Hanzhong County, Shaanxi Province, thirty miles north of Yang County.
This is the hinterland of Hanzhong County. To the north of Yangxian County is Luogu River, to the west is Yishui River, and to the east is Youshui River. The three rivers converge, so Yangxian County has always been the grain-producing area of Hanzhong County, and the villages and towns around the city are also very prosperous. , there are fertile fields, chickens and dogs hear each other, and business travelers come and go in an endless stream.
But at this time, Liu Yan stopped on the south bank of the Youshui River and looked far into the distance, but he only saw endless desolation. The fields he could see had become dry and cracked, with no grass growing.
Even the Youshui River in front of you no longer has the same waves as before. Although there is still water, it has dropped to the point where you can directly wade across the river. It is more appropriate to call it a stream than a river.
"Sir, the cavalry battalion, the front battalion, and the rear battalion have crossed the river first and are building defenses on the north bank."
Miao Shao stood aside and said.
Liu Yan said: "Order the heavy troops of each battalion to transport money, food and materials across the river immediately, and the other battalions will rest on the spot and wait for orders."
"Order the artillery battalion to prepare. After the baggage has crossed the river, the artillery battalion will begin to cross the river."
"yes."
After Miao Shao sent the messenger, he said worriedly: "Sir, after we entered Hanzhong County, we didn't see a decent village. They were basically deserted villages. Along the way, Xixiang, Ziyang and other counties were also in depression. Rich people everywhere Most of the forts in the household have been breached by bandits. It seems that Li Zicheng's power is very important and cannot be compared to Zhang Xianzhong."
Liu Yan nodded in agreement. Historically, Li Zicheng was much stronger than Zhang Xianzhong. After all, Li Zicheng was able to lead his army into Beijing and was by no means an ordinary person.
"All the camp's crops that were not harvested at night were spread out?"
"Don't worry, sir. All the battalions will be sent out if they are not collected at night. There will be rewards one after another."
Since entering Shaanxi, Liu Yan has attached great importance to the collection of intelligence. In order to prevent being besieged by the bandits, Liu Yan specifically ordered all battalions to search around the army with all their strength at night.
The new army's battalions are divided into three levels: the inner layer is about five miles around the army, the middle layer is ten to twenty miles around the army, and the outer layer is about twenty to thirty miles around the army. to explore the range.
Along the way, although the new army also encountered small groups of bandit troops, their strength was only around a few hundred people. Most of them were dozens of bandit soldiers holding hundreds of refugees hostage. Such troops had little fighting power and could plunder. It's okay to burn and kill the people and villages, but it's not enough to raid an elite army like the New Army.
Liu Yan didn't take it seriously when he saw this, he just ordered all the ministries to stay at night and the guards to attack and disperse. Along the way, the army also beheaded more than seventy people, which was better than nothing.
Liu Yan said: "Where is Yue Qianhu?"
"My subordinates sent someone to look for him."
Not long after, Yue Ming came on horseback, dismounted and saluted.
Yue Ming suffered a lot this time when he went to war with the army. After all, it was his first time to go out with the army, and it was such a long-distance attack, which Yue Ming couldn't bear.
After nearly a month, Yue Ming lost a lot of weight and his cheeks were somewhat sunken.
Upon seeing this, Liu Yan said: "Yue Qianhu should pay attention to his health and don't collapse from exhaustion. I still rely on Yue Qianhu to provide food and money for the army."
Yue Ming said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir. Although it is very hard along the way, my heart is happy and my body will not collapse."
Liu Yan then asked: "How much food is left in the army now?"
Yue Ming said: "Sir, our army has not had any supplies on this journey. It has completely consumed the army's money and food. In addition, we have to help the refugees we encounter from time to time along the way. Now there is less than half of the army's food and grass left. , it is estimated that it will be enough for the army to consume for about a month. As for the silver, there is still more left in the army."
Liu Yan said: "After the entire army crosses the Youshui River, the army will move northeast and enter Xi'an Prefecture. I hope the situation in Xi'an Prefecture will be better. When the time comes, you can bring some soldiers with you and meet those who can buy food. If there is a place, just spend money to buy it, no matter how high the price is."
Yue Ming nodded and accepted the order.
In the afternoon of that day, all the units of the New Army crossed the Youshui River. After resting for a while on the north bank, they continued to march. Three days later, the army entered Xi'an Prefecture and stopped in E County, Xi'an Prefecture.
E County is only more than a hundred miles away from Xi'an Prefecture. It has an excellent location. It is surrounded by rivers such as Daping Gushui and Gaoguan Gushui. It is also close to major cities such as Xi'an Prefecture and Xianyang County. It was originally a place with dense population and prosperous commerce.
But at this time, what Liu Yan and the New Army soldiers saw was an empty city with broken city walls, cut off official roads, and open city gates. Looking from a distance, there are no guards guarding the city, and looking along the city gate, there is no common people.
Liu Yan frowned and said to the messenger: "Send Ye Bushou and guards into the city to search, and come and report as soon as possible!"
"yes!"
Immediately, Ye Bushou and the guards of the brigade rushed out of the military formation and entered the city from the south gate of E County. For the sake of safety, Miao Shao also sent a sentry of soldiers from the personal guard battalion to occupy the south gate and stand on the top of the city. Alert, lookout.
Liu Yan and the army officers waited outside the city for a while, and then saw Ye Bushou and his guards rushing back.
"Report!"
"Your Excellency, there is no one in E County. Most of the houses in the city have been damaged. The county offices, arsenals, treasuries, military camps, etc. have all been demolished and burned!"
"Sir, a large number of corpses have been found in the city. Judging from the clothes, they are all civilians in the city, as well as some Ming troops defending the city. Judging from the situation, they should have been massacred."
"Your Majesty, many women's corpses were found in the ruins of some houses in the city. These women had been abused before their lives. In addition, a pile of corpses was also found in a place in the city. The corpses were all children! "
Liu Yan was sitting on his horse with a pale face. Miao Shao, Xu Ming, Chen Xun, Wang Yue, Zhang Yi, Wang Bo, Shen Tuo, Qian Qian, Xun Jingyun, Bao Xuezhen, Yue Ming and others also gathered around and listened. Everyone was filled with righteous indignation for not accepting the reward at night.
Liu Yan was extremely angry at this time. The tragedy in E County must have been caused by bandits. During this period, Li Zicheng's troops were constantly attacking the city and territory around Xi'an Prefecture. They even wanted to attack Xi'an Prefecture, but were repelled by the Ming army defending the city.
E County is right next to Xi'an Prefecture. The bandit army must have passed through here, taken the city, and then massacred the city to vent their anger!
Later generations mostly promoted Li Zicheng as a hero of the peasant uprising who resisted the tyranny of the Ming Dynasty, but the real history is not like this. Li Zicheng was a thoroughgoing bandit, with no strategic vision or national justice. He was just a troublemaker in troubled times.
Massacring cities and killing people, looting places to plunder people's wealth, and all kinds of cruel methods, the bandit army can do it. Their methods are not even much better than those of the Manchu and Qing Tatars. They are just as inhumane as the invading armies of later generations. .
It can be said that if Li Zicheng did not wreak havoc in Shaanxi, Henan and other places in the late Ming Dynasty, with the overall strength of the Ming Dynasty at this time, it is entirely possible that the Manchu Qing Dynasty would have been wiped out. As long as it lasts for a few more decades, when the Little Ice Age ends, maybe The Ming Dynasty can be reborn, at least it will not be in vain to benefit the foreign Tatars.
Liu Yan looked at the dilapidated city in the distance and said coldly: "The army will be stationed in the city tonight to rest and recuperate. The front and rear battalions will be ordered to guard the city wall for defense, while the other battalions will collect the corpses in the city."
"yes!"
Xun Jingyun said in a trembling voice: "The sun and the moon are shining, the sun and the moon are shining! Don't those bandits have parents, brothers, and family members? How can they kill them!"
Liu Yan said: "From the moment they committed themselves to being thieves, they were no longer humans, but beasts, beasts that eat people and drink blood, and only know how to destroy but not build! To deal with wild beasts, the only way to deal with them is to kill them all. Only then will the world return to peace!"
Everyone agreed with a roar.
That night, the officers and soldiers of the New Army stationed themselves in E County. Late at night, Liu Yan, the commanders of each battalion, and Qian Hu were alerted, and everyone came to the east wall to watch.
In the night in the east of E County, countless figures were seen swaying outside, like zombies in later movies, marching in groups in the dark and barren wilderness, heading towards Xi'an Mansion.
Liu Yan's face was solemn, and several commanders next to him were also gnashing their teeth. Xun Jingyun hammered the city head hard, and a whimpering sound came from his mouth. Yue Ming and Bao Xuezhen couldn't bear to watch anymore, and they both covered their faces and cried.
By the light of the fire on the top of the city, Liu Yan and others were able to see the situation near the city wall. They were countless refugees "migrating" in the dark.
The refugees supported the elderly and the young, most of whom were not fully clothed, and even many women were naked. They were just walking in a sluggish way, as if their souls had been drained out.
What made everyone even more uncomfortable was that from time to time, refugees would fall down. Looking at their withered bodies, you could tell that they were starving to death on the road.
Immediately afterwards, countless companions swarmed around each fallen refugee. They were not trying to save the fallen refugee, but they were eating people, really eating people!
Under the firelight, a cannibal feast was presented in front of Liu Yan and others. Liu Yan even saw a dead three or four-year-old child picked up by someone, and he held it in his arms and ate it, looking like a mother. The woman stood aside, stunned for a while, and then she also rushed over, grabbed an arm and started chewing, crying and chewing.
"Order: The gunman opens fire and shoots the cannibals!"
"grown ups!"
Everyone looked at Liu Yan with red eyes.
"If they don't fire, they will eat people. If they fire, they will kill people. Even if they die, they can still retain their dignity as human beings, but alive, they are no longer human beings and can only be called beasts! "
Liu Yan's eyes were also red and he asked: "How do you choose!"
Yue Ming said excitedly: "Sir, please put out food. There is still food and grass in the army. Let's save the refugees first!"
"How many can be saved?"
Everyone was silent.
Liu Yan said: "I am not a stone-hearted person, but do any of you know how many refugees there are outside the city? Are there any thieves and soldiers ambushing them outside the city? Can the food and grass in the army save them one meal or two?"
"If we release food now, our new army will be trapped here. More refugees will arrive before dawn. What will we do then? If we continue to release food, the entire army will starve and encounter an army of refugees. The result is the annihilation of the entire army. If the grain distribution is stopped, the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of refugees who have gathered will turn into rioters or even an army of thieves. The same fate will result in the annihilation of the entire army!"
Liu Yanyue became more and more excited as he spoke, and roared angrily: "Can any of you tell me what I should do? What should I do!"
At dawn the next day, Liu Yan, a group of commanders, and thousands of households were still standing on the top of the city. They stood here all night, but in the end no food was released.
Just as Liu Yan expected, the wave of refugees outside the city took most of the night to finish. There were at least tens of thousands of people. And in the second half of the night, everyone heard the roar of the moving brigade of cavalry. It was obvious that there was an elite band of thieves. Hidden in the night.
After daybreak, Liu Yan ordered his soldiers to go out of the city to collect the corpses outside. Within an hour, hundreds of mutilated corpses were collected. The wilderness outside the city was filled with mottled bloodstains, which was shocking.
"Sir, should we go to Xi'an Mansion to have a look?"
Facing the inquiries from Miao Shao and others, Liu Yan shook his head. This time he did not have an order from the Ministry of War. Even if he went to Xi'an Mansion to join in the fun, the local soldiers and horses would reject him. After all, the army's supplies were still not in place. It's dangerous.
"The army is on the road immediately, heading to Lantian County and Shanxi!"
"yes!"
Later, the New Army soldiers entered Shanxi via Lantian County and Tongguan, and then entered Beizhili. From Beizhili, they turned south to Jinan Prefecture. In Jinan Prefecture, Lu Xiangsheng and Yan Jizu prepared supplies of food and grass for the army, and rewarded the New Army who returned in triumph. Soldiers.
In early August, after more than a month on the expedition, Liu Yan led his troops back to Jimo Yingcheng.
Some people died, but not completely...
