Wang Dou and Chen An came to the barracks of the Governor's Battalion, which was the area around the head of the local southern circle.

Wang Dou even took the opportunity to ask Lu Xiangsheng for some advanced self-generated firearms and Lumi guns, hoping to study and study them well after going back, and Lu Xiangsheng generously agreed. As for the formation, in the mansions of the general soldiers' study rooms, which one did not collect a large number of military books? Even if someone is illiterate, the subordinates of each family are not less than the staff officers, and they are from official families and have their own experience in battle, which is not a problem. Hu Dawei, the chief military officer of Shanxi Feed, muttered: "In this way, it is a matter of soldiers and drills.

Wang Doudao: "What the Tiger Army Gate said is extremely true, Qi Shuai once had a cloud: the soldier lies in your selection, the chair has a charter, the soldier has a quota, the salary is limited, and the law is only refined." Therefore, he chose the soldiers, to be honest people in the countryside, rather than people who traveled in the city, so that the soldiers were easy to be afraid of military law, abide by the regulations, and be as good as an arm when fighting, and they could be in a big battle. ”

The above Wang Dou's words are one of Qi Jiguang's essence experiences in military training; $ The battle of the river, the Qi family army fought to the last man, what his old man said was a good word.

Everyone was silent, the meaning of the king's fight, and they also understood that everyone knew their own affairs. The military discipline of each battalion is corrupt, the soldiers do not become soldiers, it is good to be deserters in fear of war, and it is even more great to kill good people and take risks, and the soldiers and ruffians account for a large handful. Some of these people may have good martial arts, but their existence in the army does more harm than good.

If according to Wang Dou's words, these people will be laid off, then there will be a few thousand people in each camp, and there will only be a few hundred people left, and the lack of soldiers is a point, how to arrange the people who have been laid off? Recruit sergeants again, where will the food come from? Wang Dou said: "You can let them reclaim the fields, and now there are many wastelands everywhere in the Ming Dynasty, but there is no shortage of tuntians." Wang Pu, the chief military officer of Datong, asked: "Where does the capital of Tuntian come from?" Wang Dou smiled and said, "But the court has to find a way." ”

The generals exchanged meaningful glances, and the soldiers in Wang Dou's army were well nourished, which was naturally because Wang Dou had a lot of money and food. Wang Dou used to be just a guard or a garrison, and the imperial court not only did not pay food, but also collected taxes, but he had the ability to raise so many strong soldiers, presumably he had his own way to make money.

This matter can only be understood, not spoken, this magic recipe is the core of Wang Dou's own achievements, and it is impossible for him to say it.

This was already in Lu Xiangsheng's expectation, and to his surprise, behind the holy decree, it was also mentioned that the military situation in Shanxi was urgent, and Lu Xiangsheng was asked to allocate a part of the soldiers and horses, so that Wang Pu, the chief military officer of Datong, would lead his headquarters to immediately return to Shanxi to solve the Taiyuan crisis.

Lu Xiangsheng was stunned for a moment, but immediately accepted the order. Wang Pu also received the holy decree, and there was a letter from the Ministry of War, when he received the holy decree, his expression was very strange, and then he came over sadly, bowed to Lu Xiangsheng and said goodbye, he choked up and said: "Governor, the last general is gone, but unfortunately I can't saddle the horse and follow the governor to kill the enemy." ”

Tears faintly appeared in Lu Xiangsheng's eyes, and he personally helped Wang Pu up, and Wen Yan said to him: "The general doesn't have to be like this, you return to Shanxi, and you will serve the country the same, but you don't have to follow the governor." He confessed to Wang Pu: "No matter where the general goes, he must remember the principle of serving the country with loyalty and righteousness." Wang Pu choked up and said: "I$\ minister's teachings, the last general will remember." ”

He said goodbye to Yang Guozhu and Hu Dawei, and the two of them were full of sighs, no matter how much they looked down on Wang Pu who bought his official position with a penchant, but these days of fighting side by side, there was some comradeship, and when they parted, both of them were reluctant.

When parting, Wang Pu also patted Wang Dou's shoulder and sighed: "It's a pity that I can't fight side by side with the general anymore, after this battle, if the general arrives in Datong, the brothers will definitely meet each other." ”

Wang Dou solemnly said goodbye to him, no matter how unbearable Wang Pu was in history, at least in the battle a few days ago, he behaved well and deserved his respect. At the same time, a shadow appeared in his heart, everyone only said that Shanxi was in danger, and it was reasonable for the military department to transfer Wang Pu back to help, only Wang Dou knew that this matter might be Yang Sichang behind the ghost.

Yang Sichang is quite politically and militarily talented, but he is short-sighted, narrow-minded, and extremely vindictive. He and Lu Xiangsheng just have different political views, so they are so deliberate, and they don't know the overall situation because of their personal ambitions? It's a pity.

On that day, Wang Pu led the army out of the camp and left, leaving a large empty camp, and the sergeant Xuanda saw that there were several thousand fewer brothers in the army, and the originally high morale could not help but drop a part. Lu Xiangsheng also recruited the soldiers of the whole army to motivate them, so that the morale of the fallen ones could be restored.

After Wang Pu left, Lu Xiangsheng led only Yang Guozhu, the chief soldier of Xuanfu Town, Hu Dawei, the chief soldier of Shanxi, as well as Wang Dou, Zhang Yan, the general of Xuanfu and others, with about 100,000 soldiers and horses. Early in the morning of the second day, under the farewell of the gentry and people of the whole city led by Sun Chengzong, Lu Xiangsheng led the army to leave Gaoyang.

On the way out, Wang Dou frequently looked back at Gaoyang County, leaving Gaoyang for Zhending this time, and the future was unpredictable. What comforted Wang Dou was that at his solemn request last night, Sun Chengzong was finally willing to leave Gaoyang City and go to Baoding, which relieved Wang Dou of a hidden worry in his heart.

In history, before the Qing army besieged Gaoyang City, Sun Chengzong's friend Cai Ding, as well as Ya Yuanyi and others, persuaded Sun Chengzong to take refuge in Baoding, or simply go to the south, but Sun Chengzong politely refused. In the end, at the age of eighty, he led his whole family and nephews and the people of Gaoyang to resist, and the last six sons, two nephews, and twelve grandchildren and nephews were all martyred. Perhaps it was the emotion of the siege of the Qing soldiers, Sun Chengzong couldn't bear to refuse Wang Dou's kindness, and finally agreed to Wang Dou's request to save this useful body.

Wang Dou finally left Gaoyang with peace of mind, although his strength is limited, but the loyal and righteous people of the Ming Dynasty, he can save one by one. A simple wish. Nearly three hundred miles from Gaoyang City to Zhendingfu City, Lu Xiangsheng, Wang Dou and others have been traveling south.

At this time, the Qing soldiers had already penetrated into Hengshui, Zaoqiang, Zanhuang, Lincheng, Gaoyi and other places in Zhending Mansion. Although he encountered many large and small groups of Qing soldiers along the way, he was afraid of the prestige of this army, "The Qing cavalry only watched from a distance, and did not dare to get very close. So along the way, although there were some small groups of battles from time to time, the overall march went smoothly.

Thinking that there is a large amount of grain and grass in the army, Lu Xiangsheng and others have had the experience of suffering and starvation, and they know that the army is in chaos, and it is extremely difficult to prepare grain and grass, and there is no place to buy silver if there is silver, and the grain and grass carried in the army is the lifeline of this army.

Therefore, although the Tang Bao of the Ministry of War was very urgent, Lu Xiangsheng still listened to the advice of Yang Guozhu and others, and it was better to march steadily, and the whole army marched 60 to 70 miles a day.

Almost no later, that is, on November 29, the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Lu Xiangsheng "Wang Dou and his party, the whole army arrived under the city of Zhendingfu.