At the end of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, Wang Kefan defeated the water bandits, recovered Tongcheng, and immediately implemented public security and military management in Chongyang, set up a trial bureau to strengthen local control, and forcibly levied military salaries from the gentry. After this series of dazzling movements, the people in it were like a small drop of water in the waves, passively throwing around, and before they had time to reminisce about what was going on, everything had changed.

After the establishment of the trial bureau, Wang Kefan fulfilled the conditions he promised Zhang Kuang, and Zhang Kuang scraped together seven or eight thousand people, how to cover up this defeat in the past, and how to make He Tengjiao pretend to be confused, it depends on his own ability. It's just that after the scene of the trial bureau, he has lost face, offended the local gentry and heroic, and he can't stay in Chongyang for a day, so he returns to Wuchang Mansion with the remnants of the defeated army.

Wang Kefan continued to stay in Chongyang on the grounds of exterminating the remnants of the Song River, Wuchang Mansion is now a powder keg, and must not wade into that troubled water, the Dashun army and the Qing army are about to go south, take advantage of this time in Zuihou, and try to be prepared.

Under his insistence and promotion, Xu Bingzhong used his leisure time in winter to recruit young people to continue to repair the city wall, re-excavate the moat, and strengthen the defense of Chongyang City. The moat was dug deeper and wider, and the bottom of the river was pierced with pointed wooden stakes and bamboo thorns to attract water from the Junshui River, which had a real defensive function.

In addition, Wang Kefan is also hoarding a large amount of food.

Song Jiang plundered Tongcheng on a large scale, Yanglou Cave was defeated, all the property and baggage were seized by the Gongyi battalion, and Wang Kefan obtained a stable source of funds from the merchant gentry, and he had a lot of money on hand. He took out some of it to buy grain everywhere and hoarded it for storage, while he handed over the rest to Su Hanzhang and Yu Saburo to buy a batch of new-style Western firecrackers along the coast of Guangdong.

Although the Gongyi Battalion was invincible against the Shangshui bandits, in fact there were still many flaws, such as insufficient mobility capabilities, lack of coordination among troops, and single tactics, so they could only be perfected step by step. Among them, the strengthening of long-range firepower is the most urgent and imperative.

There is no need to think about artillery for the time being, bows and arrows are difficult to learn and practice, and the soldiers of the Gongyi battalion are all peasants who have just put down their hoes, which is not suitable for them. It is only possible to increase the number of musketeers to cover the slow-moving pikemen.

However, the firecracker is a high-precision weapon, the quality of the three-eyed gun is too poor, and the only real suitable ones are the bird gun, as well as the new Western arquebus, Niu Zhongxiao has no choice but to get the bird, Wang Kefan had to go around in a circle and buy the smuggled Western firecracker at a high price.

In addition to Chongyang, Tongcheng is Wang Kefan's second territory, but it has just been looted by water bandits, and a fire has been set out, and half of the county has been burned to ruins, and it will take a while to recover.

Wang Kefan took the opportunity to introduce the "gold does not change" and "Tongjiang commercial bank" there, and implemented the meritorious silver donation system.

Taking advantage of the Chinese New Year, Wang Kefan also went to Tongshan, and according to the records of the historical books, he went to Tongshan Liudu Yuankouzhai and found the famous Cheng Jiubo in later generations. This is a wooden man, and even a little obscene, but no one would have imagined that a generation of heroes Li Zicheng would die under his hands.

Li Zicheng had already left Shaanxi at this time.

……

Wuchang Mansion Wharf, the flag is displayed, and thousands of boats are ready to go.

"What about Zuo Liangyu? Where is Zuo Liangyu? Let him come to me! He Tengjiao was furious and roared at the generals who escorted him.

The general said with a hippie smile: "Hehe, that's simple! Please He Zhengtai get on the boat, and when you arrive in Jiujiang, you can naturally see my handsome. ”

He looked at Nunu left and right, and several soldiers stepped forward to set up He Tengjiao, forcibly dragged him to the ship, then hoisted the sails and untied the cables, and drove the boat away from the dock.

At the beginning of the first year of Hongguang (1645), Li Zicheng gave up Shaanxi, went out of Shangluo, entered Henan, turned into Huguang, and led an army of 200,000 to approach Wuchang Mansion. Zuo Liangyu did not dare to face the battle, led hundreds of thousands of troops to flee from the wind, and under the guise of going to Nanjing to the "Qingjun side", he took a boat down the Yangtze River.

Before leaving Wuchang Mansion, Zuo Liangyu's soldiers burned and looted in the city, and forcibly kidnapped He Tengjiao, the governor of Huguang.

The official road from Wuchang Mansion to Yuezhou Mansion was full of fleeing people, officials, and defeated officers and soldiers. Everyone is running south, Wuchang Mansion has been occupied by Li Zicheng, Hunan is still under the control of Nanming, and it will be safe after Yuezhou Mansion.

All the ships in Wuchang Mansion were requisitioned by Zuo Liangyu, the Yangtze River waterway was under the control of the Dashun army, and the fleeing people could only take the land route, out of Xianning, through Puqi, and into the Chongyang boundary, which was already three hundred miles away from Wuchang Mansion, and the fleeing people took a breather.

These officials are headed by Gu Yinxi, who has just been promoted to the deputy envoy of the Huguang Judicial Division, the governor of Xuezheng, the court member of Zheng Sanpin, and has quite prestige in the officialdom, and with him, there is also Zhang Kuang, who has just returned to Wuchang Mansion, as well as Niu Zhongxiao, Fu Shangrui, Xianning County Order, Puqi County Commander and other civil and military officials.

After the loss of Wuchang Mansion, the officials of the subordinate prefectures and counties fled for their lives, and successively gave up Xianning and Puqi counties, there was no water and no food on the way, they were frightened, everyone suffered a lot, and when Wang Kefan came to pick them up, they even cried with joy in the game, and they were glad that they finally picked up a life.

After the meal, Du Yinxi summoned the civil and military officials.

"Everyone, you can't run south anymore, who wants to stay in Hubei with me and fight against a strong enemy together?"

Silence, no one answered, Li Zicheng was famous, Zuo Liangyu's 800,000 army had run away, why did he stay here and die? It took a long time for a few people to stand up sparsely, all of whom were Du Yinxi's henchmen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, who wants to stay in Hubei with me?" Plug Yinxi raised his voice, regretful, disappointed, and helpless.

"Old Grandmaster (commonly known as Xuezheng), He Junmen has already made it clear that we will wait for ......him in Changsha Mansion" It was Fu Shangrui who spoke, and he was also He Tengjiao's confidant and staff, his right-hand man.

Zuo Liangyu of Wuchang Mansion suddenly launched a mutiny, He Tengjiao saw that he was in a hurry to get out, in order to avoid being wrapped dumplings, he ordered Fu Shangrui, Zhang Kuang and other subordinates to flee to Changsha first, and then try to get out and join everyone. Changsha was located in the rear of Hunan, and the reopening of the government there was much safer than the edge of Li Zicheng's army.

What's more, there are rumors that the Manchu general Azig is following Li Zicheng and has entered Hubei, which is the invincible and famous Tartar soldiers in the world, staying in Hubei is simply sending them to death, and civil and military officials have echoed Fu Shangrui and persuaded Yinxi to go to Changsha together.

"Niu Xietai, are you going to Changsha too?" Du Yinxi's voice was full of expectation, Niu Zhongxiao is loyal and upright, and the two have a good personal relationship, maybe they will stay in Hubei and help him.

"This ......, He Junmen has already spoken, and the last general will not dare to disobey the general's order." Niu Zhongxiao lowered his head, not daring to face up to Du Yinxi's eager gaze, he has always been the only one who is looking at the horse, although he is ashamed, he will definitely go to Changsha.

"Okay, you all go to Changsha Mansion, I must stay in Hubei......"

Du Yinxi sighed, his heart full of disappointment. At the time of crisis, but no loyal people stepped forward, and the land of thousands of miles in Hubei was handed over to each other, and the future situation did not know how to clean up.

Everyone bowed their heads one after another, not daring to meet his gaze, He Tengjiao's order was just a cover, in the final analysis, they were still greedy for life and afraid of death, and felt that Changsha was safer. In this way, Wang Kefan in the back row was very conspicuous, his face was calm, standing there calmly, and he looked out of place with others.

Plug Yinxi's heart moved.

"Gimbal where are you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying in Chongyang."

As soon as Wang Kefan's words fell, everyone turned their heads to look at him, surprised, repulsed, admired, hostile, and had different expressions. Although Chongyang is located at the southern tip of Hubei, it is also a subordinate prefecture and county of Wuchang Mansion, if Li Zicheng leads his troops south, even Yuezhou Mansion is not safe, let alone a small county town in Chongyang!

Even if he stays in Hubei, at least he has to withdraw to Yuezhou Mansion, Niu Zhongxiao is friendly with him, and he is about to open his mouth to persuade him, but Wang Kefan waved his hand and was very resolute: "My subordinates are all children of Chongyang, and they will never leave their parents and fellow villagers and flee for their lives, even if Li Zicheng leads the army to come, I will defend Chongyang and not retreat!" ”

Firmly!

The atmosphere was somewhat relaxed, no longer one-sided pessimistic and disappointed, since someone took the lead, after hesitating for a while, more than a dozen civil and military officials stood up and supported Gu Yinxi to stay in Hubei.

Du Yinxi finally showed a relieved smile and said loudly: "Okay! I will stay in Chongyang with you and wait for Li Zicheng and Azig! ”

……

Inside, Sanjiang's grades are not very good, and he urgently needs the support of book friends, so he sincerely asks for a collection!!