The cold wind howled, it was cold to the bone, and the moat was covered with thick ice, which did not need to be filled with mud at all, and not only pedestrians, but also cars and horses could pass freely.

On the first day of the new lunar month, there were no firecrackers in the city to celebrate, and the government did not allow firecrackers to be fired, so as not to disturb the army's orders.

Everyone has their own pressures.

Zhu Gongfang, the king of Zhou, Gao Mingheng, the governor, and the celebrities in the city, they are worried that their belongings and reputations will be destroyed, and these most precious things will be ruined, and it will be meaningless to live.

Ordinary soldiers face death every day, either themselves and their companions, or the death of the Mandate of Heaven outside the city, bloodshed, massacre, and fragmented corpses...... No one knows how many days they have left to live!

Ordinary Shengdou small people, are looking at the faces of the officials, the gloomy atmosphere in the city, they are overwhelmed, the Liukou is still outside the city, will not threaten their lives for the time being, but the officers and soldiers in the city may make special demands to them at any time, money, food, strong men, labor, in times of war, the people's lives are like dogs!

Originally, it was hoped that during the New Yuan period, the Mandate of Heaven army outside the city would be able to stop for a while, but just after breakfast, the Mandate of Heaven army began to attack the city, and the north gate and Cao Gate were still the focus of the attack.

Li Zicheng did not supervise the army at the North Gate, but took his own soldiers and walked around the city wall, looking for every possible opportunity.

But the Ming army did not show signs of rout, especially at the North Gate, Wang Xie was just a small magistrate, but it was well arranged, making full use of the cover of the daughter wall, and even the gunners were helpless.

Li Zicheng is not in a hurry, it has only been a few days, and the morale in the city has not completely declined, and it is reasonable that he cannot take Kaifeng City.

Even if you take Kaifeng City, you still have to face all kinds of reinforcements from the imperial court!

Li Zicheng was not in a hurry to take Kaifeng City, but through the battle of Kaifeng, he consumed the power of the imperial court little by little, and when Kaifeng was really taken, the imperial court did not even have the strength to counterattack.

On the night of the third day of the new year, it snowed heavily, at first it was just a few snowflakes, and no one cared, but in the second half of the night, a strong wind suddenly blew, and the temperature dropped sharply, and the soldiers on duty at night watched the goose feather snow fall.

After dawn, the snowflakes were a little smaller, but showed no signs of stopping.

Li Zicheng considered that the soldiers were fighting day and night, so he issued a military order to stop the siege for one day!

Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance were worried, and the two jointly asked to see Li Zicheng, and Li Zicheng summoned them in his big tent, "The two gentlemen jointly asked to see each other, wouldn't it be anything important?" ”

After He Xiaomi served the tea, Niu Jinxing said quietly: "Governor, the siege of the city for days, although the soldiers are hard, but the defenders in the city are even more frightened and casualties, and their morale is even lower!" ”

Song Xiance also said: "Yes, Dadu Governor, the casualties of the soldiers besieging the city are smaller than the soldiers defending the city, throughout the ages, the subordinates have never heard of it, and it is time to take Kaifeng ...... in one go."

Li Zicheng said with a smile: "What do you mean, should there be a one-day truce?" ”

"The subordinates don't dare!"

"Actually, there is nothing wrong with your thoughts," Li Zicheng said lightly: "However, have you ever hunted large beasts?" ”

"Hunting?"

"Mr. Niu has been in Lushi County, where the mountains are high and the forests are dense, he should have heard of fighting tigers, right?" Li Zicheng smiled: "How does Orion hunt tigers? ”

"The subordinates have not seen it with their own eyes," Niu Jinxing said: "I heard that the Orions are outnumbered, surround the tigers, and then shoot them with arrows, arrow by arrow, until the tiger ......" said this, suddenly paused, pondered for a moment, and said: "Governor, the subordinates have some understanding......

"Understand what?"

"The imperial court is like a tiger, although it is besieged by hunters, but in a hurry, it is difficult to shoot an arrow to death, and it is necessary to prevent being injured by a tiger, so it is necessary to get an arrow by arrow, and gradually make the tiger lose the ability to fight......"

Li Zicheng laughed, "Hahaha......"

Song Xiance said: "The meaning of the metropolitan governor, his subordinates understand, but the Mandate of Heaven army has already surrounded Kaifeng, if you can take Kaifeng......"

"It is naturally an unexpected joy to be able to take Kaifeng," Li Zicheng said: "However, all the reinforcements of the imperial court are on the road at this time, could it be that the Mandate of Heaven army is waiting in Kaifeng City and is besieged by the Ming army?" ”

"This ......" Song Xiance obviously didn't expect that after taking Kaifeng, the Ming army would fight back with all its might.

"Sooner or later, the Mandate of Heaven Army will take Kaifeng, but not necessarily now," Li Zicheng said: "Now that it's cold, we can stay in the camp, but the main forces of the Ming army are running long distances in the wind, snow and cold wind......

"The subordinates understand," Niu Jinxing shook his body and said, "The Metropolitan Governor is going to cut off the tiger's claws first!" ”

Song Xiance hurriedly arched his hand and said: "Only then do my subordinates understand, I don't know which way the Metropolitan Governor will attack first?" ”

"Haha," Li Zicheng laughed, "Then it depends on which Ming army has the most fearlessness." ”

Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance had just said goodbye and left, Li Zicheng was drinking tea alone in the big tent, and He Xiaomi came in, "Governor Dadu, there are people from the Han Qing Bureau who want to see you!" ”

Han Qing Bureau? Li Zicheng frowned slightly, at this time, what information can the people from the Hanqing Bureau bring? Could it be that something happened in the city? If something goes wrong with the defenders in the city, it's not bad to take Kaifeng......

However, in the past two days of inspection, the defenders have not shown the decline of the end of the strong crossbow!

Li Zicheng thought for a while, and then let someone from the Hanqing Bureau come in, and his identity must have been verified by He Xiaomi.

He Xiaomi came out of the big tent, and with a gesture of his hand, a twenty-three or four-year-old man came in, and when he saw Li Zicheng, he turned over and bowed, "My subordinates knock on the governor!" ”

Li Zicheng said lightly: "Get up and talk, on such a cold day, let's drink a cup of hot tea first!" ”

He Xiaomi served him tea, and the man took it with both hands, "Thank you, subordinates, Governor!" ”

"Tell me, what's the matter?"

"The Metropolitan Governor," the man looked left and right, and said, "Last night, my subordinates passed by the south of the city and happened to see someone sneaking into the camp in the south of the city......"

"Chengnan Camp?" Li Zicheng was shocked in his heart, that was the Chengtian camp of Luo Rucai's department, could it be that Luo Rucai collaborated with the enemy? He kept a calm face in front of him and said, "Who is here?" What happened? ”

"Back to the Metropolitan Governor, the subordinates can see clearly, the Chinese army tent that people entered, but the subordinates didn't dare to get too close to the camp, and they didn't know the content of the conversation," the man said: "The subordinates have been lurking outside the tent, and after the people go back, they will enter the city ...... from the south of the city."

It turned out to be a person with a high name!

Could it be that the high name weighs people to persuade them to surrender?

What do they talk about in secret contact? Betraying the interests of the Mandate of Heaven?

It's been a long time, why didn't Luo Rucai report to himself?

Li Zicheng waved his hand and asked the man to go down first, "Get ten taels of silver from the quartermaster!" ”

"Thank you, Dadu!" After the man kowtowed and thanked him, he went with He Xiaomi.

Li Zicheng leaned on the head of the bed and pondered.

Luo Rucai is known as "Cao Cao", his brain is absolutely bright, he has always enjoyed it, I am afraid it is difficult to adapt to the hard life of the Mandate of Heaven Army, and he does not trust him very much, except for this siege of Kaifeng, he has been deprived of his military power......

Compared with Li Xin, who is full of ideals, Luo Rucai only wants to have fun, and does not care about the life and death of the people, and was chased by the Ming army to drill ravines everywhere, but he also married nearly 100 wives.

is Niu Jinxing, which is also different from Luo Rucai, at least Niu Jinxing has a deep hatred for the government and the court!

In fact, it doesn't matter what Luo Rucai talked about with Gao Mingheng, he didn't arrest Gao Mingheng's secret envoy, and he didn't report to him in time.

In Luo Rucai's heart, at least he has a tendency to be self-reliant, whether he doesn't like his current life or is dissatisfied with himself, the result is the same......

Such a character must not stay for a long time, and the Mandate of Heaven Army cannot afford to be injured!

Li Zicheng lifted the curtain and walked out of the big tent, He Xiaomi had already returned, "Is the Metropolitan Governor going out?" ”

"Xiaomi, I haven't seen a snowflake for a long time," Li Zicheng stretched out his right hand and took a snowflake, "This hexagonal snowflake, isn't it a baby?" ”

"The Governor is saying that snowfall brings rain?" He Xiaomi, who has followed Li Zicheng since Xining, has long known the importance of rain to crops.

"Yes, with this heavy snowfall, there will be many fewer victims in Henan this year!" Li Zicheng knows that in the era of relying on the sky for food, to eliminate the drought in Henan and reduce the hungry people in Henan, it is ultimately necessary to rely on rain.

"But......" He Mi muttered, "Once the drought in Henan is lifted, will the people still have their hearts set on the Mandate of Heaven Army?" ”

"Daming is about to die, no matter how much money and food you have, you can't exchange it for the decline of Daming," Li Zicheng looked up at the sky, a snowflake, impartially fell on his forehead, "Xiaomi, always remember this sentence, only those who really put the people in their hearts, the people will put you in their hearts!" ”

"Governor, my subordinates understand!"

The heavy snow stopped in the second half of the night, and after dawn, the sun rose lazily from the east, but the cold wind did not stop, it was drier and colder than yesterday, and the city walls were covered with ice and snow, and there was no thaw all day.

Li Zicheng has always stood still, inside and outside the city, and rarely seeks a few days of leisure time.

It was not until the seventh day of the first month that the Mandate of Heaven army began a small-scale siege of the city, but this time it was based on the south gate where the Chengtian camp was located as the main direction of attack.

Luo Rucai seemed to feel something, although he only sent a regiment, he personally supervised the battle, regardless of casualties, and the tragedy of the war was more than that of Beicheng.

The casualties on and off the city were heavy, but Luo Rucai seemed to be determined not to take the northern city and vowed not to give up, and the soldiers climbed the city several times, but they were driven down by the soldiers of Chen Yongfu's department.

Gao Mingheng also did not dare to leave the city, seeing that the defenders suffered heavy casualties, he had no choice but to pour the prepared fire oil into the city, and ignited the fire oil with rockets, and the raging fire repelled the Heavenly Mandate Army.

Li Zicheng didn't expect Luo Rucai to be so desperate, but it was the Heavenly Mandate Army that suffered casualties, not Luo Rucai's private soldiers!

After Luo Rucai temporarily withdrew his troops, it was not yet dark, and he still wanted to attack the city at night, but Li Zicheng gave the order to stop the siege, and the soldiers who were attacking the city everywhere withdrew to the camp.