stubborn thief

Chapter 135 Overestimated
On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month in the second year of Chongzhen, it was the birthday of Emperor Chongzhen again.

Snowflakes fluttered over the Yan'an mansion, covering the mountains in northern Shaanxi with a layer of silvery white.

The old thieves from northern Shaanxi stepped into the Xingzi River through the snow.

When Gao Yingxiang came, Liu Chengzong was swinging an iron pick shirtless on the frozen Xingzi River. The cold covered his skin with a blush, and the sweat was slightly steaming on his head.

Soon, Chengyun handed over a hand-spun towel, and after wiping the sweat off his body, he hurriedly put on his clothes. Then he exhaled a white breath and asked, "Master Gao?"

"What are you doing, forget about it, hurry up, take me into the house to keep warm."

Liu Chengzong exercised in the morning. After running, he dug a hole in the river and then wiped his sweat and put on his clothes. His whole body was hot.

Gao Yingxiang was different. He rode all the way from Yanchang County, his eyebrows and beard were covered with icicles from the cold, and he went into the yard as soon as he walked.

Seeing his appearance, Liu Chengzong didn't take him up the mountain anymore, and went directly to Lin Wei's house at the foot of the mountain.

Together with the five relatives around them, the six old men curled up on the kang when they entered the house, each of them shivering from the cold.

Liu Chengzong deliberately stood outside for a while, and when the sweat was completely off, he walked into the room heated by the kang and asked, "Why is Master Gao here?"

"Can I not come? You asked your general Cao Yao to lead the troops to the east of Yanchang. What time is it? How dare you divide the troops!"

As Gao Yingxiang said, he took out seven or eight stacked pieces of paper from his entourage, handed them out and said, "Look!"

After receiving the letter, Liu Chengzong roughly scanned the top one, which was similar to the letter sent by Zhuantianmao some time ago.

It's just asking for the opposite. The letter Gao Yingxiang handed out said that if someone is sent to recruit security, he will agree to recruit security; if someone is sent to punish him, he will be asked to surrender.

Similarly, the official position promised in the end is also lower, that is, the general manager.

Liu Chengzong was amused when he saw it: "This Yang He has a lot of little tricks, fake ones, believe me, I have them too."

Gao Yingxiang said unhappily: "You look back."

The smile on Liu Chengzong's face froze, he continued to read the next letter, flipped through several letters in succession, his expression remained relaxed, until he saw the last two letters, he gritted his teeth and cursed in a low voice: "Damn it."

Each letter Gao Yingxiang brought was different, but the first few letters were roughly the same, they were all confiscated, and there were various arrangements for the next action, whether it was the campaign or the recruitment to persuade them to surrender.

Some people agreed to recruit security when they were asked to recruit security, some refused to agree to recruit security, some asked the same to surrender, some refused to allow the leader to surrender, some persuaded the leader to flee, and persuaded the leader to fight to the death.

Basically, these letters have mentioned the choices that subordinates will make when encountering recruitment and suppression.

Liu Chengzong believed that this was an anti-indirect strategy, bullying the rebel leaders from all walks of life to be loosely organized, causing suspicion from the top and bottom, and everyone was in danger, which in turn led to chaos and weakened the combat effectiveness of the various ministries.

These letters were discovered by people. When the leader knew the existence of this letter, he asked his subordinates how the court should recruit security. Those who agreed to the recruitment might be imperial spies, and those who did not agree to the recruitment might also be imperial spies.

There is no way to be the leader.

When the subordinate's letter exists, he dare not answer any questions the leader asks, and he will be suspected as a spy of the court if he says anything.

This subordinate can't be any more.

The reason why Liu Chengzong was convinced that this was an indirect trick was because the fake was better than the real one.

If it's true, it's useless.

It is the spies themselves that people are afraid of, not the suggestion of surrender or war.

At this point, Liu Chengzong is more proud, because it is invalid for the Lion Camp.

If you want to run towards the king of the mountain like the Water Margin, there will always be a dog-headed military advisor to consider, and this trick will work.

But the entire lion camp has no intellectuals at all, and the bandit-style democracy is not implemented in the team. There is only one Cao Yao, who can use his rich experience in bandits to fill in the gaps.

And relying on Liu Chengzong's understanding of Cao Yao, Cao Yao wanted to hide as far away from the government as possible, and it didn't even matter whether Cao Yao was loyal to him or not.

Liu Chengzong was not afraid of Cao Yao's surrender at all.

If others surrender, they may turn around and follow orders to fight the peasant army.

Cao Yao surrendered, and if he could not work for the government, he would not work for the government. Maybe he was still sleeping in the camp today, and tomorrow he cheated on some military rations and salaries and brought his cronies into the mountains.

Except for Cao Yao, Liu Chengzong has been responsible for the whole team's behind-the-scenes mastermind and vanguard sharp knife in the past six months.

He has also been tempered more and more powerful in this process.

This letter is fake, if he doesn't believe it, it's fine.

This letter is true, and it is useless, as long as the soldiers are restrained, and they are not given the opportunity to report the letter to the government.

But when Gao Yingxiang brought the last two letters, it was different.

Those were two letters of persuasion to surrender, and they were the internal response to the persuasion, saying that if you hold this letter when you surrender, you can be pardoned and given official positions according to the countermeasures.

Gao Yingxiang looked at his solemn face, knew that he had read these two letters, and said, "Cao Yao, I stopped him for you. If you still let him go, then send someone to speak again, but if you want me to tell you, the government is instigating rebellion. At that time, it is best to take care of the soldiers and horses."

Liu Chengzong pulled the stool and sat down. He didn't respond to Gao Yingxiang immediately. He put his hand on his chin and thought for a while, then turned his head and asked, "Master Gao, how did you find these letters?"

"It's not me. Huntian King returns to Yanchuan, and Huntian Monkey is in Luochuan. Their subordinates all disperse to their homes in winter. When someone hands them the letter, the letter will be everywhere."

Hearing this, Liu Chengzong relaxed and said with a smile: "Master Gao, you overestimated."

"Overestimated, overestimated what?"

He flicked a few letters with two fingers: "The government overestimated the impact of these letters, and the government overestimated us... Do you have so many literate people under your command? Can you understand them, can they understand them?"

Liu Chengzong estimated that these letters had no influence at all.

Divorce is good, it's disgusting.

But this thing is a strategy used by scholars out of the social environment.

If you ask people in towns and villages, there may be forty literate people out of a hundred people, but less than five people can keep accounts, write letters, and read books.

The rogues turned into thieves from the hungry and the refugees have a lower level of education.

According to the current cultural level of the thieves, if a letter is handed over, three of the five leaders may not know each other.

Not to mention subordinates.

When the subordinates of Huntian Monkey and Huntian King received these letters, they just picked up a piece of paper to pad the legs of the table, and went to the latrine to wipe their buttocks for fear of printing ink.

Gao Yingxiang was also taken aback by the question, thinking about it in his heart, it seems that this is indeed the truth.

"Hey, I don't mean to be rude, it's the same in my team, 1 people can't pick out [-] people who can read the entire letter."

Liu Chengzong waved his hand at the table, pointing to several letters: "Only those few who can read, how many pieces of this torn paper can fall into their hands? Master Gao, you put your heart in your stomach and tell people to be optimistic about the literacy in the camp." Yes, everything will be fine."

Liu Chengzong said this mainly because he wanted to calm Gao Yingxiang's heart and let Gao Yingxiang appease the other leaders.

Because he knew very well that there was no solution to this matter for the team of Huntian Monkey, Huntian King and others.

Whether it was true or not, they couldn't come up with any way to deal with it, nor did they have any ability to deal with it.

If the leader's mind is not disturbed, he is resigned to his fate; if the leader's mind is disturbed, then he has no turn to listen to God, and the huge but loosely organized team collapses directly.

Liu Chengzong felt that the room was a bit stuffy, so he went to the wall and opened the wooden window, and suddenly a gust of cold wind mixed with snowflakes rushed into the room, making him dizzy and cleared his mind.

He continued to think about it, and said: "Huntian King received it in Yanchuan, and Huntian Monkey received it in Luochuan. I intercepted it from Yan'an Fucheng half a month ago, and I received it in Yanchang's Master Gao and Ansai. , but did not receive it, what does this mean?"

you still need to ask?

Gao Yingxiang didn't hesitate to answer.

Liu Chengzong didn't expect him to answer, but just rationalized his thinking: "Three roads are advancing together, Yang He from Guyuan, Hong Chengchou from Hancheng, and the north... No, Guyuan should come slower than the north, could it be Zhang Nian? "

Gao Yingxiang added: "To the north should be Shenmu General Ai Wannian and Ningzhai General Ai Mu. King Hengtian mentioned them, and next year."

Gao Yingxiang looked at Liu Chengzong as if he had just remembered this, and said, "It's snowing in Yan'an Mansion, and there is this letter, what do you think next year?"

As the saying goes, auspicious snow heralds a good year.

But for him, the snow doesn't bode well.

When the harvest comes, they are finished.

In this magical land in northern Shaanxi, a single snow can change many things.

The people who are protected by them and provide them with information do not need to resist taxes.

"I just sent people to Zhuantianmao this morning, and told me to find another place to hide when I was older. There is no place for me to hide, and I will probably be wandering around next year."

"Come here and see that the river valley has been planted with wheat, are you willing?"

"With this snow, the 50 hectares of wheat fields in the river valley may be able to harvest nine buckets. If there is no drought next year, there will be more than 60 hectares of sloping land and more than [-] hectares of dedicated fields for four buckets of rent. This place alone can support me for a lifetime." Camp people."

Liu Chengzong counted the harvest of Xingzihe, shook his head and said with a smile: "What can I do if I can't bear it, I plan to let my elder brother come over, if I can keep it, I will keep it, if I can't keep it, it's because I don't have the life to eat."

There are so many fields in Xingzihe Wangzhuang that Gao Yingxiang and his followers are stunned.

He even made Gao Yingxiang say by accident: "I'm here to join forces with you, can you hold it?"

Liu Chengzong smiled, "What do you think, Master Gao?"

In fact, it is very likely that it can be defended, and it can defend the first and second offenses.

But the first attack will expose them to the sight of the officers and soldiers, and the second attack will be the army's pressure, and at the same time dispatch troops to block the main roads.

Afterwards, heavy artillery must be mobilized, pressing step by step, occupying water sources and fertile land to besiege, and the enemy should attack by force, and finally either break through the siege or be trapped to death.

But if it is to break through, what's the point of sticking to it for a month, half a year or even a year?

Gao Yingxiang shook his head and tutted out: "I just feel that it's a pity. Others are not like you. They are not afraid of this letter. The other leaders are planning to hide away... Shanxi, are you going?"

"All go to Shanxi?"

Gao Yingxiang nodded and said: "All go to Shanxi. King Hengtian came from Fugu Hequ to deal with Ai Wannian and went to Shanxi; Zuo Guangzi and Huntian Hou went to Hancheng to seek revenge for Hong Chengchou and then went to Puzhou; Don't get muddy from Jiazhou, I came from Jiazhou Wubao crossed the river."

This is to attack Shanxi across the board.

Liu Chengzong asked: "What about Shaanxi?"

"Li Laoyu and Laohui don't want to go to Shanxi. This time, when they go to Shanxi, the northern ones will fight south; How do you feel?"

Liu Chengzong secretly calculated in his heart.

On the north side wall, Wang Jiayin and Lao Hui were dragging the officers and soldiers; on the south side of Hancheng, Wang Zuohang and Li Laozhen were there to deal with it.

That is to say, only the officers and soldiers in the direction of Qingyang are left, and there are local troops from Han Chaozai and Liu Liu and Liu Qi, and the north gate of Yan'an Mansion has Ren Quan'er's gatekeeper.

In this way, it is not dangerous for father and brother to stay near Yan'an Fucheng.

"When are you leaving?"

"March next year."

Liu Chengzong nodded and said, "Then I will go to Yanshui Pass."

Yanshuiguan, he is familiar with that place, the most important thing is the target.

Earlier this year, when he had only a few hundred people, he had peeped at the farmland of the Qingcheng Prince's Mansion of the Jin Fan in Fenzhou Prefecture from a distance, but was blocked by the Guangwuzhuang Inspection Department in Luliang Mountain.

This time it will be different, he wants to enter Xiaoyi, take down a few villages in Prince Qingcheng's mansion, and distribute some food to the common people in Shanxi.

Don't rush this kind of thing too late, Wang Zhuang will be gone if it is too late.

Gao Yingxiang didn't stay in Xingzihe, only had a meal, and then galloped back to Yanshui Pass again. He was accompanied by Wei Qian'er, who went to tell Cao Yao to continue eastward and investigate the situation of Yanshui Pass message.

Two days before the New Year's Eve, Liu Chengzong took the sum and Xiaozuanfeng back to Zhuantianmao with eyebrows.

There were rats in Panlongchuan River Basin, which made my eyebrows very happy. With endless work, I caught them from New Year's Eve to Lunar New Year's Day.

I haven't finished eating by myself, it seems that I finally have the opportunity to repay Liu Chengzong's kindness in nurturing. In the few days when I return to Zhuantianmao for the New Year, the old Liu's big rooster can be laid off.

Every morning, before dawn, Liu Chengzong would be woken up by the loud scolding of the kitten at the door.

There must be a few fat and black mice neatly arranged outside the threshold.

This didn't mean that Mei would always show him the results of his work and actually call him to have breakfast.

Needless to say, in northern Shaanxi these days, because there are many people who do not believe in evil, everything is thin, except rats.

They are also afraid of the cold, so they have to find someone to dig holes in the house in winter.

I heard from farmers in Zhuantianmao that some farmers sneaked back to Heilong Mountain to hoe the ground when they were about to break down, to dig out the ungrown seeds that had been sprinkled into the ground earlier.

Nothing can be dug out, and the seeds buried in the ground are just gone.

When you find a mouse hole, dig it out accurately, and there are piles of ungerminated seeds hidden by mice, which can cook half a pot of porridge at a time.

Mr. Liu is a man who can hide things. In the past few days during the Chinese New Year, Liu Chengzong talked about his plans for spring, but he didn't say anything. He didn't stop him until he had breakfast before he was going back to Xingzihe in the third year of junior high school.

"Lion, you are going to take the team to Shanxi in February. Before you go, go back to Heilong Mountain and clean up the brother-in-law of the magistrate. The Qingming family can worship the ancestors."

Liu Chengzong lowered his head to pick up the rice, and asked vaguely, "Where's Zhang Nian?"

"Zhang Nian is fine, anyone can just fire a gun in the city."

When Liu Xiangyu talked about this, his teeth itch: "His brother-in-law has lived in the castle built by our family, and he cooperated with the old Liu's family to build him a castle!"

　Good morning! Chapter 2 will be released at night.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)