First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 377

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The big boat stopped in the middle of the river, and Zhou Faming looked at the water village on the bank and pondered for a long time.

"Send more scouts, approach by small boat to investigate, and be sure to find out the deployment of the enemy camp."

The deputy general led the order to arrange.

At this time, Zhang Shan'an on the shore was also climbing up to look out. Seeing the power of the Tang Army fleet, he couldn't help but panic.

When Zhang Shan'an was feeling palpitated, he saw more than a dozen small boats spread out from the left and right of the Tang Army fleet, heading straight for the water fortress on the shore.

Zhang Shan'an was very annoyed, this blatant investigation ignored him at all, and immediately ordered hundreds of sailors to come out of the camp to meet him.

It's just that the scouts of the Tang army's navy were very flexible, and quickly dispersed in small boats, only cruising around the water village.

"Idiot, how can the big ship chase the small boat, let the small boat out of the camp, don't let them go," Zhang Shanan roared at the lieutenant.

"Your Majesty, you have sent all the small boats to investigate the enemy's situation." The lieutenant was very aggrieved.

"Bastard", Zhang Shanan was furious.

Suddenly, Zhang Shan'an looked at the Tang Army fleet across the river and froze.

The lieutenant looked suspicious, the king must have been frightened.

After a long time, Zhang Shan'an had a wicked smile on his face: "Zhou Faming, I want you to come and go!"

That night, Zhang Shan'an summoned the three dead men and gave them detailed instructions. After half an hour, a sampan boat came out from the back door of the water village, and came to Jingkou after making many twists and turns.

The next day, Zhou Faming came to the bow of the boat, looked at the motionless water village with a pair of panda eyes on his head, and couldn't help swearing: "Zhi Niang, you are so cowardly, even if you are in the middle of the river, you dare not come to rob the camp."

It turned out that the Tang army fleet was motionless in the river last night. Zhou Faming deliberately lured Zhang Shan'an to rob the camp, but Zhang Shan'an had already planned, so it was impossible for him to risk robbing the camp.

"Bring some wine," Zhou Faming sat down on the bow of the boat, staring at Zhang Shan'an's water village and drinking happily.

Not long after, the scouts came to report: three fishermen had been caught, and they said they had important military reports.

Zhou Faming was overjoyed and "brought them up".

The scouts pressed the three fishermen onto the boat, and the soldiers stepped forward and stopped them. Zhou Faming kicked the soldiers away.

Little did he know that it was this action that cost him his life on the spot.

"Where are you fishermen from?" Zhou Faming asked interrogatively while lying on his back, already slightly drunk.

"General, we are the fishermen of Xiakou," a fisherman carefully reported.

"Oh?" Zhou Faming sat up straight suddenly, "How long have you guys been fishing here?"

"It's been a few years," was still the leading fisherman's answer, and then hurriedly said: "General, I have an important report."

"Bold, who are you waiting for?" Zhou Faming suddenly flew into a rage, "I ordered the fishermen to disperse a year ago in the important place of Xiazhou. Where did the fishermen come from!"

"Kill", it was obvious that the person in the lead rushed forward, and then the two took out short knives from their arms and went forward.

"How courageous", Zhou Faming kicked him over.

Unexpectedly, the man stepped forward and hugged Zhou Faming's feet, and a person behind him took the opportunity to stab Zhou Faming's abdomen with a knife. Zhou Faming screamed, and the soldiers in the distance rushed forward in shock.

The leader of the fake fisherman Hao did not hesitate, grabbed Zhou Faming's leg and capsized overboard with a loud cry.

With a plop, Zhou Faming was dragged by the man and fell into the water.

"Lang Jun", the soldiers were shocked, hacked to death the two people on the boat, threw down their weapons and jumped into the water to rescue Zhou Faming.

Zhou Faming lived well and was pampered since he was a child. He had never been in the water and had no water skills.

In fact, in this era, there are basically few people from aristocratic families who know how to swim, because it is very unpretentious to be wet in the water, and only poor people will go into the water to fish for fish and shrimp.

After falling into the water, Zhou Faming struggled hard, but his abdomen was injured, and he choked on a few sips of water. Zhou Faming soon lost his energy.

The killer actually didn't know how to swim, but he was a dead man with the will to die. He hugged Zhou Faming's leg tightly and sank.

When Zhou Faming's soldiers rushed into the water to find Zhou Faming, the two people in the water were not breathing. The hands of the dead soldier tightly hugged Zhou Faming's legs. People fish out the water together.

"Lang Jun", the soldiers cried out in grief as they looked at the lifeless Zhou Faming.

The dignified general manager of Huangzhou, Zhou Faming, who was born as a general, failed to die on the battlefield, but died at the hands of an assassin.

"No, there are bandit scouts approaching." The deputy general saw many small boats coming up from all around, and immediately shouted: "Move the chief into the boat quickly, don't cry, and withdraw the troops quickly."

Although the Tang army had no leader, under the order of the lieutenant general, they still strictly enforced the military order and withdrew quickly.

"Your Majesty, the Tang army has withdrawn." In the water village, scouts rushed to report.

"Hahaha I'm not blind, I saw it," Zhang Shan'an laughed loudly, "It must be that Zhou Faming is dead, and the whole army attacked to chase and kill Tang Jun."

All the thieves rushed out of the water village and chased after Tang Jun.

After all, the deputy general's prestige and ability were limited, and the news of Zhou Faming's death spread like wildfire. Tang Jun was shocked, without the slightest determination to fight, and fled one after another. The most important thing was to fight on the water, and the most important thing was to pay attention to formation.

The formation was chaotic, although Zhang Shan'an was not good at water warfare, but he just chased and killed the Tang army, and the Tang army was defeated.

Zhang Shanan went on to capture Jingkou.

The news spread quickly, and Tang Jun was shocked.

Gao Chong, who was on his way to Xuanzhou, was shocked when he heard the news. He really didn't expect Zhou Faming's death. After all, he was not an expert on Tang history, and he had no impression of Zhou Faming's results.

This is the highest-ranking official of the Tang army killed in battle since Fugong Er's rebellion.

Li Xiaogong was panicked when he heard the news, he lost the general before he left the army, this is his commander's fault, he intends to attack, but now the commanders of all the armies have already set off, so they can't turn back halfway, but Zhang Shan'an is a fierce thief, It is impossible to let him continue to run rampant.

Just when Li Xiaogong was helpless, the Ranger came to report: Li Daliang, the governor of Anzhou, was three miles away, and was about to come to meet King Zhao Jun.

Li Xiaogong's eyes lit up.

Since Liu Heikai in Hebei and Jianghuai Fugong Er raised their troops, several prefectures in the south of the Lingnan rebelled. Li Yuan appointed Sima Li Daliang, the governor of Jinzhou, as the governor of Anzhou (that is, Qinzhou) and also the appeasement envoy of Lingnan Dao to go to Lingnan to suppress the rebellion.

Li Daliang came from the Li family in Longxi, and he was talented in civil and military affairs. When Li Yuan raised his troops to attack Hedong, Li Daliang rushed to Hedong from Luoyang after hearing the news, and Li Yuan asked him to serve as Tumen county magistrate.

Tumen County is located in the north. Not long after Li Daliang took office, a Turkic tribe went south to plunder. The small county had few soldiers. Li Daliang knew that he could not resist by force, so he rode out of the city alone and entered the enemy camp alone, and persuaded the tribe's troops with righteousness. The leader retreats.

The leader of the tribe admired Li Daliang's courage and agreed to retreat, so Li Daliang killed the horses under his seat, roasted the horse meat and shared the food with the leader, and then walked back to the city.

When Li Yuan heard the news, he issued an order to commend him. Later, Li Daliang made great contributions in suppressing bandits and farming in Tumen County, and was promoted to Sima of Jinzhou Governor's Mansion because of his meritorious service.

In the turmoil in Lingnan, the courtiers suggested that Li Daliang go to suppress the rebellion, and Li Yuan immediately agreed.

Li Daliang is now on his way to Lingnan to take up his post. He entered Xiangzhou from Jinzhou and went down the river, just in time to meet Li Xiaogong's army.

(End of this chapter)