There is a way of blessing and unparalleled blessing, and disaster is not a single line.

Another piece of bad news that followed was that Wang Yilin led Chen Qianshan's division at Dagukou also encountered difficulties, and the Qing court repaired, rebuilt, and strengthened the forts on both sides of the strait within three months, and added many large-caliber coastal defense guns.

At the same time, the newly formed water division, which had begun to take shape, cooperated with the shore artillery to carry out a stubborn resistance to Wang Yilin's troops.

Wang Yilin's naval division shelled the opposite shore for several days, but the progress was very slow.

If you want to go straight to Tianjin Wei like Zhang Mingzhen, I don't know how long it will take.

Wang Yilin had no choice but to report to Wu Zheng and ask if he still needed to continue to attack.

Wu Zheng immediately ordered the withdrawal of the Chen Qian Landscape Division, first, the enemy was prepared, and a sneak attack was no longer possible, second, he did not want the naval division to suffer heavy casualties due to the strong attack, and third, since he decided to fight a frontal decisive battle, the naval division would concentrate in the Yangtze River and the estuary area, which would be more conducive to ensuring the supply of ordnance, materials, and soldiers on the south bank.

But Wu Zheng couldn't figure out three things.

First, how could Dolgon accurately determine that he would start a war because of the shelling of the military workshop? I couldn't even understand why I had a hot head at the time...... Could it be that Dorgon knew himself better than he did?

Second, the Qing army has 80,000 troops in Yangzhou, Huai'an, and Xuzhou, and the 20,000 troops in the direction of Yancheng, where does the 20,000 army come from, and who is the main general, it will not fall from the sky, right?

Third, how did Dolgon accurately determine that the Northern Expeditionary Army would attack Huai'an and Yancheng, and deploy heavy troops in the two places in advance? Obviously, there are by no means only less than 20,000 people in the original Huai'an and Dahe in Huai'an.

If these three questions are not answered, it is like a sword hanging over his head, which makes Wu Zheng shudder.

can no longer be so passively defeated, Wu Zheng immediately ordered, Taizhou Wei retreated twenty miles to set up defenses.

Linglu's domain department is in the direction of Yancheng, and at all costs, find a breakthrough.

The First Army of the Northern Expedition was ordered to transfer a battalion, carrying sixty-four sixteen-pounder guns, to land in Taixing by water, and then go north for reinforcements.

At the same time, he ordered Zhang Ming to Zhenshui Division, transport Chen Sheng's 5,000 Jinhuawei in Jingjiang as a reserve, land at Yizhen, attack Liuhe in the west, and point the sword at Chuzhou.

The intention of this move is to turn passivity into initiative, first disrupt the enemy's cooperation and deployment, since Huai'an in front of him is an iron plate, then change the direction. This is Wu Zheng's first reserve team used to resolve the battlefield passivity.

Wu Zheng didn't know if Ma Shiying could resist the objections of the court after Ma Shiying sent a letter to Zhu Yujiao, and quickly sent a large army to cross the river to attack Chuzhou, Wu Zheng couldn't wait, the more this war dragged on, the more unfavorable it was to himself, because his financial resources were far less solid than the Qing court.

In fact, Wu Zheng was wrong, the longer this war drags on, the better!

Because only by dragging out the war will the Qing court's forces be even more stretched, and only then will it be able to gain greater strategic space for the southwest, which in turn will feed back to the south of the Yangtze River.

At this time, Wu Zheng obviously didn't realize this, because in his heart, he still had an obvious sense of precaution against the southwest and southeast directions.

……。

Inside the city of Huai'an.

Great River Guard Barracks.

It's completely different from fighting on the city walls.

There was a kind of dead air in the camp, and the only expression on almost everyone's face was Mu Ran.

This is a kind of indifference to the future, and life and death, honor and disgrace are no longer in mind.

All with his breath still in his breath, he was ordered to fight.

Zu Dabi, who patrolled the camp with the guards, couldn't help but sigh slightly, the food in the city began to be in short supply.

Don't the damned meat eaters in the court understand that if Huai'an is lost, the imperial court will not only lose its tax revenue, but even Xuzhou will directly face the troops of the Northern Expeditionary Army? At that time, the south bank of the Yellow River will be eroded, and I am afraid that I will be powerless to reorganize.

Such an unimpeded canal and waterway were besieged for more than 20 days, and only 20 boatloads of grain were transported.

This is feeding rabbits and cats, Huai'an City has millions of soldiers and civilians, twenty boats of grain is called a drop in the bucket, if it weren't for the regent foresight, so that he hoarded a large amount of food in the city, the siege of more than 20 days, I am afraid that people would have starved to death.

But there is a way to sit and eat the mountain empty, 100,000 stone grain sounds huge, but if you really want to distribute it to a million people, then each person is only 20 catties, and the siege of the city is more than 20 days, how can you eat enough?

Zu Dabi had stopped putting grain to the people in the city ten days ago to ensure the daily needs of the soldiers of Huai'an and Dahe, but in this way, how could the hearts of the people in the city not fluctuate.

People are hungry and anxious, they can do anything, burn, kill, rob, plunder, and even dare to attack the granaries of the barracks.

As a result, no less than 1,000 people were suppressed.

Zu Dabi can't bear it in his heart, but if he doesn't take charge of the army, how can there be immortals in war?

Rather than burning the jade after the city is broken, it is better to abandon the people to ensure the defense of the city.

Looking at the demented eyes of the soldiers in the battalion, Zu Dabi was desolate for a while, maybe this should be his end...... Retribution!

Zu Dabi stomped his feet, no longer had the intention of patrolling the camp, and turned back to the Chinese military tent.

……。

As soon as Zu Dabi walked on his front foot, these glazed soldiers made a move.

They gathered in the direction of the fire.

At the fire, several veterans, who were nearly forty years old, were baking the soles of their shoes.

This year is early spring, and there is plenty of rain in the south of the Yangtze River.

After seven days of drizzle, the whole person was about to grow mold.

"Boss Zhao, tell me quickly, does King Wu really have the ability to scatter beans into soldiers and win thousands of miles away?"

A white-faced and short-bearded veteran, who was nearly forty years old, patted the soles of his shoes in his hands, and said angrily: "Guawaer, if King Wu really has such skills, what else is he doing outside the city...... The Northern Expeditionary Army had already invaded the city. ”

The soldier who was reprimanded was immediately deflated, sighed softly, and said: "There is no hope for this day, today I will take half a catty of rice, and I will take it back and cook a pot of porridge for my family...... Six people, this porridge can show the shadow of people, and when the time comes, I am afraid that if the Northern Expeditionary Army does not break the city, we will starve to death. ”

A soldier on the side scolded impatiently: "Who made you too good at giving birth, you can still give birth to two in one breath, otherwise you can save some ...... Look at me, one person feeds the whole family and does not go hungry....... ”

The one named Boss Zhao glared at the soldier, "Your family is so poor that you don't even have a bed quilt, which girl can look at you...... In Huai'an City, which of our brothers is not dragging their families...... You're knocking over a boatload of people with one shot, don't you want to be beaten? ”

The soldier was scolded by this, and said with a sneer: "Boss Zhao, I'm not so panicked in my heart that I'm looking for this kid to make fun...... Don't you take it to heart, won't you? ”

In fact, Boss Zhao's words are right, today's Huai'an and Dahe Erwei have almost completely inherited the Ming Dynasty's guards.

The people are still the same people, but the officials have changed one stubble after another, the iron-beaten battalions, the flowing officials, and the soldiers' lives are getting more and more unbearable.