Five days after the 2nd Division attacked Haizhou, it reported back the news, and Haizhou was successfully taken.

There were not many Qing defenders in Haizhou, but it took a lot of time to go back and forth, and after taking Haizhou, Li Chengdong returned to Huai'an with the second division.

Luo Jian transferred some backbones from the Second Division to strengthen the education and training of the prisoners, and in the end there were more than 20,000 prisoners left, except for some of the old, weak, sick and disabled who were eliminated, Luo Jian still made up his mind to kill hundreds of people, these hundreds of people have done too much evil, and at least a few people's lives are on their hands.

After arranging the defense of Suqian, Huang Degong also returned to Huai'an.

The training of the captives in Huai'an was getting on the right track, and these people were led by the backbone officers of the 1st and 2nd Divisions, and it was certainly not enough to fight in the field, but it was no longer a big problem to defend the city.

Time passed quickly, Luo Jian and others were busy in Huai'an, and soon in mid-October, the weather began to cool, and the leaves on the trees were almost gone.

The situation in Huai'an has been completely stabilized, Haizhou, as a natural seaport, has been included in the key construction plan, and the production of sea salt in Yancheng has gradually returned to normal channels, and tens of thousands of catties of salt have been provided to Yangzhou in the past half month.

The troops have already issued jackets, which were purchased by Shi Kefa, He Gang and others from the south, and Liulan's textile factory is still under construction.

Luo Jian and others began to plan to march to Xuzhou.

Mini gun, now called Yangzhou Yishi, and more than 200 sent to the troops, Luo Jian asked for everyone's opinions, felt that it should be used intensively, and still equipped with a special brigade of Wang Qiang of the first division,

The garrison troops had already changed guards with the Fifth Division, the First Division and the Second Division were also transported to Suqian by naval warships, and the Fourth Division was only 20 miles away from Suzhou from Fengyang.

After learning that the Yangzhou army had begun to take offensive actions towards Xuzhou, Duoduo adopted a posture of strategic contraction, and withdrew all the defenders of Sixian, Sihong, and Suzhou to Xuzhou, so the fourth division took Suzhou without a fight, and the third division of Li Benshen also advanced more than 150 miles in the direction of Sixian and Sihong, occupying Sixian and Sihong counties.

At this time, Gushan Ezhen Tan Tai had already led more than 20,000 people from the Zhenghuang Banner to Chongzhou, and Wu Sangui's more than 50,000 Guan Ning troops had also entered Jinan, and the Qing army's defense of Shandong had been greatly strengthened.

Although Duoduo had received instructions from the Qing court to abandon Xuzhou and retreat to Germany at an appropriate time, Duoduo was really unwilling to retreat without a fight.

Just as Duoduo hesitated, the Second Route Army of Yangzhou Army was already approaching Xuzhou.

Although there is a canal and waterway from Suqian to Xuzhou, the canal is very narrow, and the water is not deep, and many large ships of the sailor division have been inconvenient to move here, Luo Jian decided that the whole army will no longer take the waterway, and start to take the land route from Suqian to Xuzhou.

In order to prevent the Fourth Division from advancing alone, Luo Jian had to send a signal corps to urgently notify the Fourth Division, and wait for the other divisions to start maneuvering after they arrived in Suining.

It took more than three days for the Yangzhou army to arrive at Tangzhang Town on the periphery of Xuzhou, which was only more than 30 miles away from Xuzhou City, and the next day the Fourth Division also rushed to Tangzhang Town, so far, the Yangzhou Army gathered four divisions and artillery with a total of more than 50,000 troops to prepare to launch an attack on Xuzhou.

At this time in Xuzhou City, the Qing soldiers gathered the defenders from all over the vicinity of Xuzhou, a total of more than 80,000 people, Duoduo Zheng Red Banner White Armor Cavalry has nearly 10,000 people, Mongolian cavalry has about 8,000 people, and the rest of the Han cavalry also has nearly 10,000 people, the Han Army except Kong Youde and Geng Jimao's Tianyou Army and Tianzhu Army, the Ming Army and the Dashun Army that surrendered later are basically not much.

The cavalry in Xuzhou accounts for nearly half, which is one of the reasons why Duoduo dares to stay in Xuzhou now.

It was also based on this information that Luo Jian did not rush to launch an attack on Xuzhou, but slowly moved forward, gradually approaching Xuzhou, building his own camp solidly, preventing the Qing cavalry from assaulting, and forcing Duoduo out of the city to face the battle, which was the idea of Luo Jian and Huang Degong and others after discussion.

The Yangzhou army is getting closer and closer, and the scout war has been fought happily, Duoduo can receive reports of scout losses every day, and most of them are knocked out by the Yangzhou army's kind of muskets that hit far away, which makes the Qing scouts not close to the Yangzhou army, and Duoduo knows little about the specific situation of the Yangzhou army.

The Manchu cavalry generals such as Turai resolutely demanded to go out of the city to meet the battle, while Kong Youde and Geng Jimao and others who were frightened by the firepower of the Yangzhou army resolutely advocated relying on the city wall for defense.

Just when the Qing soldiers and Manchu generals in Xuzhou City were arguing, the Yangzhou army had advanced to Qiligou, which was ten miles away from the city wall.

Standing on the tower of Xuzhou City and looking at the Yangzhou army that came from afar, Duoduo sighed secretly, once upon a time, he also led hundreds of thousands of troops all the way to Yangzhou, which was less than a year, and the Yangzhou army forced him to defend in a dilemma.

The Yangzhou army finally stopped more than four miles away from the city wall of Xuzhou, and built a camp in a hurry, this distance was carefully calculated, it was already outside the range of the Qing army's red-coated cannons, and the Yangzhou army's artillery could carry out fire strikes on the Qing soldiers.

Seeing that the Qing soldiers had no plans to go out of the city to meet the battle, the Yangzhou artillery began to build artillery positions in the camp, and then it was time for Yan Yingyuan to sing the leading role.

Duoduo saw a row of artillery of the Yangzhou army lined up on the city tower, and he didn't count them for a long time, and he was surprised, and when he saw that the Yangzhou army began to build a position, he suddenly became anxious.

Turai and other cavalry generals were angry when they saw that the Yangzhou army was encamped so close to Xuzhou, but the cavalry was unable to make a strong camp, blaming Duoduo for not letting the cavalry attack in advance, and now he has lost the opportunity to attack.

The skilled artillery quickly set up a position, but it was still Yan Yingyuan who was the first to adjust the artillery, and a shell flew towards Xuzhou City.

Duoduo and the others had already gone down the city wall and hid far away.

This cannonball flew directly into the city of Xuzhou, and Yan Yingyuan's second shot really hit outside the city, Luo Jian had already asked Yan Yingyuan, this method was thought up by himself, and he felt that it could be hit accurately, which surprised Luo Jian.

Seeing that the third shell fell in the city, not far from the city wall, Yan Yingyuan gave the order to fire a salvo, and suddenly more than 70 artillery pieces of the Yangzhou army opened fire together, and the camp of the Yangzhou army and the city wall of Xuzhou were instantly shrouded in smoke.

Huang Degong laughed more than 200 meters behind the artillery position, and said to Luo Jian and the generals: "This battle is just enjoyable, let's just fight them, they can't beat us, I think Duoduo won't last long, he will definitely run!" ”

Duoduo was indeed stunned by the scene of the Yangzhou army's artillery salvo, the Yangzhou army's artillery fire, there was no way to stand on the city wall, how could this be defended? It is no wonder that Huai'an City was broken in one day, and the Yangzhou army used artillery fire to beat the city wall so that there were no defenders, so that the city wall was calmly blown up.

Duoduo had the idea of retreating, this kind of dense artillery fire, even if the cavalry was dispatched, would be blown apart, and it would not be able to form an effective offensive at all, and the Yangzhou army still had a strong camp.

On this day, the artillery bombardment of the Yangzhou army did not last long, maybe it was to test the water, maybe the shells had not yet arrived, in short, after a few rounds, it stopped, and Duoduo and a group of generals in Xuzhou City could finally take a breath.

Duoduo has moved to a place far away from the city wall of the south gate of Xuzhou, and his original residence has been subjected to a few shells, although there is not much damage, but his heart is no longer steady, in case the Yangzhou army comes to a few more cannons, it will be broken.

Duoduo gathered all the Manchu and Han generals and began to discuss how to deal with them.

Today, the Yangzhou army has killed and wounded more than 200 Qing defenders, especially Geng Jimao's troops gathered under the city wall.

Of course, these more than 200 people are a drop in the bucket for Xuzhou, which has 80,000 or 90,000 defenders, but after the Yangzhou army shelled it today, the morale in the city is already extremely low.

As an artillery expert in the Qing army, Kong Youde is envious of this kind of artillery of the Yangzhou army, this kind of artillery that can fight far, can bloom, and is extremely light and fast-moving has always been his dream, and now he has seen it with his own eyes in the Yangzhou army, but it is his enemy, Kong Youde is very frustrated.

Kong Youde knows very well that it is not difficult for artillery to make flower shells, the iron ball is filled with gunpowder, and a lead is added, but why the shells of the Yangzhou army exploded when they landed, as if they were calculated, which made Kong Youde puzzled.

There is also the artillery of the Yangzhou Army that uses black huo medicine, not the kind of gunpowder used in grenades, why can it hit so far?

Thinking of these, Kong Youde really wanted to go out of the city to attack, it was best to take a Yangzhou army's artillery and take a look, this idea was just a change of mind, let Kong Youde lead the troops to attack, and he wouldn't dare to kill him.

However, Kong Youde felt that there was no need to be too anxious, Lai Fu had already sneaked in the direction of Yangzhou with more than a dozen soldiers who had been repeatedly selected from the army, believing that they would be able to get these techniques in hand quickly, and by that time, the Qing Dynasty would build as many artillery, and then blow up the Yangzhou army to the point of crying dad and mother.

Kong Youde heard Duoduo mention him in his constant obscenity, "What do you think, Gongshun King? ”

Only then did Kong Youde react, and Duoduo was discussing whether to fight or retreat.

"Lord Yu, I think I can hold on for a few more days, if the Yangzhou army has more shells, then Xuzhou must not be defended, if its shells have run out, then Xuzhou can be safe, and the Yangzhou army is not surrounded on all sides, our army is still free to advance and retreat, please don't worry." Kong Youde said.

Duoduo heard it, Kong Youde's words were too reasonable, if the Yangzhou army besieged the city on all sides, it should be in a hurry, but now the Yangzhou army is only attacking from one side, why is there a hurry? Thinking of this, Dodor felt much more relieved.

Duoduo was not in a hurry, Luo Jian was not in a hurry, candles were lit in the tent, Luo Jian and Gao Xiaozhang played Go, and there was a big circle around those who knew chess and didn't know chess.

"Let Jean, block out the light, I can't see it." Luo Jian asked Li Chengdong to quickly move to the side, blocking the light.

"You don't know how to play chess." Liu Zhaoji laughed at Li Chengdong next to him.

"I think this black and white you beat me, I beat you, it's a bit like us fighting." Li Chengdong muttered.

The rules of ancient Chinese chess made Luo Jian a little uncomfortable, not only did he have a seat, but he also had to return the head of the chess, that is, he had to return one piece at the end of one more piece of chess.

After playing more than a dozen moves, Luo Jian made a suggestion, don't sit down, don't return the chess head, the rules have to be changed.

Luo Jian, who was in the sixth section of Yicheng, was obviously a step ahead of Gao Xiaozhang's chess, and he had no power to fight back when he killed him, so he quickly pushed the table and admitted defeat.

Yan Yingyuan, who was on the side, took the initiative to come up and want to fight with Luo Jian, Luo Jian was a little surprised, but he didn't expect Yan Yingyuan to do the same.

The two reopened the battlefield and fought together, Luo Jian fell quickly, this is the habit of online chess, but Yan Yingyuan almost took the test step by step, and Luo Jian even had time to discuss tomorrow's battle with Huang Degong.

Although Yan Yingyuan played slowly, his chess strength was much higher than that of Gao Xiaozhang, and he was inseparable from Luo Jian, and the two played a game of chess until ten o'clock in the evening, and Luo Jian won a small victory.

After arranging the sentries at night to prevent the Qing soldiers from stealing the camp, Luo Jian went out again to check the sentry's position, and then fell asleep.