"Report to the general, the rebels have sent an envoy to see you."

"What are you seeing? Drag him out and behead him. Hang his body at the mountain pass to let them know the consequences of daring to rebel."

"Yes, sir."

Lan Yu spoke with disdain, but Zhu Quan didn't say anything this time.

As for why two armies should not kill envoys when fighting, that depends on the situation.

They are a bunch of traitors, and they are trying to ascend the throne and become emperor. There is nothing to talk about.

The news that the messenger had been beheaded reached the mountain stronghold in the afternoon.

After several days of exploration, the Ming army roughly found out where the rebels were gathering, but the mountain roads were rugged and the enemy was in a dominant position, so a forced attack at this time would incur too great a loss.

Even if you take it down, you won't get any benefit.

Lan Yu's killing of the envoy was actually recognized by everyone in the army.

In the current situation, there is nothing to talk about with the rebels, the most important thing is.

If we really surrender like this, wouldn't it be a joke?

It is absolutely impossible for more than 50,000 soldiers to agree. Wading through thousands of miles of water and coming from afar is not a big achievement for nobles such as Lan Yu.

But it is very important for middle-level officers and grassroots soldiers.

They were counting on this war to gain some small merit.

If lower-level soldiers want to be promoted, they must achieve something; if middle-level officers want to be promoted, they must perform well.

This is not in anyone's interest.

Even if they really surrender, we must do everything we can to force them to continue.

Including Zhu Quan, no one wanted to suppress the rebels, and it ended in vain. He didn't even start mobilizing his soldiers. They surrendered just by blocking the mountain opposite. What's the point?

I'm not here for tourism.

Lan Yu had been in the army for a long time, so he naturally knew the needs of the soldiers, which was why he immediately ordered the beheading and hanging of the heads as a demonstration.

Mountain village, council hall.

The atmosphere was extremely solemn and serious.

Gao Fuxing looked calm, and Tian Jiuchen's face looked heavy, but in fact a hint of joy flashed deep in his eyes.

First of all, when proposing surrender, Tian Jiucheng saw Gao Fuxing's look.

Afterwards the meeting ended, the two had a secret conversation.

When the meeting was held again, Tian Jiuchen changed his tune and agreed to send an envoy to discuss the issue of amnesty.

At this time, he also took the opportunity to take off the crown on his head, revoke the title of Emperor Han Ming, and call himself the King of Crime. His attitude was very sincere.

Even when Gao Fuxing was writing the document, he specifically emphasized that he should write down that he was willing to be killed if he spared the lives of many brothers.

The sincerity of the words made everyone feel grateful and moved to tears, and many of the sincere people even burst into tears.

Then, under deliberate guidance, it spread throughout the entire village.

Many of the people who were forced to serve as soldiers knelt down and kowtowed to him to show their gratitude.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and untie His Majesty."

In the meeting hall, Gao Fuxing shouted loudly.

It turned out that in order to make it more realistic, shortly after the envoy left, Tian Jiuchen asked all the people in the village to pack their luggage, tie themselves up with hemp ropes, and wait for news.

Wang Jingangnu, a close confidant of Tian Jiucheng, took out his short knife, stepped forward and cut the rope, then cursed loudly: "I told you that those Ming Dynasty soldiers have the most sinister intentions."

"He appears to be a righteous man on weekdays, but in fact, he does all kinds of despicable things behind the scenes. If we were not forced to do so, how could we possibly rebel against Zhu Yuanzhang?"

"Zhu Yuanzhang, this dog emperor, is just like us. He was born in the countryside, but he got the upper hand and gained the world. How is our eldest brother worse than him?"

"Look at his generals, and you will know what kind of person Zhu Yuanzhang is. What good ending did those brothers who fought for him to establish his kingdom have?"

"Now you know what to do."

Wang Jingangnu's words made everyone in the meeting hall bow their heads.

Now that there is no way back, there is no regret at all and I can only go down this path to the end.

Tian Jiucheng glanced at Wang Jingangnu's indignant expression and sighed in his heart that when it comes to the critical moment, his brothers are still the ones he can rely on.

He waved his hand to tell him not to continue, and then asked: "What is the situation of the brothers in the mountain village now?"

Gao Fuxing stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty..."

Tian Jiucheng raised his hand to interrupt, and said with a wry smile: "Don't call me Your Majesty. I have already handed over the crown on my head, but it's a pity that others don't want it."

"How can there be such an emperor? Since this has already happened, there is no need to talk about emperors anymore. With this appearance, he is at most a mountain king."

Tian Jiucheng had disheveled hair and looked extremely embarrassed. These words made many people cry in their hearts.

Gao Fuxing said in a sad tone, "My king, you can't be so depressed. Everyone in our village is counting on you."

"The Ming army blocked the mountain without attacking. It's obvious that they want to take our heads as a bargaining chip to get promoted. They are so direct in not killing the envoys when the two armies are fighting. It can be said that they leave no room for maneuver."

Having said that, Gao Fuxing walked to the center of the meeting hall, turned his back to Tian Jiuchen, and bowed to everyone.

"Everyone, we really have no way out. The only way to survive is to fight to the death."

"I have received news that the Ming court troops that came this time are the elite troops of the capital, and their leader is the great general of the Great Ming, Lan Yu."

"The man who became famous in the battle of Buil'er Lake. Compared with him, there is a huge difference between us, like a bright moon and a firefly."

"But we also have our advantages. The mountain paths in these 100,000 mountains are rugged and steep. One man can block the passage of ten thousand men. Ambushes can be hidden everywhere."

“No matter how famous Lan Yu is, he can’t climb this mountain. Now that the mountain is closed, it means they are afraid, otherwise why don’t they rush up the mountain in one go?”

"Besides, now that spring is approaching, the Ming court has decided to invade Japan, and there is also the fertile land of Liaodong, which requires a large number of soldiers to guard. In this situation, the grasslands are also watching covetously."

"Compared to them, we are just over 30,000 people, so we are not that important."

"Our food can last for more than two months even if we eat it all. They will not close the mountain for so long. The government troops are very delicate. Why would they bother to fight with us peasants?"

"By then, under pressure, even Lan Yu will have no choice but to withdraw his troops."

"Even if he really defends for two months, we are not afraid. The king has his own way to provide enough food through secret passages."

Gao Fuxing's words shocked everyone in the meeting hall, including Tian Jiucheng.

It reveals several key points.

First of all, even in the deep mountains, Gao Fuxing has reliable sources of intelligence, so he is not completely blind.

Secondly, it is pointed out that although there is a big gap in strength, there is no need to be too afraid as they occupy the mountain.

Then I analyzed the current situation so that everyone could understand the current situation.

As soon as he finished speaking, a general stood up and said, "What King Gao said makes sense. Since they want to use our heads to get rewards and credit, there is nothing to discuss."

"Let's let those Ming court officials see if they can chew our hard bone."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone became excited and spoke loudly.

For a moment, the atmosphere was enthusiastic and everyone was united.

Gao Fuxing and Tian Jiuchen looked at each other and saw the joy in their eyes.

Tian Jiucheng knew very well that if he, the Emperor Ming of Han, lost, he would surely die. Although killing all nine generations of his clan did not mean much to him, he was alone anyway.

But who wants to die when you can live?

Not to mention Gao Fuxing, who was originally an official of the Ming Dynasty, but now has abandoned the Ming and joined the rebels. His family is all in the mountain stronghold, and he has no way out.

And with the final decision made in the council hall, the entire village became completely different.

Originally, people's morale was low and everyone was missing their hometowns, so they had no intention of fighting at all.

Now it is completely the opposite. From the stories told by the leaders and the head hanging at the mountain pass, it is completely clear that there is no way out.

Morale will naturally rise.

The Ming army camp at the foot of the mountain.

Zhu Quan and Lan Yu had a secret conversation.

"Duke Liang, we just received news that there were loud shouts in the mountains. Now it seems that our killing of the rebel envoys has not deterred the rebels, but has helped them instead."

"The envoy brought a crown with him. Could it be that Tian Jiucheng really wants to surrender?"

Zhu Quan asked with some confusion.

Although he has a high IQ, he is naturally lacking in emotional intelligence, especially in his cunningness.

She is now fifteen years old and has been living in the palace all along, so it is normal for her to feel confused when seeing this situation.

Lan Yu smiled and said, "It seems that there are smart people among these rebels who are secretly planning and guessing our intentions."

"But Your Highness, don't worry. No matter what they do, it doesn't mean much to us. No matter how arrogant the rabbit is, it will eventually become the meal of the eagle."

"Our most important task now is not to attack the rebels in the mountains, but to try every possible way to cut off their food supply."

Zhu Quan couldn't help but ask, "They have been trapped in the mountains, where is the food supply?"

Lan Yu explained: "Before this, I have sent people to ask some officials in Hanzhong. The reason why Tian Jiucheng proclaimed himself emperor at this time was instigated by someone behind the scenes."

"Not only that, when these bandits broke through the city of Lueyang, they had very powerful weapons in their hands, and they even had more than ten cannons at their disposal."

"According to records, the rebels only had five cannons and insufficient gunpowder. However, they relied on the power of firearms to quickly capture Lueyang in a short period of time."

"Our first priority now is to find the rats in the gutter."

"In fact, it is not difficult to guess that these rats are probably the Shanxi merchants. Only they would support the rebels at this time. There should also be the grassland tribes behind this."

"If my guess is correct, it won't be long before the grassland army on the border comes to put pressure on us and force us to redress our wrongdoings quickly."

Lan Yu explained in detail.

He had no reservations towards Zhu Quan.

Because from the very beginning Lan Yu was very clear that Prince Ning Zhu Quan was not only his own person, but also a bridge for him to build communication with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Lan Yu naturally knew something about the situation in the palace.

Among all the royal descendants in the palace, there are actually not many people that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can trust, and the Prince Ning in front of him is definitely one of them.

There is also his younger brother Zhu Yunhuan.

However, as Zhu Yunhuan's uncle, Lan Yu naturally knew his character and knew that his ambition was not to join the army.

On the military side, although there are the Black Armor Guards, they lack a person who can stand on his own.

And the best candidate is King Ning in front of him.

It would definitely be a good opportunity for Lan Yu to establish a good relationship with Prince Ning.

Zhu Quan was praised by Zhu Yuanzhang, so he must have been very talented.

With Lan Yu's guidance, he immediately understood the key.

Then he asked, "If there is any movement on the grassland, then we will definitely be in a very passive position. But even if we cut off their food and grass, how can we defeat the rebels in the mountain stronghold within a month?"

Zhu Quan was a little depressed.

Because when he came, he thought that the elite troops of the Ming Dynasty fighting these rebels was nothing more than killing a chicken with a butcher knife, and it would only take half a month to defeat them.

Looking at the situation now, the situation has suddenly become deadlocked.

The bandit troops in the mountain stronghold had two months' worth of food, enough to last them three months, but he couldn't wait that long.

Even if it takes two months to capture the rebel, there will be no reward from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Although no military order was issued, the impression was greatly reduced.

In fact, if we forcibly attack the stronghold, according to the current situation, the probability of victory is 80 to 90 percent.

But the losses will be huge.

When he was in the capital before, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had already defined the power of generals and soldiers.

Any general leading an army must not seek credit at the cost of his soldiers' lives.

From now on, all battles, even if victorious, must be reviewed within the army.

Anyone found disregarding the lives of soldiers and only caring about one's own selfish interests will be held accountable, and in serious cases will be expelled from the army.

Zhu Ying did this to prevent many generals from acting rashly and only caring about their own pleasure.

So even though he knew he could force the attack, Zhu Quan did not give it too much thought.

"In fact, Your Highness does not need to be too anxious. Among the Thirty-Six Stratagems, attacking the heart is the best. Two teams confronting each other is only the worst strategy."

Lan Yu said with a smile.

Faced with some questions from Zhu Quan, he did not show any impatience, but instead explained them step by step like a teacher.

"Please teach me, General."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Quan immediately bowed.

Lan Yu held Zhu Quan's arm and said, "Prince Ning, there is no need to be so polite."

Then he began to help Zhu Quan analyze the situation:

"The reason why the rebels in the mountains resorted to such a desperate measure also tells us that they are not united in their hearts."

"It is said that there are 30,000 rebels, but in fact, among them, there are only a few thousand real generals and veterans, and the rest are just farmers."

"If they can have enough food, no one will do such a dangerous job. We just need to spread the news of sowing high-yield crops to the rebels in the mountain stronghold, and then they will be thrown into disarray."

"The most foolish thing those rebel leaders did was to only take the young and strong with them and leave the old and weak behind."

“You have to know that the old and weak in their eyes are actually the families of most of the rebels today, their parents, wives and children.”

"The rebel leaders are sure that we will not do anything to them for the sake of our reputation, but they have forgotten that in the Ming Dynasty, filial piety is the most important thing!"