After Gao Yihuan chased to Yicheng, he left the commander Dai Jinghong and led a thousand men and horses to garrison, and the army stopped its southward march.

The army was about to enter Chengtianfu in the south, which was close to Wuchang, which would put pressure on the western army, and Zhang Xianzhong would certainly not tolerate it.

Gao Yihuan didn't want to fight with the Western Army anymore, so he had to keep a relatively safe distance from Zhang Xianzhong.

At this time, he stopped at Yicheng County, Zhang Xianzhong of Wuchang would not feel oppressed, and he had Yicheng as an outpost in Xiangyang, so he did not have to worry about the Western Army approaching Xiangyang City again.

Being a person is the same as doing things, you need a degree, find this degree, then everyone is comfortable, if you can't find it, then you will fight.

The battle for Xiangyang lasted less than a month, but there were Ming, Shun, and Western forces fighting.

In terms of fierce battles, it was between the Shun army and the Western army, but the most losses in the battle were not Gao Yihuan and Li Dingguo, but Zuo Liangyu and the Haoqiang of Xiangyang Mansion, as well as the Ming Dynasty.

At the head of Xiangyang City, Gao Yihuan and Gao Zurong stood at the head of the city, looking at the rolling Han River, rushing to the southeast, father and son, couldn't help but sigh.

A year and a half ago, they were just small landowners in the countryside of Henan, and now they have become powerful people who control the land of Sanfu.

Gao Zurong couldn't help but sigh in his heart, Gao Yihuan saw him sighing, and couldn't help asking: "Dad, what are you sighing for!"

Gao Zurong shook his head, "Being a father is to sigh that he is old, if you are ten years younger, you will be fortunate to see you achieve a career." ”

Gao Yihuan laughed and said, "Dad is so confident in me?"

Gao Zurong nodded heavily, "This is nature, it's Xiangyang that is standing under our feet!" ”

After speaking, he looked at Gao Yihuan, "Yihuan, the land of Jingzhou, the world is victorious, take it, there will be a lot to do!" ”

The old man was obviously excited, he pointed to the southwest direction, and said with some excitement: "There are three places to fight for in Huguang, which are Jingzhou, Wuchang and Xiangyang. Jingzhou is in the middle of all Chu, with the shelter of Xiangyang in the north, the defense of Yiling in the west, and the aid of Wuchang in the east. The Chu people were all strong and strong, and Yan and Yin perished, and the country was weak. Yihuan, you will take Jingzhou. ”

Gao Yihuan was a little surprised when he heard this, but he heard Gao Zurong point to the southeast as if he was drunk, and continued: "Wuchang, hold the Jianghan and Han to rush, the southeast will survive if it is gained, and it will die if it is lost." In that year, Liu Biao Zhenjing, with the rush of Jianghan, increased troops and placed troops, so that Huang Zu guarded it. Sun Quan knew that the southeast shape would be in the upper class, so he built a city in Xiakou, and Xiakou is today's Wuchang. Yihuan, if you take this place, then the southeast will look up to you for your snort. ”

Gao Zurong finally pointed to his feet, "I'm talking about Xiangyang, the waist of the world." Central Plains, can be merged with the southeast. If you get it in the southeast, you can also map the world. Now in the three cities, Yihuan can get one of them, if you take the other, you will be able to achieve a great cause. ”

Gao Yihuan heard this, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Dad, you can!" So much progress! ”

Gao Zurong originally looked agitated, but when he heard him say this, he immediately broke his work, and said angrily: "It's not for you to be a father." Since he decided to give up his fame that year, he has not studied for more than ten years, but in the past year and a half, he has read a lot of books from Li Gongzi, and often discusses current affairs with several colleagues, so he naturally has some new insights. ”

Gao Yihuan's heart couldn't help but warm, the old man was studying again for him, it seems that he can't be lazy.

Gao Zurong is still improving, so he naturally can't be left behind.

Gao Yihuan pointed to the mountains and rivers in front of him, drew a big circle, and said arrogantly: "Dad, in the future, this piece will be my territory."

"Yihuan, you still have to read more, what kind of territory, how cheesy it is to say this, you can't think of individual words."

Gao Yihuan scratched his head and said in his heart: "I can't say it now, it's all my country, right?" ”

At that moment, the two of them stood at the head of the city, watching the rolling Han River, watching the sun rise in the east and shine on the vast land of the lake.

In this battle of Xiangyang, Li Dingguo's 20,000 people went north, and more than 20,000 people went back, and there was not much loss in troops, and even earned thousands of soldiers and horses, but the western army did not capture Xiangyang after all, so Zhang Xianzhong followed Liu Bei's example, first captured Jingzhou, and then took Bashu's plan to go bankrupt.

The Western Army occupied Wuchang, but it was surrounded by enemies on all sides, and the strategic dilemma was not broken, so Li Dingguo could be said to have failed.

Not to mention the Ming Dynasty, the loss of Xiangyang, a strategic location, will only be partial to peace in the future, even if it retreats to the south.

Gao Yihuan became the biggest winner in the entire battle of Xiangyang.

Since the beginning of the war, he relied on one mouth, pulled Li Zicheng's banner, and fooled a large number of villagers and bandits to serve his life, while his own people basically had no losses.

At this time, the battle of Xiangyang was settled, but Huguang was still not peaceful.

At this time, as the Qing army withdrew outside the Guan, King Qin's soldiers and horses returned to the south, and the communication between the Ming court and the local government began to be restored.

In the entire sixteenth year of Chongzhen, the Ming Dynasty was like a high paraplegic patient, lying on the hospital bed for more than half a year, and his body finally regained his mobility.

At this time, the external threat was temporarily lifted, and the Ming Dynasty began to remove the hidden dangers inside.

It's just that Li Zicheng has become so big that the court officials dare not look at it or mention it. Whoever presides over the extermination of Li Zicheng now is tantamount to seeking death.

At this time, most of the officials in the court, with Emperor Chongzhen, were separated from morality, and it can be said that they basically became monks for a day and hit the clock for a day, and no one was willing to risk their lives for the emperor.

But since he is still an official, he can't do nothing, so Li Zicheng can't fight, so it's better to beat Zhang Xianzhong.

The Ming army soon formulated a plan to encircle and suppress Zhang Xianzhong on three sides and trap the enemy Wuchang.

Zhang Xianzhong faced Anqing Huang Degong, Yuezhou He Tengjiao, Jingzhou Zuo Liangyu, and finally decided to pinch the persimmon soft, and beat Zuo Liangyu and He Tengjiao first.

As soon as He Tengjiao saw Zhang Xianzhong coming towards him, he ran to Changsha overnight, and Zuo Liangyu also gave up Jingzhou and went south to Changde Mansion.

In this way, Sun Kewang and Liu Wenxiu effortlessly seized Jingzhou and Yiling Prefecture to the west, opening the way for the Western Army to enter Sichuan, while Zhang Xianzhong attacked Yuezhou, but was blocked by Yang Wenyue outside the city.

For a time in central Hubei region, Zhang Xianzhong and the Ming army fought inextricably.

After Gao Yihuan returned to Xiangyang, he quickly took over Nanzhang, Junxian, Zaoyang and other places in a vacuum, controlled Xiangyang Province, and ordered Zhao Daxian of Runing to send troops into De'an Mansion to collect Suizhou, Yingshan and Dawu counties at the southern foot of Dabie Mountain.

In this way, the road from Xinyang to Wuyang Pass or Xingsha Pass to Huguang has also been opened.

The three prefectures of Nanyang, Runing and Xiangyang are connected to each other like a triangle.

At this time, Gao Yihuan's people's territory has also reached a limit, no matter how big it is, there will be no soldiers to defend.

After Gao Yihuan returned to Xiangyang, he immediately reorganized the new attached men and horses, got 4,000 soldiers and horses in Nanyang, and reorganized Wang Guangtai and other departments, plus recruited young and strong, and obtained more than 7,000 soldiers and horses in Xiangyang, so that Gao Yihuan's army increased to more than 20,000 people.

At the beginning of October, Gao Yihuan asked Wang Deren to leave 4,000 Nanyang soldiers, re-led 4,000 Xiangyang soldiers, and returned to Nanyang Mansion, Zhao Zhuzi as Wang Deren's deputy, went to Nanyang together, and Gao Yihuan's nephew Li Hu and more than ten people, as well as Gao Zurong, also returned to Nanyang to integrate Nanyang's forces.

Although the battle for Xiangyang has ended, Zhang Xianzhong in the south is fighting He Tengjiao, and the situation is uncertain, so Gao Yihuan still stays in Xiangyang for the time being.

On the one hand, he was prepared to monitor the changes in the situation in Huguang, and on the other hand, he improved himself and his subordinate officers, and opened the Xiangyang Lecture Hall.

(End of chapter)