Chapter 17 Chapter 16 Shen Hongying Defeats Wugang City Zhang Yunqing Burns Swallow Cave

It was very foggy.As in the past, he habitually looked at the ancient city wall along the Nanshui River. Suddenly, a strange scene appeared in front of his eyes: a row of extremely tall Wugang natives sat on the city wall with their buttocks soaked in the Nanshui River. In the river, talking and laughing freely... Shen Hongying turned pale with shock. The story is divided into two parts, but it is said that Zhang Yunqing and Shen Hongying were attacked by the common people and Yi Hao at the Yingchun Inn outside the East Gate, and they became angry from embarrassment. When they fled, they massacred innocent residents.

The situation was very dangerous at first, except for Yi Hao's frontal attack, he wanted to rush over to outflank him several times, and a large group of people also came out of the city to help. Fortunately, it was getting late, and Zhang Yunqing often went to the city to sell wine since he was a child, so he was very familiar with the route in this area, so he led the way and fled towards Lingyun Tower. Lingyun Pagoda, also known as the East Pagoda, was built in the ninth year of Daoguang. It stands on a huge rock beside the Zishui River. It is one of the "Ten Scenic Spots" in Wugang. "Crystal plate inserted horizontally in the middle of the night", which corresponds to the "slim and graceful, inclined jade body" flower pagoda on Sizhou Beach in the east of the county, forming a unique experience.

There is a ferry on the east side of Lingyun Pagoda. There is a small boat moored at the ferry. A boatman wearing a bamboo hat and coir raincoat is sitting on the bow of the boat waiting for passengers.When he saw someone coming, he hurriedly got up to greet them, and when he found that the ferrymen were all armed with guns, he understood at least half of it, and without saying a word, he raised his pole and punted the boat. Zhang Yunqing approached, used the speed machine to resist the boatman and said: "It's none of your business to cross us, if you dare to play tricks, be careful!"

The boatman felt that his forehead was pressed against the barrel of the gun, so he said: "My man, if you hold it like this, don't blame me for not being stable enough to punting the boat." Zhang Yunqing snorted heavily, took the gun away, and said, "You don't even have the courage to do so!" The boat reached the center of the river smoothly, and suddenly, the boatman jumped into the deep water.Shen Hongying never expected this move, and just as he was at a loss, the boat began to shake violently... Shen Hongying was a landlubber, and he knew that it was the boatman who was causing the trouble, so he cried out in despair: "God, can I just let me die here! "

"Commander Shen, don't panic!" Zhang Yunqing said as she took off her clothes, dived into the water, and dived along the bottom of the boat. Zhang Yunqing has been soaking in water since he was a few years old, and he has developed good water skills, but he did not expect it to come in handy today. The water was bitterly cold, and his body became numb shortly after entering the water, so that he grabbed one of the boatman's legs without feeling it yet. Bogong finds out that someone has dived into the bottom of the boat, so he has no choice but to give up the idea of ​​capsizing the boat and fights with Zhang Yunqing.

Zhang Yunqing is inferior to the boatman in terms of water skills, but he is naked and swims very flexibly. On the contrary, although the boatman has taken off his hat and coir raincoat when he enters the water, he is still wearing thick underwear, which makes it very inconvenient to move.When he was gradually exhausted, he had to struggle to surface to take a breath.His buoyant head happened to be seen by Shen Hongying on the boat, he picked up the penny and stabbed his head wildly.Zhang Yunqing was afraid that someone would shoot, so he said anxiously: "Be careful of exposing the target, pass the gun to me, it will make no sound when you shoot in the water."

Someone handed the gun to Zhang Yunqing, and Zhang Yunqing put the barrel of the gun against the boatman's back and fired several shots until he was confirmed dead, then pushed the boat to the shore with his hands. The boat was out of danger, Zhang Yunqing climbed ashore, and in order to prevent Yi Hao from chasing him, he fired another round of bullets into the bilge, sinking the boat, then put on his clothes, and led Shen Hongying to flee to the southeast. After fleeing for a long time, it is estimated that the pursuers will not come again. Zhang Yunqing's cold body also burst into flames at this time. When he came to an earth temple, he suggested sitting down to catch his breath.

This is the Earth Temple near the main road, leading to Longxi in the south and Shibei in the northeast. Shen Hongying was shocked, and gnashed her teeth and scolded: "Idiots, diabolical people! If I take this city, I will kill all women and children. Not an inch of grass is left!" Zhang Yunqing asked: "Commander Shen, when can we attack the city?" Shen Hongying turned around and asked, "What do you think?" Zhang Yunqing thought for a while: "Today's firefight, the other party has understood our intentions and must have made sufficient preparations. In my opinion, it is better to delay it for more than ten days. When they are tired and numb, they will attack in one fell swoop. will work."

Shen Hongying happily patted Zhang Yunqing on the shoulder: "I didn't expect you to know the art of war!" art of war?What 'art of war'? "Zhang Yunqing was puzzled by Zhang Erjingang. "Hahaha! You kid can still be humorous. It's interesting! You obviously used the strategy in the book of war, but you still pretend to be stupid. I won't tease you." Shen Hongying said seriously, "If you have any good ideas, say them!" "It's not a good idea." Zhang Yunqing said, "However, our method of delaying for a while also has a disadvantage, that is, once they know Commander Shen's intentions, they will send people to Shaoyang to rescue soldiers."

Shen Hongying nodded: "From your tone, is there a way to get the best of both worlds?" Zhang Yunqing: "There is always a way. Since Zhang Xiangtou and the others want to move rescuers, they have to send people to cross the border. There is only one way from Wugang to Shaoyang. As long as we send people to set up checkpoints on the way and strictly check, we will be able to Catch it and get rid of this trouble." Shen Hongying nodded again and again: "Very good! This is an urgent matter. You should go back and do two important things right away. One is to set up a checkpoint on the way to Shaoyang, and the other is to gather Zhu Yunhan and Zhang Shuncai to come and meet me as soon as possible. You just wait here. I'll send for a horse right away."

Shen Hongying left under the protection of a dozen guards, leaving Zhang Yunqing alone in the earth temple. Zhang Yunqing was very anxious. He was worried that Yi Hao had sent messenger soldiers. If the interception failed, this plan would be frustrated. After more than two hours, Shen Hongying really sent a white horse.This is a real horse, it walks like flying after riding it, and its upper body does not shake. Whenever it comes to an intersection, it just needs to give a little signal, and it will know which way to go. All the way back to Zhang's house in Shibei, Zhang Yunqing hurriedly dismounted, summoned Zhong Xuehua who stayed at home, and ordered him to take a short cut to Shixiajiang to set up a card to intercept all passers-by going to Shaoyang. kill. Zhang Yunqing estimated the time.It was calculated that if Yi Hao really sent messenger soldiers, Zhong Xuehua was very sure to rush to Shixiajiang in advance, and it happened to intercept them in the middle of the night. He breathed a sigh of relief, and walked into the house, thinking about which wife's room he should go to, Pu Hu'er was already leaning against the door, looking at him affectionately. Zhang Yunqing suddenly remembered something and went to Pu Hu'er's room.While closing the door, Hu Er undressed and came to him.Seeing his indifferent appearance, he asked, "Is there something on your mind?" Zhang Yunqing told Pu Huer about Shen Hongying's saying that he "understands the art of war", and shook his head again and again, "I really don't know what he meant by that." After hearing this, Pu Huer couldn't stand up laughing, pointed to Zhang Yunqing's forehead and said: "So I said you should read more books, but you just didn't listen, but no, you don't even understand such basic knowledge, fortunately Shen Hongying didn't know You know the details, or you will make a big joke this time." Zhang Yunqing glared at Pu Hu'er like she was falling into a cloud. Pu Hu'er narrowed her smile and said seriously: "You proposed to Shen Hongying the method of delaying the enemy for a while to paralyze the enemy. There is indeed such a strategy in the military book. Anyone who has read the book knows that this strategy comes from "Cao Gui's Controversy". The original text says: "Young Qi is sharp, daytime Qi is lazy, and evening Qi returns. This is the one who controls Qi, and hits it lazy to return. Therefore, it will be exhausted again and again..." Pu Huer patiently explained the theory to Zhang Yunqing. Zhang Yunqing suddenly realized, knocked her head and said embarrassingly: "So people knew about it two thousand years ago, how stupid I am!" Pu Huer praised: "You learn by yourself without a teacher. This is your cleverness. In fact, many wisdom and strategies of the ancients came from practice and then became books. If later generations are too rigid On the contrary, it is a kind of sadness. Have you heard the allusion of the phrase 'talking about war on paper'?" Zhang Yunqing nodded: "That's the story of Zhao Kuo in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. You have told it several times." Pu Hu'er nodded and said: "That's why I said that reading books without words is more effective than reading books with words." Because Zhang Yunqing was very tired and tired, she yawned and said, "Go to sleep, I have a lot of things to do tomorrow." Then, she got into bed first, squinting at Pu Hu'er. Pu Huer gave him a wink, and rolled into Zhang Yunqing's arms naked... Early the next morning, Zhang Yunqing got up and ordered Zhang Zuanzi to go to Xuefeng Mountain to call out Zhu Yunhan, Zhang Shuncai and their troops to discuss the plan to attack the city. In the afternoon, Zhong Xuehua came back from Shixiajiang and reported that he had intercepted the two messengers sent by Yi Hao to move troops to Shaoyang at midnight last night.Zhang Yunqing asked with concern: "How did you deal with the two messengers?" "Kill it." Zhong Xuehua said, "I originally wanted to take it home and hand it over to Master Man, because they explained it very quickly and there was no need to bring it back. In addition, it is too far from Shixiajiang to home, so mistakes are inevitable along the way." Zhang Yunqing nodded: "Well done, keep up the good work, your task is still to guard against Zhang Xiangtou sending people to deliver letters." Two days later, Zhu Yunhan and Zhang Shuncai led their troops to Zhang's house in Shibei, where they met with Zhang Yunqing. The three groups of bandits counted more than 200 people with guns, and the momentum was huge. The three bandit leaders briefly exchanged opinions and agreed that the team should be dragged to Longxi to meet Shen Hongying first. Since Wugang City is preparing for the battle, there is no time to take care of other things.Therefore, Zhang Yunqing and other bandits had no scruples, they would rob anything valuable they saw along the way, and rape any beautiful women they saw.Wherever he went, the people suffered greatly. They robbed all the way south from Shibei Township, and arrived at Longxi, Nanxiang on the fourth day. Two hundred gangsters carried their hands on their shoulders and kept the money and jewelry they robbed. The rest were rice, soybeans, cooking oil, salt, kerosene, etc. Dedicated to Shen Hongying as a meeting gift. Shen Hongying was overjoyed, his life was difficult, and the daily expenses of more than 10,000 people were huge.As the saying goes, rabbits don't eat grass beside their nests. According to Zhalongxi, they naturally dare not rob them openly.This is the necessary place from Guangxi to Wugang and Shaoyang. Once the people are angered, there will be a lot of trouble.Therefore, all rice, cooking oil, vegetables, meat dishes, etc. are bought from the local people.Without money, Shen Hongying gathered his subordinates, stood on the stage and said: "Brothers, the commander is short of money recently, but we can't starve everyone. However, such days are not long. Wugang City is a city that has not had wars for hundreds of years. It is a peaceful city with a lot of gold, silver and treasures. According to the local people, the silver in the city is deeper than the waist, so the day when we get rich is coming! Today, Commander Ben borrowed from the brothers, what? Rings, fountain pens, silver coins, copper plates—take out all valuables, write down their names, and when Wugang City is captured, double the compensation!" In this way, Shen Hongying exchanged various items for food from the common people in Longxi, and finally made it through.Today, seeing Zhang Yunqing and others bring so many things, there is no reason to be unhappy. In the evening, Shen Hongying called Huang Qianshuang, Zhang Yunqing, Zhu Yunhan, Zhang Shuncai, and Yang Xiangwan to a meeting to study the siege plan in detail.Shen Hongying deliberately asked Zhang Yunqing to sit next to him, said the opening remark, patted him on the shoulder and said: "Mr. Zhang is a wise man, and the plan he proposed a few days ago to attack the city is very desirable. These days, there must be turmoil in the city. We were extremely nervous, and we intentionally waited for a while until they became paralyzed in their thinking before sending troops to attack the city. This is called "avoid their vigor and attack their laziness" in military books. It seems that Mr. Zhang has read several military books carefully. .” Zhang Yunqing felt that Zhu Yunhan and Zhang Shuncai were looking at him, so she blushed—they knew their details. "However," Shen Hongying said, "afterwards, after repeated thinking, I think this strategy is not worthwhile. Because this strategy was adopted when the enemy and our forces were evenly matched. Now, we have 10,000 strong soldiers, and weapons Well-equipped. The book of war said: "Ten times to encircle it, and double to attack it." Wugang City only has 2,000 defenders, and we even have the strength to siege the city, so why bother. Mr. Zhang, what do you think?" Zhang Yunqing was taken aback, and soon he understood that the reason why Shen Hongying changed his mind and rushed to attack the city was probably because he was out of money and food. He thought for a while, nodded and said: "Commander Shen is reasonable, and he is worthy of the demeanor of a general. Although the commander has been in the field for a long time , rich experience, but I think the people of Wugang are special, and it should not be regarded as having only 2,000 defenders, but as a strong enemy with 60,000. In this way, it is only wise to compare our 10,000 to the other's 60,000. Take it. In addition, we should be more careful and cautious about the special barrier of Wugang City Wall, and it is best to come up with a few tricks." Shen Hongying frowned and said, "A few tricks? Tell me about it." Zhang Yunqing went on to say: "After we have compared the strength of the troops, now we have to compare the commanders. Of course, Commander Shen is a well-known general in the country. Even Chiang Kai-shek and Chen Jiongming gave you three points. But this is a small place. It was a small battle, and I hope the commander will not be angry if I make an inappropriate metaphor—Commander Shen is like a strong dragon, while Wugang is just shallow water..." Seeing that Shen Hongying was not angry, he boldly said: "The enemy's Zhang Xiangto is Baoding military academy students have a set of systematic combat skills, especially Yi Hao, a bandit in the city, is a habitual bandit who is extremely cunning and good at fighting small battles. We must not take it lightly. After comparing these two aspects, I initially I made an immature plan: wait patiently for ten days or half a month, and then attack the city in one fell swoop after the enemy is truly paralyzed. I believe that with Commander Shen's prestige, it will be effective. However, war is always unpredictable If it fails, then there are two other methods - fire attack and tunnel warfare. Of course, in this way, the supplies of our 10,000 brothers will become a big problem. I think, since we are sincerely cooperating, we We should also take the initiative to contribute. Commander Shen is a regular army, there is an image problem, and regardless of success or failure, he has to pass through Longxi, of course it is impossible to forcefully ask the people. The issue of supplies is up to me, Master Zhu, and Master Zhang. Let someone be responsible, everyone calls us bandits anyway.” Zhang Yunqing's words touched Shen Hongying's heart, but because of the concern of face, he refused to agree directly, pretending to be displeased and said: "You also estimate others too high, I don't believe that Wugang City has This is difficult to attack. Well, let’s talk about this today, and I will make arrangements for when to attack the city.” Zhang Yunqing understood that Shen Hongying was looking for something for herself, so she was relieved. After parting, she discussed with Zhu Yunhan and Zhang Shuncai, and decided to go to villages and towns other than Longxi to rob every day from now on. That night, Zhang Yunqing led his troops along the foot of Nanshan all the way to Yunshan.This is a well-known granary in Wugang County, and wealthy families all have dozens of stone grains.While robbing money and food, Zhang Yunqing specifically told the gangsters that kerosene is more important than money and food, and should be placed first. After one night, hundreds of stones of grain and hundreds of catties of kerosene were snatched.The next day, they continued to plunder in the depths. Anyway, the officers and soldiers dared not come out of the city. Zhang Yunqing just took this opportunity to do whatever he wanted and make a fortune. For several days, Zhang Yunqing grabbed enough food and supplies for Shen Hongying to last for a period of time. Seeing that the weather was fine and it was a good time to attack the city, on October 20, 1926, Zhang Yunqing suggested to Shen Hongying that he could attack. That afternoon, Zhang Zuanzi, who was sent to investigate in the city, came back and reported that the officers and soldiers in Wugang City had become paralyzed after ten consecutive days of tension.He also said that he went to Zhong Banxian on Hehe Street to give a lesson in divination. Zhong Banxian said that after a long period of sunshine, there will be long rains. In the evening, Shen Hongying held an emergency meeting and mobilized soldiers to attack the city late at night.He rolled up his sleeves and said with spittle: "Brothers, the day of getting rich that we have longed for and longed for has finally arrived! The money in Wugang City is deeper than our waists. Brothers, work hard and capture all the enemies in the city!" The gold, silver and treasure are ours! Haha!" This was Shen Hongying's offensive mobilization order. Shen Hongying's mobilization order was simple and practical, which was very in line with the appetite of his subordinates. The next step was to arrange the specific combat deployment. It was decided to use the Huang Qianshuang regiment as the "death regiment" and ascend the city with a ladder made of several ladders on its shoulders; , Heavy machine guns shot at the defenders on the city wall from both wings to cover the death squads.Once the gap was breached, large troops swarmed up and occupied the whole city as quickly as possible.In particular, pawnshops and money houses are locked down to prevent the outflow of gold, silver and jewelry. Everything is properly deployed, and the soldiers are immediately launched.These Guangxi guys have long coveted the gold and silver treasures of Wugang City, and have longed for this day to come.Therefore, they are all very enthusiastic, gearing up and preparing to do a big job. The team was assembled very soon, and it was necessary for Shen Hongying to mobilize again with his arms crossed and spit splashing.After talking about "making a fortune" and so on, they set off, led by Zhang Yunqing and other local bandit troops. It was about fifteen miles from Longxi to the county seat, and the distance was not far. Because the team was too long, it took more than three hours to arrive at the half street on the other side of the south gate.As the name suggests, Banbian Street means that there are only houses on one side of this street, and it is a gravel road less than ten meters away from the river, facing the city wall on the other side across the river.The only way to attack the city is the Nanshui bridge in front of the south gate. Nanshui Bridge, also known as Tiyun Bridge, means the first step to climb Yunshan Mountain. There are three stone arches in total. The width of the bridge is about one foot. When the army approached the city, it immediately caused a commotion in the city. The rapid siren sounded extremely sharp and pierced the long-silent night sky of the ancient city. Before the attack, Shen Hongying asked Zhang Yunqing if there was any preparation work that had not been done.Zhang Yunqing said: "Commander Shen has arranged for military matters to be watertight. What I am most worried about is still Zhang Xiangto sending people out of the city to report." Shen Hongying nodded: "Okay then, you send people to seal the gates." Turning to Huang Qianshuang, "The siege will begin immediately!" With an order, Huang Ganshuang led the "Dare to Die Regiment" to charge towards Nanshui Bridge, shouting all the way on the ladder.The machine gun company selected the terrain on both sides of the bridge and fired at the tower.The army followed the "death regiment" in black, shouting and flocking to the city wall. For a moment, gunshots and shouts rang together, resounding through the sky, frightening the people outside the city to get up from their beds one after another, and flee for their lives wrapped in blankets at home.Zhu Yunhan and Zhang Shuncai led their troops to take the opportunity to rob and make a fortune. After the battle started, the already paralyzed defenders of the city became tense again. The city wall was crowded with people, shooting guns, throwing stones, and pouring hot porridge. The ladders of the "Dare to Die Regiment" went up to the southwestern city tower. The Guangxi army who was not afraid of death tried to climb the city wall several times, but they were still beaten down, causing heavy casualties. Shen Hongying finally tasted the strength of the Wugang people again, knowing that a hard attack would not work, so she had to call back the troops, leaving a pile of corpses under the city wall. Shen Hongying was very angry and vowed to capture it.He ordered Zhang Yunqing to find a large pillar nearby, intending to change tactics and break open the city gate. Zhang Yunqing led the staff of the headquarters to demolish a rich man's mansion in Banbian Street, and took down a large nanmu pillar weighing hundreds of catties. The second siege began, and the "dare to die group" slammed into the city gate under the cover of machine guns with their nanmu pillars on their shoulders. The defenders on the city felt that the situation was critical, and braved the rain of bullets, they all fired at the gate of the city. Members of the "Death Regiment" were shot and fell to death one after another, and the sound of knocking on the door changed from strong to weak... Casualties were more serious than the previous one. The second attack on the city failed again, Shen Hongying called Jin to withdraw his troops, and withdrew his troops to Huangjiafang, about three miles south of the city, and only left an ambush near the four gates to intercept the messengers coming out of the city. It was night without words. The next day, Zhang Yunqing suggested that the method of hitting the city gate should still be used. "The reason for the failure last night was that there was only one big pillar. After the people in front were beaten to death, there was no response. As a result, the effort was in vain, and the soldiers were lost in vain. If more wooden pillars were used to form a ladder, it would definitely work. " Zhang Yunqing said, "This method is not feasible, I still stick to the original opinion - to use fire attack and tunnel warfare." Shen Hongying shook his head and said, "Fire attack requires a lot of kerosene. For example, if your owner grabs half a catty and your west one grabs a catty, you will have enough kerosene to burn the city in the year of the monkey. Tunnel warfare is a stupid way. Digging a deep trench is a waste of time for us. As for the 'ladder', that is the best way, as long as we break through the city gate, it is tantamount to victory." Zhang Yunqing said: "The ladder method also has limitations. If they pile up the soil at the city gate, we will be in vain." Shen Hongying sighed: "Try it first and then talk, if it really doesn't work, then switch to fire attack and tunnel warfare." Seeing that Shen Hongying still believed in her own strength, Zhang Yunqing didn't want to force her. In the middle of the night on October 21, 1926, Shen Hongying switched to the "ladder style", hitting the city gate with three large nanmu pillars weighing more than 500 kilograms, and hitting them one after another.If, as Zhang Yunqing expected, the defenders in the city protected the city gate with piles of earth and rocks, the Gui army not only failed, but suffered even more casualties. The irrational Gui army did not give up, and did the same at Hanximen and Shuiximen, but all failed. In the morning of the next day, a spy returned to Huangjiafang to report to Shen Hongying that the Wugang people had cut off the heads of the fallen soldiers of the Gui army and hung them at the Zhengnan Gate, Hanxi Gate, and Shuixi Gate respectively. When the news spread, the entire army was in an uproar, from Shen Hongying to ordinary soldiers, their eyes were bloodshot and they lost their minds.Shen Hongying immediately laid a memorial ceremony for the fallen soldiers, and said with tears that once Wugang City was captured, bloodbath would be carried out for seven days and seven nights, and no matter old or young in the city, they would be wiped out without leaving a blade of grass. Ten thousand Guangxi troops screamed in unison: "Taking Wugang City!" "Seven days and seven nights of bloodbath!" "Taking Wugang City!" "Kill old and young!" After learning from the painful experience, Shen Hongying realized that the fortification of Wugang city wall is rare in the world, so she decided to adopt Zhang Yunqing's suggestion of fire attack and tunnel warfare - using both strategies. These two methods will take time, and after a long time, it is inevitable that reinforcements will arrive. Zhang Yunqing also suggested that the city should be besieged immediately. On the night of the 22nd, Shen Hongying ordered each of his subordinates to tie a torch and light it together near the city wall, bluffing, and immediately surrounded the ancient city with water.Then, Xie Laogou led more than fifty people to dig a tunnel outside Hanxi Gate with hoes, shovels, and bamboo baskets. This time the siege of the city really caused panic in the city, and people were frequently hanged with ropes to report to Shaoyang. On the night of October 23, when Yin Dongbo, who was in charge of the East Gate sentry, escorted Jiang Taibing, Zhang Yunqing laughed wildly.Shen Hongying asked puzzledly: "Why is Mr. Zhang laughing?" Zhang Yunqing suppressed a smile and said: "I thought that with Yi Hao's shrewdness, at least one or two messengers had been sent to escape our checkpoint. Tonight we killed a few in a row, and now we have captured this one alive. It can be seen that Yi Hao has jumped the wall in a hurry, and there is nothing else he can do!" Shen Hongying understood what she heard, and laughed loudly. After laughing, she drew a gun from her waist and wanted to kill Jiang Taibing for fun. "Slow!" Zhang Yunqing stopped him, "Let him live for the time being. After dawn, I will use him to expose Yi Hao's old background. In this way, they will be more afraid and their morale will be even lower when they know that the reinforcements will not come. Book of War Didn't it mean that fighting is based on a breath of energy? Once there is no morale, such an army will soon perish." Shen Hongying patted Zhang Yunqing's shoulder and praised him again and again. Seeing Huang Ganshuang beside him, he scolded in a teaching tone: "You're a big waste. Look at how capable Mr. Zhang is. He has mastered the art of war, and he is very logical. Like you, you can't win any ready-made battles!" Huang Ganshuang had to bow his head to listen to the training. On the morning of the 24th, Zhang Yunqing escorted Jiang Taibing, who had been tied up by five flowers, and came down to the Nanshui Bridge at the Zhengnan Gate, surrounded by a large group of people, shouting, asking Zhang Xiangtou, Ouyang Dong, and Yi Hao to come out and talk.Then, Zhang Yunqing pushed Jiang Taibing to the front, revealing that the city was completely isolated from the outside world. Sure enough, the soldiers and civilians on the city wall were depressed. That day and night, Old Dog Xie, who was in charge of digging the tunnel outside the Hanxi Gate, came to the south gate in a panic and reported to Zhang Yunqing: "Man...Master Man, Commander Shen, something is wrong, our tunnel battle has been discovered!" Shen Hongying was shocked after hearing this, and looked at Zhang Yunqing: "Mr. Zhang, what should I do?" Zhang Yunqing said blankly: "It doesn't matter, we have failed in the tunnel battle, we can still use fire to attack. If tomorrow is sunny, attack the city immediately!" Then asked Xie Laogou, "Are you guys still digging?" "We didn't dare to stop without an order. Also, the enemy also dug a hole there and dispatched a lot of people." Xie Laogou said. Zhang Yunqing nodded: "Brothers, don't stop digging tunnels just yet, and continue to contain them—but pay attention to one thing, the enemy may flood you with the water in the moat, and stop immediately when it reaches a certain time." Xie Laogou came back less than two hours after he went back, followed by a group of men who participated in tunnel digging with him.Zhang Yunqing quickly understood, and asked, "Did they pour water? Are there any casualties?" Old Dog Xie shook his head: "There were no casualties. I sent people to watch the wind on the roof and found that all the enemies came up from the trenches, so I knew they were about to irrigate." Zhang Yunqing nodded in satisfaction and said, "Go down and tell the brothers to rest well, Commander Shen has decided to attack the city." At noon on the 25th, Shen Hongying ordered all the ministries to gather at the south gate with their recently prepared dry firewood and kerosene after dinner—the siege began again. This time the tactics were changed, except that the two wings were covered by machine guns, and some tall and powerful soldiers took the lead in the front.None of them carried weapons, they only carried a large bundle of dry firewood and a small bucket of kerosene. Under the cover of machine guns, soldiers who were not afraid of death rushed across the Nanshui Bridge. The firewood in their arms was selected in advance, and most of them were tied with dry pine branches, and they were tied into small firewood handles with dry grass.Ignite the fire and throw it towards the city tower. Those in front were killed, and another wave rushed in behind. The fire quickly burned the city wall into a sea of ​​flames... Afterwards, the second echelon carrying the ladder rushed across with shouts. The water bridge, the city wall... Finally, someone climbed onto the city wall, one, two, three... Shen Hongying and Zhang Yunqing, who were standing at the south end of Nanshui Bridge, danced with joy when they saw this, and shouted: "Success, success, we succeeded!" Problems also arose, because the soldiers who set the fire were unable to continue throwing torches because their own people also went up to the city wall, and the fire was quickly extinguished.As more and more Gui troops went to the city, neither the defenders nor the Gui army could shoot. For a while, cheers and screams continued, and the scene was quite thrilling. People like ants crowded the city wall, and the corpses of both sides rolled down and fell into mountains... The hand-to-hand combat lasted for more than half an hour. Gradually, relying on the unique advantages of the city defenders, reinforcements came up one after another through the ready-made stone steps, slashing and beating the enemies on the steps with big knives or wooden sticks, and knocking out those who had already entered the city. Gui Jun pushed down to the city. ... Seeing this, Shen Hongying stomped her feet again and again, and had no choice but to order the troops to withdraw.On the contrary, Zhang Yunqing looked up to the sky and laughed endlessly.Shen Hongying glared at him fiercely, and cursed: "You're still happy if you fail!" "No! Commander Shen," Zhang Yunqing held back her smile, "What I see is not failure, but the hope of victory!" "The hope of victory?" Shen Hongying was puzzled like a King Kong. Zhang Yunqing nodded seriously: "Yes, failure is the mother of success." Pu Hu'er told him this.He paused, "We tried all kinds of tactics, but none of them worked. We tried fire attack for the first time today, but we were able to attack the city. This shows that Wugang City is only suitable for fire attack! You have seen it just now. If you continue to throw torches , don’t rush to the city, at this time, Commander, you are not standing here, but commanding from the city wall!” Shen Hongying suddenly realized, and punched Zhang Yunqing fiercely in the chest: "If I had known each other a few years ago, I would have been the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. How could there be Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi's bastards!" Zhang Yunqing staggered, but fortunately was supported by Huang Ganshuang behind, stood up straight and said: "It's not too late to know now, take Wugang City, and use it as a base, and mobilize horses and soldiers with peace of mind. Once you have 108,000 elite soldiers and good generals , dragged out again, no matter what Chiang Kai-shek or Bai Chongxi, he has to kneel in front of Commander Shen and call you grandpa." Shen Hongying looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, then became serious again, looking at Zhang Yunqing: "Can this place support one hundred and eighty thousand troops?" Zhang Yunqing nodded: "Of course! Wugang City is so strong, once Commander you enter the city, Bai Chongxi and Tang Shengzhi can attack it?" Shen Hongying: "We can't attack." "Since it cannot be conquered, then the commander is the emperor of one side. Although Wugang only governs the five counties in western Hunan, it can develop outward! It can be said this way: whichever army can capture Wugang City, he has enough confidence to take it Shaoyang, Changsha. Could it be that the state of Chu can't support a mere 100,000 troops?" Shen Hongying threw another punch, this time Zhang Yunqing was on guard, but the fist landed on Huang Qianshuang, Shen Hongying cursed: "Trash, idiot!" Huang Ganshuang was beaten and scolded, looking pitifully wronged.Shen Hongying turned to Zhang Yunqing: "If what you said is true, Mr. Zhang, once Wugang City is captured, this commander will immediately appoint you as the chief of staff of the commander-in-chief, and we will fight the world together in the future!" Zhang Yunqing sneered: "Didn't Commander Shen say that he has a large base in Guangxi? Why did he change his mind and use a small place as the base?" Knowing that she had fallen into Zhang Yunqing's trap, Shen Hongying revealed herself unintentionally, her face blushed in embarrassment, and she was speechless for a while. Zhang Yunqing smiled slyly: "In fact, Zhang has been paying attention to the commander." "You... have been following me?" Zhang Yunqing nodded: "This is normal. Most of the backbone of my subordinates are from the commander's troops. Can I not pay attention? Besides, "Ta Kung Pao" also respects you. Regarding the discord between you and Lu Rongting in Guangdong that led to the disastrous defeat of the Guangxi clique, It is almost a household name. Especially the Chen Jiongming rebellion, the commander took the opportunity to go south and return to Guangzhou, and Zhang admired him all the more. At that time, the commander was really a popular person in the whole country. The Beiyang government appointed you as the governor of Guangdong, and Sun Yat-sen also appointed you as the Guangxi army Commander-in-Chief. With the commander-in-chief's worth at the time, no matter who he fell to, he would gain power. The commander-in-chief finally chose the Beiyang government and declared war on Sun Yat-sen. Deng Ruzhuo was such a bastard. The battle of Yongjiang was the key to the victory of both sides. The two generals Fang and Deng did not cooperate well, resulting in a disastrous defeat, which made the commander lose a great opportunity to make a fortune. The leak in the house was even worse. The fierce general defended Zhaoqing, and the Cantonese army besieged the city for half a month, but was unable to capture it. Finally, Li Jishen, the first division of the Cantonese army, used tunnels to blow up the city wall. At that time, "Ta Kung Pao" reported that Huang Zhenbang was not only a fierce general under the commander, but also The army is very strict and disciplined. The Cantonese army said that he was not disciplined enough to harass the people and wanted to shoot him, but he refused to admit it until he died, and he just died calmly. Is that so?" Shen Hongying was amazed that while Zhang Yunqing knew him so well, she also deeply missed many capable generals he had lost, and said with red eyes: "Yes, maybe the sky wants to kill me and let all my good subordinates die, and the rest are useless trash." Saying that, he glanced at Huang Ganshuang again. "That's why I said that the commander is general but not talented." Zhang Yunqing said, "You can seize the good opportunity and take advantage of the infighting between Sun Yat-sen and Chen Jiongming, and you will arrive in Guangzhou like a magic soldier. At that time, Chen Jiongming's remnant troops were still in Huizhou. Deng Ruzhuo cooperated well and contacted Chen Jiongming in advance. It is self-evident whether the National Revolutionary Army can win and whether Sun Yat-sen can return to Guangzhou to reorganize the government. If so, the commander today will really not care about military This is a small town. I dare say that the general is not a man of talent, and the present fact has been proved once again." Shen Hongying looked at Zhang Yunqing, wanting to get angry, but finally held back. "Now that Tang Shengzhi has left the province for the Northern Expedition, the rear is empty." Zhang Yunqing said boldly, "The commander chose Wugang, an important town in southwestern Hunan, as a base, and the idea is really extraordinary and grand. It's a pity that the commander underestimated the enemy. He thought it would be easy to deal with 2,000 defenders with 10,000 soldiers, but he didn't expect that Wugang's city wall was strong and full of unruly people. After six days of siege, instead of taking it down, he lost troops and generals. It's such a shame—" "You—" Shen Hongying was furious, and took out a gun to hold Zhang Yunqing back, "How dare you humiliate this commander, Zhang, what should you do!" "What's wrong with me?" Zhang Yunqing showed no fear, until Shen Hongying calmly took the gun away, and then said in a calm tone, "Commander, just now Zhang had a collision, and I still look at Haihan. However, good medicine is bitter, and good advice is harsh. Willing to listen to Zhang, I guarantee that within tomorrow, I will be able to win Wugang City." Shen Hongying let out a long sigh, put the gun back into his waist, and said, "You tell me." Zhang Yunqing said: "The reason why we were able to climb the tower today is that apart from the fact that the fire attack is more powerful than others, there is another main reason - because the other party has cut off contact with the outside world, they have lost their psychological support, and everyone is in danger. In addition, after six consecutive days and nights, fighting again, transporting earth and rocks to block the city gates, and digging pits to deal with tunnel battles, you are obviously tired. Don’t you think so?” Shen Hongying nodded: "Then, how will Mr. Zhang attack the city tomorrow?" This was the question he was most concerned about. "The fire attack is still the main one." Zhang Yunqing said, "At the same time, it is supplemented by psychological warfare and exhaustion warfare." "Psychological warfare, fatigue warfare?" Zhang Yunqing nodded: "Yes. I plan to go to the nearby villages to catch a group of migrant workers to dig tunnels outside the city wall, psychologically causing infinite panic among the enemy troops and troublemakers in the city, and then take the opportunity to launch a fire attack!" “好一个'心理战、疲劳战！'”沈鸿英又兴奋起来：“我们早就该想到这一绝招了。好，抓民夫去！” 此时，攻城官军已经全部撤下，沈鸿英望望天，太阳才刚刚西斜，正是下午时分，他派出一个营去附近村庄抓民夫。至傍晚，抓得约六七百人，各带锄头、铁铲，用枪逼至城下排成长队，勒令挖坑道。 此举果然引起了城内军民的极大恐慌，在城墙上点满灯，照着市民挖堑坑。双方对挖一气。张云卿又将民工解至另一个地段大挖特挖。如此反反复复，折腾到天亮，至此参加挖堑坑的市民早已累得伸不直腰。 “心理战”、“疲劳战”初见成效，沈鸿英十分高兴。天亮后，张云卿又将六七百参加挖坑道的民工全部捆绑起来，再用绳索像系炸蜢一样串成一串，准备在攻城战打响后，解至城墙下挡子弹。 桂军经过一夜的准备，备足了足以烧城的柴禾。煤油昨天虽用了一部分，但剩余很多。如果攻城顺利，沈鸿英不打算纵火——如张云卿所说，他要以武冈城为大本营和基地，秣马厉兵，实现他东山再起之目的。 26日早晨，大雾弥漫，沈鸿英从帐营里出来，高兴地拍着巴掌说：“又是一个大好的晴天，天助我也！” 雾气很重，沈鸿英站在外面，一会儿就能从头顶上扫下一层露水。 像往日一样，他习惯性地沿着赧水河岸遥望古老的城墙。突然，在他的眼里出现了一幕奇景……他揉揉眼，以为是幻觉，再看时，却更加真切……沈鸿英吃了一惊，慌忙跑回帐里，一把拉起张云卿，急急道：“快、快去看看！” 张云卿不知发生什么事，跟在后面跑。 沈鸿英道：“快、快看城墙上！” 张云卿睁眼向城墙上看去——除了大雾，还是大雾，不悦道：“司令，不就是大雾么，难道你们广西没有雾？” 沈鸿英搔着头，喃喃自语道：“怎么就不见了呢，刚才明明看到的。” 张云卿感到蹊跷，问道：“你刚才看到什么了？” 沈鸿英道：“不管你信不信，反正我刚才是看得真真切切的。我看到一排高大无比的武冈土人，屁股坐在城墙上，双脚光着丫子泡在赧水河里，一边洗脚，还一边谈笑呢。你们武冈以前是不是常闹鬼？” 张云卿相信沈鸿英不会说假话，惊道：“这、这可能是一种预兆。” “预兆？什么预兆？” “走，去问杨相晚，”张云卿拉了拉沈鸿英，“他懂《周易》、《八卦》。” 来到杨相晚帐里，沈鸿英向他讲述了刚才所见，杨相晚微闭双眼，掐着指节，“甲子、乙丑”地念念有词，然后又问了沈鸿英的生辰八字，大叫道：“沈司令，刚才所见，乃是一种不祥之兆，这武冈城是不能攻的！” 沈鸿英吃了一惊，继而哈哈大笑，问道：“杨先生，你说，这城为何不能攻？” 杨相晚说：“武冈城墙自崇祯七年历时两载复修以来，因逢上三百年未遇的黄道吉日，有半仙断言，武冈城三百年无大恙，任何强军劲旅攻城，最多只能围七天七夜。今天刚好是司令围城的第七天，是个不吉利之数，且司令的生辰八字，亦与日子相克相冲，攻城，乃大大不利。” “你以为我不懂《周易》、《八卦》么？”沈鸿英冷笑道，“自古甲子六十年为一轮回，从未听人说过以三百年算的，什么数字不利，我们广西也有一种说法，叫'七成八败'，比如女人怀了孕，若是七个月生产，婴儿是活的，若是怀了八个月生产，必是死婴。今日是本司令围城的第七日，又是公历10月26日，'六'就是顺，想必刚才那些鬼神，见了我这位古城的新主人，才显出形来欢迎呢。” 杨相晚红着脸喃喃道：“可是，可是司令说的是一排本地土人坐在城墙上把脚泡入赧水河里洗脚，还谈笑自若，这明明是预兆武冈城平安无事，不会血流成河。” “放屁！”沈鸿英骂道，“不许瞎说，我今日非攻取武冈城，定叫它血流成河不可！”说完，愤然离去。 沈鸿英走后，张云卿要杨相晚为他卜一卦。杨相晚掐算一阵，又要张云卿报了生辰八字，然后笑道：“顺路兄，我不好说。” “有何不好说的？”张云卿斜着眼看他。 “天机不可泄漏。”杨相晚神秘地眨眨眼，待同在房中的朱云汉、张顺彩识趣离开，才压低声音说，“顺路兄此次的命运不用我卜算，你自己比我更心知肚明。” 张云卿在杨相晚肩上重重地擂了一拳：“知我者，杨相晚也！”说罢哈哈大笑。又道：“你给我再卜一卦，看看我的运程如何。” 杨相晚道：“谋事在人，成事在天，若顺路兄有了谋略，可自己问问卦。”说着，从怀里取出一副竹卦交给张云卿。 张云卿接过，心中默念片刻，闭上眼，将竹卦向地上一抛——巽卦。他脸上露出满意的微笑，然后镇定地走出帐篷。 吃罢早饭，沈鸿英吩咐手下检查各自的武器、干柴和煤油，并通知在太阳正顶时攻城。当他回到自己帐中，张云卿也跟了进来。他转过身问道：“张先生有何良策？” 张云卿摇摇头，说道：“我觉得要攻，不必等到太阳正顶，现在就应该进攻。” “为什么？你也相信杨相晚的妖言？” 张云卿点头：“那不是妖言。这时候，我们宁信其有。沈司令，如果杨相晚掐算得准确，你认为最有可能的是哪种意外发生？ 沈鸿英反问：“你认为呢？” “我认为是唐生智的救兵赶来。” 沈鸿英皱皱眉头，叹道：“你别劝我了，我不会改变计划的。我说过今天正午进攻，就一定是正午。如果你所猜之事真会发生，那也是天意，非人力可挽回。” “如果你信我的话，一定能挽回。” 沈鸿英盯着张云卿，喉结动了动：“你应该知道，到了这个时候，我别无选择。要么攻下武冈城，日后还可以折腾一阵；要么攻不下，我也无颜面再在军界混了。你懂么？不过，我坚信，吉人自有天相，我会成功的！” “如果你不听我的话，立即攻城，这回你败定了！我敢打赌！” “你用什么赌？” “我用我自己。”张云卿拍着胸脯，“如果司令挨到正午才攻城不出意外，我张云卿愿终生相随，伴于司令鞍前马后！” 沈鸿英一愣，望着张云卿，喉结动了动：“如果是我输了，你要我赔你什么？” Zhang Yunqing remained silent. “没关系，打赌就是这样，想要啥没什么不好意思说的。” 张云卿道：“司令说过，如果攻不下武冈城，司令将从此退出江湖。我想，若司令输了的话，可不可以让一部分弟兄留在武冈，跟着我闯荡江湖？” “没问题。”沈鸿英爽快地说，“真到了那一步，我也不需要带兵了，你能收留一部分，倒过来说也算是帮了我的忙。” “一言为定。”张云卿伸出右手食指。 “一言为定。”沈鸿英也伸出右手食指。拉了钩，他从鼻子里哼出声来，“咱们走着瞧！”说完，背着手踱出营帐，到河边察看城墙上的敌情去了。 这时，一直坐在一隅的黄干双走过来问道：“张先生，你说今天攻城会出意外，到底是出什么意外？” “对了。”张云卿说：“黄团长，如果攻不下武冈城，你是愿意回广西，还是想留下来？” “我？”黄干双疑虑地望着张云卿，“难道今天真会出现意外？” 张云卿亲切地拍着他的肩：“你还是留下来吧，我们需要你。具体出什么意外我不知道，但我有一种很强烈的预感——沈司令若不照我说的提早攻城，武冈城一定攻不下来！” 黄干双喃喃道：“如果你的预感真有这样灵验，我一定留下来跟你干。” 张云卿满意地点点头：“很好，如果你真心留下来，我会好好待你。武冈虽是小地方，却也资源丰厚，最适合我们过快乐逍遥的日子。” 外面，沈鸿英已令司号员吹响了集合号。张云卿、黄干双走出帐营，太阳已蒸融了霜雾，武冈城如海市蜃楼般挣脱云雾，露出峥嵘来。集合号惊扰了守城官兵，只见城楼上一片忙碌。 集合完毕，沈鸿英背着手走到队列前，然后喊道：“弟兄们辛苦了！本司令集合大家不为别事——今日我们又要攻城啦！” 队伍里一阵骚动。 “别紧张，别紧张！”沈鸿英摆着手说，“我说的不是马上攻城。弟兄们还没有吃饭，没吃饭怎么能打仗？一早起来集合各位，本司令用的是'心理战术'，从现在开始就给敌军造成紧张气氛，让他们不得安宁。弟兄们等会回去后要把伙食办好，这是最后一顿饭了——打赢了，中午饭在城里吃；打不赢，马上滚回去！还有，刚才我跟张云卿打了赌，他说今天要有意外事发生，就是说我们攻不下武冈城。本司令从来不信天不信地，只信自己、信弟兄们！打赌就打赌吧，他说他输，往后给我做马夫；我输了呢，反正我也没脸皮再在江湖上混了，弟兄们愿意回去的就回去，不愿回去的本司令把你们输给张云卿啦！” 队伍里又是一阵骚动。 沈鸿英叉着腰，“我不会输的，弟兄们也不会落到那步田地。今天打下武冈城，血洗七天七夜，男人，无论老幼都杀光；女人，留下年轻漂亮的，其余的也杀光，以后这里就是我们的老家！等到积蓄了一定势力，再打回广西去，赶走李宗仁、白崇禧，恢复我们过去的威风。弟兄们，这样好不好呀？” “好！”官兵齐声呐喊。 “非常好！”沈鸿英满意地点点头，下令道，“现在本司令要你们去城墙下吓唬吓唬武冈佬，喊大声一些，早晨喊得大声，把昨晚没消化完的食物都消化完，等到开饭时多吃一碗，正午可要动真格啦。好吧，各部开始行动！” 沈鸿英一声令下，队伍如潮水般涌向城墙下，一路呐喊惊天，并间或向城楼放几枪。城上守军果然大急，不一会儿便涌上黑压压的一堆人……结果，桂军仅仅是虚晃一枪。 桂军回营吃了饭，太阳已把赧水河畔的落叶晒干了，一脚踏上去，发出“沙沙”的干裂声。 当太阳正顶时，沈鸿英下达了攻击令。这一次是动真格了，桂军把昨天抓来挖坑道的民工用绳子像缠蚱蜢一样地串好，用枪押向南门城墙下。城上守军见是自己同胞，开枪不能，不开枪也不能。正犯难间，沾上煤油的柴把和火把，如失巢的蜂群，漫天飞舞，向城墙内飞来…… 这一回，守城军民似乎早有准备，用大盆大盆的冷稀饭泼向大火。稀饭是火的克星，一旦粘上，桂军投掷上来的一束淋了煤油的干柴就报销了。 火攻持续了两个多钟头，又告失败了。此时的沈鸿英和所有的官兵一样，心中都充满了复仇的怒火，决心哪怕用肉体也要垒砌一条通往城墙的路。 傍晚时分，桂军真真吃过“最后的晚餐”，沈鸿英下令把所有的锅灶毁了，发誓要与张湘砥及刁蛮的武冈佬决一死战。 天黑下来后，气温骤降，满天霜风，刮在脸上如刀割一般。桂军大多数是广西人，广西的霜没有这么早，气候也没有这么冷。好在每个人心中都燃烧着一股仇恨的怒火。 攻击令下达，一万桂军呐喊着冲向城墙。“敢死团”架云梯，两翼仍由机枪掩护。 此时，桂军上下早把生死置之度外，前面的死了，后面的跟上来，奋力向城墙上攀登。鏖战不到半个钟头，城墙便堆集了数百具尸体。 慢慢地，城墙上的枪声稀少了，桂军很快知道对方的弹药将尽，一时士气大振，呐喊着登城。 守军确确实实只能靠石头、刀棍及刚烧好的稀饭守城了。好在他们有居高临下的优势，特别是他们准备了不少木叉，可以把云梯带人一齐掀翻下去——但自己也是危险性很大的。因此，双方伤亡异常惨重。 在桂军大部队快要登上城的时候，东、西两方传来震天动地的呐喊声—— “武冈军民坚持最后一分钟！” “我们是唐省长派来的援军！” “武冈军民坚持最后一分钟！” “我们是唐省长派来的援军！” 呐喊声鼓舞了守城军民的士气，越战越勇；相反，得知唐生智已派来援军，桂军一时军心大乱，没登城的转向逃命，已登城的则不顾一切跳下城墙。 所谓兵败如山倒，一旦军心散涣，失了士气，逃命便成了惟一的选择。 此时赧水桥已被援军占领，惟一可逃命的办法就是涉过赧水河。沈鸿英在黄干双的掩护下，来到河边。河边，张云卿早备好一条小船将他载过河去。 公历10月26日，正是农历9月下旬，天上皓月当空，照着随后涉水过来的官兵。 由于唐生智的援军来势凶猛，桂军自相践踏，加之不知水之深浅，淹死者不计其数。如此一路溃退，退至三十里外，方停下来休整清点。计算各部人数，余者不够七千人，在武冈七日战斗中，足足消耗了三千有余。 沈鸿英仰天长叹，双膝跪地：“天绝我也，无可奈何！天绝我也，非人力能为！”叹罢大哭。哭够之后，拱着手泪流满面地对部下说：“各位兄弟，落到今日之田地，全乃我沈某之过……我对不起你们，对不起广西的父老乡亲……如今，我沈某再无脸面见江东父老，更没有面子行走江湖，这一刻，是我与弟兄们诀别的最后一刻！” 七千桂军一齐垂下头跟着流泪。 沈鸿英抬起泪眼道：“在这最后诀别的时刻，我沈某没有脸面提当年之威风，如今已成丧家之犬，只谈眼前。我无能再统领你们了，从这一刻起，也不再是你们的司令……分手之际，沈某愧无盘缠相赠，各位手里的枪，就算是我打发的路费吧。有想家的，可以结伴回去；有恋江湖的，可另投明主；有愿意留下来的，张云卿在欢迎你们的加入……”说到此处，他哽咽了，再也说不下去。他不能、也不想再说了，扭转身，在数名亲随的簇拥下，向南方走去…… 众桂军目送着他们消失在前面的一片树林里，才回过神来，像乱了套的马群一样，开始呼兄唤弟，准备各奔前程。 这时，轮到张云卿出场了，他捅了捅身边的黄干双。黄干双跳上一高处，用广西土话喊道：“静一静，弟兄们静一静！”全场安静，“刚才沈司令已经讲了，何去何从，均由自己决定。我认为到了这个关键时候，有一句古话最适合我们，'物投明主，良禽择木而栖'。张先生虽是小地方的一方首领，却是个与神相通的奇人。这一次司令若肯信他，我们也不至如此惨败。他愿意收留我们，对弟兄们来说，也是一次难得的好机会。跟着他，比跟着司令一定更有前程。现在，我请张先生给弟兄们说话。张先生有请。” 张云卿脸上堆着笑，不停地向桂军官兵拱手，登上高处，用带着浓重土音的官腔说道：“各位弟兄，我们相处虽然不到半月，但你们给我留下了难忘的印象！你们久经沙场，能征善战，特别是打起仗来不怕死的勇敢精神，最令人钦佩！如今树倒猢狲散，你们就要各奔前程了！我、我真的舍不得弟兄们……”说到这里，张云卿很真实地流出泪水来，“如果弟兄们不小瞧我，愿意留下，我会张开双臂欢迎！我知道，弟兄们曾经在广州、南宁、桂林那样的大地方享过福、坐过江山，对武冈这样小小的地方不大在意。不过，我要提醒弟兄们，小地方自有小地方的好。大地方动荡不安，战事不断，难得有一刻半时的安逸。我是个粗人，也没有沈司令那样的雄才大略，更没有任何政治主张，如果非要说我有什么政治主张，那就是四个字——享受人生。我想我的这个政治纲领，弟兄们大多数都能接受。我是贫苦出身，自小死了父母，尝遍了人世间的疾苦。正因为如此，对好生活的渴望，我比任何人都要强烈。人生一世，草木一春，活着如果不享受，实在是没有任何意义！这道理太浅了，浅得连草木都知道——你们看那山上的树，吸到肥的就是比别的树要高大、茂盛。正因为这道理人人都懂，人人也想享受，这世界才有争夺、才有各种势力！如果弟兄们愿意跟我干，大家拧成一股绳，那么，我们就是武冈最大的一派势力。凭着这股势力，我们就可以尽情享受！俗话说，'山不在高，有仙则名；水不在深，有龙则灵