When Xiang Fa Zai Zhongjun learned the news that Liu Yanqing had been killed, he was overjoyed in his heart and urgently ordered: "Immediately surround the front army!" ”

Xiang Fa had already prepared 30,000 troops, and the army quickly assembled and killed Liu Yanqing's garrison under the leadership of Xiang Fa.

At this time, the twilight had fallen, but the sky had not yet darkened, Liu Yanqing's 20,000 troops had already begun to eat, although the food allocated by the rear camp was insufficient, but the soldiers were so hungry that they ate one after another.

Wu Ancheng was a little unsettled, his brother-in-law went to the logistics camp, he couldn't rest assured, and sent a few more personal soldiers to inquire about the news, but there was no response, which made Wu Ancheng feel a bad feeling in his heart.

At this moment, someone shouted: "General Wu, something happened!" ”

Wu Ancheng was shocked, and hurriedly stood up, only to see the two men he sent stumbling and running, crying: "General Liu has been killed, the Chinese army is assembling, please make a decision!" ”

Wu Ancheng and more than a dozen generals were shocked by this news, and the generals roared angrily, "We won't do it for the sake of Xiang Jia's life, we won't do it!" ”

At this time, there was a horn sound in the distance, and a peripheral patrol sentry rushed back, "General, tens of thousands of Chinese troops are killing our side!" ”

Wu Ancheng knew that the situation was critical, and he could no longer hesitate, he immediately turned on his horse and shouted: "General Liu has been killed, brothers are willing to follow me, please follow immediately!" ”

The front army was in chaos, some soldiers left their jobs and followed Wu'an City, and some soldiers hesitated and did not know how to choose, and the 20,000 troops began to be quickly divided.

At this time, Xiang Fa had already led the army to kill a mile away, and when he learned that there was a change in the front army, he was even more anxious in his heart, and shouted: "Surround the front army, no one is allowed to escape!" ”

In just a moment, Xiang Fa led 30,000 troops to kill the front army camp, part of the army had fled with Wu'an City, and some of the army was packing up their things and preparing to flee home, 30,000 troops quickly surrounded the front army camp, and thousands of soldiers who were ready to flee home were also intercepted, and the soldiers were ordered to put down their weapons and go to the open space to assemble, many soldiers regretted in their hearts, but they did not dare to run anymore, so they had to walk to the open space in despair.

Not long after, a senior general finished counting the soldiers and rushed back to report: "Marshal Qiqi, the soldiers of the former army are currently 8,452 people!" ”

"What!"

Xiang Fa's eyes widened, there were only more than 8,000 people left, where were the more than 10,000 people?

Zhao Wei, a staff member next to him, said in a low voice: "It is estimated that some of them were taken away by Wu'ancheng, and the other part of the soldiers ran away by themselves, but the matter was in a hurry, there should not be many people taken away by Wu'ancheng, most of them escaped, and it is estimated that they will not run far, if the marshal sends cavalry to search, maybe some of them can be recovered." ”

Xiang Fa has a thousand cavalry under his command, in the south of the Yangtze River, the cavalry is very rare, this thousand cavalry has been following him around, Xiang Fa thought about it and then turned back and ordered: "Order the cavalry to search within thirty miles around, find a deserter, and immediately arrest me back!" ”

A thousand cavalry, divided into ten teams, immediately scattered in all directions, chasing the deserters in all directions.

Although he lost more than 10,000 people, he was still a lot more comfortable in his heart after getting rid of Liu Yanqing's henchman, but the Jingzhao army pursuing Li Yanqing was indeed a top priority, and he immediately ordered: "The whole army will rest on the spot and set off at the fourth watch!" ”

...........

Except for more than 1,000 prisoners of war who needed to return to their hometowns for various reasons, nearly 20,000 others were willing to join the Jingzhao Army to make meritorious service and atone for their crimes, and get rid of the charge of participating in the rebellion.

But another real problem arose in front of them, almost all the armor and weapons of this army were burned in the large camp, their logistics ships carried 5,000 pairs of armor, and there were 15,000 people who could not solve the armor equipment.

"This matter is lowly and responsible!"

Liu Jian sighed and blamed himself very much: "You shouldn't be a fire plan, in fact, the opponent's defense is lax, and the cavalry can also achieve the goal by breaking through the camp at night, and arson will expand the losses." ”

Li Yanqing waved his hand, "If I were to make a decision now, I would still choose to set fire to the camp, I can't be lucky in the battle between the two armies, I must use my own advantages as much as possible, General Liu doesn't have to mind, you don't have any responsibility for this matter." ”

At this time, Wang Gui said: "Will the local government have military armor, or the people will also have it, just like we collected civilian military armor in Jingzhao." ”

"On the government side, I have asked Zhang Bao to go to Wuxi County to inquire, as for the people, there may be a little bit of long knives and bows and arrows, but the armor is estimated to be not, but you don't have to worry, the imperial court's support fleet should have arrived in Yangzhou, it really can't be done, we will turn around and go north to Runzhou, go from the east bank of the canal, and get rid of the enemy's tracking."

At this time, a soldier reported outside the marching tent: "General Zhang is back, and the magistrate of Wuxi is asking to see him!" ”

Li Yanqing nodded, "Please let him in!" ”

Not long after, Zhang Bao walked into the camp with a civil official about thirty years old, Zhang Bao bowed and saluted, "Qiyu is the capital, there is no inventory of armor in the county, but Lu Zhixian has clues." ”

The civil official hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "Xiaguan Lu Zhiyuan see Taiwei Li!" ”

Li Yanqing felt that this name seemed to have been heard somewhere, and this civil official seemed to be a little familiar, but he couldn't remember it for a while, so he asked with a smile: "I seem to have seen Lu Zhixian?" ”

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and said with a smile: "Xiaguan is also from Taixue, and he is the same as Taiwei, and Xiaguan was ranked thirty-eighth on the list at that time. ”

Li Yanqing suddenly remembered, this Lu Zhiyuan is from Wu County, Suzhou, and has a good relationship with Zhou Chun, Li Yanqing couldn't help laughing and said: "It turned out to be a classmate, it's rude, Lu Zhixian, please sit down!" ”

Lu Zhiyuan waved his hand, "The next official will talk about business first." ”

"Lu Zhixian, please speak!"

"I heard that Captain Li is in urgent need of armor, but unfortunately there is no warehouse in Wuxi County, but I know that there is an arsenal in Wu County, Suzhou, and there should be a lot of armor."

Li Yanqing was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "How can Suzhou have an arsenal?" ”

"At the beginning, the imperial court quelled the rebellion of Fang La, after Hangzhou was captured by thieves, the officers and soldiers withdrew to Suzhou, and set up a logistics arsenal in Suzhou, and later Tong Guan led the army to the south, and also put the logistics in Suzhou, although most of them were transported away later, there was still a part left, and the tent armor captured from Fang La's hands also existed in Suzhou, but I heard that the quality was not high."

The news came too timely, and Li Yanqing immediately ordered the army to pack up their things and set off for the south half an hour later.

Everyone went out of the tent to gather soldiers, and only Li Yanqing and Lu Zhiyuan, the county governor, were left in the big tent, Li Yanqing asked with a smile: "When was Lu Zhixian transferred to Wuxi County?" ”

"At the beginning of last year, he was just transferred, and the next official turned out to be a county magistrate in Yancheng County, Chuzhou, and he was promoted to a magistrate after four years as a county magistrate."

Li Yanqing shook his head secretly, Zhou Chun has the backstage of the Gao family, and he was promoted to the five-rank general judge of Jinan Mansion last year, in comparison, this Lu Zhiyuan's promotion is too slow, and it has been seven years since he was admitted to the Jinshi, and he is still a minor official from the seventh grade.

You must know that although the starting point of Jinshi is not high, most of them are eight grades or start from eight grades, but they are promoted very quickly in the later stage, and they can be promoted in just a few years, unless the ability is really bad, or there is no background background, but the villages and towns along the way in Wuxi County still seem to be very rich and stable, and the governance is good, how can this county be so low-key?

Lu Zhiyuan sighed, "When I was in my twenties when I was a high school jinshi, the Zheng family intended to arrest me as a son-in-law, but I already had a wife at home, and I didn't agree to the Zheng family, so I waited for two years in the capital to get the vacancy of Yancheng County." ”

Speaking of this, Lu Zhiyuan smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I thought it would be a little better to be transferred to Wuxi County, but unexpectedly, this year's new governor of Changzhou is actually a protégé of the Zheng family, and he has already worn me three small shoes in less than half a year, and two days ago, he ordered me to raise 50,000 stone of military rations, 100,000 yuan, and complete it within ten days, where can I do it?" I really can't do it, so I can only resign and go home to farm. ”

Li Yanqing smiled slightly: "I believe it will soon be your turn to put on small shoes for the other party." ”

Lu Zhiyuan laughed, "This is indeed something I've been looking forward to for a long time." ”

At this time, Zhang Bao reported at the gate of the big tent: "Qiyu Dutong, urgent news from the scouts that there is internal strife in the Jiangnan army, and an army of more than 6,000 people is rapidly moving south, less than fifty miles away from us. ”