As early as when Yang Sichang led the elite troops of the Ming army to hunt down Zhang Xianzhong's troops in the Agate Mountains of Sichuan, Li Zicheng led tens of thousands of bandits into Henan, sheltering hungry people along the way, and the bandits' force grew rapidly.
Later, Zheng Lian recorded Li Zicheng's grand relief work for the hungry people in "The Chronicle of the Yubian": "The thieves borrowed it to open a warehouse and help the hungry people. The hungry people from far and near rushed there with hoes, and responded to the situation. It is like running water, which is endless day and night. It can be called by millions at a time, but its momentum can set a prairie fire and cannot be stopped."
Since then, the army of thieves and bandits led by Li Zicheng has grown to tens of thousands in a very short period of time. If the number of homeless people who were kidnapped is included, it is known as a million people!
It was at this time that Li Zicheng's adviser Li Yan put forward the slogan: "Equalize land and avoid taxes", and even sang it in folk songs: "Welcome King Chuang, but don't pay for food."
For a time, refugees from all over Henan and Shanxi followed him, and Li Zicheng became famous.
Li Zicheng immediately led the main army to besiege Yongning County, Henan. The bandit army used ladders to attack the city, and fell into the city within a few days. The soldiers and civilians in the city were burned to death. The bandit army killed Wang Caiqing of Wan'an.
Li Zicheng then led his troops to sweep the city around Yongning County. The bandit army broke through forty-eight villages in a row. The bandit Yi Dougu and other bandits responded one after another. The bandit army then captured Yiyang, and the bandit army increased to hundreds of thousands.
In the blink of an eye, in mid-December, Li Zicheng led the main army stationed outside Yiyang County. The bandit army camped together for more than ten miles. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses gathered in one place. Banners blocked the sun and the noise shook the sky.
In the large tent of the Chinese army, Li Zicheng was sitting at the top. In the tent, a group of counselors and generals gathered together.
The leader was Liu Zongmin, whose courtesy name was Jiexuan. He was wearing a felt hat and a leather robe. He was yelling at the generals around him with a very bold expression.
Next to him is Li Guo. His natal name is Li Jin, also known as Li Chixin. He is the nephew of Li Zicheng. He is nicknamed Yihu, referring to his bravery in battle, like a tiger descending from a mountain.
Beside Li Guo, Tian Jianxiu and Gao Yigong were talking about something. Both of them were strong men under Li Zicheng. Tian Jianxiu was known as Tianyao and served as admiral and general of all camps. Gao Yigong was Li Zicheng's brother-in-law and a fierce general in the bandit army.
On the other side, Liu Fangliang, the general of the left camp, was drinking tea alone, not knowing what he was thinking. Yuan Zongdi, the general of the right camp who was sitting in front, looked at Liu Fangliang with interest, as if guessing what he was thinking.
In addition, General He Jin didn't look at anyone. He just drank tea and ate dry food by himself. He seemed to be very hungry and the food was very delicious.
Sitting at the outermost seat was Li Guo's adopted son Li Laiheng. Looking at everyone present, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, not knowing what he was worried about.
In addition, sitting next to Li Zicheng were Niu Jinxing, Li Yan, Gu Junen, and Song Xiance.
Among them, Li Yan was the most versatile in both civil and military affairs. He was especially good at the art of war and had great vision at the strategic level. Among Li Zicheng's several counselors, he was also the most capable.
Niu Jinxing was good at strategy and had many suggestions for Li Zicheng on the tactical level, and was highly regarded by Li Zicheng.
Song Xiance was proficient in magic, and once proposed the proverb that the Eighteen Sons Master Divine Weapons. However, Song Xiance was narrow-minded and rejected many of Niu Jinxing and Li Yan who recommended him.
Gu Junen, on the other hand, knew the art of war and was good at strategy. Although he was a counselor who had recently taken refuge with Li Zicheng, he was also valued by Li Zicheng and asked him frequently during wars.
At this time, Li Zicheng looked at the counselors and generals in the big tent, feeling very happy in his heart.
Not long ago, Zhang Xianzhong was surrounded and killed by the main force of the Ming army. Li Zicheng was also horrified at the time, worried that the Ming army would come with the power of victory. But the subsequent development of the situation made Li Zicheng very excited.
Originally, the relationship between Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong was not very harmonious, and they often fought openly and secretly. But after the excitement, Li Zicheng felt a little disappointed. After all, everyone knows that the relationship between Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, both enemies and friends, ended, and Li Zicheng felt very disappointed.
"Everyone!"
Li Zicheng said loudly: "You must have heard the reason for calling you here today. It is to discuss the matter of Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang and Ai Nengqi coming to vote."
After Zhang Xianzhong was killed by Liu Yan and his troops, Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi led the remaining troops all the way north, preparing to join Li Zicheng. On the way to escape, the three of them also restored their original surnames, and finally met the main force of Li Zicheng's army in Yiyang County.
After Li Zicheng finished speaking, Liu Zongmin said: "King Chuang, does this matter still need to be discussed? Of course, we have to recruit Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi under our command!"
"Liu Shuai is right!"
Yuan Zongdi said loudly: "I see that the three of them still have tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in their hands. They are all soldiers of Zhang Xianzhong's old camp. Although they were defeated by the army, they are all elites. With a little reorganization, they can become a strong army. They are just a supplement." In the old camp of our army!"
The rest of the people also agreed.
Li Zicheng looked at Li Yan and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Li?"
Li Yan was wearing a Taoist robe, as if he was a Confucian scholar somewhere. At this time, he raised his hands and said: "Students also think that King Chuang should accept the three generals Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi. First of all, the three of them are all powerful generals under Zhang Xianzhong's command. , each of them is a talented person who is capable of fighting. King Chuang has three of them to help him, which is like adding wings to a tiger. Secondly, King Chuang must also have heard that Zhang Xianzhong was a Shandong soldier in the official army, which is now Qinglai. The troops of Liu Yan, the chief military officer of the town, killed them. The soldiers and horses of his troops were very brave. Even the Tatars outside the pass suffered repeated defeats at the hands of Liu Yan, which shows the strength of his troops."
When Li Yan said this, his expression became a little solemn, and he frowned and continued: "With the participation of Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi, King Chuang can learn the details of Liu Yan's department from them, and know who Liu Yan's department is. How to fight, the size of the troops, the equipment, etc. If Chongzhen mobilizes Liu Yan's troops to attack in the future, King Chuang can also respond in advance."
"Um!"
Li Yan's words were in line with Li Zicheng's wishes, and he immediately ordered people to go to Li Dingguo's camp and send a letter inviting Li Dingguo and three people to meet at the camp.
In the evening of that day, Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi came to the bandit camp with dozens of personal guards.
Li Zicheng summoned all his subordinates to wait in the Chinese army's tent, and arranged a banquet to entertain Li Dingguo and the others.
"The last general Li Dingguo pays homage to King Chuang!"
Li Zicheng looked at the three people who were bowing profusely. He laughed and stood up and walked to the three people. He picked up the three people one by one. Then he affectionately pulled Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang and Ai Nengqi to their seats, and held them down one after another.
"Come on, don't say any polite words today. The three of you are all the adopted sons of King Daxi, and I, Li Zicheng, are the adopted sons of me. Although King Daxi is somewhat separated from me, we are all righteous men who resisted the tyranny of the imperial court. Today you Come and seek refuge with me, and I will welcome you in reverse!"
Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi were very moved when they heard this, and they all stood up and saluted again.
Li Zicheng smiled and asked the three of them to sit down, and then introduced the generals and counselors in the tent to them one by one.
Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi also saluted everyone one by one.
After another round of greetings, everyone had sat down, and Li Zicheng asked about the details of the Battle of Agate Mountain.
When the Battle of Agate Mountain was mentioned, Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi all had a look of fear on their faces.
The three of them had a brief exchange, and then Li Dingguo described the battle process on his behalf.
Li Zicheng, Liu Zongmin, Li Guo and other generals, as well as counselors such as Li Yan and Niu Jinxing, all listened attentively.
When everyone heard that Liu Yan's troops had sophisticated firearms and that the cannon formation could fire continuously, like a torrential rain, Zhang Xianzhong's troops could not advance within eighty steps of Liu Yan's formation, and everyone's faces were filled with laughter. A shocked expression.
Everyone has seen the firearms of the army, but they have never seen such a powerful firearm.
But when everyone heard that Liu Yan's troops, which numbered only more than 20,000 troops, were actually equipped with more than 200 artillery pieces of various types, everyone, including Li Zicheng, was so horrified that they almost stood up.
"impossible!"
Liu Zongmin immediately shouted: "No matter how powerful the army is, it is impossible to equip more than two hundred artillery pieces. This is impossible!"
Li Zicheng also frowned and asked: "The battlefield is chaotic. Could it be that the artillery of other Ming army units was requisitioned by Liu Yan?"
Li Dingguo shook his head and said: "No. King Chuang did not see the situation on the battlefield at that time. At that time, the main forces of the army were restrained by Ge Yanliang, Cao Wei, and Guo Tianxing. The army that besieged my adoptive father was originally Zuo Liangyu. department."
"Facing Zuo Liangyu's tribe, our army had already won the victory after a bloody battle, but at this moment, Liu Yan led his troops and arrived. He actually..."
"How is Liu Yan?"
Li Zicheng asked hurriedly, and the rest of the people were also interested.
Li Dingguo said: "Liu Yan actually divided his troops. He divided his troops into two groups and attacked my foster father's army and Zuo Liangyu's army at the same time!"
"What!"
At this time, Li Zicheng could no longer sit still. Liu Yan defeated Zhang Xianzhong's troops and killed him, but he only used half of his troops!
"On the battlefield at that time, Liu Yan's troops attacked in two directions. We led our troops to fight bloody battles. Zuo Liangyu's troops also resisted vigorously, but in the face of Liu Yan's attack, they were unable to resist. It was a complete massacre. "
"Liu Yan's muskets are numerous and the shooting speed is extremely fast. Normally, in the time it takes the army to fire two rounds, Liu Yan's musketry can fire four to six rounds. All Liu Yan's muskets are automatic fire muskets and do not require match ropes. It can still be used in wind and rain, and the range is very long. It can break armor from a hundred steps away. There are more than 10,000 elite euphorbia soldiers in our army who use shields to protect them. However, they were defeated dozens of steps away from Liu Yan's troops, and Liu Yan's troops were defeated. There are not many casualties!”
"As for the artillery, Liu Yan's artillery battalion occupied the high ground on one side of the battlefield. You can tell just by looking at the flags. More than two hundred artillery pieces of various types fired volleys in turns. Zuo Liangyu's army was severely damaged by the artillery. "
Li Dingguo only learned the details of these battlefields after the war. On their way to the north, Li Dingguo and others not only collected the defeated troops of the Daxi Army, but also encountered many defeated troops of Zuo Liangyu's tribe. After gathering their troops and conducting detailed inquiries, Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi tried their best to After fully restoring the details of the Battle of Agate Mountain, the three of them had an intuitive understanding of the powerful combat power of Liu Yan's tribe.
After listening to Li Dingguo's description, Li Zicheng felt a hint of gloom in his heart. The army had good generals again. If such a powerful army really came to kill him, how would he respond?
At this time, Li Yan spoke: "King Chuang, when Liu Yan was not the general of Jimo Camp in Shandong, shopkeeper Bai who was sent to Shandong by his students had fought with him."
"Shopkeeper Bai?"
Li Zicheng thought of that figure and said regretfully: "It's a pity that shopkeeper Bai died in Shandong."
Li Yan said: "Yes, Shopkeeper Bai was killed by Liu Yan. At that time, Liu Yan's military power was not so strong, but it was already very troublesome. Now Liu Yan is the chief military officer of Qinglai Town. We don’t know how far its military strength and power will expand!”
Song Xiance suddenly sneered and said: "So, Liu Yan is invincible? One day King Chuang encounters Liu Yan's troops on the battlefield, will he still have to retreat?"
Li Zicheng smiled and said: "Master Song was joking. Mr. Li didn't mean it that way. Let's listen to what Mr. Li says."
Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, and Ai Nengqi also looked at Li Yan. The three of them all knew that Li Yan was a counselor that Li Zicheng valued very much. They had also heard of Li Yan's name a long time ago. When they met today, they also wanted to hear what Li Yan had to offer. High talk.
Li Yan said: "King Chuang, everyone! In the opinion of students, the strength of Liu Yan's troops lies in two things: strong firearms and brave soldiers!"
"When it comes to the bravery of our soldiers, our rebel army is by no means worse than Liu Yan's tribe. The old camp's brave cavalry can even fight bloody battles with the slaves and thieves' cavalry outside the pass without falling behind. The only difference between our rebel army and Liu Yan's tribe is in firearms."
"so……"
Li Yan said: "King Chuang should inform all the battalions and ask all the soldiers in the army to collect all kinds of firearms, and select craftsmen who know how to make firearms from the prisoners, and select government prisoners who are proficient in firearms to form our own firearms battalion!"
When Li Yan got excited, he stood up and said loudly: "If you want to defeat Liu Yan, you have to use firearms against firearms. In this way, Liu Yan's troops will not have anything to worry about!"
Some people died, but not completely...
