Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 146 Internal and external cooperation
What Zhu Cilang said was certainly not nonsense.

Hu Maozhen wanted to judge whether he could be trusted based on the details. Naturally, he also wanted to judge whether there was any fraud based on the general's reactions to various things.

After all, things like recruiting surrenders and traitors are not as simple as described in the stories.

Not to mention anything else, those who surrender will consider whether they will be retaliated against after laying down their arms, and those who accept surrender will naturally also have many concerns.

If one of the parties failed to consider it carefully, the final result would either be like Bai Qi killing 400,000 Zhao soldiers, or like Cao Cao's million-strong army being burned to death in a fire.

After all, there is no fixed rule for this kind of thing, and how to judge it depends on one's own heart.

"Let's get back to the point. What is General Hu going to do?"

"May I ask your Excellency?"

Hu Maozhen was, after all, an old hand in this world. Although he already felt that the Ming army could not be trusted, he did not skip any of the necessary procedures.

After learning that the person in front of him was Zhu Cilang, he greeted him again, and then told him that "his own commander-in-chief" was going to cooperate with the royal army to attack from both inside and outside.

Under normal circumstances, the next step would be to agree on a time and make a plan. After everything was discussed, the Ming side would make a bunch of promises of rewards, and the matter would be considered settled. Hu Maozhen could then leave the camp smoothly.

But who would have thought that as soon as he finished speaking, he heard the prince's decisive reply.

"No."

"what?"

This answer was not only beyond Hu Maozhen's expectations, but even Chang Guanlin and Xiang Rensheng almost couldn't control their expressions.

Seeing this situation, Zhu Cilang did not keep the secret and explained: "To be honest, if I had not heard about your story from Mr. Yue, I would never give you this opportunity this time."

He did not specify what he had learned from Yue Qijie, but at this point it was probably about the injustices suffered by his troops after Gao Jie's death.

These words not only showed Zhu Cilang's confidence in winning this battle, but also explained why he accepted these "rebels" when he had an absolute advantage. Hu Maozhen, who had planned to settle the matter as soon as possible, fell silent for a long time after hearing this.

"Your Highness is kind."

Although he said it indifferently, Hu Maozhen felt somewhat relieved in his heart.

People are so strange. No matter what the consequences of their actions may be, if someone understands them and shows some sympathy for their situation, then
"Don't be in a hurry to flatter. The opportunity has been given, but how to fight for it is up to you all."

"Your Highness, please explain clearly."

"I want the Tartar's head."

After just a few words, Zhu Cilang put forward his conditions.

However, his words were a bit vague and Hu Maozhen was unable to react for a while.

"Your Highness, do you want Nikan's head?"

"not only."

After asking and answering, he finally understood Zhu Cilang's thoughts.

The so-called "not only" means not only Nikan's head, but also all the Tatars who are besieged here.

At first glance, such a condition seems to be much more demanding than just one person's head, but Hu Maozhen's original idea has changed because of this.

Who is Nikan?
He is not only the Beile of Gushan of the Qing Dynasty, but also the supreme commander of this Qing army. If we can take his head among thousands of troops, then will it be difficult to kill the remaining generals and soldiers?

So in his opinion, there is not much difference between killing Nikan and killing them all.

And does the fact that the prince made this matter clear represent his honesty to some extent?

"After all, you have surrendered once. If you don't make great contributions, how can you gain a firm foothold in the court in the future? How can I rest assured?"

Be honest!

After hearing this explanation, Hu Maozhen's first reaction was not to refute it, but to agree with it deeply.

He knew very well that, given the current situation, Nikan had no chance of survival, and as long as he turned to the Ming, the Manchus would hold it against him regardless of whether he had attacked Nikan or not.

Based on this, Zhu Cilang's reminder can be considered well-intentioned.

After thinking this through, Hu Maozhen was a bachelor. After revealing his identity, he directly apologized to Zhu Cilang: "Please forgive me, Your Highness!"

Although only an incense stick of time had passed since he decided that "the prince could not be trusted", the thoughts in his mind were completely different from before.

It's ridiculous to say that if Zhu Cilang only asked him to lead his troops to surrender, then Hu Maozhen would not only weigh it carefully in his mind, but he might also cooperate with the Tartars to give the Ming army a severe blow.

But when he heard those somewhat harsh conditions, he not only thought that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was honest, but also felt that it was natural.

Others may find such a change outrageous, but after all, in Hu Maozhen's eyes, everything has its own value, and he who is trapped here is at the bottom of his value.

If Zhu Cilang conferred official titles and ranks right from the start, he must have had other intentions, otherwise who would voluntarily pay a high price when buying something?
Having dispelled his doubts, Hu Maozhen no longer made any attempts and left the Ming army camp after a few words.

"Is this the end?"

Zhu Cilang asked stupidly, but neither Chang Guanlin nor Xiang Rensheng knew how to respond.

Hu Maozhen came here in disguise, so naturally he had doubts in his heart, but when he later took the initiative to confess his identity, it was obvious that his doubts had been dispelled.

But why was this doubt dispelled?
The three of them naturally couldn't figure out the reason, but according to Hu Maozhen, he would take action the day after tomorrow night, so it would be fine to ask him then.

Without mentioning what Hu Maozhen did after returning to the camp, nor how Zhu Cilang planned to cooperate, it can be said that Liu Liangzuo at this time was already a little panic-stricken after being relieved for escaping death.

Why?

Forty thousand troops left the Hangzhou camp together, but now more than thirty thousand of them were surrounded and captured by the Ming army, leaving only the five thousand led by him safe and sound. Unless he could rescue all those troops, there would be no place for him to stay in this vast world.

But how can this person be saved just by saying so?
After half a day's exploration, he has now basically figured out the Ming army's deployment. Not to mention the large and small warships that fill the river, even the vast number of Ming troops are not something his five thousand troops can deal with.

How should we deal with such a situation?

Under normal circumstances, he could only ask for help from the Hangzhou camp. However, as the vanguard of the army, if he just asked for help without taking any other actions, no matter what the outcome of the battle was, what good would Liu Liangzuo get?
Therefore, even though it had already been night for a while, he was still leading his troops northward in order to quickly reach the place where Ordu was surrounded.

He calculated clearly that there were tens of thousands of Ming troops besieging Nikan, and with the help of warships, his small number of troops would naturally be of no use.

However, there were only more than 10,000 people besieging Ordu. With the joint efforts of inside and outside, they might be able to rescue the Qing troops. By then, Li Chengdong and Wu Shengzhao from Suzhou could be brought in. Even if Nikan's troops were really wiped out, the blame would not fall on him alone.

To put it bluntly, Liu Liangzuo didn't care whether Nikan was dead or alive. He only cared about how to get more people to share the responsibility. After a night of rapid travel, his scouts finally found the traces of the Ming army scouts near noon.

Liu Liangzuo knew that they were not far from the besieged place of Ordu, so while ordering his soldiers to set up camp and rest, he sent an envoy to the Ming army, and he himself followed closely behind, waiting for news so that he could go there in person to negotiate.

This is where his cleverness lies.

Having served in the Ming army for half his life, he naturally knew that everyone's style of doing things was different due to their different backgrounds. As long as the envoy could find out who was leading the troops on the other side, he would be able to judge the situation accordingly.

By then, maybe spending some money could have the effect of fighting to the death.

"Marshal, the one leading the troops on the opposite side is Wu Zhikui, the general of Wusong."

"Did he agree to meet?"

"accepted."

Honestly speaking, Liu Liangzuo only knew Wu Zhikui, and was far from knowing him well. However, as they both came from the official army of the Ming Dynasty, their duties were not much different.

So he thought, as long as he could pay enough, there would be a good chance that he could lift the siege of Ordu.

There is not much to say about what happens afterwards. It is ultimately just some trivial matters such as setting up camp and cooking.

After everything was done and the soldiers had rested, Liu Liangzuo left the barracks and went to meet Wu Zhikui.

When Liu Liangzuo was still in Hangzhou, every time he met Fang Guoan, they had to "greet" each other for a long time. But when he met Wu Zhikui, not only did they not curse at each other, but the atmosphere was so harmonious that it was like the reunion of old friends, which was amazing.

"I have heard of Marshal Liu's great name for a long time. Seeing him today, I find he is indeed extraordinary."

"General Wu was a military scholar and a fierce general of the time."

After a greeting that was unclear whether it was sincere or just for show, Wu Zhikui just looked at the other person with a smile on his face, while Liu Liangzuo spoke first after a brief wait.

"Brother, do you know why I came here this time?"

"The commander is usually busy with military affairs, so it is unlikely that he will come to this small place. If I am not mistaken, he came here for those three thousand Tartars."

"Wrong, wrong."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhikui was stunned for a moment. If it wasn't for that group of Tartars, he really couldn't imagine why Liu Liangzuo would come.

But seeing how decisive Liu Liangzuo was, he suddenly doubted whether he was really wrong.

"I am here to bring you a huge fortune."

After Liu Liangzuo finished speaking, Wu Zhikui was speechless.

We are all thousand-year-old foxes, so just say what you want to say. Why do we have to imitate those civil servants and perform Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio?
If there really was such enormous wealth, wouldn't you, Liu Liangzuo, have taken it all up long ago? How could you have left any money with me?

Although he was extremely contemptuous in his heart, he still put on a smile and prepared to see how the other party would continue the show.

"Don't doubt it, my dear brother. Your wealth and honor will fall on Erdu."

"On him?"

"Exactly."

After hearing what Liu Liangzuo said, Wu Zhikui's first reaction was the large trucks, but in a moment he denied his idea.

No matter what was in those carts, now that they were surrounded, they were meat in his mouth.

Liu Liangzuo was, after all, the commander of a town. He wouldn't be so foolish as to think he could exchange these things for anything.

"Please let me know, Marshal."

"Oh, brother, Erdu must have made a lot of money after traveling around Suzhou and Songjiang. What good will it do you to kill him now? It would be better to let him pay the money to redeem himself."

Now that the words were spoken, Wu Zhikui naturally understood what Liu Liangzuo was thinking.

But doing this would involve considerable risks. How could one act rashly without careful consideration?

"General, it's not that I don't trust you, but if I lift the siege here, and Ordu is unwilling to give the money, you won't be able to stop it."

"That's easy. I'll send someone in to talk to him. If he agrees, I'll send someone to Suzhou to get the money. If he doesn't agree, we brothers will just make a deal and see what happens."

"This"

Seeing that the other party was silent for a long time, Liu Liangzuo naturally knew that he was interested, so he just waited quietly. However, after an incense stick of time, Wu Zhikui not only did not agree, but directly refused.

"I appreciate the commander's kindness, but the risk I have to take on this matter is too great."

"Hey, brother, if you have any concerns, just tell me. If it really can't be solved, then I won't force you. But if there is a way to solve it, brother, aren't you going to miss this great wealth in vain?"

Hearing this, Wu Zhikui stopped being pretentious and spoke out all the doubts in his mind.

What he was most worried about was that Ordu would bite him after escaping from the trap.

After all, Liu Liangzuo was experienced in this kind of blending. Not only did he show sufficient understanding of the matter, but he also came up with a solution after thinking for a moment.

"Brother, this is a simple matter. As long as they agree, I will retreat 20 miles. Then you can retreat calmly.

After Wu Zhikui resolved his only concern, he immediately agreed. After that, there was another negotiation on the price. Then Liu Liangzuo sent a general to pass through the encirclement and enter Ordu's camp under the supervision of the Ming army.

Ordu was naturally very happy about the arrival of reinforcements. He had been besieged here for some time. Although the food and grass could last for a long time, the morale of the army had fallen to the lowest point under siege.

Despite this, he was still very resistant to the idea of ​​using money to redeem himself.

In fact, when they were fighting against the Mongols, mutual redemption often occurred. Logically, there should not be such resistance. But in his heart, the Mongols were still half his own people, so it was not too shameful to redeem them even if they were captured.

But the southerners were different. If I were to be redeemed from them, wouldn't it be a lifelong stain? Moreover, the price was too high.

Then something surprising happened. Not only did the generals sent by Liu Liangzuo and the Manchus under Ordu continue to persuade them, but even the people sent by Wu Zhikui to monitor them also said a few words.

At this time, Ordu hated Liu Liangzuo so much. If he had not dared to directly attack the Ming army, how could he have lost so much silver in vain?
After weighing the pros and cons, Erdu finally accepted Wu Zhikui's price, and several generals returned to the camp to report.

Only then did he hurriedly dig out a thumb-sized piece of paper from the mud. When he opened it, he saw a few words vaguely written on it: Internal and external collaboration.

(End of this chapter)