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Chapter 202 Shen Futai's Superb Speed ​​Far Than Sima Yi Captured Meng Da
"Master Futai, it's not good! Yuezhou urgently reports! Li Dingguo's troops under Zhang Ni's command suddenly rushed out from the Tianmen Mountain area recently. The Yongding guards at the mountain pass were caught off guard. More than a thousand soldiers had no fighting spirit and surrendered in half a day!"

"Li Dingguo's troops attacked Cili County for a day and a night. Huang Renyou, the county magistrate, surrendered cowardly. The Jiuxi guards were cut off and surrendered. Now Li Dingguo has entered Shimen and Lixian County. After passing through Anxiang, he will enter Dongting Lake Yes! This is the news sent back from Yuezhou two days ago! I don’t know if the situation has deteriorated further in the past two days, and whether Shimen and Li counties have been stubbornly delaying.”

"The banner of Zhang Xianzhong appeared in the east of Taoyuan County, Changde Prefecture two days ago. Before the city was besieged, the magistrate of Taoyuan sent an urgent messenger to Wuling County, the prefecture, to report the emergency."

The first batch of urgent documents was delivered to Fang Kongzhao in Jiangling on the eighth day of June.The content of the urgent report is only up to the sixth day of June at the latest, which is two days ago.

So in the past two days, Fang Kongxuan still didn't know if the Liu thieves had made any new progress or how much progress they had made.

When Fang Kongxue got these bad news, his eyes almost went dark.

He also had no choice. Before leaving the government office in Jiangling and blocking the main force in Yiling, it was also because his army was too small and insufficient. In the past two years, Yang Sichang did not pay much attention to him. He could directly mobilize less troops. to twenty thousand.

With such a small number of people, of course, they have to guard against danger and hold each other for a long time. Therefore, it is the safest choice to concentrate on the exit of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Who would have thought that Zhang Xianzhong could disregard the grain road and cross mountains and ridges to break out of the encirclement?
After all, it is the civilian officials who traditionally read military books, and their cognition of the military is too stuck on the ancient motto of "before the soldiers and horses move, the food and grass first".

But the phrase "food and grass first" is aimed at the army that needs to transport food by itself.

For Zhang Xianzhong, who kills and eats wherever he goes, and as long as there are people, there is food for him. This ancient teaching will obviously fail in extreme cases.

This really cannot be blamed on Fang Kongxuan being pedantic, because Shao Jiechun on the other side of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River also made the same mistake in history——

Shao Jiechun also asked Zhang Ling to stick to Baidi City and Qutang Guard, but Qin Liangyu advised him to "take the initiative to enter the dangerous mountains and not guard the lonely city alone", but Shao Jiechun didn't listen (it's not that he didn't want to listen, but he couldn't afford to disperse the long-term garrison. Consumption of grain and grass), finally led to Zhang Xianzhong's detour into Sichuan regardless of the grain road.

Fang Kongxuan just made a mistake that all governors who were educated in the Ming Dynasty would make.

But something has happened, what is needed now is to solve it as soon as possible and plug the leak.

Fang Kongxuan immediately summoned his staff and subordinates, asked for opinions from all parties, and worked together to find a solution.

"For the current plan, what can I do? I want to take Jiangling troops south to Baling and Huarong to prevent Zhang Ni from seizing the mouth of Dongting Lake, and then observe the situation and adjust accordingly. What do you think? Who dares to lead the army?"

As soon as Fang Kongzheng asked, there was only one general, one guerrilla, and several guards in Jiangling City, and they all looked at each other in blank dismay.

Fang Kongzheng has less than [-] troops, and more than half of them are in Yiling. How can the remaining people go south to rescue?

Participating general Liu Shunchen begged for mercy with a bitter face: "Master Futai! No way, there are less than 8000 people in our Jiangling city, including the temporarily recruited city and rural guards! And to ensure that Jiangling is not lost, at least we have to stay. Human guards, right? It is the limit to send 5000 people.

Since Zhang Xianzhong dared to cross Tianmen Mountain, he must have put all his eggs in one basket. With our little army rushing to reinforce, even if we sailed down the Yangtze River by boat, it would take us more than [-] li to reach Baling Waterway.
Also, Master Futai please seek help from Wuchang Shenfutai as soon as possible!Let his soldiers and horses cross the border into our Huguang territory to help fight the rebellion!Wuchang is only [-] miles away from Baling, and Shen Futai's soldiers are strong and strong, and they will definitely be able to protect Baling when they arrive! "

Hearing this, Fang Kongxuan wanted to scold Liu Shunchen for his shamelessness in his heart.When talking about the distance between Jiangling and Baling just now, it is said that "it is 'only' four hundred miles downstream", but when it comes to Wuchang reinforcements, it is said that "it is 'only' five hundred miles upstream".

Shen Shuren's soldiers wanted to come for reinforcements, not only would they have to travel a hundred miles longer, but they would also have to go upstream, how could you be ashamed to "only"?

However, Fang Kongxuan also knew that there was no way to ask Shen Shuren for help, who made him poor and couldn't afford too many soldiers.The guards under his command are full of empty pay, that's why there are so many troops.Without foreign aid, there is only one dead end.

Unlike Shen Shuren on the opposite side, who has a good way of making money, the imperial court has fully filled the establishment, and even recruited troops outside the law, and various black households hide their strength.

As for the military salary issued by the imperial court is not enough, Shen Shuren directly subsidizes it himself, and even the lijin banknotes he controls can receive much more money for raising soldiers than Fang Kongxuan——

Who let Fang Kongxuan control the lijin banknotes, mainly for trade with Sichuan?Zhang Xianzhong has been entrenched in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River between Huguang and Sichuan for a year and a half. Business travel has already dropped by at least [-]%, and there is no business tax to collect.

However, before asking for help, the posture still needs to be staged. This is not for military accounts, but for political accounts.

Fang Kongxuan knew very well that asking Shen Shuren for help was against the Ming Dynasty's law.From a legal point of view, Fang Kongzhang had the right to report to Yang Sichang first and ask for help, since he was in a hurry to advertise, and then let Yang Sichang assign who to play the role of reinforcements.

The two governors are on the same level as each other, so what's the point of asking for help directly?Wouldn't it have become the authority of the Ming court, privately handed over?
If you are impeached by the censor, you may be dismissed directly.

Fang Kongxuan had no choice but to say: "Forget it, then the official will expedite writing to Nanyang first, ask Mr. Yang Ge for instructions, and then Yang Ge will write to Wuchang, and let Shen Futai send troops to help.

However, General Liu Can, you still have to lead [-] troops first, and rush to Baling immediately. Before Shen Futai's troops arrive, you have to try your best to defend Baling before Li Dingguo!You guys, let's go with General Liu Can! "

As he said that, Fang Kongxuan called a few more names, and everyone who was called was shocked, fearing that the thieves would advance too fast and they would not be able to reach Baling in time, and be surrounded on the way.

Liu Shunchen quickly relented: "Your Majesty Futai, you can't do it! The military situation is like a fire, how can you avoid suspicion at this time? I beg Master Futai to ask Shen Futai directly for help! If you go to Nanyang to find Elder Yang Ge, you will come and go again and again. Wouldn't it be at least five or six days longer?
At the end of the day, I will wait to know your concerns, Mr. Futai, or we will jointly sign a blood letter, saying that we can't stand Li Dingguo, and asked Shen Futai for help privately!My lord, you are also coerced by the opinions of the public, and the official censor will not be held accountable by the law at that time, please take this important responsibility, my lord! "

Seeing that everyone had become witnesses, Fang Kongzhang went to invite all the civil servants in Jiangling City to discuss together.

Including the prefect of Jingzhou, the county magistrate of Jiangling, as well as a group of subordinate officials of the governor's office and various professional officials, all the interests were shown.

Everyone saw that the generals were raging, and they didn't want the thieves to destroy a few more prefectures because of pedantry, so they took the courage to follow the law and not blame the people, and jointly signed a blood letter to report to Yang Sichang, while directly exceeding his authority and asking Shen Shuren to send troops.

……

In the end, Liu Shunchen was forced by Fang Kongxuan, and led thousands of people down the river. He chose the narrow and long boats and arrived in Baling County, the capital of Yuezhou, within two days.

At the same time, some messengers and scouts continued to go down the river in a few sentry boats to report to Wuchang and directly invite Shen Shuren to send troops.

Luckily for Liu Shunchen, when he arrived, four or five days had actually passed since Fang Kongxuan received the urgent report.In other words, four or five days ago, Li Dingguo had already breached Cili County, made an emergency landing at Jiuxiwei, who had been cut off from his way back, and approached Shimen County.

In the past four days or so, Li Dingguo broke through Shimen County in just half a day.Then it took another two days to march and attack Li County.

In the last two days, Li Dingguo continued to advance triumphantly, captured Anxiang, entered Dongting Lake smoothly, and approached Baling.

Liu Shunchen hurried on, and when he arrived, Baling had not yet been besieged, but the vanguard scouts of Li Dingguo's troops had already landed and patrolled near Baling, intercepting news, and intercepting soldiers and civilians coming and going.

Liu Shunchen originally had the opportunity to march directly into Baling City, but he was afraid that Li Dingguo's main force would suddenly attack and intercept him halfway into the city, so he chose to station in Chenglingji, more than 20 miles north of Baling County. .

Chenglingji is where the mouth of Dongting Lake flows into the Yangtze River. There have always been river defense forts built in successive dynasties.In the Ming Dynasty, there was also a Wubao of the guards here, so you don't need to build your own fortifications to camp here, you can directly use ready-made fortifications.

And because it is backed by the Yangtze River, it can be attacked and defended here. Even if Li Dingguo came, he could escape back to the Yangtze River by boat, and he would not be afraid of being chased and killed by Li Dingguo, who only had boats and rafts.

Liu Shunchen originally had the last sliver of conscience, and felt that it was too much to keep silent, so he chose a general under his command, and allowed him to bring ten fast sentinel boats and a hundred cavalry to reinforce Baling City and publicize the main force of the reinforcements. It has arrived, so as to boost the morale of the defenders in the city, so that Li Dingguo will not surrender without a fight as soon as the city is besieged.

However, what kind of plot will be brought out by what kind of counselor, Mr. Qian also has a bitter face, complaining well-founded:

"Don't do it, general! You forgot that Zhang Xianzhong has always been good at making ruffian cavalry pretend to be messengers and reinforcements to defraud the city! Even if we go to Baling City and even show the seal, the guards on the city will most likely shoot us back as Zhang Xianzhong's soldiers. !
When the time comes, the city will refuse to open the gate, and Li Dingguo's army will surround him again. Isn't it just letting the brothers die in vain? "

Liu Shunchen was right when he thought about it, and then he thought of a perfect way to get rid of his guilt: If Baling City is defended in the future, everyone will be happy, and everyone will be fine, as if nothing happened, don't mention it.

If Baling did not defend, then the defender must have surrendered to the enemy. At that time, he would say, "I have already sent people to reinforce the city of Baling, and I want to enter the city to help defend it. It is because Zhang Xianzhong is too cunning, and he has swindled the city too many times before. The guards were so frightened that they refused to open the door to let me into the city, so I had no choice but to come back.”In that way, he himself will never be questioned by the court.

After trying to understand this truth, he still insisted on letting his confidant Qian Zong go, but secretly confessed: "You don't want to go to the city of Baling, but at least pretend to leave Chenglingji and come back to spy on the enemy's situation. In the future, others will ask , I might as well say that I sent you there, but the city general will not open the door. If no one asks about this, you will rot in your stomach forever!"

The confidant, Mr. Qian, immediately understood, and executed this kind of prudent and self-protecting counsel very neatly.

After he was stationed in Chenglingji, Liu Shunchen counted the days and estimated that it would take at least one and a half days for the messenger to go to Wuchang, and it would take more than three or four days for the army to return.Because a large-scale army marched against the current along the Yangtze River waterway, it would be fast if it could travel hundreds of miles a day.

However, what he didn't expect was that he only slept in Chenglingji for one night, and the next morning, his confidant Qian Zong came in to report:

"General! Report from the messenger! Shen Shuren's reinforcements have arrived! They will arrive during the day today! After the messenger is delivered, hurry up and report back!"

Liu Shunchen was taken aback: "How could it be possible to come so fast?"

The cowardly boss was spitting all over the place:
"The messenger arrived in Linxiang County in the middle of the night last night, when he encountered the army from Shenfutai! Shenfutai has already organized the army in advance, and rushed to Linxiang County at the junction of Yuezhou Prefecture and Wuchang Prefecture to wait. The cavalry from Shenfutai can arrive in the morning! The main force of the follow-up waterway can also arrive in the afternoon!"

Liu Shunchen was stunned: "Is there any civilian or military general in Ming Dynasty who rescued the friendly army so quickly? Even Sima Yi in the play captured Meng Da, and he didn't come so fast, right?"

(End of this chapter)