"Commander Father, what will happen to our army tomorrow?"
After executing Tang Tong's officers and soldiers on the spot, Zhang Wenxiu no longer had any worries, and Zhang Wenxiu began to think about his next plan. 6 eight 6 eight 6 read 6 books,.□.≠o
"I just interrogated those generals and generals, and they all said that there are Yang Yufan and Mou Wenshou in the southwest, and Jiang Mingwu's troops in the southeast. Therefore, although our army has won many battles, we must not take it lightly. The combat effectiveness of the officers and soldiers is low. They can also continue to harass our army and delay our army's march. The nights are long and there are many dreams, so we must be on guard. If you are so happy about your success and wait for death, when the Hong bandits lead the army to approach, it will be difficult to escape. Send the commander-in-chief's order, and the army will immediately march towards Xiangyang. , you can rest only after sunset! My son Wenxiu's troops are quite tired after the charge, so they can just follow the team. This time, my son Qineng will lead 3,000 soldiers to act as the vanguard, and Wang Shangli and Wang Dingguo will each lead 2,000 soldiers to cover the two wings. , if you encounter Jiang Mingwu's troops, charge forward and use detours on both sides, you must use all your strength to defeat them!"
Zhang Xianzhong was not dazzled by the victory, but was very calm, because at the moment he only managed to annihilate Tang Tong's troops, but there were still three groups of officers and soldiers around the rebel army waiting for an opportunity.
Hong Chengchou, who is in the north, must have led his army to Gucheng at this time. He might join up with the four generals coming from Henan. The total would be eight generals, with a strength of no less than 70,000 or 80,000, but it would be difficult to deal with them. .
The fighting raged for half an hour in the mountains. The noise was quite loud and could be carried dozens of miles away. After the officers and soldiers heard the news, they would definitely report it to Hong Chengchou. By then, the rebels would be in a situation where they were surrounded in the front and pursued in the back.
Zhang Xianzhong's tactics are to fight when he can, run away if he can't, and then attack again in another place. Now that Tang Tong was successfully ambushed in the ravine, he had to move immediately to avoid being targeted by Hong Chengchou.
The rebels had a small number of troops and could not match the main force of the official army, which was several times their own. Their only advantage was their mobility and flexibility. They could quickly move away after a sneak attack, making it difficult for the Hong thieves to figure out where they were.
After the Hong thief received the report, he would send a group of troops into the mountains to search. The army might not move lightly until the location of the rebels could be determined. Taking advantage of this precious time, Zhang Xianzhong planned to march overnight, hoping to arrive in two days and one night. Under Xiangyang City.
"My father is a wise commander! If I see Jiang Mingwu, I will fight fiercely to capture and kill him. If no one stops me, I will go straight to Xiangyang for my father's commander!"
It was finally time for Zhang Qineng to perform. In the previous series, the eldest brother and the second brother led the team to implicate the Hong thief alone. The third brother defeated Tang Tong again, and it was his turn to take action.
Now, with the courage of the rebel army to win a great victory, it is no problem to deal with the three thousand troops led by a mere Jiang Mingwu. It is the time for him to make a contribution and present a great gift to his father.
"Okay! My son is so filial, which is a great comfort to my father. If I can conquer Xiangyang City, my father will definitely reward my son generously!"
Xiangyang is a good place. King Xiang's family has been operating there for more than two hundred years and must have accumulated countless treasures. The former Jinyi guards came and took King Xiang away. I don't know how much is left.
However, since Hong Chengchou was stationed in this city, he must have hoarded a large amount of money and food, which was perfect for expanding his troops. Zhang Xianzhong had already coveted Xiangyang.
Chen Hongfan fled without a fight, and Tang Tong blocked the car with his arms. I wonder if Yang Shien of Xiangyang City would be so frightened when he saw the rebels surrounding the city that he would open the city and beg for surrender. That would be great.
Even if he is stubborn, there is no need to worry about his troops. In order to encircle and suppress him this time, Hong Chengchou will definitely mobilize all his troops, leaving Yang Shien with not many men.
As long as the rebels fought quickly, cut off the city's connection with the Hong bandits' headquarters, and then captured Xiangyang within three days, it would be too late for Hong Chengchou to know the whereabouts of the rebels.
After formulating the next plan, Zhang Xianzhong led more than 20,000 rebels to march eastward in Jingshan Mountain, walking for almost fifteen miles before stopping to rest.
There was no sign of Jiang Mingwu's troops on the way, so he felt relieved. After placing sentries on the surrounding mountain tops, he set up camp with confidence and continued on his way in the morning. "Eight"Eight"Read "Book,.2■⊥
Originally, Zhang Xianzhong wanted his soldiers to march at night and rest during the day, so as to avoid exhausting their physical strength. However, after entering the mountains and escaping from the pressing pressure of Hong Chengchou's army, they encountered Tang Tong's men and had to fight.
The arrangement of adjusting work and rest will be postponed, but no matter how we arrange it, we must arrive at Xiangyang Waitei within two days. The sooner the better, the faster the better.
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"Have the thieves already discovered the traces of our army?"
After realizing that he had too few troops to rush to the rescue of Tang Tong's defeated generals, Jiang Mingwu decided to move his troops back. However, he soon learned that the rebel army was advancing towards his position, and he couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
"Brother Jiang, don't worry. If the bandit army is not advancing quickly, it means that its target is not us."
Tang Tong didn't think Zhang Gouzi could catch them in the mountains. When faced with life and death, the officers and soldiers usually ran faster than the thieves, and the thieves couldn't even touch them.
"Then... why is this?"
After hearing his colleague's explanation, Jiang Mingwu, who was puzzled, looked at the map and drew eastward from the direction of Zhang Ni's attack with his finger. There was only one very conspicuous target around him, and that was Xiangyang City. He immediately gasped. A breath of air conditioning.
"Attack Xiangyang?"
Tang Tong was so shocked that he blurted out, but there seemed to be no more reasonable explanation. Unless Zhang Gouzhi was really targeting them, he would not go east at all. Going south or west were both good choices.
"If you and I are right, Zhang Ni is very likely to attack like this!"
After Tang Tong's defeat, Jiang Mingwu did not receive the signal from Yang Yufan and Mou Wenshou, so he could only take care of himself at the moment, either retreating to Nanzhang or rushing to Xiangyang before Zhang Ni.
No matter how weak the 3,000 men and horses under his command are, they are more than enough to defend the city. Together with the defenders in the city, it is possible to resist Zhang Ni's 20,000 to 30,000 troops from attacking the city, and delay the attack until Hong Shaobao sends his troops back to defend.
"That dog thief really attacked Xiangyang like this. We have to set off overnight. It's embarrassing to say that my commander-in-chief's seal and letter are no longer here..."
Tang Tong was embarrassed to say that he had lost such an important item because he ran too fast, but that was what he actually meant.
"...It's going to be a starry night!"
Jiang Mingwu was stunned and speechless for a moment. After thinking for a while, he decided that the consequences of this were unpredictable. If something happened, Xiangyang would be in danger.
It would be better if Tang Tong left the seal of the chief military officer in an unknown ravine and was picked up by bandits and used. With Zhang Ni's cunning level, he would definitely use the seal to attack Xiangyang.
It would have been best if he didn't know about it, but now that he knows it, he can't escape his involvement. Xiangyang fell because of this, and the court held him responsible. Tang Tong was the culprit, and he was not much better.
It was unwise to criticize Tang Tong at the moment and would create estrangement. Jiang Mingwu did not comment too much on this matter. The top priority was to make a quick decision.
But that's good, at least you don't have to worry about being surrounded by Zhang Ni's bandit army. Jiang Mingwu immediately ordered the entire army to break camp and rush to Xiangyang first. He told his soldiers that Zhang Ni's army was attacking, so as to save them from complaining.
We were all unsure of how to deal with Zhang Ni alone, so it was better to run through the night. We said we were not afraid of it, but it was a lie, but our hearts were pounding. Now we had no sleep at all, and we couldn't care less about our tiredness. After all, we still had our lives. important!
Jiang Mingwu suddenly discovered that his troops were marching very fast, and the efficiency of marching at night was more than double that of the day. From now on, it would be better to march at night and rest during the day...
Fifty miles away, most of it is still a mountainous road. As a result, a group of people in a hurry arrived outside Xiangyang City before the scorching sun set in the sky. The defenders at the top of the city did not know what was going on and went into a state of alert to take precautions.
"What does Xie Rong think?"
Wang Chengzeng, the prefect of Xiangyang, and Wang Ruinan, the military envoy of Xiangyang, compared the seal and confirmed that it was not fake. Some people have also seen Jiang Mingwu and Tang Tong knocking on the door not far outside the city, so they can roughly confirm that the person is genuine and the seal is also genuine.
As for whether to let the men and horses lying on the ground breathing heavily enter the city, they also wanted to seek the opinion of the guard Yang Shien. After all, he was a military commander and was ordered by Hong Shaobao to be fully responsible for the defense of Xiangyang.
There is a lot of silver and grain in the city, which is the vital point of supplying the army, so there must be no room for loss. Otherwise, if the thieves capture it, you will be guilty of a serious crime. If the court investigates, you will have to show off.
"First, please invite the two generals and their entourage into the city. The limit is one hundred! We will understand the inside story first and then make a decision. What do you two think?"
The flags, armor, and ordnance were all of the style issued by the imperial court. Yang Shien could not see any flaws in the appearance of this group of people. He had never seen the thieves who came to attack the city lying sprawled outside the city. .
"This is very appropriate!"
Wang Chengzeng, the prefect of Xiangyang, felt that this arrangement was more secure. After obtaining the consent of the military commander Wang Ruinan, he allowed a small group of people from outside to enter the city.
"Why did you two commanders come to Xiangyang?"
Wang Cheng was very curious about the two generals in front of him. Logically speaking, Hong Shaobao arranged for them to send troops to Gucheng from Nanzhang. The two of them should be at Gucheng at this time, not here.
"It's a long story. Can the prefect give me some food?"
After running all night and not eating a grain of rice, Tang Tong was starving. Fortunately, the officers and soldiers finally arrived in Xiangyang before Zhang Gouzi.
Wang Cheng once saw Jiang Mingwu and Tang Tong in such a miserable state, and refused to refuse, so he sent people to prepare. Then he listened to Tang Tong's eloquent talk, and everyone was frightened and shuddered.
If the two men in front of them had not traveled all night to remind them, Xiangyang and Fancheng on the other side of the Han River were not fully prepared, and there was no chance of winning against Zhang Ni's army.
"Hurry across the river and inform the county magistrate Li Dajue and the deputy military envoy Zhang Kejian that they must guard and defend to the death so that the rebels dare not attack the city at will! By the way, quickly send your cavalry north to Gucheng and report this news to Hong Shaobao of the Ming Dynasty!"
As long as the cities on both sides of the Han River are ready, Wang Chengzeng is confident that he can withstand the siege of Zhang Ni's army, at least until Hong Shaobao comes to help.
There were originally more than 2,000 defenders in Xiangyang, and Hong Shaobao left another 5,000 when he left. Wang Cheng once transferred two thousand of them to Fancheng. Now there are more than 5,000 defenders in Xiangyang and no less than 3,000 in Fancheng.
If Jiang Mingwu's troops were allowed to enter the city, Xiangyang would have nearly 9,000 defenders. It would not be too difficult to occupy the city and fight Zhang Ni's 20,000 troops. As long as the ships along the river were managed, the thieves could not easily gain access.
Even if Fancheng on the other side fell, Zhang Ni would not be able to quickly capture Xiangyang. If the city was not lost until Hong Shaobao's army came back for reinforcements, Zhang Ni would be extremely powerful if he wanted to attack the city again.
Before sunset that day, more than a thousand horsemen came from the west, with a huge flag with the Chinese character "Tang" printed on it, and they galloped to the bottom of Xiangyang City before stopping.
"Brothers in the city, please don't misunderstand me. We are subordinates of Tang Tong and Tang Zongrong. We were defeated by the bandits the day before yesterday, so we came here. This is a seal. Please verify it. I will rest outside the city. But, thank you for bothering me, brothers!"
The person who came spoke very politely and took out the seal. The generals of the garrison at the top of the city did not dare to slack off and hurriedly showed it to Wang Chengzeng, Wang Ruinan and Yang Shien for inspection.
"Verified! You can enter the city! Don't let your horse cause trouble!"
"That's great~! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Seeing that everything was going well, these more than a thousand soldiers rode into Xiangyang City in an orderly manner. For them, as long as they could enter the city, it was half the battle. By midnight, they could cooperate inside and outside to seize Xiangyang City in one fell swoop.
This was also a helpless situation. There were moats on the west, south and east sides of Xiangyang City, with an average width of more than a hundred steps, and the Han River was in the north of the city.
Moreover, the city wall is three feet high, and the Han River is dozens of steps away. Heavy fire cannons can be used to block the river. Therefore, without internal support, it is extremely difficult to conquer Xiangyang from the outside.
To the south of Xiangyang is Yanggu Mountain, to the southwest is Wanshan, to the south of Yanggu Mountain is Xian Mountain, and on the other side of Xian Mountain is Lumen Mountain. This kind of terrain, surrounded by water on three sides and backed by mountains on one side, is very easy to defend and is very difficult for the attacker. It's like a nightmare.
Because of this, the Song army was able to resist the Yuan army's heavy attack. The last defender, Lu Wenhuan, held on for six years. He surrendered in order to avoid being massacred by the Yuan army. As the saying goes - Xiangyang is forged with iron!
Wang Shangli, who led the team, walked at the front. After entering the city, he saw the defenders on both sides looking at him and felt a little uncomfortable. However, it was understandable to pretend to be a defeated general.
The city is heavily guarded, and with the natural moat as a support, a strong attack on the city will indeed result in heavy casualties. The commander's estimate was indeed correct, but in a few hours, Xiangyang City will change hands.
"Please come and tell your name, General, so I can report it to the Ming Governor!"
When he arrived at an inspection checkpoint, Wang Shangli was blocked by the captain in front of him. There were defenders around him, so he couldn't get angry. Considering what happened at midnight, he could only cooperate.
"This brother, I'm the guerrilla Wu Dali, you're ready to work!"
Since your identity has not been revealed, you have to keep pretending. No matter how humiliated you are during the day, you can get it back a hundred times at night.
"Wu Dali! Do you recognize your Grandpa Tang???"
After the captain left for a while, Tang Tong stood on the roof of a three-story restaurant and shouted loudly.
He still had some hope when he heard that someone came to knock on the city with his own seal.
But after meeting the real person, he found that he didn't recognize anyone, and he had no impression of the person wearing the general's armor.
After looking through his team, he didn't recognize anyone, which meant that this group of people were pretending to be his subordinates, and were clearly sent by Zhang Gouzhi.
"..."
Since King Shangli did not participate in the previous battle, he naturally had not seen Tang Tong. Even if he had seen him, it would be over if the other party recognized him. Unexpectedly, Tang Tong was faster than his own troops.
etc!
What if this person is not Tang Tong...
They were sent by the defenders to test themselves!
correct!
I am determined not to agree hastily!
"You have committed many evil deeds and will be captured before you even get off your horse. How long will it take to wait???"
Tang Tong laughed loudly. This number of people was not large, but it could save some face.
When Yang Shien gave the order, the surrounding defenders swarmed forward before the rebels could make any move.
When he heard that Tang Tong was ambushed by Zhang Ni in the ravine and suffered heavy losses from the Yizi Long Snake Formation, Yang Shien planned to use the same method to fight back.
After entering the city, Wang Shangli's cavalry was not only unable to run rampant, but also had to walk along the street in an orderly manner, and the formation they walked was also a long snake formation.
This gave the defenders a huge opportunity. Everyone had not received rewards for their meritorious service in a few days. If these thieves came to our door stupidly, they would all have to accept it. 11... Friends who read books, you can search for "Blue Chinese Network" and you will find this site as soon as possible.
