mtl008 Chapter 660 You wouldn't happen to be one of those poor rebel bastards, would you?
Chapter 660 You wouldn't happen to be one of those poor rebel bastards, would you?
The more the beggar spoke, the more agitated he became.
The expressions of the people behind him also became more ferocious.
After a long while, he took a few deep breaths, and his mood gradually calmed down.
"Speak, sir, what do you intend to do, and what do you want us to do?"
"No need to overthink it, just say it directly. Even if it means dying, it doesn't matter, as long as we can see an opportunity."
"You know, for us, making this decision is a huge gamble. You at least have to show us some hope of winning, right?"
Whether they were dead or alive, most of the people present didn't care.
In their hearts, they felt they should have died long ago on the battlefield.
I'm still alive now, not because I'm afraid of death, but because I don't want the chance to survive that my former comrades risked their lives for to be wasted like this.
If they're going to lose their lives, they have to lose them meaningfully!
"What do you think I'll ask you to do?"
"Do you think you'll let them enter the pass and launch a surprise attack on the Tartars from behind? Don't be ridiculous, that's just playing with your lives."
Seeing his solemn expression, Liu Bang waved his hand, signaling him to relax.
"Moreover, you were wrong just now. It's not just about the hope of success. As long as your defenses hold up, I am absolutely confident that we can annihilate the Qing army that has entered the pass."
"The war inside the pass should be about to begin."
"If you really don't trust me, you can come up to the city wall with me now and wait and see. Once you're sure I'm trustworthy, I'll continue to assign you tasks, how about that?"
Wait and see?
What to look at?
The beggar was stunned, and the others behind him were also puzzled.
More than half a day has passed since the Tartars entered the pass, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, looting within the pass has already begun.
If it weren't for their trust in Zhang the tailor, they would probably have already chased after him.
Are we going to make them wait and watch the people inside the pass suffer?
"you sure?"
"If, in the end, we don't see what we want to see, but instead only see countless dead and wounded civilians."
"We will certainly not let that scoundrel Wu Sangui go, but your fate will not be any better than his!"
The beggar could hardly believe it.
Would I risk my life like that?
"Don't worry, just wait and see, there will definitely be a surprise."
"I just hope that after seeing those things, you can do your best to give it your all."
"In addition, my three thousand troops from outside the pass will also be useful."
"By then, my troops may suffer heavy losses, and you may be completely wiped out, but I can guarantee that the outcome will be what you want to see."
What do we want to see?
After thinking for a long time, the beggar suddenly burst out laughing.
"We want to see the Tartar army completely wiped out, and we want to see the people on the border no longer harassed."
"Can we really see it?"
"Stop making empty promises. I've agreed to your terms. Now I'm just waiting to see what you're really up to!"
"Here's another piece of advice: don't underestimate the strength of the Tartars. On a battlefield with equal numbers, few can match them. Learn to maneuver around them and take advantage of your muskets and cannons!"
Liu Bang: “…”
Muskets, cannons?
They did capture quite a lot, but can you say they don't know how to use it?
Seeing his expression, the beggar instantly understood.
"No?"
"If I may ask, sir, are you one of those poor rebels?"
Back when they were still in the army, they divided the various enemies into classes.
The greatest threat came from the Tartars outside the Great Wall.
Given the chance, those people would kill every living thing they could see.
The slightly more troublesome ones are rebels like Li Zicheng who have gained considerable influence.
They have some resources, but not much; they are only capable of suppressing it if they go all out.
Further on, there was what he's talking about now: the poor devils' uprising.
They had neither manpower nor weapons, not even a few decent muskets; they were forced into rebellion out of desperation to survive.
These rebel groups are generally the least threatening and the poorest; even if they are eliminated, there's not much to gain.
In the past, when faced with such enemies, they didn't even bother to exterminate them completely; they usually just drove them away.
If Liu Bang were to nod now, the beggar would certainly lead his troops out of the city without hesitation.
Do you expect a poor rebel army to stop the Manchu invaders?
joke!
That's practically like slaves delivering themselves to your door!
"Poor bastards? They should be different from the rebels you mentioned. My troops are just not good at using those weapons. If they are used rashly, they will not only fail to make the weapons effective, but will also weaken their own strength."
"If you know how to use it, I will have them leave everything inside the border."
Seeing the distrust in his eyes, Liu Bang quickly explained.
"Is that so? Then there's no need for that. The city has no shortage of weapons."
As he spoke, he slowly stood up and clapped his hands.
"Since this sir has put it this way, let's give him some face and go with him to see for ourselves. If we're not satisfied with the final result, we'll settle the score with him then!"
Clearly, among these deserters, his word carried immense weight.
As his voice faded, the others slowly began to stand up.
When they finally arrived at the city gate tower, they were all incredulous at what they saw.
After most of the day had passed, the flags of the Manchu camp were still only planted about twenty miles from the border.
This is not like the Tartars!
Based on their previous understanding of the Tartars, those beasts would never restrain themselves should they have the chance to enter the pass.
Instead of obediently setting up camp, they would even split up and plunder on their own, only thinking of gathering a large army when they had all looted their fill.
How could it be like this now, having already set up camp before even getting very far?
"Oh? Judging from this situation, it seems the first skirmish has already ended."
"So quickly, has he changed his ways? Or has that fellow disappointed you and failed to obtain military power?"
Liu Bang was also somewhat surprised.
Based on his understanding of Han Xin, he shouldn't be the type to rush into battle.
This amount of time was enough for Xiao He to evacuate most of the surrounding people or bring them under his protection.
If Han Xin were the commander-in-chief, he would probably let the Manchu army go crazy for a while first, and only when they could not find any gains and were exhausted and disappointed would it be time for the first battle!
Thinking of this, his heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that Han Xin tried to take the position of commander-in-chief but failed to outmaneuver Xiang Yu?
Although Liu Bang sometimes didn't want Han Xin to be too assertive, under these circumstances, he still had to stand up for himself when necessary!
We can't really expect you to bow down to Xiang Ji at that time!