Across the Water Margin: Officials of Ximen

Page 333

Wang Jun?Didn't he follow Dong Dujian to Wenshang County to wipe out the remnants?Could it be that Dong Dujian was defeated?The magistrate Cheng Wanli heard Wang Jun's request to see him, so he hurried to the hall and invited Wang Jun into the mansion for a meeting.

After Wang Jun saw Cheng Zhifu, he didn't have time to salute, so he reported Dong Ping's defeat to the enemy and reported the emergency military situation to Dongping Mansion with Liang Shanbo's army.Wang Jun told Cheng Zhifu that he saw that Dong Ping had surrendered to the Liangshan bandits, and knew that something was wrong, so he had to feign surrender to save his life, and then searched for an opportunity to escape. .

When the prefect Cheng Wanli heard this, it was as if a thunderbolt had exploded above his head. He was so startled that he fell down on the chair, dumbfounded and speechless.

After Wang Jun and Yu Hou called out a few times, the magistrate Cheng Wanli came to his senses, and hurriedly said to Wang Jun: "General Wang, you risked your life to report the letter this time, it is really a great achievement! A great achievement! This mansion has a lot of rewards! Now that the army of Liangshan bandits is pressing down on the border, my army in Dongpingfu city lacks a leading general. This mansion intends to let you be the commander-in-chief of the army and lead the officers and soldiers in the city to work together to defend this Dongpingfu city. General Wang , are you willing to take on this important task? As long as General Wang can defend the city, I will recommend you to the imperial court to be the military commander of Dongping Mansion!"

"The final general thanked the prefect for cultivating it! However, the final general did not dare to lie to the prefect. With these people in the city, it is really difficult to defend the city of Dongping Prefecture." Wang Jun said to the prefect Cheng Wanli.

"Why is this? Isn't there still 4000 troops left in the city? The Liangshan bandits were defeated just a few days ago outside the city, killing and injuring thousands of people. ?” The magistrate Cheng Wanli looked at Wang Jun in disbelief.Cheng Wanli knew that Wang Jun dared to single-handedly break out of the bandit camp to report the news, and he was by no means a courageous person.Now Wang Jun said that Dongping Mansion could not be defended, so why not make Cheng Wanli extremely anxious.

When Wang Jun saw the magistrate Xianggong asking questions, he answered in his mouth: "Xianggong doesn't know what's hidden in it, so Rong Mo will come for him one by one: After a battle between my Dongping government army and Liangshan bandits a few days ago, although it was a big victory, it was also a setback. Some troops were lost, and there were only about [-] forbidden soldiers in the city, and another [-] side troops. This time, Dong Ping's rebel took [-] elite soldiers from the forbidden army to Wenshang County, but after the defeat, they were defeated. All of them voted for Liangshanbo bandits, so that the strength of Liangshanpo bandits could be strengthened. Those bandits recruited some rebels in Wenshang County, and now they have more than [-] troops. Looking at our army, there are only [-] weaker imperial troops and [-] troops left. The Auxiliary Xiang Army, which is barely able to go into battle, is far different from the bandit army in strength, and it is difficult to defeat the enemy. Moreover, the traitor Dong Ping has served as the military commander of Dongping Mansion for many years, and there are many of his confidants in this army. When the thieves attacked the city, the forbidden army in the city would not defect to the enemy. So, today, this Dongping mansion cannot be defended!"

After hearing this, Cheng Wanli, the prefect, stood up anxiously, paced back and forth in the hall, and scolded Dong Ping for being a traitor.

When Wang Jun saw it, he stepped forward to stop Cheng Zhifu, and persuaded him: "The magistrate, the magistrate, will come back at the end of the day, just to rescue the magistrate! As long as there is the magistrate in this Dongping mansion, even if the city falls into the hands of bandits , we can also gather reinforcements from all directions to take back the city from the thieves. If my husband is killed by the thieves, then my Dongping mansion will have no leader, and the big thing will go away! The magistrate, please follow the general, and the general will send it off. You go to a safe place."

Cheng Wanli, the magistrate, stared at Wang Jun and asked, "General Wang, it is my duty to protect the people of this Dongping Prefecture. How can this residence run away and abandon the people? Where does General Wang want to take this residence? Thief The army is so powerful, is there a safe place for this Dongping mansion? Could it be that the general wants this mansion to flee to another state to survive? I, Cheng Wanli, will never be humiliated in front of my colleagues! Forget it, my manor will personally go to the city to supervise the battle, and share with Dongping mansion. Survival."

Wang Jun heard this, and hurriedly said: "Master, there is another place in my Dongping Mansion that the bandits dare not touch easily! That is the place of the senior official Ximenqing in Yanggu County! The general said that if you encounter any difficulties in Dongping Mansion, you can go to Yanggu County to ask him for help. Xianggong, it is better to lead the army to escort you back to Yanggu County. With the help of Ximen officials, Xianggong, you can go to Yanggu County Set up a temporary government office, call in volunteer soldiers from all over the prefecture and reinforcements from other prefectures, wipe out the thieves, and recover this prefecture."

Chapter 537 Wanli Withdrew from Dongping Mansion

After hearing Wang Jun's words, the magistrate Cheng Wanli was very troubled.Wang Jun's words are not without reason.If it was true as he said, the city of Dongping was indeed impossible to defend, and it would be futile to stay in the city by himself. It would be better to retreat to Yanggu County and rely on the strength of the local rich to fight against the Liangshan bandits.

However, can Wang Jun's words be believed completely?Now there is only one side of Wang Jun's story. He suddenly returned to the city and said that Dong Ping had surrendered to the Liangshan bandits and was leading the army to kill Dongping Mansion.If what he said is not true, is he trying to deceive me out of the city?

Furthermore, as the magistrate, when the thieves approached the city and fled, the censors at Yushitai didn't know how they would write a letter to impeach me after they knew about it.

Should we defend the city, or withdraw?

Cheng Wanli, the magistrate, was hesitating, when someone outside the yamen asked to see him. The person who came claimed to be Yao Wenqing, the general manager of Ximen Qing's official in Dongping Mansion, and had something important to report.

After hearing this, Cheng Wanli invited Yao Wenqing into the hall.After Yao Erlang and Yao Wenqing saw Cheng Wanli, the magistrate, he immediately told Cheng Wanli straight to the point that Dong Ping, the supervisor of the army and horses, had defected to the Liangshanpo bandits and had taken down Wenshang County yesterday.My subordinates at the shop in Wenshang County rushed back overnight to report the news, saying that the army of bandits was about to approach the city.

Yao Wenqing told Cheng Zhifu that the bandits in Liangshan were powerful this time. In order to avoid being harmed by the bandits, he decided to take his men to Yanggu County to transfer. .

The magistrate Cheng Wanli heard Yao Wenqing say the same, dispelled his worries, and completely believed Wang Jun's words.He immediately decided to follow Wang Junzhi's words, abandon the city and retreat to Yanggu County, avoiding the front of the Liangshan bandit army, in order to make a comeback.

Cheng Wanli hurriedly called out his wife and daughter, entrusted them to Yao Wenqing, and asked him to take his family back to Yanggu County first.

After Yao Wenqing and his party left, Cheng Wanli asked Wang Jun to gather the army and retreat to Yanggu County with the army, so as not to let them stay and be used by the Liangshan bandits. , Ask the common people to flee for their lives.

After arranging these things, the magistrate Cheng Wanli held the official seal, led a group of officials in the yamen, opened the west gate with the army summoned by Wang Jun, and hurriedly withdrew towards Shouzhang County.

According to what Yao Wenqing said before he left, as long as he arrived in Shouzhang County, someone would come to meet him, and the magistrate Cheng and his party could safely retreat to Yanggu County.

In the Dongping mansion, the common people learned that the Liangshanbo robbers had gone and returned. This time, the officers and soldiers were unable to resist the enemy. After the prefect led the troops to retreat, they all fled for their lives crying for their parents and mothers.Some followed the footsteps of the officers and soldiers and fled to Shouzhang County, some fled north to Dong'e County, and some fled to Wenshang County in the southeast without distinguishing the direction.

Of course, there were also some rogues in the city who settled down and saw the officers and soldiers leaving, took the opportunity to smash and loot wantonly in the city, and prepared to welcome the Liangshan robbers into the city with flags and shouts.

Not long after, nine out of ten people in Dongping Prefecture left, leaving only those rogues who wanted to vote for Liangshan heroes to settle down, almost turning into an empty city.

Dong Ping was leading the vanguard across Wenshui and approached Dongping Mansion, but suddenly found some fleeing people coming ahead.

Those people were the ones who fled from Dongping Prefecture to Wenshang County in a daze.At this time, seeing the army of bandits in front of them, they came to their senses and realized that they had fled in the wrong direction.

Everyone complained in their hearts, but when they were about to leave, how could they leave?It didn't take a moment for Dong Ping's cavalry to catch up and surround them.

Dong Ping interrogated these fleeing people, only to know that after Wang Jun fled back to report the letter, the magistrate Cheng Wanli had given up the defense of Dongping Fucheng and fled with the soldiers and civilians.

Cheng Wanli's move was beyond Dong Ping's expectation.When Dong Ping fought back to Dongping Mansion this time, the idea in his mind was to kill the prefect Cheng Wanli's family as a vote for Chao Gai. Of course, the more important thing is that for Cheng Wanli's daughter, Dong Ping is bound to win this time. .

Dong Ping was holding back an evil fire all the way, and wanted to enter the city to rape the young lady of the Cheng family. At this time, he heard that the magistrate Cheng Wanli had escaped with his family, and he was furious, so he decided to chase Cheng Wanli and his party at full speed.

Dong Ping handed over the fleeing people to the infantry to take care of them, and after sending people to the rear to report to Chao Gai and Wu Yong, he led a thousand cavalry to break away from the brigade and rushed straight to Dongping Fucheng.

Dong Ping galloped all the way with his cavalry, and arrived at the foot of Dongping Mansion City in a short time. Sure enough, the four gates of Dongping Mansion City were opened, and the guards and the people in the city disappeared.

Only at the gate of the city, there were some crooked rogues wrapped in silk looted from the silk shop, and they lined up sparsely to welcome the heroes of Liangshanbo.

Dong Ping rode over there, and after inquiring about the direction of the retreat of the officers and soldiers from these rogues, he immediately passed through the city, left Dongping Fucheng from the west gate, and chased Shouzhang County to the west.

After Dong Ping left, Chao Gai and Wu Yong finally appeared on the eastern horizon with a large army under the eager eyes of the rogue settlers, and swarmed into the Dongping Mansion like a swarm of locusts.

Although the people in the city left completely and the Liangshan army only got an empty city, the government treasury had a lot of money and food, which made the Liangshan bandits reap a lot.

Satisfied, Chao Gai and Wu Yong and other leaders settled in the magistrate's yamen, and immediately sent his subordinates back to Liangshanbo to report the news, and also sent someone to report the military situation to Song Jiang's army in Jeju City, telling them that he had led the army to surrender the Dongping government soldiers Ma Dujian Dong Ping captured Dongping Mansion.

Chao Gai asked the leaders to quickly discuss which state capitals to attack next, as if the entire Dongping Mansion was already in his hands, and the Liangshan Army could swallow the entire East and West Roads with a single mouth.

After learning that Dong Ping led an army to Shouzhang County to pursue the magistrate Cheng Wanli, Wu Yong, the military adviser, sent Xiang Chong to lead the army to meet him, and took the opportunity to occupy Shouzhang County.He also assigned Li Yan to lead a thousand troops to fight Dong'e County.After Wu Yong asked them to take down the county seat, they recruited exiles, expanded their military strength, and accumulated strength for attacking the surrounding state capitals.

The army led by the prefect Cheng Wanli and Wang Jun was a mixed army of infantry and cavalry, and the marching speed was not very fast.Although they left early, they were overtaken by Dong Ping's cavalry shortly after crossing Jishui and entering Shouzhang County.

Wang Jun heard the rapid sound of horseshoes behind him, knowing that he could not get rid of the chasing army, he hurriedly commanded the army to line up, and protected the magistrate Cheng Wanli and some fellow citizens in the formation.

Although Wang Jun had [-] men, most of them were Xiang troops with low combat effectiveness, and they were at a disadvantage against Dong Ping's [-] cavalry.

After Dong Ping changed the cavalry into an offensive formation, he glanced contemptuously at Wang Jun's formation, determined to defeat Wang Jun right here, and kill the traitor who betrayed him.

Looking at the army formation on the opposite side, one can vaguely see that the magistrate Cheng Wanli is boosting morale, and there are some old and weak women and children in that formation.

The young lady of the Cheng family must be among them!Dong Ping excitedly raised his two guns and launched an attack on Wang Jun's army.

Chapter 538 Prefect Cheng with mixed joys and sorrows

"Kill! Kill the Liangshan bandit! Kill the Liangshan bandit!"

"Don't be afraid, officers and soldiers, Sanlang Zhubiao from Zhujiazhuang is here!"

"Catch the traitor Dong Ping! Capture the traitor Dong Ping! Hugh and get rid of the Liangshan bandits!"

Just as Dong Ping caught up with the magistrate Cheng Wanli and his party and launched an attack on the army led by Wang Jun, when the morale of the officers and soldiers was shaken, an army suddenly came out from the northwest and cut Dong Ping's cavalry in two.The three leading generals shouted together and rushed towards the "two-gun general" Dong Ping who rushed to the front.

It was Jiang Zhong, Zhu Biao, and Hu Yong who led the soldiers to kill suddenly. They were ordered by Ximen Qing to garrison in Shouzhang County to prevent Liangshan bandits from attacking Shouzhang County and Yanggu County.

When they received the information from Dongping Mansion that Dong Ping had voted for Liangshan bandits and was leading troops to attack Dongping Mansion and hunted down Cheng Zhifu, Jiang Zhong and the others immediately led their troops eastward to meet the retreating prefect Cheng Wanli. one line.

Jiang Zhong and others arrived in time, just in time for Dong Ping and Wang Jun's two armies to fight, and immediately joined the battle group without hesitation.

A few days ago, when Ximenqing defeated the Liangshan bandits in Dongping Mansion, Luan Tingyu's army stationed in Dong'e County and Shi Jinjun's stationed in Wenshang County both had the opportunity to fight. They quickly killed the bandits and then retreated. Yanggu County and Yanzhou are facing Yingshan.Only the coalition forces led by Jiang Zhong stationed in Shouzhang County did not get the chance to fight in Dongping Mansion, which made Jiang Zhong, Zhu Biao and Hu Yong all suffocated.

Now that there is an opportunity to fight the Liangshan bandit army in Shouzhang County, how could Jiang Zhong and the others let it go easily?The people of Dulonggang once defeated the Liangshan army led by Song Jiang. When facing the Liangshan bandits, their morale was much higher than that of the official army.After Jiang Zhong gave the order, the Sanzhuang Allied Forces rushed into Dong Ping's army like wolves and tigers, dividing the thousand cavalry so that they could not respond from head to tail.

With the sudden addition of a new force, the morale of the already shaken officers and soldiers became high. Those sergeants in the army who were old with Dong Ping and had an attitude of sitting on the wall saw that the enemy was outnumbered, and immediately made a wise choice and gave up. Go to Dong Ping's heart.

Seeing that the morale of the soldiers was available, Wang Jun seized the opportunity to direct the front army to attack, and cooperated with Jiang Zhongjun to surround Dong Ping's army.