subvert the late Tang Dynasty

The three of Zhu and Wen were captured, and those who were tied up were galloped away by the bandits one by one on the horse.

Zhu Wen was lying on the horse's back, only feeling the wind in his ears, the billowing smoke and dust from the horse's hooves fell all over his head and face, and his belly rested on the horse's back, being bumped all the way.The few people ran non-stop all the way, only picking small paths.

After galloping for about two hours, the horse gradually slowed down. There was a small village in front of him. Outside the village, under the shade of willows, there were four idlers chatting in the shade.Seeing a group of thieves galloping towards them, two of them put their hands on their waists subconsciously.One of the other two hurriedly stopped him and said, "My own." The two put their hands down.

When the group of thieves saw the field, they took off their masks one after another, greeted the four people, and went straight into the village.The group of thieves dismounted in front of a courtyard of a blue-brick house in the village, and someone from the courtyard came out to lead the horses into other courtyards nearby.

The courtyard is divided into two entrances, both of which are all green brick and tile houses. I think the owner of this house must be a wealthy family.Zhu Wen and the other three were taken into the courtyard and guarded by four or five bandits.

Zhu Wen wanted to take this opportunity to see Aunt Huang's true face, but as soon as he turned his face away, he slapped him fiercely across the face.Zhu Wen was furious in his heart, and when he looked back, the man was also glaring at Zhu Wen.Zhu Wen saw that the man was 1.8 meters tall, with big arms, round waist, fat head and big ears, but a bald head.

The bald man grinned grinningly and said: "You don't know how to live or die, dare to put the knife on the neck of your master Buddha Hanzhi. I think you are tired of living. Let you taste whether your Buddha's sword is fast or not."

Zhu Wen was frightened for a while, it was really his mother's bad luck to offend Li Hanzhi, the famous plague god in the Five Dynasties.According to historical records, Li Hanzhi was cruel by nature, and he often ate living people. Tens of thousands of people set up a barrier on Moyun Mountain to avoid wars and chaos. Nicknamed "Li Moyun", but that was many years later.

According to Zhu Wen's impression, Li Hanzhi at this time should have just joined Huang Chao not long ago, and he might be captured by Gao Pian soon and join Tang Ting.Zhu Wen saw that although Li Hanzhi was a monk with a bald head, his face was full of flesh.No wonder the history records that Li Hanzhi was begging in Suanzao County when he was a monk, and no one gave him food, so he lost his bowl and threw himself into Huangchao to become a bandit. monk.

Zhu Wen didn't know how to get rid of this demon in his heart, and suddenly heard a voice saying: "It's rare to be rude, Mr. Zhu is a distinguished guest I invited, so hurry up and untie him."

When Li Han heard this, although he was unwilling in his heart, he still didn't dare to disobey, and helped Zhu Wen untie the rope without saying a word.

Of course Zhu Cun and Zhu Zhen were also untied.The two were a little puzzled, why did Zhu Laosan become a distinguished guest of the bandits? Could it be that he was a friend they had known for the past three years?No, if it's a friend, why would you fight, and you were tied up?The two were confused for a moment.

Zhu Wen heard that the person who spoke was full of energy in the middle stage. Although his voice was not loud and his tone was calm, he had an aura that made people dare not disobey him.I thought that Huang Chao must have arrived.Zhu Wen turned around and saw that Huang Chao was about 40 years old, with a sharp-edged Chinese character face, fair skin, clear and energetic eyes, wearing a fur head, and wearing a gown with a round neck and narrow sleeves. He was handsome and heroic.No matter how you look at it, you don't look like a heinous thief, but like a romantic and elegant scholar.

Huang Chao was much younger than Zhu Wen imagined. According to historical records, Huang Chao was already 55-[-] years old when he started his army in the second year of Qianfu. There was no trace of the years on Huang Chao's face.This surprised Zhu Wen.

Seeing Zhu Wen looking at him without blinking, Huang Chao couldn't help laughing and said, "Is Mr. Zhu going to show Huang his face?"

Zhu Wen was startled, and said: "Uh... I have heard of General Huang's name like a thunderbolt. I was lucky enough to meet the general today, so I realized that the rumors are not credible."

Huang Chao smiled and said, "Oh, what do I look like in the rumors?"

Zhu Wendao: "It is rumored that General Huang has an ugly appearance, sallow skin, and looks like a ghost. This is why the examiners don't like it, so he fails to pass the test repeatedly. Some people also say that General Huang Jinbang went to the emperor after high school. He was shocked by his ugly appearance. , Only then was he exempted from fame, and in a fit of rage, he gathered people to rebel against the Tang Dynasty. Seeing General Huang's extraordinary appearance now, his elegance reveals a heroic spirit, and he realized that the rumors were purely fabricated."

Huang Chao laughed loudly and said: "I have always had this appearance. I really don't know how people describe me as a ghost. It must be because the government wants to fool the people, haha. Now the imperial court is fatuous, the officials are corrupt, and the towns are not controlled by each other. In addition, natural disasters continue, the people are extremely poor, and people from all walks of life rise up one after another. It is the time for our generation to make contributions. Mr. Zhu is among the dragons and phoenixes, how willing to be buried for the rest of his life? Mr. Zhu’s words have been passed on to me by my daughter, Zhu Mr. Huang is deeply impressed by the words of Mr. Huang, since Mr. has the heart to save the people from fire and water, why don't you conspire with Mr. Huang for the great cause?"

Zhu Wen smiled wryly and said, "Since I'm here, do I have any choice?" He thought, if I don't agree, will you let me get out alive?

Huang Chao said: "Mr. Zhu is serious. I heard the little girl say that the three brothers are all gentlemen. Hasn't Huang thanked the three for taking care of the little girl in Songcheng?"

Huang Chao pointed to a tall and well-proportioned woman next to her and said, "This is the little girl Huang Ying. Thank you for taking care of the little girl in the past half a month. Yinger, why don't you thank the three uncles?"

The woman was about ten years old, her face was like a crescent moon, her eyes were like autumn water, her complexion was fair, her nose was high and straight, and her slightly upturned cherry lips were a little thick, but it didn't affect her beauty, on the contrary, it made her look more charming. state.

As soon as Huang Ying heard that her father asked her to call herself Zhu Wen's uncle, of course the eldest was not happy in her heart, her little upturned mouth pouted even higher, and she snorted and said, "They are not a few years older than me. ,"

She pointed at Zhu Zhen while speaking, and said softly, "Look at him, he may not be as old as me, but he always called me Aunt Huang in Song City."

Zhu Zhen was not happy anymore, and protested: "I said Miss Huang, this is the first time I, Zhu Zhen, have seen you. When did I call you aunt? Don't talk nonsense."

Aunt Huang chuckled and said, "Did you forget Aunt Huang who opened a food stall with you and helped you with the work for half a month? You always say that I will help your third brother carry the burden instead of helping you, For this, you called your aunt and begged me several times..."

Zhu Zhen was taken aback, her eyes widened, and she stammered: "You... you, you are... Huang Gu... Oh, so you are so beautiful, no wonder... No wonder the third brother ran to your room in the middle of the night the day before yesterday I'm going to uncover your quilt..."

Zhu Wen didn't wait for him to finish speaking, and twitched his big mouth, knocking Zhu Zhen staggeringly.

He thought to himself, this guy is so fucking stupid, I have told him so many times that it was a misunderstanding, but he just couldn't understand.It doesn't matter if he misunderstood, don't let Huang Chao and his daughter hear it, if they misunderstand, maybe Huang Chao will kill all three of us in a fit of anger.

Zhu Wen didn't expect that he would be able to become emperor like Zhu Wen in history if he became Zhu Wen. Maybe the real Zhu Wen is still begging in some poor corner, maybe one day he will be a general when he comes out Be emperor.If you are not careful, you will die without knowing how you died.

Worried about the safety of the three of them, he explained embarrassingly, "This...uh...a bit of a misunderstanding, Miss Huang...uh...General Huang, don't listen to this guy's nonsense, this kid has loved nonsense since he was a child... ..."

But this time Zhu Zhen was wronged. Although Zhu Zhen was young and didn't pay much attention when studying, he was not a fool.He also knew that the lives of the three of them were hanging by their hands at this time. Don't look at Huang Chao's polite words now, maybe the heads of the three of them would fall to the ground if they turned around.He simply pretended to be stupid and pretended to be stunned, deliberately shaking out the "adultery" between Zhu Wen and Huang Ying that he saw that night.

Misunderstanding is misunderstanding. Anyway, I just said what I saw. The main reason is that he felt that Huang Ying (Huang Gu) treated Zhu Wen very well. Now, maybe I can make some kind of little boss.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he spoke, he was slapped by Zhu Wen's boss, and he covered his hot cheeks and muttered to himself: "Third brother, why did you hit me? I didn't tell a lie, I clearly saw you on someone's bed If you didn't do something wrong, why did you have to leave Songzhou? The second brother told you that you should be kind and don't just give up..."

"Pa" another loud slap on the ear, this time it was Huang Ying who hit it, not lightly.She, a girl, was told in front of so many people that a man had slept in her bed in the middle of the night, of course she was angry, and very angry.Huang Ying raised her brows upside down, with tears in her eyes, she said: "You...you...you are talking nonsense, I went out to inquire about information at the second watch the night before yesterday, and came back at dawn, how could... how could it be like you said... "

Zhu Wen coughed dryly and said, "It was a misunderstanding..." Then he recounted the events of that day in detail.

Such a fuss, although it is a misunderstanding, still makes people think about it.

Huang Chao's face was a little uneasy, and he said to the bandit surnamed Lin: "Lin Yan, take them down to rest first, it seems that Song City can't get in. Also, arrange a place for these two brothers, I will I have to discuss something with Zhu Wen."

Lin Yan agreed, and inadvertently glanced at Huang Ying, with a somewhat unnatural expression, and led everyone away.When he turned around, he gave Zhu Wen a hard look, as if there was some deep hatred.

Only Zhu Wenwen and Huang Chao's father and daughter were left in the room. Seeing that his daughter was still a little unhappy, Huang Chao couldn't help laughing and said, "It's a misunderstanding, just let it go, you don't have to take it to heart."

Huang Ying pouted and said, "How can I not take it to heart? If it gets out and outsiders don't know the inside story, it might be so ugly! Then how can I have the face to face people!"

Zhu Wen said embarrassingly: "It's all my fault, but I also saw a man in black coming out of your room, so I was a little worried about your safety, so I took the liberty to break in. It was not intentional."

Huang Ying was still recalcitrant and confused, Huang Chao said: "I have something to talk to Mr. Zhu, you should go out and find your cousin first."

Huang Ying curled her lips and said, "My cousin is like a piece of wood. He didn't say a word for a long time, and he was bored to death. Are you going to talk about some confidential matter, and you still have to carry my daughter behind your back?"

Huang Chao smiled: "You ghost girl, I was afraid that you would interrupt me and Mr. Zhu, but... your eldest brother is too cowardly, and I am old. From now on, you and your cousin will stand alone. Better You also need to know more about things..."

Huang Ying said: "Brother is kind and honest, some people don't understand, please give him more time."

Huang Chao didn't want to talk about his son's affairs, so he turned to Zhu Wen and said, "I heard from Yinger that Mr. Zhu is a great talent in both civil and military affairs. You asked Yinger to tell Huang that Mr. Huang took it very seriously. However, the little girl told me only a few words. , is not enough to clear up the confusion, what does Mr. Zhu think about the current situation in the world? Mr. Huang is all ears."

Zhu Wendao: "The Tang Dynasty was in decline and unable to restrain the feudal towns. As a result, the feudal towns were independent, the taxes were heavy, and the people complained. Wang Xianzhi and General Huang took advantage of the situation to raise troops against the Tang Dynasty. At the right time, all regions responded. However, the general raised troops for three years, although Attacking cities and plundering land everywhere, but most of them are gaining and losing. This approach is no different from that of rogues. Looking at the general's strategy today, it is nothing more than using war to support war, and using the momentum to increase momentum in order to seek dominance.

"However, in the past three years of homelessness, no outsider can understand the suffering. Wang Xianzhi wanted to descend to the Tang Dynasty in order to seek wealth, which is also human nature. The reason why Wang Xianzhi has not descended to the Tang Dynasty is simply because the official position given by the Tang court is not big enough.

"In addition, there are heavy troops stationed in all the towns in the Central Plains. The generals moved to various places, and did not confront the main force of the Tang army. However, Song Wei, who was appointed by the imperial court to recruit soldiers and horses, was always behind. It was not that he was unable to encircle the generals, but Once Wang Xianzhi and the general are wiped out, his recruiter will come to an end. Back then when Kang Chengxun wiped out the 20-strong army of "Tianchu General" Pang Xun, wouldn't it still be that all the birds were dead and the rabbits were dead?

"Once Song Wei had to deal with the general with all his strength under the pressure of the court, it would be the time for the general to fall. The general still has time to attack Song City, which is not the best strategy." Zhu Wen talked eloquently, and Huang Chao's army was exhausted in a few words. The form it is in now.

After hearing Zhu Wen's words, Huang Chao looked as usual, thoughtful.

Huang Ying said disdainfully: "It's nonsense, thinking that we have been invincible since the beginning of the army. Although there were minor setbacks, there were no major defeats. How can we underestimate our rebel army?"

Zhu Wen smiled and said nothing.

Huang Ying said proudly: "I have nothing to say. Looking at your air, I thought you could come up with some amazing insights. It's really disappointing. I think you will be a cook all your life. Hmph !"

Huang Chao said with a smile: "Ying'er mustn't be rude. Although Mr. Zhu's words are a little extreme, they are not far behind. He didn't refute you to save face for you. You don't know how to thank you, so you have to treat you. "

Huang Ying snorted unconvinced, turned her head and gave Zhu Wen a hard look, and made a face to Zhu Wen to show her dissatisfaction, quite like a little girl.

Huang Chao looked at Zhu Wen and said: "In Mr. Zhu's opinion, how should our army deploy next to get out of the predicament?"

Zhu Wen said confidently: "It's still the same sentence I asked Miss Huang to convey. Look for opportunities to occupy a rich land as the foundation, lightly pay and pay less, encourage farmers and businessmen, develop Xutu, and wait for the opportunity to gradually eat away. Otherwise, the great cause cannot be achieved. .”

These theories are all summed up by him from thousands of years of historical experience, and of course they can see clearly than Huang Chao, a player in the game.

Huang Chao frowned and said, "But the rebel army is weak now, and Song Wei's army is following closely behind. How can they have the ability to defend a place?"

Zhu Wen said: "Of course not in the Central Plains. The Central Plains is a place where wars are fought on all sides, and it is the only way for the north-south communication. Therefore, there have always been heavy troops stationed. In addition, the people in the Central Plains are tough and the army is powerful. If the general wants to seek hegemony , the only way to get out of the place where the Central Plains fought four battles is to settle in a corner first, where you can attack if you advance, and defend when you retreat.”

Huang Chao thought for a long time, and said: "The only places that can be defended are Bashu, Huainan, Lingnan and other places. Bashu is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but it is not easy to take it with our troops; Huainan has a prosperous economy. If Huainan is the foundation, relying on the natural danger of the Yangtze River, it will gradually eat away The south of the Yangtze River can be ruled by drawing the river with the Tang court. The only patient is the general Jingnan Jiedu, Gao Pian. However, the south of the Five Ridges is located in a remote area with high mountains and far rivers, so long-distance marches are not what the soldiers would like. In Huang’s opinion, Huainan is the only place among these three places.”

Zhu Wen shook his head and said: "The situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly. It is not really possible to plan a strategy and win thousands of miles. We have to adapt to changes in the battle situation. At present, the main thing is how to find opportunities to cross the south of the Yangtze River and leave the land of the Central Plains with strong troops."

Most of Zhu Wen's understanding of the history of the Five Dynasties comes from sporadic historical records and unofficial novels, but the authenticity of those historical records and novels is not very reliable.