Under the west city of Suzhou, in a makeshift tent, Hou Xuanyan and several important officials surrounded a cauldron. The pot was filled with stewed cabbage and large pieces of meat.

The war was urgent, and they were all indispensable commanders, so they didn't even have a chance to go home and rest.

Hou Xuanyan held a bowl of rice, took a bite of it, and scolded: "Hong Chengchou, a dog thief, has a really black heart, and he doesn't treat his soldiers as human beings. Attacking the city in this way is purely filling in with life. ”

A few officials who were eating on the left and right looked relaxed, and after Yan Yingyuan's strategy of defending the city was implemented, although the enemy was attacking fiercely, they could hold it. The Suzhou soldiers also slowly matured in the change of defense again and again, and they were fortunate to meet the best commander and the strongest city in the first battle.

Zhu Dadian wiped the oil on his mouth, wiped it on the cloth armor casually, and said: "I think his playing style is wrong, how can he come up and fight hard, you must know that we still have the whole territory of Zhejiang in hand." He fought so hard, isn't he afraid that the soldiers will run out and be counterattacked by us? ”

Yan Yingyuan put down the dishes and chopsticks, his eyes narrowed and he groaned: "Hong Chengchou is very famous, when Emperor Chongzhen was in power, he was a famous general in the world. The soldiers and horses under his command were praised as the "Hong Army", and when the thieves were doing evil in the Central Plains, they were almost invincible, but they couldn't escape when they met Hong Chengchou. This man has always been a good man and a resourceful man. I think he is desperate to attack the city, first of all, to show his Manchu masters, to show his loyalty. Second, in order to eliminate dissidents, he was appointed as the governor of Jiangnan Zhaofu, and there are many self-respecting soldiers in the towns of Jiangbei, and he may want to borrow our hands to eradicate these unstable military towns. Thirdly..."

Hou Xuanyan continued the conversation and said: "Third, Bacheng, the dog thief, is waiting for reinforcements from the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and I am watching his desperate Sanlang's strength, and his reinforcements are not far from our Suzhou." ”

Yan Yingyuan nodded and said, "What the commander said is true. ”

When a few people in the tent were discussing, a small soldier opened the big tent and came in and said, "Lord Yu, Lord Zhang Mingzhen has brought troops into the city from Songjiang Mansion. ”

Everyone in the tent glanced at each other, and they all saw the joy in everyone's eyes, Hong Chengchou's offensive was too fierce, and this group of reinforcements came just right.

Hou Xuanyan got up and greeted the door, and Zhang Mingzhen had already arrived in front of the tent.

Seeing Hou Xuanyan, Zhu Dadian and others, surrounding a black cauldron, sharing weal and woe with the soldiers, Zhang Mingzhen was inexplicably moved in his heart. This is the atmosphere that should be in place to restore the army of the Central Plains. Remembering that in Shaoxing, although King Lu also had the ambition to regain the lost land in Beidu, he sang and danced to promote peace, drinking wine and watching singing and dancing every day to appreciate the beauties, which was in response to the poem.

"The warm wind smokes the tourists and makes Hangzhou Bianzhou."

As soon as Hou Xuanyan wanted to speak, he saw familiar figures behind Zhang Mingzhen.

"Third Uncle Gong! How did you guys get here? ”

Gong Laosan smirked, stared at Hou Xuanyan for a while, and nodded with satisfaction. Hou Xuanyan has been in a high position in Suzhou for a long time, and he is no longer the hairy boy he was at the beginning, and he has the temperament of a superior person between his gestures.

"Come in and talk, Fan Xian, you are also here, how is the thing I entrusted you with?"

Entering the tent, before Fan Xian could speak, Zhang Mingzhen looked angry and cursed: "Zheng Zhilong, a traitor, is short-sighted, and he refuses to send troops with such a good opportunity." His Majesty has no soldiers and horses in his hands, and the great opportunity to recover Jinling is wasted. ”

He had already heard what Gong Laosan said on the road, and Zhang Ming vomited blood angrily, and the anger had not subsided for a few days.

Hou Xuanyan had long expected such a result, and sighed: "No way, Zheng Zhilong is powerful, Your Majesty and none of us can cure him." It's just a pity that such a time-honored opportunity, alas! ”

The officials in the tent all sighed, as long as the Ming Dynasty unites a little, and an authoritative emperor is in charge, it will not fall to this point today.

Hou Xuanyan immediately asked, "What about gunpowder?" ”

Gong Laosan was able to interject at this time, and said: "I sold all the money in Fuzhou, and exchanged three ships of gunpowder with Zheng Zhilong, which has been transported into the city. ”

Hou Xuanyan nodded and said: "If you sell it, sell it, Fuzhou is dark in the southeast, and it is not a place for people with lofty ideals to stay for a long time." With these gunpowders, Lao Tzu has a great plan! ”

Zhu Dadian said: "Master Zhang's heart is as careful as a hair, if he rushes here, I am afraid that he will be accidentally ignited by the fire outside the city." ”

Yan Yingyuan also breathed a sigh of relief, although he was full of confidence in order to stabilize Hou Xuanyan. But Hong Chengchou on the opposite side is indeed a rare good general for him, and there is no mistake in command, and there have been several Qing soldiers who have climbed the city tower.

"Commander, Hong Chengchou decided that we didn't have shells, so it was better to take this opportunity to hit them hard."

Hou Xuanyan shook his head and said: "It's not the time yet, although the artillery fire is fierce, but once the cannon sounds, Hong Chengchou can calmly withdraw the army, although there are many casualties, he can't move his muscles and bones." Let the brothers keep watch for a while, and at night, find reliable manpower and smuggle them up to the castle tower, I am afraid that there will be enemy eyeliner in the city, and remember not to leak the news. ”

Gu Shouzheng, who had not spoken on the side, asked hesitantly: "Commander, the soldiers are in the city tower, and if they hold on for a while, many more people will die..."

Hou Xuanyan, Yan Yingyuan, and Zhu Dadian looked at him together, and each smiled tacitly.

Zhu Dadian knew that he was Hou Xuanyan's henchman, and he also had relatives, so he patiently explained: "Let them go, when the time comes, they will encounter them in the wild, and if you want to annihilate them, more people will die." ”

Although Gu Shouzheng is a bit of a bookish scholar, his reverence for Hou Xuanyan makes him choose to obey. He bowed his head and was silent.

Hou Xuanyan raised his eyebrows and said coldly: "After being pressed and beaten by this Tartar's loyal dog for so long, it's time to fight back." Send five spies to go out of the city by different routes, and they will inevitably contact Taihu Wu Yi. Let him sit and wait for the cannon fire to start tonight, let them cover up from behind, and beat the water dogs. Then send someone to send an order to Xia Wanchun, so that he does not have to enter the city, and lead the troops to march to Changzhou, Wuxi, and take the opportunity to recover the lost territory. ”

After finishing speaking, Hou Xuanyan looked around the tent, everyone was excited, and their faces showed excitement that they hadn't seen for a long time.

"Let the brothers who change the defense in the city, have a good rest, and I will personally go to the city to withstand the last wave of offensive. You all have good spirits and are ready to pursue Hong Chengchou, the dog thief. Hehe, tonight is no more than before, one more step of chasing out, which means that the place under our feet has been recovered by us. ”