Bai Shixiong and others led the cavalry to chase until it was almost dark, and then returned to Tongzhou. The results of their pursuit this time were quite good, basically annihilating the Qing cavalry and capturing more than 1,000 horses. However, after interrogating the captives, they learned that they were only chasing a Han army, which also disappointed them.

The next day, Li Yan finally got some ammunition supplies from Tianjin. It was a little more than he thought, because ammunition from Henan was also delivered.

Although they used some captured artillery and ammunition in this battle, the ammunition consumption was still very large, and nearly half of the ammunition he brought was used. If it weren't for these ammunition from Tianjin, Li Yan wouldn't have the confidence to have a decisive battle with the Qing army that had come over.

At the same time, he also received good news from the mansion. On April 24, Qiu Niang gave birth to a daughter to him, and the mother and daughter were safe.

Li Yan smiled happily, the mother and daughter are safe, this is the best news. He commanded, "Good! Inform the whole army of this news, and tonight each person will have a wine or two, plus meat and vegetables. ”

Li Mu immediately shouted: "One or two is too little, two or two." ”

"It's still wartime, and it's an exception to have alcohol to drink." Li Yan reminded: "Don't drink it privately, otherwise I will severely punish you." ”

Li Mou, Bai Shixiong, Wang Renjie, Sun Tianyang and others all looked at each other and grimaced helplessly.

Li Yan continued: "Tomorrow the troops will be mobilized and go to Beijing. ”

They had already received news that all the Qing troops in Beijing had retreated. Although many officials have been blackmailed by Li Zicheng, and many of the people and officials have left the capital with Li Zicheng, Beijing has been the capital for more than 200 years after all, and there are not a few wealthy families. When the Qing army left, they also robbed a lot of gold, silver and silk. They put these things on their horses, and before Li Yan could pass, they hurriedly fled north.

"Not in Tongzhou anymore?" Li Mu said puzzledly: "In a big city like Beijing, our more than 30,000 troops are not enough to defend the city, how can we fight against the Qing army?" ”

Li Yan explained: "If a large number of Qing troops are allowed to enter Beijing, it will be difficult to do. Beijing is no more troublesome than Tongzhou City, and the siege of the city is much more troublesome. ”

"But there's a plague in the capital." Wang Renjie said: "Isn't it dangerous for us to go in? Let the Qing army enter, let's surround them, let them all get the epidemic, and half of them will die. ”

Li Yan said: "If we don't enter the city, we will wait for the Qing soldiers outside the city." Rather than waiting for the epidemic to kill and injure the Qing soldiers, it is better for us to do it ourselves. There are still hundreds of thousands of people in the city, and we can't chill the hearts of the people. More importantly, Beijing is the world's view, and if the Qing army is allowed to occupy it for a long time, it will affect the morale of the people in the world. ”

Since Li Yan had decided, they could only comply, and they didn't say anything more.

"Okay, let's go back and prepare, start early tomorrow morning, don't be unready by then." Li Yan commanded.

After everyone left, Li Mu came to Li Yan's side and said in a low voice: "Fourth brother, don't worry, isn't there still a sister-in-law." If you're still a girl, then you'll have another life. ”

Li Yan looked at Li Mu and said with a smile: "Where do you see that I'm unhappy?" You've always been more anxious than I am about this. You don't have to think about these useless things, your fourth brother is not old yet. ”

Li Mu also said with a smile: "It's good that you're not unhappy." After that, he changed his serious expression and said, "Fourth brother, I didn't think about it just now." The defenders of Beijing surrendered to the Qing army, although they did not leave with the Qing army, but it is not credible, right? ”

Li Yan nodded and said, "You don't need them to defend the city, just use the people." This time, the Qing army ransacked the capital again, and the people of the capital should be very resentful. We just need to send some personnel to command. Not every Beijing soldier who surrendered was willing to surrender to the Qing army. Moreover, their families are also in the city, and they have the experience of the Tongzhou massacre, so there should be no problem if they are placed outside the city. ”

"I hope so." Li Mu said with some worry: "Those guys are the grass on the wall." As long as our war is a little unfavorable, they may turn back. ”

"Well, put them at a distance not far away, even if they want to ask the Qing army for credit, they don't have that ability." Li Yan agreed with Li Mou's statement and said while thinking.

At this time, Azig and Duoduo rushed to Tongzhou with their troops. Since Dolgon was asking for help, it meant that the situation was serious, so they all rode lightly and quickly. And the Han troops of Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, with artillery, dragged behind to follow.

Although they all knew that being able to let Dolgon, who had an army of tens of thousands, ask for help, it showed that Li Yan's combat power was very strong. But to say that Dolgon would flee if they didn't come to their aid, they wouldn't believe anything. They were invincible soldiers of the Eight Banners, how could they be defeated? So they did not send scouts, but the whole army acted together and went directly to the direction of Tongzhou. As a result, they missed Dorgon's messenger and were completely unaware of the fact that Dolgon had retreated.

Now the North is in chaos, and the South is just as chaotic.

Fu Wang Zhu Yousong finally went to Nanjing, but instead of ascending the throne as emperor, he first became a prisoner. After all, Chongzhen's three sons are still in the hands of Li Zicheng, and there is a possibility of escaping, so Zhu Yousong can only be a temporary emperor.

Gao Jie, Huang Degong, Liu Liangzuo, Liu Zeqing and other four people are the founding fathers of Dingce, so they were all added to the knighthood. Huang Degong is the Marquis of Jingnan, Gao Jie is the Bo of Xingping, Liu Zeqing is the Bo of Dongping, and Liu Liangzuo is the Bo of Guangchang. Zuo Liangyu, who was in Wuchang, was also named the Marquis of Ningnan.

Since the people of the four towns were sealed because of their decision-making, none of them wanted to leave the surroundings of Nanjing, and they all wanted to continue to influence the government and make the policies of the imperial court beneficial to themselves. At this time, Zhang Xianzhong was attacking Guangdong, but none of the soldiers of the four towns were willing to come to the rescue.

Fortunately, Zhang Xianzhong occupied most of Huguang, Jiangxi, and part of Guizhou and Guangdong, and the territory expanded too quickly, and the elite troops were not enough, so the combat strength of the troops was greatly reduced, so Shaoguan was not breached.

And Zuo Liangyu in Wuchang is completely in the mood to suppress thieves. Although he was made a marquis, he was not a hero of the decision, and the benefits he would naturally not get much. Originally, he wanted to take advantage of Li Zicheng's main force in the north to take back Jingzhou, Chengtian, Xiangyang and other places, but now he has given up this plan.

Gao Yigong's troops in Huguang were weak, and he could not pose any threat to Henan, and with Zuo Liangyu's containment in the south, he could not contain Li Yan. Moreover, because they were not conducive to the resettlement of the people who were forcibly relocated from Henan in Huguang, many people fled to Henan every day. He didn't decisively stop it, but let Li Yan's strength grow every day.

Under this God-given opportunity, Li Yan could rest assured that he would fight the Qing army around Beijing, without caring about the safety of his base in Henan.

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