Yang Sichang commanded an army of 60,000 approaching Huguang, Xiong Wencan and Zuo Liangyu also regrouped, collected the retreating soldiers, and recruited soldiers from the front line of Xiangfan to assemble.

What annoyed Zhang Xianzhong was that Li Zicheng, who had already agreed with his colleagues to raise troops, did not move in Shangluo Mountain, and Zhang Xianzhong sent several groups of envoys to contact, but he didn't even see the shadow of Li Zicheng's department. As soon as I inquired, it turned out that Li Zicheng's headquarters had already set camp in the west of Yunyang and Junzhou a few days earlier.

Zhang Xianzhong couldn't help but be frightened, and scolded Li Zicheng for not believing his words. The two families that were clearly said to have started an incident at the same time, one east and one west, involving the actions of the officials and troops, and the two sides attacked together. But now that Yang Sichang's army is approaching Huguang, Li Zicheng has smeared oil on the soles of his feet and ran away without a trace, isn't this clearly asking Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai to make the first bird, blocking the attack of the main force of the official army for him, and then waiting for the opportunity to move and be the profitable fisherman?

But just scolding can't solve any problems, the Ming army has now gathered about 100,000 troops to encircle and suppress Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, Zhang Xianzhong and others seem to have strong troops, but only Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai's 40,000 horses are capable of fighting, and the rest are homeless people gathered everywhere.

Zhang Xianzhong was deeply worried, so he summoned his four nominees and confidant generals Ma Yuanli, Zhang Hualong, Wang Shangli, Feng Shuangli, and strategists Pan Duao, Wang Zhaolin, Luo Rucai, and Ma Shouying to come to see him.

Pan Duao and Wang Zhaolin were originally from a good background, and they are quite knowledgeable. When he proposed to Zhang Xianzhong, he proposed two strategies of "subduing the enemy by walking" and "avoiding the real and making up for the false". To put it bluntly, it is to fight if you can beat it, run if you can't beat it, pick and pinch the persimmon with softness, mobilize the strength of the officers and troops with large-scale movement migration, and take advantage of its exhaustion to defeat the enemy with one blow, and constantly consume its vital strength.

Everyone thought so, but Zhang Xianzhong's righteous descendants could hope to raise a little question. What the rebels lacked now was grain and grass, and once they began to move operations on a large scale in the vast land of Huguang, the need for grain, grass and logistical supplies would increase greatly, although the rebels plundered everywhere. Eat with the locals. But now, the border areas of Huguang and Sichuan-Shaanxi have experienced years of war and chaos, and they are all deserted. Only a large amount of grain and grass was hoarded in the city, but once the righteous army fell into the battle of the city, it gave the officers and soldiers an opportunity to take advantage of it. It was convenient for them to mobilize men and horses to surround the rebel army.

If there is no food and grass. I am afraid that the exiles who belong to his command will scatter in all directions. The situation that has finally accumulated will disappear, and when the time comes, it will be empty!

Sun Kewang finished speaking. Everyone fell silent. Sun Kewang is telling the truth, the rebel army is relying on thousands of displaced people to fight, if there is no manpower, I am afraid that it will not be able to hold out for half a year. If you can't attack the fortifications, you won't be able to get grain and grass, and there will be no grain and grass, and this exile will still be attached to the banner of the eight kings.

Luo Rucai hesitated for a while, and then looked at Li Rujing, "I heard that the fourth prince has been lurking in the official army for more than half a year in order to avenge the eldest prince, but I don't know that the artillery in the hands of the official army is easy to get now?" ”

Everyone's eyes lit up, yes, the sharp weapon of attacking the fortification is artillery, with artillery, aiming at the city gate and bombarding wildly, the city can be taken down in the blink of an eye, are you still worried about food and grass? Take the city, this is just a barrage and plunder, and adultery can win the hearts of the homeless people of all tribes!

Li Rujing instinctively had a vigilant thought, and squeezed out a wry smile, "It's not a secret, now the firearms of the officers and soldiers are huge and complex, but they are negligent in management, if they are not forced to do so, the five people are willing to use them, and the artillery is even rarer, and it is more common in border towns." However, the officers and troops in the pass are very rarely equipped, and there are large general cannons in the city, but the weight is too large, which is not conducive to transportation on the march, and ammunition is even more rare. ”

Luo Rucai didn't give up, "What about the Tiger Squat Cannon and the Franc Machine Cannon, the caliber seems to be smaller, which is more convenient for the army to carry!" ”

"Why bother!" Zhang Xianzhong shouted: "It will take some time for Yang Sichang's army to arrive. There is an iron mine in the vast land of the lake, find some craftsmen and we can build it ourselves, as long as it can be used, why bother to rob it with the official army! ”

Pan Duao and Wang Zhaolin nodded frequently, "What the king said is extremely true! ”

Pan Duao preemptively said: "When the king said this, the student remembered a person, this person has a family history, and is extremely proficient in artillery casting, if you can invite this person, forging artillery is as easy as a breeze!" ”

"Which one?" Zhang Xianzhong was overjoyed.

Pan Duao looked at everyone proudly and deliberately sold a pass. "This person's father was an important minister of the Ming Dynasty, and he was the first person to manufacture artillery in the Ming Dynasty, but he was later framed and imprisoned by Wen Tiren, the minister of power, and was later beheaded in Xishi!"

"Haha!" Zhang Xianzhong was even more happy, "In this way, this person and the Ming Court have an enmity that they don't share!" Wouldn't it be easy to solicit money! ”

Pan Duao nodded frequently, "What the king said is extremely true. The student heard that this person in order to sort out the manuscript of his father's life, deliberately in Shandong for several years, and now is planning to return to the hometown, the king may wish to send someone to Shandong, the king is gracious, will be able to move this person to vote! ”

Zhang Xianzhong was very happy, "That's it, let's send someone forward!" Be sure to invite him to the army! ”

"Slow down, king!" Pan Duao stood up, "This person's status is precious, it is best for the king to send a confidant general, preferably one of the four princes, to show the sincerity of the king!" ”

Zhang Xianzhong nodded in agreement, and looked at his four sons, "A few of you, who wants to go through this!" ”

Sun Kewang, Liu Wenxiu, Ai Nengqi and Li Rujing stood up together, Li Rujing was in a bad mood, but he didn't plan to take advantage of this mission, so he didn't speak.

On the contrary, Sun Kewang thought more, and these days he saw Li Rujing's sad face and became more and more depressed. The trip in front of him is not difficult, but it is suitable for his fourth brother to go out for a walk. immediately arched his hand and said: "Father-in-law, the fourth brother has been in the official army for a period of time, and he understands the people of the Quartet, so it is most suitable for him to go this time!" ”

Li Rujing was stunned for a moment, but saw that Zhang Xianzhong was already satisfied and nodded, "It's so best, let Rujing go through this!" ”

……

Shengjing, which was outside the gate, was shrouded in gloom at this time. Concubine Guan Ju Gong Chen died because of her beloved son, and her body and bones are not as good as day by day, and I heard that she has been unable to get out of bed since these days. Huang Taiji was worried about the condition of his concubine, and he never left the Guanju Palace for a whole month, and the major events in the court and China were delayed.

And there was also news from the Guannei that the Ming court had appointed Hong Chengchou as the governor of Jiliao to supervise the military affairs of Xuanda, and mobilized more than 100,000 troops from the eight major generals to go to the front line of Jinzhou and Ningyuan, seeing that the big war was imminent. I thought that the Liukou Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai would come back, and the Ming court would always have a temporary truce and stop the army for a period of time, but I didn't expect the Ming court to suddenly become tough, and Yang Sichang, who was a strong advocate of peace, was sent to Huguang to supervise the division to suppress the thieves and quell the chaos, so the secret peace negotiation also stopped suddenly. On the other hand, Emperor Chongzhen intended to start a war on two fronts, wanting to take the initiative in the war outside the Guan, and expanding the front to the front of the Manchu Qing Dynasty with the front line of Jinzhou and Ningyuan.

The important ministers of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, such as Daishan, Jierharang, Dege, Azig, Fan Wencheng and others, gathered together and talked about the current situation with great concern. It was not until the beginning of this year that the two armies withdrew to Guanwai in batches. The left wing army suffered heavy losses, 20,000 Han army banners, Mongolian troops and eight banners elite were buried in the pass, the right wing army drove all the way in, swept through Shandong, gained a lot, and even captured the Ming clan and the king of De, but the commander Yue Tuo was on the way back to the old disease relapse, died in the army, if it was not for Dolgon, Duoduo brothers to deal with it, I am afraid that at least half of the two armies will remain in the pass.

It is precisely because of this, coupled with the huge power of the Dorgon brothers, that Huang Taiji did not dare to suppress the two brothers too much while worrying about Concubine Chen's condition, but hurriedly announced a one-year fine, and then it was over. The Dorgon brothers escaped punishment because of the death of Tuo Yuetuo and the serious illness of Concubine Chen.

It's the same today, the important ministers have been asking for a meeting, but Huang Taiji just won't pay attention. Everyone had no choice but to ask to see Empress Zhezhe. got together, but there was still nothing to be done, so Zhezhe sent someone to invite Concubine Zhuang Bumu Butai to discuss things together.

Concubine Zhuang Bumu Butai, whose name is Da Yuer, also gave birth to her young son Fulin last year, and has been recuperating and nursing her young son in Yongfu Palace. But she is smart and resolute, and she is the niece of Queen Zhezhe, so the hesitant queen immediately thought of inviting her over to discuss.

But even if she is as shrewd as Concubine Zhuang, there is no way to close the door to Huang Taiji. Huang Taiji's infatuation with Concubine Hai Lanzhu is well known, because Hai Lanzhu and Concubine Zhuang gave birth to the prince at the same time, Yongfu Palace and Guan Ju Palace also had some unhappiness for this, Huang Taiji naturally stood firmly on the side of Guan Ju Palace, and even Fulin's "washing three" ceremony was not ordered, at this time, Concubine Zhuang did not dare to say more.

However, Concubine Zhuang took a deep look at Dolgon, who was silent on the side, and gently spit out two words in her mouth, and deliberately opened her mouth wide so that Dolgon could see the specific content of what she said.

Dolgon saw it clearly, and it was the word "breaking into the palace".

Dolgon's heart sank, "break into the palace"!

This is easy to say, but in the battle of conquering the south, he lost his troops and lost his generals, although he escaped the punishment of Huang Taiji for various reasons, but Dolgon knew that his fourth brother was a master who did not rub sand in his eyes. must keep this account firmly in mind, once Concubine Chen's body improves, or he frees his hands, he will definitely settle the new account and the old account together. At this time, wouldn't it be too risky to do the thing of breaking into the palace to meet again?

But Dorgon also knew that Concubine Zhuang would never put herself in danger.

Sure enough, Concubine Zhuang took advantage of everyone's inattention, and quietly pointed at the two figures with her fingers. (To be continued......)