Jingming

Chapter 261 The Situation Changed Overnight

The junction of Huguang Yongzhou Prefecture and Guangdong and Guangxi provinces is the end of Nanling.

In the south of Yongzhou Prefecture, there are many small clans, so the Ningyuan Weizhi Office in Yongzhou Prefecture is also located in Daozhou at the southern end of Yongzhou Prefecture.Further south, there are three towns, Taochuan, Loquat, and Jintian, that live in this place with strong folk customs.

At this moment, north of Jintiansuo in the southeast corner of Yongzhou Prefecture is the famous Jiuyi Mountain.

The reason why Jiuyi Mountain is famous all over the world is not only because of its majestic and majestic mountain peaks, caves, and streams, but also because of one person: Shun.

Legend has it that this is the mausoleum of Emperor Shun, and Ehuang Nvying came here to look for Emperor Shun. After learning that Emperor Shun died, she shed the bamboo of Xiangfei who shed blood and tears.

For thousands of years, Qu Yuan, Sima Qian, Cai Yong, Li Bai, Li Shangyin... countless literati left poems here.Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, many emperors of all dynasties have sacrificed to Emperor Shun from afar, or sent officials to sacrifice on their behalf.

And at the eastern foot of Jiuyi, there is Lanshan County, which is under the jurisdiction of Guiyang Prefecture under Hengzhou Prefecture. This Lanshan County still guards the Ningxi Institute that has been attached to the rebellion.

At this moment, a thousand-household office with fewer than a thousand people has expanded to nearly 4000 people, guarding the southwest corner of the rebels in Hengzhou and Chenzhou.

The fact that less than 4000 people can defend here is due to the steep location and the fact that the 5000 troops drawn from Guangdong have to be divided into two places, from Lianzhou in Guangzhou and Lechang in Shaozhou. The direction is to attack Lanshan County, Hengzhou Prefecture, and Yizhang County, Chenzhou Prefecture.

In the process of implementing the new law in Guangdong, it was really difficult to mobilize all the troops. The army crossed the Nanling Mountains and attacked Hengzhou and Chenzhou.

Dai Yunlai, a thousand household member of the Ningxi Institute, has been "promoted" as a general, and now he just feels very relaxed.

There is really a lot of time left for him, so the preparations are getting better and better now.

Even if Ningyuanwei, Taochuan, Pipa, and Jintian of Yongzhou Prefecture could mobilize some more troops, they would have to cross Jiuyi Mountain to attack Lanshan County.

Even if the soldiers from Guangdong had also crossed the Nanling, he could lead the troops down the Kuishui in the boats that had been prepared, and quickly retreat to Guiyang Prefecture and even Leiyang.

At least for now, Guiyang Prefecture, Changning County and Lanshan County in the north are still in close contact, and everyone is safe and sound.

Dai Yunlai patrolled the city defenses and nearby outposts outside the city as usual.

The strategy is simple, just defend the city.

The location of Lanshan County itself is like a pass, with a high terrain. Several large rivers originate from Jiuyi Mountain and flow from southeast to northwest.

If the imperial army does not attack Lanshan County but goes deep into the hinterland of Guiyang Prefecture, the capital of Hengzhou, it will be the enemy.Even if you want to retreat, Nanling Mountain is no joke.

And if it was just to defend the city, ten would encircle it. Where would the imperial court mobilize tens of thousands or even [-] to [-] troops to encircle this small Lanshan County?
"Is there any movement in the west and south?"

"The outpost on the mountain came to report once every two hours, and there was no trace of the enemy."

Dai Yunlai nodded in relief.

Or is the governor planning to plan Wushuang, what Changsha mansion is he going to?How can Changsha Mansion be as good as Hengzhou Mansion?
As long as the imperial army has been unable to attack for a long time and has a slight intention to retreat, he can lead the army to attack Ningyuan and Daozhou.If we take over Yongzhou's One Guard and Three Houses, then Hengzhou, Chenzhou, and Yongzhou will be easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Guangxi army that has already reached the west of Hengyang City has no way out!
"How about Canghebao?"

This Canghe Fort is now an important pass on the west bank of Kuishui in the north of Lanshan County. Dai Yunlai dispatched four hundred elite soldiers and six hundred strong men to go there.

"Safe and safe!"

"Okay, don't slack off! As long as winter comes, you can rest easy."

When Dai Yunlai felt that he was at peace, there was a stretch of mountains to the north of Canghebao, named Dupangling.

There is also a big river originating in Pangling, formerly known as Zhongshui.After converging with Kuishui not far north of Canghebao, a larger river named Chunlingshui was formed, which finally merged into Xiangshui in the northeast of Changning County.

The reason why it is called Chunling is named after a famous figure in history: Liu Xiu.

Liu Mai, the grandson of Emperor Han Jing, was titled Marquis of Chunling.If it wasn't for the story behind it, the river didn't need to be named after it.

But after Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, Liu Mai's fifth-generation grandson Liu Xiu organized the so-called Eight Thousand Spring Mausoleum Army, and finally restored the Han Dynasty. The story is different.

Chunling was the land of Longxing in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The river flowing out of Liumai's fiefdom was named Chunlingshui, and Kuishui became a tributary.

Now, in Baimian Village, located in the northwest corner of the confluence of Kuishui and Chunlingshui, Luo An appears here.

This Baimian Village is still within the territory of Yongzhou Prefecture, and it is also a pass at the junction of Hengzhou Prefecture and Yongzhou Prefecture. It is more than [-] miles away from Sizhou Village where Hengzhou Prefecture is located.

Luo An stood on a high place and watched from afar.You can't see the movement in the distance, you just look at the direction there.

But behind him in the white-faced stronghold, there was a military presence at its peak!

The army stretched from Baimianzhai to Xintianbao in the northwest, beyond the horizon at a glance.The valley formed along the upper reaches of the Chunling River between the two places is full of camps.

Luo An looked at the Huangming clock that his subordinates took out, and closed his eyes to calculate the time.

"It's time to go. You have rested for nearly half a month, and it's time to take down Guiyang Prefecture in one go and break the back road of Ningxi."

Luo An turned to look at Lei Quanyi: "General Lei, are you sure?"

"How many people are there in Hengzhou Guard itself? Now we still have to defend Hengyang. Even if Guiyangzhou City sees a large number of people, it must be based on the courage of the villagers! I will lead the army down the river, and the others will flee in the face of the wind!"

Lei Quanyi led the five military battalions to select fronts, this time it was really a long journey.

After all the way to Jingzhou Mansion, he received an order not to enter Sichuan again—Gao Kewei was arrested so quickly, Yang Junlin also pleaded guilty, Xue Lun from Sichuan has been fighting with Fei Hong since the spring, and Zhang Jing, the other censor who patrols the water, After all, he is also a very knowledgeable soldier, and Sichuan has been out of trouble.

Lei Quanyi coincided with King Ji's rebellion. He thought he could participate in the attack on Changsha, but was robbed of the credit by Shenjiying.

Can't we attack Hengyang next?The strategy of the court was not like that.

Being led by Luo An all the way to this place along the Yongzhou Mansion, Lei Quanyi was already gearing up.

Luo An looked at his eagerness to try, and reminded him solemnly: "General Lei, the banner of your five military battalions appeared in the hinterland of Hengzhou, and you must make a contribution with one blow. Rebels must have military orders. If they are not capable of fighting, they should defend with all their strength. Hengyang. You go here, focus on attacking your heart."

Lei Quanyi nodded, and then asked: "Will Commander Luo go to Guiyang Prefecture together?"

Luo An shook his head: "I went to Changning via Sizhou Village. After General Lei Can takes Guiyang Prefecture, he can order two thousand elite soldiers from Guangxi to encircle Lanshan County and persuade Ningxi to surrender, while Ni will move troops to Huangling Mountain to overwhelm Yizhang, Chenzhou."

He is not a military talent, but this is a strategy planned by the court and approved by Gu Shilong.

The key now is whether they can win Guiyang Prefecture and Changning County in the south of Hengzhou. This will not only cut off the retreat of Ningxi Station in Lanshan County, but also put greater pressure on Hengyang City from the south.

Lei Quanyi was a little confused: "Commander Luo is going to Sizhou Village, to Changning? Commander only has this few soldiers... how to get there?"

Luo An smiled: "That depends on General Lei's ability. If you take Guiyang Prefecture, my majestic Jinyiwei Commander will be able to reach tens of thousands of troops. If you can't take Guiyang Prefecture quickly, I will It’s just a matter of getting ready.”

Lei Quanyi felt more than that: How could anyone make fun of his own life?
But Lei Quanyi didn't know what the layout of Jin Yiwei was.

Two quarters later, there was a big commotion in Baimian Village.

The sentry of Canghebao quickly came back in shock and delivered the news, and then galloped straight to the south.

Dai Yunlai jumped up from his chair when he heard the news: "That's right?"

"General, there is absolutely no mistake! The army can't see the end at a glance, and there may be more than [-] people. There are not only the banners of the Fifth Army Battalion, but also the banners of Guangxi Funinghou, and the banners of Ningyuanwei!"

"Going east?"

"It's the direction of Guiyang Prefecture! We don't care about our Canghebao at all!"

One of Dai Yunlai's subordinates looked ugly: "General, no wonder the Cantonese army in the south has been standing still! It is said in Hengyang City that the troops of Fu Ninghou Zhu Qi and Ning Yuanwei are all in the west of the city, I am afraid they are under Gu Shilong's command. If the governor sits and watches the Fifth Army Battalion Together with the Guangxi soldiers and Ningyuan Guards, they have captured the southern part of Hengzhou, and they will be encircled on all sides. If troops are sent to help, Gu Shilong will definitely take the opportunity to attack Hengyang!"

He analyzed these hastily, hoping that Dai Yun would consider Ningxi's situation.

Guarding the southernmost tip of Hengzhou Mansion, now it is time to decide what to do.

The sudden appearance of Wan Dajun in the hinterland of Hengzhou, and the flag of the Five Army Battalion, can only show that the dispatch of the imperial army has been completely completed.

Is it a joke that the frontman of the Fifth Army Battalion who was supposed to enter Sichuan came here?

"Guiyang Prefecture City is not so easy to attack!" Dai Yunlai said subconsciously first.

"General, there are more than [-] large ships on the Chunling Water. I didn't listen to the sentry. Are they very deep? Tang Peiyu and the elite soldiers of Changsha Wei were defeated by the new guns of the Shenji Battalion! Shenji There are battalions, but won’t the Fifth Army Battalion also have them?”

Dai Yunlai hesitated.

Even if Ningxi sent troops to help, how many troops would he have to mobilize?

At this moment, another subordinate hurried over: "General, the Cantonese army is moving!"

Dai Yunlai was shocked: "What did you say?"

"Between Jiuyi Mountain and Huayin Mountain, the five outposts were pulled out at almost the same time."

It was also the same time that Dai Yunlai felt the shock.

From Canghebao to here, from the outpost of Nanling Mountain to here, the distance is not the same.

The timing of the dispatch of the army and the Cantonese army over there was so well calculated, obviously to let the news reach Lanshan County almost at the same time.

"It's a plan!" Dai Yunlai said decisively, "It's a lie to attack Guiyang Prefecture, and it's true to hope that we will abandon the city and set up an ambush on the way to escape! If Lanshan County abandons without a fight, the troops from Guangdong can enter Hunan without any effort. Hurry up Canghe Fort can retreat to Maojun Town, and we can save Lanshan to Linwu, which enters Chenzhou Prefecture, and join forces with Guang'an in Yizhang County!"

"General, if this is the case, it will only be a matter of time before the imperial army takes Changning County of Guiyang Prefecture and even Leiyang. If that is the case, why not go to Yizhang now!"

"Retire before the battle, and most of the governors have come down, will we still have a place in Ningxi when we go to Yizhang?" Dai Yunlai insisted, "At least we have to defend for a while, now only the Cantonese army has arrived at Lanshan County , what are you afraid of?"

Then I added a sentence: "Report to Hengyang City quickly, please supervise me!"

……

From Lanshan County to Hengyang City, the journey is more than two hundred miles.

Even though the so-called "over [-]" army sounds like a lot, it is impossible to cut off all the news from the north and the south, and they don't even want to cut it off.

After more than two hundred miles, he galloped all the way without hesitating horsepower, and arrived in a few hours.

Pu Zitong was furious when he heard the news: "What [-] troops! Where did the court come from with so many [-] troops? Is Dai Yunlai timid and wants to retreat?"

In fact, Lei Quanyi only had [-] forwards and the second batch of [-] Guangxi soldiers left by Zhu Qi, but the number passed from Canghebao to Lanshan County became over [-], and from Lanshan County to Lanshan County. Hengyang City became [-].

This is meant to be heard by one's own people, not to scare the enemy, so it should be a real number.

But Pu Zitong is very clear: from the incident at the end of July to the middle of October now, it is less than three months, and the troops that the imperial court can mobilize from Huguang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi can be counted with fingers.

In the current situation, which province cannot leave enough troops to guard against it?It's almost winter, and all the frontiers must guard against the northern captives.

The imperial army outside Hengyang City is still there!Zhu Qi himself has shown up on the west side of the city, so how could he run to the south?
"Tell Dai Yunlai, at most 3000 soldiers from the Fifth Army Battalion! 3000 soldiers attacking the city, what are you thinking?" Chenzhou, Yongxing, and Zhucheng can just hold on! No matter how many soldiers come, dare to go deep into the hinterland of Hengzhou, cut off food and grass, and harass them! If Hengyang City is not destroyed, Hengzhou will have no worries!"

Do these guys know how to fight?
The slightest sign of trouble made her frightened like something.

It was already night when the military order began to spread further south.

But Pu Zitong was woken up before he was ready to go to bed.

Putting on his clothes and going out to see, he turned out to be a soldier who went to Changning to deliver orders.

"It's not so fast to go to Changning, what happened?"

Changning is relatively close to Hengyang City. The three cities of Hengyang, Changning and Leiyang form a triangle, and they are only fifty or sixty miles apart.

At this time, the messenger's face was ashen, and Pu Zitong had a very bad premonition.

"...Changning City has fallen, and the little one met the Jinyiwei who came to deliver the letter halfway. They took the little one and let the little one come back." The messenger took out a letter anxiously, "It is said that the Jinyiwei Commander Luo An's handwritten letter should be handed over to the governor in small form."

Pu Zitong's heart sank, he snatched it quickly, and tore open the envelope with the oil lamp to read.

[Guangzhou Pu family, Quanzhou Pu family, Hangzhou, Yongchun, Zhao'an Wu family, Dehua Huang family. 】

[Three hundred Jinyiwei took Changning County, and then, the commander went to Leiyang. 】

[Pu Zitong, do you still remember what I told you when walking in Huguang? 】

This letter is so short, there is no serious persuasion to surrender.

But the information revealed between the lines made Pu Zitong feel a little chilled.

The Pu family and the descendants of the Pu family who moved to Fujian after Hongwu changed their surnames were all listed by Luo An in the letter.

Why did the Three Hundred Brocade Guards win Changning County?Have you ever fought this battle?Even if Jin Yiwei made a secret attack to open the city and surrender, at least one would have to be done!

But now Luo An reminded him that that day that Jin Yiwei Huguang walked to threaten Pu Zitong.

Of course there are meticulous works in Hengyang City, and Pu Zitong knows that.

As evidenced by the "war results" in Changning County, Pu Zitong now faces a difficult problem: who is the master?Could it be that before the imperial army attacked the city, the city was thoroughly investigated and disordered?

Or, after Jin Yiwei dispatched to all over the place to wipe out the Pu family completely, and after the imperial army began to attack the city, there will be chaos in the city during the critical period?

The most important thing is that Changning County is lost like this, what will the defenders of Hengyang City think?
Such big news cannot be concealed!

Pu Zitong had no choice but to call Zhan Huabi first, his face extremely gloomy.

"Old Zhan, the west of the city, including Changning County, is entrusted to you to guard." Pu Zitong looked at him.

Zhan Huabi led Chang Dewei from Baoqing Mansion to the east and entered Hengzhou Mansion. Most of his troops were in the west of the city, and 500 were in Changning.

"What's wrong with Chang Ning?" Zhan Huabi looked puzzled, "I just got the report at five o'clock in the next year, so there is no military situation."

He knew the situation in the west of the city, and Pu Zitong's expression could only be because of Chang Ning.

Pu Zitong's face became even uglier.

It's only a quarter of Xu o'clock now, and Changning County can report the situation to Zhan Huabi at five o'clock in the afternoon. Does it take time?The person who sent the order went, was arrested, and then released. Calculating the time, when Zhan Huabi received the news, the defenders of Changning County had already surrendered.

"Thousands of households have surrendered in Dan Zhaonian." Pu Zitong said to him, "I even sent you a fake military report."

It is absolutely impossible for the Three Hundred Brocade Guards to take down Changning County without any effort, and it is not just a temporary achievement of the enemy's presence in the hinterland of Hengzhou Prefecture in the south today, and Luo An just arrived in Changning County.

Zhan Huabi's face changed when he heard the words, Pu Zitong asked him again: "But Zhao Nian came with you all the way, isn't it reliable?"

He wondered why Dan Zhaonian didn't resist at all.Even if there is a secret operation to open the city gate, but Zhao Nian came all the way with Zhan Huabi to loot, can he escape a death?

"...Are you suspicious of me?" Zhan Huabi heard the overtones.

The oil lamp in the hall flickered, and the two looked at each other.

"How could I doubt you?" Pu Zitong said quickly, "Just overnight, the situation in the south changed drastically. Gu Shilong and Zhu Qi besieged but did not attack. This is what we have to wait for. I don't know. The reason is that I feel uneasy, and you are the same, right?"

"...I don't understand either." Zhan Huabi accepted his statement, "After you raised the flag, Dan Zhaonian was the Qianhu that my Weizhong strongly advocated to join, and he killed a Qianhu who didn't want to follow me. If it weren't for that , How can I let him guard Changning outside?"

The oil lamp in the hall was still flickering, and the hearts of the two were as heavy as the night outside.

"Why does he insist on surrender? What kindness do you have to him?"

If you don't understand the reason, now when the two giants of the rebel army look at the people below, I'm afraid they will all be suspicious.

This is not good, this is very bad.

Before the two of them figured out the reason, another soldier came to report: "Governor, Chang Ning's garrison and guerrilla general Dan Zhaonian led more than [-] remnants of the army to escape to Huiyan Peak, and Chang Ning City was destroyed!"

Pu Zitong and Zhan Huabi were completely dumbfounded.

What the hell happened?
(End of this chapter)