After sending Chen Yongfu away, Li Yan could finally go home to rest. At the same time, the craftsmen of the gunpowder workshop can take turns to rest for a few days. In the past few days, the gunpowder workshop has worked in two shifts, and more than 300 bombs have been produced in just a few days, in order to be useful in defense.

After returning home, Li Yan saw that Wu Niang and Qiu Niang were at home.

"You're back." Wu Niang said: "Don't fight now, right?" ”

Li Yan sat down and said, "Well, Chen Yongfu is gone, safe." ”

Qiu Niang asked with concern: "Then son, you are not injured, right?" ”

"I'm fine." Li Yan leaned back in the chair to make himself sit more comfortably, and said, "By the way, your cloth mill will start tomorrow to speed up the weaving." Seeing that winter is coming, the soldiers' winter clothes are not yet ready. ”

"Oh, got it." Wu Niang nodded. In the past few days, the cloth workshop has been on vacation, but she has not seen Li Yan. When she saw Li Yan, she was going to work in the cloth workshop again, and she was a little disappointed.

Li Yan asked Wu Niang: "How much do you know about Chen Yongfu?" ”

Wu Niang shook her head and replied: "I don't know, I only know that he has a lot of soldiers and is stationed in Kaifeng." ”

Qiu Niang said: "Childe, haven't you eaten yet?" I'll cook for you. ”

Li Yan waved his hand and said, "I have already eaten in the camp." He remembered the potatoes again, and said, "By the way, I have some potatoes here, and I'll send you some later." Let's see if you can come up with any new ways to eat in addition to steaming, grilling, and stir-frying. In the future, there will be more planting, and there will be only a few ways to eat every day, which will also make people feel annoying. ”

He felt it, but after eating potatoes for six or seven days in a row, he felt that he couldn't stand it, so he had this idea. He originally wanted to see if he could live by eating potatoes for a long time, but he couldn't hold on for a few days. Let them women develop some new ways of eating, using potatoes to make more delicious food, so that people can enjoy eating more.

As for when you're starving, you can't help it. Even tree bark, stones, and soil can be eaten, and potatoes are a rare delicacy.

"Don't worry, Childe, Qiu Niang will definitely find a few good practices for Childe." Qiu Niang said happily.

Wu Niang opened her mouth and said, "Li Gongzi, then we will go back first." ”

"Okay, I'll have the potatoes delivered to you in a moment." Li Yan said.

Wu Niang and Qiu Niang left Li Yan's house and soon returned to their small courtyard.

"You want to go by yourself, just go by yourself, why do you have to take me with you?" Qiu Niang complained dissatisfiedly.

Wu Niang said with a smile: "Li Gongzi has already eaten, but we haven't eaten yet." You made our meals, so how can we not ask you to come back? If you want to go to see Li Gongzi, just wait for lunch and then go by yourself, can Li Gongzi still let you go? ”

"I~, I~" Qiu Niang didn't know what to say. She wanted to go, but there was no reason, she was not like Wu Niang, who had the name of Li Yan's private account.

Qiu Niang snorted and returned to her room, waiting for Li Yan to bring potatoes. She decided that she would give Wu Niang a steamed potato today and a baked potato at night, and the meals for the past few days are all potatoes!

In the blink of an eye, the time has entered October.

He Renlong, who has been looking for an opportunity to pit Yang Sichang, finally found an opportunity. He took advantage of the withdrawal of Zheng Chongjian, the general system of the Shaanxi tripartite, and he also let his subordinates make trouble, and by the way, he shot some grain and silver money from the villages and towns near the county seat of Kaijiang County, and then returned to Shaanxi with his troops.

Zheng Chongjian had already taken away the general soldier Zheng Jiadong, and He Renlong left again, and there were even fewer troops left to pursue Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai. So Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai counterattacked in the area of Tuiling, and the weak official army was defeated, and then calmly entered the hinterland of Sichuan.

The Sichuan troops, which were ordered by Yang Sichang to intercept them in front, were seriously underpaid, not only had a serious shortage of personnel, but also had extremely dilapidated equipment, so the troops had no will to fight. Therefore, the Sichuan soldiers, who originally had the advantage of mountain danger, immediately got out of the way after knowing the news that the thieves were coming, moved the barracks to the mountain, and let Zhang Xianzhong and them pass calmly, so as to enter Sichuan.

And for Li Zicheng, who is still wandering around the border area of Shaanxi and Henan, the return of He Renlong is definitely not good news.

"Self-contained, the situation is not good." Liu Zongmin said: "Now it's all spread again, He Maniac (He Renlong) is back, isn't he coming to encircle and suppress us?" ”

Tian Jianxiu also nodded and said, "Yes, if there are only these villagers, we can still deal with it." Ding Qirui is also deploying troops now, preparing to encircle and suppress us. If we add He Renlong, we will be in danger. ”

"What then?" Li Zicheng frowned and said: "Don't talk about Huguang, the imperial court soldiers are gathered. The disaster in Henan, the grain harvest is everywhere, and we won't live long if we go. ”

"Where is there no official eunuch and landlord old wealth?" Liu Zongmin said: "Even if they don't harvest grain for three years, their granaries are full, are you afraid that there will be no grain?" ”

Li Zicheng reminded: "But those people are all in the city, can we attack them?" ”

Gao Yigong said: "We can fight the fort first." Although there are no rich people there, grasshoppers are also meat in small sizes. Let's add the old camp, it will be less than 2,000, and if we open a few forts, it will be enough to eat for a while. ”

Yuan Zongdi smiled and said, "Isn't Madman He not here yet?" There's no need to worry, let's send someone to Henan to explore the situation first, and then make a decision. ”

"When the madman comes, is it too late?" Liu Zongmin frowned and said, "It's better to take advantage of this time to prepare early." ”

Li Zicheng thought for a while, and finally said: "In this way, I will personally take the cavalry to Henan to have a look, and it will only take ten days to go back and forth." Madman He has just returned from the front line, and Ding Qirui doesn't have the ability to let him come to kill us immediately. So we still have time, don't rush. Zong Min and Li Guo went with me, and the others hid with the old camp, don't let the officials and soldiers bite it, and wait for our news here. ”

As soon as Liu Zongmin heard that he could also go to Henan, he immediately said, "Yes, let's go and have a look first." If Maniac He really comes back, even if it is to survive in death, we will go to Henan first. There are not many officers and soldiers there, and even if there is little food, we can always find a place to get food. ”

Since the two leaders, Li Zicheng and Liu Zongmin, have spoken, this matter is basically settled, and the rest is to execute.

So Li Zicheng and Liu Zongmin discussed, they took 300 cavalry out, leaving 200 cavalry to the old camp to deal with the possible encirclement and suppression of the official army. And the destination of this expedition, they are tentatively set in Lushi and Song counties. As long as these places can have food to keep them alive, Henan is also a good place to go.