On the tenth day of the fifth month, Cao Bianjiao rode in the mountains north of Huguang, curiously looking at the mountains and trees in the south. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

The new army entered Huguang.

At the end of last month, the winter wheat in Shaanxi was already ripe, and there was a golden yellow everywhere. The farmers of Shaanxi relied on the relief of the Son of Heaven to survive the most difficult year, harvesting the harvested ears of wheat into the barns.

After the bumper harvest, Shaanxi Province has sufficient grain, and there is no longer the worry of famine. Shaanxi's grain prices have been declining continuously, from 321 stone to 224 yuan and 1 stone, and grain prices are even lower than in previous years.

The farmers who had a good harvest were grateful to the Son of Heaven for his kindness in relieving Shaanxi, and they handed over their fields in advance. At this time, Shaanxi's fields have been leveled, and each acre of land is only nine liters, and the people can afford it. Moreover, the gentry in Shaanxi had already been killed by Li Zicheng, and there was no problem of resistance, and the yamen received the Tianfu very smoothly.

In just a few days, the official warehouses all over Shaanxi were full of wheat.

Shaanxi was completely pacified, and Cao Bianjiao led a new army eager to attack Huguang in the south.

Huguang was entrenched in two big thieves at this time, Li Zicheng in the west and Li Dingguo in the east.

Huang Degong, the chief soldier of the Beijing camp, rode on his horse, and said to Cao Bianjiao: "Ding Xibo, the 30,000 soldiers and horses of Ainengqi, who are now entrenched in the south of Huguang, don't know why they went north, and Li Zicheng's hundreds of thousands of thieves gathered together to attack Xiangyang Mansion. ”

"Outside Xiangyang Mansion, the thief army is in a joint camp for dozens of miles, and the momentum is overwhelming."

Hearing Huang Degong's words, Yang Guozhu asked curiously: "Isn't this Ai Nengqi Li Dingguo's subordinate?" Why is Li Dingguo still forming his own army in Huguang, but this Ai Nengqi defected to Li Zicheng? ”

Huang Degong said: "I'm afraid the thieves used some means. ”

When everyone said this, they were silent for a moment, thinking about how Li Zicheng separated Ai Nengqi and Li Dingguo.

After a while, Huang Degong said again: "Ding Xibo, the 30,000 people under the command of Ai Nengqi are all cavalry, and they have always been brave, so Ding Xibo should be careful." ”

Cao Bianjiao looked ahead and said with a smile: "Rats, I can't stop my new army's round shots." ”

Huang Degong saw that Cao Bianjiao was so confident, and looked at Yang Guozhu. The two looked at each other for a while, but they also felt that the current new army was indeed strong, and laughed at the same time.

Huang Degong touched his beard and said loudly: "Uncle, now that Shanxi and Shaanxi are ripe, the holy warehouse has more taxes from Shaanxi Province. Not only that, but now the imperial court has more 20% of the field tax in Jianghuai Province, and after negotiation with the king of Tianjin, the increased 20% of the tax is paid to the Tai Warehouse. This Jianghuai province is a province with a large population, and the number of fields is amazing. ”

"With the new taxes from these two provinces, the saint said that he would make up for the 10,000 new troops lost in Shaanxi and train another 40,000 new troops."

"I'm afraid that in a year's time, we will have 120,000 people in the new army. Even the Jiangbei Army, which rebelled in the south, is probably not the opponent of our new army! ”

Yang Guozhu laughed and said, "Huang Degong, I love to hear what you say!" This Jiangbei army seized the south of the Yangtze River, but it was the most hated thing by the saints. If our new army can pacify the Jiangbei Army, I'm afraid that Huang Degong, you and I will be crowned! ”

Cao Bianjiao rode on a horse, staring ahead, as if listening to the conversation between Huang Degong and Yang Guozhu, but did not seem to listen. He smiled suddenly, flicked his whip, and galloped forward.

####

Outside Xiangyang City, Li Zicheng sat in the big tent of the Chinese army, frowning.

Li Zicheng said: "I didn't expect that before we captured Xiangyang, the official army would be killed from Shaanxi. ”

The generals under Li Zicheng, including Li Guo and others, who can fight well, are all pale. Even strategists like Niu Jinxing had panic on their faces that couldn't be concealed.

Li Zicheng lost several defeats to the New Army in Shaanxi and killed tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, and his fear of the New Army can be said to be unforgettable. After the new army got Li Zhi's equipment, they were not afraid of rain or darkness. In any case, Li Zicheng didn't want to fight Cao Bianjiao anymore.

Everyone was silent for a long time, and Li Guo suddenly said: "It's better to ask Song Junshi to make a hexagram." ”

When Li Zicheng heard this, it was as if a drowning man saw a handful of straw and looked at Song Xiance.

Song Xiance knew that this hexagram was not good.

He stood in the middle of the tent.

Immediately someone brought out the Persian blanket and spread it on the dirt floor.

Song Xiance knelt on the ground, first kowtowed to the gods of heaven and earth in the four directions, and then took out an old turtle shell from his arms, and then took out three Yongle Tongbao from his waist pocket. He released the copper coin from the turtle shell, closed his eyes, and said something in his mouth.

After shaking for a long time, Song Xiance shook his hand, and three copper coins fell out of the turtle shell and landed on the blanket.

Everyone in the big tent stood up, nervously looking at the coins on the blanket, and then at Song Xiance.

Song Xiance looked at the coin and turtle shell for a long time before he said: "The dragon fights in the wild, and its way is poor." ”

Li Zicheng's beard trembled slightly, and he asked nervously: "Master Song, what is the explanation of this hexagram?" ”

Song Xiance looked at Li Zicheng and did not speak.

Li Guo stood up abruptly and said anxiously: "Master Song quickly explained the hexagram for us!" ”

Song Xiance looked at Li Guo, and then said, "Dragon, Tianxing." Fighting in the wilderness, we will do our best. ”

Almost all the generals in the big tent stood up and watched nervously at Song Xiance to explain the hexagram. At this time of great crisis, the Mandate of Heaven is almost the only reliance on the generals of the breaking army.

"This hexagram is originally good and bad, but..."

Li Zicheng's face darkened, and he asked, "But what if?" Speak quickly. ”

Song Xiance said: "However, the direction of this hexagram is chaotic, but it is powerful! ”

As soon as Song Xiance's words fell, the faces of the generals in the big tent became more and more flustered. Someone had his eyes straight and sat heavily in his chair.

After a while, a whisper rang out.

"How's that good?"

"How's that okay?"

Li Guo's face turned white and red, he slammed his hand at Li Zicheng, and said: "King Chuang, now my army can't meet the new army, we should go straight west and enter Sichuan!" ”

Niu Jinxing looked at Song Xiance, gritted his teeth, and said: "King Chuang, now there is no chance of winning against the new army, so you can only enter Sichuan." ”

Li Zicheng looked at Li and Niu, and said: "Our army has been defeated again and again, if we flee into Sichuan in a hurry, not to mention that this hill-like heavy grain and grass cannot be moved, I am afraid that the morale of our army will be lost." 150,000 people enter Sichuan, and I'm afraid half of the road will be gone. ”

Gao Yigong, the general of the breaking army, roared: "What kind of Sichuan do you enter, what is the difference between escaping into Sichuan in embarrassment like this and hiding in Taihang Mountain to be a bandit?" I don't think I'll go into Sichuan, just scatter on the spot, just like when I rode into Shangluo Mountain in the eighteenth, hide! ”

When everyone heard Gao Yigong's words, they were immediately even more discouraged. In the big tent of the Chinese army, no one spoke.

Suddenly, a loud laugh rang out from the big tent.

Everyone was stunned and looked at the laughing man in unison.

Zhang Xianzhong's righteous son Ai Nengqi sat under Li Zicheng, raised his head and laughed.

"How can you be so flustered? The new army is only 50,000 people, and my two-way army is 180,000 people, how can we be afraid of these 50,000 new troops? ”