Luojiang is just a small city, there is no garrison in the city, and it is impossible to resist the two battalions of cavalry and infantry of the Mandate of Heaven Army, and in less than half a day, the city will hang out a white flag and surrender.

As soon as Li Zicheng entered the city, the rangers in front rushed to report: "Governor of the capital, the front is Deyang County, Deyang County was originally similar to Luojiang, but Wang Weizhang, the governor of Sichuan, and Hou Liangzhu, the chief soldier, personally led troops from Chengdu to rescue, and the army has been camped outside Deyang City. ”

"They're coming? The decisive battle between the Heavenly Mandate Army and them can be staged in advance," Li Zicheng said with a smile: "How many soldiers and horses did they bring?" How many soldiers and horses are there in Chengdu? ”

"Back to the Governor, there are 3,000 cavalry and 18,000 infantry, as for Chengdu, my subordinates really don't know...... Please punish the ......."

Li Zicheng waved his hand vigorously, "You have just come to Sichuan, and it is already good to be able to find out this information, you go down first, and then report it!" ”

"Yes, thank you, Governor!"

After the ranger left, Li Zicheng pondered alone, the Ming army concentrated more than 20,000 people, regardless of whether there were reinforcements in Chengdu, it was nearly three times the size of the Heavenly Mandate Army, Wang Weizhang and Hou Liangzhu did not enter the city, that is, they were ready to fight a decisive battle outside the city.

He is not afraid of a decisive battle, if he can complete the battle, it will save the time of the expedition.

The key is how to maximize the consumption of the opponent and protect the soldiers of the Mandate of Heaven Army, this time in the south of Bashu, the Mandate of Heaven Army used two battalions, that is, more than 8,000 soldiers, each soldier is an elite, but also very valuable, once there are casualties, it will not be able to replenish the source of troops for a while and a half.

Of course, Li Zicheng did not want to kill or injure the Ming army, after all, they were all Han Chinese, and after the war, they were the best laborers.

Li Zicheng convened a military conference attended by Li Guo and Song Wen, and although Guo Shijun followed him south, he was still behind to pacify the people in the newly occupied land, and did not accompany the army.

Hearing that there was going to be a big battle, Li Guo seemed to be particularly looking forward to it, although he was already a guerrilla general of the second battalion, and the temperament of the ranger that day had changed a lot, but he still couldn't suppress his excitement, "Dadu, since the Ming army is camped outside the city, it is better to send soldiers and horses to attack......"

"Sneak attack? Your cavalry is only 3,000 people, and the Ming army also has 3,000 cavalry, in case the sneak attack fails, can you retreat with your whole body? Li Zicheng glared at Li Guo, "We went south this time, and there were only more than 8,000 people in total, and every soldier's life was precious. ”

"The subordinates understand," Li Guo was immediately deflated, and said, "That is the ...... of the Metropolitan Governor."

"Isn't it being discussed now?" Li Zicheng set his eyes on Song Wen, "From General Song's point of view, how should we break the enemy?" ”

Song Wen is not only older, but also much calmer, "Dadu Governor, if we fight a decisive battle in the field, although we are small in number, we may not lose to the Ming army, but in this way, it is a war of attrition, and the casualties of our troops are unpredictable......"

"General Song is right," Li Zicheng nodded, and said, "Therefore, at the beginning of the battle, we will avoid a decisive battle with the Ming army, and wait until the consumption is almost exhausted, and then we will fight." ”

Li said: "However, the Ming army has 3,000 cavalry, which can respond left and right, if we fight a war of attrition, I am afraid it will be difficult to ......."

Li Zicheng said with a smile: "This time Shuangxi is right, the key is the cavalry of the Ming army, as long as we first defeat the cavalry of the Ming army, and then we use the mobility advantage of the cavalry, plus the advantage of the rifle in the range, we can hang the infantry of the Ming army, no matter how many people there are, it is also a target." ”

Song Wen pondered for a moment and said, "Can you attract the cavalry of the Ming army?" ”

"According to the report of the rangers, the cavalry of the Ming army is not a separate formation like us, but mixed with the infantry, and it may not be easy to attract them completely," Li Zicheng said: "However, General Song's idea is a good idea, the key is how to lure them out." ”

"Harassment," Li said, "The subordinates harass them with cavalry, they are tireless, and they will inevitably send cavalry to counterattack, once the cavalry breaks away from the camp and loses the protection of the infantry, we can think of a way." ”

Li Zicheng nodded, this is indeed a way to consume the cavalry of the Ming army, although the time will not be too short, but it can always consume them little by little, and the small amount will add up......

Song Wen suddenly said: "Governor Dadu, General Li, can we attract the cavalry of the Ming army and decide the battle?" ”

"It shouldn't work," Li Zicheng said: "Even if we fight with the main force, the Ming army may not take the lead with cavalry, in case the Ming army retreats into the city, we have to attack the city again, it will be difficult." ”

The result of the discussion was still based on a war of attrition, unless the Ming army took the initiative, the Mandate of Heaven Army did not seek a decisive battle for the time being, and the Mandate of Heaven Army had already occupied the northern part of Chengdu, and there was no shortage of food.

Li Zicheng searched on the marching map, but except for Minshan Mountain and Qionglai Mountain in the west, Longquan Mountain in the east, the central part was a flat river, and it was difficult to have an ambush location.

However, fortunately, Longquan Mountain extends a residual vein in front: Lutou Mountain, the mountain is not majestic, and the altitude is not high, but it is enough to be used as a Tibetan soldier.

The seventh battalion camped outside Luojiang City and confronted the Ming army far away from Lutou Mountain.

Li Guo hid the main force at the northern foot of Lutou Mountain, but sent a thousand cavalry to the south of Lutou Mountain with the general banner as a unit, carried out harassment activities, hunted and killed the Ming army rangers, blatantly spied on the Ming army's information, and even entered the vicinity of the Ming army's camp.

In addition to the rangers, the losses of the Ming army were not large, but they were bitten by the enemy like mosquitoes and flies, and they were also rogues with extremely low combat effectiveness, not only the chief soldier Hou Liangzhu, but even the governor Wang Weizhang couldn't help it.

They organized the cavalry of each department and carried out a counterattack on the Tianming army in units of 100 households.

After two days like this, there were casualties on both sides, but the Mandate of Heaven Army was much better than before, and although there were still rangers of the Mandate of Heaven between the battlefields, they did not dare to approach the camp of the Ming army.

Wang Weizhang advanced the camp thirty miles forward, approaching the village of Lutou Mountain.

The chief soldier Hou Liangzhu personally led 5,000 soldiers to find the decisive battle of the Mandate of Heaven Army, but along the way, they encountered a small group of rangers of the Ming army, and they were defeated in one blow, and there was no real battle.

Hou Liangzhu became more and more convinced that the Heavenly Mandate Army on the opposite side was similar to the rogue of Zhang Xianzhong's army, at most there were a few more war horses, and he was far away from the camp and approached Luojiang City.

When Li Zicheng got the message, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, this was a gift.

The division of the Ming army, the front and rear parts are too far apart, it is a good opportunity for each to break through, such an opportunity, fleeting, it is difficult to have it in the future.

He immediately ordered that Li Guo's cavalry still take Lutou Mountain as the center to hide their tracks, and at the same time asked Song Wenbu to send two thousand infantry to march overnight, directly behind Hou Liangzhu's department, and assist Li Guo in reinforcing Lutou Mountain.

The remaining three thousand households of the Song Ministry of Culture will have a small-scale decisive battle with Hou Liangzhu's department under Luojiang City.

Forcibly eat Hou Liangzhu's troops and fight against the reinforcements of Wang Weizhang's department!

Li Zicheng took the initiative to change the original battle plan and fought a decisive battle with the Ming army in advance.

The 3,000 Heavenly Mandate Army surrounded and annihilated the 5,000 Ming army of Hou Liangzhu's department, and there should be no suspense about the outcome of the outcome, the key is whether it can block Wang Weizhang's reinforcements.

In order to increase the strength of reinforcements, Li Zicheng asked Song Wen to go to Lutou Mountain in person, as the main force for reinforcements, and Li Guobu's cavalry, as a mobile force, could not only hunt and kill the Ming army in the direction of Luojiang, but also block the Ming army that bypassed Lutou Mountain and came to reinforce.

The sky has just dawned, the Heavenly Mandate Army is ready, Zhao Guangrui is anxious to get out of the village, Li Zicheng said: "One drum, then decline, three and exhaustion, now the Ming army has not yet left the village, what are we anxious about?" Sent rangers to approach the camp of the Ming army for interrogation. ”

"Yes, Metropolitan Governor, subordinates understand," Zhao Guangrui bowed his hand to Li Zicheng, "Metropolitan Governor, subordinates will let the rangers harass the Ming army." ”

Li Zicheng smiled secretly in his heart, this Zhao Guangrui, although he is young, is a talent that can be created, and this time he went south to Bashu, perhaps his best personal opportunity.

After waiting for half an hour, the Ming army came out of the camp and slowly approached in the direction of Luojiang, Li Zicheng got the report of the ranger, but he was silent, and continued to be stunned at Luojiangshui.

Three times in a row, constantly reporting the location of the Ming army, Li Zicheng ignored it, Zhao Guangrui couldn't sit still, "Metropolitan Governor, the Ming army is less than five miles away from here......"

Li Zicheng smiled: "Wuli? How much time will it take to get to our tent? ”

"It takes half an hour!"

"How long will it take for our army to leave the camp and line up?"

"Half a pillar of incense time!"

"Wait for half a pillar of incense, just in time for the Ming army to see us hurriedly out of the camp and line up!"

"Ah......" Zhao Guangrui exclaimed, and then patted his head, "The subordinates of the Metropolitan Governor understand, this is called a plan to be arrogant, and deliberately show weakness to the Ming army......"

"Deliberately showing weakness, that is because your own army has strong combat effectiveness and strict military discipline, otherwise, it may be self-defeating," Li Zicheng said with a smile: "Go back and tell your brothers, first load the rifle in the camp tent and keep it in combat condition." ”

"Yes, Grand Duke!" Zhao Guangrui ran away with a smoke, shouting as he ran: "Prepare for battle, the rifle is loaded first......

In about a cup of tea, the figure of the Ming army could already be seen, and the Mandate of Heaven had just left the camp and the whole team.

When Hou Liangzhu saw it, he couldn't help laughing, "Sure enough, it's a rogue gangster, a plate of loose sand, and the officers and soldiers are all under their noses, so they just went out of the camp and lined up, brothers, with one go, they eliminated this rogue first!" Seeing that the soldiers did not answer, they coughed hurriedly and said: "Defeat this group of rogues, go back and get a reward, one or two soldiers each, double the general flag officer, and add another fifty wen for each rogue killed!" ”

"Lord Commander, is it cash this time?"

"Does everybody have silver?"

"Does the Governor know that we are fighting?"

……

Looking at the soldiers who were talking, Hou Liangzhu was annoyed, but he couldn't completely blame these soldiers, the good military exploits he said were difficult to fulfill every time, and he could make a three-fold discount, which was already up to the sky, but the brothers were bleeding and dying......

He didn't dare to blame the court, it was useless to blame, every time the battle exploits were reported, it was basically a stone sinking into the sea, and the court's answer was very simple: no money!

The imperial court can play tricks, but he Hou Liangzhu can't, he needs to face the soldiers directly, if he can't fulfill his military merits for a long time and lose the trust of the soldiers, how can he command the troops in the future?

Anyway, you need to be motivated once or twice!

Hou Liangzhu coughed, suppressed the discussion of the soldiers, and then said loudly: "In this battle, after the victory, General Ben will advance the military merits, whether you can go to the military department to return the military merits, that is General Ben's business, you don't have to worry!" ”