Fenghou

Chapter 284
Dongting Lake water bandits have never encountered a war with cavalry, especially the Western Army cavalry known for their bravery. Chasing and hacking.

Really unable to run the horses, the bandit soldiers knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, but it was still useless. Chen Qing issued a killing order and refused to surrender. The bandit soldiers who knelt and surrendered were still chopped off by the cavalry.

Two hours later, the field calmed down, and the [-] bandit army was almost killed. The chief general Huang Qian and a dozen generals rode on horses and escaped by luck. Surrendered the Song army in the city and survived.

But even so, they still could not escape death, Chen Qing executed them all in a ritual way.

Nearly [-] people in the county came to the city wall and watched the scene outside the city. More than [-] bandit soldiers were kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs, and soldiers with swords in their hands stood beside them.

Yang Guang, the magistrate of Huarong County, couldn't bear it. He clasped his fists to Chen Qing and said, "Since they have already surrendered, why didn't the general let them go back to their hometowns to work as farmers, but killed them instead? Then who will surrender in the future?"

Chen Qing said lightly: "I never expect the enemy to surrender on the battlefield. Since they have chosen the road of being water thieves, this is their fate. There is nothing to complain about. If they surrender, they can go home alive. There is no price for being a thief, and I want everyone to understand that committing yourself to being a thief will only lead to death."

"But what if they are forced to become thieves? They must be given a chance to reform themselves."

Chen Qing stared at the county magistrate and said: "The county lord thinks they have no chance? No! They have more chances, and they can go home by jumping into the water with a log in their arms. The reason why they don't escape is that they find it profitable to be water thieves. You can mutilate innocent people and rob property, and you can wantonly abuse women without being punished by law.

If they are tolerant, who will give them an explanation for those innocent people who were killed by them, those sisters who were abused by them?
If I don't arrive in time today, will the county lord have a chance to excuse them in front of me?What will be the fate of the county lord's wife and daughter? Have these county lords ever thought about it? "

Yang Guang, the county magistrate, was speechless for a while, and the general Zhao Ping whispered beside him: "Chen Dutong is actually right. These bandits who surrendered were the first to rush into the city. They are often the most vicious bandits. They There is no merit to speak of, if you rush into the city first, you will be able to occupy big families and loot more property."

Yang Guang, the magistrate, sighed, "Actually, I just want to make a distinction. Those who commit the most heinous crimes will be killed, and those who commit minor crimes will be punished in other ways. No criminals can be released, that's all."

"no need!"

Chen Qing categorically refused, "The battlefield is their trial, my sword only cares about right and wrong, regardless of fairness, order, cut!"

"Woo--" the horn sounded, and the soldiers of the Song Army raised their knives and dropped them. More than a thousand heads fell to the ground, and the people on the top of the city exclaimed.

Chen Qing immediately ordered that [-] rebel soldiers be headed to build a Jingguan by the Dongting Lake to deter Yang Yao's rebel army.

In just ten days, the cruel killing that took place in Huarong County spread throughout the entire lake area. Not only the tens of thousands of water thieves were deeply shocked, but even ordinary people realized that the army sent by the imperial court this time was extraordinary. Mo Chenqing's nickname quickly spread throughout the barracks of the bandit army and the streets and alleys of various prefectures and counties.

Some people were rejoicing, but some were also worried. They didn't know what the No. [-] hero of the Western Army would bring to Dongting Lake.
Yang Yao's lair is located in Junshan, Dongting Lake. His tens of thousands of troops are actually a kind of partnership, which was formed by the merger of dozens of water thieves, large and small. On the one hand, Yang Yao is powerful. Being annexed, some water thieves had to come and attach to him.

On the other hand, Yang Yao defeated the Song army who came to suppress the bandits several times, and captured a large amount of food and soldiers. In addition, he looted on the Yangtze River and around Dongting Lake, and his financial resources were quite strong. Therefore, many water thieves voluntarily attached themselves to him.

Of course, these water thief leaders all have one condition in common, they are unwilling to give up their subordinates, Yang Yao also agreed to their condition, allowing them to form their own villages, forming a seventy-two army village in Junshan, Yang Yao claimed to be a big The holy king is supported by all the armies under his command.

In the past two years, Yang Yao's army has developed very rapidly. Except for Yuezhou because of Wang Yan's guarding, it can't take much advantage. The Huarong and Anxiang counties that were occupied before were taken away by Wang Yan's army, and the attack on Baling County suffered a disastrous defeat. .

But in Tanzhou to the south of Dongting Lake and Changde Mansion to the west, Yang Yaojun went very smoothly, occupying half of Tanzhou and the entire Changde Mansion.

The defeat of Huarong and the strong appearance of the Western Army Chen Qing caused great disagreements among Yang Yao. Some generals wanted to withdraw their old nest to Changde Mansion, but other generals refused to leave Junshan. Yang Yao was also in a dilemma. He certainly didn't want to leave Junshan, the 'Land of Prosperous Dragon', but Chen Qing's arrival made him a little worried.

Yang Yao didn't care about Huarong's defeat, Huang Qian was a Jiangxia water thief, currently Yang Yao's second largest force, Huang Qian's army was completely wiped out by Chen Qing, but it was beneficial for Yang Yao to control the bandits.

It's just that Chen Qing's vicious killing shook Yang Yao's military spirit, which made Yang Yao very passive.

"I remember Your Majesty said that you fought Chen Qing once?" asked the military advisor Huang Cheng.

Yang Yao nodded, "It happened last year. There were only two of them, and he actually killed hundreds of my subordinates, forcing me to evacuate. It was my most useless defeat."

"Besides being tough, what's his strategy?" Huang Cheng asked again.

"He was not fooled by the strategist Kong Jiang's plan, which shows that he is not stupid."

Huang Cheng shook his head, "It's not that he saw us through, but Wang Yan, including Wang Yan who set a trap in Huarong County, luring us to abandon the ship and go north, and we were wiped out by the cavalry in the end. These are all Wang Yan's arrangements. Chen Qing is just a It's just an executor, once Chen Qing enters Yuezhou, he will fight independently, so I am more concerned about his strategic ability."

Yang Yao snorted disdainfully, "So what if he has a strategy? In my opinion, strategy is just an auxiliary, and strength is the foundation. On land, I can't beat his cavalry, but in water, that is my world." , even if he is Zhuge Liang reincarnated, once he enters the water, he will be captured obediently!"

Huang Cheng laughed dryly, "That's true, strength is fundamental!"

Yang Yao slammed his fist on the table, "So let's find a way to lead him into the water to fight!"

At this moment, a soldier hurried up to the hall, knelt down on one knee and reported, "Report to Your Majesty, the special envoy of the State of Qi has arrived!"

Yang Yao was startled, and quickly said: "Please come quickly!"

As early as three years ago, Liu Yu, the puppet Qi emperor, sent someone to recruit Yang Yao, but Yang Yao flatly rejected him. He had great ambitions, so he didn't want to become a courtier of the puppet Qi.

Last year, the puppet Qi changed its strategy and no longer recruited Yang Yao, but recognized his status and expressed willingness to form an alliance with him. This was in Yang Yao's interest.

During this year, the puppet Qi used the Yangtze River waterway to provide Yang Yao with a lot of military supplies, including [-] sets of soldiers and [-] tents, which quickly increased Yang Yao's direct army from [-] to [-]. Thirty-five thousand people, at least from this point, Yang Yao is still very grateful to the puppet Qi.

A young and shrewd special envoy came in. This person is Zhang Mingzhong, the doctor of the Ministry of Rites of the Puppet Qi, and Zhang Mingzhong, the grandson of Zhang Shuye, a famous official of the Song Dynasty. He was engaged to Lu Xiu once. Hesitation annulled the marriage.

Zhang Mingzhong went to Dongting Lake as a special envoy last year, and signed the alliance agreement on behalf of Liu Yu and Yang Yao, so he was promoted from a member of the Ministry of Rites to a doctor of the Ministry of Rites.

Yang Yao enthusiastically welcomed Zhang Mingzhong into the inner hall, pointed to a shiny golden chair and said with a smile: "How about this chair, I made it out of [-] jin of gold, with more than [-] precious stones inlaid on it, it is rich and honorable! "

Zhang Mingzhong said with a slight smile: "Sure enough, it's not Fanpin!"

He praises him with his mouth, but he despises him in his heart. He uses gold as a chair, but drinks tea from a large bowl. He is an extremely vulgar fellow.

"I'm here this time on the order of my son of heaven to talk about cooperation in a big war. I wonder if your majesty is interested?"

"Tell me about it!"

(End of this chapter)