On the afternoon of 16 May, Fang Tianding, who was fighting on the move, finally gathered thousands of elites under Yao Pingzhong's step-by-step pressure and had a fight with Yao Pingzhong.

Both sides are elites, and neither wants to fight to the death. So they separated at a moment's notice, and each retreated and withdrew his troops, staring at each other.

Fang Tianding was restrained by Yao Pingzhong, marking that the Great Zhou army had lifted the last hidden danger of going to Hangzhou and could advance to the city of Hangzhou.

In order to squeeze out as many troops as possible, the Great Zhou government behind the battle line cooperated with the army and selected tens of thousands of young men to be organized as village archers. The improvised team took over a large number of guard tasks, allowing more Great Zhou troops to pull out their hands.

In the not very big Taihu Lake area, hundreds of thousands of hungry people and hired servants have halved their meals, but the amount of labor has more than doubled.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal should be urgently dredged, and rivers and lakes should be dredged. The manpower convoy and the mule and horse teams should connect the disconnected waterways and send money, grain, salt, cloth, swords, guns, and armor to the front-line baggage battalions 100 to 300 miles away.

The Great Zhou army fought with all its might, almost squeezed the water out of the sponge, and finally gathered an army of 100,000. The first batch of money and food sent to the front line was enough for 200,000 people for a month and a half.

The Jiaxing defense line of the Yongle Dynasty was firmly nailed to death by Yang Keshi, and the county seat of Deqing fell into a stalemate that both sides wanted. The partial division sent by Han Shizhong to the east captured five important towns and fortified cities, cutting off all connections between the Hangzhou-Yuhang line and the Tongxiang-Jiaxing line.

In order to provide sufficient food and grass for the front-line army, nearly a million people were running around and toiling, and even lost their lives. The 100,000 army needs to consume countless materials every day, and the remaining materials have begun to count down in days.

Han Shizhong and Wang Yu exchanged views and decided not to pay attention to the large and small attacks on the west of Hangzhou City as far as Qingshan Lake. In the long lake-river zone west of Hangzhou City, there are still more than a dozen Turkish military and civilian groups fighting with the Fangla army, but Han Shizhong can't take care of it.

Night falls.

A scene that has not been seen for decades caught the eyes of the defenders of Fangla in Tangqi Ancient Town.

The 100,000 Great Zhou army, under the leadership of Han Shizhong and Wang Yu, set up a formation ten miles wide and more than ten miles long. The small arrays are connected into large arrays, square arrays, circular arrays, sharp arrow arrays, fish scale arrays, and goose-shaped arrays......

Han Shizhong and other famous generals, as well as dozens of capable generals, got up early and worked hard for more than ten days before they built a huge formation that was not afraid of the surprise attack of the Fang La army.

As long as there is no such mental retardation as the kind of formation diagram given by the civil officials and His Majesty the Emperor, generals who are familiar with military books and have no lack of experience in battle can still build an invincible formation in combination with the actual situation.

The Great Array headed south. When encountering a small river, its own box army built a pontoon bridge. When encountering a ravine, its own village soldiers and archers went out to fill it.

It took an hour for the huge formation to fully move. The banners are unfurled, the mules and horses are neighing, the drums and trumpets are endless, and the momentum of destroying everything rushes straight to the sky.

At this moment, Zhang Tao, one of the twenty-four generals in Hangzhou, launched a fierce attack on the large array that had just moved!

In the warm soil, in the crumbling fruit groves, in the stinking ravines...... The soldiers of the Fangla Army who had been in ambush roared and gathered and rushed to the place where the torches were lit.

The Fang La army that was sent to attack was naturally not elite, and he ate too little animal liver and fish, and his night blindness was serious. Unconsciously, more than 2,000 Fang La's troops were surrounded by more than a dozen small formations in the southwest corner of the giant array.

Torches and braziers lit up the night sky for dozens of miles.

Tens of thousands of young men and women in the huge array fought strongly, and the bed crossbowmen, five-sentry gunners and divine arm crossbowmen in the southwest corner watched the banner and acted on the banner, shooting a large number of large arrows, stones and crossbow arrows at the Fang La army. The more terrifying seven-sentry cannons, three-bow bed crossbows, and firearms don't need to be wasted here at all.

Zhang Tao suddenly felt like daylight, and later heard the cries and screams of soldiers whose vision was affected and their hearts were broken.

Wang Yu proposed to Han Shizhong yesterday that he first press down a part of the torches and wait for Fang La's army to come to the door to attack. Use superior ordnance to attack with all your might, and give Fang La a dismount first!

The strategy was successful.

Knowing that Zhang Tao, who was deceived, he couldn't gather his men who fled in panic, so he had to choose a direction and break through with dozens of relatives. The stone projectile fired from the five sentry cannons smashed his right leg, and he scolded his men to flee quickly, while he was captured by the Great Zhou army.

When Han Shizhong saw Zhang Tao for the first time, he decided that this person would not survive. After all, he was one of the best generals of the Yongle puppet dynasty, and he wanted to try it, but he was unsurprisingly lost face by Zhang Tao.

"Lao Tzu won't live long, don't waste your efforts." Zhang Tao's breathing was weak, but he tried to raise his volume as much as possible, so that he could die vigorously, "I said that my Yongle Dynasty poisoned Jiangnan or something, and I don't want to think about it, why are there 500,000 people following His Majesty the Holy Prince!" ”

"Bold! Fang La's rebel thief, how dare he be arrogant! A horse equivalent to the prison army took up his duties and reprimanded Zhang Tao with righteous words.

Han Shizhong, Wang Yu and the others raised their eyebrows slightly, and they also hurriedly made an expression that was not in the same place as Fang La. A few people acted a little out of line, and they were about to cut when they drew their knives, but fortunately they were stopped by the burly soldiers in the pro-military camp.

Zhang Tao smiled, kept coughing up a lot of blood, his whole face was as white as paper, and he took his last breath and said:

"How many families have been forced to die in the Great Zhou, and it is not only my Yongle Dynasty family that has caused trouble. Hedong, Jingdong, Guanzhong, Shaanxi, Huaixi, how many people have raised flags, and how many people occupy the mountains as kings? ”

"I don't know how many people are silent, secretly accumulating armor, money and food."

"So far, I have lost many in the Yongle Dynasty, and those who surrendered are few! Even if it can't be done, it's Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and there will always be someone who will kick over the big week of the dog's day! ”

"Lao Tzu has no regrets and is against Da Zhou! Eighteen years later, Lao Tzu will still oppose the Great Zhou! Hahaha......"

"Holy Father, Your Majesty! I, Zhang Tao, go, may Your Majesty defeat the Great Zhou Army in Hangzhou City, open a new dynasty, and give the people a way to live~ Poof! ”

Spurting out the last mouthful of blood, Zhang Tao twitched a few times on the stretcher, his eyes glazed.

The Great Zhou Dynasty is fundamentally different from the dynasties that alternated between rise and fall in the past, and Zhang Tao's curse is destined not to be fulfilled.

Walking Ma was furious and demanded to take Zhang Tao's head and take it to Bianjing for an explanation. Han Shizhong and the others knew that he wanted to steal the merit, but because Zhang Tao did have a vicious curse before he died, he had to watch the horse that occupied the commanding heights bear to rob the head.

Liu Sheng and Liu Yuan were worried that someone would steal the credit or something, and it really made sense!

Han Shizhong's mind was a little confused, but he quickly turned into extremely resentful of Fang La. How many people have died, how many good men have died in battle, all because of the damn Fang La!

Wang Yu was also touched. However, due to his character, he did not have any sympathy for Yongle Dynasty.

The giant array completely unfolded its fiery red posture. The formation of dozens of people and nearly a hundred people spread out in all directions, like the tentacles of a huge monster. More than 2,000 horses rushed out of the formation and ran around the giant array to support it, making the entire giant array impregnable.

In the second half of the night, Fang Lajun in Tangqi Ancient Town watched in horror as the giant array marched south. At the same time, dozens of miles away at the head of Hangzhou, the senior civil and military of the Yongle Dynasty was looking north at the northwest corner of the city wall.

The news that the giant array was unstoppable and that Zhang Tao had died in battle had been transmitted back to Hangzhou City.

Thousands of pro-soldiers in armor stood on both sides of the city wall, wearing helmets and armor. Fang La watched the fire cloud gradually grow bigger and brighter, and sent a message to the scattered fortresses north of Hangzhou, and withdrew if they couldn't stop it.

"Come on, the battle will be decided!"

Han Shizhong and Wang Yu led an army of 100,000 troops, starting from the morning of 17 May, while clearing all kinds of camps north of Hangzhou City, while advancing towards the city of Hangzhou.

The north of the Qiantang River is about to usher in a decisive battle, but the two fronts south of the Qiantang River are mired in mountain warfare with frequent raids and encounters. Even though Fang Lajun's supplies were being consumed rapidly, Liu Guangshi and Wang Shixin did not have enough strength to break the deadlock.

At noon on 17 May, Li Xiang stood south of the Grand Canal, looked at the fan-shaped dense waterways in the north, and once again sighed that Jiangnan was a good place.

Some places are born to be prosperous.

Li Xiang called Zhang Qingping and Yang Yingdong over for lunch together. Lunch was plain, or rather vegetarian, with no meat at all.

It's not that Li Xiang thinks that eating meat every day will distance himself from the low-level sergeants. It's that I've seen more things on the battlefield, and now I feel sick when I see meat.

Just catch a fish, and that fish may have eaten human flesh, which is terrifying to think about. Li Xiang is a little obsessive-compulsive, and he can't just use the rain that falls from the sky.

As soon as the rain stopped, the heat began.

Humans kill each other, but birds and insects are more comfortable.

Without the care of the old farmers, the weeds in the paddy fields swelled wildly, and mosquitoes, frogs, and toads hid in the middle.

Without the disturbance of children, the birds happily peck in the paddy fields and fruit groves, and may be able to feed a few more chicks.

At night, cicadas chirp and frogs chirp, and fireflies dance up and down, which has a unique charm.

Wearing a cardigan, feel the heat and light of the summer sun.

The heat did not displease Li Xiang. The water vapor in the south of the Yangtze River is large, and it rained again a few days ago, and there is a lack of exposure.

For people from the north, if they don't bask in the sun, they will feel like mushrooms are going to grow all over their bodies.

Through the clothes, the heat transmitted to the skin is just right. Li Xiang took a sip of bamboo shoot noodle soup, and gained a short period of tranquility in the tense battle.

In front of me should be a water town in the south of the Yangtze River with smoke curling, buffaloes grazing, and boats rocking slowly. Now the waterways are clogged and the paddy fields are deserted, as if it is an empty and lonely scene, which is very dazzling in the busy summer season.

Thinking of millions of ordinary people being caught up in the war, separated from their wives, displaced, and dying, Li Xiang's mood that had just improved deteriorated again.

Zhang Qingping and Yang Yingdong glanced at each other, then nibbled on dry cakes and drank noodle soup.

The big bull suddenly ran over, out of breath. Chen Jiaxing hung his arm with a strip of cloth, and after being inspected by the guards, he followed behind Da Niu.

After listening to Da Niu's whisper, Li Xiang squinted at the trafficker in front of him, "You are Chen Jiaxing?" Where is MeSign located? ”

Chen Jiaxing didn't dare to raise his head, his waist almost bent to the ground, "Mr. Fang said that 100,000 is urgent. The villain fortunately did not disgrace his life, and broke through the four waves of people to bring the secret letter. ”

Chen Jiaxing handed the small bag in his arms to Da Niu. Da Niu took out the letter, touched it carefully, and handed it to Li Xiang.

Zhang Qingping and Yang Yingdong stood up. 100,000 urgent letters, and someone is stopping on the way, what's wrong?!

Li Xiang quickly read the letter.

The conflict detailed by the seriously injured Seirai Dairo and Shonai Shokai is the focus. Li Xiang read it twice, handed the letter to Yang Yingdong, and said with a smile:

"The wealthy gentry in Jiangnan are really not simple, and they even sent a detailed plan to become a family. Abuse of scholars with meritorious reputations is such a big crime, this is to pull me into the water and beat me to death! ”

"I still wonder why no one stopped me from going to Han to recruit and make meritorious contributions, and I ended up waiting for me here! Contain Lord Taishan in the north of Deqing County, transfer me away, and take me down first. ”

"If Lord Taishan is angry and causes trouble, they just happen to serve it in a pot, it's really poisonous!"

Yang Yingdong was furious, "It's a nest fight again!" Before Fang La was extinguished, they were so impatient?! ”

Zhang Qingping waited for Li Xiang to pierce his armor, frowned and said:

"Maybe some people think that the extermination of Fang La is a foregone conclusion, right?"

"During the war, the owner of the village attacked, if the old owner really resisted, it was a great crime of rebellion against the enemy before the battle. At that time, there are few families in the village that can be saved. ”

"It's Han Zhao's envoy, in order to take care of the overall situation, he will also choose to abandon the old village owner."

Chen Jiaxing got a personal promise from the owner. The brothers who died for Li Xiang's errands would enjoy the same treatment as Zhuang Min. The families of the other brothers can also move into Mingyuezhuang one after another, but they should keep a low profile.

Da Niu sent Chen Jiaxing away, and when he came back, he learned about the situation and said anxiously: "Then what should I do, the owner of the village will hide first?" ”

Li Xiang shook his head slowly. The eldest man of the family did not fall into the hands of the other party, there is no definite evidence, does anyone really dare to arrest him directly?

But some people's thick skin, poisonous means, and great energy have once again refreshed Li Xiang's cognition.

Zhang Tianlei sent someone to row a small boat and go ashore on the waterway to deliver a secret letter. At the same time, in the hands of Li Xiang, there was also a secret letter from Han Shizhong transferred by Han Yanzhang.

Both letters are highly consistent, with only two words:

"Go to !!"

In an early moment, Li Xiang, disguised as an ordinary soldier, rushed southwest along the abandoned river. He patted Da Niu's shoulder, and said with a smile:

"You're right. I've got to find a place to hide first, hahaha......"

Li Xiang laughed very well, as if he was deliberately diverting his anger before laughing.

The big cow with iron armor inside swallowed a mouthful of saliva and didn't dare to talk.