He hurriedly reached out and lowered his hand, signaling the servant to slow down. He continued to explain a few words about the situation in Ye County, and then slowly walked over and moved to the side room to listen to the servant's report.
Xu Ruxian had a confidant assistant, the scholar named Zhang Ruji who had sneaked outside Haicang Town to investigate and saw Aotun Zhongxiao being killed.
The courtyard where Xu Ruxian was at this time was Zhang Ruji's homestead in Ye County.
Zhang Ruji immediately took Xu Ruxian's place and continued the story.
Xu Ruxian has been operating in Laizhou for so long, and there are quite a few people in Ye County who are related to him overtly or covertly. But those people are good for waving flags and shouting, but they are unreliable for splattering blood with their blades.
That's why Xu Ruxian specially brought these two hundred masters. Half of these two hundred people are Xu Ruxian's direct subordinates, and the other half are swordsmen drawn from the powerful men in Shandong. Everyone of them has martial arts, and half more
They have all seen blood and killed people. They are especially good at hand-to-hand combat in the city. They are the main force used to capture the city in one fell swoop.
But after all, everyone got together temporarily. Even though the plan was explained several times, there was always room for fine-tuning. Zhang Ruji was a capable man. While explaining, he assigned tasks to everyone, such as seizing the arsenal, city gates and other key places in the city.
, or go to official residences to control their families, or go to several important official residences to suppress them, and the arrangements are in order.
When he finished speaking in one breath, some people were eager to try, wielding swords and guns, and someone asked: "Mr. Zhang, when should we do it?"
Zhang Ruji's eyes flashed and he said with a smile: "Don't worry, we have already arrived in the city. Let's take a good rest and build up our strength. When it is activated, it will be like thunder."
Everyone agreed, so servants led the way and took them to different courtyards.
Zhang Ruji walked outside the courtyard gate and walked back. He saw that the hall was empty, but Xu Ruxian was alone, standing at the door of the wing, listening in a daze.
Zhang Ruji waited patiently for a while, and when everyone had left, he stepped forward and asked, "Brother, what happened?"
Xu Ruxian held the door with his hand, as if he was unsteady: "Chen Hu's store is lost, Brother Gao Yang and several others are dead."
"This..." Zhang Ruji was surprised: "Guo Ning sent troops to Ye County?"
"That's not true."
"But which of the heroes mobilized troops and stopped Guo Ning's troops?"
Zhang Ruji asked loudly, and then shook his head. He had seen Guo Ning's troops in Haicang Town, so after returning to the direction of Qutai, he argued that Guo Ning should not be offended. Based on his knowledge, it was really
I can't imagine any powerful person with such great ability.
Sure enough, Xu Ruxian smiled bitterly: "They didn't come to Ye County... but they are more troublesome!"
"how to say?"
"Then Guo Ning sent three groups of troops. One line went along the coast, passing through Chenhudian, heading to Chunchen, Bochang, and to Xiyou Town, heading to Zhaoyuan County; the other line went south, passing through Jiaoshui, Yifeng Town, and headed towards Jimo.
"There is another road that has leveled Qingliu Village and headed straight to Yangle and Qutai! Moreover, the three groups of soldiers and horses marched along the way, staring at where we gathered our soldiers and horses and fighting fiercely!"
"This is coming for us, to cut off our foundation!" Zhang Ruji was shocked: "All the strongholds in Laizhou have been lost. What's the use of taking the city of Ye County? Brother, don't think about seizing the city anymore! Let's hurry up.
Run back to Qutai, pack up your belongings, and run away with your family!"
Xu Ruxian lowered his head and thought for a long time.
"Shall I arrange carriages and horses?" Zhang Ruji asked tentatively.
Xu Ruxian shook his head.
He gritted his teeth, straightened his waist, and clenched his fists: "I have been operating in Laizhou for twenty years! I was about to make a big move, but in the end I was taken advantage of by an outsider? How can this make sense? Hey, even if
How to explain to Marshal Yang when we go to Juzhou?"
On his face, the previous panic faded away, leaving a bit of stubbornness and excitement: "No need to leave, wait a moment, there is still a chance! We can win!"
"Where is the chance?" Zhang Ruji paused: "Brother, you didn't see Guo Ning's troops dispatching orders... They are really elite soldiers who have fought in hundreds of battles, and they are invincible! They..."
"But there are only a few thousand of them!" Xu Ruxian shouted.
He pulled Zhang Ruji's arm hard and brought him back to the hall. He turned out the map of Laizhou, patted it and said: "Last year and the year before that there were severe droughts. This year's millet expansion and levy are more like skin cramps."
!Don’t you understand the situation inside and outside Laizhou? As long as you raise your voice and shout, the people everywhere will definitely rebel! You see clearly, here, here, here, here! Within three days, I can gather 30,000 people! Even five
Thousands! When the time comes and we mobilize Dengzhou, our colleagues in Ninghaizhou will be able to have 100,000 people! So no matter how powerful Guo Ning is, can he win 100,000 people?"
Zhang Ruji opened his mouth, waiting to say something.
Xu Ruxian continued: "At this moment, Guo Ning's troops have captured Chenhudian, Dangli Town, and Qingliu Town, and they are very fierce. But their three groups of troops will not be completely intact, and they will definitely be exhausted. Chuncheng Town
, Jiao Shui County, and Yangle City, the local heroes have been prepared and their troops have been expanded. The leaders of those three places, Hou Tonghai, Sha Tongtian and Liang Ziweng, can gather three to five thousand people respectively. I have already
Send someone to send an urgent message and ask them to use all their strength to hold down Guo Ning’s troops, and there will be no room for failure!”
"Even if various places temporarily hold back Guo Ning's troops, what can we do in Ye County? Without the support of peripheral troops, wouldn't we still..."
Xu Ruxian interrupted Zhang Ruji again: "Why is there no support from peripheral troops? Those three places are immobile. We can still bring out tens of thousands of people in Xiyou Town, Laiyang, and Zhaoyuan counties.
But march more slowly and arrive tomorrow! We will definitely capture Ye County!"
After a pause, he said sternly: "Besides, Wanyan Salara will also take action, and he will definitely be able to suppress Guo Ning and force him to go to Yidu!"
We are serious rebels. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to want to rebel but rely on the Shandong Tongjun Division of the imperial court? Zhang Ruji opened his mouth, but finally said nothing.
He bowed his head slightly, and after Xu Ruxian calmed down, he asked: "So, shall we prepare as usual?"
"Don't let the military information outside leak out. In Ye County..." Xu Ruxian gritted his teeth: "Be prepared as usual!"
Zhang Ruji made a bow and exited the hall.
Nothing happened that day. Early the next morning, a servant came to see Zhang Ruji.
Zhang Ruji was so uneasy as he was deducing the situation last night that he didn't fall asleep until the sky turned white. As soon as he fell asleep, he was woken up. He felt a thump in his heart, and while tying his clothes, he asked, "What's the matter?"
"Mr. Xu just said, please go see me immediately."
Zhang Ruji hurriedly bypassed the two courtyards and ran back to the main hall again.
I saw Xu Ruxian sitting alone in the hall, his face as sinking as water, and there was no one around him.
"Brother..."
Xu Ruxian whispered: "Chuncheng Town, Jiaoshui County and Yangle City were also lost. Hou Tonghai, Sha Tongtian and Liang Ziweng are all dead."
"What?"
"Guo Ning's three groups of troops worked non-stop. As of yesterday afternoon, they had captured six large-scale strongholds and fourteen small-scale manors. There are so many heroes and so many heroes in Laizhou, and rivers of blood are flowing."
"This...this is too fast!"
"One day!" Xu Ruxian smiled bitterly: "When Liang Ziwen died, it was not dark yet... His head was hung on the pole, and he could see clearly from far and near."
Zhang Ruji cursed in a low voice and paced back and forth in the hall.
He suddenly asked: "What about the losses suffered by Guo Ning's troops?"
Xu Ruxian said in a low voice: "It is said that they continuously destroyed our villages, which was like a torrent, and the losses... were very small."
Zhang Ruji continued to circle in the hall.
After circling twice, he asked again: "Since the incident involving Liang Ziweng and others happened yesterday afternoon, why...are you here to report it now?"
"After Guo Ning's troops captured Chunchu Town, Jiaoshui County and Yangle City, they still didn't stop. They continued to advance and have already swept through most of Laizhou. How can our people still communicate normally... Just these few pieces of information
, I still secretly ran around at night and finally arrived in Ye County. It was delivered to me a moment ago, so there was no delay."
"Continue to march?"
Zhang Ruji's hands almost trembled: "That means... Xiyou Town, Laiyang, and Zhaoyuan counties are also going to be in trouble? So, what will happen to our Qutai City? What will happen to our wife clan members?"
Zhang Ruji's voice became louder and louder, but Xu Ruxian could only remain silent.
