Chapter 422 Zhang Zhun’s Three Requirements

Zhang Zhun was gnawing the big cake. He fought with the officers and soldiers for five consecutive days, and all the soldiers were exhausted, and Zhang Zhun was no exception. Even when he was eating, he took a break from his busy schedule. There was no saying that he was not a regular meal. He felt hungry, so he took out the big cake from the cloth bag next to the saddle and ate it for a few bites. He was eating it with a mouthful of water. Maybe it was because the big cake was too dry and difficult to swallow, and his eyes were often turned pale.

Seeing Song Degang appear, Zhang Zhun put down the pancake and said with a smile: "Huh? Old Song? You are here at the right time! Come and eat some!"

After saying that, he enthusiastically took out a big cake that he had never eaten before and handed it over.

Song Degang shook his head repeatedly and said with a laugh and cry: "I've eaten it, I've eaten it, I don't need it, I don't need it."

When I met, I invited me to eat big cakes. You are so polite! I haven't eaten big cakes for many years. After all, I am a great general, okay? If I still eat such vulgar food, I will be laughed at.

Zhang Zhun took back the pancake casually, without feeling embarrassed at all, and said casually: "You don't want it, then forget it. I don't care about my half meal, I really can't bear to give it to you."

Song Degang looked around and saw that many soldiers were eating big cakes like Zhang Zhun. He couldn't help but sigh and said, "Zhang Zhun, why are you the trouble? Be your commander of Aoshanwei, eat delicious food and drink spicy food. Isn't that great? You can sleep in the open air, these big cakes... To be honest, your brother hasn't eaten for many years."

Zhang Zhun said disapprovingly: "This topic is too profound. We are friends, so we won't talk to you about such serious issues. I don't want to eat big cakes either. I also want to eat shark fin bird's nest and bear paw every day. The problem is that there are no such conditions! I tell you that at this time, it's good to be able to eat big cakes."

He did not say this on purpose. In fact, it was indeed the case. Although the Ming army has worked hard these days, the Hu Ben Army has worked hard. The number of cavalry in the Hu Ben Army is one-fifty of the enemy. One of them has to deal with fifty ones. No matter how advanced the weapons are, they can't handle it! Many soldiers rely on a force to fight. Once the battle is over, they will soon be exhausted. Since yesterday, the Hu Ben Army has experienced non-combat reductions, and many war horses have been exhausted. Now everyone is gritting their teeth to support it.

Song Degang sighed and formally bowed, saying, "Governor, it's a matter of humble position..."

Zhang Zhun said casually: "Don't be so literary. You are not a scholar. Why do you learn to do so sourly? Lao Zhu sent you to negotiate? Is he unable to hold on?"

Song Degang said seriously: "No, he just asked me to visit you."

Zhang Zhun smiled and said, "Go to me, a thief? Interesting, interesting. OK, I decided to accept your visit. You are not an outsider either. If you have something to say, just say it and let it go if you have fart!"

Song Degang conveyed the meaning of Zhu Dadian straight to the point. Zhu Dadian refused to say the word "negotiation" when he died, but even a fool could understand it. Since Zhu Dadian had such thoughts, Song Degang naturally had to express it.

"negotiation?"

"Okay! I agree!"

Zhang Zhun nodded without hesitation and said readily.

After more than ten days of fighting, the Hu Ben Army's cavalry was already very tired and their combat effectiveness had been seriously affected. Negotiations were also beneficial to the Hu Ben Army. After all, this was not a battle of the same level at all. One person faced fifty people! Even if ten people were killed, the other party still had forty people. This was equivalent to a group of wasps, pestering an elephant, which could cause a lot of trouble to the elephant, but if you want to make the elephant fall, you would not be able to do it. Moreover, after the elephant fell, more elephants would arrive.

As long as Qingzhou City is in the hands of Zhang Zhun and King Heng cannot return to his fiefdom, the court will have to send more troops to come for its own face. In other words, the battle will never stop. If the stalemate continues, the non-combat reduction of the Hu Ben Army will definitely become more and more serious. In the end, the recently formed Hu Ben Army cavalry will be dragged down by endless battles.

To be precise, Zhang Zhun's cavalry team has not been completed at all. This battle was completely overloaded and used in advance. Such use of troops is very risky. Since Zhu Dadian can't hold on, there is no need for Zhang Zhun to make him fat. Just stop when he sees it is better. It really takes time to breathe a sigh of relief now. Whether it is Zhu Dadian or Zhang Zhun, it needs this time.

Song Degang said, "Then I'll go back and tell him."

Zhang Zhun said: "You tell him that as long as he is sincere, I will be sincere."

Song Degang nodded and said goodbye immediately.

After returning to the Ming army's camp, Song Degang quickly conveyed Zhang Zhun's meaning to Zhu Dadian.

Zhu Dadian finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Zhang Zhu agreed to the negotiation, it would be easy to deal with. As for the specific conditions, Zhu Dadian was not very worried. The situation is very obvious now, and Zhang Zhu and him want to break off contact as soon as possible. After the two left the battle, they had a lot of things to deal with. From this perspective, Zhang Zhu would not speak loudly.

Besides, this kid has plundered a lot in Qingzhou City, and it is said that he has plundered hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. What else do he want? You can't move the entire Heng Palace back to Laizhou Prefecture, right? After thinking about a night, Zhu Dadian immediately appointed Song Degang as the secret envoy to negotiate specific conditions with Zhang Zhun. He rarely granted Song Degang great power.

Soon, Song Degang appeared in front of Zhang Zhun again.

It was still at the place where they met last time. Zhang Zhun sat on the east side of the rock, and Song Degang sat on the west side of the rock. There was a pot of wine and a small bag of air-dried beef. The two of them started negotiations while drinking while eating beef jerky. In fact, the so-called negotiations were basically Zhang Zhun putting conditions. The only condition for Zhu Dadian was to recover Qingzhou City.

"Brother Song, don't cheat me!" Zhang Zhun said half-jokingly.

"In this world, there may be people who dare to cheat you, but it is definitely not your brother, me." Song Degang said with a wry smile. He dares to cheat Zhang Zhun, aren't he tired of living?

"Okay, what does Lao Zhu mean?" Zhang Zhun was really rude and directly called Zhu Dadian Lao Zhu from beginning to end.

"What can he mean? His wealth and life are all in Qingzhou City." Song Degang shook his head and said.

"Qingzhou City, I can give it to him. But what can he give it to me?" Zhang Zhun also said readily.

It is absolutely impossible not to give up Qingzhou City. Qingzhou City is where the Heng Palace is located. King Heng must go back to live in Heng Palace. Otherwise, the royal family will be indifferent and Emperor Chongzhen will never be able to step down. The Hu Ben Army controlled the Heng Palace and will only cause constant attacks, and there is no need. The valuable things in Qingzhou City have been moved away in these ten days. It is no big deal to leave Zhu Dadian an empty city. The key is what price Zhu Dadian is willing to exchange for Qingzhou City.

"What do you want?" Song Degang said.

"I want these." Zhang Zhun took out a piece of paper without hesitation.

Song Degang took it and saw it, shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Zhu Dadian will definitely cry when he sees this piece of paper. However, there is no way. If he wants to retake Qingzhou City, he must agree to Zhang Zhun's request. If he still cannot let King Heng go back to Qingzhou City, his head will definitely not be able to save it. Yes, losing Qingzhou City is indeed not your responsibility, but if you spend half a month and cannot recover Qingzhou City, that is your problem. Between your life and this piece of paper, Zhu Dadian naturally knows how to choose.

In fact, it is not too much to carefully examine Zhang Zhun’s requirements.

The first request was to give Zhang Zhun five hundred war horses.

There is nothing to say about this. Zhang Zhu's cavalry camp was staring at Zhu Dadian's cavalry camp. Zhang Zhun calculated clearly how many remaining horses there were in the cavalry camp. He has been a local rich man these days, specifically calculating the number of horses in the cavalry camp. These five hundred war horses were equivalent to taking time off the cavalry camp.

Zhu Dadian was not unacceptable to this. It was difficult for Zhang Zhun to get five hundred war horses, but Zhu Dadian had no difficulties. As long as he had money, the Ming army could buy a large number of war horses from Mongolian tribes. Five hundred war horses, as long as he had ten thousand taels of silver, could be directly supplemented from Shanxi to Shandong.

The second requirement is to acquiesce the control of the Tiger Army over Laizhou Prefecture.

This... seems to be a fact. Even if Zhu Dadian doesn't want to admit it, there is no way. If he doesn't admit it, he can only continue to fight. Continue to fight from Jinan City to Laizhou City. Zhang Zhun is barefoot and is not afraid of wearing shoes. If he fights along the way, even if the Hu Ben Army is consumed, the court will almost be finished. Even if the court cannot be finished, Zhu Dadian will definitely be finished.

The third requirement was that Zhu Dadian arranged for Liu Zeqing or Song Degang to lead his army to guard Qingzhou Prefecture.

Of course, this is to establish a buffer zone. Zhang Zhun and Song Degang have a friendship, and Song Degang is stationed in Qingzhou Prefecture, which is conducive to communication between the two parties. As for Liu Zeqing, although he has no friendship, Liu Zeqing also knows that Zhang Zhun is powerful. He is stationed in Qingzhou Prefecture and will only look at his own acre of three-point land obediently. He will never take the initiative to tease Zhang Zhun if he has nothing to do.

In fact, such an arrangement is also beneficial to Zhu Dadian. There is a buffer zone between the two parties, and at least there will be no friction often. Without friction, everyone can live a peaceful life and wipe their butts clean. Of course, if they change to another Shandong governor, that would be another matter.
Chapter completed!