Chapter 9: Miaojiang Phoenix (2)

Will Zhuoba let Yuanzhou City easily fall into Hong Chenggong's hands? This is obviously impossible. Yuanzhou City is a crucial military center to go south to Guangxi. If it falls into the hands of the court in the north, it will be difficult to retake it. What's more, Zhuoba wants to capture Jingzhou in the south of Chenzhou and connect Guangxi in the south, and obtain a larger strategic space, forming a favorable situation that can be advanced and attacked and defended.

Zhuoba has had a detailed study of who might have sent Xiangxi as the head coach in the north. Among them, Hong Chenggong was the second one among the candidates. He analyzed that the most likely one was that the governor of Huguang was personally appointed as the head coach of Pingmiao, while Hong Chenggong, who was still experienced, was ruthless and strategic, ranked second. It can be seen that Hong Chenggong also attached enough importance to Hong Chenggong. He believed that the court in the north could not transfer people from other places because it was too time-consuming and labor-intensive, and could not find a good candidate for a while, so he could only choose nearby. So when Zhuoba received the news that the court used Hong Chenggong as the head coach, he began to study and formulate strategies for him.

The young and impulsive Zuo Liangyu Zhuoba should prefer it, but in order to sneak attack and rescue the hundreds of small chieftains and Miao people who were arrested by Zuo Liangyu, he had to come up with this bad strategy. If Zuo Liangyu was not poisoned, as long as he could speak, he could organize an army to eat his sneak attacks. After all, he dispatched nearly 10,000 people to annihilate two thousand grain transport teams with almost no alertness. Just two thousand people went deep into the camp of tens of thousands of troops. If he did not create any chaos and lost the main general, the two thousand people would probably have been chopped into meat sauce. How could he talk about saving people?

Hong Chenggong was not afraid of the harassment tactics of the Miao people. He recruited the Han people expelled by the Miao people on the spot, and gave them three meals a day and accommodation guaranteed, so that they could repair and widen the official road, build observation posts along the commanding heights of the road, and close to the two sides of the official road, and shoveled the roots of the turf and tree were shoveled smoothly. It was clear that the hillside that blocked the viewing angle was either flat or built an arrow tower on it, and quickly sent troops to take over the two counties of Luxi and Chenxi, renovate the bombed city, issue a notice to appease the people in the city, and restore normal order here.

The numerous evil deeds committed by the imperial army disguised by Wu Heimiao in the two county towns made the people of Luxi and Chenxi resist and hatred against the real imperial army. There were even Miao people in it to incite trouble. Who is Hong Chenggong? He would be afraid of these. Suppressing riots was originally his best. He did not obey the court's rule here in one fell swoop. Those who gathered to make trouble and violated the law will be beheaded whenever they were caught. After three days, there were no less than hundreds of Miao people and innocent Han people killed. There was a row of signs at the gate of the city every day, and it was not enough to be added or replaced.

Huang Zongxi had never seen such a bloody scene. He vomited all his bile. After many dissuasions were ineffective, he posted several memorials to impeach Hong Chenggong to kill innocent people and take human lives without any help. However, he soon discovered the benefits of Hong Chenggong's killing. The city quickly calmed down, and no one caused trouble, and the crime rate was greatly reduced.

The common people also discovered that as long as they did not cause trouble, did not resist the court, and did not commit crimes, no one would do anything to them. Moreover, they found that the annual corvee and taxes announced by the government were several times less than before, and there was also no need to pay the taxes that were imposed in advance for three to five years. They would not continue to pay after the years that had been paid. This discovery made families whose relatives died in vain regret it. They should not believe the encouragement of others to fight against the court. Why do you have to come? After this storm, the reputation of Hong Chenggong's "butcher" resounded throughout Xiangxi. Whether it was Han people or Miao civilians, when a child cried, he would just shout "Hong Butcher is here" and keep him in mind. It was really a test and it would be a matter of later.

If Hong Chenggong wants to trap Wu Heimiao's rebels, he must take Yuanzhou in the shortest time. In this way, Wu Heimiao's retreat to the south will be cut off, and Wu Heimiao can only cross mountains and ridges to the west and go to Guizhou. It depends on whether the new Guizhou general Qin Liangyu can defeat She Chongming's rebels in the shortest time, and then trap Wu Heimiao's rebels tightly within the wall in the western Hunan!

After worrying for a long time, Ma Laoguan found that Wu Heimiao had no movement at all. But there was news that Wu Heimiao led his army to move to Mayang, leaving only five thousand troops to entrust his son-in-law Wuyu to guard the royal city (that is, the old city that Ma Laoguan spent many years to build, where the Ma family was located. After Ma Laoguan surrendered to Wu Heimiao, he presented the city and became Wu Heimiao's royal city). He was puzzled and quickly called Ma Gu to discuss this strange phenomenon.

"Magu, we took Wu Heimiao's fat meat from his mouth. He didn't say anything in his life. It's so strange. He even moved the army to Mayang. Will there be any conspiracy?" Ma Laoguan felt that it must be unusual here. Maybe Wu Heimiao came up with some vicious plan to deal with the Ma family?

"The old city is the foundation of my Ma family. Wu Heimiao can leave, but we cannot leave. Wu Heimiao left his son-in-law to command 5,000 troops and lived in the Phoenix Camp on Phoenix Mountain. Wu Heimiao moved to Mayang. My old city happened to be attacked by two armies of Wu Heimiao. As long as we have any abnormal movement, the Ma family and the old city will be crushed to pieces." After hearing this, Ma Gu came to such a conclusion after a little analysis.

"My father also thinks this way, but wouldn't it be better for him to stay in the old city? Is it so troublesome to use it?" Ma Laoguan nodded.

"This daughter needs to think about it carefully. The wise man Zhuoba will never persuade Wu Heimiao to move to Mayang for no reason. He must have his purpose." Magu frowned.

Magu lowered his head and pondered for a long time, and said, "My daughter guesses that we can't contact Yuanzhou City at this moment."

"Wu Heimiao planned to attack Yuanzhou City?" Old Guan Ma asked in shock.

"No, Zhuoba is too powerful. He actually used us as bait to attract the army of the court in the north to attack Yuanzhou City. The army of the court in the north has occupied Luxi and Chenxi. Next, they want to form a semi-encirclement and cut off our connection with the Miao family in Guangxi. They must capture Yuanzhou, a military city. He, the Yellow Bird, was behind, under the banner of saving our lonely army, and attacked the army of the court in the north to regain the city of Yuanzhou. In this way, the Ma family will take the opportunity to play Wu Heimiao. When Magu has no way out, I promise to marry Wu Heimiao. I probably don't even have the qualifications to be the wife of the wife!" Magu analyzed painfully. Facing a wise man like Zhuoba, Magu can only realize it later and passively dismantle the opponent's tricks. For an eighteen-year-old girl, it is undoubtedly a huge psychological pressure and test.

"What a poisonous plan!" After hearing this, Old Man Ma was sweating coldly, gritted his teeth and cursed.

"I originally knew that Yuanzhou could not be defended. I planned to withdraw from Yuanzhou City when the imperial army arrived in the north and resisted decently. Wu Heimiao's purpose of moving to Macheng was to prevent our Ma family's army from withdrawing from Yuanzhou City and to cut off our connection with the city. Magui would not dare to make arbitrary claims to withdraw from Yuanzhou City. Zhuoba must be very clear about this point that will definitely cut off our connection with Yuanzhou City." Magu shook his head and sighed.

"The city of Yuanzhou is the most elite soldier in my Ma family. If these 4,000 people are lost, I'm afraid it will be up to Wu Heimiao's face in the future. Ma Gu, you..." Old Guan Ma's expression was dim and he couldn't continue.

"Dad, we actually have a chance to turn defeat into victory, but do you dare to do it?" Ma Gu turned her eyes to her father's face and said in a serious voice.

"What opportunity?" When Old Official heard this, his listlessness disappeared. He stared at his daughter's pretty face with his eyes tightly, and asked anxiously.

"Although Zhuoba blocked all channels for our external contact, he didn't know that his daughter actually had a force. Since its establishment, his daughter's Phoenix Group has rarely used it, and its members are extremely loyal and reliable. Wu Heimiao and Zhuoba may not know its existence, so it is probably not that easy for Wu Heimiao to cut off our external contact!" When talking about the Phoenix Group he founded himself, a strong sense of confidence suddenly returned to Magu's whole body.

"What do you mean is to notify Ma Gui to evacuate Yuanzhou City as soon as possible?" Ma Laoguan was shocked and said with joy.

"No, Ma Gui must not withdraw from Yuanzhou City now. Once Ma Gui withdraws, Yuanzhou City will inevitably fall back into Wu Heimiao's hands. In this way, Zhuoba has also achieved his goal, but the conditions I offered are also valid. Ma Gu still wants to marry Wu Heimiao." Ma Gu thought about it carefully and opposed it.

"What do you think you should do?"

"Let Ma Gui send a request to Wu Heimiao, asking Wu Heimiao to send a large army into Yuanzhou City!" said Ma Gu.

"Wonderful, in this way, the crime of our private transfer of troops to capture Yuanzhou City has been much less severe. We attacked Yuanzhou City. Wu Heimiao couldn't take it as a betrothal gift to my Ma family. If this condition was not met, what's the face of Wu Heimiao coming to my Ma family to propose marriage?"

Zhuoba found that he had underestimated the little girl of the Ma family. Since receiving a request from Ma Gui to send troops to guard Yuanling, he knew that the first goal he had carefully arranged was bankrupt. In order to attract Hong Chenggong to attack Yuanling City, he attacked Hong Chenggong's army inside and outside the city. Zhuoba asked Wu Heimiao to write a letter in person, ordering the five thousand Miao army disguised as Ming army in Yuanling City to obey Ma Gui and assist Ma Gui in defending Yuanling City. At this moment, Hong Chenggong had led 25,000 troops to advance to the city of Yuanling City. For the first time, Hong Chenggong was also cautious.
Chapter completed!