He Zhongrui smiled cruelly: "Divide the troops and encircle." ”

"Divide the troops?"

He Zhongrui explained: "You and I will each take a thousand people, go all the way to Xigou, all the way to Chenzhuang, and fire the cannon as the number, and we will definitely be able to annihilate this gang of thieves in one fell swoop." ”

Yang Hualin nodded: "A word is a certainty." I'll go to Xigou, you go to Chenzhuang, go immediately! ”

He Zhongrui stopped Yang Hualin: "Hey——, Brother Yang is not in a hurry." This Xigou is a long way, or I go to Xigou, you go to Chenzhuang, and it's not too late to set off in the afternoon. ”

"Then there's Lo Sixian."

He Zhongrui didn't really think about Yang Hualin, he was planning for himself, because although Xigou was farther away, the road was smooth, while Chenzhuang was a mountain road, and it was difficult for cars and horses to travel.

Yang Hualin didn't think about it so much, he was happy to sleep for half a day, and after lunch, he set up his troops and went to Chenzhuang.

Although it is a mountain road, because it is a straight line, so it is only twenty miles, and Yang Hualin arrived at Chenzhuang in an hour, and before entering the village, he saw seven or eight remnants of the defeated army coming to him.

Yang Hualin recognized them and asked, "How did you become like this?" What about Ho Zhongrui? ”

One of them replied, "Back to General Yang, we have been ambushed!" As soon as we arrived at Xigou, we saw ambushes coming at us, we were outnumbered, almost all the troops were annihilated, and General He had already sacrificed his life. ”

When Yang Hualin heard this, he almost fell off immediately, he turned his horse's head and shouted: "Go back!" Give me all back! ”

Before the words fell, someone came to report to him: "Report ——, General Yang, Ruyang has been occupied by thieves!" ”

Yang Hualin was taken aback again and asked, "What's the situation?" ”

"After you left, an army came, under the banner of Guanning Iron Cavalry, and deceived the city gate, and I waited for the people of the city to escape and report the news."

"It's over, it's over." Yang Hualin's face was frustrated, "Pass my order, go to Nanyang!" ”

Ruyang City.

Gao Junshan led the army into Ruyang, which had been occupied by Cao Wenzhao, and the people heard that Gao Junshan was coming, and poured out of the streets to welcome him.

Ruyang has not been sacked by the rebels, and it is also where Hong Chengchou's camp is located, so the strategic materials in the yamen are very rich, and eight out of ten barns are full.

Gao Junshan asked Hou Tiancheng to find the magistrate, and Hou Tiancheng trembled and followed a guard to Gao Junshan.

"Lord Zhixian, you don't have to be afraid!" Gao Junshan comforted him, "We are not robbers, we are teachers of benevolence and righteousness, as long as you are honest and honest and have not done anything hurtful to heaven and reason, we will not embarrass you." ”

Hou Tiancheng said: "I have heard that wherever your army goes, there is no offense against the people. ”

Gao Junshan told Hou Tiancheng in a righteous manner that his yamen had been taken over by the righteous army, and that he would stay free, and if he was willing to stay and do things for Gao Junshan, Gao Junshan would be happy to accept him.

Hou Tiancheng saluted Gao Junshan and said: "Back to General Gao, because there is still an eighty old mother at home, the lower official wants to resign and return to his hometown to serve his mother, please give the general a convenience." ”

Gao Junshan agreed to his request: "If you don't want to stay, I won't force it, from now on, you can leave freely." ”

Hou Tiancheng was giving a salute: "Thank you, General!" ”

……

Gao Junshan confiscated all the military resources and weapons storehouse that Hong Chengchou had hoarded here in Ruyang, the most eye-catching thing in the arsenal was ten red-coated cannons, in addition to the red-coated cannons, there were also 100 tiger squat cannons, 2,000 boxes of lead bullets and a large amount of gunpowder, in addition to cold weapons such as knives, guns, swords, and sticks, as well as a batch of bed crossbows, foot crossbows, Zhuge crossbows, and various bows and arrows, as well as 5,000 sets of brand-new cotton armor, 3,000 sets of silver armor, and 30,000 sets of military uniforms of the Ming army, a large number of marching tents.

Gao Junshan took out all the things in the warehouse and redressed Cai Zhishan's first battalion, and sent the eliminated equipment to the recruit battalion.

"Open the warehouse and release the grain!"

The news was spread all over the streets of Ruyang City, and the Red Army comrades and Liu Hongru, who were in charge of opening warehouses and releasing grain, also sent several teams to post notices everywhere for opening warehouses and releasing grain.

Henan is a province with a large population, and the population of Ruyang City alone is four or five hundred thousand, and this opening a warehouse to release grain is not something that can be done in a single sentence, and it must be distributed one by one according to household registration.

Gao Junshan transferred Bailisha, Tian Wenju, and Li Xin to the Red Army friends to help, and transferred all the three hundred Chongwen disciples to the Red Army friends.

In this way, the entire warehouse was opened and released for five days before Hong Chengchou's reserve grain was distributed, and the people of the whole city cheered.

In order to control the quantity and quality of the new recruits, Gao Junshan recruited 8,000 new soldiers and recruited nearly 1,000 handicraftsmen of various types.

In Ruyang, Gao Junshan reorganized his troops, reorganizing the original four battalions and one recruit battalion into four brigades and one recruit battalion.

The 1st Battalion was upgraded to the 1st Brigade with five battalions;

The 2nd Battalion was upgraded to the 2nd Brigade with four battalions;

The 3rd Battalion was upgraded to the 3rd Brigade with four battalions;

The 4th Battalion was upgraded to the 4th Brigade with three battalions.

There are 3,000 people in each battalion, and the official positions are six levels: general outpost, general officer, general general, hundred households, chief and chief of the army.

The commander of the brigade is still called the general soldier, which is intentional by Gao Junshan, which is due to the sense of belonging of Cao Wenzhao and He Renlong, who surrendered from the imperial court.

In this way, the regular army of Gao Junshan has grown to 50,000 horses, and the new barracks also have as many as 30,000, the chief soldier of the new barracks is Ma Jinzhong, the deputy commander-in-chief is Hui Dengxiang and Liu Xinzhi, and the military adviser Li Xin.

Liu Chenggong's rocket cavalry team was upgraded to a rocket cavalry battalion, and along with Liu Chenggong, Chongwen's disciples Zhou Shichen, Jiang Guorong and Liu Da were promoted to the general outpost.

……

However, it was said that the governor Hong Chengchou arrived in Luzhou, and found out that the righteous army was attacking east and west, drifting like wind and rain, and he was very anxious, so he flew to the former enemy soldiers, while dividing his troops to hold the passes in Hunan, Hubei, Henan, and Yunyang, while dispatching a strong army, marching from Fengyang to Ruyang, preparing to exterminate the Gaojun Mountain.

Gao Junshan received Feng Shuangli's report, and the whole army stepped up preparations for war.

At the same time, he learned that Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng had arrived in Shangnan, Shaanxi; Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai led the army to the west, entered Huguang through Huoshan and Yingshan, joined the division with Ma Shouying, and captured Macheng on the third day of the first month of March.

In this way, Gao Junshan has become a lone army in Henan. He knew that he had to get closer to Li Zicheng or Zhang Xianzhong in order to ensure his survival, and it was difficult to compete with the Ming Court with his own strength alone.

So, on April 12, the eighth year of Chongzhen, Gao Junshan led his troops to leave Ruyang City and advanced to Tongbai Mountain in the southwest, and the people of Ruyang sent each other all the way for ten miles.

After Tongbai Mountain, he entered Huguang, and met with Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai, and Ma Shouying in Zaoyang, and there were as many as 300,000 people.

As soon as Zhang Xianzhong saw Gao Junshan, he punched him in the chest and said happily: "Good boy! You made such a big move in Runing Mansion and mobilized Hong Chengchou's main forces. ”

Gao Junshan said with a smile: "The movements of the eight kings are not small, first dug the ancestral grave of Zhu Youzhen's family in Fengyang, and then hit Luzhou, fought Shucheng, took Wuwei, Xialiuhe, swept Qianshan, Taihu Lake, Susong and other places, and won again and again, he Hong Chengchou can't catch up with you if he wants to!" ”

Everyone laughed.

Gao Junshan set up camp in Zaoyang, and led his Red Army friends, Sun Kewang, Liu Hongru, Tian Wenju and his son Ma Wen to the coalition camp in Zaoyang City, and Marven went to find his little friend Li Dingguo.

The city wall of Zaoyang City is hung with Zhang Xianzhong's banner, in front of the city gate, a small colonel led a dozen cavalry to see the men and horses of Gao Jun Mountain from afar, and quickly greeted him, and the small colonel respectfully dismounted and bowed: "Meet Qin Ye!" The eight kings ordered the little ones to wait here, Qin Ye came, and immediately led Qin Ye into the city! ”

Gao Junshan was also polite, nodded and said, "Please lead the way." ”

As soon as he arrived at the city gate, he saw Li Dingguo, and he was also anxious, so he ran to the city gate to greet his little friend.

When Li Dingguo saw Marven, he dragged him to the wilderness, and Gao Junshan knew that he couldn't stop screaming, so he went with them.

The cavalry colonel was flattering again, smiling and clenching his fists on the side: "Master Qin, why don't I send someone to follow the little young master?" ”

"No, I'm sure they'll be able to go home on their own!"

Gao Junshan came to the gate of the county government under the leadership of the small school, Zhang Xianzhong greeted him happily, grabbed Gao Junshan's hand, and shouted excitedly: "Brother Gao, you came just in time, Lao Huihui has already set up a banquet in the back hall, and you have not arrived yet." ”

The banquet was already full of people, and at a glance, Luo Rucai and Ma Shouying were already sitting in front of the Eight Immortals table in the middle, and the four tables next to them were sitting the strategists and generals of each family, they were:

Ma Yuanli, Zhang Hualong, Wang Shangli, Wang Long, Yuan Qi, Wang Guangen, Yang Chengzu, Li Rugui, Ma Tianzhu, Yu Fangyang.

There was also a table that was empty, and the four of them, Red Army Friend, Sun Kewang, Liu Hongru, and Tian Wenju, sat down at this table unceremoniously.

After Zhang Xianzhong and Gao Junshan sat down at the Eight Immortals table in the middle, the banquet officially began.

On the table are all kinds of delicacies of chicken, duck and fish, and the large bowl of wine is exuding an attractive aroma.

Zhang Xianzhong first picked up the big bowl and said loudly: "The seventy-two battalions of the thirteen families in Xingyang gathered, and we dug the ancestral grave of the Zhu family; Today, heroes from all walks of life gather, we have to do a vigorous thing, as for what it is, we have to add it up. Anyway, if we drink this bowl of wine, we will be good brothers in the army. ”

Gao Junshan stood up and suggested: "According to the rules, we still nominate a person who is in charge of the plate to preside over the overall situation, I think the eight kings can be competent, I don't know if a few of you here have any objections?" ”

As soon as Gao Junshan said this, Luo Rucai and Ma Shouying both raised their hands in agreement. Then everyone began to discuss the next course of action, and everyone agreed that because Hong Chengchou brought the Shaanxi official army out of Henan to encircle and suppress the righteous army, the current strength of Shaanxi is the most empty, and it is wise to return to Shaanxi and attack Xi'an, and it is also the most feasible plan.

In front of the banquet table, Gao Junshan toasted Zhang Xianzhong's generals Ma Yuanli, Zhang Hualong, and Wang Shangli, Luo Rucai's generals Wang Long, Yuan Jue, Wang Guangen, Yang Chengzu, and Li Rugui, and Ma Shouying's generals Ma Tianzhu and Yu Fangyang, respectively, to show their respect.

These generals felt that Gao Junshan was an approachable person in charge, and they were all willing to drink with him, not only willing to drink with him, but also willing to talk to him about their hearts.

After the banquet was dispersed, as soon as Gao Junshan entered the gate of the old camp, he saw Han Yuyan anxiously waiting for him to come back at the door.