The deer is lost, and the world chases it.

Wu Ruyi had thought before that the people who might become Li Zicheng's opponents for hegemony in Mingding were none other than Zhang Xianzhong, Ma Shouying, Luo Rucai, etc. However, when these people came to the curtain one after another, and then Niu Jinxing reminded him, he found that the figure standing behind these people should really be valued.

"These people...... It seems that all ...... They all died in the hands of Zhao Dangshi. Wu Ruyi muttered abruptly, and a chill swept through his body, "In order to clear the obstacles, Zhao Dangshi can really be said to be a god blocking and killing gods, and a Buddha blocking and killing Buddha." ”

Song Xiance said: "Why is this not the case with our army? Fu Zonglong, Wang Qiaonian, Ding Qirui, Sun Chuanting, Zuo Liangyu...... The only way to go with the blade is to see blood seal the throat. ”

Li Zicheng got up suddenly, put his hands behind him, looked at the sky outside the hall and said: "The rivers and mountains are picturesque, but this painting is paved with blood and sweat." Without me, Li Zicheng, there would be no him Zhao Dangshi today; Without him Zhao Dangshi, there is still no me today. Our army and Zhao Ying seem to be diametrically opposed, but in fact, they complement each other and share weal and woe for a long time. ”

Wu Ruyi was puzzled and said: "Zhao Dangshi has the ambition of the king, why not just rebel like His Majesty and conspire for a great cause?" ”

Li Zicheng smiled faintly and said: "Because he knows that the righteous army in the world is the only one." If you openly resist the Ming Court, you will definitely not be able to compete with me, so you will be able to walk on thin ice and take another path, which is the so-called promoting strengths and avoiding weaknesses. At this point, his face was slightly gloomy, "This is where Zhao Dangshi is smart." In terms of qualifications, strength, and reputation, he was far inferior to me at first, but if he judged the situation, turned passivity into initiative, and controlled the situation, there were few people in the world who could match him, otherwise how could he Zhao Ying advance by leaps and bounds, and even keep pace with me? ”

Wu Ruyi said unhappily: "Zhao Dangshi wants to be the emperor, so in the end, it is inevitable to have a duel with my Dashun." ”

Tian Jianxiu said: "Of course, the emperor's business lies in Kuang Fuyu and unifying the four seas. If it is only a corner of peace, even if it is named an emperor, after all, it is just a monkey and a crown, and it is not a real material. He added, "Let your old Wu be the emperor, and you will never just want to be a soil emperor who occupies one or two provinces." ”

Wu Ruyi blushed and said, "Where I want to be an emperor, you will squeeze people." ”

Everyone laughed for a while, and Li Zicheng said: "Zhao Dangshi knows in his heart that it is not yet the time to turn his face with our army, and in turn, we must not be carried away by a few victories." ”

Wu Ruyi said: "I understand some of Your Majesty's meaning, but there are still some things I don't understand. At this time, he retracted his body and saluted Li Zicheng respectfully, "I want to ask Your Majesty for advice, if you don't fight Zhao Dangshi at this time, when will you beat Zhao Dangshi again?" ”

Li Zicheng looked at his deliberate crepe appearance, and couldn't help but smile: "Old Wu, you don't have to be like this, I am an old brother, and you have saved my life, just talk casually." ”

Wu Ruyi then said: "Okay, you should tell me, when can it be considered a good time to fight Zhao Dangshi?" ”

Li Zicheng waved his finger and said, "Let me ask you first, if you talk about the enemy of our army, who can be the enemy today?" ”

Wu Ruyi said without thinking: "The Ming court will not die, and our army will not be safe, this is one of them." Since Zhao Dangshi has the heart of being a self-righteous king, then he is the second. ”

Li Zicheng responded: "This is true, Ming Court and Zhao Ying are the two great rivals of our army. Lao Wu, if you are asked to command the army, how should you act. Will you fight Ming Court first, or Zhao Ying first, or will you start fighting at the same time? ”

Wu Ruyi's head shook like a rattle and said: "Although our army is at the top of its rope, the Ming court is in the north, the Zhao camp is in the south, and the sky is south and the earth is north. The best strategy is to concentrate on one side and fight steadily......" Kan Kan said this, his eyes flashed with an epiphany in his mind, and he sighed, "I understand what Your Majesty meant. ”

"Although the Ming Court has lost in a row, the hundred-legged insect is dead but not stiff, and it is still tricky to spare him a breath or two and make a comeback. Needless to say, Zhao Ying has been a strong soldier for many years, and his soldiers are strong and strong. With the strength of our army, to deal with these two, there is no doubt that we can only clean them up one by one. Li Zicheng said, "Old Wu, do you think that Ming Ting and Zhao Ying, who should our army attack first?" ”

Wu Ruyi thought for a moment and replied, "It's still the Ming Court." At the beginning of the uprising of our army, it was under the banner of opposing the Ming Dynasty and destroying the aspirations of the people. Now His Majesty has ascended to the pole and called the emperor, there are no two monarchs in the country, there are no two respects in the family, only the Ming Court is ended, and Chongzhen Xiaoer is pulled down from the dragon chair, His Majesty can be regarded as truly powerful and shocking, in order to gain the support of the people of the world. Although Zhao Dangshi has a ghost in his heart, he is still nominally a soldier of the Ming Court, and it is far less cost-effective to beat him than to fight the Ming Court. ”

Niu Jinxing also said: "That's right, Chongzhen reigns for a day, and our army is difficult to determine the world for a day." The Ming army from all walks of life respects Beijing like an ant, and it is endless, and the killing is inexhaustible, and the removal is inexhaustible. If you want to cut off its roots, you must go straight to Huanglong, destroy Mingzuo, and abolish Chongzhen, so that you can do it once and for all. ”

Tian Jianxiu said: "After capturing Beijing City, the Ming Dynasty will run out of energy, and the people of the world will see clearly who is the true dragon emperor." ”

Song Xiance shook the whisk in his hand and said: "The Ming court lost its division and lost its ground, and its courage is gone, our army should march forward bravely and not give it a space to maneuver." The armaments of Shanxi and Gyeonggi have been in disuse for many years, and our army is advancing in a big way, and it will not be a problem to reach the city of Beijing. If you miss the opportunity and fall into a tug-of-war with the Ming court in the north, and Zhao Dangshi in the south, you will be attacked on both fronts, and you will be asked for hardship. ”

Niu Jinxing nodded and said: "A month ago, our army attacked Shanxi and tried it, although it won a complete victory, but it also touched the shocking chord of the Ming army in Shanxi. Shanxi Governor Cai Maode, Inspector Wang Zongyou and others sent Xiong Tong, deputy general of the standard battalion, and Hao Hao, the commander of Hedong Bingbei. Waiting for the troops to prevent the river in various places, it is not yet fully in place, and if it drags on, it may not be so easy to enter Shanxi again. ”

Li Zicheng had a resolute face, and made a summary: "In terms of righteousness and situation, our army should first attack the Ming Court in the north." If we insist on fighting to the death with Zhao Ying for the sake of partial gains and losses, not only will our army have no advantage, but we will even face the dilemma of being flanked by enemies on both sides. Because of the small loss, the legacy is endless. ”

When Wu Ruyi heard this, he pondered for a while, but he was still worried: "The truth is this, but will Zhao Dangshi sit back and watch our army's Northern Expedition and do nothing?" No matter how he says, he is also the admiral of the Ming court. ”

Li Zicheng nodded solemnly, turned around and sat back on the chair in two steps, and said, "To find out Zhao Dangshi's thoughts, you can glimpse the doorway from two places. Then he said, "First, as we said earlier, Zhao Dangshi definitely has a heart of disobedience. Second, the Ming court has lost power to such an extent, and Zhao Dangshi is still reluctant to take off his official robe to show his original form, which shows that he still has considerations. What he is considering, I can't guess out of thin air, but combined with the first point, it can be inferred that maybe he is waiting for our army to attack the city of Beijing and destroy the Ming court for him. ”

Wu Ruyi frowned and said, "Zhao Dangshi wants to borrow a knife to kill people. ”

Li Zicheng said: "With his human nature, it is very possible. But what is certain is that as long as Chongzhen is still around, he will not openly rebel. ”

"If you want to be a bitch, you have to set up a torii, and you are so thick-skinned." Wu Ruyi sneered, "If he really plays this wishful thinking, then our army goes north, and there is really no need to worry that he will suddenly attack." ”

Li Zicheng slanted his lips and smiled: "If you want to do great things, either the armor is thick enough, or the skin is thick enough." Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai and others, which is not capricious and cheeky at first glance. Life is in the world, thin-skinned, and it is difficult to move an inch. ”

Wu Ruyi pouted and said, "I only need thick armor and cheeks, as long as Your Majesty's is thick enough." ”

Song Xiance joked: "Your Majesty's skin is as thick as iron, so you can sit on the dragon chair." Chongzhen's child is thin-skinned, and the dragon chair can sit unsteadily. ”

Li Zicheng laughed for a while, and said, "That's good!" Lao Wu, you are thin-skinned, and when you meet Zhao Ying's shameless people, you don't care about 3721 and rush up and beat you first, you are not dumb and suffer and can't say it. ”

Wu Ruyi was stunned for a moment, and said: "It's true, marching and fighting turns out to be more than thick armor to take advantage." It seems that I didn't think right before, so I still have to be thicker. ”

After a few gags, Li Zicheng turned back to the topic and said: "So our army's Northern Expedition is the basic strategy, and during this period, Zhao Dangshi must be stabilized." Then he asked himself, "How to stabilize?" First, we must reassure their hearts, and second, we must quit their army. ”

"What's the answer? What is the explanation of quitting its army? Wu Ruyi asked.

"Since Zhao Dangshi has arrived in Hanzhong, I will send someone to contact him in the next two days, open the skylight and say something bright. Even if he is still empty-headed with me, but when he talks about things, both sides can rest assured, and by the way, you can also test his attitude. Li Zicheng said slowly, "Of course, people's hearts are unpredictable, and our views on Zhao Dangshi are all speculation, and no one can predict how Zhao Dangshi will act in the future, so the necessary military vigilance must be done." ”

"Military alert?"

"Lao Tian, how many people are currently in our army? I haven't been in charge of military affairs for months, so I can't remember. Li Zicheng turned his head and asked.

Tian Jianxiu was the number one person under Li Zicheng who was in charge of the Dashun army, so he naturally knew it in his chest, and immediately replied: "The field strength of the five battalions of our army is more than 100,000. In addition, there are many people in Shaanxi and Henan who are attached to and garrisoned. He continued, "On the Henan side, Yang Yanchang of Nanyang Mansion has 9,000, Ruzhou Gao Yigong has 7,000, Runing Mansion Ren Guangrong has 8,000, Kaifeng Mansion Wang Wenyao has 6,000, Guide Mansion Xie Yinglong has 5,000, and Li Jiyu, Liu Hongqi, and Shen Wandeng also count 22,000 people, adding up to a total of more than 57,000 people. Here in Shaanxi, I have 30,000 in Guanzhong, 5,000 in Ningxia Weiniu Chenghu who surrendered, and 7,000 in Xining Weidang Shousu, adding up to a total of more than 42,000 people. ”

Li Zicheng nodded and said: "In this way, our army has nearly 200,000 troops that can be fought up. ”

Wu Ruyi stuck out his tongue and said, "If it wasn't for Your Majesty to give it to me, I didn't know that we had so many soldiers and horses at the moment." ”

Li Zicheng asked again: "How many people are there in Zhao Dangshi?" ”

Tian Jianxiu thought for a while and said: "There are forty or fifty thousand in Hanzhong Mansion, there are about forty or fifty thousand in Huguang and Henan, and Sichuan is not very clear, so it is estimated that there are one or two thousand people." ”

Li Zicheng pondered for a long time, and said: "When I go to Beijing, I have to bring all the five field battalions over to be considered appropriate." Liu Zongmin, Liu Fangliang, Yuan Zongdi, Gu Ying and Li Guo did not stay. He turned to say, "But in Shaanxi and Henan, someone must keep an eye on Zhao Ying." Zhao Dangshi's means are extraordinary, and he is not an ordinary person's opponent. Lao Tian, I've thought about it, it's better to leave you behind. ”

When Tian Jianxiu heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned, and listened to Li Zicheng again: "After the fifth field battalion leaves, Shaanxi plus Henan, there are almost 100,000 people, all of them are subject to your moderation, Lao Wu, Xin Sizhong, Li You and they will continue to follow you, blocking Zhao Ying, is it feasible?" ”

In the Dashun Army, Tian Jianxiu and Liu Zongmin have always been Li Zicheng's right-hand men, and Tian Jianxiu is more able to convince the public and win the hearts of people because of his elegance and easy-going and wisdom, and he is Li Zicheng's veritable second-in-command. The Northern Expedition is a matter of national fortune, and Li Zicheng's personal expedition can not only boost morale but also win people's hearts, which is an inevitable choice. Arranging for Tian Jianxiu, whose status and prestige are second only to himself, to sit in the rear is not only a recognition of Tian Jianxiu's ability, but also a huge trust in his loyalty.

Suddenly receiving the appointment, Tian Jianxiu couldn't help but hesitate, but after only a moment, he changed his face and said loudly: "The subordinates will live up to Your Majesty's holy will when they receive the order!" "Zhao Ying has more than 100,000 soldiers and horses, and he also has 100,000 people here. Zhao Yingmeng's generals are like clouds, and his generals such as Wu Ruyi and Dang Shousu are also fierce and good at fighting. Hanzhong, Nanyang, Runing and other stalemate areas have their own advantages, and the dogs and teeth are staggered. Regardless of the time and place, people have each other's strengths and weaknesses, it can be described as a chess opponent.

To be honest, from the moment he saw Zhao Dangshi, Tian Jianxiu's heart was eager to fight with such an unborn masterpiece, and now that he has the opportunity, the chips he has are also considerable, how can he be timid and fearful.

Li Zicheng was satisfied, and said in a loud voice: "With your talent, it is more than enough to defend the defense line of Shaanxi and Henan. When I led the troops to defeat the city of Beijing, at that time, the only one who could compete with our army was Zhao Dangshi. I'm going to go south right away, and I'll hunt Huguang with you! ”

"The ministers obey the emperor's decree!"

Tian Jianxiu immediately got up and knelt on the ground when he heard this, and with him, Wu Ruyi and other generals present also followed the five-body to the ground, and the mountain shouted long live.