Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 439 The former prince’s old department
Lin Yue Mansion,
Outside Linzhou County.

Looking at Commander Zuo with a mysterious smile on his face, Protector Right also put away his smile and recalled the report from the White Lotus Sect branch. Dingzhou and Zhaozhou in the south had been captured, and the mob surrounded Lin Yuefu City.

The specific situation was not explained and I don’t know what happened.

If there are rioters, the speed is too fast. Someone must have been prepared for a long time. Could it be that like myself, when I think of this, I think of the people of the Taiping Sect. I am shocked. It must be them. I try to ask,

"Commander Zuo, are you talking about people from the Taiping Religion?"

"They are worthy of being the geniuses of the White Lotus Sect. It is indeed them. Now there are tens of thousands of troops in the two counties. I am afraid that the number will be doubled when we reach Fucheng. If we capture Fucheng and obtain weapons and armor, I am afraid they will really be able to soar." It’s time to take action.”

Commander Zuo also lamented that talented people have emerged from generation to generation, and talents are better than others. It is indeed a place where capable people emerge in large numbers. I thought that after leaving the White Lotus Sect, I didn't expect that there was still the Taiping Sect. It seems that Dawu has exhausted his energy. It should be so.

"Thank you Commander Zuo for informing me, but Commander Zuo, can you tell me who the leader of the Taiping Sect is?"

"The right protector should be very familiar with Chu Yiyue, the deputy leader of the Taiping Sect. He has come to Jingnan!"

"It turned out to be him."

Ying Xiancai was a little surprised, he was an old acquaintance.

Zuo Ling laughed, then clasped his fists and said.

"Brothers of the White Lotus Sect, I'll take my leave. Brothers, Weizhou, let's go and drive."

"drive!"

There was a sound of horse hoofbeats, and Zuo Ling gave a crisp shout, and led the army north on horseback. Looking at the black-clothed tribesmen leaving in the distance, the leader Bai Shuiyue, who was hidden in the crowd, came out and bowed to him first.
"See the leader, leader, I'm afraid our plan is going to change again. I'm afraid there won't be enough points for all three families in Jingnan,"

"I didn't expect that all the former prince's people are here, which means that the former prince is living well. The people of the Taiping Sect are also brave, and the hinterland of the Central Plains can also join in. The leader of Chu is an amazing and talented person. It is indeed not enough Yes, since you gave up Chenzhou, you gave up Linshan County, right?"

Bai Shuiyue has long known this place by heart. All the believers in the early years came here. However, the place is dry and the food and grass are not abundant, so there are many people who are hungry every year. It is naturally a good place for missionary work.

Ying Xiancai smiled and replied,

"The leader is wise. Since both of them are here, we have to share the pressure. It seems that Commander Zuo and Leader Chu have cooperated. The south belongs to the Taiping Sect and the north belongs to the former prince. So we can only go to the northwest. As long as By seizing the important town of Runan, all the land west of the Cao Canal will be our White Lotus Sect's territory."

Bai Shuiyue thought about it, and it was a good idea, but Wei Xiangping and Duan Zhongshan from Runan were really not easy to get along with, so she asked worriedly,

"The important town in Runan is connected to the strategic point. I'm afraid it's difficult to fight, so why not go south?"

"Master, there are poor mountains and rivers in the south and there are many barbarians. It is really difficult for us to preach. As long as we capture Runan and go north to Xihe County, there are many mountains, water and hiding places. No matter how many officers and soldiers come, we will not be afraid. We can enter Attack, retreat or defend, and destroy the reputation of the White Lotus Sect. Leader, no one in the world will know you by then. As for the important town of Runan that is difficult to fight, then just risk people's lives. We can't make the same mistakes as before. The old leader is just soft-hearted. .”

The right protector had a sinister look on his face. He must not let go of such a good opportunity this time. Even if all the people were dead, Runan would still be brought down.

Bai Shuiyue didn't reply. She closed her eyes and whispered softly, "Bless me, my mother Wu Sheng."

"Right Protector, just do as you say. Brothers in the sect must be unbearable with hunger and thirst. They ransacked the houses of all the wealthy families in the city, then beheaded them in public, collected food and grass, and immediately went north to Qinzhou to capture it as quickly as possible. Waiting for Linshan According to the letter from the county town, as soon as the county town falls, we will immediately gather the believers and coerce the people to attack Runan. We will also send people to contact the Xihe bandits to attack southward."

"Yes, leader, my subordinates will live up to their trust. Brothers, gather your troops and pull out all the wealthy families in Linzhou and kill them."

"Yes, Guardian."

Then a large number of White Lotus religious troops rushed towards Linzhou County. They burned, killed and looted the rich and wealthy households in the city. If they resisted at all, they would kill them with their swords. A large number of officials, gentry and wealthy households were crying and crying in the city, trying to beg for their lives. However, the members of the White Lotus Sect are all poor people, and they have long been jealous. No matter who they are, they are just robbing them. In a moment, the city is a purgatory.

Seeing the tragic situation in the city and the wailing and shouting, Bai Shuiyue closed her eyes and silently recited the meaning of the White Lotus Sutra, which seemed to be a sign of salvation. The right protector also had a look of pity, but if he were merciful today, it would be the brothers in the sect who died. So his complexion never changed.

On the official road in the north,

Zuo Ling, who had not gone far, was guarding the carriage team when he heard the screams in the city behind him. The young prince Zhou Yumin in the carriage couldn't help but be frightened. He lifted the curtain and looked back. He saw the city's flames soaring into the sky and the screams. It was far away, with a look of unbearability on his face. "Uncle Zuo, didn't you say that the White Lotus Sect helps people in distress? Why are you also doing evil in the city?"

Zuo Ling, who was accompanying the carriage, glanced behind him and said comfortingly,
"Little master, this is the great struggle of the world. No matter how good the White Lotus Sect is, they are rebels. The city is full of wealthy squires, and they have a lot of money and food. If you say that the White Lotus Sect has robbed their food, if they don't resist, you might as well kill a hundred of them. , just like those hungry people who can’t get enough to eat even after planting food, how can they not rebel?”

"This is what my father meant by loving the people. I know it, but why do we go to Weizhou under the banner of the Taiping Religion? Are there any of our people there?"

"Haha, of course, young master, there are [-] elite troops of our army there. It is naturally convenient to act under the banner of the Taiping Sect. I have already made an agreement with Master Chu, who is using the banner of the Taiping Sect. We just want to fight together. The reinforcements from the imperial court, young master, what we want now is not kindness, but cruelty. There is no food in the south of Beijing, but there is an official warehouse in the county. If we occupy it, we will have no worries. We can exchange the food with the leader of Chu for weapons and armor. Grow the team.”

Zuo Ling explained at his side, then lowered his head and said through the car window,
"Little master, you have to learn how to lead an army and conquer the county. We are going to kill people. With the flag of the Taiping Religion, we can let go of our hands and feet and strengthen ourselves in a very short period of time. If we can, we will kill them. If we can, we will kill people." If it fails, we will retreat to Dongling County. We will still break into pieces and lurk. If it succeeds, we will form a separatist regime."

"Uncle Zuo, now that I know, what about the people from the Taiping Sect?"

Zhou Yumin nodded in agreement, knowing that some things cannot be determined by loyalty, so he should listen more to the words of his father's confidants, be blind to swords and guns, and pay more attention to responses.

Zuo Ling snorted coldly,
"Then it depends on their fate. If my guess is correct, they may have parted ways with us. They should go to Luocao in Xihe County. Xiling County is the retreat for the Taiping Sect. The two counties are sparsely populated, mountainous, and densely forested. There are also respective territories, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack. The imperial court will not bother to encircle and suppress them. They can only block this place. This time they are just testing the imperial court to see the imperial court's reaction. The emperor who has picked up the leak must also be anxious. "

He looked towards the capital with cold eyes. The current emperor has no talent and virtue, how can he hold the throne? He is not just a puppet. If the prince ascends the throne, it will definitely be a blessing to the people of the world.

Thinking of His Majesty, Commander Zuo also remembered King Zheng, King Song, King Wu and others. If they had sent troops to help at that time and held back the Beijing camp, everything would have been fine. But it is a pity that they are all as timid as rats.

Then he thought about the secret report coming from the capital, saying that the kings still wanted to go to the capital to serve the Supreme Emperor, but they might be in vain.

"My young master, you have to remember that we cannot be merciful now. If we make a wrong step, we may be doomed and the lives of so many people behind us will be at risk."

"I know, Uncle Zuo,"

Zhou Yumin nodded as if he understood something.

Then the convoy rushed forward quickly, not far ahead was the border of Weizhou.

Not far from Weizhou City, in a dense forest, tens of thousands of soldiers wearing armor were densely packed and hidden here. There was no sound from so many people. Several generals covered their faces and stood in a row behind them.

After waiting for a while, a burly man named Kong An, the right-guard general, looked impatiently at Xun Wen, the military advisor in Confucian uniform, and asked in confusion,
"Military advisor, Weizhou is right in front of us. One battalion of the last general is enough to capture it. Why do we have to wait for Commander Zuo to come here before attacking? Isn't it a waste of time?"

"You idiot, what are you looking at? Since the military advisor asked you to wait, just wait. There must be a purpose. You know nothing."

Another vanguard general, Shen Rang, who was standing not far away, scolded,
"you!"

"Okay, okay, two generals, please be patient and listen to your military advisor."

The two were dissatisfied and continued to quarrel. Chai Qing, the general of Zuowei, quickly warned them, and the two gave up.

Military advisor Xun Wen turned around and looked over coldly. The generals felt a chill in their bodies, shrank their necks, and immediately became honest.

"When you are about to enter the battlefield, it is unworthy of you to be a general who behaves so recklessly. A lion fights a rabbit with all his strength. Whenever you fight, you must be calm and focused, think about the overall situation, and fight hard in order to be foolproof. I'm afraid no one would dare to do this to you general. used."

Seeing that the military advisor had said harsh words, several people were ashamed and speechless. Xun Wen shook his head and persuaded;
"Since you asked why we have to wait, I told you that I am waiting for the arrival of the young master. This place is the witness. Weizhou and even Linshan County are just a grab bag for us. We can get it at our fingertips, but we have to face The most important are the reinforcements from the imperial court, that is, the Jingying camp. Although the Jingying camp is not as good as before, but compared with the capital city, the Jingying camp is still outstanding. Although I don’t know how many elite battalions Wang Ziteng still has, we must not be careless. I’m afraid he’s hiding his clumsiness.”

Everyone nodded after hearing this. Only General Kong was dissatisfied.
"Military advisor, there is no way to inflate others' arrogance and destroy one's own prestige. In the past, we were really afraid of three points in the Beijing camp, but now we are afraid that it will not be possible. The old officials of Ningguo Mansion and Rongguo Mansion are no longer there, and the last general I also heard that the two houses are housekeepers of women. As the saying goes, the house of the house of women has collapsed. Look at the prestige of Ning Rong's second house. They let the in-laws and the royal family take over. Those veterans of the Beijing camp did not obey loyally. The success fell short due to the betrayal of the professed Jia family in the Jingying camp. The Imperial Army was on our side and had already entered the palace. It was only a little short of it. Even the Jingying camp did not take advantage in the end. Now the Jingying camp If it really comes, the general will still want to fight Wang Ziteng for [-] rounds."

"Yes, I'll be waiting for you, military advisor."

Before he finished speaking, he saw a group of cavalry escorting the carriage on the official road.

(End of this chapter)