April 20.

In the afternoon, the remnant sun shines on the sparkling surface of the Shihe River, the flags flutter on the west bank of the Shihe River, and the tents are scattered on the shore like a small mountain, and the Dashun flags that cannot be seen at a glance, the newly erected tents, the newly lit bonfires, the cooking smoke of boiling water and cooking, and the neighing of war horses one after another.

Since Li Zicheng's Eastern Expeditionary Army set up camp on the west bank of the Shihe River this afternoon, it has suddenly become lively.

Wu Sangui was stamping back and forth, looking anxious, and from time to time he climbed the city tower and looked at the Dashun military camp several miles away.

Shanhaiwei has defended the grassland peoples outside the pass since ancient times, and there is no defense in the pass, there is no danger to defend, and the city is thin, and there is no moat.

This time, Li Zicheng came from the west, which caught Wu Sangui a little off guard, although he knew that the Qing regent Dolgon led about 100,000 elite soldiers from Man, Mongolia, and Han to Shanhaiguan in a hurry, and he could reach Huanxiling outside the pass tomorrow afternoon, and would help him defeat Li Zicheng in one fell swoop.

But at this time, Li Zicheng's army was strong and strong, and it was said that this time he personally led an army of 200,000 to kill, Wu Sangui said that it was false if he was not alarmed, and said that his relatives and concubine Chen Yuanyuan were in Li Zicheng's hands.

Wu Sangui did not dare to slack off on the matter of defending the city, and in the past few days, he coaxed the Dashun army to rob, torture and recover the stolen goods after entering Beijing, and the people in the city were extremely worried that Li Zicheng would burn and loot after breaking through the lonely city of mountains and seas.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man in a green robe hurriedly walked towards Wu Sangui in the city, and sat down after saluting Wu Sangui. This is the only person in the city, She Yiyuan, the only person in Shanhaiwei, is a Confucian scholar under Wu Sangui, and he is deeply trusted by Wu Sangui.

Wu Sangui said to She Yiyuan: "Brother Zhanyi, who do you think will win tomorrow when our side fights with Li Thief?" ”

She Yiyuan said: "As far as I know, the Li thief claims to be 200,000, but in fact it is 60,000, a long-distance attack, if you add the help of the regent of the Qing Dynasty, the Li thief will be defeated." ”

Wu Sangui frowned when he heard the word regent, and when She Yiyuan saw this, he said: "Hook seat, now that things have become like this, it is better to borrow the forces of the Manchu Qing Dynasty to repel the Li thief, it is better than falling into the hands of the Li thief." ”

Suddenly, a rapid sound of horses' hooves came from outside the gate, and more than a dozen war horses were sweaty, spraying their noses, raising their heads and screaming.

Wu Sangui was surprised and was looking out, when the gate official walked towards the gate with two generals, it was Guo Yunlong and Sun Wenhuan who Wu Sangui had sent out to meet the regent Dorgon.

Wu Sangui was suddenly overjoyed and asked, "Have you seen Dolgon?" ”

Guo Yunlong hurriedly saluted and replied respectfully: "The lowly rank met the regent on the way, and presented the uncle's letter, which was read to him by Lord Fan Wencheng, and Lord Hong was also beside him......"

"What did he say?"

"The regent told him to return to Shanhaiguan immediately and report to the prince......"

"Lord Wang?"

"It's you, he officially named you the king of the Qing Dynasty."

"Oh!"

Wu Sangui's face was cold, without the slightest expression.

Guo Yunlong continued: "He told the generals, the army he commanded to the south, did not stop when passing through Ningyuan, traveled day and night, and arrived at Huanxiling on the morning of the 21st, and he himself could arrive at noon, temporarily stationed in Jieweiyuan Fort. In the battle the day after tomorrow, the thieves were defeated. ”

"Anything else?" Wu Sangui said coldly.

"Lord Fan secretly said to Zai Xia that the regent's tent will be set up in Weiyuan Fort, and ask the prince to lead the officials and gentry in Shanhai City to Weiyuan Fort to pay homage to the regent after collecting the troops, and listen to the regent's edict and the battle strategy of the day after tomorrow."

"Does that mean that the Qing soldiers will not enter the customs for the time being?" Wu Sangui asked.

Guo Yunlong said: "Listening to Lord Fan's leakage, the Qing soldiers are temporarily stationed in the area of Huanxiling to rest, and do not enter the city. The day after tomorrow, the Qing soldiers suddenly appeared on the battlefield in the western suburbs, which would catch the thieves off guard and defeat the thieves in one fell swoop. ”

When She Yiyuan heard the words that the Qing soldiers would not enter the city for the time being, his face was overjoyed, and he said unconsciously in his heart: "Thank God! ”

Wu Sangui listened, waved his hand and said, "Go back and rest!" Tomorrow you will fight the thieves, and you will not have to fight. ”

After Guo Yunlong and Sun Wenhuan turned around and withdrew, Wu Sangui was about to talk to She Yiyuan, when he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves and stopped outside the gate.

In a few years, a general was neatly dressed, and without the guidance of the door official, he strode into the second gate. Wu Sangui looked at it and asked loudly, "Is it Ziyu?" ”

This person is Yang Shen, the general under Cheng Sangui, Yang Shen walked in quickly, saluted Wu Sangui with a fist, and said respectfully: "Uncle, there is an emergency outside Xiluo City, and the general is here to report!" ”

"What emergency?"

"Uncle Hui, just now there were two or three hundred cavalry of the thief battalion, who came to the Shihe beach and shouted to the guards of Xiluo City......

"Shouting what?"

"It's a Shaanxi accent, very loud. They shouted that the prince of the Ming Dynasty, sitting on the west bank of the Shihe River, summoned General Ping Xibo Wu to meet him, and that he had an important message to avoid the massacre of the two armies. ”

"It's Li Zicheng, how do you answer?"

"Our generals discussed for a while, and some people said that we could send 400 cavalry to the west bank to recapture the East Palace. Some people say that they are afraid of falling for the tricks of Li Zicheng and Song Dwarf. Everyone discussed for a while, but they didn't dare to decide, and they would go back to ask for instructions. ”

Wu Sangui's heart moved, and he asked: "If you go to the 400 cavalry and can't save the East Palace, and Li Zicheng surrounds our soldiers with a large army, won't you suffer a big loss and be self-defeating?" ”

Yang Shen said: "Our army sent these four hundred cavalry, only claiming to escort Ping Xibo to the East Palace. When he got closer, he suddenly ran in two ways, recaptured the prince as quickly as possible, and returned immediately without a fight. Another 300 infantrymen, dressed in white, lay in ambush in the middle of the riverbank. If the enemy pursues him, the firearms and crossbows are fired at the same time, and in a few moments the prince will be in the city of Silo. ”

After Wu Sangui heard this, he was silent, now the prince of the East Palace of the Ming Dynasty is not very important to him, if his four hundred soldiers are surrounded and eaten by bandits, it will be a big loss, and then he ordered Yang Shen: "You go to Xiluo City quickly, order the firearms battalion to fire a few cannons on the river beach, and drive away the small group of thieves who are shouting randomly!" ”

"Uncle......

Yang Shen was about to speak, when Cheng Sangui shouted: "Go quickly, don't fall for the trick!" ”

In the quiet of the night, the sound of artillery from time to time transmitted for hundreds of miles, echoing among the valleys.

Under the moonlit night, the officers and men of the Manchurian army, who were hurrying from Ningyuan to Shanhaiguan, faintly heard the roar of cannons by virtue of the sound of the wind. Dolgon's excitement whispered a word to the herald who followed him. In a moment, a loud voice preached to the front and rear of the army: "The regent has decreed: Li Zicheng's thieves have attacked Shanhai City from the west. The officers and men of the whole army must speed up their journey, and they are not allowed to rest until they reach Huanxi Ridge! ”