Chapter 003: Laozi knows what you want!

Otherwise, otherwise. Zhang Zhen repeatedly waved his hands, shaking his head like a rattle drum: "Brother, I am just trying to make a living, I only want to make a deal with you, the guards of Wu Zuo Ying..."

If your army is strong enough, why must you repeatedly persuade us to surrender? You have already captured a place like Yuezhou; could you possibly still fear this small hill?

Please speak, Master Zhang

Seeing the young "gentleman" in front of him remain silent, Ma Dawei assumed he had ulterior motives

It is currently the second year of Xianfeng, and I am part of the defeated troops that fled after being defeated by the Taiping Army in Yuezhou.

Although Zhang Zhen, the general manager, has significant shortcomings in business and has been dismissed, he was indeed a high-achieving student in the history department. It is unclear whether this was predetermined by fate or merely a coincidence, but before his dismissal, Zhang Zhen was studying the history of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

You are absolutely correct; after conquering Yuezhou, General Zuo has long been leading his troops directly towards Hanyang. Currently, the team is being led by Wu Qingxiang, an officer of the Left Camp's Imperial Guard.

Zhang Zhen suddenly furrowed his brow, a flash of inspiration struck him. It would have been better if Ma Da had not said this, but by saying it, he inadvertently prompted Zhang to ponder something.

"Brother Ma, please take a seat, Brother Ma, please take a seat," Zhang Zhen said with a beaming smile, repeatedly cupping his fists in greeting.

At present, I am indeed the one among these individuals with the highest official position

A chill runs through my heart; what should I do now? I am uncertain whether the escape plan I devised will succeed. If it fails, it would truly mean immediate death.

What exactly are they scheming about?

However, if the master wishes to break out, it may not be so easy. There is only one path down the mountain here, and the esteemed guard officer of Wu Zuo Ying has long since ordered strong bows and crossbows to await the master

The person introduced himself as Ma Dwei, sent by Zeng Jinqian, the commander of the left army of the Taiping Army. He was not arrogant and greeted me politely upon meeting.

Although Zhang Zhen is young, the glint in his eyes resembles that of an old fox: "Brother Ma, if I am not mistaken, the reason your army has been reluctant to attack and has repeatedly urged surrender is not due to compassion for the brothers, but rather because your forces are insufficient and lack confidence in victory, am I right?"

Brother Ma, I am deeply grateful for your risking your life to persuade me to surrender. However, I am ultimately an official of the court, and my family is being watched over by the Tartars in the capital. Even if I wished to submit to the Heavenly Kingdom, I find myself unable to do so.

What kind of luck is this? In the third year of Xianfeng, when the Taiping Army was at the height of its power

Brother Ma, I have something to say that I am unsure whether I should express or not

"Lord Zhang, please, Lord Zhang, please." I did not expect that Ma Dawei would be even more courteous than Zhang Zhen

Ma Dawei remained silent, which gave Zhang Zhen more confidence. He also chose not to speak, humming an unknown tune to himself while looking around.

The person who came here appeared to be around 30 years old, looking rather shifty and untrustworthy. In the context of films and television from their own era, they would undoubtedly require no makeup to convincingly portray a traitor.

Wu Qingxiang? This name sounds so familiar, as if I have heard it somewhere before, but after searching my mind for a long time, I just cannot recall it no matter what.

Speaking softly, he glanced at the other party. Upon seeing Ma Dawei's expression change, he felt a sudden clarity in his heart and then said leisurely:

I was a defeated soldier led out by a sub-prefect from Yuezhou City. When we escaped, there were always about one hundred of us. Upon reaching this unknown hillside, some died, some fled, and including myself, only forty-five people remained. That sub-prefect, unfortunately, sacrificed himself for the Emperor.

To serve the Manchu Tartars? First of all, I would never agree to it. As a proud Han person, how could I lower myself to be a servant under a foreign tribe? Furthermore, even if I wanted to seek refuge with them, they might not even welcome me.

While Mo Hei went to invite the Taiping Army envoy, Zhang Zhen made small talk and managed to piece together a general understanding of the current situation.

He did not catch a single word of what Zhang Zhen was saying, yet it seemed as if he faintly sensed something.

In the eighth month of the second year of the Xianfeng era, the Taiping Army advanced into Changsha, and the Western King, Xiao Chaogui, was killed by cannon fire. On the night of October 27, they withdrew from the siege of Changsha and crossed to the west bank of the Xiang River to advance northward

What about the future? What happened after the failure of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom?

With this thought, Zhang Zhen suddenly felt a sense of confidence, and all his previous worries were completely cast aside, letting out a couple of laughs, "Haha"

I have nothing to conceal from the books. Before the attack on Yuezhou, the guard officer of the left camp in Wu was suffering from illness. It was only after the conquest of Yuezhou that his health was restored. Prior to leaving Yuezhou, he brought along over a hundred soldiers. It seems that it was also fate that they ended up surrounding you here.

In fact, surrendering can also be a good approach; relying on one's own abilities and "insights," it is not impossible to rise to prominence. Who knows, one might even end up with a title that later becomes less valuable.

In the second year of Xianfeng, Zhang Zhen gasped in astonishment again

From this point on, the Taiping Army sailed smoothly, emerging from Dongting Lake, entering the Yangtze River, and heading south to Jiangnan, with the Qing Army no longer possessing the capability to obstruct them

The Taiping Army crossed the Xiang River and captured Yuezhou on the 10th day of the 11th month. On the 20th, they captured Hanyang. On the 9th day of the 12th month, they captured Wuchang

"Lord Zhang, my rear army will arrive shortly. Do you really think that with just a mere few dozen men, you can escape by luck? Therefore, I still advise you to surrender to the Heavenly Kingdom as soon as possible. In the future, we will all be brothers in the Heavenly Kingdom, and the guard officer of the Wu Left Camp will certainly not forget the merit you have provided today, Lord Zhang."

"Why must you speak such words, Sir Zhang?" Ma Dawei interrupted Zhang Zhen, smiling as he said, "Is there not a clear path and a *map* provided for you at this moment? Our Tianping Army boasts a million strong soldiers, invincible in all directions..."

It seems that I have arrived at a time just after the Taiping Army captured Yuezhou

Seeing Ma Dawei's somewhat "enigmatic" smile, Zhang Zhen suddenly realized what they wanted

Although Master Zhang is not very old, his judgment and insight are indeed extraordinary After a long while, Ma Dawei sighed

Ma Dawei's expression changed once again: "So, Lord Zhang is prepared to fight to the death?"

While lost in thought, Mo Hei has already brought the envoy of the Taiping Army.

Setting aside the distractions, Zhang Zhen sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow: "Brother Ma, you have seen my situation as well. So many brothers are watching me with eager eyes..."

Wu Qingxiang, is he not the one who, after being separated from the Taiping Army, surrendered to the Manchu Tartars, and later, after the Taiping Army captured Suzhou, changed his name again to blend into the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, a shameless person who would even sell his own wife and children for money?

To surrender without a fight is to unwittingly grant Wu Qingxiang an undeserved victory without conflict, yet the person before me, Ma Dawei, certainly has no reason to be so courteous to me at this moment