weaving

"Zhang Cheng, I never thought that in just a few years, you have been promoted from a guerrilla to a general of a town, and even been awarded the title of earl. Your future is limitless."

Hu Dawei's complexion had indeed recovered a lot after a short rest, but he couldn't hide the trace of loneliness. He pulled Hu Zichen over and said to Zhang Cheng as if he was arranging his funeral: "My own son has died for the country on the battlefield. Now I only have this nephew by my side. He has been with me for many years. Although he has not made any great achievements, he has also gained experience. In the future, he will be with you and will not bring shame to me, a tiger."

Zhang Cheng felt sad when he heard him talking about his last wishes, and said quickly, "General Hu, what are you talking about? You are still as good as ever, but you just met a bunch of stupid teammates, so you are controlled by them everywhere. Didn't I say long ago that 'this is not Zhan's fault'?"

"Pig teammate?"

"That's right, General Hu, you have two stupid teammates, Crazy He and Zuo Pingzei, so how can you not lose? That's why I said that General Hu's defeat was 'not the fault of the war'."

Hu Dawei was stunned at first, but soon realized that this was a way for Zhang Cheng to give him an excuse. He smiled bitterly and said, "Whether they are great teammates or stupid teammates, in the final analysis, it's still me who is not good enough!"

He suddenly picked up the wine bowl on the table, drank it in one gulp, and said, "But then again, the thieves are indeed no longer the same as they used to be."

Hu Dawei said to Zhang Cheng solemnly, "I have been fighting bandits for more than ten years. In the past, we had more than a thousand cavalrymen and dared to chase the bandits for dozens or hundreds of miles, from one province to another, and we were always successful.

Even in the past few years, when the bandits were powerful, we fought back and forth, with more victories than defeats, but we were always invincible unless we fell into the bandits' evil schemes. But now the situation..."

Zhang Cheng took the wine pot and filled it for him, saying, "General Hu, there is no need to be sad about this. Since Li the bandit entered Henan, his power has grown greatly. And because he seized a lot of loot from Luoyang, he was encouraged by the opening of the granaries to distribute relief. The hungry people in Henan Province have joined the bandits in droves.

In addition, they have defeated two Shaanxi governors in a row, and their reputation has grown. They have also recruited many Shaanxi soldiers to surrender, and have seized armor and weapons. Now they have learned to operate cannons and fire guns. They are also clear about rewards and punishments, and have strict military discipline. They are no longer the mob they were before, and are a serious threat to the court. "

After he put down the wine pot, he continued, "Nowadays, when it comes to suppressing bandits, we must avoid being impatient for quick success. Any rash action will only increase the bandits' power, enhance their prestige, and encourage their ferocity."

Hu Dawei seemed to understand something and asked, "What do you mean...?"

"Relying on the strong city of Kaifeng, we will set up a battle array and camp, and we will firmly guard the waterway as a food supply route. We will advance step by step, and gradually wear down the morale of Li's army. When he is exhausted and has run out of food and grass, he will surely become impatient. Only then will we find an opportunity to counterattack."

"Ugh."

Hu Dawei sighed and said, "The strategy is good, but I don't know if the court will give you that much time!"

Zhang Cheng did not respond to his words, but said to him: "General Hu, do you know why Shuipoji was defeated?"

"Why...?"

"When a large army goes to war, it's a matter of life and death, and the most taboo thing is 'failure to unify power.'"

Zhang Cheng picked up the wine bowl in front of him, drank it all, and said: "Shuipo has gathered hundreds of thousands of government troops, and they are not under the same command. Although Ding Qirui is the commander-in-chief, he cannot control Zuo Liangyu and other arrogant and fierce generals, nor can he command the Baoding army under the command of Yang Wenyue, the former Baoding governor.

After the water source was cut off by the bandit Li, they could neither attack bravely nor retreat after cutting off the water source, so they set up camp again in an area with water source. They missed the opportunity and lost the initiative, which led to the defeat at Shuipo Ji.

His words made Hu Dawei nod his head repeatedly. At this moment, he also knew that Ding Qirui, Yang Wenyue, Zuo Liangyu and others had all fled, so although he was unwilling in his heart, he was not as excited as before.

“But it’s different here. Although we are also the border troops of the three towns of Xuanda, we have been together for a long time and have a tacit understanding with each other. There is no possibility of military constraints. We are united as one.

Although our troops are not as numerous as Shuipoji, our fighting power is still far superior to Shuipoji. Moreover, our division’s military strategy is already set, and all military orders come from one place. All the generals only know how to follow orders, and there is absolutely no case of disobeying orders.”

Hu Dawei nodded, not knowing what to say, but suddenly asked, "Wang Pu, are you still the general of Datong?"

Zhang Cheng nodded and said, "General Wang accompanied me to Jinzhou to help the slaves last year and saved Jinzhou from danger. He made great contributions and is now the general of Datong. He is also highly regarded by the emperor."

Hu Dawei couldn't help but shook his head secretly when he heard this. Thinking back to the Battle of Julu, he still looked down on Wang Pu a little bit. He always thought that he was a rich playboy and not a good candidate to lead troops in battle.

Who would have thought that in just two or three years, he had suffered a series of defeats, while Wang Pu was becoming more and more successful. With the ups and downs like this, the difference was obvious, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed in his heart.

Of course, this situation also further strengthened his inner thoughts, that is, he must get his nephew Hu Zichen into Zhang Cheng's Yongyi Army no matter what, and use his remaining face to fight for a good future for Hu Zichen.

"Brother Cheng, I thought you would have great potential back then. Now you have become an earl. If my brother Zhang Yan knew about this, he would be relieved."

Hu Dawei's words were obviously an emotional one, but they were very touching when they came out of his mouth: "Back then, I had a great fight with Yang Zhenshuai and brother Zhang Yan at Julu. Even though we lost miserably in the end, it was a great pleasure!"

As he spoke, he seemed to be filled with sadness, or perhaps thinking of Yang Guozhu who had already died on the battlefield, he shed a few tears and choked up, "It's nothing like today's battle, the longer we fight, the more suffocating we feel."

Hu Dawei suddenly glared at Zhang Cheng and said, "Brother Cheng, my good-for-nothing nephew will be taught to follow Earl Yongning from now on, to be your little pawn, to hold your horse's stirrups... Okay!"

What could Zhang Cheng say when he saw this scene?

"General Hu, I am your personal commander in the Central Army. How can I take away your love?"

He looked at Hu Dawei and continued sincerely: "Although we have been defeated this time, the central army is still there, and the main force has not been lost. Let's rest first, and we will still be a powerful force tomorrow."

"Alas. I am old now. The world will eventually belong to you young people."

Zhang Cheng raised his glass and said with a smile: "Hu Shuai, you shouldn't be someone who easily admits you're old."

"Ha...haha. I have to admit that I am old. While I still have a say, I should find a good place for my children. If they really end up like my elder brother Yang, what can I do?" Hearing him mention Yang Guozhu again, Zhang Cheng was silent. He put down his wine glass, sighed softly, and said, "Now that it has come to this, what else can Zhang Cheng say. However, my brother Zichen does not have to rush to transfer to the Yongyi Army. Let him stay with General Hu first, go to Kaifeng to report to Governor Zhang, and rest for a few days until the soldiers recover their strength, and then come to serve in the front."

"Okay. That's settled then!"

Hu Dawei's expression immediately became excited, but then he said dejectedly: "Alas, what a pity."

Without waiting for Zhang Cheng to ask, Hu Dawei continued, "I, Hu, would like to ask Earl Yongning for a favor. You must agree to it!"

This time it was Zhang Cheng's turn to be stunned. Just now, in order to get Zhang Cheng to take in Hu Zichen, he had tried his best to persuade him, even mentioning Yang Guozhu and Zhang Yan repeatedly, playing the emotional card. But why was he being so persistent now?

"Master Hu, no matter what it is, just tell me. As long as I can do it, it's no problem."

"Cut off Hao Yaoqi, I want his head!"

  Zhang Cheng was really stunned this time. He had originally wanted to try his best to persuade Hao Yaoqi to surrender, but who could have thought that Hu Dawei would actually make this request at this time?

Hu Dawei also noticed that Zhang Cheng was a little hesitant, so he spoke impatiently, "Hao Yaoqi, that evil villain, chased me all the way. Zeng Xinjun, our deputy general, died at his hands."

When he said this, he became obviously excited, stretched out his hand and grabbed Zhang Cheng's collar, his old face flushed as he said: "In the bloody battle of Julu, the Tartars didn't kill Zeng Xinjun, but he died at the hands of this damned bandit.

This Hao Yaoqi has been relentlessly pursuing our army. If Lin Fangping hadn't arrived in time, I would have died in his hands. How can I relieve the hatred in my heart if I don't cut him into pieces today?"

Looking at Hu Dawei's ferocious old face, Zhang Cheng had no choice but to say, "Okay, I promise Hu Shuai."

…………

"Humph. They all praise Zhang Cheng as a god of war, but I think he is nothing more than that!"

Luo Rucai rode his horse slowly toward the northeast, and said to Ji Gui beside him with great pride: "We have come so far, but we haven't seen even a single person. Old Ji, do you think Zhang Cheng is afraid of us?"

Ji Gui was not as relaxed as Luo Rucai. He had a very serious expression on his face. Seeing Luo Rucai saying this, he reminded him, "General Luo, Zhang Cheng defeated Li Zicheng when Li Zicheng first attacked Kaifeng in the 13th year. It is said that Liu Erhu was once a prisoner of Zhang Cheng, but for some reason he was released alive by Zhang Cheng.

In addition, we learned from the official Wentang newspaper that it was this Zhang Cheng who led the army to aid Liao last year, defeated the Tartars, and lifted the siege of Jinzhou. Even if these rumors are a little bit exaggerated, this Zhang Cheng is definitely not an ordinary person. "

His eyes darted around as he looked around for a while, and he added, "Besides, Li Zicheng is a very cautious person. If he is a little afraid of Zhang Cheng, there must be something fishy going on."

"What's the trick? What else could it be?"

Although Luo Rucai was very unconvinced, he also looked around with a pair of leopard eyes. After a while, he said: "Even if Zhang Cheng is a big shot, he only has 50,000 or 60,000 people. What can he do?"

He pulled the reins of his warhorse, waved the whip in the air for a while, and said, "We have no less than 40,000 troops. Even if Zhang Cheng wants to move, what can he do to us? If he attacks with his main force, as long as we can hold him back, several armies will come together and surround him from all sides. Let's see how he can still jump around. By then, he will have to learn from that old dog Zuo Liangyu and run away in disgrace."

Although Ji Gui disagreed with what he said, he did not object. He just reminded him: "No matter what, it's always better for us to be careful."

After he finished speaking, he winked at the soldiers around him, and they immediately rushed in all directions, stopping to stand guard a few dozen steps away. Seeing that there was no one else around, Ji Gui approached Luo Rucai and whispered to him, "General Luo, what do you think of this battle today?"

Luo Rucai naturally knew what Ji Gui meant, but he didn't want to discuss this topic at the moment, so he laughed and said, "Of course it's about killing the officers and soldiers, seizing Kaifeng, and robbing money, food, and women!"

"General Luo, once Li Zicheng takes Kaifeng, we will be the next target."

"Impossible. King Chuang is not that kind of person."

"General Luo is confused. Even if Li Zicheng is not that kind of person, he still has the ability to tolerate others. But how can those civil and military officials in the camp tolerate you, General Luo?"

Seeing that Luo Rucai stopped talking, Ji Gui continued, "All the civil and military officials in the camp are looking forward to Li Zicheng's capture of Kaifeng, so that he can use his power to command the world, claim the throne, and compete with the Ming Dynasty for the world. General Luo, you also know this.

If you, General Luo, are willing to humble yourself and serve under Li Zicheng, hand over your military power to him, and be willing to be controlled by him, and are willing to be rewarded with a dukeship or even a kingship, then I have nothing to say.

However, Luo Shuai, if you don't want to be under Li Zicheng and want to live a free and happy life like you do now, you must plan early. Once Li Zicheng really captures Kaifeng City, it will be too late!"

"No way. Even if you don't want to be with Zicheng, it won't be too late for us to leave after he captures Kaifeng."

"Coach Luo is confused. If that happens, there will be no escape."

After hearing what he said, Ji Gui showed a trace of anxiety on his face, and hurriedly said: "Li Zicheng's army is more than twice as many as ours, and he commands the allied forces in the name of the Grand Marshal, and his prestige is growing day by day. Even in our Cao camp, there are people who remember Li Zicheng. If we really take Kaifeng, how can Li Zicheng let us go easily with his character, and reduce his army by 30% for nothing?"

He was afraid that Luo Rucai would not realize the seriousness of the matter, so he continued, "Since Li Zicheng has the intention of becoming the emperor, why would he let me, Cao Ying, leave and create another obstacle for himself to rule the world?

Moreover, even if Li Chuang Wang is confused and willing to let my Cao camp leave, Liu the Ironsmith and Song the Dwarf are cruel and vicious people. Does General Luo think they are willing to let my Cao camp troops leave and give Li Chuang Wang another enemy to rule the world? "

Luo Rucai's expression also became serious. After a moment, he sighed softly and said, "According to you...what should I do?"

In fact, this issue has not been raised for the first time. Ji Gui has mentioned this issue many times before. However, Luo Rucai always avoids the issue and never addresses it directly, which is why it has been delayed again and again.

"I have two strategies that can help Luo Shuai remain invincible!" (End of this chapter)