第三章 东门 (四 下)
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“那是自然,只要我馆陶县上下齐心,张金称何足道耳?”顺着林县令的口风,董主簿热切地说道。龙腾小说ltxsba.com周围立刻涌起一片议论之声,无外是县令大人如何如何英明,一众同僚如何如何卖力。听得程小九心里直虚,不断地使眼色请求董主簿尽快将话头切入正题。
董主簿冲着他微微一笑,做了个高深莫测表情。待众同僚们的这轮热闹劲儿过去了,才清了清嗓子,继续说道:“但张贼是个不知道轻重的家伙。被咱们打得狠了,难免会使出什么狗急跳墙招数来。到时候拼个两败俱伤,也的确有违县尊大人的保护百姓的初衷。所以,卑职以为,我等还需仔细核计核计,尽量把县城的防御做得滴水不漏才好。”
“嗯,那是当然!”林县令轻捋胡须,非常受用地头。“你和程兵曹有什么好建议,说出来给大伙参详参详。”
“太好的建议我和程兵曹还没商量出来,还请诸位同僚群策群力。此外,张贼还射到城中一封箭书,不知道放得什么狗屁。但我等都是朝廷官吏,不能在流贼面前失了风头。所以还请大人稍稍过目一下,找个合适的措辞回了他!”董主簿不愧为多年行走于官场的胥吏,平平淡淡地几句话,便将程小九的拜托完成了个干脆利落。
“那厮居然给老夫了箭书?呈上来,让老夫看看他的嘴里能吐出什么样的象牙?”林县令对贼人在信上内容的兴趣,远比安排守城兴趣大。一听董主簿提起,立刻迫不及待地催促。
“请大人过目!”董主簿笑着从程小九手中拿过包着白葛的羽箭,双手捧给林县令。“无非是出言恐吓而已,看看打不动了,所以想跟大人玩‘不战以屈人之兵’这一套把戏。作为一个山贼,真难为他了!”
众人被董主簿的话逗得哈哈大笑,都轻松地期盼着,看县令大人怎么批驳张金称的痴心妄想。谁料林县令接过箭书之后,起先还是一边看一边摇头。看着看着,脸上就慢慢阴沉下来。直到最后,双手如同灌了铅一般,几乎连写了字的白葛布都捧不住。颤抖了好一会儿,才缓缓地将其放到了桌案上。
“信上所说的都是真的?”放下箭书后,林县令用几乎绝望的目光看着程小九追问。
“卑职没敢!”程小九心道不妙,赶紧出言替县尊大人鼓劲儿。“兵法素来讲究虚虚实实。把三五万人马说成四十万也很平常。并且人数和战斗力自古无法相提并论,当年五百官军大破十几万黄巾贼的战例比比皆是!”
“虚张声势么!”董主簿还记得程小九的拜托,笑着在一旁帮腔。“很多号称的百万大军,实际上也不过十余万兵马。其中战兵更少,未必有总数的十分之一!”
听了二人的安慰话,林县令的脸色稍稍缓和了一儿。苦笑着将箭书向大伙面前推了推,低声道:“你等一块看看吧。然后帮本县拿个主意。张贼给了咱们三个时辰,三个时辰后,如果咱们不肯投降,他就要下令屠城!”
“,他先有本事攻进来再说!”众小吏气得拍案大骂。
“对,有本事先过了程兵曹那一关!”嚷嚷的声音虽然大,心里却先怯了几分,十几颗脑袋几乎同时凑到了箭书旁,将箭书上的空间挡了个严丝合缝。
看到大伙这般光景,林县令心中更是懊悔。早要知道张金称准备得如此充足,昨天半夜时自己就连夜出城了。虽然事后难免丢了官职,可凭着这些年任上的捞头,后半辈子也足以过得衣食无忧。可现在好了,贼人的骑兵将四面的路口全部堵绝,为了一个不用的虚名,自己把性命和衙门里的私藏全搭了进去!
再无人开口说话,只剩下粗重的喘息声此起彼伏。郭捕头、贾捕头、李老酒、蒋烨等一个个将头慢慢抬起来,一个个变得面如土色。觉大伙如此紧张,董主簿和程小九两个也凑上前,将箭书摆在眼前仔细阅读。不看则已,一看心里便“咯噔”了一声,仿佛被人重重地压上了一个大冰坨。
前来攻打馆陶县的人,竟不止张金称一家。杨公卿、王德仁、杨宝珠、刘乞儿等新近崛起于运河两岸的流贼都应其招而来。其中有两家刚刚起事的小蟊贼居然打得是杨玄感的旗号,公然宣布要替大隋皇帝铲除天下贪官污吏。
这些贼人或率众五千、八千,或将兵一万、两万,全加起来总数计十五万三千有余。具体谁家人数多少,从何处而来,居然详细列在了箭书中,有零有整,以示绝非虚言相欺。
“贼兵人数虽然多,却未必齐心。否则昨天夜里和今天早晨,他们已经把南门给攻破了!”董主簿抬头看了看林县令的脸色,强作镇定地解释道。他现在也好生后悔没有在第一时间跑路,但退路既然已经被人堵死了,也只好抗争到底。
“张金称说了,那是他送给咱们的开胃小菜。本意是试探试探咱们值得不值得他劝降,如果咱们连第一波攻击都挡不住,他根本不屑写这封信给咱们!”蒋烨满脸晦气,气急败坏地反驳。
在他看来,如果不是程小九和董主簿两个多事,大伙根本不会被堵在城中。贼人向来是居无定所的,抢够了杀够了,自然会拍拍离开。届时大伙再转回来,照样该收税收税,该征粮食征粮食。
此刻抱着这番想法的可不止弓手蒋烨一个。贾、郭两位捕头本来就对程小九崛起的速度很是担忧,听得自家徒弟这么一说,看向程小九的目光愈凌厉。好在张金称的信中并没有要求馆陶县必须交出一个人来为流寇们昨夜和今早的损失谢罪,否则,这个该死的罪人将非程小九莫属。
“昨夜就该先问问张金称的目的再开战!”
“就是,本来还可以请人斡旋一下。这回好了,咱们只剩下投降和等死两条路了!”
众衙役和帮闲素来以两位捕头马是瞻。见贾、郭二人对程小九冷了脸,立刻七嘴八舌地上前凑热闹。
程小九刚刚进入官场半个月,对其中长于内斗的传统一都不了解。几曾会想到大敌当前时,众人居然不考虑如何杀贼,反而先互相推卸了起责任?听同僚们把矛头全都指向了自己,委屈得两眼差冒出烟来。
他拿着祈求的目光看向林县令,希望对方能站出来替自己主持公道。林县令却不知道是因为被贼人的信吓昏了,还是根本没听见众人的话,居然眼皮都没有抬,一味地朝着箭书愣。
看到县令大人懦弱如此,程小九胸口的剑伤愈疼痛。勉强压了压心头怒气,他先笑着对大伙拱了拱手,然后向率先朝自己难蒋弓手请教道:“照蒋头这么说,张金称现在劝咱们投降,还是瞧得起咱们喽?”
“那倒不是!他没那资格!”蒋烨知道自己的话被人抓住了语病,向两旁躲了躲,讪讪地回答。
“既然他没资格命令咱们投降,咱们又何必考虑箭书上的话?”程小九将嗓门提高了几分,继续反问。“咱们是官,他是贼。自古官贼便势不两立。如果降了他,即便侥幸不被他挖了心肝,今后还怎么有脸抬起头来做人!”
这句话他并非针对蒋弓手,而是努力提醒在座所有人,别忘记了自己是朝廷官吏。既然做了地方官吏,平素吃的用的都是从百姓头上收来的,事到临头就没资格逃避。否则,即便朝廷不追究,自己的良心也受不起那份煎熬。
“话谁都会说!”蒋烨的目光不敢与程小九的眼睛相接,低下头嘟囔。“你有本事将他打跑了?打不过他,最后还不是牵连了别人一块倒霉!”
“至少我们活着的时候像个男人!”程小九继续鼓动。“那贼素来残忍,咱们真的投降了,也未必逃得了一死。不如血战到底,至少是死在阵前,而不是被人绑了当畜生宰!”
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