The Guguan at the eastern end of the Guanshan Road is built on the mountainside, guarding the key point of the Guanshan Road, because of the passage for a long time, the traces of human activities in the east valley road are very obvious, and the forest in this area has been completely destroyed, showing a small piece of flat land.

The land is not large, except for the gentle slope further east, but the size of four football fields, and in the valley, such a level of land is already rare.

Liu Chenggong's army of 10,000 set up camp in this clearing, and the camp was very dense, extending into the trees on both sides, and even the valley road to the east was blocked.

As the vanguard of Hong Chengchou's department, Liu Chenggong was responsible for clearing roadblocks and spying on the military situation of the Heavenly Mandate Army, but Liu Chenggong always looked down on thieves, and he relied on his many generals, and soon after setting up a large battalion, he began to attack Guguan with all his might.

Before the arrival of the Governor, if you take the Guguan, pass through the Guanshan Road, and go straight to Longyou, it is not only a great achievement, but also look at the Cao Wenzhao who is stubborn and self-serving, how will he be in front of the Metropolitan Governor in the future?

Soldiers fight, one drum, then decline, three and exhaustion! Liu Chenggong knew this truth, so he concentrated all the more than 10,000 soldiers in the army under Guguan City, hoping to fight a battle.

However, if the Guguan is not taken, it must not be crossed to the west from the narrow passage to the north of the Guguan, otherwise, once the thieves leave the pass, their own soldiers will be divided and cut off.

Liu Chenggong asked the soldiers to line up in a neat queue and concentrate outside the east gate of Guguan, and he wanted to use the wheel warfare method to take advantage of the huge advantage in numbers to drag down the thieves in Guguan.

Ma Youshui saw that the Ming army was numerous, so he gathered all the gunners of his ten hundred households and five hundred households under Zhou Bin and put them at the head of the city, and only the five hundred auxiliary soldiers of Zhou Bin's department were left in the city as a reserve, while his other ten hundred soldiers had not yet completed the training because they had just been formed.

After half a day of fierce fighting, Liu Chenggong's troops suffered three or four thousand casualties, and they were stunned that they did not attack the city, and seeing that it was getting late, he had to grit his teeth and withdraw his troops back to the camp, preparing to fight again tomorrow.

However, the reduction in numbers also had the advantage that the barracks were no longer as crowded as before, and Liu Chenggong asked the soldiers to collect the camp tents on all sides to the middle, separating them from the trees on both sides, and giving way to the valley road to the east.

When Li Zicheng arrived at Guguan, the sun was already hanging halfway up the mountain, only half of his face was left, blood red and blood-red, and even the glow behind him was so tragic that people didn't dare to look at it directly, it seemed that the blood of the Ming army had already flown to an infinite height, and the glow became one.

When Ma Youshui heard that Li Zicheng had arrived at Guguan, he was overjoyed, he left Dongchengtou and went to the West Gate to greet him in person, "Governor!" ”

"There's no need to be polite if you have water, get up quickly," Li Zicheng took the opportunity to jump off his horse and walk side by side with him, "How about it, has the Ming army begun to attack the city?" He heard sporadic gunfire coming from the eastern part of the city, and knew that it must not be a soldier training.

"Back to the Metropolitan Governor, the front of the Ming army has come to Guguan." General Ma Youshui made a brief report on the afternoon battle.

"Let's go, let's go to Dongchengtou and have a look!" Li Zicheng faintly felt that something was wrong, but he didn't know what the problem was for a while, but the Heavenly Mandate Army annihilated 3,000 enemies, and he had almost no loss of personnel, and such a victory itself could cover up many problems.

Ma Youshui led Li Zicheng to the head of the east city, fifteen soldiers of 100 households, under the command of Zhou Bin, were shooting with rifles, ruthlessly harvesting the wounded soldiers of the Ming army under the city, and anyone who could get up would be shot one or two.

"It's better to cut off one of its fingers than to hurt its ten fingers"! It seems that Ma Youshui has grasped the true meaning of war.

Under the city wall, the wounded soldiers of the Ming army are wailing in the sky, Liu Chenggong's army has retreated, these wounded soldiers have been abandoned by their companions, and can only wait for death under the city wall, even if they are lucky enough to avoid the rifles of the Heavenly Mandate Army, they can't avoid the pervasive cold air, and the blood they shed will soon solidify.

The cold of the night will be their worst enemy.

Li Zicheng gritted his teeth and forced himself to harden his heart, they are not ordinary people, but their own enemies, they have been shot, with the current medical level of the Ming army and the attitude towards the wounded soldiers, even if they are allowed to return to the camp, it is a dead end, it is better to let them be relieved as soon as possible, I hope you will not be the opponent of the Heavenly Mandate Army in the next life!

The desperate screams of these wounded soldiers can effectively break the will to fight of the Ming army, and the today of their companions is their tomorrow!

Seeing that Ma Youshui and the gunners of Zhou Bin's fifteen hundred households were all at the head of the city, Li Zicheng suddenly realized, and only then did he find out the problem, "There is water, the Ming army is the vanguard, you pull out all the gunners, once Hong Chengchou's main force comes to attack the city, where is your reserve?" ”

"Governor Dadu, there are too many people attacking the city in the Ming army...... Ma Youshui also knew that it was inappropriate, but he was suddenly attacked by more than 10,000 soldiers, and he could only let it go, "The reserve is only ten hundred households that have just been expanded......"

"Once the reserves are mobilized, it will be the moment of decisive battle," Li Zicheng looked at him and said coldly: "At the critical moment, can they withstand it?" ”

"The Metropolitan Governor ......" Ma Youshui was scared into a cold sweat, Li Zicheng pointed out the crux of his defense of the city, and left the decisive moment to these recruits who did not have comprehensive training, can they be reliable? Once there is a loosening, the Ming army, which occupies an absolute advantage in numbers, is likely to break through the pass, and the governor of the capital will hand over the solid pass to himself, but now ...... "subordinates are convicted of ......"

"Guilty? Do you eat the least of sin? Li Zicheng shouted: "Once the solid pass is lost, there is only Li Guo's cavalry in Anrong Pass, how long can it stop the Ming army?" ”

"Ask the capital to punish you!" Ma Youshui's legs were weak and he knelt on the ground.

Ma Youshui had already admitted his mistake, and Li Zicheng also extinguished his anger, after all, he was young, and it was the first time he encountered a Ming army of more than 10,000 attacking the city...... He can't be blamed entirely either!

However, after this battle, Li Zicheng believes that Ma Youshui, as well as his subordinate soldiers, will definitely grow up quickly, and for soldiers, blood and fire on the battlefield can be the best catalyst for them to grow.

Li Zicheng suddenly realized: Since the battlefield can lead soldiers to grow up quickly, why not so?

He said lightly: "There is water, how long has it been since the recently expanded thousand households have been training rifles?" ”

"Ah...... Back to the Metropolitan Governor, not long after they became an army, although I let them train the soldiers' rifles, it was only more than ten days, and they could just shoot with a gun," Ma Youshui saw that Li Zicheng's expression turned pale, his heart calmed down a little, pondered for a moment, and said: "The Metropolitan Governor means ......."

Li Zicheng smiled at me and said, "Yes, withdraw Zhou Binbu as a reserve and let your auxiliaries come up!" ”

"Dadu Governor, they have just completed the training of the queue, and they have been practicing their rifles for less than half a month......" Ma Youshui was taken aback by Li Zicheng's boldness, "If they are frightened, won't they mess up the whole army's formation......"

"It's considered that the training is done in the training ground, although their accuracy is poor, they can annihilate some Ming troops, it is better than wasting bullets in the training ground," Li Zicheng saw that the gunners were shooting sporadically killing and wounding soldiers, and hurriedly said: "Let Zhou Binbu retreat, and first transfer five hundred households to come up, so that they can practice their courage!" ”

"Yes, Grand Duke!" Now it is not a battle, but a massacre, and the majority of soldiers can just stabilize the situation, Ma Youshui suddenly understood, and hurriedly asked the herald to go to deliver the order.

The Metropolitan Governor personally came to Guguan, although he did not bring soldiers and horses, but he brought a different perspective and boosted the morale of the brothers.

After a while, the soldiers of Zhou Binbu withdrew from the city, and Ma Youshui's five auxiliary soldiers of the hundred households, holding rifles in their arms, climbed the city head majestically, Ma Youshui explained a few words to the officials of the hundred households, and then patted them on the shoulder, waved their right hand, and let them join the ranks of slaughtering the wounded soldiers of the Ming army.

Because it is getting late, the Ming army should not attack the city, and the soldiers of the Ma Youshui Department basically stop shooting, leaving the opportunity to the auxiliary soldiers, so that they can practice their feel and grow up as soon as possible.

"Bang...... Bang bang ......"

For the first time, the auxiliaries used their rifles to strike their own enemies, because they were shooting wounded soldiers, which was similar to shooting a human target at a training ground, and was slightly closer.

The Metropolitan Governor and the guerrilla general were watching the battle at the head of the city, and the soldiers were very excited, and everyone hoped to give full play to their level of discipline during this period of time and perform in front of the supreme military commander of the Heavenly Mandate Army.

Zhou Bin asked his subordinates to leave the city, but he came to Li Zicheng, bowed slightly, and said, "Governor!" ”

Li Zicheng patted Zhou Bin on the shoulder and said, "How is the morale of the brothers?" Were you intimidated by the superior strength of the Ming army? ”

"No, no," Zhou Bin hurriedly said: "Don't worry, the brothers are all born poor, only in the Mandate of Heaven army, they can get sufficient food and salary, the brothers hate the army of the imperial court as much as the Mongolian cavalry, they are all robbers who seize their property!" ”

"Haha, Zhou Bin, the ideological work of the brothers really can't be relaxed!" Li Zicheng is the most at ease with Zhou Bin's army, the battle of the triangle city, the soldiers were killed and wounded, but they still tried their best to protect the city gate, such an army can indeed be regarded as a model of the Mandate of Heaven.

Zhou Bin's department later expanded a large number of soldiers, but the main general was still there, and the surviving soldiers were all promoted to officers at all levels, and a new framework of the 5,000 households was built.

"Zhou Bin, take out the rifles of the four hundred households, let the auxiliary soldiers of the six thousand households have a rifle each, and I will let them take turns to come to the city to practice their hands!"

Zhou Bin immediately understood, "Metropolitan Governor, is this to let the auxiliaries mature as soon as possible?" It was the first time he had heard of putting soldiers on the battlefield for training, but with a thousand soldiers as a framework and auxiliaries in a safe position at the head of the city, he couldn't go wrong.

"Well, Hong Chengchou's main force is coming, we don't have time to train our troops, we can only use the old to lead the new and shorten their growth time," Li Zicheng paused, and said: "These four hundred rifles are already on the way, and they will soon arrive at Guguan with a large number of bullets!" ”

"Yes, Metropolitan Governor, after dinner, the subordinates will lend the rifles to the brothers of the 600th household," Zhou Bin nodded and said with a smile: "They will grow up as soon as possible, and our pressure will be less!" ”

Li Zicheng said suddenly: "What about Yunshui, why didn't you see him?" ”

"Governor, he'...... He patrolled outside the city to see if there was a chance to attack by taking advantage of the terrain! ”

Li Zicheng left Ma Youshui to garrison Guguan, not to use him to defend the city, mainly to spy on the information of the Ming army, and when necessary, relying on the speed advantage of the cavalry, he went out of the city to assault the Ming army and assist Ma Youshui in defending the city.

Liu Yunshui wandered outside the city, which was originally a normal thing, but Li Zicheng considered that Liu Chenggong was no more than 10,000 people, and he had already suffered three or four thousand casualties, so he had an idea in his heart, "How far is Hong Chengchou from Guguan?" When will I be able to arrive? ”

"Back to the Grand Governor, according to the cavalry investigation of the rangers and General Liu, they still have a day's journey and should arrive the day after tomorrow!"

Li Zicheng pondered for a moment, suddenly stretched his eyebrows, turned around and said, "Xiaomi, immediately notify the chief officials of each thousand households to come to the camp for a meeting!" ”