Plan to cut off the nine states

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A large group of soldiers poured into the small town. Without Ning Baoguan's personal supervision, it was difficult for them to maintain their formation, but they were much better than the Jiangshi Army. At least they did not bring their families with them, and they looked a bit like an army.

Xu Chu stood on horseback by the road, making way for the soldiers, secretly estimating the number of people in his heart.

There were nearly 10,000 people, but the more they went back, the more mixed the people were. Xu Chu recognized at least 200 to 300 women in men's clothes hiding among them - no matter how strict the military law was, Ning Baoguan could not stop everyone from bringing their families.

The Wuyue Army was like this, and the Jiangshi Army would only be more chaotic. Xu Chu could not imagine how such an army could fight against the officers and soldiers.

There were not many people on the road, and Xu Chu was about to ride his horse to go on the road, when suddenly three people from the city rode out on horseback.

Ma Wei came to see Xu Chu off and said, "I drank too much yesterday and just woke up. Don't blame me, brother Chu."

Xu Chu smiled and said, "I'm only away for a few days. I'll be back soon."

"I wish you success in persuading Shen Bingzhou to unite the righteous army in the world to fight against the government soldiers. Now that the war is in chaos, I don't feel at ease for you to go alone, so I specially ask brothers Liu and Chen to protect you."

When they were drinking together yesterday, they introduced each other. These two people are heroes from Luoyang. One is Liu Yunzhi and the other is Chen Laoci.

The two people followed the custom of Dongdu. After they became famous in the alleys, they must ask a slightly famous scholar to change their names to wash away their violent spirit.

These two people are in their thirties, with peaceful names and respectful looks. Only when they look around, they occasionally reveal a bit of fierceness. For heroes, this fierceness is a weapon that can be hidden but not really discarded.

Xu Chu bowed and said, "Yingcheng is not far from here, brother Ma, don't worry too much."

"It's better to be prepared. Besides, these two brothers have volunteered, how can we refuse their kindness?"

Liu Yunzhi smiled and said, "We have heard of the great name of the Seventeenth Young Master in Dongdu for a long time. We admire your courage and are willing to hold the reins for you. I hope you will not be shy because we just met."

Chen Laoci said the same thing. Xu Chu said, "Thank you for the trouble, brothers."

It was already dawn. Ma Wei sent the three of them for several miles, said goodbye again, and turned his horse back to the city.

It was not bad to have two people accompany him on the road. Liu Yunzhi and Chen Laoci were familiar with the people in Dongdu and could chat with Xu Chu. They were particularly interested in the assassination, asked about every detail, and then praised it.

Speaking of the assassin Luo Saner's death, the two sighed again. It was from these two people that Xu Chu learned that the assassin's real name was Luo Xuan. He was good at knife, stick, and fist. He was called "Sanjue Luo". Although he was somewhat famous in the world, he rarely moved around. His family was poor. Because he was originally from Liang, he often accepted Ma Wei's support and finally died to repay his gratitude.

"A scholar dies for his confidant. Chong Xiao killed the emperor in anger. Sanjue Luo is worthy of being a real man and a real hero." Liu Yunzhi praised.

"It was also Lord Ma... No, it was also the King of Liang who knew people and could pick out Sanjue Luo from the crowd." Chen Laoci said.

It was a bit tiring to chat while riding, and the three of them soon concentrated on riding and occasionally said a few words.

The nearby villages and towns had been looted. The people either hid in the city or joined the rebels. Some people died in the war, and their bodies were lying everywhere, with no one to pick them up.

In order to speed up and avoid trouble, the three of them bypassed the city. Liu and Chen often traveled outside and were more familiar with the route than Xu Chu. In the end, they were led by the two of them, and they avoided many detours.

On the way, the three of them met a group of rioters, holding sticks and staring at passers-by from a distance. Liu Yunzhi and Chen Laoci drew their swords, and more than a dozen rioters dared not come forward. After letting them pass, they threw stones at the back.

"The cunning people are hateful, and they are pitifully timid. A hundred cannot defeat one. Only those who get the heroes of the world can win the world." This was the first time that Liu Yunzhi was provoked and did not turn back, and he was very indignant.

"The King of Wuyue is a real hero and understands our thoughts best." Chen Laoci always raises the topic to a higher level.

The three of them rode non-stop, only stopping to rest when necessary, and arrived at Yingcheng smoothly at dusk the next day.

Yingcheng was full of flags inside and outside, and the three were stopped six or seven miles away from the city gate.

Xu Chu gave his name. He heard that he wanted to see Zhou Yuanbin and Shen Dan. The soldier led the way and took the three people into the city and handed them over to a clerk. After asking them in detail, the clerk took them to the government office.

The clerk went in to report. Not long after, Shen Dan and Zhou Yuanbin came out to greet them at the same time. Tan Wuwei and Liu Youzhong followed. They were all very happy, especially Shen Dan. He held Xu Chu's arm and looked up and down, as if he had not seen each other for several years.

Everyone went into the side hall to set up a table and told each other about their experiences in the past few days.

It turned out that the Jinyang soldiers had just arrived in Yingcheng, claiming to have 200,000 people, but even Shen Dan couldn't tell the actual number.

There were several cities in Bingzhou that refused to accept the order of the governor. Shen Zhi divided his troops to attack them, but there was no news yet.

Several troops from Jizhou had also set out, and they were not under each other's command. Shen Zhi had high hopes for them and sent his eldest son Shen Cong to greet them. He would make plans after the troops were gathered.

Xu Chu described the intention of the righteous army to unite, and Shen Dan immediately agreed. However, he asked about the details of the three kings in detail. Xu Chu praised them as much as possible, and Liu Yunzhi and Chen Laoci joined in, praising the three kings to the sky.

After eating and drinking, Shen Dan arranged for the guests to rest, and he went to see his father and arranged a meeting.

Xu Chu lived alone in a room. He knew that someone would definitely come to see him later, so he did not go to bed, but sat at the table to drink tea to sober up.

The first person to come was Tan Wuwei, who knocked on the door and pushed the door open without waiting for permission. He was not polite and said directly: "Mengjin must be a bait, but it cannot be abandoned."

"Second brother, you have a good idea." Xu Chu smiled and stood up to greet him.

"It is not a good idea to see the bait, but a countermeasure is." Tan Wuwei came and sat down.

"I'd like to hear the details."

"Since there is bait, there must be fish that bite the bait, and the rebels are like that. The Jinyang soldiers watch the fight from the other side of the river, waiting for an opportunity to join the battle, taking the bait for their own use, and the officers and soldiers become the fish that bite the bait."

"If the righteous army is defeated, the officers and soldiers will surely be in high spirits, and the Jinyang soldiers will be in low spirits. How can they fight with one strong and the other weak?"

"Haha, I haven't talked about the real "brilliant idea" yet. Sitting and watching the fight is still a deception. Send another elite cavalry to cross the river from upstream and attack from the side. Everyone shouted that the Eastern Capital had fallen, and the officers and soldiers must be in chaos. Take advantage of the chaos to attack and you will win."

"Is there any place upstream to cross the river?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the officers and soldiers must have prepared a floating bridge upstream. Once the battle of Mengjin starts, The soldiers crossed the river and attacked me unprepared. "

"Same as second brother's plan?"

"Yes, our army sent scouts to find out the location, and then set up an ambush to seize it in one fell swoop."

"What if the soldiers also ambushed?"

"Haha, the soldiers are confident of their strength and will never think so far. If you are worried, you can let the scouts observe more. If the soldiers set up the floating bridge and cover it up, there will be no ambush. If it is open, be careful."

"Second brother is thoughtful. Have you told Shen Bingzhou and third brother?"

Tan Wuwei sighed heavily, "I can't see Shen Bingzhou, third brother..."

There was another knock on the door outside. Xu Chu went to open the door. The people who came were Shen Dan and Liu Youzhong, whom he was waiting for.

Seeing Tan Wuwei, Shen Dan was not surprised at all, and smiled: "I knew you were here, telling your brilliant plan to the fourth brother? Don't worry, second brother, I have sent out scouts. If we can find a floating bridge for officers and soldiers, we will act according to your plan."

"There must be a floating bridge. The generals who lead the special forces on our side must be selected in advance. They must be bold and careful. As the saying goes, a slight mistake can lead to a thousand miles of error. After the special forces cross the river, the slightest mistake will lead to failure."

"Don't worry, second brother, the generals have been selected and there will be no mistakes."

Tan Wuwei's face seemed to be expectant, but Shen Dan did not mention his name. Tan Wuwei was a little disappointed and got up to say goodbye, "You guys chat, I'm going to sleep."

After the door was closed, Xu Chu asked: "Since the third brother used the second brother's strategy, why didn't he use the person?"

Shen Dan smiled and said: "The second brother is indeed a rare general, but he is arrogant and can accomplish great things, but he can also do bad things. He must be a little restrained. . Besides, this battle is just the beginning. It doesn't take a butcher knife to kill a chicken. Thousands of special forces are not needed for the second brother. When the second brother calms down, I will ask my father to give him an army to pacify Qinzhou. "

Liu Youzhong interrupted and said, "After the sworn brotherhood, I read the second brother's face and found that his fate is difficult. He still has a year to go astray. Everything is not going well. He can't be entrusted with a big task."

"Brother, can you read the face again?"

"Haha, I forgot, I have revealed the details to the fourth brother." Liu Youzhong's "face reading" is good at catering to the other party's mind, not really predicting the future. He glanced at Shen Dan and continued, "Shen Bingzhou has just started the rebellion, and he trusts the Jinyang troops the most, followed by the Jizhou troops. The second brother is a commoner, and he has not made any achievements. It is rare to be reused. He has to wait until the Jin army is stable before he has the opportunity to lead the troops. "

Xu Chu nodded. This is Liu Youzhong's ability. He is not "looking at" Tan Wuwei, but Shen Zhi.

Shen Dan said, "Father is old and conservative, and he is not willing to take risks easily. It is understandable. Second brother really needs to wait a little longer."

"It's up to third brother to decide."

Shen Dan talked about business, "I just met father, he is willing to join forces with the rebels, and he will immediately become king after the battle of Mengjin is over."

Xu Chu nodded, knowing that Shen Zhi still didn't want to see him.

Shen Dan saw his fourth brother's concerns and said seriously, "Father is worried about being implicated by the word 'assassination' and is unwilling to see fourth brother, but this is only a temporary measure. After becoming king, he will have a good chat with fourth brother."

Xu Chu smiled and said, "With third brother here, I have no doubts."

Shen Dan comforted a few more words, took out three letters and put them on the table, "This is my father's letter, please give it to the three kings of the rebels, if you need to swear, I will come in person."

If the Jin army wants to use the rebels as bait, they must first get the other side. Trust, Shen Dan is bold and willing to go out. Xu Chu said: "There will definitely be an oath. Third brother does not need to go in person. Just send a general with a greater reputation."

"At the beginning of a major event, if the Shen family does not take the lead, how can they ask the soldiers under their command? Fourth brother, please make arrangements. Even if there is danger, I will bear it myself. It has nothing to do with fourth brother."

Xu Chu's comparison between Shen Dan and Ning Baoguan has not ended in his heart. From an emotional point of view, he would rather stay with Shen Dan. At least the two have similar backgrounds and like-minded, so there is no need to beat around the bush when talking.

It was late, Shen Dan and Liu Youzhong said goodbye, and Xu Chu asked: "Where is Guo Shifeng?"

"He went to Jizhou with my eldest brother." Shen Dan's "eldest brother" refers to his brother Shen Cong.

"Guo Shifeng is a wavering person. He can be of great use if he stays by his side. Once he is away, he may cause trouble." Xu Chu reminded.

"I have the same idea, but my father thinks Guo Shifeng can persuade the generals of Jizhou to serve with all their hearts, so he is sent to accompany my eldest brother. I secretly sent someone to keep an eye on him. If he has any ulterior motives, my fourth brother and he are old friends. I hope you can understand that I have no choice but to do this."

"I understand. We should be more cautious against Guo Shifeng." Xu Chu did not think Shen Dan was overdoing it at all.

Xu Chu sent his two brothers out and was about to say something polite when a shout suddenly came from deep in the house: "Assassin!"

Shen Dan's face changed, "That's my father's residence..." He ran away, and Xu Chu and Liu Youzhong were also startled and hurried to follow.

After a few steps, Xu Chu felt something was wrong, so he stopped and stayed, turned around and walked to the next room, knocking on the door first and then pushing it.

The door was not bolted and opened easily. There was no one inside, including Liu Yunzhi and Chen Laoci.