Shaozhou (Shaoyang, Hunan) governor Zhou Yue, also led troops to march in Hengzhou. The villages and towns where they passed were filled with dust and cries. There were also young women and young men who were found everywhere, tied into a string and driven to follow the army.
He was originally from Zoxi, Hunan (now the town of Zoushi, Hunan). He was born with a wide-eared natural and mighty atmosphere, so he was recruited into the local army of Langzhou very early to become a team leader.
During this period, he and Lei Man from Langzhou (Changde, Hunan), who was born in the local barbarian chief, also once agreed as brothers, and served for many years under the commander of the Jiedu ambassador of Jingnan. One of the Pioneers.
Later, after Gaoyao moved the town to Huainan, these generals who were tired of fighting and missed their hometown finally couldn't help but flee one after another; among them, Zhou Yue took a group of people, bandits and officials all the way to looting and returning to their hometown.
However, it was discovered that Lei Man, a righteous brother, had already led a battalion of Wuling barbarians and killed the Cishi and occupied Langzhou first. Then, he stepped back and made a proposal to partner with the other party to seek a common cause on the grounds of familiarity with the local area, and Lei Man also clapped his arms and agreed.
As a result, the banquet for receiving the wind at night turned into a Hongmen banquet where the swordsmen and axe were ambushing, with the intent of killing and conquering the army; Zhou Yue was born as a local tycoon; he was warned by local acquaintances outside the door. He turned to flee and gathered a crowd and rushed out of Langzhou City.
But the relatives and old days he stayed in the state, as well as the connections and resources that the family has operated for many years, were wiped out by Lei Man and wiped out. This also became the source of the endless feud between him and Lei Man.
However, Lei Man himself, who is known for his courage, is also a source of feud with another Shimenman leader, the current Lizhou (now Lixian, Hunan) governor, who is also fighting against each other and fighting endlessly.
In the early years, with the help of the involvement of the southern Jing army, he broke through and slaughtered many settlements including Xiangzhu live in Benzhai, and forced them to jump into the river and flee. Later, most of the young men who assisted Wulingman in the army went on an expedition and were able to make a comeback. They also killed and smashed more than a dozen villages that Wulingman belonged to.
Therefore, after engulfing and annexing thirty-seven of the native barbarians, raising troops and occupying Lizhou City; it was also the first time to send troops to attack Langzhou City occupied by Leiman; this allowed Zhou Yue to get in the pursuit. Linger
Then he first humbly took refuge in the governor of Shaozhou, then deceived the city of Shaoyang to bludgeon the governor Xu Hao and expelled the governor Xu Hao. Since then, he has gained a foothold.
Therefore, this is divided among the three powers of Xiangxi. Lei Man, who has brought back many of his subordinates who are good at fighting, is the strongest, but he is in a state of being attacked by both the north and the south. Xiangzhu had the most people and horses; but because of the origin of the native leader, he was not very popular in the place and was tied up a lot.
As for Zhou Yue, he was the most vulnerable. Because he brought back not many robes and old ministries, plus the family children who had fled, he probably could only control more than a dozen towns and their affiliated villages near Zhoucheng Unicom.
Other places still need him to "delegate and recognize". Those local big clans and rich surnames are governed and controlled in the name of the leader of the Tutuo. Therefore, he is the most submissive and urgent to the Taiping forces that are rising in Hunan at the same time. it is good.
However, after the liquidation and investigation actions against those powerful and powerful surnames emerged in the Taiping Army, he inevitably fell into a certain sense of crisis in the face of those who escaped crying and complaining.
Therefore, when the envoy of Song Hao from Jingnan Jiedu appointed by the imperial court came to the door; he was also the first person who made up his mind to respond; after all, the benefits of dealing with the Taiping Army and the immediate peace of mind, and How can it be compared with the threat that will be eradicated on oneself in the future.
He was able to dominate Shaozhou based on these wealthy families and surnames. Once their tenants and villagers were lured by the Taiping thief's methods, what would he use to expand his power and nurture his subordinates
As a result, with Zhou Yue, the weakest among the three, as the bottom, and then persuaded Lei Man, who was originally a two-sided enemy, or suffered from the local uncooperative help, re-accept the canonization and ratification of the imperial court. It is relatively easier to plan to kill the thieves and serve the country in response.
However, for all the reasons mentioned above, although the three states of Xiangxi jointly sent troops to attack the Taiping Army this time, basically no one would dare to use all their strength and strength to attack and seize the territory, but only with large and small. Plagiarism and harassment are dominant.
This is because the place itself is not long ago in Xin'an, and it needs manpower to suppress those signs of insufficient obedience, and it also guards against other families who have always had grievances and steals their own rear and nest. That is why the gain is not worth the loss.
It's just relative to the decay and depression in the three states of western Hunan; these Taiping army has only been under a few years, and the people have actually become so rich; (mainly Yu Ze, who is divided into the rich and powerful households, has fewer layers. The means of layered exploitation) is a bit of a surprise.
Struggling to win a few villagers, although the gains are more generous than ordinary villages; but the price paid is painful for people to lose more than the gains. Because the casualties caused by the process of tackling fortifications and desperately resisting, gradually accumulate even more than the killings after breaking Zhuangzi.
What's more, most of these Zhuangzi are still gathered on the flat ground near the river, and they can often get support and echo from the Taiping pirate navy forces. Once blocked by them, they may even be attacked by inside and outside to disperse the army.
This has made the cost and difficulty of attacking these settlements even higher for them, the Turkmen coalition forces from Shaozhou. What they get is only some rice, wheat melon, vegetables and free-range poultry that are too late to harvest in the periphery of Zhuangzi.
For this reason, the cost of self-reliance and separatism in their hometown is damaged. It is very painful to damage a little bit more. In contrast, it is more cost-effective and easier to attack and plunder ordinary villages and towns.
Often as long as there is a crowd around, there are people who come out to negotiate without deliberately attacking, begging for the price of preservation; of course, he prefers to let his subordinates directly attack and copy them.
Because even if these places are attacked by force, there is no will and determination that everyone desperately resists to the end. On the contrary, it can allow the soldiers to give a good vent to boost and boost morale. Even if there are sufficient gains, it can deter other places.
It's just that during this process, it will accidentally hurt some people who are welcoming the king or the relationship between the powerful people or the leading figures in the local area, and it really can't take care of that much.
After all, since they were able to survive the thieves’ army, or go all out, they themselves had established the relationship between the thieves, the slave thieves and the thieves. As long as the people below are more dexterous and do things more simply, there is no need for anyone to live to ruin the reputation and reputation of these officers and soldiers.
"Zhou Ming Mansion... things are not good"
At this time, there was a general who was born in the distance, and he leaned forward and said anxiously.
However, it was the brave general he had recently recruited with a large price. He was originally the Long March defender who was stationed in Annan, known as "Feishaner" Hongzhou Yuzhang Min Xie. It was also the key candidate he sent to Jiangxi for investigation.
"It's reported that the thief monk returned with a large army, and the bloody wind billowed wherever he went; the people who responded to the appointment from the east of the Xiangshui River have already collapsed and left..."
"What, Duan Yanmo mistaken me..."
Zhou Yue couldn't help screaming when he heard the sound, and immediately shook his body before falling off his horse. Then he said tightly
"Quickly, blow the trumpet with me to gather the people... Don't worry about other things... Take all the captures immediately..."
At this time, Min Xie, who was already close to him, suddenly shouted:
"Little Deng, do it..."
Before he finished his words, a lasso suddenly pulled Zhou Yue from behind to the horseback, but he couldn't speak for a while while holding his neck with his hands; he tried his best to draw his sword, but he was stabbed by Min Xie with a knife. Under the armpit, he went through again and stirred severely.
"I have the old message of the Long March stroke. As long as you can make the first upright, even if you don't want to be restrained by the army, you can go to Guangfu to be a rich and comfortable man with rewards..."
But Min Xie was full of regret and said to him that he didn't look at him.
"I don't want to be an enemy of the monk who knows the thunder and fire demon art, so I have to borrow your head for a change of future and way out..."
At the same time, Zhou Yue, who was shocked by this scene of shock, left and right flag bearers and generals, before he had time to react, he was raided and slashed by the pawns brought back by Min Xie. (End of this chapter)