Chapter 349: Take the initiative to ask for battle

With the guards, Chen Xie entered the city without stopping to meet Lu Xiangsheng. There is often a word "full of loyalty" in the play, a simple four words, and countless blood and tears. The Lu family headed by Lu Xiangsheng was one of the few loyal martyrs when the Ming Dynasty came to an end. In the face of the imminent collapse of a dynasty, Lu Xiangsheng, Qin Liangyu, and Sun Chengzong, the three historical figures, used practical actions to interpret what it means to be full of loyalty. Especially Lu Xiangsheng, because of the difficulties with Yang Sichang, the body was only able to be collected eighty days after his death. In the second year, Lu Xiangsheng's wife Wang asked for mercy, and in the third year, Lu Xiangsheng's younger brother Xiangjin and Xiangguan asked again, but they were not allowed. It was not until Yang Sichang failed to suppress Zhang Xianzhong and committed suicide that the imperial court gave Lu Xiangsheng the prince and young master, the military department of Shangshu, and gave a funeral.

Facing such a historical figure, Chen Xie's heart is extremely complicated. The contradiction between Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Sichang is reflected in the question of whether to fight or make peace with Houjin, and Lu Xiangsheng is a firm main battle faction. Because of the difference in political opinions, he refused to let go after his death, which can be seen in Yang Sichang.

When he first saw the tall Lu Xiangsheng standing on the steps to greet him, Chen Xie's mind flashed historical materials about him. At this moment, he was distracted, and he didn't salute first, Lu Xiangsheng was also quite puzzled, because Chen Xie's expression was not that arrogant attitude, and he was obviously sluggish for a moment.

Maybe remembering the unhappiness in Yunyang before, Lu Xiangsheng sighed secretly in his heart and coughed expressionlessly.

Chen Xie's face was solemn, and he raised his hand and crossed his chest: "Chen Xie, the chief soldier of Dengzhou." I've seen the Overseer. The Dengzhou battalion marched 300 miles on the fourth day and was ordered to arrive and wait for the dispatch of the superintendent. Probably because the image of this historical figure is too glorious, Chen Xie subconsciously put away his arrogant face towards other civil officials.

Although he did not kneel and salute like other civil officials, Chen Xie's attitude was very good. This was unexpected by Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Tinglin. Subconsciously, both of them felt that Chen Xie might have been from overseas and was not used to kneeling and saluting.

Thinking of this, Yang Tinglin stepped forward and said, "Chen Sihua, Liukou Dongjiao." Our army is short of food. The state is rich. Can you have extra food to help your allies this time? ”

Well, hearing the word friendly army, Chen Xieleng paused and looked at Lu Xiangsheng.

"Our army has only three days' rations. Yang Zanhua was anxious. Hence this question. Lu Xiangsheng also wanted to see Chen Xie's reaction. So by the way. Chen Xie showed a look of understanding, nodded and said, "Two days at the latest, our army's baggage can arrive." Even with the addition of the garrison in the capital. It's enough to eat for half a month. Before going to Xuzhou, the lowly post had already arranged for people to transport twenty ships of rations by sea, presumably having entered the Yangtze River, and the lowly post immediately sent someone to receive it. ”

Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Tinglin looked at each other, their eyes full of disbelief. What kind of arrogant and domineering Dengzhou battalion commander Chen Xie is, this is too easy to talk about. Although the troops under Lu Xiangsheng are gathered, they add up to more than 10,000, but these more than 10,000 people eat, drink and Lazar, which is not a small amount every day. This promised to give up the grain, how dare you believe this? You must know that there will be food anywhere, there is no shortage in Jiangnan, the food is in the hands of large households, and Zhang Guowei's hair is gray and he doesn't make up much.

"Is that true?" Lu Xiangsheng's tone rose sharply, and Chen Xie stood solemnly: "There is no joke in the army." ”

"Okay, then wait two days, and then the army will go south to meet the enemy." A big stone in Lu Xiangsheng's heart fell to the ground, there was no food in his hand, he had done the things that the soldiers were hungry to fight, when he was in Huguang, there was a food outage for three days, he took the lead and did not eat, and the war rushed to the front, and he won the war. I can't help but say that Lu Xiangsheng, who was born in Wenchen, is very violent.

In this era, when there is a war, the transmission of information cannot be carried out quickly. Knowing that the thieves were advancing eastward, when Lu Xiangsheng discussed the military situation with the generals, he first had to make a judgment. When Lu Xiangsheng took out the map of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Xie's cheeks twitched a few times, and he sighed and took out his map from his bag and said, "Use this." ”

Lu Xiangsheng glanced at it, his eyes were a little unable to move, he nodded and motioned to unfold the map, and a group of people sat down to discuss the battle situation, and the key point was whether the eastward advance of the thieves was an illusion.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the thieves marched eastward from Henan and Huguang, and the prefectures and counties along the way were in an emergency. In view of the experience of fighting with thieves in the past, it cannot be ruled out that the thieves may have shot a false shot. Let's talk about it. Lu Xiangsheng's opening remarks are that a judgment is needed, and none of the generals present have spoken, and everyone rarely intervenes in this kind of thing. On the issue of decision-making, the status quo of Wenchen taking the initiative has never changed.

"I'm a rough man, just fight on the battlefield, it's better for the superintendent to be in charge of these things." Zu Kuan stood up and said this, and sat back down. Chen Xie, who was sitting first on the side of the general, sat motionless, staring at the map on the wall.

Probably a little subversive of Chen Xie's impression, Yang Tinglin saw Chen Xie's upward view of the map, and couldn't help but say tentatively: "Sihua, if you have any ideas, you might as well speak up." Lu Xiangsheng, who is quite kind, also looked at it, and he didn't mean to despise it, he really wanted to hear his opinion.

"The military newspaper said that the thieves even camped for dozens of miles, why are there not less than 400,000 people, right? And even more. With so many people, what to eat? Chen Xie stood up, walked to the map and continued to watch, the eyes behind him raised his hand without care, and smashed a fist on the map and said: "The thief is going to drink the Yangtze River, the thief is so daring!" After Chen Xie made a judgment, he immediately bowed his hand to Lu Xiangsheng and said in a loud voice: "Humble and ask for battle, I am willing to lead the people of my headquarters to take the first step to meet the thieves." ”

Chen Xie's soldiers and horses add up to only 20,000, counting the troops in Lu Xiangsheng's hands, that is, more than 30,000. Gao Yingxiang's eastward expansion this time, the real purpose is to go to the south of the Yangtze River. At this point, Chen Xie came to the conclusion from historical materials, and taking the initiative to ask for war is just to take advantage of this great credit.

Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Tinglin don't know, they said that there are a number of thieves, and they are all here this time, and they can't stop even the camp for dozens of miles, and 400,000 people, right? With only 20,000 people, they dared to fight against it, and this loyalty and courage were commendable. Replaced by Lu Xiangsheng's troops, if it weren't for the fact that he would take the lead without a fight, which of the other generals would dare to play with his life like Chen Xie? Especially in the second half of last year, after Cao Wenzhao and Ai Wannian were killed, there were constantly Ming Dynasty generals who were defeated under the initiative of the thieves, or died or fled. Even Zu Kuan, who was the most capable under Lu Xiangsheng, had not been defeated by the coalition of Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong.

"Sihua, the thieves are powerful, and the Dengzhou battalion is brave, so you still have to be cautious." Yang Tinglin couldn't help but persuade, after all, there is a camp now, worried that Chen Xie will be defeated and the overall situation will be shaken.

"Hehe, the Dengzhou battalion has never lost a battle, and Chen is confident that he will defeat the thieves head-on. He also asked the superintendent to lead his troops to follow, and to press the battle for the lowly position. Chen Xie burst out of the heroic spirit at this moment, which has the meaning of the legendary brave and domineering feudal town.

Lu Xiangsheng hesitated for a moment, somewhat conflicted in his heart. Subjectively, he didn't approve of Chen Xie rushing in like this, and objectively he needed Chen Xie to do this. In history, the rogue besieged Chuzhou, didn't he do that? More than 10,000 people fought against hundreds of thousands of rogues, and they were actually won by him. The problem is that he doesn't have the confidence in his heart now, no.

"Sihua, please tell me how you want to fight?" Lu Xiangsheng subconsciously used the word "please", this person really has no bad intentions, for a general who dares to ask for battle, there should be a lot of respect at this time.

Chen Xie smiled slightly, and said lightly with confidence: "A dignified teacher, defeated head-on, the Dengzhou battalion has always fought like this." "This is really true, Chen Xie rarely has any strategic and tactical ideas, and the Dengzhou battalion is playing an asymmetrical war. As far as the thieves' equipment and su zhì were concerned, Chen Xie never thought that he would lose. If there are more people in the war, how can Jiannu enter the Central Plains.

The official road was dusty, and the high-spirited Gao Yingxiang looked at it from afar on the hillside on the side of the road. The march of hundreds of thousands of people is endless. On the official roads, on the paths between the mountains and forests, and on the ridges, there are all people who are heading eastward. The gray tone obscures the green fields of early spring in the south of the Yangtze River.

After a small setback, Li Zicheng conquered Gwangju and created a possibility for the eastward advance. Gao Yingxiang, who is good at mobilizing officers and men in mobile operations, cannot but say that he has played a beautiful tactical deception. pretending to go back to Shaanxi, he suddenly turned around and headed east. After the officers and men reacted, the peasant armies of all walks of life had already gathered on the land of Jiangbei and rushed to the land of Jianghuai.

Officers and soldiers along the way did not dare to fight, and they held the door behind closed doors. The peasant army did not make a stop, and quickly went east. Lu Xiangsheng, who was already strict and insufficient in troops, was even more difficult to cope with this difficult situation. The combat effectiveness of Nanzhili's Beijing camp is not worth mentioning, and Gao Yingxiang is still worried about Lu Xiangsheng's Tianxiong Army and Zu Kuan's Guanning Army. Since he joined forces with Zhang Xianzhong in Henan to defeat Zu Kuan once, the myth of the invincibility of the Guanning army is gone.

After gathering several peasant armies together again and successfully attacking Jianghuai, Gao Yingxiang's strategic idea of killing the Yangtze River already has the possibility of success. A fast horse galloped over, and the horse reported: "The general has surrounded Luzhou, and Hanshan and Hezhou have also divided their troops to get it." ”

Gao Yingxiang couldn't help but be excited in his heart, and pointed forward with a horsewhip: "Inform the leaders of each family, let's go to Chuzhou." ”

Li Zicheng besieged Luzhou, divided his troops to conquer Hanshan and Hezhou, the north of the river was shaken, and the south of the Yangtze River was in an emergency. On the sixth day of the first month, Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong and other troops besieged Chuzhou and camped for hundreds of miles around the mountains. In order to prevent the thieves from crossing the river and the south of the Yangtze River was ruined, Lu Xiangsheng ordered Zu Kuan to cooperate with the Dengzhou battalion to rescue Chuzhou first, and the rest of the troops arrived later. Lu Xiangsheng made this decision for a very simple reason, the speed of the march. (To be continued......)