Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 22
In a military camp somewhere in Shanxian County, Wu Shangwen and several trusted followers were drinking in the big tent.With his muscular upper body naked, he picked up a large bowl full of wine and took a sip. The wine dripped down the corners of his mouth. He wiped the corners of his mouth, put down the wine bowl, picked up a roast leg of lamb, and started to bite .

Mr. Liu, who had a scar on his face, muttered vaguely while chewing mutton: "General, we stopped the imperial envoy a few days ago and injured the soldiers of the Beijing camp. This matter is very happy, don't be serious. Annoyed the court, if the emperor gets annoyed and asks the commander-in-chief and the governor to deal with us, the crime is not light!".

Next to Wu Shangwen's soldiers, Liu Dagang snorted, and said nonchalantly, "I said, Liu Er Er, the more you live, the less courageous you are! Don't you look at what year it is? The rebels are getting more and more suppressed." , Seeing that the world is already in chaos, now that you have soldiers in your hands, you are the master, and the imperial court has to use us officers and soldiers to deal with thieves, how dare we deal with our general for this matter!"

The rest of the generals also echoed.

Wu Shangwen nodded approvingly, swallowed the food in his mouth hard, and said: "Da Gang is right! Right now the world is in chaos, and the thieves in Daming needless to say, slowly gained momentum. The soldiers and horses of the court are The fewer the fights, the more the rebels beat more and more people. Even many officers and soldiers who had suffered defeats and disintegrated joined the rebel camp. The governor of the five provinces, Hong Chengchou, was quite good at leading troops to fight, but his men were full of fights. More than 2 people, how many rebels are there? The Fan Han cavalry under the Chuang Wang Gao Yingxiang has more than 18 cavalry, that is cavalry, what are we most afraid of in the infantry? What is most afraid of is the cavalry. To put it bluntly, my subordinates More than [-] infantry, [-] cavalry can kill us, let alone [-] cavalry. There are other rebels, such as Chuang Tiao Tian, ​​Lao Hui Hui, Zhang Xianzhong, etc., which of them is not more than [-] troops Huh? And the group of Jurchens outside the Guan also came to Daming to take a bite when they saw the opportunity. I heard from those guys in the Guan Ning Army that now Daming is riding [-] paces in Liaodong, and he dare not go out to fight in the city. He can only stay in the city Stick to it. Those Jurchens are savages, and they are not afraid of death when they fight. If the Jurchens are really allowed to enter the customs, then Ming will be finished. I see, the Zhu family is about to lose its power, and the idiots in the court dare not What to do with us, you have to point us to work for them. Now I just want to spend more money so that I can recruit soldiers. In the future, no matter whether it is a rebel or a Jurchen, if we have soldiers in hand, everyone will look up to us , when the time comes, we will also become a duke, hahaha!" After finishing speaking, he picked up the wine bowl and drank it down, while the rest of the people picked up the wine bowl to kill them while complimenting.

In a corner of the camp, Qianzong Wu Qun was lying in the shade under the stable, holding a piece of hay in his mouth, humming a little tune with his legs crossed, surrounded by several bosses and whistlers.

He is a native of Shan County. His family is poor, with little land and many brothers. He has never had enough meals since he was a child.The private school teacher in the village thought he was smart and wanted to admit him to school, but the family couldn't afford Shuxiu, so the old man had to give him a name and gave up.

When he was a teenager, he joined the army in order to let his parents and brothers eat more. When he was in his 20s, he was promoted step by step from a soldier to a thousand boss with his military achievements.He has a cheerful personality, is righteous, and has strong combat skills, so all the officers and soldiers under him obey him.Except for sending some of the reward money awarded by the above to support the family, the rest was distributed to the brothers who were poor at home.

Chen Dashuan, the general manager, said in a low voice: "Boss, those grandsons are drinking and having fun again, but it's hard for us brothers, and we can't even eat enough! We didn't go to the imperial envoy last time, and those grandsons were so proud when they came back. His nostrils are facing the sky! He even raised his eyebrows at our brothers, spoke in a strange way, saying that we are the dogs of the Zhu family, and they even beat our master, looking for a chance to deal with us dogs!"

The other general, Sun Rengui, also said: "They intercepted the imperial envoys under the pretense that the imperial court would not pay the soldiers. Who doesn't know that although the imperial court didn't pay us much, they still allocated some and let these bastards swallow it. Soldiers fight for food and wages, and now there is no food and no wages, Mr. Qian, what do you think we will do in the future?"

The guard Liu Shiquan said darkly: "The world is in chaos. He, Wu Shangwen, is so bold because he saw that the imperial court dared not do anything to him. Mr. Qian, you are capable of fighting and you are righteous, brothers. I admire you. But there is no money or food, so this is not the way to grow. How about we just kill those bastards, copy the soldiers’ salaries they greedy, and drag the brothers to occupy the hills. If we don’t harm the people, we just Wouldn't it be nice to rob the rich and help the poor, drink in big bowls and eat meat in big pieces!"

Wu Qun suddenly sat up, kicked Liu Shiquan somersault, and scolded: "You have listened too much to the mother's words, haven't you? Drinking big bowls of wine and eating meat, and robbing the rich and giving to the poor, that's rebellion! Do you know?" From childhood to adulthood, my parents and the man who named me have taught me loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness! The world is not peaceful, and it is the time for a good man to make contributions! You let me rebel and become an unfaithful and unrighteous traitor. You fucking say that again, I'll peel your skin!"

Liu Shiquan sat up and said with a smile: "Mr. Qian, don't we think it's a pity that you are so blind? The court is not serious. Wu Shangwen, an incompetent bastard, rides on our brothers' heads to pee, and deducts our military pay. , we are arguing for you!"

Wu Qun said sternly: "No matter what, I, Wu, will never be a traitor! The world is too big, and the court doesn't know everything. But the Holy One is a wise king, and Wu Shangwen and the others will definitely end up badly. Let's just do our duty faithfully. At worst, sell it." Giving this life to the imperial court will also leave a good reputation, and prevent outsiders from stabbing us and our family members in the back!"

Just as he was talking, he heard a sound of horseshoes entering the camp from far and near.Not long after, one of Wu Qun's soldiers hurried over and reported panting that the governor had come to Shan County and sent an order for Wu Shangwen to meet him in the county seat.

Wu Qun and several generals were stunned for a moment, and looked at each other. Wu Qun said, "It must be the matter of the imperial envoy! This time the imperial court ordered it very quickly, and I feel that something is wrong with Wu Thief this time!"

In Wu Shangwen's big tent, feeling a bit drunk, he squinted at the soldiers sent by the governor to deliver orders, and said, "Why did Mr. Zhu come to this small place of Shan County? Why did you ask me to meet you?"

The soldier who delivered the order clasped his hands and replied: "The Governor has brought the imperial edict, as well as the military pay allocated by the household department. As for why the general was invited to meet, I don't know!"

Wu Shangwen hiccupped and said, "I already know, you should go back!"

The messenger said: "General, please hurry up! When the governor came from the provincial capital, he had already informed the guard General Mou, and he is also coming. It is estimated that he will soon arrive at the county town!"

When Wu Shangwen heard that General Mou Wenshou was coming, he was the benefactor who single-handedly promoted him.Immediately, the drunkenness subsided a lot, and he said seriously: "I will set off now, you should report to the governor!"

After the messenger saluted, he left the big tent and returned.

Liu Er Er said, "General, why did the court issue the decree so quickly this time, and why did the Lord Governor come to Shan County suddenly? I always feel that something is wrong!"

Wu Shangwen smiled and said: "The court's decree is nothing more than strict orders and orders. The governor came to Shan County to show that he attaches great importance to this matter. Otherwise, the court would be embarrassed. If there is something wrong, why do you have to pay the salary? It must be a slap in the face Give me a sweet date, reprimand me openly, and coax us with real money in secret, don't think about it, what can the court do to me? Could it be that the general will be killed for this matter? Don't be afraid Are the soldiers mutiny? What's more, the general is here, so there will be no problem!"

Liu Er Er said: "Although what the general said is reasonable, I always feel that something is wrong. Just in case, the general should bring more troops to go!"

Liu Dagang, the leader of the personal army, also persuaded: "General, anyway, it is more than twenty miles away from the county seat, so bring a few more people, and it's better to go out to the camp to practice!"

"Okay, Liu Dagang, you order a hundred soldiers and cavalry, and show the governor our elite soldiers and strong generals, so that Mr. Mou will look good!" Wu Shangwen ordered.

After Wu Shangwen dressed neatly, he took his only [-] cavalry out of the camp and headed for the county seat.Wu Qun and the others secretly resented them when they watched them show off their might.

Wu Shangwen withheld the salaries of the officers and soldiers, in addition to self-satisfaction, he raised this elite cavalry.Although he had never fought against bandits, this cavalry team made those small bandits flee. In order to have the capital to protect his family, Wu Shangwen spent all his money, choosing the best from horses to armor and weapons.Wu Qun concealed that although his more than 1000 soldiers were loyal and reliable, it was still very difficult to deal with this hundred horse team.I really hope that God will open his eyes and take this thief away.

Wu Shangwen led the horse team to walk in a long line on the official road, and the horses walked in small steps.Wu Shangwen was in the middle of the team, with Liu Dagang, Liu Er and other cronies surrounding him.

Because Shandong had never encountered bandits, the small group of bandits had fled far away. The road was very safe, and they didn't even go a few miles before the normal scouting.Pedestrians on the road saw the horse team from a distance, and avoided the road early, and the group of people just hurried on the road lazily, talking and laughing.

Unknowingly walked more than half of the way, and we will soon arrive at the county town after bypassing another dirt slope. Suddenly, there was a scream and noise from the front team that bypassed the dirt slope. .

Just around the slope, I saw a group of cavalry in bright armor blocking the official road a few hundred steps ahead.The leading general, tall and burly, with beards, lion nose and ring eyes, holding an iron gun upside down, stared at them coldly.

Wu Shangwen's lingering drunkenness immediately turned into cold sweat, and with the general's intuition, he knew something was wrong. These were soldiers and horses of the imperial court, and they were the most elite ones!At least [-] riders. If you want to pull the horse and escape, there is a rear team behind you. Before the horse speeds up, the opponent speeds up and charges. I'm afraid they don't even have the strength to fight back.The only way is to bite the bullet and charge, and find a chance to escape by himself. Thinking of this, he drew out his saber and hissed: "Fight with them, charge!"

Huang Degong looked at the panicked cavalry in front of him, and sneered in his heart. People like chickens and dogs dared to despise the court, and they died without knowing how!

He squeezed the horse's belly with both legs, holding the rein in one hand and the spear in the other, the mount rushed out, and the cavalry behind him followed him in a cone shape, using him as an arrow.Huang Degong's mount trotted for dozens of steps first, then slowly accelerated, and when it was about [-] steps away from the opponent, the horse rushed up with all its strength.

Wu Shangwen's cavalry is still in chaos. After all, although they are well-equipped, they usually kill small groups of bandits. Those bandits don't have cavalry. The cavalry charged the infantry, which was a one-sided attack.They have never seen the formation of a large group of cavalry charging head-on. The momentum of the large cavalry charging made them tremble. Call.

In the blink of an eye, the brave guard cavalry had already cut into the opponent's chaotic formation like hot knives cutting butter.Huang Degong rushed to the front, and the spear in his hand stabbed out like lightning with the momentum of the horse, stabbing the throat of a soldier facing him, who was stabbed backwards and fell off the horse by the huge impact.Then Huang Degong swept his spear horizontally and hit the helmet of another soldier. The other soldier's neck suddenly broke to one side, and he fell off the horse twisted sideways.

Huang Degong stabbed and smashed with a spear in his hand, killing five people in a row in the blink of an eye, and led the Yongwei Battalion to penetrate Wu Shangwen's horse team in a few tens of breaths. After breaking through Wu Shangwen's formation, Huang Degong ran forward for a while, gradually slowing down the speed of the horse. To leave enough distance for the rear team, after all, it is on the official road, not in the Great Plains where you can ride a horse and turn a corner.

After all the rear troops of the Yongwei Battalion came out of the formation, Huang Degong turned his horse's head and led the team back to the battlefield. There was no enemy standing on the official road, and the corpses were everywhere. Only some ownerless horses neighed occasionally. Only a dozen soldiers in the guard camp were injured.

With a wave of Huang Degong's hand, the horsemen of the Yongwei Battalion behind them dismounted one after another, pulled out the ring-shou knife from the waistband and began to cut off the heads one by one.There were wounded and not dead enemy soldiers begging for mercy, and soldiers from the brave guard battalion cut off their heads after making up the knife with a blank face.

After a while, Li Sihai of Huang Degong's personal army came up to him with a head with eyes wide open and a terrified expression on his face, and reported, "General, from the armor, this should be Wu thief!"

After all the soldiers were searched, Huang Degong ordered: "Leave 50 people and find a place to bury the corpses! The armor and weapons are carried on the horses captured, and the heads are brought. Let's go back to the county! Send someone to tell Lao Zhou that this is over. , ask him to wait near the Wu thief barracks, the governor and I will be there in a while."

It turned out that in order to prevent accidents, Zhou Yuji led a team of two hundred horses to ambush near Wu Shangwen's barracks to prevent Wu Shangwen from escaping back to the barracks.Huang Degong took [-] cavalrymen to intercept and kill Wu Shangwen. Since there was no fish that slipped through the net here, it was natural to inform Zhou Yuji to stay where he was and wait for Huang Degong to join Zhu Dadian and go to the barracks together.

In the county government office of Shan County, Zhu Dadian was chatting with Wang Bing and Zhang Guoji, while Mou Wenshou, the general of Shandong, sat silently.

Zhu Dadian knew that he had a close relationship with Wu Shangwen, so when he came to Shan County, he informed him to come with him. Mou Wenshou also knew that he came to Shan County for an imperial envoy. The order reprimanded him, but the governor still had to give him face, so he brought a team of soldiers to Shan County.The main reason is to hear from the governor that the emperor used internal funds to allocate the salary, and he came to get a share of the pie.

While everyone was chatting in the second hall, Zhu Dadian's personal soldiers came in to report, and Huang Degong, a general of the Yongwei Battalion, asked to see him.

Mou Wenshou was thinking about how much money he could get this time, when he heard that the general of the Yongwei Battalion was suddenly stunned.He had heard of the Yongwei Camp and knew it was the elite of the Emperor, so why did he suddenly come to this small place like Shan County?
Zhu Dadian smiled slightly, glanced at Mou Wenshou, and ordered: "Please come in with yellow ginseng!"

After saluting, the soldiers turned around and came out. After a while, with the sound of footsteps, Huang Degong entered the second hall carrying a bloody head.

Mou Wenshou recognized the ferocious-looking head at a glance, his face was as white as paper, and his heartbeat accelerated suddenly.

Wang Bing and Zhang Guoji were also surprised.

Huang Degong knelt down on one knee to salute, held his head high with one hand, and reported loudly: "Huang Degong, the general of the Yongwei Battalion, was ordered by the emperor to lead his troops to kill the traitors. Fortunately, he did not disgrace his life, so I come here to report!"

Zhu Dadian got up with a smile, supported Huang Degong with both hands, and said: "General Huang is brave and invincible! With such a loyal and brave man, I congratulate the sage and the court!"

Then he turned around and cupped his hands to Wang and Zhang and said, "I hope that the two old emperors will forgive me for concealing the crime! The Holy Majesty gave the official a secret decree, ordering the official to cooperate with General Huang to kill the traitor who despised the court. Leaked, so I didn't tell the two, please forgive me a lot!"

Wang and Zhang had understood it, and they were overjoyed. The shame that had been accumulated in their hearts for the past few days was swept away, and they laughed heartily.

Only Mou Wenshou's face was pale and frightened.

Zhu Dadian turned around, looked at him with a smile, and said, "Commander Mou, it is said that Wu Shangwen has a close relationship with you. What do you think is the difference between such acts of contempt for the Holy Majesty and the court, and rebellion?"

Mou Wenshou stood up suddenly, and hissed: "The general and Wu Shangwen are just superiors and subordinates! There is no communication on weekdays. This thief has done such evil things, and the general wishes to kill him with his own hands! This is a traitor! This is rebellion." ! Well done! Well done!"

Zhu Dadian said with a smile: "Since Mou Shen will sever ties with this thief, then I will not pursue it any further!"

Suddenly, Zhu Dadian said in a stern voice: "I just hope you take this as a warning! Eat the king's salary, and be loyal to the king, don't make mistakes! Otherwise, Wu Thief's today is your tomorrow!"

Mou Wenshou fell to his knees with a thud, nodded his head again and again, said that he dared not dare, and vowed to be loyal to the Holy Majesty and the court with all his heart, and would never violate his wishes.

After Zhu Dadian ordered him to get up, he opened his mouth and said: "In the past, you treated the orders of the imperial court as nothing. As the emperor's imperial envoy, I was the governor of Shandong, and all the orders you gave were obedient and yin. If you don't obey, you will definitely be executed!"

Mou Wenshou shuddered in both directions, but Wei Wei couldn't stop.

Zhu Dadian clasped his hands to Wang and Zhang and said, "My lords, I have to go to the Wu thief barracks with General Huang to rectify military affairs and announce the imperial decree. You two will rest for a few days, and wait for the sacrificial offerings to the imperial mausoleum to be ready. It's not too late for the two of you to go to Fengyang!"

After Wang and Zhang returned the courtesy and said yes, Zhu Dadian, Huang Degong and Mou Wenshou left the county government office and went to Wu Shangwen's camp.

(End of this chapter)