The 800 sailors boarded the boat at night and quietly came to the opposite bank, where they had already explored the terrain and consulted the local old boatmen, who did not know that the officers and soldiers were going to open the Yellow River, so they did not hide it, and told them where the most important place was on the Yellow River embankment. [No pop-ups. 】 :efefd

These men kept it in mind, so they went all the way to the right place by boat, and instead of raising a fire, they dug in the dark. Although the Yellow River embankment is strong, it cannot withstand man-made destruction, and it will take 800 people less than one night to break the gap in the embankment. As soon as the opening is opened, the water of the Yellow River will immediately uproot the large battalion of the peasant army like the dumping of the heavenly river, and rush away without a trace.

In the past few days, Li Zicheng has also been extremely troubled, his men and horses are not as good as the officials and soldiers in Kaifeng City, people in the city, there are houses and tiles, there are sewers in the city, you can go to the water, his men and horses are all stationed in the wild deserted villages, living in tents, the rain is heavy, many tents are damaged by the rain, many soldiers have rotten sores and epidemics, and they have lost a lot of personnel.

The peasant army then recruited herbs and healers everywhere, and came to the army to treat the sick soldiers, and some generals were also sick.

If it rains like this for a few more days, the army will have to run out of cooking, not because there is no food, but there is no firewood and grass, so everyone can't be allowed to chew it raw.

When he was irritable, Song Xiance walked in with a very solemn expression. Li Zicheng saw it and knew that something bad had happened, so he asked, "Strategist, is there anything big?"

Song Xiance said: "Not yet, but I'm very worried." ”

Li Zicheng said: "What are you worried about" Song Xiance said: "Heavy rain for days is very abnormal, this Henan has only been dry for many years, and there is no such heavy rain." Li Zicheng said with a smile: "The rain is a little bigger, but we can stand it, it's a big deal to let the brothers eat raw rice." ”

Song Xiance shook his head: "I'm not worried about this, but about the Yellow River." ”

Li Zicheng was stunned when he heard this: "Yellow River"

Song Xiance nodded: "A few days ago, I sent someone to the river to take a look, because of the heavy rain for several days, the water level of the Yellow River rose sharply, and it was only one zhang high from the top of the embankment. If it doesn't go down like this, I'm worried that the Yellow River will flood heavily. ”

Li Zicheng frowned: "Is the military advisor too worried At this time, it is already September, although there is autumn rain, but if the Yellow River water is to overflow the embankment, it will need to rain for at least ten days in a row, I think this is impossible." ”

Song Xiance said: "What I'm afraid of is not natural disasters, but. ”

As soon as he said this, Li Zicheng stood up and shouted: "Yes, how did I forget about this matter, Sun Chuanting led his troops on the north bank of the Yellow River, if he sends someone to dig up the embankment of the Yellow River."

Speaking of this, Li Zicheng shook his head again and again: "No, no." If the officers and soldiers dare to dig up the embankment, not only will our righteous army be flooded, but also Kaifeng City. No matter how high and thick the city wall of Kaifeng is, it can't stop the boiling Yellow River, and once the Yellow River bursts, there will be a water town south of Kaifeng, and I don't know how many people will be buried in it. ”

Song Xiance said: "This is just our wishful thinking, if Chongzhen is really ruthless, in order to eliminate us, regardless of Kaifeng City and the people downstream, then what can we do when the time comes, people may not spend a single soldier, our losses will be great, according to me, once the Yellow River is opened, our men and horses in the north of the city are likely to be wiped out, and the flood will continue to flow south, and will come along the Kaifeng city wall, then our troops in the east and west of the city will also be flooded, and in the south of Kaifeng City is Luo Rucai, and his loss of men and horses should be much smaller." King Chuang, we can't help but guard against this hand. ”

Li Zicheng nodded again and again: "Yes, at the moment, we need to send people and horses to patrol along the river, so as not to give the officers and soldiers a chance to dig up the embankment." ”

Song Xiance said: "I have sent people, I asked the young general Li Laiheng to bring a thousand men and horses, walking along the river every day, always paying attention to the movements of Hebei." ”

Li Zicheng said: "One team is not enough, tell Zhang Nai, let him bring another 3,000 men, divide into three teams, patrol in sections, don't be careless." ”

So Zhang Nai and Li Laiheng took 4,000 men and horses, divided into four teams, and patrolled back and forth by the river every day, even at night.

In addition, Li Zicheng ordered to transfer back a large part of the troops in the north of the city, leaving only more than 20,000 people to camp there and wait for the rainy season to pass.

This is also the Heavenly Blessing Peasant Army, Song Xiance thought of this, so that Li Zicheng escaped a catastrophe.

Four days later, at night, Li Laiheng was walking along the embankment of the Yellow River with 1,000 men and horses, watching the surging river under his feet as he walked.

As he walked, suddenly a personal soldier pointed forward: "General, look, is there anyone there?"

Because they patrolled at night, afraid of being discovered by the enemy, they hid in advance, so they did not light torches, but just looked at the road by the light of the river, at this time Li Laiheng listened to the words of his own soldiers, stared into the distance and looked, sure enough, through the reflection of the river, he saw that there were many black shadows on the embankment in the distance, there were indeed people, I don't know what they were doing.

Li Laiheng pulled out his sword and ordered softly: "Get off the horse and go up to have a look." ”

A thousand or so men, armed with weapons in hand, dismounted and left, lest the sound of horses' hooves alarm them.

Li Laiheng walked dozens of feet away, and finally saw clearly, these were hundreds of people wearing ordinary people's clothes, but as soon as he looked at the body movements, he knew that there were martial arts in his body, and they were all strong and healthy, and his movements were very neat, obviously people who had been trained.

No need to ask, sure enough, it was the officers and soldiers who came to dig the embankment.

Li Laiheng shouted: "Where are the dog thieves, sure enough, my military division guessed it, the brothers gave it to me, and they were never allowed to dig the embankment." ”

The 1,000 peasant army behind them shouted and pounced, and these people also saw clearly that more than half of the embankment had been dug by them, and it would not take half an hour for the opening to be completely opened.

The 800 dueling army were also all fierce soldiers, and they were prepared when they came, so when they saw that the peasant army had been killed, a partial general led by them did not panic, and ordered the general manager around him: "You bring 500 people, block them for me, and no one is allowed to come, and the remaining 300 people, don't look up, continue to dig." ”

With five hundred officers and soldiers, Mr. Qian threw down his hoe, pulled out the big knife beside him, pounced, and blocked Li Laiheng head-on.

No matter how wide the embankment of the Yellow River can be, hundreds of people can't spread it at all, so it's just a row of dozens of people in front of them fighting, and the people behind can't come up, so there's no way to do it in a hurry. Li Laiheng shouted: "Give me a bypass, go around from under the embankment." ”

But at this time, the bottom of the embankment had been dug up, and the river was slowly flowing out, so it was muddy and inconvenient to walk, so the peasant army could not go around behind the officers and soldiers for a while.

Li Laiheng was so anxious that his eyes were red, and he kept scolding, urging his soldiers to desperately move forward to kill, but Sun Chuanting's 800 water army was not an idle person, since he received the military order to come to the water, he had to dig the embankment, otherwise he would die if he went back. Therefore, these people also tried their best to resist, as long as they still had a breath, they would not retreat, and they would not take a step back if they were injured in many places.

And the general continued to dig with 300 people, they had been digging for half the night, how could they fall short, so they lowered their heads one by one and slashed desperately.

The gap in the levee is gradually widening, and it seems that it is about to widen to the surface of the water, and as soon as the river leaks outward, it will immediately break open the embankment next to it, and it will no longer be able to control it.

Li Laiheng was shocked, at this time his men and horses were still blocked by the five hundred officers and soldiers, but they couldn't rush over, Li Laiheng knew that he couldn't hesitate anymore, he immediately sent his own soldiers, Pegasus and whip, and went to the camp to report the news.

If the Yellow River breach cannot be stopped, at least Li Zicheng must be notified first, so that he can be prepared and withdraw his men and horses away to avoid huge losses.

But his decision didn't make a difference.

After the people sent out left, it took less than a cup of tea to make a hole in the embankment of the Yellow River, which was not wide, only a few feet, but as soon as the river encountered a gap, it immediately poured out.

There was a sound of the sky and the earth cracking, the whole earth shook, and a section of the embankment immediately collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, the huge impact force expanded the gap of several feet wide to two zhang, and the hundreds of people who were fighting on the edge of the gap were swept down, and without even seeing a shadow, they disappeared into the water. Li Laiheng was pulled alive by several pro-soldiers, and finally pulled to the embankment behind him without falling into the water.

The boundless river rolled in, poured down from the breach, roared and roared, and poured down with the momentum of thunder. Everywhere they passed, big trees were uprooted, and the mud houses were swept away.

Of the 800 soldiers who came, more than 500 were swept away by the flood, and less than 300 remained, led by the general, boarded the boat and fled back to Hebei.

Li Laiheng's 1,000 people were also drowned, four or five hundred, and the rest were trapped on the embankment, watching the boundless water pour into Kaifeng City in the south.

Li Laiheng prayed to heaven that King Chuang had better receive his news and withdraw his men.

Tonight, Li Zicheng did not sleep, for a few days, although he sent patrolmen, but his heart is still not solid, because the rain is still falling every day, although it is not big, but it always does not stop, the weather is cloudy and rainy, and there is no dry firewood in the army, so he has to eat raw rice and noodles. This is not the most important thing, Li Zicheng has been worried about the Yellow River, this night, he was sitting in the tent, discussing with Song Xiance, to see if to send someone to garrison the embankment, if necessary, it can also be reinforced.

The two of them were discussing, and suddenly they heard a muffled sound in the distance, the earth was trembling slightly, Song Xiance's expression changed immediately, and Huo Di stood up: "King Chuang, it's not good, it sounds like the Yellow River breaks"

Li Zicheng's face also changed, and the two ran out of the tent and looked north.

...