Gou Chengxuan was cautious and did not dare to speak. He waited until their Huayi discussion was over before continuing: "It is said that Wen Desi's official position is 'Chairman', while Ma Qianxu is 'Secretary of State'. Their titles are
Serve as 'Executive Committee Member'."
He said the names and titles of these two people correctly, because they were written on the bulletin board and documents.
"It may be said that after this group of thieves were high-ranking officials in Australia and Song Dynasty, due to domestic changes, they could not gain a foothold in Australia, so they led their tribe to escape by boat. They had long admired the wealth of China, so they came thousands of miles away
country."
"They are the descendants of the Song Dynasty, why not join the list from the beginning." A staff member said, "The imperial court will definitely give preferential treatment to them."
"The thieves learned strange skills overseas and thought they could dominate a corner with iron ships and firearms. Isn't this deceiving me that there is no one in the Ming Dynasty? Only by vigorously suppressing and eradicating the ugly ones can we eliminate the peeps of these overseas barbarians.
Heart of China!" The person who spoke was very young, only 27 or 27 years old. He was not He Rubin's staff, but Qian Taichong, an staff member of Zhao Ruyi, who was stationed in Hainan Province, who was sent to Guangzhou on a special trip to be responsible for liaison between the two parties.
matters.
Qian Taichong was admitted as a scholar at the age of seventeen, and he was an upright junior student. He was well-known in his hometown and was highly appreciated by a group of rural gentry. However, since then, he failed to pass the provincial examination four times in a row.
Third, I felt that I had no face to see people in my hometown, so I simply went out and wandered around.
This man was quite knowledgeable and talented, and he usually thought highly of himself. Although he was introduced to Shibang Yaomu by his fellow villagers and mentors, his relationship with other secretaries was not harmonious. Zhao Ruyi simply sent him to Guangzhou to be responsible for liaison between the two parties in Herubin Army.
matters.
His impassioned expression made everyone have to express their opinions together and say that this is indeed the case.
Then the staff and generals asked some more questions, and then He Rubin asked the soldiers to take him down and send him to his old camp to guard him.
"Take him down, give him food and wine, and treat him well."
Only then did Gou Chengxuan feel relieved. The feeling of being interviewed by an official was indeed not pleasant. He quickly kowtowed several times before carefully retreating with the soldiers.
He was arranged in a special tent, and Lai Da was also waiting here. After a while, soldiers came over and brought him several sets of replacement clothes, especially scholar's clothes such as square scarves and sweaters.
Gou Chengxuan, who sometimes disguised himself as a beggar and sometimes as a farmer, felt that there was a good sign: the commander-in-chief seemed to be very satisfied with his answer, otherwise he would never treat himself so kindly.
Lai Da also got a few new sets of clothes. The master and the servant took a bath and changed clothes, and they felt refreshed for a while. Then the soldiers brought food, and the two of them had a full meal. Gou Chengxuan lay on the grass bunk, thinking about returning with the army.
After arriving in Lingao, I thought about how to retaliate and how to extort money, and then I fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Chang Qingyun came to see him and had a talk with him. Because he was a retired scholar and half a man of honor, Chang Qingyun was very polite and did not ask him to kneel down to answer, and he spoke more casually.
After the two parties exchanged polite greetings, Chang Qingyun asked and clarified the details that he had not had time to ask yesterday. Gou Chengxuan explained everything clearly, and also made a list of the major gentry households in the county.
Come out and write down what each family's business is like, whether they have livestock, etc.
Chang Qingyun was overjoyed when he got this list: with this list, he could follow the map when he arrived in Lingao, and he would be able to roughly know how much contribution each household should give to each big household to supply military supplies. He saw Gou Chengxuan in the office yesterday.
The answers in the big tent were fluent, and the response was appropriate. Knowing that this person was not a simple person, I started to win over him. Then I smiled and said to Gou Chengxuan: "Please tell me the name of my cousin, Brother Gou."
"I don't dare," Gou Chengxuan saw his happy expression and asked his cousin's name, knowing that he had already entered Hong Kong. With the recommendation and protection of Lord Commander-in-Chief's confidants, not only would he be able to get away with it, but as long as he flattered him well, he would gain fame and fortune in the future.
There is a guarantee. "The villain's cousin is Zhongwei."
"Master Zhentai values you very much. He said that you are worthy of being a loyal and loyal person of the Ming Dynasty." Chang Qingyun wanted to work hard for the next step, so he made up a few sentences first, "My lord wants to recommend you to a good name -"
At this point, he deliberately paused to see Gou Chengxuan's reaction. Seeing his eyes shining, he knew that he had been tricked, so he continued, "It's just that you are still a wanted criminal, and you have been stripped of your reputation as a scholar...
…”
"My little brother was framed by the thief Kun," Gou Chengxuan sighed. He knew that if he had any money at this time, he would quickly offer fifty or one hundred taels and ask this staff to smooth things over. He would definitely be able to take off the label of "key criminal"
He lost it, but now he has no money and can't even take out the money. "To be honest with you, I have a lot of property and property in Lingao. As long as the thieves are driven away, I will receive heavy rewards when I take back the property..."
"Hey, Brother Zhongwei is out of touch when he says this." Chang Qingyun said with a smile, "As long as Lord Zhentai goes here and succeeds in the battle, your charges will be wiped clean and you will get a good deal."
Gou Chengxuan was inexperienced in officialdom after all, so he was already confused by his few words, "Yes, I will definitely do my best!"
Chang Qingyun then revealed his intention: He Rubin asked him to go back to Lingao to inquire about the military situation and mobilize Xiangyong to join the army.
"Brother Zhongwei is a native of Lingao. This time he returned to Lingao with the Governor's proclamation to mobilize the Jin gentry and rural bravery. It is the so-called great opportunity to make contributions in a great opportunity!"
Gou Chengxuan was shocked. He had just left Longtan and had to go back to the tiger's den. This was to send him to death! In Lingao, he was a person who was hated by everyone and disliked by dogs. He didn't even want to see his wife and father-in-law.
If I hadn't been so easy to pretend, I would have been caught and hanged by the thieves.
Now Mr. He actually wants him to sneak back to Lingao. He knows very well that the Australians are powerful in internal control and external defense, which is a hundred times better than the imperial court. The local wealthy gentry, no matter how dissatisfied they are with the Kun thieves, do not dare to openly confront them.
Moreover, everyone has always been afraid that the Kun thief has the magic ability to transmit messages from thousands of miles away, and even private conversations may be detected.
As long as he makes the slightest move when he returns to Lingao, he will be dead.
He responded tremblingly: "I would like to thank Lord Zhentai for your kindness, but this thief is different from other thieves..."
Chang Qingyun's expression changed: "Brother Zhongwei, this is the military. Do you know that military law is ruthless?"
"Yes, yes," Gou Chengxuan was so frightened that his legs and feet became weak. Not to mention that he was a wanted criminal, even if he was an innocent and good citizen, he would be beheaded instantly with an order.
"Brother, please help me soften my cheeks," he immediately knelt on the ground and begged, "The thief hates me to the core. Once he is caught, he will be executed immediately..." He knew that his empty begging was not worthy of his words.
He quickly added that he knew the details of several large merchants supported by Kun Ze in Lingao. He only told Chang Qingyun the details of these large merchants, "because he thought it was his brother's fault."
Chang Qingyun saw that he couldn't get anything out of him, so he cursed secretly: "Country barbarian! Poor guy!"
The opportunity for blackmail was gone. But he couldn't really push Gou Chengxuan too hard. After all, He Rubin didn't explicitly request to send Gou Chengxuan to Lingao. If this person really had to return to Lingao and be arrested and killed, there would be fewer officers and soldiers entering Lingao.
Although Sun Tianbiao from Lingao Guard Station came from Zhaoqing at night, he was a military householder after all and had limited understanding of the people's conditions. He was far less useful than a ground-walking insect like Gou Chengxuan.
Furthermore, Gou Chengxuan was not a kind person at first glance, and he had no family or property to restrain him here. If he was cornered, he could just leave, or go directly to the bandits to betray the information about the officers and soldiers.
The so-called dispatching of Gou Chengxuan to Lingao to mobilize local braves to respond to the government and army, and He Rubin was absolutely necessary, but there was no objection. Chang Qingyun was just using this to intimidate, hoping to squeeze out some oil and water.
Seeing that he really had no luck at all, Chang Qingyun had no choice but to take a step back and prepare to intercede for him in front of He Rubin as a favor.
He pondered for a moment and said: "There seems to be room for change in this matter, it's just Master Zhentai's fate..." He deliberately looked embarrassed so that Gou Chengxuan could accept his kindness.
Gou Chengxuan said quickly: "Brother Qingyun, I have a servant named Lai Da. He has a quick mind and is a native of Lingao, so he can take on this position."
Chang Qingyun saw that he was willing to send someone to replace him, so he was happy to help him. However, he said some embarrassing words, and Gou Chengxuan had to beg for a long time before finally agreeing.
After finally sending Chang Qingyun away, Gou Chengxuan quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had learned how powerful this official was - compared to the county magistrate who pretended to be deaf and dumb, almost everyone was like this.
A tiger with bones. Gou Chengxuan felt more and more terrible about the official family.
Immediately, he called Lai Da and told him what happened one by one. Gou Chengxuan sighed: "I can't do anything. I can only temporarily let you go out and hide for a while."
Regardless of whether it is himself or Lai Da, even if he goes to Lingao with the imperial edict, he may not be able to mobilize local braves to meet the army. The big families will not take action when they see the Kun thieves retreating and fleeing. So his plan is to let the army go to Lingao.
Lai Da first crossed the sea to Qiongshan, then hid until the army marched towards Lingao, and then followed.
As soon as the situation becomes clear, some local heroes will probably be dispatched, and by then Lai Da will be able to deal with it if he gets involved.
Unexpectedly, Lai Da disapproved of his plan:
"Ms. sir, you can never hide this from the masters." Lai Dadao said, "I am willing to go to Lingao!"
"Are you going to Lingao?" Gou Chengxuan said in surprise, "Aren't you going to die in vain? That group of wealthy people had a problem with the Gou family in the first place, and now they are frightened by the power of the Kun thieves and absolutely dare not join the army." He
Now the only ones left under his command are the two Lai brothers. If it were given to any big family that wanted to please Kun Thief, Lai Da would either be in danger or have to go digging for rocks.
"That's not necessarily the case." Lai Dadao said, "Except for a few wealthy families who follow the Kun thieves wholeheartedly, most of them are just outsiders. How can they not be afraid if the government troops are coming to suppress them?"
As long as you're afraid, it's easy to do it. You can go back to Lingao and take out the proclamation from the governor and the commander-in-chief. The wealthy people don't dare to respond immediately, but they definitely don't dare to harm themselves.
"...The Kun thief has been in Lingao for three years. Big households always collude with the Kun thief. After the army conquered Lingao, the court appointed officials to deal with the aftermath. The first step was to track down the traitors. If they had government connections,
If the book is written, then not only will it not contribute to the crime of rebellion, but it will also contribute to the maintenance of the place..."
Gou Chengxuan understood what he meant: this matter was indeed risky, but the benefits were huge. She couldn't help but look at her, a servant who was described as wretched, with admiration.
"I didn't expect that at such a young age, you would have such a big hole in your chest!"
"The younger one was also forced!" Lai Da's eyes were filled with anger. "Since the fall, the two younger brothers managed to escape with their lives. They have been thinking about revenge day and night..."
Gou Chengxuan knew that Lai Da hated the Kun thieves so much. In addition to losing his former status as a powerful slave, being unable to dominate and being abused by others, another important reason was that the woman he wanted, Chu Qing, was snatched away by the Kun thieves -
―Chu Qing was a maid from the Gou family, and she was already betrothed to Lai Da. After the Gou family was destroyed, I heard that she fell into the hands of a thief named Wu who was in charge of the farm. This man had three wives and four concubines, and he occupied the property.
Chu Qing. Lai Da saw Chu Qing on the road several times, his eyes almost bursting with fire, but he did not dare to come forward and say a word, and even deliberately avoided her. This kind of hatred for seizing his wife was extremely vicious.
Lai Da continued: "...As long as the villains are not captured by the thieves, there is no risk to the big families. By the way, you can also find out some military information."
"Okay! I'll leave this matter to you!" Gou Chengxuan pretended to be generous, "I don't want any of the gifts from the big family, and I will reward you with them all!"
"Thank you, Mr. Lai, for your generous gift!" Lai Dam immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "After the officers and soldiers defeated Lingao, and with the power of Mr. Xianggong, he is also a local native. How can the government deal with the aftermath without Mr. Xianggong? I will go here first for Mr. Xianggong.
Stand at the front, and when the time comes, the big guys will either make you round if they want, or square if you want them to be square!"
"Who did you go to first?"
"Huangjiazhai."
Gou Chengxuan was unwilling to give up. He was originally planning to accuse a member of the Huang family of "possessing a thief" and completely destroy the family.
"Ms. Gong!" Lai Da knew what he was thinking, "We can't stop the Huang family! Just because his third son was killed by the Kun thief, he is invincible! The Huang family has strong soldiers and horses, and
The thieves have blood feuds, so it is not difficult for them to mobilize local braves to respond."
Gou Chengxuan thought about it and found out that it was indeed the case, and couldn't help but feel discouraged. He could only curse a few words, such as yellow old dog and yellow man. Then he sighed: "I only hate that dad has never been found, otherwise he and Uncle Hu will be together."
The troops can also help."
"Since the thief didn't get Mr. Hu, he will naturally be safe." Lai Da comforted him, "After I go back, I will look for him secretly!"
After the discussion was completed, Chang Qingyun went to the commander-in-chief again to discuss it. He Rubin was not interested in this matter at first. Seeing that someone was willing to take the risk, it was not a waste of his own troops anyway. The required documents were immediately sent to him.
He was rewarded with another ten taels of silver. The customs notice issued by General Lai was folded into a long strip, wrapped in oil paper and sewn tightly with cloth, and then sewn into his belt. Someone arranged to take a warship across the sea to Qiongshan.
.
In the war room of Ma Niao's headquarters, the staff were conducting battlefield operations around a huge sand table. He Ming and officers above the battalion were overlooking the entire sand table from a slightly higher stand nearby. This sand table was brought from the old time and space.
The electronic map was produced after correction by the special reconnaissance team and the field survey by the exploration team. Not only is the scale accurate, but the details are expressed to an outrageous level - this is made by a group of scale model enthusiasts, including a sand table.
A bridge on the river, a village - even though it is pitifully small, it is also old-fashioned.
This sand table represents the topography and landforms from Lingao to Qiongshan County. This area is condensed on this huge sand table.
Where to fight the advancing Ming army was the first question the staff decided.
He Ming and most of his officers believed that it was not feasible to defend the enemy within the country, and the Fubo army must crush the Ming army outside Lingao while ensuring that most of the prisoners could be captured.
The first option was to fight near Qiongshan County. The Fubo Army took advantage of the fact that the Ming Army had just assembled and when its foothold was not stable, they maneuvered by boat and land on foot and suddenly appeared at the foot of Qiongshan County and defeated the entire He Ming Army.
Afterwards, the enemy would inevitably retreat into Qiongshan County, and Fubo's army immediately broke into the city and captured prisoners.
The biggest advantage of this plan is that fewer prisoners escape, which can ensure that most of the broken troops are captured. The disadvantage is that the troops have to carry heavy weapons and supplies and walk hundreds of kilometers to Qiongshan. Although some can be transported by ship, the troops still have to carry the necessary supplies.
Equipment, after this long march, the soldiers will be very tired.
Finally, if Qiongshan is defeated, some states and counties in the Ming Dynasty will fall, and Qiongshan is the first county of Qiongzhou Prefecture. The shock of the fall of the prefecture will be much greater than that of a county seat. Moreover, there is a deputy envoy patrolling Hainan Road in Qiongshan City.
, on the day when the city was broken, it was not just a seventh-grade county magistrate who was going to commit suicide, but also the prefect of Qiongzhou, the sub-inspector of Hainan Road and other important officials who had to be buried together. This matter would cause a big fuss.
So this plan was quickly rejected.
The second plan is to defeat the Ming army at the foot of Chengmai County by relying on Youhuo Camp, and the marching distance can be shortened. The disadvantage is that some Ming troops will flee to Qiongshan, some will flee into Chengmai, and some will scatter in all directions.
The third plan is to set up an ambush at the mountain pass in the area south of Ma Xiao. With Ma Xiao Xiaotuan City as the front support point, it is expected to capture most of the Ming army on the battlefield. The advantage is that we are almost waiting for work, and the battlefield facilities
Very comprehensive. The disadvantage is that some of the escaped Ming troops may escape into Lingao territory.
After evaluation, everyone believed that facing the enemy in Chengmai was an ideal choice. The geographical location here was moderate, and the Fubo Army could maneuver within a short distance without consuming too much transportation power. It was also more convenient to evacuate the wounded and prisoners.
When the army came to attack Lingao, given its mobility and logistical conditions, it was inevitable that they would advance through post roads.
From Qiongshan County, the post road passes through Binlian, Yeli, Beipu, Daotang and then to Chengmai County. Fubo Army can meet the war officers and soldiers at any point on this post road.