Li Zicheng waited in Hanzhong Fucheng for more than an hour, and the rangers from all over the country reported that the Ming army was still stationed in Baocheng, and there was no sign of going south.

He went out of the big tent, since Hong Chengchou was still in Baocheng, even if he wanted to go south now and reach Hanzhong, it would take at least half a day, so he ordered the four gates to be opened, and people went outside the city to clean up the battlefield, gather all the spoils, and then burn the corpses of the Ming army collected along the way.

The people in the city have been appeased, and seeing that the Mandate of Heaven army has done nothing wrong with them, they have gradually become emboldened.

Many of the shops in the city are also open for business, and when the soldiers of the Heavenly Mandate Army come to shop, the shopkeeper was originally ready to spend money to buy peace, as long as it is not too much, they will never dare to collect money.

Who knows if people don't appreciate it, what price should be, how much people pay, a lot of money.

The shopkeepers of the shops are all human spirits, and they only said that the Heavenly Mandate Army wanted to settle accounts after the autumn, but they took the initiative to get up, and they didn't dare to collect money, and the soldiers of the Heavenly Mandate Army had no choice but to throw them a copy of "Military Law" and let them read it for themselves.

It's a pity that most of the people and businessmen are illiterate, so they have no choice but to sing the military song "Three Disciplines and Eight Attentions" to them.

"Don't take a stitch from the people", "You must return what you borrowed", "The purchase and sale price should be fair", "Don't beat and scold people", "Love the people's crops", "Don't molest" and so on.

The soldiers took advantage of the opportunity to declare to them that the Mandate of Heaven had come to save the people of the world in accordance with God's will, and that wherever the Mandate Army went, all the people would "have food, clothing, housing, and land."

As long as the tax is paid normally, the Mandate of Heaven encourages the development of merchants and encourages the people to develop side businesses!

In less than half a day, the entire Hanzhong Mansion City was singing the military song of the Mandate of Heaven Army "Three Disciplines and Eight Attentions", and even Zhao Guangyuan, who was taken into custody as a prisoner of war, heard it.

Li Zicheng was overjoyed when he heard the singing in the city, according to this speed, in just half a month, the counties under the Hanzhong Mansion would really become the territory of the Heavenly Mandate Army.

However, he did not dare to leave Hanzhong Mansion for the time being, and Hong Chengchou's tens of thousands of troops were in Baocheng, dozens of miles away, and could attack Hanzhong Mansion at any time.

Waiting in the city like this, Li Zicheng was a little unwilling.

He was thinking about it, and wanted to provoke Hong Chengchou through a method to let him go south as soon as possible, He Xiaomi came to report: "Governor Dadu, the rangers have returned, and the Ming army has begun to go south......"

"It's really sleepy and someone sent a pillow," Li Zicheng laughed, no matter what, he and Hong Chengchou will meet on the battlefield, otherwise, he is not at ease, Hong Chengchou will also be at ease, "It is estimated when the Ming army will be able to reach Hanzhong?" ”

"According to the rangers, the Ming army is all infantry, and when they arrive in Hanzhong, I'm afraid it will be around dusk!"

"Dusk?" Li Zicheng thought that when he was in Guguan, he met with Hong Chengchou's envoy at night, could it be that Hong Chengchou deliberately arrived in Hanzhong at night? Could he have any ideas?

The Mandate of Heaven Army turned the world upside down in Sichuan, and took the opportunity to take the city of Hanzhong, if you want to hide from Hong Chengchou, it is simply an impossible thing, he must know that the garrison in Hanzhong City now is the Mandate of Heaven Army.

"The Governor ......"

Li Zicheng smiled faintly and said: "Xiaomi, continue to monitor the movements of the Ming army, don't come to disturb for the time being, I want to rest for a while, and concentrate on dealing with Hong Chengchou at night!" ”

"Is the Governor going to steal the camp again? Will Hong Chengchou be fooled? He Xiaomi saw Li Zicheng's indifferent look, so he said: "Do you want to inform General Li and General Song?" ”

"Who said I'm going to steal the camp?" Li Zicheng said with a smile: "Knowing that Hanzhong City is the Mandate of Heaven Army, Hong Chengchou is not extra careful?" Go ahead, let the ranger keep an eye on Hong Chengchou for me! ”

"Yes, Grand Duke!"

After He Xiaomi left, Li Zicheng locked himself in the big tent and thought for a long time before falling asleep.

He slept until the time of the unitary, Li Zicheng got up, hurriedly washed up, and ate some hot soup and rice casually, but called He Mi over, "Where is the Ming army now?" ”

"Back to the Metropolitan Governor, the Ming army has set up camp ten miles north of the city!"

"Hong Chengchou really learned to be obedient, and he didn't dare to come to the city to camp again," Li Zicheng said: "What else is the information?" ”

"No," He Xiaomi shook his head and said, "The rangers have returned, the Ming army has sent rangers in the direction of Hanzhong, but there are not many of them......"

"Since Hong Chengchou is going south, it is reasonable to send rangers," Li Zicheng said: "There are not many of them, obviously not to find out information, but to be unwilling to fight fiercely with our army." ”

"Metropolitan Governor, do you want to send more rangers to strangle the Ming army's rangers?"

"No," Li Zicheng shook his head and said, "Not only don't strangle them, but also withdraw most of our rangers, leaving only a few rangers outside the city." ”

"Ah...... The Governor ......"

"Xiaomi, you go and give the order," Li Zicheng paused, and then said: "Tell the soldiers defending the city that after dark, if there is a single Ming soldier outside the city who wants to enter the city, just let him go and bring him to see me!" ”

"Yes, the Metropolitan Governor ......" Although He Xiaomi didn't understand what Li Zicheng meant, he could only go to give the order.

Li Zicheng took He Xiaomi's personal soldiers to personally investigate the city gates, and instructed the soldiers guarding the city to be careful of any movement outside the city.

When he returned to King Rui's mansion, it was already military time, and he asked his soldiers to send Li Guo and Song Wen, saying that they were going to hold a military meeting.

Li Guo and Song Wen had already slept in the barracks, and when they heard Li Zicheng's order, they thought that the Ming army was going to attack the city, so they hurriedly got out of bed and came to the Ruiwang Mansion, "The Metropolitan Governor?" ”

"I asked you to come here so late, in fact, I want to hear your views on the current situation," Li Zicheng said: "Sichuan is basically stable, but Hong Chengchou is outside the city, who belongs to Hanzhong, I can't say now, what do you think?" ”

Li Guo said angrily: "What if Hong Chengchou comes? He's just a defeated general under the Mandate of Heaven, so it's a big deal to let him taste the power of mountain artillery! ”

Song Wen also said: "With the Hanzhong guard, Longyou and Sichuan can be connected, and they must not be returned to Hong Chengchou." ”

Li Zicheng said with a smile: "I think so too, but I don't know if Hong Chengchou agrees." ”

"Governor Dadu, it's a big deal to steal the camp again, so that Hong Chengchou has no return......" Li Guo saw Li Zicheng looking at him, and hurriedly changed his words: "Cao Bianjiao suffered a loss, Hong Chengchou is probably ready, maybe leave an ambush somewhere ......"

"Haha," Li Zicheng laughed, "even if the camp is successful, what can it do?" There is no shortage of generals or soldiers in the imperial court, so it's a big deal to replace Li Chengchou and Wang Chengchou......"

Song Wen listened to some doorways, the Metropolitan Governor must have some calculations, "The Metropolitan Governor ......"

"Hong Chengchou's matter, let's talk to him later," Li Zicheng said: "General Song, once Hanzhong stabilizes, I will go back to Lanzhou, if I leave you in Hanzhong, how should I hold on?" ”

"This ......" Song Wen pondered for a moment and said: "Hanzhou is the intersection of Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Huguang provinces, and it has a great relationship with Longyou. ”

"General Song is right," Li Zicheng said: "South of Hanzhong, across the Micang Mountain is Sichuan, that is our own territory, but don't worry, between Hanzhong and Shaanxi, because across the Qinling Mountains, although there are many small roads, but as long as there are soldiers left at the intersection and pass, the army in Xi'an will definitely not be able to penetrate, and it is basically impossible for Hong Chengchou to swagger south." ”

Li Guo and Song Wen both nodded.

"The key is the direction of Huguang," Li Zicheng said: "From Hanzhong along the direction of Hanshui, straight to Wuchang and Hanyang, it was originally a trade road, and the army of thieves in the imperial court was basically concentrated in Huguang, so General Song's attention was mainly in this direction." ”

Song Wen arched his hand and said: "The Metropolitan Governor is right! He knew in his heart that the explanation of the Metropolitan Governor was to hand over Hanzhong to him, such an important triangle...... That's the trust that the Metropolitan has in him!

"If the direction of Sichuan and Shaanxi is stable, you can try to infiltrate downstream along the Han River and establish some passes so that you can block the imperial army from the direction of Huguang in the future."

"My subordinates understand that my subordinates will ask people to investigate the routes along the way."

"Also," Li Zicheng said: "Hanzhong Mansion itself is too small, even if it includes the counties under it, I am afraid it will be difficult to feed the army of the seventh battalion, Hanzhong Mansion as a supply place for the seventh battalion, itself needs external food supplements, so between Hanzhong and Sichuan and Longyou, it is necessary to build a road, at least to the Jialing River." ”

Li Zicheng is not very familiar with the geography near Hanzhong, he only knows that there is a "Baocheng Railway" in later generations, that is, along the direction of the Jialing River, as long as Hanzhong and the Jialing River are connected, it can be connected with this avenue, whether it is Sichuan, or Shaanxi, grain and materials can be transported continuously.

Shaanxi is not yet the territory of the Mandate of Heaven, and the Mandate of Heaven army went south from Longyou this time, taking the passage of the Bailongjiang River, and only then did it cut into the Jialing River at the intersection of the Bailongjiang River and the Jialing River.

But as long as Hanzhong can be connected with the Jialing River, whether it is to Longyou or to Sichuan, there will not be many detours.

"His subordinates should remember the teachings of the Grand Governor." In front of Li Zicheng, Song Wen also restored the respect of primary school students.

"There are more than 2,000 prisoners of war in Hanzhong City, and I will leave all of them to you to assist in building roads, and it is up to you to decide whether you will be released home or join the Mandate of Heaven Army at the end of the one-year labor period."

"My subordinates have thanked the Grand Governor!"

"And one last point," Li Zicheng said: "Once Hong Chengchou leaves Hanzhong, he will accept all the counties belonging to Hanzhong Mansion one by one, especially the counties south of the Qinling Mountains, which must be under Hanzhong Mansion, as for Hanzhong Mansion, Shaanxi is not in our hands now, and it will belong to Sichuan Province for the time being." ”

"Yes, Metropolitan Governor, my subordinates understand!"

Li Guo said: "Metropolitan Governor, will Hong Chengchou really leave Hanzhong?" ”

"Then I have to talk to him, if I can't talk about it, I can only fight," Li Zicheng first smiled faintly, then frowned slightly, and said, "Hey, what time is this, why haven't you come yet?" ”

Song Wen looked around, except for the three of them, even He Xiaomi was at the gate, and he couldn't help but be surprised.

At this moment, He Mi suddenly pushed the door in, "Governor, there is indeed a messenger from outside the city......