Although he had repelled two consecutive attacks by the Ming army, Shang Kexi still did not relax his vigilance, ordering to repair the defense facilities at the head of the city, and on the other hand, taking advantage of the cover of night to send a number of sentinels out of the city to pay attention to the latest movements of the Ming army outside the city. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 Info personally led people back and forth around the city that night, and was busy until the second half of the night when he found a random house near the city gate and rested.

Throughout the second half of the night, Shang Kexi didn't sleep very well, and like Pang Yue, he was also repeatedly recalling the battle during the day. Although nothing seemed wrong, he always felt a little suspenseful in his heart, and he always felt that he had the upper hand and was a little too light. That Pang Yue also has some reputation in the puppet Ming court, how can he be so easily helpless? Perhaps, there is something wrong with your own arrangement that needs to be corrected again?

Thinking of the entanglement, he simply put on his clothes and palmed the lamp, and ordered his soldiers to unfold the city defense map and the surrounding map, ponder carefully at each point on the map, and go through his deployment over and over again in his mind. It wasn't until he was sure that there was nothing wrong that he lay down again with a little fatigue, but the little doubt in his heart still existed. Thinking about it, I couldn't sleep for a long time. I don't know how long it took before I fell asleep.

The next day, as soon as it was dawn, Shang Kexi was already sleepy, so he hurriedly ate something and climbed to the top of the city again.

Fortunately, everything is normal, and the defenders at the head of the city are heavily guarded and ready for battle; Sentinels outside the city returned to the city one after another, all saying that the Ming army outside the city was still in the camp and there was no sign of attack; The Titicham in the camp in the north of the city also sent people to report, saying that there was nothing abnormal. At this point, Shang Kexi's heart was able to settle down for a while.

After a short time, the generals Xu Erxian, Ban Zhifu, and Daniel Zhang, the general of the Shaanxi-Gansu Green Battalion, and other city guards arrived one after another.

"See King Zhishun!"

"Get up!"

Xu Erxian stood up. sighed with admiration: "The prince forgot to sleep and eat because he was worried about the war, and his loyalty can show the sun and the moon!" In contrast, we are ......"

"That's it!" Shang Kexi interrupted impatiently. "The thief army has not gone, don't talk nonsense! What is the morale and morale of the officers and men of the other departments? ”

Xu Erxian replied: "Thanks to the prince's careful arrangement, clear rewards and punishments, at present, the generals of the general are stable and have strong morale, as long as the prince gives an order, they can go into battle at any time to fight with the puppet thief army." ”

The rest of the generals also echoed in turn and made assurances, saying that the morale of the headquarters was like a rainbow.

Leave nothing else. At least this mental state is still more satisfying to Shang Kexi, and he nodded: "That's good!" You must know that this war is related to the entire Hubei war situation. Significant. As long as Jingzhou is not lost, the fall of the traitors in Xiangyang is not far away. As soon as the Xiangyang Rebellion is settled, Sun, Zhang, and Gao will lead their troops south to join us, and the puppet Ming thief army that invaded the north this time will also flee in embarrassment. Contrarily. If Jingzhou is lost, Xiangyang will be difficult to protect. Once Xiangyang is lost, Wuchang will also be in danger. In this way, our previous business in Huguang will be completely eroded. At that time, even if we can get away with being spared on the battlefield, I'm afraid we won't be able to escape the stab! ”

"What the prince said is that the stakes are naturally known to the generals." Daniel Zhang said, "Just a few words." In the end, I don't know whether to talk about it or not. ”

"Say it!"

"Our army is holding on to the fortified city, although it is not unsafe. But after all, it is a little passive. Moreover, the strength of our army is nearly 20,000, and the Ming army outside the city is only 30,000, which is not too superior in terms of strength, and its combat power has also been revealed in the two battles yesterday. Under such circumstances, how can our army sit in a fortified city and do nothing? As the saying goes, those who are good defenders, the enemy does not know what they are attacking. The last general thought that on the premise of holding the city, our army still needed to see the opportunity and send an elite army to take the initiative to attack and kill the spirit of the puppet thief army. ”

Shang Kexi listened quietly at first, and then laughed: "Since General Zhang can have such determination, it is really a blessing for our army, and this king's heart is very much." Those who are good defenders, the enemy does not know what they are attacking, and it is true. There is defense and offense, and it is the best policy. But just as General Zhang said, it is reckless to take the initiative to attack, and you need to see the right time. At present, the puppet Ming thief army has just arrived, and the defense is still strict, and our army should still focus on holding on, and it is not in a hurry to attack. ”

Daniel Zhang listened, glanced at the expressions of the people around him, and then said no more, nodding yes.

As he spoke, another scout reported: The Ming army had already dispatched and was coming out of the camp in the direction of Jingzhou City.

Shang Kexi learned that he raised the clairvoyant mirror and looked into the distance, and sure enough, he saw a large black oppressive banner and military formation in the east. He immediately ordered all the generals to return to their positions and prepare for a new round of offensive by the Ming army.

The 30,000 Ming army came in a mighty way, and when they arrived at the place of two or three miles northeast of the city, they were divided into two groups, and the larger one bypassed the city and went straight to the north. The smaller group rushed directly to the north gate, and finally stopped in the direction of the city.

Shang Kexi went around to the Gongchen Gate, that is, the tower of the Great North Gate, and then carefully looked at its banner and scale, only to see that the Ming army under the city was about 10,000 people, and the handsome flag clearly had a "high" word.

"It turned out to be the remnants of the thieves!" Seeing the situation of the Ming army under the city clearly, Shang Kexi couldn't help but show contempt on his face, and smiled happily, "It's really a dog fighting people!" With just these people, do you want to attack the city? ”

Not only Shang Kexi, but Xu Erxian, Ban Zhifu, Daniel Zhang and others also showed contempt and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. For them, they may have to be a little cautious in the face of the soldiers and horses of Huguangzhen of the Ming army, but it is not difficult to face the rest of the Shun army at all. After all, the defeat of the Shun army is known to the world, from Shanhaiguan to northern Shaanxi, and then from northern Shaanxi to Jiangnan, along the way there are many defeats and few victories, and even Li Zicheng died in the hands of an old farmer in Jiugong Mountain, what threat does such an army have? What's more, Shang Kexi and Daniel Zhang's troops had fought with them in different locations before, and most of the time they chased them and couldn't escape, so what could happen this time?

Daniel Zhang, who had suggested taking the initiative just now, seemed even more excited at this time, and ordered left and right: "Go and ask King Zhishun for instructions, and say that Ben General is willing to lead his troops out of the city, so that this remnant of the thieves can taste the might." ”

Xu Erxian, Ban Zhifu and others are also eager to try.

Shang Kexi, who had received many applications for war, was still calm, refused one of them, and strictly ordered the generals to stick to their positions, and if there were any unauthorized fighters, they would be killed! At this time, while paying close attention to the outside of the city, he whispered to himself: What is the intention of the thief? Do you want to take the north camp of our army first? But then he shook his head slightly, and said secretly in his heart: Even if you take the camp, what is the use of the overall situation? Why should the thief do anything more? Perhaps, they want to use this as bait to trick our army out of the city? ......

Two or three miles outside the Great North Gate, 10,000 loyal battalion soldiers chose a place to stop in an open place, with the infantry in the center and the cavalry guarding the two wings.

"Old Gao, if you want me to say, there are only a few thousand Tartars in this city, and there may be many new soldiers among them. If we want to fight, we may not be able to fight. Dang Shousu held a horsewhip and pointed in the direction of Jingzhou City, full of confidence.

Gao Yigong said: "Regardless of whether we can attack it for the time being, we are not here to attack the city this time, we just need to contain the Tartars in the city, and we don't have to think about anything else." This is also what Dingwuhou discussed with us. ”

"That's," Dang Shousu laughed, "I'll just say that." Lao Gao, do you say that this arrangement and deployment of Dingwu Hou will work? ”

"You're too worried! Whether it can work or not is not something we consider, we just need to do our part and have a clear conscience. You should think about it more, when the war starts on the side of Dingwuhou, can we drag the Tartars in the city and ensure that not a single Tartar will be released. ”

Dang Shousu's smile gradually retracted, and his expression became a little more serious: "Lao Gao, I have to borrow a sentence from you, you are too worried!" Since the first year of Yongchang, we have fought enough battles, and the brothers have been full of anger in their hearts. If it was said that the Tartars were powerful before, we can't help it. But according to the posture in front of us, if we still suffer under the hands of the Tartars, then we will have no face to live with a head again. You must know that the hatred of the former emperor and the old brothers who died is not only remembered by you and me, but also by the brothers present! ”

Gao Yigong didn't say anything anymore, but nodded firmly.

Up and down the city, the two armies faced each other silently, and neither of them took the initiative to attack.

During this period, Shang Kexi didn't know how many times he refused his subordinates' requests to fight, but just quietly observed the outside of the city, letting the thoughts in his mind churn.

But he also knows that it is not a way to go on like this. Since all the generals in the army are eager to fight, if they keep refusing, it will be a big blow to the morale of the army. After thinking about it for a long time, he finally made up his mind and decided to send a group of soldiers and horses out of the city for a tentative attack, and then how to decide depends on the situation.

After summoning the heralds, Shang Kexi didn't say a word, and suddenly a series of cannons rang out from the north, although they were far away, they were still like a heavy hammer hitting people's hearts.

Hearing this movement, Shang Kexi couldn't help frowning, and after another deep groan, he made some changes to the previous order. And sent a few capable scouts to the northern Titicham camp to deliver his own message. At present, although the road to the north is blocked by the Ming army, after all, Shang Kexi's troops have been stationed in Jingzhou for more than half a year, and it is not difficult for a few people to choose a small road to go to the Titicham camp.

The scouts were ordered to leave, and the heralds quickly spread the general's orders everywhere.

Not long after, the sound of cannons at the head of Jingzhou City officially opened the prelude to the Qing army's attack in the city. Although the distance was far away and the power of the artillery at the head of the city was limited, it still startled the neighing of the war horses in the loyal battalion.

At the same time as the shelling, the Anlan Gate in the west of the city was opened, and about four or five thousand Qing troops were killed together, and with the earth-shaking shout, they rushed straight to the location of the loyal camp. (To be continued.) )