Liang County is the area from today's Kaifeng to Shangqiu, second only to the Heluo region in importance in the Central Plains, 50,000 Wagang troops are like bamboos, and they occupied Jiyin County and Dongping County in just ten days, and thousands of Sui troops fled in despair.

The Wagang Army also expanded rapidly, from 50,000 to 80,000 on the expedition, especially after the capture of Dongping County, a large number of armor and ordnance were obtained, so that the equipment of the Wagang Army immediately became sophisticated.

The Wagang army did not stop, under the leadership of the general Zhai Rang, like a whirlwind south, swept Liang County, only three days later, 50,000 Wagang troops surrounded Liang County and Songcheng County.

There are 5,000 defenders in Songcheng County, and the main general is named Zhu Qingyun, and the official is the general of Hu Benlang, but Zhu Qingyun does not directly belong to the imperial court, and his boss is Yang Qing, the king of Xun, who is also the general guard of Xingyang.

Yang Qing had more than 30,000 elite soldiers, of which 20,000 were guarding Xingyang County, which belonged to the peripheral army of Luoyang, the eastern capital, and the other 12,000 troops were stationed in Dongjun, Dongping County, Jiyin County and Liang County, Liang County was the largest garrison in addition to Xingyang County, with 5,000 troops.

At this time, although the soldiers in Songcheng County were in chaos, the people of Songcheng County were surprisingly calm, and just a few days ago there was a rush of rice in Songcheng County, which was suppressed by the army, and more than a dozen leaders were publicly beheaded.

The streets were quiet, and the people of Liang County were exhausted by the severe drought that had lasted for months, and the rice had risen to 800 yuan, and every family had to cut back on food and clothing to survive the famine.

But this is just the local people's self-help, for the hundreds of thousands of hungry people who fled from all over Liang County, fighting rice for 800 yuan is tantamount to killing people and robbing money, and the hungry people sell their meager family property, and even sell their children and daughters, just to get a mouthful of food to live.

Therefore, when the Wagang army suddenly killed, the Sui army was frightened and scrambling, but the local people and hungry people did not have much common hatred. On the contrary, many people hope that the Wagang Army can break the city and open the official warehouse to help the victims.

At the head of the city, Zhu Qingyun looked at the Wagang army on both sides of the Tongji Canal outside the city, and he was very anxious in his heart, Song City is a big city. The circumference of the city is thirty miles long, and there are six city gates, and at least tens of thousands of people are needed to fully defend it, and the five thousand men in his hands are not enough to defend at all, and it is almost the same to maintain law and order.

He Zan, the Taishou of Liangjun next to him, saw Zhu Qingyun's worries, so he comforted him and said: "I have sent someone to Jiangdu 800 miles to report urgently, Liangjun is the only way for the saint to return, I believe that the saint will definitely send troops to counterattack, as long as we can hold on for six or seven days." Reinforcements will definitely arrive. ”

Zhu Qingyun smiled bitterly, he actually had to defend it by himself for six or seven days, as long as the Wagang army attacked the city in a big way, he couldn't hold it for a day, but it seems that the Wagang army did not prepare siege weapons, they made siege weapons on the spot, maybe they still had two or three days.

"It's too late to count on the imperial court to see if Yang Yichen can send troops to help us recently. I also sent someone to ask Yang Yichen for help, I hope he can catch up. ”

Speaking of which. Zhu Qingyun said to He Zan again: "In addition, I want to remind He Yuanjun, it is best to open a warehouse and release grain to help the victims, my current army is no longer able to maintain order in the county, once the hungry people make trouble again, I am afraid that things will be big." ”

He Zan said with a sad face: "There are less than two thousand stones of grain in the county warehouse. Where is the place to help the victims? If relief is given to the victims, what will happen to the local people? ”

He Zan, as the chief guard of a county, of course he didn't want a civil uprising, and he said cautiously: "There are tens of thousands of stone grains in Bianshuicang, I don't know the general-"

"Absolutely not!"

Zhu Qingyun's face suddenly changed greatly. Holding down the hilt of the sword, he shouted: "The Bianshui warehouse is a granary directly under the Ministry of War, although it is in Songcheng County, but it is the military rations of the Xiaoguo Army, who dares to open a warehouse without authorization?"

Perhaps because he felt that his attitude was too harsh, he softened his tone again: "He Yuanjun, don't be joking, give me ten guts, I won't dare to open the Bianshui warehouse." ”

He Zan sighed, "If the Wagang army conquers Songcheng County, these grains will not be able to be saved, so it is better to hide it for the people first, so as not to be taken away by the Wagang bandits." ”

Zhu Qingyun pondered for a moment, but still shook his head resolutely, "I can't afford such consequences, the army granary is not allowed to be used for disaster relief, this is the will of the Son of Heaven, I dare not disobey, please forgive me!" ”

After speaking, he turned around and walked quickly down the city, He Zan looked at his back and walked away, couldn't help shaking his head, and sighed lowly, judging from Zhu Qingyun's refusal to resist the order, once the city is broken, Zhu Qingyun will definitely withdraw his army immediately, and he will not fight to the death with the thieves, so he will throw hundreds of thousands of Songcheng people to the Wagang rebellion.

………

The area north of Songcheng County is a gathering place for hundreds of thousands of hungry people, this area is open, there are community temples, there are schools, there are schools, but at this time all the open space is crowded with hungry people who have fled from all over Liang County, they use wood, grass and stone and mud to build the most rudimentary and broken sheds, starving, looking forward to disaster relief.

Their only source of food is for large families to make porridge on the streets, or to catch rats and peel tree bark to satisfy their hunger.

In the gloomy left wing of the temple, a fire was burning brightly and dimly, and people kept throwing a piece or two of firewood into the fire, and on the west side sat a thin white-haired old man, staring intently at the fire.

On both sides of the old man, more than a dozen men formed a circle, they were discussing the plan to grab food, these dozen people are elected by the hungry people in each county, this is their third meeting, because many families have run out of food, the food crisis has reached the point of no longer bearable.

"Lao Lin, you went to the official warehouse to repair the wall today, how much grain is there in the official warehouse?" The old man asked a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man whispered in a hoarse voice: "There is not much food in the official warehouse, I estimate that it is at most two thousand stones, which is far from enough for us to feed our family, and we have to go to the Bianshui warehouse." ”

"But there are too many garrisons in Bianshuicang!"

"Nope! No! No! ”

The middle-aged man hurriedly waved his hand, "I have already confirmed, there are only no more than fifty defenders near the gate of Bianshuicang, and there are no more patrol soldiers in the city, all the officers and soldiers have gone to the city, this is our golden opportunity." ”

"Brother Lin is right!"

Another slightly younger man said: "If we don't do it again, once the Wagang army enters the city, the grain in the Bianshui warehouse will become military food, and it will not be our turn, we must act as soon as possible!" ”

At this time, the eyes of more than a dozen people looked at the old man in the middle, the old man's name was Jiang Baili, his son was the leader of the grain robbery incident a few days ago, unfortunately he was killed by the officers and soldiers, which gave him a heavy blow, but he was the leader of the hungry people, and he had a high prestige among the hungry people.

Jiang Baili said slowly: "I'm afraid that we will be monitored, once we are dispatched, the officers and soldiers will immediately come to suppress it." ”

The middle-aged man with a hoarse voice said: "If you don't enter the tiger's den, you can get the tiger, uncle, if we are afraid of our hands and feet, we will starve to death!" ”

"That's right! It is better to die by grabbing food, so that our family can live. ”

More than a dozen people next to him were excited, slamming the ground with their fists, eager to do it immediately, Jiang Baili waved his hand, "Everyone listen to me finish speaking!" ”

The room was quiet again, and more than a dozen pairs of eyes were staring at Jiang Baili, Jiang Baili said unhurriedly: "I'm not saying not to grab grain, but I just want to discuss a strategy, how to grab it is beneficial?" So that the officers and soldiers can't come against us, do you understand? ”

Everyone was silent, Jiang Baili glanced at everyone, and continued: "Since the Wagang army is besieging outside, as long as the Wagang army knows that something has happened in the city, I think the Wagang army will take the opportunity to attack the city, and the officers and soldiers will not be able to take care of us." ”

"Uncle is saying, let's go out to deliver the letter?"

"There's no need to send a letter, and the Wagang army won't believe us, I mean to make a noise in the city, such as a fire that burns the county government and the Buddha Light Pagoda, the sky-high fire will definitely attract the attention of the Wagang army, maybe they will start attacking the city."

"Uncle is right, the county government and Foguang Pagoda are far away from Bianshuicang, and it is likely to lead the officers and soldiers over, this is a good way!"

Jiang Baili nodded and said: "The key is to be fast, this time to grab the grain, the man rushes up, the woman responds in the back, the elderly and children don't participate, and in the end everyone has a share of the food, do you accept it?" ”

This is also a very critical point, otherwise the orphans and widows who can't get food will starve to death, and everyone discussed it and agreed one after another.

"Uncle, when are you going to do it?" The hoarse man asked.

Jiang Baili looked at everyone, and seeing that everyone's eyes showed a look of longing, he smiled and said, "Since everyone can't wait, let's do it tonight!" ”

(To be continued.) )