The generals of the Pingnan Domain of the Qing Army decided to withdraw their troops in the camp with Shang Zhixin behind their backs, and the Jingnan Domain's subordinates and the Governor Fu Pacesetters decided to withdraw their troops.

The current situation is a little weird, Zhou Shixiang in the city is waiting for the sailors on the river to make a move, he is good to lead his troops out of the city to respond to cooperate, but the sailors on the river have not moved since their arrival, without the slightest intention of going ashore, and the Qing army has not moved at all, only the green battalion soldiers stationed along the river are mobilized and deployed.

Seeing that the sun was heading west, but the sailors on the river still did not move, Zhou Shixiang couldn't help frowning, guessing what the Ming generals who commanded the sailors were doing.

If the Ming general really led his troops to support Xinhui, he should immediately attack the Qing army after arriving, so as to collect the effect of surprise soldiers. Even if the Qing army could not be defeated in one fell swoop, it could still enter the city with the response of the Taiping army, which could also double the strength of the defenders. But now the sailors are standing still, sitting back and watching the loss of fighters, which cannot but make people suspicious, speculating whether this Ming army sailors are here to support Xinhui.

"What does the sir think the sailor is thinking, why don't you stay for a long time?" After thinking hard to no avail, Zhou Shixiang wanted to get an answer from Song Xianggong.

Song Xianggong groaned slightly, and said his guess, and he said, "I'm afraid that the water master is not as strong as the master." ”

"Weak?" Zhou Shixiang was slightly stunned, not knowing what Song Xianggong meant by this.

Song Xianggong explained: "The northerners are good at horses, and the southerners are good at boats. The Ming army's naval division could gallop on the rivers and seas of Guangdong Province, but most of the officers and soldiers of the naval division were not accustomed to foot combat, so it was difficult to fight head-on with the Qing army on the shore, and could only play the role of attacking, harassing, blockading, and transporting grain and troops. During the Battle of Xinhui last year, I went down the mountain with Hu Quan to help in the battle, and I saw the sailors fighting, and that was probably the case.

In addition, although this naval division has more than 100 warships, it has never appeared in Tanjiang before, and it must be soldiers and horses who cannot gain a foothold on the shore and rush to the island. And so it goes. I'm afraid that the strength of this sailor is not as strong as we think. Although there are many ships, there are few soldiers capable of fighting, so even if the person in charge of the army has the intention to send troops ashore to support our army, he still has more than enough strength and is not enough, so he will not move his troops and wait and see what happens. ”

After speaking, Song Xianggong thought of something, and said: "Judging from the current situation, it is better for the sailor to move according to the soldiers. ”

"Why?"

"If it doesn't move, the Qing army doesn't know the truth and the truth. Under the presumptuous speculation, they do not dare to act rashly, and under the invisible pressure, they will even shake the whole army. If the sailor moves, the Qing army will inevitably block it, and the two sides will fight, and the truth is known. If the sailor wins, the dilemma of Xinhui will be naturally solved, but if it is defeated, even if the sailor can withdraw, our army will no longer have any support force. The morale of the newly victorious Qing army will also be raised. Under the offset of the two, it is difficult to say the outcome of the battle of Xinhui. ”

Song Xianggong sighed, the arrival of the sailor before really made him excited for a while, thinking that victory was expected. Now I can't help but worry again.

Zhou Shixiang didn't speak, he only digested Song Xianggong's analysis in his mind, thinking about it, he was afraid that the sailor's immobility was really as Song Xianggong guessed.

But the sailor did not move, and he could accept it. But why didn't the Qing army move?

He said to Song Xiang: "According to what Mr. said, it makes sense for the sailor not to move, but why didn't the Qing army move?" Shang Zhixin can't just watch the sailor pose a threat to him on the river, right? Moreover, these days have been storming for several days. The Qing army lost no less than thousands, and there was not much grain and grass left in the battalion, our army had no reinforcements, Shang Zhixin could still make a desperate bet and we would consume it to the end, and now that our army has reinforcements, how can he still insist on refusing to retreat? This doesn't make sense. ”

"This"

Zhou Shixiang's question made Song Xianggong also confused, and thought: "It is estimated that Shang Zhixin's letter will be more headache than ours, I have heard that this prince of Pingnan is a person with a violent personality, most of this kind of people are stubborn, they belong to the Yellow River heart does not die, and he does not cry when he sees the coffin, presumably he is not willing to retire from the army." ”

"If Shang Zhixin is really this kind of person, then we really don't expect the Qing army to withdraw from the siege. He is the son of Pingnan, he refuses to withdraw, how dare those generals under his command withdraw. Hey, Shang Zhixin is really determined to fight with our Taiping Army to the end. However, "

Zhou Shixiang gritted his teeth and made up his mind, slapped the battlements hard, and said heavily: "If he refuses to retreat, let's force him to retreat!" ”

Song Xianggong was taken aback by Zhou Shixiang's sudden move, and said in a trembling voice: "What do you mean? ”

Zhou Shixiang's eyes flashed, "If our army suddenly goes out of the city to attack the Qing camp now, what will you think of Dao Shang's letter?" ”

Song Xianggong said without thinking: "Shang Zhixin saw that our army suddenly left the city, and he must have thought that our army had made contact with the Jiangshang Water Division, and made an appointment to jointly send troops to attack him. ”

"Yes, Shang Zhixin can make a desperate bet, why can't I, Zhou Shixiang, break the axe and sink the boat, and fight against the water! I just want Shang Zhixin to mistakenly think that our army has made contact with the sailor and attack him, I want to see if he Shang Zhixin can still stabilize his position, or if his bones are hard, or my Zhou Shixiang's bones are harder! ”

Zhou Shixiang's decision to break the axe and sink the boat out of the city for a decisive battle surprised Song Xianggong, and even if he thought that there was only one way to go, perhaps this road was also the only life of the Taiping army. But he was worried that the Taiping army would move, and what if the sailors still didn't move.

The meaning of the two armies being flanked and fighting alone is very different, the former has the possibility of shaking the entire defense line of the Qing army, but the latter has absolutely no chance.

Zhou Shixiang smiled freely, and he said: "If the water master really doesn't move, it will also be the will of heaven to kill my Taiping Army!" The words changed, "But since Luo Dingxing, my Taiping Army, hasn't it been fighting with thieves!" The left and right cities will also run out of food, so they are trapped and starved to death, so it is better to fight! ”

When Zhou Shixiang said this, Song Xianggong had no objections, and made a series of comments to Zhou Shixiang: "Well, my subordinates are here to wish thousands of households to go out of the city and break the Qing army!" ”

Zhou Shixiang nodded slightly, and without hesitation, he immediately chose Feng to go out of the city to join him in the final battle with the Qing army.

As early as when the Ming army's naval division arrived on the river, Zhou Shixiang was ready to go out of the city to fight, he ordered each battalion and hundreds of households to pick out half of the strong men to form a death squad, but Song Xianggong proposed that all the five battalions go out of the city, this proposal made Zhou Shixiang stunned, but listened to Song Xiang's justice: "If the thousand households are defeated, what can the people left in the city do, since the thousand households have decided to fight the last battle, then the whole army will be exhausted, whether it is dead or alive in this time." ”

After hearing this, Zhou Shixiang did not say a word, and ordered the whole army to follow him out of the city for a decisive battle.

Song Xianggong went to fetch the cowhide drum brought out from Daqiao Mountain that day, and wanted to personally beat the drum for the soldiers out of the city to strengthen the momentum.

In his heart, he was ready to jump from the city once Zhou Shixiang was defeated.

"Get out of the city and fight the Qing Demon!"

The east gate slowly opened, and Zhou Shixiang jumped on the somewhat thin green horse, drew his sword and rushed out of the city. (To be continued.) )