In Jiazhuang, after Lu Xiangsheng toasted to the officers above the commander-in-chief of each battalion, the generals dispersed one after another.
He asked Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei to take good care of the soldiers who were injured today, let the cavalry have a good rest, and also patrol the camp and make up for any gaps. There will be a fierce battle from tomorrow on, and there will be no room for any oversight in camp defense.
After everyone dispersed, Lu Xiangsheng left Zhang Cheng alone with him to inspect the various camp and defense matters in Jiazhuang. Zhang Cheng left Chen Zhong with him.
He ordered Chen Zheng and the other four to go back, take good care of the wounded soldiers, let the sergeants have a good rest, and prepare for a more intense battle tomorrow. At the same time, he made arrangements for the sergeants to wake up at night. Don't forget to feed the horses, and be sure to take good care of the horses in the camp.
Zhang Cheng stood by the bonfire, waiting for the governor Lu Xiangsheng, with mixed feelings in his heart.
It has been half a year since he came to this world. He had just become familiar with everything here when he was assigned to lead the army to defend the capital. After fighting all the way, he was promoted to a guerrilla general.
But this was only a wartime promotion, and he did not yet have his own team of generals and a solid foundation. It was all thanks to the care of his uncle Zhang Yan, who directly transferred the thousand cavalry headquarters he had been commanding to his command.
Even so, I still need to observe carefully and slowly cultivate them to truly focus on myself before I can rely on them. I wonder how many of these nearly a thousand people will become my core team in the future.
This time when he entered the defense, he fought hard all the way. Although he became famous and became known to both the enemy and ourselves, he was still the weakest first-class figure in the end. Now he is even more trapped in the giant deer.
Within a hundred miles, captives and cavalry were raging everywhere, and Gao Laoqian didn't know whether he would come to help this time. In Zhang Cheng's opinion, the hope was extremely slim.
"I can't die!"
Zhang Cheng said to himself in his heart.
"If nothing can be done, I can only break out and leave. I cannot be buried with anyone!"
Zhang Cheng stared at the bonfire in front of him and warned himself very firmly in his heart.
"I want to live!
Only by living can you have the opportunity to show your ambition!
Change this evil world, become the hope of all people, and rebuild the glory of the Han family! "
His heart became more determined, as if he saw the end of the bandits and Tartars in a blazing bonfire, as if he saw himself standing on a high hall, being respected and worshiped by thousands of people!
"Zhongchen, what are you thinking!"
Lu Xiangsheng didn't know when he came to Zhang Cheng and asked.
Zhang Cheng was startled when he heard the sound. He quickly calmed down and said, "Supervisor, Zhang Cheng is wondering whether the Gao Supervisor Army will come to help."
Lu Xiangsheng was also silent for a long time before he said: "Although Gao Jianjun and I have some bad blood, we are not ignorant people. This is a good opportunity to repel the slave thieves. If you have done a great job, you will come to my aid."
After a while, Lu Xiangsheng said again: "After returning to camp after winning today, I wrote another letter to tell the high-ranking supervisor the details of our army's strategy. With our army of anti-slave thieves advancing, I think he won't be so confused. , abandon such a great achievement and ignore it."
Zhang Cheng was silent, although in history Gao Qiqian did defend himself with troops, which led to Lu Xiangsheng fighting alone and dying on the battlefield. After Lu Xiangsheng's fall, he himself was defeated by the Qing army and only escaped with his own life, but he took all the blame. To Lu Xiangsheng.
But now the situation has changed. Lu Xiangsheng's army has doubled the number of troops than in history, and has won successive victories. This is because morale is boosted and the military morale is ready. Moreover, after Zhang Cheng's repeated operations, complete food shortage has not occurred.
Maybe, after holding on for a day or two, Gao Qiqian might see an opportunity and lead his troops to come and compete for credit.
However, in Zhang Cheng's heart, he really had no hope for Gao Qiqian.
…………
Zhang Cheng accompanied Lu Xiangsheng and inspected the camp and defense layout of Jiazhuang. The two of them inspected various places in the village, chatting while walking, with Chen An and Chen Zhong following far behind.
In addition to the sergeant camps, some earthen walls were also built in Jiazhuang to separate each camp. Only some necessary passages were left. This was to prevent the slave thieves from breaking through the wall and continuing to stand in the village in preparation for fighting. of.
Piles of bonfires were lit at each tent, and the sergeants were sorting armor and weapons near the tents. Lu Xiangsheng did not disturb them, and only walked around with Zhang Cheng.
They came to the camp of the wounded soldiers. Most of them were injured by arrows or when their horses were injured and fell. Most of them were not serious. They all said that they could rest for a night and they could still fight with the slaves tomorrow.
Lu Xiangsheng was greatly moved when he saw this situation. After some praise and encouragement, he and Zhang Cheng climbed onto the wall of the village.
They walked along the village wall and saw that there were ravines and earthen walls outside the wall. In some reserved passages, bonfires were lit to illuminate the surroundings.
At first glance, it looks chaotic, but in fact it is all planned. The earth walls and ravines are arranged in an orderly manner, and with the reserved passages, they are indeed vulnerable and attackable.
Standing on the turret in the southeast corner of the village wall, Lu Xiangsheng stared at the starry bonfire in the open space outside Jiazhuang and the vast moonlight in the sky.
Suddenly, I heard that bursts of screams came from all directions outside the village. Lu Xiangsheng said in a deep voice: "Before night, a military report came back that there were more than ten thousand slaves and thieves stationed at Hanjia Fort fifteen miles north of Julu. They should be slaves." Chief Dorgon's troops will arrive at Jiazhuang tomorrow."
Zhang Cheng looked into the darkness in the distance outside the village and continued: "According to sentry inspection, there are over ten thousand slaves and thieves gathered outside the village, most of them are from Pingxiang in the south, Renxian County in the west, and Nanhe in the west;
Although the Mongol Tatar Adai tribe and the slave chief Hauge's tribe have been repulsed by our army, they will still come to Jiazhuang to join Dorgon after they regroup;
A rough estimate shows that the number of slave thieves who will confront our army tomorrow should exceed 30,000. Although our army has built camps and defenses and can still hold on, we may not be able to repel the slave thieves with the strength of our army alone;
Moreover, the grains and grains stored, including the dead horses, can be eaten for at most three days. The soldiers are fighting on the battlefield. If they are not full, their strength will be insufficient, and they may not be able to wait for help.
Governor, you need to make some plans! "
Lu Xiangsheng looked at the vast sky and said in a very calm voice: "The only plan now is to fight with force. Our army has many guns and artillery, sufficient ammunition, strong camp defenses, and the slaves and thieves are fierce and cruel, so there is nothing to fear.
Moreover, the high-ranking supervisory army is close at hand. If reinforcements come, they will arrive in an instant. There are only tens of thousands of slaves and thieves, so why fear them! "
Zhang Cheng said with some worry: "Master Governor, Zhang Cheng has a saying, if something cannot be done, you should make a decision, lead the army to break out, and turn into the depths of Guang and Shun. It is not an option."
When Lu Xiangsheng heard this, his face tightened and he said loudly: "Zhongchen, we have been fighting bravely since we were in front of the battle. Don't let the slaves and thieves look down on us. How can we retreat in the face of the battle?"
If the army turns around and breaks up, what is the crime?
You are young and promising, so you must not have this thought in your mind and regret it for the rest of your life. "
Zhang Cheng and Nuonuo agreed.
Lu Xiangsheng stopped talking. He stared at the darkness outside Jiazhuang, with occasional sparks flashing in the distance, thinking it was the Qing army's camp.
He couldn't help but said with a little regret in his heart:
"The high-altitude Guan Ning cavalry is less than fifty miles away from here. It would be great if they could come here and give the slave thieves a pincer attack from both inside and outside!"
