Sixty-two, Plans for Attacking the Heart

  Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and asked: "Wang Er brothers, guess again, who will win or lose tomorrow?"

  "This...". Wang Er didn't dare to make any more reckless guesses, he had already made a fool of himself several times in a row and didn't want to continue making a fool of himself. After hesitating for a while, he finally let out a sigh and said: "I really can't guess it. But... Zheng Yanfu has a bigger chance of winning, I feel that the government troops have no way to climb up this mountain cliff."

  Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "There will be no battle tomorrow!"

  "What?" Wang Er was shocked: "Why is this? We've been fighting for two days, with wins and losses, and we're at a critical juncture. Are we not going to fight tomorrow? This is too strange."

  Zhu Yuanzhang shrugged and said: "Just wait and see!" ?? Late Ming Zhu Chongba 62

  The next morning, Wang Er jumped up again with dark circles under his eyes, waiting to see the battle between the government troops and Zheng Yanfu's gang. The result was disappointing, as the government troops did not form an attacking formation today, but instead sent out hundreds of people to line up at the foot of the mountain, placing their hands on their lips, forming a tube shape, and then shouting together towards the top of the mountain: "Zheng Yanfu, surrender!"

  "Zheng Yanfu, surrender and be spared!"

  "Surrender to you and be a hundred-household official, can you have an easy life as an official on the mountain top?"

  "If you persist in your obstinacy and refuse to repent, the only fate awaiting you is beheading at Caishikou."

  "Don't think you're invincible just because you're hiding in the mountains. As long as you dare to come down, we can beat you until you flee with your tail between your legs. If you don't surrender, you'll be trapped in the mountains with no way out."

  "Whoever beheads Zheng Yanzhen and presents his head will receive a reward of 100 taels of silver..."

  "You bandits on the mountain, don't you have wives and children? You've taken to the hills, what about them? Don't hesitate, kill Zheng Yanfu, come down from the mountain and surrender, I'll ensure you wealth and glory."

  One wave of shouting followed another, drifting up from the foot of the mountain and echoing in the air above the stronghold. The bandits on the mountain were surprisingly silent, listening quietly to these shouts.

  Wang Er's face changed greatly as he listened to these voices: "Today will indeed not be a battle, but today's array is even more perilous than a battle."

  Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and sighed, "That's right, this battle is the most difficult to fight. The enemy from within is far more difficult to deal with than the enemy in front of us. After the defeat on the first day, the bandits already knew the strengths and weaknesses of the government troops. They didn't dare to come down the mountain to challenge the government troops again, and they might even have an illusion that the government troops were invincible. In this situation, the government troops used psychological tactics, which easily caused chaos within the bandits. It's hard to say whether Zheng Yanfu can pass this test."

  Wang Er's body shook violently: "I believe Zheng Yanfu won't surrender, he's a good man, but those messy subordinates under him can't be relied on."

  "Hmm!" Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, but didn't finish the sentence: I ordered Zheng Yanzhou to streamline the troops, only bringing trusted and tested ones. At that time, he clearly agreed, but later on, I don't know why he didn't listen to me and actually recruited over 400 miscellaneous rascals. Now he's going to run into big trouble.

  The calls for surrender rang out one after another, and the fleeing bandits on the mountain top listened quietly, not a single person retorting or shouting back... The eerie silence seemed to be brewing some kind of uneasy emotion.

  "Zhu Ba Ge, what's your take on this? What will be the outcome?" Wang Er's forehead was covered in sweat.

  Zhu Yuanzhang furrowed his brow, thinking carefully for a long time. After a while, he let out a sigh and said: "Within three days, there will be great changes in the mountain stronghold. Those who want to surrender will secretly plot against Zheng Yanfu, bring his head down the mountain to claim their reward."

  "Can they succeed?" Wang Er asked in a low voice: "Your judgment has always been very accurate, tell me the result quickly."

  Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a while, then said seriously: "If this is a very mature bandit group that has gone through many battles and tests, then this riot will be suppressed, and most people will still support Zheng Yanfu and kill the traitors. However... This is an immature team, I estimate that most people will waver, and the result of outnumbering the few is that Zheng Yanfu will be killed, and his head will be sent down the mountain to Yang Hong's hands. Then... Yang Hong will kill the person who sent the head down the mountain, and easily return home with his troops."

  "Ah?" Wang Er exclaimed: "In other words... Zheng Yanfu is finished?"

  "Hmm! Eight or nine out of ten." ?? Late Ming Zhu Chongba 62

  "Brother Zhu, help them out!" Wang Er suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang's shoulder, saying in a low voice: "You help Zheng Yanfu, I don't want this hero to die like this."

  "Help them?" Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head: "Zheng Yanfu killed an official and rebelled, do you know that rebelling is punishable by exterminating nine clans? Whoever helps him will also be guilty of being an accomplice and will lose their head too. Wang Er brothers, do you want to rebel too?"

  "I... I never thought of rebelling. But... Zheng Yanfu is a good man!" Wang Er was somewhat confused about what he was thinking, and after hesitating for a while, he sighed: "I just don't want Zheng Yanfu's group to fail, I don't know why either."

  Zhu Yuanzhang's face wore a strange expression, seeming to smile yet not quite smiling as he looked at Wang Er.

  "Zhu Ba Ge... help Zheng Yan Fu!" Wang Er raised his head, a determined look on his face: "You just need to tell me what to do, I'll go up the mountain to help him. If we get exposed or fail, it won't implicate you."

  "What's wrong with being a good imperial guard? Why would you want to rebel?" Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "Rebellion isn't something fun."

  "A man should live in the world with a sense of satisfaction!" Wang Er said fiercely: "I don't want to be mediocre all my life."

  "Hmm... but now is not a good time to rebel." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile: "You know? The world is still at peace, and there has never been a successful rebellion in the midst of such peace."

  "When can we start the rebellion?"

  "Chaos!" Zhu Yuanzhang stretched out one finger and said seriously: "The world is in great chaos, rebellion will surely succeed!"

  "I...I don't understand!" Wang Er said with a wave of his hand: "Don't beat around the bush, just say whether you'll help me rescue Zheng Yanfu or not!"

  "You and I are brothers, if I don't help you who will?" Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "The meaning of this sentence is to tell you that you can go and help Zheng Yanfu, but don't join his rebel army. After saving him, you must come back home and continue living an ordinary life. If you really want to rebel, I believe the opportunity will come sooner or later, but it's definitely not now."

  Wang Er was overjoyed when he heard this: "You're willing to come up with a plan? Great! Quickly tell me your idea, and I'll go up the mountain to help Zheng Yanfu. I'll listen to you, and after helping him, I'll definitely come back."

  Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled and said, "Don't be in a hurry, how can I feel at ease letting you go alone? I'll go with you! Zheng Yanfu doesn't know you at all, even if you bring a clever plan, he may not listen to you. If I go with you, the situation will be completely different."

  "Really?" Wang Er heard this and broke out in a cold sweat, saying: "You... you know Zheng Yanfu?"

  "Hmm! The one who took Zheng Yanfu to kill Zhang Douyao was me!" Zhu Yuanzhang burst out laughing, revealing his overbearing aura.

  Wang Er only felt a loud noise in his mind, and the events of that day in Cheng City flashed back one by one. He suddenly realized that when Zhang Douyao was killed, Zhu Ba had disappeared for a long time. It turned out... he was mixed among Zheng Yanfu's gang at that time.

  "Originally... you are also a real hero!" Wang Er sighed sincerely.

  Zhu Yuanzhang picked up two pieces of black mud from the ground and smeared them on his cheeks, making his entire face pitch-black. He then took off the bamboo hat hanging on his back and covered his head with it, completely covering his face. Wang Er, although he didn't bring a bamboo hat out, also thought that Zhu Yuanzhang had picked up two pieces of mud and smeared his face into a black color like a pot bottom.

  Two people walked around the cliff, looking for a way up.

  Wang Er said with some doubt, "Can we find a way up the mountain? The government soldiers should have blocked all roads, right? I was originally planning to climb up the cliff."

  "Rest assured, there must be a way. Surrounding the mountain is like surrounding a city. For very weak enemies, of course, it's surrounded on all sides, and the enemy is directly trapped to death. But if it's an enemy that can't be taken for a while, it can't be surrounded to death, lest it arouse the enemy's determination to fight to the death. The government army couldn't take Zheng Yanfu's mountain stronghold for a while, this situation belongs to a strong enemy, the more they are surrounded, the harder it is to attack the mountain. Must leave a way out for Zheng Yanfu and others, let them have the psychology of escaping in their hearts, and they will not fight to the death to defend the mountain stronghold."

  What kind of knowledge is this? Wang Er attended another class.

  Before long, the two of them found a steep and narrow path behind the mountain that could be climbed to the top. This kind of road can allow a small number of people to go up and down the mountain, but it is impossible for a large number of soldiers to pass through. The government troops cannot attack from here, so they simply left it out, allowing the bandits to go up and down the cliff freely. With an escape route, the bandits became even more easily shaken.

  In fact, the government soldiers are not worried that the bandits will escape from this road. If the bandits abandon their stronghold and flee down the mountain, the government soldiers can pursue them in hot pursuit. Without the protection of their stronghold, the bandits would be no match for them.

  Two people used their hands and feet together, climbing up along the mountain path.

  In front of the mountain, the officers and soldiers were still shouting: "Surrender, you will be rewarded with wealth and glory."

  "Whoever brings me Zheng Yanfu's head will be rewarded with 100 taels of silver!"

  The voice came from far away, and even the back cliff could hear it. Zhu Yuanzhang and Wang Er slowly climbed to the middle of the mountain under this sound. At this time, two bandits jumped out from behind a stone beside the road, opened their hunting bows, aimed at the two men, and shouted loudly: "What are you? Are you not scouts for government troops?"

  Wang Er raised his head, his face smeared with black soot, and smiled at the two of them: "Do I look like a spy?"

  Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even lift his head, using only the brim of his bamboo hat to face the two men, and said in a low voice: "Trouble you to inform Zheng Yanfu that... we are envoys sent by the imperial court to persuade him to surrender."

  "What?" Wang Er was shocked and was about to ask a question when Zhu Yuanzhang patted him heavily on the back, signaling him not to speak.

  "Are you going down?" The two sentries looked at each other in confusion, carefully sizing up Wang Er and Zhu Yuanzhang. Seeing that they were not wearing official uniforms, suspicious glances darted back and forth between the two men.

  Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled and said: "Wearing military uniforms to talk about surrender is probably not very good, so we came up wearing ordinary people's clothes."