"Commander Father, the Hong bandit army will arrive here at noon tomorrow at the latest. Where should our army go?"
After receiving Zhang Wenxiu's reinforcements, Zhang Dingguo repulsed Luo Dai, and then the two armies began to confront each other. However, after learning that the official reinforcements were about to arrive, Zhang Wenxiu led his infantry to retreat north, while Zhang Dingguo led his cavalry to cut off the rear.
However, Luo Dai did not follow and pursue, allowing both Zhang Dingguo and Zhang Wenxiu to return to Gucheng calmly. But simply repelling Luo Dai did not make the current situation favorable to the rebels. On the contrary, Hong Chengchou's army was approaching and made everyone very nervous.
"My son, don't worry about Dingguo. Our army will set off tonight. Dingguo will lead his troops to continue westward to attract the flood thieves. After the flood thieves are led into the mountains, there is no need to fight, and they can take a detour to meet up with my father in Xiangyang. The Hong thieves can go into the mountains and explore on their own. My son hopes to lead a group of people across the Han River, light more torches, and deliberately go north. As the second suspect, the Hong thieves will not be able to figure out the movements of our army. My son Wenxiu and Neng Qi will follow My father will lead an army of 20,000 people south to Jingshan Mountain, bypass the Hong bandit army, go straight to Xiangyang, and take his lifeline. By then, we will have all the money and food in the city, and our army will be able to rest easy!"
We can't stay in Gucheng for much longer. It seems impossible to defeat the Hong bandit army here. Zhang Xianzhong doesn't want to have his troops fight with Hong Chengchou's army just after the uprising, and both sides will lose. That will only take advantage of Luo Rucai and the others.
Not only did Zhang Xianzhong not want to lose his troops, but he also wanted to wait for an opportunity to obtain the money and food that Hong Chengchou had hoarded in Xiangyang City. This way, not only would he not have to hesitate to provide supplies within the next six months, but he would also be able to kill the Hong thieves with great prestige, which would greatly embarrass the Ming court.
It's just that the Hong thief is cunning and cunning, so he has to arrange things first before luring him into taking the bait, otherwise he will definitely bite him, which would be very bad.
Looking at the four adopted sons he raised, the second son Dingguo was wise, brave, and experienced in actions. He was highly valued by Zhang Xianzhong, so he entrusted him with such important responsibilities.
The troops led by the eldest son hope to cross the river, but they can only be regarded as partial troops. But if the Hong bandits fall into the trap, they will make their own profit.
The real murderous intention was to take a detour into the mountains and go straight to Xiangyang. Before Hong Chengchou returned to the army, the army would go down the river, pass through Yicheng, and go straight to Zhongxiang, putting it beyond his reach.
"Commander Father, why don't our troops go west to join Luo Rucai and others? Or it would be a good idea to march into Henan!"
Zhang Kewang felt that Hong Chengchou was coming from the east and it was a good idea to avoid his attack. It was best to join up with Cao Cao, otherwise it would be difficult to resist this army.
It is also good to march into Henan. At least there are not many officers and soldiers there, the defense is loose, and there are many disasters. It is convenient to expand the number of troops, and the rebel force can expand rapidly.
"My son is in trouble! As long as our army can disappear and get rid of the army of Hong thieves, we can enter the sea and let Hong Chengchou attack Cao Cao while our army advances into the sacred land. Henan has suffered from disasters for many years, and there have been many disasters. It is easy to win over, but food is even harder to come by, and it is far from being as wealthy as Huguang. After our soldiers have eaten and drank enough in Wuchang, they can take advantage of the situation to find the 5th Battalion of Gezuo, march eastward to Nanjing again, conquer Fengyang, and re-enter the city. Digging the ancestral grave of the Dog Emperor, hahahahaha..."
Zhang Xianzhong and all the bandit leaders knew how difficult Hong Chengchou was, and whoever was targeted by the Hong bandits would have a hard time. Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong did not want to get into trouble, and it was better to leave Hong Chengchou to Luo Rucai and the others.
He first took Xiangyang, then occupied Wuchang, and then he was very fat. Then he sent his troops to join the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo, and then penetrated directly into the heart of the Ming Dynasty. Jiangnan was the richest place in the world, and all the soldiers in the army could make a lot of money. .
Isn't this much better than fighting with Hong Chengchou here?
After half a year's rest, my family fortune was almost gone, but fortunately I was able to deal with Xiong Wencan and Chen Hongfan.
But if we don't capture a big city and collect some silver, we will almost be unable to pay the soldiers.
The rebel army is no better than the official army, but it still requires some effort. The Eighth King has said that he will receive a monthly salary of two taels of silver, so he must honor it, otherwise the people below will not fight hard.
Everyone expects it to be easy to grab, but not everyone can be taken into account every time. There are always some tribes who can't grab anything good and are waiting for payment. If they don't get the money, they will make a fuss.
The Eight Great Kings said that if you love a soldier as a son, you must spend real money and silver, so Xiangyang must be defeated, and Hong Chengchou should be thrown to "Cao Cao".
After hearing this, everyone thought about it and realized that it was indeed true. It would be tiring to fight Hong Chengchou, and he might even lose his life. Why not attack the weak points of the army? Wouldn't that be more leisurely?
After the soldiers were recruited by the imperial court, they didn't get anything. All the benefits were taken by the officials. They suffered from hunger for several months, and their eyes were almost green. There was no money in this miserable place like Gucheng. Fishing is far better than fishing in Xiangyang.
"The child is stupid, but the father is wise!"
As long as we can capture Xiangyang City, we will have enough to eat and drink from top to bottom, and we can also fool the Hong thieves around, why not do it? The husband's idea was so good that Zhang Kewang readily accepted it.
As the commander-in-chief of the entire army, Zhang Xianzhong suggested that if everyone had no objections, they should immediately implement his orders. He evacuated Gucheng at midnight and divided his troops into three groups, two groups to feint and one group to attack.
The soldiers of Zhang Dingguo's troops heading west and Zhang Kewang's troops heading north both used torches to mislead the approaching troops, while the main force of the rebels heading south into Jingshan stopped and discredited their advance.
Although the Han River was good, Zhang Kewang could not let his troops flow down the river. Otherwise, the officers and soldiers along the coast would learn about it and directly deduce that they wanted to capture Xiangyang. Their purpose would be exposed in advance, so they could only march north on foot.
Zhang Xianzhong estimated that even if the journey was bumpy over mountains and ridges, the army would reach the outskirts of Xiangyang in four days at the latest. At this time, Hong Chengchou was wandering around in the Wudang Mountains west of Gucheng...
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At nine o'clock the next day, the counter-rebellion army began to feast on the war food, and then broke out of camp and continued to march north, trying to reach their destination before the sun shone brightly, so as to save the soldiers from being exposed to the sun.
Hong Chengchou still couldn't guess what Zhang Xianzhong was thinking, and he couldn't accurately predict the rebels' next move. Before Tan Ma reported the latest news, the army could only fight steadily. At least doing so would help the invincible position.
Li Wanqing's headquarters, who was responsible for patrolling along the river, did not find any clues. There were also a large number of sentries patrolling along the river after dark. Thousands of torches almost illuminated the river with sparkling light, but no rebels came down the river in boats. signs.
This deepened Hong Chengchou's worries. What he feared most was not that the rebels would come and kill them, otherwise they would fall into a trap. But because of the current unpredictable situation, it was impossible to make a correct judgment, so we had to urge the army to enter Binggu City as soon as possible.
Liu Guoneng still sent his clan brother Liu Zian as the vanguard to inquire about the activities around Gucheng in order to be fully prepared. Liu Zian led a thousand horsemen to set off first and ran all the way. They appeared on the outskirts of Gucheng around Chen time.
Although the city gate was tightly closed, there seemed to be no movement inside the city. No clues could be seen from the outside, and there were no defenders at the top of the city. There were neither Ming flags nor rebel flags. Only a few crows landed not far away. The sound of "quacking" on the treetops.
Could it be a ploy to lead the army into a trap?
Liu Zian did not immediately ride forward, but looked at the position about a mile away for almost a quarter of an hour. In the end, he couldn't see any way, so he circled outside Gucheng City, but still didn't hear anything. Movement from the city.
Empty city strategy?
Liu Zian was also a rogue before, and had fought side by side with Zhang Xianzhong's troops. He knew the cunningness of these "friendly troops". He did not want to fall into the trap and be captured, which would be an unforgettable outcome for him, so he waited patiently for the infantry under his command. Come closer.
With three thousand infantry, he will no longer be afraid of the defenders in the city. He will first let five hundred elites attack from the city gate and test it out. If the rebels really intend to play tricks, they will wait for the arrival of the army of his clan brother Liu Guoneng. .
"Kill~!"
A Qian General led five hundred elite soldiers into the city. In order to embolden himself, the shouts of killing were deafening. Liu Zian couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, fearing that the infantry he sent would be surrounded and killed by the rebels ambushing in the city. .
"Report! Report to join the army. No traitors have been found in the city!"
The top of the city has been replaced with the flag of the Ming Dynasty, and there are soldiers guarding it. As long as they can capture the top of the city, the army can take back Gucheng in one fell swoop.
"……oh?"
Liu Zian was very surprised, so he entered the city with everyone under his command to see what happened. Why did Zhang Ni suddenly withdraw? It’s incredible!
After entering the city, Liu Zian discovered that there were no thieves or civilians in the city. This was not only an empty city, but also a dead city, with no living person left.
There are ruins everywhere that are smoking after the fire. There are still some open fires that have not been exhausted. There is not a single intact house in sight.
From time to time, you can see the corpses of ordinary people on street corners or in nooks and crannies, whether they are men or women, old or young. Naturally, their deaths are also extremely miserable. They were disembowelled and decapitated, which is no better than what they did when they were rogues. Where to go.
The sores of many corpses have turned dark red and black, with a layer of black flies falling on them. Some even have a lot of squirming maggots emerging. When you get closer, you can smell the stench.
Entering from the South City Gate and then coming out from the North City Gate, Liu Zian saw the same situation. Even the county government office was not much better. Zhang Xianzhong left nothing for him except a pile of dead bodies.
In the entire Gucheng city, except for things like flies and rats, all livestock, including livestock, were wiped out, and there was not even a living dog.
In the past, there was nothing unusual about Liu Zian. Murder, arson, and house robbery were all natural things for them. Massacres were commonplace, and grave digging was easy for them.
But things are different now. They have been recruited by the imperial court and become officers and soldiers. Their perspective on things is very different from before, and they can't help but start to hate and hate them.
Zhang Xianzhong and others kill corrupt officials, there is no problem, just kill them as you like. But to deal with these unarmed people, many of whom were old friends, women and children, this was a bit too much.
Afterwards, Hong Chengchou led his army to Gucheng, and personally led the generals into the city to inspect it carefully. Firstly, he wanted to write a report, and secondly, he also wanted to see if he could find any flaws in Zhang Ni.
However, the tragic scene in the city disgusted Hong Chengchou so much that he almost vomited his breakfast. Although he had fought with the bandits for many years, he had not seen such a situation for a long time, and he couldn't help but feel a little strange in his heart.
"Immediately order everyone entering the city to wear masks to avoid being infected by the disease, sprinkle more lime everywhere for disinfection, and then move all the corpses out of the city and bury them together to avoid causing a plague and infecting the entire army!"
Hong Chengchou had also seen the methods used by the prince in the capital, and was specifically warned about this by the prince before leaving, so he did not dare to neglect it at all.
Once the army is infected with the plague, not to mention continuing to suppress the bandits, even saving their lives will be a problem. There are tens of thousands of sick people, not only unable to fight, but also have to spend money to buy medicine to treat their illnesses.
We can't stay in Gucheng any longer. Although we have recovered it, it is still a worthless dead city. The people cannot be saved, and the rebels have not captured it. It can be said that they have gained nothing.
Zhang Ni disappeared again, and it was not easy to write the memorial that day. Therefore, Hong Chengchou was in a bad mood. His face was drawn and he looked extremely gloomy. Naturally, the generals hid far away for fear of being scolded, so they hurriedly disposed of the corpse. Things went down.
"Report~! Report to the commander, thirty miles west of the city, many stove pits have been discovered!"
"……oh???"
So the rebels went west?
Hong Chengchou had previously received a report that someone had seen the rebels split into two groups last night, one crossing the Han River to the north, and the other heading west into the Wudang Mountains.
Judging from this information, it is true, indicating that Zhang Ni is most likely going to the Xunyang area to join Luo Rucai and others.
Thinking of this, Hong Chengchou sent Yang Guozhu's troops to lead with him, while Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing were stationed in place.
"Commander Qi, there are more than 1,100 stove pits here!"
"Yeah~!"
The stove pits all over the place are quite scary. If ten people can use one stove, there must have been tens of thousands of people staying here to eat here last night. They must have been Zhang Ni's main force.
"Commander, there is still residual heat in this stove pit. According to this inference, Zhang Ni's bandits are only half a day away from our army. If they can catch up, they will still have time!"
After Yang Guozhu saw a few stove pits, he proposed to pursue him. Since Zhang Ni had not run far, he could pursue him closely. The commander before him also said that Zhang Ni must not be allowed to escape this time.
Hong Chengchou did not respond immediately, but looked around for himself. When he reached a stove pit, he squatted down. After observing carefully, he poked the soil around the stove pit with his horse whip.
"Hmph~! Sure enough... a little trick!"
Hong Chengchou looked at the endless Wudang Mountains to the west, and then sneered, making Yang Guozhu a little confused.
"Commander, should I pursue you or not?"
"Don't chase! Take your troops back!"
"ah???"
"Does Guozhu know the secret?"
"The general is stupid, I hope the commander will point it out, the general is all ears!"
"This stove pit is true. I have observed dozens of stoves, and they all show signs of use. They are indeed the work of thieves. However, the surrounding soil is not consistent. There are soft and hard. There are only two to four hard spots on each stove. There are footprints They are also sparse and uneven, indicating that there were only two to four people in each stove last night, and the rest of the area was not trampled. Based on this calculation, the bandits are no more than four thousand, and their purpose is to lure our army into the mountains to pursue them. We need to lure the tiger away from the mountain!"
Hong Chengchou thought the same as Yang Guozhu at first, but after careful observation, he saw the flaw. If the rebels were not going west, they must have gone north or south.
According to the report from Tanma, last night the bandits going west to the west met with the bandit soldiers going north to march forward. The group going west was a partial division. It is not known whether the same was true for the bandits going north.
Zhang Xianzhong is indeed very cunning. If the prince hadn't reminded him repeatedly, he would have fallen into the trap today. However, he still couldn't figure out Zhang Ni's plan and still had a headache.
