The musketeers of the security army lined up in a neat queue to see the officers and soldiers approaching, and launched an attack in the sound of the password.

However, at this time, the officers and soldiers had no way to retreat, and if they did not rush out, the artillery of the security army would be bombarded, and everyone would be killed. Seeing that there was more and more trend of officers and soldiers, the artillery of the security army pulled up the gun carriage and retreated, and the musketeers also alternately covered and slowly retreated in the voice of the leader's order.

The shelling stopped, the officers and soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, and the courage to charge was gone. Seeing the security army retreat into the fortifications under the city walls.

The officers and soldiers took this opportunity to rush to the rescue of the wounded, and it was another busy time repairing the camp. Hong Chengchou had already returned to the big tent at this time, and after a while, a Chinese officer sent the statistical results of the losses, and this round of the offensive of the security army caused more than 5,000 casualties among the officers and soldiers, and also damaged a large number of tents and ordnance.

"How can we protect ourselves from the shelling of thieves? If we do it again, we can't afford to lose like that. Hong Chengchou said to Zhang Shaotang with a sad face, at this time he couldn't care about his own image, more than 100,000 troops stationed here could not capture Yuncheng, and from time to time by the security army sneak attack, personnel losses continued to increase. How can we crack these evil tricks of thieves?

"I think we can learn from the thieves." Zhang Shaotang thought for a while and said.

"What to learn from them?" Hong Chengchou hurriedly asked.

"We can follow the example of thieves, digging pits in the ground, and hiding in the pits when the thieves shell, when I saw the thieves digging those narrow ditches, I wondered what the effect was, but through observation I found that those ditches can play a role in hiding from the attack of bows and arrows, and we can use the way of others to control their bodies." Zhang Shaotang replied.

"Okay, that's a good idea. I'll send someone to herald. Hong Chengchou listened to Zhang Shaotang's method and felt that it was feasible, and immediately called the Chinese officers to the battalions to give orders.

The large camp of the officers and soldiers immediately turned into a large construction site, and all the officers and soldiers began to dig frantically using various tools. This is to protect their own lives, so the officers and soldiers do not need to be urged by the generals, consciously dig down, first dig a small pit for themselves to hide, and then think about how to be comfortable, the officers and soldiers used their ingenuity and digging all kinds of different holes. With the completion of the underground cave, the activities of the officers and soldiers on the ground became less and less, and the soldiers preferred to hide underground, and even Hong Chengchou often worked in a large hole dug by the soldiers. Hong Chengchou knew that this was not a long-term solution, and he had to find a way to defeat the security army, otherwise these hundreds of thousands of horses would turn into rats. So he ordered the newly formed firearms battalion to step up training and start a counteroffensive as soon as the artillery arrived.

After the officers and soldiers began to dig holes, the security forces carried out several more raids, and the results were obviously not as good as before. The officers and soldiers hid in the caves in the main camp, and the artillery of the security army could not hurt them at all. After that, the attacks of the security forces could only be regarded as a bluff and had no real effect.

The most anxious among them is Wang Jijie, he came to Zhang Chu's residence to inquire about the situation of the war when he has nothing to do, if the official army really drills into the ground and besieges Yuncheng for a year and a half, the grain and grass in the city are exhausted, won't the security army be defeated, and once the security army is defeated, his money will go with the wind.

"The officers and soldiers have become rats that drill holes, how can this be good." Wang Jijie asked anxiously when he saw Zhang Chu.

"Boss Wang doesn't need to worry, the pressure of more than 100,000 officers and soldiers stationed here for grain and grass is also very huge, and they can't besiege Yuncheng for a long time. In addition, I think it won't be long before news comes from Taiyuan, and Hong Chengchou should withdraw his troops. Although Zhang Chu himself was eagerly waiting for news from the direction of Taiyuan, he still comforted Wang Jijie.

"Will Hong Chengchou withdraw his troops by himself?" Wang Jijie was a little unconvinced.

"It will definitely be, the court will definitely order Hong Chengchou to withdraw his troops immediately." Zhang Chu is so confident because of his arrangements before this operation.

"How can you be so sure?" This is related to the safety of his silver, Wang Jijie still has to ask clearly.

"I have already arranged a team when we led the troops to leave Zhongyang, and when Hong Chengchou chased after us, he sent troops to Taiyuan, if the news of Taiyuan being attacked came, Hong Chengchou could not withstand the pressure of the court, and he would definitely withdraw his troops." Zhang Chu told Wang Jijie about the plan in advance, in order to reassure him.

"This is very good, Hong Chengchou doesn't dare to give up Taiyuan and not save it, but he doesn't know if the troops to attack Taiyuan are sufficient." Wang Jijie is much more down-to-earth.

"Don't worry about the troops, as soon as we move, there will be many people to join in the fun." Zhang Chu is still very confident in his arrangement.

In addition to the long-distance attack and occupation of Yuncheng, there is also an important part of this operation arrangement, that is, to send troops to contain Hong Chengchou, and not let him confront the security army in Yuncheng for a long time.

In order to pursue Zhang Chu, Hong Chengchou transferred the entire Shanxi army to the whole of Shanxi, and the pressure of the rebel army operating in northern Shanxi was greatly reduced, and he took this opportunity to develop rapidly, constantly recruiting troops and horses to expand his ranks.

Especially after Zhang Chu sold weapons to foreign countries, the rebel army had a stable source of weapons and improved equipment, and some flexible leaders of the rebel army used these weapons to organize their own cronies.

The fastest growing team among them is Li Zicheng's team. After he bought horses from Zhang Chu, he recruited some skilled vagrants and deserters from the border passes to form his own old battalion, which was personally commanded by Li Zicheng, with strong combat effectiveness, mobile flexibility, and very strict military discipline, and was welcomed by the people everywhere he went.

Li Zicheng's old battalion often secretly approached some landlords' forts, and then the cavalry suddenly attacked, and rushed into the village before Zhuang Ding had time to close the Zhuang door, and the cavalry behind followed up, and the landlord's Zhuang Ding basically had no power to resist. Using this method, Li Zicheng captured the forts of several landlords and seized a large amount of silver and grain. These landlords and old fortunes have a strong obsession with accumulating silver and grain, and the wealth in each village is enough for Li Zicheng to live comfortably for a while. Li Zicheng is a man with great ambitions, and he uses all the money and food he gets on the expansion of the team, and he doesn't use it for pleasure at all. Li Zicheng's team grew all at once, which made the other rebels very envious.

At this time, Wang Ziyong, as the leader of the rebel alliance, was not idle, and after many days of planning, he decided to carry out a major operation: to attack Qin County in Shanxi. (To be continued.) )