At that time, it was the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, but the military camp in Wuguanguan City was too small, and it was impossible to accommodate fifteen soldiers of 100 households, even if the camp tent was built, it was very cold, Li Zicheng decided to simply take Shangnan County in the south, and let the soldiers celebrate the new yuan in Shangnan County.

The cavalry was the first to move south, along the official road, across the Qingyou River, and stopped in the valley of Chengguo Mountain in the west of Shangnan County.

There was no snow in the valley, but it was unusually cold, and the wind blew through the dead branches on the bare faces, and it hurt like a knife.

Li Zicheng found a sheltered mountain nest, set up a camp tent, and after entering the camp tent, although the cold wind was smaller, it was still cold, and he lit a firewood brazier to warm it up a little.

Several soldiers huddled in a camp tent, covered with quilts, still cold, simply put the marching beds together, used as hotel bunks, and slept together.

After dawn, Li Zicheng sent rangers, changed into people's clothes, and went to the city gate to inquire for information, and the rest of the soldiers were waiting for the infantry behind.

It wasn't until noon that the infantry of the four hundred households behind rushed over, and He Xiaoxiao rushed to see him, and hurriedly said: "Dadu Governor, we are going now, before dark, we should be able to take the county seat of Shangnan, didn't the people of the Han Qing Bureau say that the Ming army in the city is only two hundred households......"

"Don't attack," Li Zicheng said: "Xiaomi, do you know what day it is tonight?" ”

He Xiaomi scratched his head, but he didn't know, and suddenly heard the sound of firecrackers outside, and suddenly realized: "Governor, tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve......"

Yes, these soldiers, for the sake of the Chinese Empire and her people, even forgot the most important festival Chinese New Year's Eve of the Han people......

Li Zicheng fell into deep thought, he worked so hard for the belief in his heart, what were the soldiers for? Is it for the sake of the people of which they speak of it?

Maybe they're just trying to get enough to eat, for that pitiful amount of food......

It doesn't matter which reason, they have suffered a lot for the sake of the new Chinese Empire, thinking that the soldiers are freezing in the mountains, Li Zicheng's heart softened, "Millet told the brothers, take the county seat of Shangnan, each soldier will be rewarded with five taels of silver, and the officers above the general flag officer will be ten taels per person." ”

If measured in silver, it is really nothing compared to the hardships endured by the soldiers......

"Thank you, Governor!" He Xiaomi was overjoyed, and was about to kneel down to thank him, but was stopped by Li Zicheng, "Xiaomi, for the sake of the people, the brothers are frozen here, but only by taking the county seat of Shangnan, can we lie on the warm kang bed in the city, and send four brothers to rush to the outside of Shangnan City first, and build a ladder on the hidden ground." ”

"A ladder?" He Xiaomi was puzzled, since it was a siege, how could a cloud ladder be enough? If you don't siege the city, what do you want the ladder to do?

Could it be that the defenders in the city have been bought off by the people of the Han Qing Bureau, allowing the soldiers of the Heavenly Mandate Army to ascend to the top of the city?

Li Zicheng knew He Xiaomi's thoughts, and said with a faint smile: "Xiaomi, since you know that tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve, why don't you know the method of attacking the city?" ”

"Huh?" He Xiaomi suddenly opened his mouth wide, he just remembered that it was Chinese New Year's Eve, could it be that Chinese New Year's Eve has something to do with the siege?

Thinking about it carefully, I can't help but admire the governor of the capital so much that he throws himself to the ground, on the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, the whole city celebrates, and the weather is unusually cold, and the soldiers guarding the city will drink, keep out the cold, and shelter from the wind, and the garrison in the city is lax, and there are firecrackers and wind to cover......

Who would have thought that the Mandate of Heaven Army would launch a siege on Chinese New Year's Eve?

Besides, the Mandate of Heaven Army has been blocking the defeated Ming army from going south since the attack on Shangzhou City, and now the defenders of Shangnan County are afraid that they don't know that the Mandate of Heaven Army has come to the city!

Li Zicheng held the tea cup in one hand, but he was thoughtful, and after a while, he glanced at He Xiaomi lightly.

He Xiaoxiao nodded hurriedly, "Metropolitan Governor, my subordinates understand, my subordinates will go and let the brothers have a good rest, hurry after dark, and attack the city at the right time." ”

Li Zicheng nodded with a smile, "Xiaomi has made progress!" ”

He Xiaoxiao smiled, revealing a mouthful of big white teeth, "My subordinates follow the Metropolitan Governor every day, learn a little bit every day, and there will always be progress all year round, unless it is a stupid donkey......"

"Haha," Li Zicheng laughed, he naturally didn't want He Xiaomi to be a stupid donkey, "Inform the firefighters, tonight is Chinese New Year's Eve, add meals to the brothers, two meat and one vegetarian each, and when the county town is taken, I will give them new dollars," Seeing that He Xiaomi was still stunned, he added: "It's the war period, no one is allowed to drink!" ”

"Yes, Grand Duke!" He Xiaomi saluted the Metropolitan Governor, went happily, and was busy conveying the military orders of the Metropolitan Governor.

After nightfall, the soldiers of the Heavenly Mandate Army had a full meal, although it was not as rich as the Chinese New Year's Eve night, but the dishes of two meat and one vegetarian were already better than usual, and the Governor had already said that as long as he won the county seat of Shangnan tonight, not only would he give the brothers a new yuan tomorrow, but everyone would also have a reward of five taels of silver......

Compared with a meal in Chinese New Year's Eve, five taels of silver is too tempting, you can buy ten stones of grain, save a little, enough for a family of three to eat for a year, if you have not married, five taels of silver, enough to marry a big girl......

Although the soldiers were excited, they didn't dare to make a mistake, the prerequisite for all rewards was that they must take Shangnan County, if they couldn't take Shangnan County tonight, not only would they not be rewarded, but they would even be punished, and if they didn't do well, they would be forced to retire!

After resting for half an hour, the soldiers have already packed their bags and are ready to go on the road, the amount of salted fish and broth tonight is very sufficient, taking advantage of the strength and warmth of the body now, they hurried to take Shangnan County.

It's dark outside, you can't see your fingers, you can't see the path clearly, but fortunately, there is an official road, although it is not as wide and smooth as the avenue in Lanzhou, and there is no problem with the road, at least you don't have to worry about the mountains and rocks blocking the way.

The infantry is in front, the cavalry is in the back, Li Zicheng is in the middle of the team, the soldier in the front, wearing thick gloves, carrying a lantern, the light of the lantern is very dim, only he can see the path clearly, he is responsible for cleaning up the debris on the road, and the rest of the soldiers are following the pace of the front.

In order not to alarm the people along the way, the speed of the march was not fast, and the official road of more than 20 miles took an hour and a half.

When approaching the city, the soldiers who had come to make the ladder in advance in the afternoon had already run over to respond, and Li Zicheng ordered the soldiers to extinguish the lanterns, so as not to alarm the defenders at the head of the city.

The four soldiers dragged the improvised ladder over, "Grand Duke, are you going to attack the city now?" ”

Li Zicheng shook his head, "It's time now, the city should still be celebrating Chinese New Year's Eve, let's wait first!" ”

The soldiers stopped, found a place to shelter from the wind, nested together with each other to keep warm, Li Zicheng called He Xiaomi, and asked him to send a few soldiers to touch the city to see the movement of the defenders at the head of the city.

He Xiaomi hurriedly picked up the four pro-soldiers, took them personally, and disappeared into the night step by step.

The sound of firecrackers came from time to time in the city, but the firelight was not strong, and it could not be illuminated outside the city at all.

Half an hour later, He Mi quietly returned, "Governor, there is no movement in the city, on such a cold day, the soldiers guarding the city should sleep to avoid the cold......"

"Millet should not be careless," Li Zicheng said in his heart, this is a sure thing, don't make a mistake, if you alarm the soldiers defending the city, it is bound to attack, maybe the brothers will bleed, "first transport the ladder over, lean on the city wall, if there is no movement, then climb the city, millet, the siege of the city, it will be handed over to you, after you succeed, open the city gate as soon as possible, and receive the brothers into the city, pay attention, the ladder should be far away from the city gate!" ”

"Yes, Grand Duke!" He Xiaomi, following the governor of the capital, finally got the opportunity to make meritorious service today, he picked up a hundred personal soldiers, carried the ladder, and disappeared from everyone's sight.

He personally led two soldiers to explore the way in front, eight soldiers carried the ladder and quietly followed behind, and the rest of the soldiers, far behind, moved step by step to the city by the light in the middle of the city or from the light.

He Xiaomi found the right position, far away from the city gate, almost at the junction of the west city wall and the south city wall, slowly stopped, first transported the cloud ladder to the city wall, and then combined the strength of everyone, erected the cloud ladder, leaned on the city wall, moved up a little bit, and finally approached the city head.

The soldiers behind finally caught up, He Xiaomi asked the four soldiers to hold the ladder, and with a move of the handle, he was about to lead the soldiers to climb.

The Baihu official had already expected it, so he hurriedly grabbed He Xiaomi's arm, pointed to his head with his finger, and pointed to his nose, which means that you are the head of our team, you can't take risks easily, so let your subordinates go first.

He Xiaomi was furious, Lao Tzu finally waited for the opportunity to make meritorious contributions, you kid want to rob me? He "collapsed" on the helmet of the hundred household officials, and pointed back again, asking him to go to the back to supervise the formation.

The officials of the hundred households were helpless, knowing that they could not compete with the adults of the thousand households, so they had to glare at themselves in the night and quietly shrank to the back of the line.

He Xiaomi was the first to climb the ladder, one step at a time, from time to time, listening to the information in the city with his ears, a height of more than ten steps, and it took half a pillar of incense time to climb to the top of the city.

He held on to the parapet wall with one hand, listened carefully, and was sure that there was no sound in the city, so he stretched out his other hand, hugged the parapet wall with both hands, leaned out, and looked up at the city, but the weather was too dark to see anything, and there was no firecracker fire at this time, so he could only rely on hearing.

Still no movement.

He Xiaomi stretched out his right foot, stepped over the battlement, leaned upward, sat on the battlement, and then stepped his left foot over, turned around, and lay on the battlement, moving his body down little by little, until the toes touched the ground, he was short, and his whole body had fallen to the ground against the parapet.

He didn't dare to get up, leaning against the shadow in the corner, but his eyes swept a fan like radar, and he didn't find the figure of the defenders, so he carefully moved a little in the direction of the city gate along the parapet wall to give up the position behind him.

In a few moments, five soldiers had already climbed to the top of the city, and there were so many of them that they had to move to the sides to make room for the soldiers behind.