Any hope of close combat was lost.
Only a small part of the new army crossed the river, and even then the most elite cavalry of the rebel army could not rush forward.
This fact is truly disappointing.
Seeing more and more new troops crossing the river, Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng were a little at a loss.
"How about we put on a show and fight him with real swords and guns?"
Li Zicheng had a new idea.
He planned to take advantage of the fact that only the infantry of the New Army crossed the river and the artillery was still on the other side of the river, to concentrate all the main forces and use the advantage of numbers to fight a decisive battle with the New Army.
"The Indestructible King of the Great Village"
Although the muskets of the new army are frightening, the rebels also have long-range weapons such as artillery, Franco machine guns, Hudun cannons, trebuchets, bows and arrows, so they may not be able to fight.
Gao Yingxiang hesitated again and again, and just when he was about to agree, the scouts rushed over.
"Reporting to King Chuang, Hejiadu has been captured and the eight kings have retreated."
Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng were shocked and looked toward the east.
However, I was too far away to see clearly. I only noticed that Zhang Xianzhong's flag seemed to be getting further and further away.
When the New Army fought against Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong also endured tremendous pressure.
Considering that Zhang Xianzhong's troops were weak, Gao Yingxiang asked him to defend Hejiadu, which had a town to rely on.
This is the most important ferry crossing on both sides of the Huaihe River, so the government established a tax card here. With the support of fortifications, it is easier to fight than in the wild.
But it is a pity that Hejiadu is just a small town, and the low and damaged city walls cannot stop the bombardment of the New Army artillery.
Seeing large areas of the city wall being blown down, and his soldiers dying in an endless stream, Zhang Xianzhong's soul was full of ghosts, and he no longer had the will to fight.
He did not notify Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng, but led his troops southward.
As soon as Hejiadu was lost, the speed of the new army crossing the river suddenly accelerated.
Not long after, the new army appeared to the east of the Northwest Rebel Army.
Everyone knows that if we delay any longer, we will definitely be surrounded by the new army on both sides, and the whole army may not be annihilated.
Gao Yingxiang broke his riding whip angrily and sighed dejectedly.
"The bastard has no plans! Send the order and the whole army retreats."
The Northwest Rebels no longer want to fight this battle.
In fact, the enemies they faced now were completely beyond their imagination.
The earth-shattering artillery and the rapid-fire muskets are simply not something that flesh and blood can withstand.
Following Gao Yingxiang's order, the northwest rebels retreated to the west as if they had been granted amnesty.
They retreated very simply, even Fengyang no longer defended.
Regarding the retreat of the Northwest Rebel Army, the New Army was not in a hurry to pursue it and still acted step by step.
In the evening, the entire fifth division crossed the river and occupied Fengyang according to the previous plan.
The 27th Brigade of the Sixth Division did not choose to cross the river, but went up the Feishui towards Mengcheng in the northwest.
Their final destination is Guoyang.
"Commander Huang, let's say goodbye. If the war is urgent, please provide support."
On the bank of the Huaihe River, Guo Wei and Huang Sanhu said goodbye.
The target of their fourth division is Luzhou Prefecture, so they need to cross the third army and attack quickly.
Guo Wei didn't know what the situation was like ahead. If he ran into trouble, he would definitely need support from the Third Army.
Huang Sanhu returned the gift.
"Don't worry, the 28th Brigade will move forward to the Shouzhou area, right behind you."
Guo Wei felt relieved after receiving this guarantee. After the fourth division had all crossed the river, they rushed straight to Luzhou Prefecture along the official road without stopping.
Guide Mansion.
Hong Chengchou finally arrived.
The governor of the five provinces was really frightened when he learned that the northwest rebels were heading towards Fengyang.
Of course he understood what it would mean if Fengyang was captured by the northwest rebels.
He didn't even have time to wait for his direct troops, so he rushed to Guide Mansion alone and dusty.
From here, follow the official road and pass through Bozhou, Woyang, and Mengcheng. It is the shortest way to Fengyang Mansion.
Moreover, Zuo Liangyu's troops live in Guide Mansion and have ready-made troops.
But when he arrived at Guide Mansion and saw the situation here, Hong Chengchou was so angry that he twisted his mouth.
"Zong Rong Zuo, you must not forget your responsibilities as a general of the imperial court. You must never act like a bandit."
Why is Hong Chengchou so angry?
Just because Zuo Liangyu brought great harm to the Guide Mansion, the misfortune was even worse than that of a place where rogues passed by.
In the original history, Zuo Liangyu fought endlessly in Henan, but never entered Guide Mansion.
Just because this is the hometown of his benefactor, Hou Xun.
Zuo Liangyu not only did not dare to launch troops to plunder, but also went to kowtow to Hou Zhipu alone to pay his respects.
But now that Hou Xun is under Zuo Mengeng, he has already turned against him. Zuo Liangyu no longer has any worries, and with the thought of revenge, the disaster is even worse.
Hong Chengchou saw it but could do nothing.
After all, Zuo Liangyu's troops are the only troops that can be mobilized.
If Zuo Liangyu is dealt with, he will become a polished commander. How can he regain Fengyang?
Zuo Liangyu kept his promise and felt relieved when he saw that Hong Chengchou did not dare to pursue the matter.
"Zong Rong Zuo, gather your troops quickly and follow me to Fengyang."
When Zuo Liangyu heard that he was going to Fengyang, he trembled on the spot.
"Lord Hexian, you can't go!"
Hong Chengchou was furious.
"What nonsense are you talking about? We are all in trouble, but you don't think about rescuing us. Do you have loyalty as a king and father in your heart? You must know that you cannot escape the death penalty."
Zuo Liangyu called Baotianqu.
"My lord Bing Xian, it's not that the general doesn't dare to go, it's that he can't get through."
Zuo Liangyu looked sad and pointed to the east and said: "That little beast has mobilized troops and horses and is in Yongcheng. If our army goes south, we will definitely run into it head-on."
Hong Chengchou paused for a moment before he figured out who Zuo Liangyu was talking about.
"Yongcheng is the land of Henan. Why did his troops from Shandong cross the border?"
Zuo Liangyu spread his hands.
"The general doesn't know the reason. That little beast is arrogant and has no credibility. He just wants to do something. Who can do anything to him?"
Hong Chengchou had a splitting headache and quickly sent people to investigate.
The intelligence sent back showed that what Zuo Liangyu said was true.
Today, Yongcheng has indeed been occupied by the Shandong New Army, with at least a thousand troops.
Zuo Liangyu's troops only numbered more than 2,000 people, so he had no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation.
However, this group of new troops was right in front, making it impossible for Hong Chengchou to go around and save Fengyang from the fire.
"Mr. Wu, please take action and negotiate with the Shandong soldiers and horses. No matter what, I hope they will make way."
We will definitely not be able to defeat him, so the only solution for now is negotiation.
Hong Chengchou sent his counselor Wu Xinyu as an envoy to Yongcheng.
"Now there are 200,000 to 300,000 rogue bandits in Fengyang and 2,000 troops in Hong Bingxian's district. What's the use? I, Shandong, know that the court is in trouble. Kang's benevolence and righteousness have already sent troops to help the court. Please go back and tell Hong Bingxian, Feng Yang Kefu is just around the corner."
Stationed in Yongcheng is the 78th Regiment of the Second Army.
The leader Liao Fengzhi received Wu Xinyu, but the situation conveyed made the other party feel like he was struck by lightning.
Wu Xinyu knows...
Things are getting serious!
