Quyang County.
At this time, banners were scattered outside Quyang County. The bandit front camp led by Li Laiheng and the bandit firearms camp led by Li Dingguo had surrounded the city. Today was already the second day of the siege. The defenders in the city seemed to be unable to hold on. Come on, if Li Laiheng and Li Dingguo hadn't cherished their troops, I'm afraid the city would have been broken yesterday.
In the city of Quyang County, the county magistrate and hundreds of soldiers were guarding the city top cautiously, and more than a thousand people were also assisting in the defense. However, compared with the army of bandits outside the city, the few soldiers in the city were small. The horses are simply not enough to see. Everyone also knew that it was only a matter of time before Quyang County was captured, and everyone felt deep despair.
In the Chinese army's tent, Li Laiheng and Li Dingguo were drinking and eating. Generals Gu Kecheng and Xie Junyou from the front camp, Generals Gu Kecheng and Xie Junyou from the front camp, General Tian Hu from the right Guoyi, and General Ai Nengqi from the firearms camp were also in the tent. They were drinking and chatting happily, just waiting to capture Quyang County before continuing northward into Baoding Prefecture.
Everyone’s bowls have been filled with Quyang County’s unique Quyang Zaoer Wine, also known as Quyang Zaoer Wine.
There is no actual test of when this specialty wine was first brewed. According to legend: As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Lin Xiangru, a senior official of the State of Zhao, was born in Quyang. At the age of eighteen, he went to Handan, the capital of the State of Zhao, to serve the country. During this period, Lin Xiangru got lost in the mountains of Quyang. He had already eaten all the dry food he had brought with him. He was tired and hungry, and passed out next to a puddle. When he woke up, he found that the puddle exuded the fragrance of dates and tasted it in his hand. The taste was very mellow, so he filled a rucksack and took it to the capital Handan. After arriving at Handan, he brought the pure fragrant jujube wine on his back as tribute
When King Zhao drank it, he was very happy and named it "Zao Xiangyu Ye".
However, it is difficult to verify whether this legend is accurate, but it is a fact that jujube wine was brewed at that time.
Even though Li Dingguo didn't like drinking at this time, he drank two bowls, which shows the sweetness of Quyang Zaoer wine.
"General Zhi, shall we destroy the city today?"
Li Dingguo asked. After staying in Quyang County for two days, the speed was already a bit slow. However, Li Dingguo was worried that the army would attack too fast and would cause the battalions to be disconnected, so he asked, wanting to hear what Li Laiheng meant. .
Li Laiheng said: "Tomorrow, before noon tomorrow, the army will capture Quyang County. Anyway, the defenders in the city have been beaten to an almost complete extent. We can break through the city at any time. After the city is broken tomorrow, the army will rest for an hour. I will stay A group of soldiers and horses are waiting for the young general, you and I will lead the troops to attack Baoding Fucheng together!"
"Attacking Baoding Fucheng directly? Not attacking the cities along the way?"
Li Dingguo felt that he was a little rash, but Li Laiheng didn't take it seriously and said: "The scouts have already inspected Tang County, Wan County, and Qingdu County along the way. There are no soldiers and horses. They are just yamen and policemen driving strong men to defend the city. It doesn’t matter if you don’t fight.”
"So best."
Li Dingguo immediately said: "Just saying that, the young general should have sent someone to contact him early this morning, but no one has come yet. Is there something that delayed him?"
Li Laiheng was slightly startled, and everyone else also put down the sea bowl in their hands. Quyang County and Xingtang County are not very far apart. When everyone divided their troops, they made an iron rule: send fast horses to contact them once a day and never interrupt them.
But now Li Guobu has not
News came, which made everyone feel uneasy. Could it be that something happened to Li Guo?
Li Laiheng thought for a moment, stood up suddenly, and said: "I think this is what I want, let General Tian Hu of You Guoyi lead five thousand knights to go back quickly and see if something happens to the young general."
Li Dingguo nodded in agreement.
Tian Hu also drank up the jujube wine in the bowl, then said goodbye with his fists clasped, and went directly to order the troops and set off.
At the same time, Liu Fangliang and Liu Zongmin merged together. Now they have led the bandits Zhongying and Zuoying to Lingshou County, and are ready to take a short rest before continuing their search in the direction of Xingtang County.
On the city wall, Liu Zongmin asked with a worried look: "Have everyone been sent out?"
Liu Fangliang said: "Don't worry, General Quan. When we set off, I sent out troops. Not only did I report to your majesty, I also sent people to contact the right camp and asked Yuan Zongdi to lead his troops north to respond."
"That's good, that's good."
At this time, Liu Zongmin was worried about the war, and he also had a good look towards Liu Fangliang, saying: "Liu Yan's move of the golden cicada out of its shell is really beautiful. It directly disrupted the dragnet of millions of soldiers in Dashun. It is estimated that except for the front camp and the rear camp, Liu Zongmin was worried about the war. Except for the Firearms Battalion and the Firearms Battalion, all other battalions have been mobilized by Liu Yan."
Liu Fangliang said worriedly: "Now I'm worried about the situation over there, the young general. Scouts from various ministries have explored south for dozens of miles, but no trace of Liu Yan's tribe has been found, which means that we failed to stop Liu Yan's tribe in Lingshou County. There are more than 10,000 elite troops. Most of Liu Yan has led his troops through here and is heading towards Xingtang County. I am afraid that if the young general makes a mistake..."
"
Will not! "
Liu Zongmin said categorically: "The young general's rear camp has more than 200,000 troops. It is the strongest military camp in Dashun. Even if it is raided by Liu Yan's army, it will never collapse easily. Let's rush to Xingtang County from here , it only takes a few days, and with the talent of the young general, I will definitely be able to hold on!"
Liu Fangliang sighed: "I hope our guesses are all wrong. Liu Yan did not raid Xingtang County, but led his army directly back to defend Beijing. I hope the young general is okay!"
Then Liu Zongmin asked: "When do you think we should continue on our way?"
Liu Fangliang said: "I think we will set off in half an hour to let the soldiers take a breath. What does General Quan think?"
"Okay! The army will set off in half an hour. Don't stop along the way and rush directly to Xingtang County to rest."
Just when Liu Zongmin and Liu Fangliang decided to continue going north, Li Zicheng led the old camp of rogue thieves and the left and right battalions of the new army had also set off from Montenegro. At this time, the three battalions had 225,000 soldiers and more than 400,000 rogue thieves. The family members marched eastward in a mighty manner.
Because there were a large number of family members of the bandits in the army, and a huge amount of money, food, and supplies were transported with the army, so Li Zicheng's troops were moving very slowly and had not yet reached the Fangshan area on the west bank of the Zihe River.
"Report!"
Suddenly, Li Zicheng and the accompanying Hong Chengchou, Li Yan, Gu Junen, Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance and others saw a group of scouts running from a distance. When they got closer, they reported an urgent letter to Li Zicheng.
Li Zicheng calmly handed the letter to Li Yan and ordered him to read it out.
Li Yan opened it and read only a few sentences, and Li Zicheng and others were shocked.
This one was sent by Yuan Zongdi
The urgent report sent claimed that a large amount of money and food supplies abandoned by Liu Yan's troops had been found in the Huolu County area, and it was believed that Liu Yan must have withdrawn from the Jingxingguan area and did so in order to gain time.
Li Zicheng, Hong Chengchou, Li Yan and others were suspicious, wondering whether this was some kind of trick played by Liu Yan. This man was always scheming. Could it be that this time he did it deliberately to mobilize the army around Jingxing Pass?
But before they could come up with a solution, the urgent report sent by Liu Zongmin and Liu Fangliang also arrived.
This time, the emergency report sent by the two men clearly stated that Liu Yan's troops had withdrawn from Jingxing Pass and there were currently no traces of them. However, Liu Zongmin and Liu Fangliang believed that Liu Yan must have led his troops to shuttle between the battalions, and most of them were heading to Xingxing Pass. Tangxian area.
"Xingtang County?"
Hong Chengchou was shocked and said: "Your Majesty, Xingtang County is the central point in this strategy, so we let the young general lead the powerful rear battalion to sit in Xingtang County to ensure smooth communication between the battalions. If Liu Yanzhen led his army to escape from the encirclement of our army, and then marched in a hurry to raid Xingtang County. With the combat power of Liu Yan's troops, the young general was caught off guard and was bound to be defeated!"
At this time, Li Zicheng no longer had the calmness and calmness just now, and said with a ferocious expression: "Immediately order Liu Fangliang, Liu Zongmin, and Yuan Zongdi to lead the army to support Xingtang County. In addition, order the army to speed up. Women and children who cannot keep up with the speed will be placed nearby. Everywhere along the way!”
"Got the order!"
"Your Majesty, something is wrong. How did Liu Yan find out about our army's intentions?"
Hong Chengchou couldn't figure it out, and Li Zicheng was also confused. Next to him, Li Yan and Gu Junen were thinking with furrowed brows.
They were thinking about various possibilities, while Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance were pretending to be calculating, but they couldn't say anything.
At this time, the old battalion and the left and right battalions of the new army received orders to accelerate their advance, and the army of more than 200,000 people began to stride eastwards.
The more than 400,000 old, weak, women and children in the old camp were panicked. They thought that the war ahead was unfavorable and they were about to start a life of exile again. So they followed the army in a hurry. Some old people with bad legs and feet even He fell down and was immediately trampled to death by the crowd behind him. It didn't take long for the large group of people to fall into chaos.
Li Zicheng was furious when he saw this. After questioning him, he said angrily: "The common people have shaken my Dashun army's morale!"
Then Li Zicheng was about to get angry and kill, but Hong Chengchou persuaded him: "Your Majesty, calm down! Your Majesty can send people to calm people's hearts. He only said that the army in front has surrounded the main force of the official army. The old battalion and the new army are about to go to encircle and annihilate. As long as we win, With this battle, the fall of Beijing City is just around the corner, so let the women and children of the old camp wait where they are for the time being."
Li Yan added: "Your Majesty must leave some money and food to appease people's hearts. Otherwise, if the women and children in the old camp are allowed to continue making trouble, the whereabouts of our army will definitely be revealed. When the time comes..."
Suddenly Li Yan stopped talking, and Li Zicheng, Hong Chengchou and others were also stunned.
Yes, with Dashun’s millions of soldiers and hundreds of thousands of civilians accompanying the army, it was possible to hide the mobilization of so many people and horses from the ordinary Ming army, but how could it be possible to hide it from Liu Yan’s tribe, which had many elite soldiers who refused to accept it at night?
Hong Chengchou immediately apologized and said: "Your Majesty, my subordinates did not think of this, which caused our army's strategy to be calculated by Liu Yan. If anything goes wrong in this battle,
, please punish me! "
Although Li Zicheng was angry at this time, Hong Chengchou was indeed very talented and there was nothing wrong with the strategy. The reason why the news was leaked was because of the lack of discipline among the Dashun Army battalions.
So Li Zicheng got off his horse and helped Hong Chengchou up, and said seriously: "This is not your fault, how can I hold you accountable? If you win this battle, the first credit will be yours. If you lose this battle, I will bear the consequences alone!"
Although Hong Chengchou had a grudge against surrendering to Li Zicheng, he was impressed by Li Zicheng's actions at this time. Regardless of whether Li Zicheng was acting or not, his heart and mind were much stronger than that of Emperor Chongzhen.
So Hong Chengchou saluted again and said: "I will devote myself to Dashun and die!"
"Ha ha!"
Li Zicheng laughed and said, "Okay! Since you are serious, sir, let's lead the army together to support Tang County and see whether Liu Yan can turn things around in this battle, or whether I, Dashun, can stabilize the city of Beijing!"
