On the fourth day of the seventh month, at dusk, a touch of red dyed the sky. The river surface outside Luokou was bathed in the gorgeous afterglow, sparkling and beautiful.

Zhou Fashang stood on the deck with his hands behind his back, looking at the setting sun and flowing clouds from afar, and his depressed mood was relieved.

Yesterday he received an urgent report from the provincial government that the Xijing army was surrounded by Yang Xuangan on the front line of Mianchi, and was in danger of being wiped out. In order to help the Xijing army break through the siege, the province asked Zhou Fashang to advance east at all costs to attract Yang Xuangan's attention and effectively restrain the rebel forces. This is bad news. Although he was willing to see the Xijing army and Yang Xuangan both defeated each other, the premise was that the Xijing army could not be wiped out, and Yang Xuangan could not be allowed to enter Guanzhong without any obstacles, and the mutiny could not be intensified and it would be out of control. Therefore, Zhou Fashang still accepted the provincial order and increased the attack. However, his troops were limited and he had to take into account three directions and was powerless.

The battle situation suddenly changed today. The rebels supported Luokoucang and Hulao with their main force. Their intentions were obvious and they tried their best to prevent the Navy from entering the Dongdu battlefield. Zhou Fashang immediately felt an unknown feeling. Wei Wensheng and Yang Xuangan might have ended. Yang Xuangan might have won the victory and got rid of the dilemma of being attacked from both sides. He had begun to advance towards Guanzhong with great strides. Only in this way, Yang Xuangan would free up his hands and dispatch the main force on the Dongdu battlefield to launch a counterattack against the Navy, so as to destroy Zhou Fashang's strategy of division and siege, continue to support the Xingyang battlefield, continue to play the role of the Xingyang battlefield, and then gain sufficient time for Yang Xuangan to enter Guanzhong westward.

Zhou Fashang's premonition was soon confirmed by the urgent report of the scheming. Just now, Zhou Zhong suddenly appeared in front of the two armies and told him that Yang Xuangan had defeated Wei Wensheng in the direction of Mianchi three days ago. Although the Xijing army finally broke through the siege, it paid a heavy price and had lost the power to fight again. Yang Xuangan followed and was advancing rapidly towards Tongguan. The situation was already very beneficial to Yang Xuangan.

The purpose of the transfer of Zhou Zhong, on behalf of the rebels' high-level rebels, was very simple, warning Zhou Fashang to force Zhou Fashang to retreat to the river to alleviate the heavy pressure of the rebels on the eastern front and to gain time for the rebels to break through Tongguan on the western front. Zhou Fashang's troops were limited, and other reinforcements had their own goals and were dispersed. Therefore, under this situation, Zhou Fa could not fight the rebels to the decisive battle, so he had to retreat and protect himself.

After receiving this news, Zhou Fashang did not hesitate at all. He ordered Fei Qingnu to evacuate the battlefield of Huzhu, and ordered that he must hold the rebels in Luokou to help Fei Qingnu, who was attacking Huzhu, have enough time to evacuate safely.

After giving the order, Zhou Fashang was restless and anxious. Yu Qian walked to the deck to watch the sunset, but no matter how beautiful the sunset was, it could not resolve his low emotions.

The rapid footsteps broke the quiet twilight. A young officer with a strong body, heroic spirit and majestic strolled in big stairs. "Ming Gong, Xiangyang Gong (come to fix it) reported again. The rebels flocked to the tide of the offensive. Luokou was in danger. Another rebel was moving rapidly towards Huangmaban. According to Xiangyang Gong's judgment, the rebels must cut off the retreat of Qi (Fei Qingnu). Forced by the critical situation, Xiangyang Gong suggested that warships be sent immediately to meet the water to meet Qi Gong's retreat, which is too late."

Zhou Fashang frowned even deeper, thought for a while, and slowly turned around and looked at the young officer standing behind him.

The young officer was Mai Mengcai, and his father was Mai Tiebang, the most powerful general in Jiangzuo. Mai Tiebang, the general of the Youtun Guard, was born into a thief. After being arrested, he changed his evil and became a general. He was brave and good at fighting and had many merits. He was the absolute confidant of the Holy Lord. He was unfortunately killed when he forced his crossing the Liaoshui River in the Eastern Expedition last year. He was the highest-level officer in the Eastern Expedition battlefield. The Holy Lord lost his treacherous heart and was deeply saddened and redeemed his corpse and was buried with great fun. Mai Tiebang's three sons were promoted and promoted to the title of their father's merits. Among them, the eldest son Mai Mengcai inherited his father's title and served as the chief officer of the Navy General Administration Office to participate in the military affairs. It was also considered as a young success.

"The situation is critical? Do you think the situation is critical?" Zhou Fashang seemed to be interested in taking the school entrance exam, and was not in a hurry to make a decision.

Mai Meng only realized what Zhou Fashang wanted to ask, hesitated for a moment and replied, "Ming Gong, if Zhou Zhong's news is accurate, the situation will be unfavorable to us. Once Yang Xuangan breaks through Tongguan and enters Guanzhong, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Is there a chance of reversal?" Zhou Fashang asked again.

"Xijing is not an ironclad piece, and the Northwest Crisis has restrained the Northwest Army, and the situation is very passive. If Yang Xuangan breaks through Tongguan, we will indeed find it difficult to have a chance to reverse in the short term unless the Tonggui Duke (Wei Wensheng) and Yang Xuangan are both defeated. The Xijing army still has vitality and can still defend the danger, and can still buy us more time. In addition, there is another key..." Mai Mengcai said this, he hesitantly and did not continue.

Zhou Fashang waved his hand and signaled him not to worry, and said boldly.

"There is another key to King Qi." Mai Mengcai said cautiously, "If the threat of King Qi no longer exists and we will no longer be at risk of being attacked from both sides and we can do our best to attack Yang Xuangan, and the situation will definitely be reversed."

"Don't consider the matter of King Qi for the time being." Zhou Fashang sighed, "That's not a problem we can solve."

Mai Mengcai also sighed, "If the threat of the King of Qi always exists, we can only place our hope of reversal on Tonggui Duke. However, judging from Yang Xuangan mobilized more than 20,000 troops to launch a counterattack on Luokou and reinforced the Xingyang battlefield at any cost, Tonggui Duke should have been defeated miserably, while Yang Xuangan won easily, and his strength increased instead of decreasing. Otherwise, he would never be able to mobilize heavy troops in Luokou, and the tiger fell on the front line and fight on both sides."

Zhou Fashang nodded slightly, turned his eyes to look at the last ray of rays of rays gradually sinking into the horizon, and sighed, "The tiger father has no dog son, and Yang Xuangan can defeat the Tonggui Gong, which shows that he still has a certain talent in military affairs."

Mai Mengcai understood it. Since Zhou Fashang was optimistic about Yang Xuangan, it means that the current situation is indeed pessimistic. Zhou Fashang is also helpless and cannot find a way to reverse it.

"Send the order." Zhou Fashang said in a slight tone, "According to the suggestion of Duke Xiangyang (committed to the correction), he sent a warship to pick up Duke Qi (Fei Qingnu) to evacuate. Under the current situation, we cannot make any mistakes, let alone any losses. Duke of the same rail is the lesson of the past. He is careless and underestimated the enemy. He makes mistakes with one step and is unable to turn things around.

Mai Mengcai had already prepared an order, and the military officer who was responsible for issuing the order had already stood in a distance waiting for his appointment. As soon as Zhou Fashang finished speaking, the officer ran away.

Mai Mengcai was about to bow and leave, but Zhou Fashang was still unsatisfied and asked slowly, "What are your predictions about the situation in Xingyang?"

Mai Mengcai was a little confused. Yang Xuangan sent troops to reinforce Hulao, with the purpose of continuing to defend the battlefield in Xingyang, in order to continuously cut off the Grand Canal and continue to restrain the reinforcements of various guards such as the Navy. Therefore, the situation of Xingyang will not change much in the short term. However, since Zhou Fashang asked, it means that there are still variables in the battle situation in Xingyang, but he did not see it.

"After Qi Duke (Fei Qingnu) evacuated safely, Xiangyang Duke (come Zheng) would also give up Luokou. The rebels will regain control of Luoshui and restore the connection between Luokoucang and Hulao. The rebels on the Xingyang battlefield have both reinforcements and Luokoucang as their backing, and are more powerful, which can ensure that they can achieve all expected goals on the Xingyang battlefield."

Mai Mengcai said while racking his brains to find possible variables, but he got nothing.

Zhou Fashang's question must have a reason. Mai Mengcai became more and more curious the more he thought about it. Finally, he couldn't help but tempted, "Ming Gong, if the situation in Xingyang can change, if we can use these changes to suppress the rebels in the shortest time, end the war in Xingyang, and concentrate all our strength to kill Dongdu, then as long as Yang Xuangan has not broken through Tongguan, we will have a chance to reverse the situation in the first line. But so far, the situation in Xingyang is still developing in a direction that is not conducive to us, and we have not seen the possibility of variables. Ming Gong is as smart as a torch, has he discovered something?"

Zhou Fashang smiled, looking unpredictable, "Duke Xiangyang said that from the banner, this army reinforced from the Dongdu should be the Song Yu rebels of the Han Prime Minister, but based on what he saw with his own eyes, this army has considerable combat effectiveness and should be the Eastern Garage Army that surrendered to Yang Xuangan. However, the decisive battle in Mianchi is crucial and is related to Yang Xuangan's life and death. How could he abandon the Eastern Garage Army without using it? If Yang Xuangan fought with all the main forces, then after defeating Wei Wensheng, he would face the natural danger of Tongguan and have to invest all the main forces in order to make a battle. How could he transfer some of the main forces to the Xingyang battlefield? The Han Prime Minister has only been more than two months since the rebellion. In such a short period of time, he can build such an elite army? Obviously it is impossible."

Mai Mengcai's eyes were surprised. Indeed, he ignored this "detail", but Zhou Fashang saw this "detail". However, a new question came again. This reinforcement army was neither the Eastern Capital Garrison that surrendered to Yang Xuangan, nor the Song Yu rebels of the Han Prime Minister. So who was the sacred? It is obvious that Zhou Fashang could see this "detail", which should be a guess about the "true face" of this reinforcement army.

"Did Gong Ming have any guesses?" Mai Mengcai asked carefully.

Of course, Zhou Fashang had some speculations. He could even be sure that his guess was correct, but he could not say it, no matter what.

At the beginning of the year, he joined forces with the King of Qi to suppress the thieves in Qi County. The "tactic understanding" between the King of Qi and the white-haired thieves was as clear as a glance. What happened after the end of the thieves' suppression? The white-haired thieves killed Tongjiqu, and the King of Qi followed him to chase him, and then Yang Xuangan raised his troops to rebel. If you think about it in a targeted manner, there might be some unknown connection between the three.

Where are the white-haired thieves now? It is said that they have crossed the river and fled to Taihang Mountain. When they were in Liyang before, Zhou Fashang was full of doubts about this statement. They couldn't figure it out. There was no reason. What reason should the white-haired thieves have to give up Mengshan, give up Qilu, and go to Hebei to become the mountain king? Now that I know, this is hiding the world. The white-haired thieves participated in Yang Xuangan's mutiny. If the situation permits, the King of Qi will enter Beijing, and the white-haired thieves will become the "vanguard" of the King of Qi. They will work hard and make great contributions. On the contrary, if the situation does not allow it, if the King of Qi does not enter Beijing, the white-haired thieves will run away. Otherwise, he will either be "eated" by Yang Xuangan or "silenced" the King of Qi.

Can Zhou Fa still say such a secret? Of course, it cannot be said. Don’t say that he has no evidence. Even if he has certain evidence, he would kill the King of Qi. If he is an enemy of Qi, he would intervene in the dispute over the imperial rule. The result can be imagined. It is not that he will not be punished. Before the time comes, he and his family will have to pay the price of death and destruction for this. Therefore, Zhou Fa Shang closed his mouth and could not read a word.
Chapter completed!