Ma Guozhu and Zhang Tianlu had limited troops, so they decided to lure the enemy deeper, lure the Chu army to the city of Nanjing, and use the fortified city of Nanjing and the mountainous area of Ningzhen in the south of Yingtianfu to trap Wang Kefan, who was alone in the depths, to die here.

The Chu army was also very cooperative, and the troops were divided into three ways to launch a fierce attack at the same time, Ma Guozhu and Zhang Tianlu were very happy, the battle of Nanjing was developing according to their expectations from the beginning, and the final victory was beckoning in the distance.

However, after the Chu army captured Jiangning Town-Moling Pass-Lishui County, it suddenly stopped its offensive and did not move. This made Ma Guozhu anxious, he was restless all day, and he didn't sleep well at night, and the corners of his mouth were two big bubbles when he got up the next morning.

In order to lure the Chu army to take the bait, he gave up Jiangning Town-Moling Pass-Lishui County, and the capital paid was really not small...... What worries Ma Guozhu the most is that if Wang Kefan does not come to attack the city of Nanjing, but crosses the Qinhuai River from Lishui County and goes all the way east into the rich Jiangnan Plain, the situation will be out of control.

Helpless, he deliberately recalled Zhang Tianlu from Dasheng Pass and asked the battle-hardened veteran for advice.

Zhang Tianlu was very calm.

"Don't worry! If the thief fled east from Lishui County, although he could succeed for a while, the grain support would definitely be cut off. At present, it is the time when the green and yellow are not connected, and the Wang thief is alone in the army, and it is not easy to raise food, isn't it a self-defeating way? ”

Zhang Tianlu pointed to the map and analyzed: "Although the Wang thief's department is brave, if the military food supply is cut off, the combat power will be greatly reduced. Our armies don't need to engage them, they just need to hold the city passes. Squeezed through the battalion step by step, waiting for General Tan Tai's reinforcements to arrive. It can be encircled and suppressed between Taihu Lake and the Yangtze River...... Therefore, the last general can conclude that the Wang thief will definitely not flee eastward, and will come to Nanjing sooner or later! ”

Although Jiangnan is an important grain-producing area, the early rice has not yet matured in April, and even if Wang Kefan plunders the army, it is difficult to ensure the food supply of tens of thousands of troops.

Ma Guozhu nodded and breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm relieved to say this." But....... After the thief Wang entered and occupied Moling Pass and Lishui County, he did not fight or retreat in the past few days, and his appearance was suspicious, what did he want to do? ”

"There's nothing strange about him, he must be preparing for battle."

Zhang Tianlu smiled slightly: "There are many mountains and mountains south of Yingtianfu, and if the thieves want to attack Nanjing, they must prepare before entering the mountains, and food, vehicles, livestock, ordnance and so on must be transported slowly." You have to attack left and right, sweep away the threat from both wings, and then kill the city of Nanjing in one go...... If I had not miscalculated, he would have marched again in three days. Attack Zhuohua Town and Jurong County, and even feint Danyang County in the east to open the way for the army. ”

"Won't he win the big game?" Ma Guozhu asked.

"This. It's hard to say. Zhang Tianlu thought for a while and said, "It's him who replaced me." will not storm the big victory pass, but put the main direction of attack in Zhuohua Town and Jurong County. Dasheng Pass is close to the bank of the Yangtze River, and Wang Thief has no sailors, so it is not good for him to storm Dasheng Pass......"

Ma Guozhu nodded again and again, but Zhang Tianlu added: "However, Wang Thief has always used cunning soldiers, and he may sneak attack Dasheng Pass, but he must not be guarded against......"

Facts proved that Zhang Tianlu's judgment was completely correct, and the Chu army only stayed in Moling Pass-Lishui County for two days before sending troops to attack Zhuohua Town and Jurong County again.

The acting has to be like, the Qing army did not collapse at the touch of a button this time, but based on Zhuohua Town and Jurong County, and fought fiercely with the Ming army...... However, Ma Guozhu and Zhang Tianlu secretly ordered that as long as the defenders of Zhuohua Town and Jurong County held out for three days and inflicted some casualties on the Chu army, they could take the initiative to retreat and retreat to Nanjing City in order to preserve their strength and prepare for the final decisive battle......

Since they could retreat after three days, the Qing defenders in Zhuohua Town and Jurong County had no worries, so they let go of their hands and feet to fight viciously with the Chu army. This area is hilly and low mountains, the Qing army with the help of favorable terrain resistance, fighting very tenacious, when the Chu army is too stressed, they take the initiative to retreat, step by step to give up the peripheral positions, retreat to Zhuohua Town and Jurong County.

The Chu army came in hot pursuit, and under the city of Jurong, in front of Zhuohua Town, a fierce battle was launched.

At this time, Wang Kefan's Chinese army had moved forward to Moling Pass, when the defense of Tucheng was handed over to the Jiang Cavalry Battalion and the West Cavalry Battalion, there was no need for too many cavalry in the mountainous area, the Jiang Cavalry Battalion and the West Cavalry Battalion only sent 1,000 cavalry to follow Wang Kefan into the army, and the main force stayed in Dangtu to rest and wait for the fighters.

At this time, Dangtu has become the forward base of the Chu army, the food supplies transported from the rear, and the wounded soldiers sent down from the front line are all transferred in Dangtu, and the whole city is like a large military base...... The logistics department of the Chu army was running at a high speed, and Cheng Wen personally stayed in Dangtu to sit in the town, in addition to military logistics issues, local government affairs were also under military management, and Cheng Wen was in charge of the unified responsibility.

After the Chu army entered Nanzhili, it had already occupied several prefectures and counties, and some of the local Manchu officials chose to surrender in addition to those who were killed and fled. These people were very familiar with the local situation, and Wang Kefan also lacked sufficient manpower, so he treated them leniently and temporarily retained all of them.

When Tu Governor, Wuhu County Cheng, Tongling Master Book, Guichi Push Official...... Some of them turned out to be the number one, and some were the acting chief officials (because the chief officer had already run away), and Cheng Wen summoned them all to Dangtu to gather together for a meeting.

Most of these people cut their braids, but when the prefect Tu was ingenious, he only untied the braids, then wrapped a net scarf, and tied his hair into a strand of coils, because there was too little hair, and his forehead was still bare, and his appearance was a little strange.

Alternative will always become the object of rejection, although the other surrender officials are smaller than his officials, but everyone has just surrendered, the previous superiority and humility are not so important, Guichi Tuiguan and others ridiculed and abused him, all kinds of blows. When Tu Governor didn't dare to fight back, he had to lower his head and be scolded honestly.

At this time, Cheng Wen helped him.

"In the future, just tie your hair, you don't need to cut your braids, no matter the people and gentry, as long as they can serve the Ming Dynasty, they should be more tolerant."

As soon as he said this, those officials who surrendered were all silent, but when the prefect Tu had a happy face.

Cheng Wen smiled slightly.

"The royal court regained the lost land, in order to save the people from fire and water, of course the braids can no longer be kept, but there is no need to cut them all, this is Wang Junmen's painstaking efforts to cherish the people, and please experience more." When Cheng Wen said this, the words suddenly changed: "Our army is fighting bloodily, and the gentry of the people in Jiangnan should also help each other, and they should contribute money and strength, so I want to ask you to go back and arrange to raise a batch of military salaries for the army......" (to be continued......)