On the east bank of the river is a flat field, with fields and magnificent estates everywhere. The nobles, bureaucrats, and wealthy merchants of the Ming Dynasty had many industries in the Zhili area.

The officers and soldiers marched on several roads parallel to the north and south, and the battle was extremely spectacular. The sound of horses' hooves, footsteps, and the "chirping" of vehicles was so noisy that it seemed to envelop the entire land.

The main force of the officers and troops transferred from the Beijing Division has a total strength of 120,000 troops! After the officers and troops divided their troops to defend Jingshi, Zhenjiang Prefecture, and Taiping Prefecture (surrendered), more than 100,000 people were still gathered, which was already the last main force.

The handsome flag with the word "Xu" written on it waved in the wind. Xu Huizu finally put on his armor, he rode on his war horse, and slowly marched in front and back.

The armor on his body was an old Ming armor, and the signs of wear on the edges of the iron pieces were obvious, and it was a little tight on him; Xu Huizu has gained some weight in recent years. However, there was no trace of rust on the armor, and it shone brightly in the early spring sun. You must wipe and anoint it from time to time, so that a pair of old armor can be so bright.

Xu Huizu has never forgotten that he is a military general, and he has never abandoned his armor.

A few days ago, the Holy Eunuch asked Xu Huizu to take command, but the words were very soothing and did not mean to be forced; In fact, it is very simple to ask Xu Huizu to be in charge, the next holy decree is enough, and it is impossible for Xu Huizu to resist the decree. But the Holy One didn't do that.

This time, Xu Huizu fought because of his willingness.

He was really a little hesitant, just because there was no suspense about the outcome of this counterinsurgency battle. However, the battle of Zhili took a turn for the better, and the rebel vanguard went deep alone, which made the officers and soldiers on the Zhili battlefield suddenly have a chance of winning! In addition, the eunuch Haitao kept hinting to Xu Huizu, "You only need to fight this battle, and you can continue to go home to recuperate", Xu Huizu thought that this was a promise to allow him to fight!

The opponent was Gao Xu himself, the invincible vassal king in the battle to suppress the rebellion.

You only get one chance.

After thinking about it, Xu Huizu finally couldn't give up the last chance to put on armor in his life. He knew very well in his heart that after this battle, the military power would no longer be with him! If he dies silently like that, and never hears the melodious sound of horses' hooves and horns again, he will hold a grudge for the rest of his life.

Now, with the familiar drums of war sounding again, and the clash of armor like a harp, the Jin Ge Iron Horse is so fascinating. Everything in the battlefield army is good for Xu Huizu.

He immediately looked back at the generals on the left and right, and said: "No matter what, regardless of the cost, we must win a battle, otherwise the court and the saint will become a laughing stock." ”

The generals all nodded solemnly.

After a while, the striker scout came to report: "Hello handsome! The rebels were stationed in the city of Taipingzhou, but there was still no movement. Its sailors had left Taipingzhou, and all the ships turned around and headed west. ”

Xu Huizu waved his hand and said, "Keep exploring!" ”

"Order!"

The subordinate general next to him said: "Will the rebels defend the city and wait for reinforcements?" Is the enemy ship returning to transport reinforcements? ”

Xu Huizu muttered: "The sailor returned to Huguang, and the boat traveled against the current, and it took more than a month to go back and forth. I thought that Gao Xu was defending the city, just to repair the soldiers and horses. ”

But Xu Huizu couldn't be completely sure of his guesses, and he couldn't even be sure of the military intelligence news on the battlefield, let alone the decision of the enemy's commander?

What the general said just now is not unreasonable, Gao Xu now has few soldiers, occupies the city, and there are reinforcements to wait, of course, defending the city is the most stable way!

If Gao Xu really wants to be a turtle, Xu Huizu will feel uncomfortable! More than 100,000 people attacked a city defended by 60,000 or 70,000 people, and it was obviously impossible to defeat it for more than a month; When the rebel sailors bring in another army, the situation will be reversed......

Xu Huizu was ordered to take command in danger, if he still failed to win a battle in the end, then why did he take command of the battle?

Xu Huizu restrained the worry in his heart, turned his head and asked, "How far is the front of my official army from Taipingzhou City?" ”

One of the generals replied: "Back to Dashuai, it is reported that the forward is located in the north of the city of Taipingzhou at this time, about sixty miles away. ”

Xu Huizu said: "Immediately give the order, the forward stops advancing, and camps in the same place; Tell the baggage battalion to go first and build a military camp. Today, the army will be stationed there. ”

"Order!"

The military general just now hugged his fists and said: "It's still early at this time, why doesn't the marshal march as soon as possible?" ”

Xu Huizu said: "After the war, if the official army fails to defeat the entire rebel army, the rebels will definitely take advantage of the night to retreat and flee when the battle is unfavorable, and the Gao Xu rebels can only flee to Taipingzhou City." If the battlefield is too close to the city, we will not be able to pursue the defeated army.

At a distance of more than fifty miles, the rebels wanted to keep their troops retreating, and most of them could not go to the city overnight; Our officers and troops will still have a chance to pursue and completely defeat them! ”

The military general said: "Wei Guogong is clever! ”

Xu Huizu was noncommittal. He did not express the worries in his heart: if the two armies want to fight a decisive battle, they must both sides want to fight. If Gao Xue didn't want to fight this battle and retreated in the city, how could he fight?

…… On the evening of the same day, Xu Huizu was in the middle of the army camp when he suddenly saw the eunuch Haitao.

Haitao was put into the hall, please take a step and not speak. So Xu Huizu took him and walked to the room next to the hall. Xu Huizu asked, "Why did Gonggong Hai come to the battlefield in person?" ”

"Secret Decree." Haitao Road.

Xu Huizu hurriedly bowed, and made the appearance of receiving the decree with both hands.

Unexpectedly, Haitao said: "If the emperor dictates it, the Duke of Wei should try his best to drag the rebels alone." Chin this. ”

Xu Huizu withdrew it empty-handed, knelt down to the eunuch, and he was very unhappy in his heart. He said, "Lordship, thank you! ”

He got up from the ground, frowned and asked, "What's going on?" ”

Haitao said in a deep voice: "The emperor ordered Xue Yan of Dali Temple and the real culprit of Emperor Cha Xian's death, it is said that Wang Gou'er is the most important witness. Now that there is progress in the case, Wang Gouer said that he was going to confess; Therefore, the Duke of Wei should buy time for Xue Yan. ”

"Oh......" Xu Huizu nodded suddenly.

Haitao hugged his fists and said: "Wei Guogong has to take care of the emperor's intentions." Let's take our leave. ”

Xu Huizu sent Haitao out, and gradually understood some reasons in his heart. Why didn't the saint ask about the government after the Battle of Huguang; When the situation got worse, the Holy One suddenly became busy again......

Early the next morning, it was the Lantern Festival.

The soldiers couldn't celebrate the festival on the battlefield, but fortunately, the Zhili Jingshi was very rich, there was no shortage of all kinds of materials, and the baggage battalion also carried glutinous rice, sesame seeds, sugar and other things. The soldiers of each battalion will make floating yuan seeds to eat, which is considered to be the Lantern Festival.

The smoke of the cooking in the barracks of the officers and soldiers was faintly wafting in the mist. Each camp is surrounded by villages, towns, and manors, and the rich Zhili area is very densely populated. For a while, there was not much atmosphere of impending war on all sides, and people did not feel the danger.

Early in the morning, Xu Huizu brought a bowl of floating yuan seeds in his hand. As soon as he scooped one up with a spoon, suddenly a military general walked outside the door and said, "Great Marshal, the rebels have gathered most of their soldiers and horses and left the city early this morning!" ”

After hearing this, Xu Huizu put the floating yuan in the spoon back into the bowl with a pensive look.

The civil and military forces in the hall immediately talked about it, and some people praised Xu Huizu's clever calculation.

Xu Huizu quickly issued a military order: each battalion was repaired on the spot, and the scouts were widely dispersed to keep an eye on the movements of the rebels.

Unexpectedly, in the afternoon of the same day, the scouts reported a new military situation: the rebels had stopped advancing! Gao Xu's men and horses went out of the city, only walked more than 20 miles, and then found a place to camp, and also got a lot of pigs and sheep, and cooked meat dishes in the military camp to celebrate the festival!

Almost all the officers and generals suggested that the army should pull out camp early tomorrow morning and march to the rebel camp to find the enemy for a decisive battle!

Xu Huizu walked around in the middle hall with his hands behind his back. Because the eunuch who was a close confidant of the Holy Lord came last night, Xu Huizu couldn't just think about the war at the moment...... If the emperor's will was completely followed, Xu Huizu would not have to rush to war.

Even if the rebels retreat back to the city again, they will have to wait for reinforcements, at least for more than a month; In this way, the Holy Lord's intention of "delaying the day" will also be fulfilled.

But if you only think about winning the rebels, you must not let the rebels defend the city! If it drags on like this, the officers and troops have no chance of winning...... The most favorable situation for the officers and troops, as Xu Huizu said yesterday: the rebels took the initiative to come to the decisive battle, and the battlefield is here!

Xu Huizu weighed it and prepared to wait.

On the sixteenth day of the first month of the second year of Hongxi, all day long, the armies of both sides that had been gathered and prepared, separated by more than 30 miles, did not move a single step all day with a very tacit understanding! The situation is very strange.

On the night of the 16th, Xu Huizu didn't sleep well, and repeatedly thought about Gao Xu's attempt.

Gao Xu was reluctant to take the initiative to walk the thirty miles, and it was estimated that he had already understood the reason why Xu Huizu was stationed here; That is, after the official army wins, it is easier to hunt down and expand the results!

But on the other hand, Gao Xu must not be confident that he can defeat him Xu Huizu, so he will think of a way out before the battle. Thinking about it like this, Xu Huizu felt a lot better.

But will Gao Xu return to Taipingzhou City? What Xu Huizu couldn't figure out the most was this matter......

Before dawn on the morning of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, Xu Huizu convened his generals to discuss military affairs.

There are civilian officials in the army who give advice: "The army pretends to retreat, lures the rebels into pursuit, and then turns around and fights the rebels!" ”

But Xu Huizu immediately vetoed the civilian official's strategy. First of all, the officials and soldiers can't really retreat from the Beijing Division, otherwise it will become a situation of stubbornly defending the city of the Beijing Division, which is contrary to the imperial court's decision-making. Secondly, even Xu Huizu couldn't deceive the trick of pretending to withdraw from the army, and he couldn't let Gao Xu be fooled at all!

Xu Huizu himself was a man of scheming, but he thought Gao Xu was more cunning. These tactics had no effect on Gao Xu.

Xu Huizu finally took the case and said: "Today, pull out the camp, continue to march south, and camp in the north of the rebels!" ”

The march was about twenty-five miles in a day, and of course it was very easy. Xu Huizu ordered the army to go only twenty-five miles, that is, to prepare for the battle early in the morning of the 18th!

In this way, the battle of Naoli will have a whole day to fight.

……

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