Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

In the evening, Li Zicheng and his men returned.

Their expressions revealed neither joy nor anger.

Lin Fan didn't go up and ask.

He knew that there were some things he shouldn't know, and it was best not to know them.

But Tian Ergou couldn't hold back and quietly approached one of Liu Zongmin's personal guards to get a few words out of him.

When he returned, Tian Ergou's expression was very strange.

"Master Lin, guess what?" he whispered, "Zhang Xianzhong wants to recruit us."

"As expected," Lin Fan said calmly. "Did the general agree?"

"No," Tian Ergou shook his head. "The general said he could cooperate with Zhang Xianzhong to fight the government troops, but our troops must remain independent. Zhang Xianzhong didn't agree, but he didn't turn against us either. He said he'd think about it some more."

Lin Fan nodded.

This result is not surprising.

Li Zicheng was not the kind of person who would willingly remain subservient to others.

Historically, he maintained relative independence while serving under Wang Jiayin and Gao Yingxiang.

When the time was right, they formed their own army and raised the banner of "Chuang" (闯, meaning to break through or venture forth).

Although he is weak now, he is still ambitious.

Zhang Xianzhong wanted to swallow him whole, but it wasn't that easy.

---

Over the next few days, the two teams maintained a delicate balance.

Zhang Xianzhong sent people to deliver grain, wine, and meat every day, treating them with the utmost hospitality.

Li Zicheng, on the other hand, restrained his subordinates from engaging in conflict with Zhang Xianzhong's men, but also forbade them from becoming too close to them.

Both sides are testing the waters and weighing their options.

Lin Fan didn't care about any of that.

He led his team of craftsmen to a secluded spot, set up the furnace again, and continued to forge weapons.

Zhang Xianzhong's men came over out of curiosity to see the spectacle. They were amazed by the excellent quality of the swords and spears they had forged and the unique quenching techniques.

The news reached Zhang Xianzhong's ears.

He came to see it in person.

"What a fine knife!" Zhang Xianzhong picked up a waist knife that Lin Fan had just quenched, tested the blade, and praised it highly. "It's much better than the junk in my camp! Brother Li, where did you find this treasure, foreman?"

Li Zicheng smiled and said, "He came to us himself."

"You came to me on your own?" Zhang Xianzhong looked at Lin Fan, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. "Master Lin, are you interested in working for me? I'll pay you double, no, triple!"

Lin Fan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Thank you for your kind words, Eighth Prince. But I followed General Li all the way from northern Shaanxi, sharing life and death. I appreciate your kindness, Eighth Prince."

Zhang Xianzhong laughed heartily: "Good! Loyal and righteous! Brother Li, you have a good subordinate!"

He patted Lin Fan on the shoulder and turned to leave.

But Lin Fan noticed that he looked back at him again before leaving.

That look in his eyes was full of meaning.

---

At night, Lin Fan lay in his tent, staring at the top, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Han Jinhu rolled over beside him and whispered, "Brother Lin, do you think... Zhang Xianzhong might hold a grudge against us because you refused to go?"

"It wouldn't be that bad," Lin Fan said. "He's trying to win over General Li right now, he won't turn against him over a craftsman. However..."

"But what?"

"However, he remembered me." Lin Fan's voice was very soft. "Whether it will be a blessing or a curse in the future is hard to say."

Han Jinhu was silent for a moment, then said, "I always felt that this Zhang Xianzhong was not simple. He looks straightforward, but his eyes always give people the creeps."

"The fact that you can tell means you're not stupid," Lin Fan said. "Here, you need to be especially careful around people like that."

Han Jinhu hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

A few days later, Zhang Xianzhong invited Li Zicheng into the city again.

This time, the content of the conversation changed.

The government troops have arrived.

---

The message was brought back by Zhang Xianzhong's scouts.

Hong Chengchou, the governor of Yansui, has mobilized 5,000 troops and is advancing towards Xizhou from the direction of Taiyuan.

The vanguard has already passed Fenzhou, and it's only a three-day journey from here.

Hong Chengchou.

Upon hearing this name, Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat.

Of course he knew Hong Chengchou.

A prominent official in the late Ming Dynasty and a famous general who suppressed peasant armies, he was later captured and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty in the Battle of Songjin, becoming a founding hero of the Qing Dynasty, but also bearing the infamy of the ages.

But that happened later.

At this time, Hong Chengchou was still the Governor of Yansui of the Ming Dynasty and one of the most formidable opponents of the peasant army.

Historically, it was he who annihilated one peasant army after another in the Shaanxi and Shanxi areas, causing countless deaths and rivers of blood.

Wang Jiayin, Wang Ziyong, Gao Yingxiang... countless rebel leaders have suffered defeats at his hands.

Now, he has arrived.

"Hong Chengchou..." Li Zicheng frowned. "Why isn't he in Shaanxi? Why is he in Shanxi?"

"The Governor of Yansui already has the power to control military affairs in Shanxi and Shaanxi." Gu Jun'en's expression was solemn. "This man is a brilliant strategist and ruthless. Back in Shaanxi, he once defeated Wang Jiayin's army of over ten thousand with only three thousand soldiers. Now that he has personally led his troops to suppress us, we... I'm afraid we can't win."

"Then let's run," Liu Zongmin said. "We're outnumbered and fast. He has five thousand soldiers and a huge amount of supplies and equipment; we can't catch him."

"Where can we run to?" Gu Jun'en smiled bitterly. "Shanxi is vast, but the government troops are defending everywhere. There's Datong Garrison to the north, Taiyuan Prefecture to the south, Zhending Garrison to the east, and the Yellow River as a natural barrier to the west. How far can we run?"

Silence fell over the tent.

Zhang Xianzhong spoke.

"Brother Li, let's team up and pull off a heist!"

Li Zicheng looked at him and asked, "How do we do it?"

"Although Xizhou City is small, its terrain is treacherous, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack," Zhang Xianzhong said, pointing to the map. "We'll set up an ambush outside the city while holding firm inside. Once the government troops fail to capture the city and their morale collapses, we'll launch a counterattack and wipe them out!"

"Five thousand government troops, not five thousand pigs," Gu Jun'en shook his head. "Our two families combined don't even amount to five thousand men. And most of them are infantry, lacking armor, and even fewer firearms. A head-on confrontation is unlikely to yield much victory."

"Then let's outsmart him." Zhang Xianzhong chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes. "I know Hong Chengchou. He's a man of strategy, planning carefully before acting, taking things one step at a time, and not taking unnecessary risks. We can take advantage of that."

"How should we use it?" Li Zicheng asked.

Zhang Xianzhong leaned closer, lowered his voice, and revealed a plan.

After listening, Li Zicheng remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

"Let's do it this way."

---

The plan is as follows—

Outside Xizhou City, there is a long and narrow valley called Qingshigou.

The steep mountains on both sides, covered with dense forests, make it an excellent location for an ambush.

Zhang Xianzhong would set up an ambush at Qingshigou. Once the government troops entered the valley, he would push down rolling stones and logs from both sides of the mountain to block their retreat. Then, he would unleash a barrage of arrows, catching them completely off guard.

Li Zicheng's mission was to lead his men to guard the valley entrance and prevent the government troops from breaking through.

Meanwhile, preparations must also be made within the city.

Once the ambush is successful, immediately launch a pincer attack from outside the city to expand the gains.

"The key to success or failure lies in luring the enemy," Zhang Xianzhong said. "We must convince Hong Chengchou that our main force is in the city and that Qingshigou is safe. Only then will he feel at ease to pass through."

"How do we entice them?" Li Zicheng asked.

Zhang Xianzhong chuckled: "I have my own way."

He didn't elaborate, and Li Zicheng didn't press him for details.

Some things are better left unknown.