On the fifth day of the first month, Ge Zuo and 20,000 people went north. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

They set out at the hour, and at the head of them were the elite horsemen of each battalion, dressed in red cloaks, or wearing felt hats, or wrapped in turbans, all of them murderous, and their horses were extremely skillful.

They galloped on horseback, three or five horses in front, and many roared miles or ten miles before they made way for the army behind them, and along the way there were fierce howls like beasts.

Then there were the horsemen, these people were "dragoons", many of whom were very good at horsemanship, but could not chop and still could not be counted in the ranks of cavalry.

Zhang Xianzhong and others joined forces to go north, and these mounted infantry also had about 3,000 people.

Of course, their mounts cannot be compared to those of fine riders, and some even ride mules or donkeys.

Finally, there were the infantry and the guards, 14,000 men.

The mighty team went north, carrying countless baggage, because the Hongxian to Suining trail is not easy to walk, it is difficult to push the wheelbarrow, shoulder to carry people, mules and donkeys to transport.

Although Zhang Xianzhong and others are accustomed to looting and supplying grain and grass to the locality, when they first arrive in a place, they still have to carry rice, wheat and beans for at least ten days. What to do if you can't grab it, it's not like I've never experienced it.

Of the 20,000 people, half of them are horses and mules, and they eat more than three times as many people on average, and the grain and grass consumed by men and horses is 500 stone a day, and 5,000 stone in 10 days.

I don't know how many people, animals, and other materials will be spent just to transport these grains and grass, but I saw the men and horses transporting the baggage winding on the path for more than ten miles.

Zhang Xianzhong, Ge Liyan and others are all in the elite riding position, and all kinds of banners around them are displayed.

Everyone feels that this road is indeed not easy to walk, and the closer to Suining, the greater the impact of the Yellow River breach. Ponds and lakes, mud swamps, sandy loam, saline-alkali land, depression ponds, and countless small rivers and rivers. The trail winds its way through it.

On such a road, people and horses are very tired to walk, let alone vehicles.

"Donkey ball, the local officials don't say that they should build an official road to Suining, they should really be killed."

Zhang Xianzhong and others were all scolding.

Overall, looking at the torrent and the mighty army around them, Zhang Xianzhong and others were still in a happy mood.

Because the road is not easy to walk, the weight of baggage drags down the speed even more, and the weather is hot, and people and horses are also easy to get tired. Not as good as the official road, willow trees will be planted along the way, this kind of trail, there are not a few trees, except for the weeds or weeds, the people and horses marching in the sun are extremely hard.

Zhang Xianzhong not only sweated along the road, soaked his clothes, but also kept pus between his eyebrows, and wiped all the way with white silk.

On this day, they only walked a few dozen miles, and in the evening, they could reach the Wei River, but fortunately, Suining County was on the other side of the river.

……

Zhang Xianzhong and others are full of curiosity and expectation about Suining County, but standing on the riverside, it is no different from Hongxian County.

The same depression, except for the barren grass is ruins, and when you look up, you don't seem to see any traces of human population.

The Wei River is not wide, and there is a local small wooden bridge on the trail that says "Xu Miao Bridge" to cross the river. The elite cavalry of the sentinel cavalry said that they walked more than ten miles to the north, and this village was basically deserted, and there were no small villages, but there were a few large villages.

But like the polders in Hongxian County, these big villages are all terrain disgusting, there are mountains to build on the side of the mountain, and there are no mountains to stand in the muddy ponds, leaving only the winding small dirt roads to travel, obviously the local heroes and tyrants.

In the past, their rebels basically had a very indifferent attitude, just wanting to "borrow food", which may be very difficult.

Unless real money is purchased, five times ten times the price.

Zhang Xianzhong and the others had no other way but to frown, and they basically didn't fight this kind of big village, just like breaking into the camp.

Surrounding muddy ponds, pick up soil to fill in? When do you want to fill it in?

Attack? A winding little dirt road, I am afraid that the soldiers and horses will die as many as they go.

Especially these heroes who are strong enough to protect themselves, they are all local clan forces, united and united, and it is absolutely impossible to deal with this kind of thing.

So they ignore Haoqiang, Zhang Xianzhong and others, when they don't exist. Occasionally, they "borrowed" some grain, or bought some grain and grass from them with gold and silver.

"Could it be that the rumors are wrong, this person from Suining County is a poor ghost?"

Zhang Xianzhong and the others' confidence is a little shaken, they won't run in vain, right?

That night, they camped by the Wei River, and early the next morning, Ge Zuo and the camp army set off again.

After walking about 20 miles, the sentry cavalry suddenly came to report that the sentry cavalry of officers and soldiers appeared on the opposite bank of the Guanshan Bridge in front, and Zhang Xianzhong and others faintly heard the sound of firearms.

Zhang Xianzhong and other thieves were all surprised, they went under the embrace of the elite cavalry, and sure enough, there were dozens of cavalry sentries on the opposite bank, all of them with gray felt cloaks and cotton armor, gray and black, which was quite different from the elite cavalry on the side of the righteous army.

In particular, they immediately used a kind of firecracker, which seemed to be three-eyed, and they did not need a firerope, and their own elite horses forced them to go, and they were knocked to the ground by their firearms from a distance.

Their elite horsemen can slash, all of them are very skilled in horsemanship, and they are very sharp in fighting, but they can't get close to those officers and soldiers at all.

There were some horsemen in the battalions, who would not only slash at once, but also shoot on horseback, and they forced them to go, but the cavalry bows were not much of a threat to the opposite side, and their firearms were sharp, and as long as they were hit by their guns, they would either die or be wounded.

For a while, their own sentry cavalry was terrified, and they did not dare to approach the side of those officers and soldiers sentry, as if their own army was suppressed by dozens of cavalry on the opposite side.

Zhang Xianzhong and the others were surprised and angry, and ordered more fine horses to ride up and count the bread.

Sure enough, there were many people, and the officers and soldiers on the opposite side ran away, each of them had one person and three horses, plus they were superb in riding, and they were familiar with the local terrain, and soon ran away, and the righteous sentry could not catch up.

"What's going on, it's not that Suining only has Xiang Yong, how can they have a horse team?"

He Yilong's eyes were not good, but his ears were very sharp, so he shouted angrily: "And this strange and sharp firearm? ”

He glared and said: "Lao Tzu has also captured a tap fire gun that does not use an arquebus before, hit it five times, at least three times it doesn't sound, why does the fire gun on the opposite side keep ringing?" ”

The drama thieves looked at each other, they didn't understand what was going on, they crossed the Baima River from the Guanshan Bridge, there was a big village three miles northwest, facing the water by the mountains, and the trail went north from the east of the village one mile away, and it seemed that four miles away from this side merged into the official road of Lingbi to Suining.

At this time, the pursuing sentry cavalry reported that there was a mountain range five miles away, just on the west side of the official road, and there were officers and soldiers waiting on the mountain, and they caught a glimpse of the banner of "Suining Lian Zongyang".

Someone else reported that five miles northeast of that mountain, there was a bridge by the Baitang River, but now that the bridge has been withdrawn, the army cannot cross the river.

Because the Baitang River seems to flow from the Yellow River, the siltation in the river is very serious, and the people and horses will fall into the river, not to mention the special team carrying the grain and grass.

Zhang Xianzhong and others are even more incredible, officers and soldiers are waiting in formation? Are these villagers going to fight with my army on that hill?

Not knowing what to say, they rode their horses down the path toward the hill.

On the way, they glanced at the big village nearby, and there was a mountain behind it, and the surrounding lake and pond structure.

Zhang Xianzhong and others would rather fight the prefecture and county than fight this kind of rural tyrant.

Soon they ran to the official road, and then ran for more than a mile, and sure enough, there was a mountain not far from the west side of the official road, and there was a mound of red clay on the mountain from a distance, and there seemed to be a temple.

Because dozens of horsemen were on the hillside earlier, Zhang Xianzhong and others did not dare to stand on the official road to watch. On the east side of Kanguan Road is a large area of saline-alkali land, which is dry and hard and firm, and overgrown with wild grass. About 200 steps away from the official road, there is also a raised hill bag.

And they ran to the mountain to see.

Looking up, sure enough, on the top of the mountain opposite, a bright red flag fluttered.

There were also some ironclad soldiers in red cloaks standing on the top, which made Zhang Xianzhong and the others tremble.

Fortunately, there are not many such ironclad soldiers, and the number of people seen by Zhang Xianzhong and others is only a few dozen.

There is an earthen wall on the slope of the mountain, about 20 steps from the top of the mountain, which is very inconspicuous from a distance, and Zhang Xianzhong and others are estimated to be less than a zhang high.

What makes people feel strange is that there seems to be a gap on the east, north, and south sides of the earthen wall, which is probably as wide as ten steps, and some figures in green clothes are sitting in the gap at this time, holding shields, spears and other weapons. There are some figures in red clothes inside, maybe the head of the officer or something.

Zhang Xianzhong and the others carefully counted their numbers, and it was estimated that about fifty people would sit in each of the three gaps, and then there would be four piles of such people sitting on the hillside behind them.

Zuojin King He Jin said in a deep voice: "Three mouths, there are six hundred people. ”

The fine horses galloped, and there was a steady stream of specific information on the opposite side, there was a trench in front of the earthen wall, there seemed to be two, one under the wall, and another one five steps away.

But although they came with the news, the exact appearance of the trench was unclear.

There are officers and soldiers on the slopes, they have sharp firearms, and there are archers behind the gaps, and they ride on horses and shoot with the bows, which is looking for death. So basically, I watched from the official road, and at most ran a few steps up the hillside.

They sent word that there were holes in the earthen walls, probably for the purpose of erecting bird guns or something.

Zhang Xianzhong and others looked at the left and right of this mountain, there is a village in the northwest, and the earthen wall is basically connected to the wall.

There is a river in the southwest, and along the river there are lakes and ponds all the way to the side of the mountain.

The thieves' eyes were deep, and the old man replied slowly: "We estimate that the number of them is less than two thousand, and the officers and soldiers know that at most half firearms and half swords, shields and spears." Some of their birdmen may be hidden behind the wall, but they cannot be more than six hundred. On the top of the slope there are some horse teams, at most more than a hundred horses. ”

Zhang Xianzhong muttered: "What do they mean by opening these three mouths?" ”

He has a suspicious temperament, and ordinary people feel weird and suspicious when they see the setting of dumb laughter.

The thieves were also puzzled, if it was said that the opposite side was lacking in brains, but he dared to go out of the city to fight, and he was obviously prepared, it was impossible to make such a low-level mistake.

All the thieves frowned and thought, Zhang Xianzhong looked at Li Dingguo beside him and looked over there, seemed to be thoughtful, his heart moved, and he laughed: "What does Yu'er see?" Speak it up and tell us guys. ”

Everyone looked at it, Li Dingguo hugged his fists and said: "The child takes the order." ”

He was on a horse, with a tall figure, a double plug hanging from his waist, a left bow and a right arrow, and a horse lance stuck in the socket behind the saddle, which was quite powerful and different.

He said to the crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, the last general thinks that the officers and soldiers on the opposite side must think that their firearms are sharp. Although there are three openings, if our rebels attack, they may suffer heavy casualties before they can reach the gap with bird guns or three-eyed guns from behind the wall. Even if the rest of the men rushed to the mouth, their shields and spears would be enough to hold off the attacks of our rebels. ”

Everyone nodded, only this statement made sense, Zhang Xianzhong laughed and said: "Donkey ball, it seems that this is it." ”

Ge Li saw He Yilong's nephew He Yong riding a horse, and saw that all the kings praised the "Zhang Yuer", so he was a little jealous.

He said unconvinced: "We have also seen the firearms of officers and soldiers, and they are fighting indiscriminately, and their momentum is also small. There are rattan cards in Lao Tzu's camp, soaked in oil, and fifty steps can block the bullets of their birds, not to mention the three-eyed guns. ”

Li Dingguo smiled: "Maybe these officers and soldiers are not ordinary, the brothers have also seen it earlier, their firecrackers do not use fire ropes, and every shot will not be dumb." ”

He Yong still had to argue, He Yilong raised his hand to stop him, he was thick and fine, and he was particularly cautious, Li Dingguo's opinion came to his heart, and his nephew He Yong's face was lost, so it was not enough to worry about it.

He said, "The sentry said that there were only three openings in the wall, and that only ten people could stand at one entrance, and that if the brothers were to fight, they would not all rush into the gap, lest they be blocked on that side." To rush the wall, you must have a wooden ladder, and how to block the bullets of their birds. ”

He said: "Let's think that the firearms on the other side are very powerful, and the rattan cards in the camp can't be blocked." They estimated that there were 600 soldiers, divided into three layers, and each layer killed and wounded a lot of brothers, so how to block their guns? ”

The thieves are contemplative again, they have been in the Ming Dynasty for many years, and they have encountered many firecrackers, and the basic bird guns are very inferior, but occasionally they have encountered excellent and sharp ones.

After the three-round fight, the casualties of the brothers are often miserable, and the firearms on the opposite side are also so sophisticated and sharp......

Generally, when encountering such opponents, Ge Zuo Xianying and others either use the hungry people as meat shields, or go around looking for door panels, especially the ones that are very thick, seven or eight inches thick.

In this way, even if the officers and men were well-armed and used willow ash gunpowder, they could only penetrate a two-inch thick plank in a hundred steps, and four or five inches in fifty steps, but at this distance, they could finish the fight no matter how many rows they stood on, and when they reloaded it again, the brothers would be able to take the opportunity to rush forward.

However, in the current situation, every time they hit a place, they are all local captive villagers, and where can they find the villagers in the wilderness and ruins everywhere?

I am afraid that such a thick door panel is only found in some temples, and I am afraid that I will not be able to find it if I look at this area.

The thieves frowned again and pondered, and Sun Kewang looked at everyone: "There is an idea." ”

Zhang Xianzhong laughed: "Wang'er also has ideas? Let's hear it. ”

Today, several of his righteous sons behaved well, one after another, and gave him long faces in front of the thieves one after another.

Sun Kewang said: "The method is also very simple, send some people out and walk in front of the brothers." Let them lure the officers and soldiers on the opposite side to fire, and when they finish loading, the brothers can rush forward. ”

The thieves unanimously agreed that this method was very good, and that they usually faced officers and soldiers without lure, and they were not more than a hundred paces away, and the opposite side was already clanging.

Seeing that the villagers on the mountain seem to be unusual, let's use this method to attract them to fire from a distance, and then take the opportunity to attack at close range.

The last question, whether to fight or not.

"Donkey ball, definitely have to fight!" Zuojin Wang He Jin said, "It's all come here, it's not far from the county seat, how can I go back like this?" ”

He even said: "My 20,000 troops went north, against less than 2,000 villagers, I left without firing an arrow, and when I said it in the future, where is the face of our Lao Tzu and others?" ”

Everyone nodded, there was a way to deal with firearms, their 20,000 troops lined up, less than 2,000 villagers, a small hill, a low wall, and the crowd of people also piled them to death.

Of course, they also have a choice, ignore these people, think of building bridges, and continue north.

However, that is impossible, leaving these people behind, Zhang Xianzhong and others will definitely not feel at ease.

The reason for their defeat in Yingzhou was that the general Li Xu ambushed the infantry twenty miles southeast of the city, and then the cavalry met them, and the two sides fought at Fanjiadian in the south of the city.

While the battle was raging, the ambush suddenly went around the rear and assaulted their guards and infantry ranks, causing them a chaotic defeat.

Since then, Zhang Xianzhong and others have been very sensitive to the back road.

Leaving these townsmen behind is simply chilling.

If you hit them in the ass, the consequences are unimaginable.