Three days later, Li Xiao set off to Tielong City, Shanxian County, and brought the soldiers and horses of the entire Xingzhong Town C Battalion led by Qin Liangyu, including 30 teams of shield soldiers, 60 teams of spearmen, 2,000 Xuanhu heavy cavalry, 2,000 flying harrier light cavalry, 2,000 rampant sentry, 2,000 auxiliary soldiers, and the other is the newly established C total firecracker, the total of 4,500 people, divided into three posts, each post 1,500 people, and then divided into 10 teams, each team of 150 people.

As the main general, Li Xiao personally led an army of about 20,000 people to Henan.

Although Li Xiao's troops, compared to Li Zicheng's troops, are only one-fifth of his number, Li Xiao's elite soldiers and the newly established 4,500 Lu Mi Gunners have considerable combat power.

Li Xiaojun, who was rolling in the iron stream and marching neatly, braved the cold wind, traveled all the way west along the Yellow River, passed through Cao County, Yifeng, Lanyang, and finally arrived outside Kaifeng City.

In this cold winter, the army marched all the way west, looking at the embankment of the Yellow River that was far above his head and seemed to be suspended in mid-air, Li Xiao sighed that he had revisited his old place.

The last time I went to Kaifeng, Henan, it was in the eighth year of Chongzhen, and he was just a small Chifeng general soldier, and finally in the western Henan region, he set up an ambush and defeated Gao Yingxiang's rogue troops.

It's just that he didn't expect that after letting Li Zicheng go last time, he had made a comeback, looking at the Yellow River high above, Li Xiao couldn't help but think, if this river embankment is broken, the turbid waves are churning, and the turbulent Yellow River is estimated to be like falling from the sky, destroying his own army, as well as the vast plains and wilderness on both sides, and the cities and villages dotted with cities, villages, and towns.

So, if you go here, can you lift Li Zicheng's siege of Kaifeng, and there will be no more tragedy of flooding Kaifeng in history?

Li Xiao felt inexplicable in his heart. In fact, Li Xiao has decided to strike a blow at Li Zicheng now.

Although he could continue to provide himself with homeless people and let him emigrate them overseas, Li Zicheng's power became bigger and bigger, so that no one could control Henan and Shanxi, but it was not what Li Xiao wanted to see.

When Li Xiao arrived at Chenqiao Town, which was about dozens of miles away from Kaifeng City, he could see that Kaifeng City had been densely surrounded by an overwhelming number of rogue soldiers and horses.

Seeing Li Xiao's brows, he frowned. At this time, among the reinforcements sent by the imperial court, there were only more than 20,000 soldiers and horses of the military department squire Lang Hou Sui, and in Kaifeng City, there were more than 20,000 soldiers and horses of Chen Yongfu, the chief soldier of Henan, and more than 10,000 soldiers and horses temporarily formed by the governor Li Xianfeng, the patrol according to Gao Mingheng, and the official Huang Shu.

Li Xiao sent people first, but informed Hou Sui, the squire of the military department stationed on the north bank of the Yellow River, with more than 20,000 soldiers and horses, to come to meet him.

This Hou Sui, who served as a waiter in the military department, was a native of Suiyang District, Shangqiu City, Henan Province. Ming Wanli Bingchen year (1616) Jinshi, awarded the imperial history of Shanxi Province, and was also a relatively famous Donglin party.

During the Apocalypse, this person was dismissed from office because of the struggle with the eunuch Wei Zhongxian. Later, in the first year of Chongzhen, he used the imperial history of Henan Province again.

The following year, he was appointed as a servant and a young secretary. Chongzhen served as the right attendant of the military department for three years, and when Chongzhen was six years old, he was promoted to the secretary of the household department.

However, in November of the ninth year of Chongzhen, because of the jealousy of the cabinet minister Xue Guoguan and others, Xue Guoguan instigated Song Zhipu and others to impeach Hou for misleading the country.

Hou was cut from his post and soon imprisoned. This was the first time Hou had been imprisoned, for seven years. In the summer of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, his father Hou Zhipu died, and Hou was released from prison and went home to mourn and keep filial piety.

At the end of that year, Li Zicheng's troops swept through the Central Plains and joined forces to besiege Kaifeng. At that time, in the land of Henan and Huguang, the military leader with the greatest military power was Zuo Liangyu, the former subordinate of Hou Sui, who had never been controlled by the imperial court because Zuo Liangyu was fierce and domineering.

Emperor Chongzhen thought twice, coupled with the recommendation of the ministers, Hou Sui, who returned to prison, was pardoned, and led more than 20,000 soldiers and horses in Beijing as a squire of the military department, and hurriedly went south to relieve the siege of Feng.

Originally, Hou Sui had sent someone to send a message, ordering Zuo Liangyu, who was in the Xiangyang area, to quickly rate his troops to the north and join him to attack Li Zicheng's troops, but Zuo Liangyu was afraid that Li Zicheng's troops would have too many troops, and after arriving in the Nanyang area, he did not move forward, and finally did not come to Kaifeng to relieve the siege.

Therefore, seeing that Zuo Liangyu's troops were delayed, although Hou Sui was very worried, he had no choice but to lead his troops to garrison on the north bank of the Yellow River, waiting for reinforcements from other places.

Therefore, when Hou Sui saw the news that the Tang army's sentry horse came to report and told him that Li Xiao's Tang army had arrived in Chenqiao Town, outside Kaifeng, and wanted to join forces with him to fight against the thieves, he was overjoyed.

"Wow, wow, Tang Guogong is here, it's very timely. As soon as the army of Tang Guogong came, this city was opened and the siege was relieved. Hou Sui looked overjoyed.

"Your envoy and go down to rest first, this squire immediately gathered troops and horses, crossed the Yellow River south, and went to meet with the Tang Guild.

Hou Sui said with a smile on his face.

"Well, the military situation is urgent, and I ask Hou Shilang to make arrangements as soon as possible.

“

"Don't worry, the old man will take care of this matter as soon as possible.

After Hou Sui respectfully sent the sentry out of the Chinese army's tent, at this time, a handsome white-clothed boy next to him showed disdain. This white-clothed boy is Hou Fangyu, Hou Sui's eldest son. Hou someone is known as a genius, and he was only in his twenties at the time, which is the age of bookishness. This time in Hou Sui's army, one is that his father deliberately let him have more knowledge, and the other is also to go south by the way, preparing to go to Nanjing to stay in the capital after the war, where there is Li Xiangjun, a famous prostitute who is one of Qin Huai's eight Yan, waiting for Hou Dagongzi...... In real history, in the Southern Ming Dynasty, Hou Fangyu once served as a staff member for Shi Kefa, and with the inheritance of the Donglin Party, Hou Gongzi naturally did not pay attention to the Ming Emperor...... So Hou Gongzi pointed out the country, criticized the government, and attacked and criticized, feeling that nothing was good in Daming, and then he decided to go to Daqing. It's just that Hou Fangyu, known as one of the four princes, participated in the township test of the Qing Dynasty after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty...... At this time, Hou Fangyu, seeing his father, heard that Li Xiao, the Duke of Tang Guo, was so happy that he was so carried away, and his mood was filled with an inexplicable contempt. At this time, the sentry horse had already retreated, Hou Fangyu sneered, and said to Hou Sui: "Father, why did you forget that Li Xiao was coming?"

Hou Sui glanced at him and said in a low voice: "Yu'er, Tang Guogong is the pillar of my Ming Kingdom, and he is the pillar of the country's immortal pillars.

Hou Fangyu snorted coldly again: "Daddy, you value this person so much, and regard this person as a pillar of the country." But in the child's opinion, although this person has a talent, but he is not right-minded, and Zuo Liangyu is the same, he belongs to the generation of self-pride, such a person, whether he can still be used by the court in the future, it is difficult to say.

Hearing Hou Fangyu's words, Hou Sui straightened his face: "Yu'er, you are young and know everything, but you can't talk nonsense, this Lord Li, now he has just become the emperor's concubine, married Princess Kunxing, and is the first hot person in the court, and he has a strong army, and he has countless overseas places, so that the country has never had a heroic talent for more than 200 years, you can talk about him like this, but you have to talk about it." Hou Fangyu sighed and said: "Alas, if this person can always be loyal to the country, for the emperor, for the country, it is a good thing, but the child always feels that this person is more like a fierce tiger, if you raise it well, you can take care of the family, if you don't raise it well, you are afraid that it will overturn the Jiangshan Sheji of my Ming Dynasty, but I am afraid that it will be too late to regret it." ”

"Shut up, Hugh is talking nonsense! The Tang State was in a high position. It is the attached horse of the country, the emperor's son-in-law who rides the dragon, how can you, a yellow-mouthed child, comment. Hou Sui stiffened his face: "Why don't you hurry up and pack up, cross the river with your father, and go to join forces with Lord Li." After listening to his father's training, Hou Fangyu had no choice but to answer a promise and get up to clean up.

About an hour and a half later, Hou Sui led the whole army to cross the river from the pontoon bridge and came to Li Xiao's army. Li Xiao saw that Hou Sui came quite quickly, and his heart was also happy, so he invited his father and son to talk in the Chinese military tent.

Li Xiao first asked about the situation in Hou Sui's army, and after knowing that he had led 20,000 elite elites of the Beijing battalion to come, he was very happy.

"Okay, with Hou Shilang's 20,000 soldiers and horses, plus more than 20,000 soldiers and horses of our army, the two armies echo each other and fight together, it is not difficult to break Li Zicheng's more than 100,000 soldiers and horses.

Hou Sui smiled, but his face showed regret: "Alas, Lord Li, originally, I have sent someone to send a letter to Zuo Liangyu, the general of the Ping Thief, asking him to lead the army north from Xiangyang and relieve the siege of Kaifeng with this servant. Unexpectedly, he didn't know where he had not arrived, and Ben Shilang had no choice but to temporarily stay in Hebei to wait for reinforcements from elsewhere.

Li Xiao left his words, but he didn't sneer in his heart. This Zuo Liangyu must have heard that the thief was huge, and he was afraid that he was invincible, and he had consumed his troops in vain, so he refused to come to Kaifeng, although this person was arrogant, but he was also an incompetent and timid person, so fearful and reluctant, it was really disgusting.

"This man will not come.

Li Xiao said lightly: "This man is sure that this person must be afraid of the trend of thieves, so he will deliberately delay the time on this road, so he will not arrive so far, in my father's opinion, Zuo Liangyu's department will not be able to arrive, and I don't have to wait for him anymore."

Hou Sui asked,

"But I don't know, Lord Tang Guogong, how do you plan to retreat from the enemy?" Li Xiao muttered: "Well, my father has his own strategy, and I have to plan it, and when the whole army moves, I also ask Hou Shilang to fully cooperate with this father." Hou Sui hurriedly responded: "This is natural, why don't you say more, all the soldiers and horses in my department are sent by the Tang State." Li Xiao nodded, and chatted with Hou Sui for a few more words, Hou Sui pointed to Hou Fangyu on the side, and then introduced to Li Xiao: "This is a certain dog dynasty, just turned twenty this year, in my humble opinion, I hope that the dog can serve by Lord Li's side, then the old man has no regrets." Seeing that Hou Sui suddenly came out like this, Li Xiao was also stunned for a while.

However, how smart he was, he soon guessed Hou Sui's true thoughts in his heart. This Hou Sui now sees that his future and future are unlimited, so he seized the opportunity to arrange his eldest son over and seek a future for him, but he has good intentions.

At this time, in the face of Hou Sui's inquiring gaze, Li Xiao sighed lightly and squeezed out a smile, which was regarded as acquiescing to Hou Sui's request.

Hou Xiandun was overjoyed, took Hou Fangyu's hand, and took a few steps closer to Li Xiao. After hearing that his father had no reason, he actually recommended himself directly to Li Xiao, and Hou Fangyu was not stunned for a while.

What does this mean? He was in a daze, but he saw that his father's majestic gaze was projected, revealing an irresistible smell.

And the father's subsequent dragging,

"Father's ......"

"Needless to say, why don't you come over and meet Master Li soon." Hou Sui snorted and said to Hou Fangyu in a deep voice.

(The following is anti-theft, and will be added tomorrow.) On September 14, the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, Kaifeng was besieged by the peasant army for many days, and the rich Kaifeng had become one

"Mountains of white bones, broken hair all over the ground, no pedestrians, gods cry ghosts, and the sun is dark", if nothing else, Kaifeng will soon fall into Li Zicheng's hands like a ripe fruit.

However, on this night, suddenly there was a huge sound of waves,

"Hebo is angry, and the sound of water is heard from afar", this sound is particularly thrilling in the dead silence of Kaifeng City.

At dawn, the defenders at the head of the city were surprised and delighted to find that the surging Yellow River had rushed to the city, and Li Zicheng's troops, who were originally outside the city, either fled for their lives or were drowned in the raging waves.

"The thieves in the southwest have fled far away, and the thieves in the northeast have drowned countless people." Soon, the joy of the Kaifeng military and civilians turned into inexplicable fear.

The water of the Yellow River that has lost control is coming straight to Kaifeng! Despite the desperate blockage of the Kaifeng army and civilians, the Yellow River still rushed open Caomen on the 16th, and the catastrophe of the ancient city of Kaifeng began.

Now, the biggest mystery of the Battle of Kaifeng has emerged: who broke the Yellow River? The first theory is that the Yellow River was flooded by Li Zicheng, and this statement is mostly used in previous history books, such as "History of the Ming Dynasty?

Emperor Zhuang Lie said

"On the afternoon of September, the thief broke the river and opened the seal." "Bianwei Wet Record" also said

"By the 15th of September, tens of thousands of thieves had broken the river." And "Xiangfu County Chronicles" said that it was done by Li Zicheng's subordinate Liu Dugu,

"When the thieves surrounded Kaifeng for a long time, people cannibalized each other. The guards plotted to lure the Yellow River into thieves. The thief knows, and he prepares; Let his party black snake Liu Dugu break the river to irrigate the city".

The second theory holds that the Ming Dynasty officials and soldiers were the main culprits in the breaking of the river. For example, Li Yongmao's recital in the military department pointed out the patrol Yan Yunjing, who was hiding in Hebei

"Rong Shou", "Kaifeng Mansion Chronicles" also recorded the impeachment of Yan Yunjing by Liu Chang, an auspicious person, and made it clear

"Disaster began with the digging of the river in Yunjing". "Pingkou Zhi" and "Suikou Jiluo" say that the Yellow River is

"Reinforcements" dug up. Zhao Shijin, the author of the "Jiashen Chronicle", quoted Yao Qiying, a soldier of the peasant army

"The city will be broken. At that time, the people in the official city were afraid of breaking the city and discussing the crime, and the river flooded the city, and they avoided it. It is not the real river water", and it is also believed that it was done by the Ming army.

The third way of saying is a bit of a 50-big plank each, saying that the official army and the peasant army broke the river at the same time, and the official army was in front and the peasant army was behind.

Such as "History of the Ming Dynasty? The Biography of Gao Mingheng records: "There will be those who will offer advice to patrol the imperial history Yan Yunjing, please break the river to irrigate the thieves." Yunjing language name Heng, Shu, name Heng, Shu take it for granted. King Gong of Zhou recruited people to build a sheep and horse wall, which was as thick as a high bank. The thief camp is directly Fu embankment, the river can kill the thieves, and the city is safe. We chiseled the mouth of Zhujiazhai, the thief knew, moved to Gaofu, waited for the huge raft, and drove tens of thousands of people to fight against Majiakou to irrigate the city. In September, there was no hope, and in the middle of the night, the two of them decided together. It rained heavily for ten years, the yellow stream rose sharply, and the sound was heard for hundreds of miles."

"Natural disasters", "Yu Change Chronicle" is a representative of this aspect, said

"The fall of Kaifeng, the sky also"