Among the mighty intruders and horses, a large banner with a height of one foot and five feet stood out among the flags.
The flag is of the same color as the banner, made of two pieces of silk, four feet long and three feet wide.
A pearl tassel is inserted on top, and a pheasant tail is connected to the bottom. The eight-foot-five-inch long five-color horn belt is constantly fluttering in the strong wind.
The flag tassel is red, the flag gun is silver, and the flag stretches in the wind, revealing a big white character - "Chuang"!
This banner belongs to Gao Yingxiang.
Under the banner, Gao Yingxiang was riding his white horse, surrounded by people.
Gao Yingxiang still wears a Fan Yangli on his head, a white robe outside his helmet, a bow and arrow on his waist, and a whip and rein.
Under the strong wind, countless flags moved and billowed.
The wind was surging, and the strong wind blew up Gao Yingxiang's plain shirt covering his armor, causing the red tassel on his helmet to flutter.
"Xing'an..."
Gao Yingxiang stared at the big city not far away standing on the bank of the Han River.
Hanzhong Mansion is not a good place for Gao Yingxiang.
In the seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, officers and soldiers surrounded them in Hanzhong Mansion.
It rained continuously for more than seventy days. All their bows and arrows were lost and all their clothes and armor were soaked.
The people went without a meal for days, the horses had no grass to eat, and more than half of the people died of starvation and disease.
If the officers and soldiers had been more resolute and the false surrender plan had not succeeded, I am afraid they would all have died in Hanzhong.
Behind Gao Yingxiang, a group of generals from the Chuang Army gathered, as well as several battalion leaders from the 72nd Battalion who followed him into Hanzhong Mansion.
The Eight Great Kings Zhang Xianzhong, Qian Gongji Zhang Er, the general manager Liu Zhe, the leader Huang Long and others were accompanying him.
Everyone also looked solemn. After two years, they returned to Hanzhong Mansion. They did not have any good memories of Hanzhong Mansion.
Zhang Xianzhong also wore a white felt hat, but there was no red tassel on the top.
He wears a red scarf around his neck and a blue cloth arrow jacket, with a bow and arrow hanging on one side of his waist and a wild goose feather knife hanging on the other.
Zhang Xianzhong is riding a pure black horse. This black horse has no hair on its body. Its mane and tail have been trimmed. The hair on its body is shiny, as bright as silk, and it looks very majestic.
Among the seventy-two battalions of the thirteen families, except for Gao Yingxiang, his military force is the strongest, so his location is also closest to Gao Yingxiang.
Zhang Xianzhong was born with a broad face and a long beard, a tiger's jaw and wolf eyes.
From time to time, a fierce light flashed between his eyes, which was heart-stopping.
Zhang Xianzhong glanced at Xing'an City not far away, with anger in his eyes. He noticed at a glance that there seemed to be a lot of soldiers on the mountains next to Xing'an City.
"The officers and soldiers have set up a camp on the mountain. If they attack the city, they will probably have to occupy the camp on the mountain first."
Zhang Xianzhong frowned slightly. The mountain outside Xing'an City is called Zhaotai Mountain, and Xing'an City was built at the foot of it.
Officers and soldiers built camps on it, which could interact with the defenders on the city and bring huge trouble to the attackers.
Hearing Zhang Xianzhong's voice, Gao Yingxiang withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Zhang Xianzhong who was beside him.
Zhang Xianzhong and his nephew Li Zicheng are of the same age. They are both thirty-one years old this year and in their prime.
Gao Yingxiang knew Zhang Xianzhong's inner thoughts very well. He knew Zhang Xianzhong's ambitions and his character of being unwilling to be inferior to others.
Zhang Xianzhong was born in the army. He was resourceful and decisive, and his troops ranked first among all the camps in terms of combat effectiveness.
But this is not important. No matter in terms of prestige or military strength, Zhang Xianzhong has no way to replace his position.
Gao Yingxiang did not take over Zhang Xianzhong's words, but talked about another thing.
"The guard general of Xing'an City is named Chen Wang. He is the new Hanzhong General. Have you heard of his name?"
Zhang Xianzhong was slightly startled and his eyes moved slightly. He didn't know why Gao Yingxiang suddenly mentioned the name of the Xing'an City defender.
"Chen Wang?"
Zhang Xianzhong frowned slightly, and then remembered who Chen Wang was.
"The guerrilla who killed Li Yangchun and Lin Shengquan and then killed Zhang Yuan outside Hanzhong City?"
Zhang Xianzhong's eyes turned to Xing'an City, and he stared at the red flag flying above the east city tower.
"I heard that he turned out to be just a servant of Cao Wenzhao."
Zhang Xianzhong spoke slowly. He had suffered a lot at the hands of Cao Wenzhao, and he couldn't help but feel angry when he thought of Cao Wenzhao.
"I didn't expect that I would now reach the position of Hanzhong General..."
Gao Yingxiang glanced at Zhang Xianzhong's expression, then turned his head, raised the whip in his hand, pointed at Zhao Taishan and said.
"The troops that evacuated Xing'an City before were former Hanzhong guerrilla Zhou Yumao, and they took away about 3,000 people."
"Inquiry revealed that there was a problem in the central part of Hanzhong Prefecture, so Chen Wangcai transferred Zhou Yumao back to Hanzhong to protect King Rui."
Zhang Xianzhong raised his eyebrows slightly and said.
"Zhang Yuan is dead, and all the people under his command are dead and scattered. Most of them were taken away by Na Lu Shi."
"What problems can happen within Hanzhong Mansion?"
The news about Hanzhong Mansion was not a secret. Part of the reason why they came to Hanzhong Mansion was to contact Wang Cheng and Lu Shi who were now entrenched in Ziyang.
From Lu Shi's words, what happened inside Hanzhong Mansion was also presented to everyone.
Gao Yingxiang looked at Xing'an City in the distance, then glanced at the cavalry group heading west, and said calmly.
"I have already sent people to Hanyin. I will know what happened when they enter the hinterland of Hanzhong."
"But what happens inside Hanzhong Mansion is not important. What is important now is to clear away everything in the eastern part of Hanzhong Mansion that can hinder us."
Gao Yingxiang narrowed his eyes slightly, with a fierce light in his eyes.
"Chen Wang has an elite cavalry under his command. They are all elite cavalry from Liaodong. They were originally subordinate to Zhang Waijia. They were swallowed up by Zhang Waijia after his death."
After meeting with Li Zicheng, Gao Yingxiang also learned some news about Chen Wang from Li Zicheng.
It is also clear why Gao Yingxiang was defeated in the Battle of Chunhua. The main key was Gao Jie's rebellion.
But Gao Yingxiang did not underestimate Chen Wang because of this. Many details of the Battle of Chunhua are worthy of scrutiny.
Moreover, Li Yangchun and Lin Shengquan were also defeated by Chen Wang, becoming stepping stones on Chen Wang's promotion path.
"Chen Wang's army has many firearms, mainly three-eyed blunderbuss, squatting tiger cannons, and a lot of Franco machines. Now that he is in the city, these firearms will inevitably become sharp weapons that hinder us from breaking the city."
Gao Yingxiang's eyes moved away from Xing'an City and moved to Zhaotaishan next to it.
"You should also know from the news I got from Lu Shi that Chen Wang still has a few copper hairpins in his hand."
"I'm afraid most of these cannons have been placed in camps built on the mountains outside the city. The officers and soldiers have heavy artillery and occupy high ground. If they attack rashly, they will inevitably be bombarded by heavy artillery."
Xing'an City is adjacent to the Han River to the north and Zhaotai Mountain to the south.
If Zhao Taishan's artillery camp is not removed, the attack can only be launched from the east and west.
Because of Hanshui and Zhaotaishan, even if we attack from the east and west at the same time, there may be a risk of being intercepted.
Zhao Taishan's artillery position posed a huge threat and must be removed if the city was to be attacked.
However, Zhaotai Mountain is easy to defend but difficult to attack, so it is extremely difficult to capture it.
When the Han River flooded, the people in Xing'an City took refuge in Zhaotai Mountain, which could accommodate a large number of troops.
"Xing'an City is the largest city in the eastern part of Hanzhong Prefecture. The villages and towns we encountered along the way are not inhabited."
"Most of the trees in the suburbs outside Xing'an City have been cut down, and many wells have been blocked. There is almost no food or money in the houses, and even livestock, chickens and ducks are missing. I am afraid that all the people and animals around Xing'an City have now entered. In Xing'an City."
"The current number of assisting defense militiamen in Xing'an City is probably tens of thousands. According to reports from Lu Shi, Chen Wang has more than 4,000 soldiers under his command, and there are also assisting defense militia and guards in the city."
Gao Yingxiang led the restless horses, his eyes constantly wandering above Xing'an City and Zhaotai Mountain.
All signs indicate that Chen Wang had predicted in advance that they would come to Hanzhong Prefecture, otherwise he would not have secured the walls and cleared the country, and personally guarded Xing'an Prefecture.
Chen Wang arrived in Xing'an City in early February. At that time, there was obviously still time to continue the attack on Lu Shi and Wang Cheng.
But from then on, Chen Wang recalled all the troops outside to the cities and did not continue to suppress them.
Gao Yingxiang and Chen Wang probably knew in advance that he and others would invade Hanzhong Prefecture from Huguang.
Their whereabouts along the way were not a secret. Lu Xiangsheng chased them all the way, chasing them into Xunyang Mansion and Xiangyang Mansion, and stopped pursuing them only after losing a battle.
There is Xiangyang City blocking the way to the south, and there are rolling mountains to the east. There is only one road to the west. It is not difficult for Chen Wang to guess.
Gao Yingxiang is thinking about one thing now.
He wanted to know why Chen Wang arranged it this way.
"He doesn't want us to fight against Xing'an. He wants to keep Xing'an?"
Of the cities in Xunyang Mansion, only Fucheng and one or two cities were left unconquered. The rest of the cities were all breached. Chen Wang had already known this news.
Chen Wang personally guarded Xing'an City, and the main force was concentrated in Xing'an City. The rest of the county towns were basically guarded by guards and militia, obviously abandoning other cities.
Zhang Xianzhong's eyes narrowed slightly, and he also thought of what Gao Yingxiang thought of.
Chen Wang's behavior is full of weirdness and elusiveness.
"Get the map."
Gao Yingxiang got off his horse and shouted to his side.
A group of horsemen behind them did not dare to neglect the order. Soon the two soldiers had already unfolded a wooden table, and a broad map was also lifted onto the table.
The map is not large, covering most of the desktop. It depicts the entire province of Shaanxi, so the labeling is not detailed.
This map is the trophy they collected from the army after they defeated Du Si Tian Guangen in the Battle of Zhangjiachuan.
All the generals dismounted and followed Gao Yingxiang, gathering on both sides of the map, waiting for Gao Yingxiang's orders.
Gao Yingxiang placed his finger on Xunyang City on the map, and then slowly began to move toward the west.
"Xing'an...Hanyin...Shiquan..."
Gao Yingxiang's eyes slowly turned westward, and these cities gradually became connected in his eyes.
Xing'an Prefecture has a vast territory, and Xing'an City is located in a small basin.
The terrain of Hengkou is flat, but there is only one road going west to Hanzhong.
Gao Yingxiang's eyes were deep. He glanced at Hanzhong City, and then moved to Xing'an City.
The central part of Hanzhong Prefecture is a plain surrounded by mountains. No matter where you go, you need to pass through a long plank road.
These planks may be long or short, but none of them is without danger.
Hanzhong Mansion is not a very good place to go...
"Chen Wang..."
Gao Yingxiang lowered his head and his eyes stayed on Xing'an City.
The thoughts in his mind were chaotic. He knew that Chen Wang had a hidden purpose, but it was always difficult to grasp the main point.
Gao Yingxiang was speechless, and everyone stood quietly beside him.
No one spoke, no one gave advice, and no one offered advice, including Zhang Xianzhong.
Gao Yingxiang has led them through tens of thousands of miles. Facts have proved that every decision Gao Yingxiang makes is almost always correct. They only need to follow Gao Yingxiang and execute it unswervingly, and nothing will happen. of chaos.
a long time.
Gao Yingxiang finally raised his head, and his eyes slowly passed over everyone's bodies.
Those who were stared at by him lowered their heads involuntarily.
"Huanglong."
"The end will be here."
Hearing Gao Yingxiang's call, Huang Long, who was wearing a hood and an iron-pointed helmet, did not dare to neglect. He half-knelt on the ground and responded respectfully.
"You lead the elite cavalry of our headquarters, add 3,000 horse troops, and 5,000 infantry troops, and go southwest to meet Wang Cheng and Lu Shi."
"Within twenty days, I will hear the news that Ziyang City has been destroyed."
"Liu Zhe."
"The end will be here."
"You lead the elite cavalry of your headquarters, add 5,000 horse troops, 10,000 infantry troops, and 20,000 hungry soldiers, and march southeast to encircle Pingli."
"Same as Ziyang, within twenty days, I want to hear the news that Pingli City has been destroyed."
Ziyang and Pingli, one is in the southwest of Xing'an and the other is in the southeast.
After conquering these two cities, we can cut off the reinforcements of officers and soldiers coming from these two sides and isolate Xing'an.
stand up.
Both cities are just county towns, and the city defenses are not very strong. Although there are not too many siege machines, as long as there is enough time, the antfu siege city can be captured.
And now, they happen to be short of time.
Gao Yingxiang gave orders without any hesitation.
Military orders were passed down one after another, and the order flags were handed over to the generals who took the orders.
Liu Zhe and Huang Long did not delay and immediately took the order and left.
After just a short while, a roar of people came from the direction of the rear army.
Gao Yingxiang turned to look at Zhang Xianzhong and Zhang Er and said in a deep voice.
"The situation in Hanzhong Mansion is complicated. There is not much news now, so it is not appropriate to take action."
"There are so many troops in Xing'an City that it is difficult to capture, so let's put it aside for the time being and eliminate the surrounding towns and counties first before making further calculations."
Gao Yingxiang lightly knocked on the wooden table in front of him and looked at Zhang Xianzhong.
"The officers and soldiers in Xing'an City cannot be left alone. The east side will be monitored by my troops, and the west side will be left to you."
"No one can come from Hanyin. I sent three thousand fine cavalry and tens of thousands of horse troops to Hanyin. It is impossible for the officers and soldiers to fly over."
Regarding the development of technology and logistics, development will begin after the end of Gao Yingxiang's chapter, so please be assured.
