu and others said is correct.
Zhang Keda did have a prejudice against the Liaodong soldiers and never concealed his discriminatory attitude.
Just because Zhang Keda knew very well that these Liaodong soldiers were not trustworthy at all. He completely disapproved of Sun Yuanhua's approach of introducing Liaodong soldiers.
In the past, he was the commander-in-chief of Denglai. As the highest local military officer, Geng Zhongming, Zhang Tao and others could not hold their heads high when facing him.
But this time it's different.
Zhang Ke was defeated greatly.
The most important thing is that all his direct troops were lost.
Without generals, an army is like a hairless phoenix.
Geng Zhongming keenly grasped this point and became angry on the spot.
"Okay, since Mr. Zhang can't trust us, what else can we say? Mr. Zhongcheng, in order to avoid suspicion, we have no choice but to retreat and wait to see Mr. Zhang quell the rebellion and make meritorious service, and be promoted to a higher position."
Zhang Tao and Chen Guangfu both said yes, and they seemed to be giving up.
Sun Yuanhua was immediately frightened.
Now that Zhang Keda has become a mere commander, how to defend Dengzhou depends on the troops of Geng Zhongming, Zhang Tao, and Chen Guangfu.
When Sun Yuanhua dealt with the rebels, he showed his naive side. But at this time, he knew how to use the balance of old bureaucrats.
He pondered for a while and made a decision.
"Now that the matter has come to an end, the most important thing is to defend the city. The safety of our fathers in Dengzhou must be entrusted to three generals."
As soon as these words came out, Geng Zhongming and the other two people all held their heads high and became even more arrogant.
Zhang Ke had tears in his eyes, and he couldn't understand why things had reached this point.
However, what Sun Yuanhua said next made him completely frustrated.
"Well... the ships in Shuicheng cannot be missed. In order to prevent the rebels from seizing the ships and escaping, we have asked Mr. Zhang to be in charge to ensure that everything is safe."
Zhang Keda, the commander-in-chief of Denglai, was dispatched by Sun Yuanhua.
"Dang Cang..."
Zhang Keda was like a zombie, he had lost his sword without knowing it, and staggered out of the commander's tent without even looking back.
This person is already dead.
On the third day of the lunar new year, during a tense confrontation, more than 30 soldiers suddenly appeared outside Dengzhou City.
"We are Zhang Tao and Zhang Rong's people, let us enter the city quickly."
Zhang Tao lay on the wall to identify them and said: "Sir, they are my soldiers."
Sun Yuanhua did not doubt that he was there and was very happy.
"Returning in times of crisis shows loyalty. Take them into the city quickly and place them properly."
Why don't you think about it, are the soldiers who came back at this time not worthy of suspicion?
Using a telescope to observe the soldiers entering the city gate in a swagger, Zuo Mengeng was puzzled.
"What on earth is my uncle going to do?"
He decided that he would definitely ask Sun Yuanhua if he had the opportunity in the future.
What are his reasons for making these decisions?
This is even more outrageous than Liu Zhi.
But when he saw those soldiers entering the city, Zuo Mengeng knew that the destruction of Dengzhou City was not far away.
"Let your people prepare and make sure nothing goes wrong."
Zuo Fu was full of confidence.
"Don't worry, we will achieve our goals without any mistakes."
That night, Geng Zhongming, Chen Guangfu and others were fully clothed in armor and climbed onto the city gate. Looking into the dark night outside the city, they understood that Kong Youde and Li Jiuzheng must have arrived with their troops.
Geng Zhongming showed a ferocious smile and ordered: "Open the city gate."
Some soldiers heard this and immediately followed the instructions.
The city gate that should have been tightly sealed has now become a smooth road.
Geng Zhongming ordered again: "Light the fire and shout!"
This was a signal that Kong Youde had made an appointment with him.
In an instant, rows of torches at the top of Dengzhou City were lit. At the same time, thousands of soldiers shouted wildly together.
For a moment, endless shouts of killing rang out in the darkness outside the city, and countless people rushed into the city gate.
In Dengzhou City, known as the tenth town of the Ming Dynasty, the rebels rushed in without wasting a single soldier, firing a shot or a bullet.
Sun Yuanhua did not rest, but sat at the table, meditating and writing the memorial.
Until this time, he was still confident in recruiting the rebels. In his memorial to the court, he still never mentioned counterinsurgency matters.
Suddenly, the light outside the window and the shouts echoing through the night sky woke him up.
Sun Yuanhua was shocked and hurriedly picked up his sword and walked into the courtyard, only to see the fire at the top of the city in the distance, which had already turned half the sky red.
Sun Yuanhua's thin body shook a few times, and suddenly he understood everything.
Now that Dengzhou City has been breached, it is meaningless to say anything more.
Sun Yuanhua was filled with despair, so he raised his sword and wiped it on his neck.
"Master, no!"
Fortunately, the servant was nearby and rushed to prevent him from committing suicide.
However, at this time in Dengzhou City, no one could stop the killing of the people.
After the rebels entered the city, they immediately started smashing, looting and burning everywhere. Soon, the whole city turned into a hell.
Although he was sent to Shuicheng, Zhang Keda still paid attention to the situation in the city at all times.
When he saw a fire in the city, Zhang Ke knew that the situation was over.
"Sun Yuanhua, you are so stupid!"
After crying, Zhang Ke took off his talisman, flags and drums, left the military camp alone, and entered the trail.
He plans to return to Jinan, find his relatives, and tell the story of what happened here.
Now all the attention of the rebels is on Dengzhou City, and he is a local native. If he really wants to escape, he will naturally not be discovered.
Zhang Keda has this confidence.
But today, he miscalculated.
"Mr. Zhang, I haven't seen you for many days. Why are you coming and going so quickly?"
On a deserted road, Zhang Keda ran into a group of people.
When he saw Zuo Mengeng's smiling face clearly, he fell into a trance and completely forgot about his situation.
"General Zuo, you...why are you here?"
Unlike Zhang Ke, who was on the run and in a state of embarrassment, Zuo Menggeng was leisurely and relaxed, as if he was on an outing.
"How can I ignore such a big matter?"
Zhang Keda didn't think much about it. When he saw Zuo Mengeng, he suddenly remembered the power of Dongchang Xie, which made him have hope.
"General Zuo, hurry up. The rebels have entered the city and are burning, killing and looting. General Zuo, please come to the rescue quickly."
But Zuo Mengeng shook his head and told the truth.
"My little brother came here alone. The army is still in Yimeng Mountain to suppress the bandits. In the danger of Dengzhou, I can't do anything."
Zhang Keda's hope that had just surged was shattered, and his whole body collapsed to the ground.
"That being the case, is General Zuo here to see my jokes in Dengzhou?"
Zuo Mengeng put away his smile and became much more serious.
"My little brother has fought side by side with Zhang Zongrong many times, so he has a deep understanding of Zhang Zongrong's character. The general is really a talented man who can conquer the city. To lose it at the hands of a villain is against the will of heaven."
While speaking, Zuo Mengeng clapped his hands, and a woman in her thirties came out of the darkness next to him. She looked at Zhang Keda and burst into tears.