Xinyang Prefecture, Runing Prefecture, Henan, Doumuling.

After Lu Xiangsheng, the prime minister of the five provinces, climbed to the top of the ridge with difficulty, he looked ahead, and couldn't help but gasp, only to see that more than ten miles away were densely covered with camps of rogues, and the camps were so numerous that people could not see the two ends, and surrounded the city of Xinzhou like a hoop barrel.

"We are a step late, it seems that Zhang Yichuan, the sweeping king, Liu Guoneng, the king of the collapsed sky, He Yilong, the king of Zuojin, He Jin, the king of the reincarnation, Li Wanqing, and Ma Qingzhong, who are mixed with 100,000, have joined Gao Yingxiang." Lu Xiangsheng's face was full of worry, and it was obvious that he felt great pressure on the forces after the merging of several rogue forces.

Li Chongzhen, the chief soldier of the Tianxiong Army, who followed later, also gasped when he saw the Liukou camp, and after listening to Lu Xiangsheng's words, he suddenly lost his voice and said: "This time, there are two or three hundred thousand thieves and horses, even if you don't count those old and young women and children, there are more than 100,000 strong and strong people in the Liukou, how can this battle be fought?" ”

Lu Xiangsheng sighed, since he was awarded the prime minister of the five provinces by the Son of Heaven, he tried his best to lead his troops to encircle and suppress the Liukou in Jianghuai, but he was still broken into Huguang by the eight kings Zhang Xianzhong, Huguang Governor Wang Mengyin is a waste, seeing that he couldn't stop Zhang Xianzhong's 100,000 Liukou, he actually let the Liukou enter the Sichuan, so angry that Lu Xiangsheng stomped his feet and scolded, but it was already like this, even the impeachment of Wang Mengyin would not help, the top priority was to suppress the Liukou thief Gao Yingxiang first.

It is reported that Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong have acted separately since the capture of the central capital, and Gao Zeng sent people to Zhending to contact the Liukou Lao Hui Hui Ma Shouying and Cao Cao Luo Rucai in the north, hoping to unite everyone to cross the Yellow River and return to Shaanxi, so as to get rid of the pursuit of the governors of the five provinces and the prime ministers of the five provinces. But somehow, the old Hui Ma Shouying and the living Cao Cao Luo Rucai did not move south from Zhending to meet Gao Yingxiang, but did not move in Zhending, Shunde, and Zhangde. Gao Yingxiang also changed the route of marching to the Yellow River Michi Ferry first, and instead led the crowd from Chuzhou to the west, aiming directly at Huguang, which was obviously a sign of entering Huguang and crossing the Han River.

Lu Xiangsheng supervised the military affairs of Zhili, Henan, Shandong, Sichuan, Huguang and other provinces, and Zhang Xianzhong had jumped into Huguang and Sichuan, and he was already ashamed of the imperial court, but now he let Gao Yingxiang and several other big Kou successfully merge, and this self-blame is even worse.

In the first half of the year, the military department often accused Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangsheng of being afraid of Gao Yingxiang and only fighting a small group of rogues, but avoided fighting the biggest and strongest enemy Gao Yingxiang. When Gao Yingxiang was entrenched in Guanzhong, Hong Chengchou patrolled Huayin and Weinan, causing Gao Yingxiang to break through Fufeng and leave calmly, while Hong Chengchou was still swimming leisurely in the south of Xianyang Weishui. Gao Yingxiang approached Runing and Shangcai, but Lu Xiangsheng went in the opposite direction and went to Yexian and Miyang. Gao Yingxiang broke through Gwangju, but Lu Xiangsheng sat firmly in Xinyang. Chang Ziyu thinks that Gao Yingxiang is immortal, and the thief is difficult to peace. The main general of the conquest is so afraid of Gao Yingxiang, how can he pacify the liukou, this kind of mentality is a great loss of trust from the saint.

He fought with Gao Yingxiang in Chuzhou, broke more than 50,000 of his people with 6,000 people, killed more than 3,000, and broke more than 40,000 with 2,000 cavalry in Luoshan, killed more than 1,000, and won both battles, which is enough to prove that he is not afraid of Gao Yingxiang. But Lu Xiangsheng didn't want to defend himself, because he did have a cowardice mentality towards Gao Yingxiang. Gao Yingxiang's team is different from other rogues, although it is not the largest number of rogues, but it is the most capable of fighting, its old army is mostly from the northwest border army, strong armor and iron cavalry, generals use their lives, there are rules in battle, retreat but not chaos, cunning and resourceful. Er Jingen and sweeping king Zhang Yichuan, breaking into the collapse of the sky Liu Guoneng, Ge Li eye He Yilong, Zuojin Wang He Jin, reincarnated Wang Xu change, shooting the sky Li Wanqing, mixed 100,000 Ma Qingzhong will be the teacher Xinyang, the thief battalion is dozens of miles, nearly 300,000 people, more than 100,000 young and strong, and on the other hand, under the command of Lu Xiangsheng, in addition to the 12,000 Tianxiong army he started, there are only 1,800 horsemen under Zu Kuan, and such a thin force has to dominate Gao Yingxiang, who has to suppress nearly 300,000 people, which is even more difficult than the Shu Road.

Lu Xiangsheng looked at all the generals under his command, all of them were afraid, and his heart was even more bitter. Ai Wannian, the deputy general soldier of the aid and suppression, Zhang Quanchang, the chief soldier of Zhenyang, surrendered to the thief, especially the first-class generals like Cao Wenzhao, the chief soldier of the aid and suppression, died in battle, and the Zhongdu Fengyang fell, and the morale of the officers and soldiers of the encirclement and suppression was generally low, and they were all afraid of the rogues, that is, the Tianxiong army trained by Lu Xiangsheng was now frightened in the face of the rogues.

"The thief is right in front of us, should we fight this battle or not?" Lu Xiangsheng opened his mouth to break the silence.

The generals of the Tianxiong Army were silent, and after a while, Zheng Shi, the deputy general of the Tianxiong Army, spoke up: "Our army is only 12,000, but the enemy has more than 100,000 young and strong, which is more than ten times that of our army, and this battle cannot be fought." ”

Li Chongzhen said: "Seeing that the thief's situation has the intention of capturing Xinyang, Xinyang is strong, the thief lacks siege equipment, and he will not capture it for a while. ”

Lu Xiangsheng smiled bitterly and asked Li Chongzhen: "Where are the soldiers in Zhou Zuo who can fight?" ”

"This" Li Chongzhen knew that he was speechless, this place in southern Henan is indeed without soldiers, and there are new soldiers and horses stationed in Fengyang, the central capital, but no one dares to transfer them, if the first-class Kou attacks Fengyang again, it is not enough to cut off 10,000 heads. There are soldiers on the Nanjing side, but these soldiers can't fight at all, and besides, they are separated by hundreds of miles, and when the soldiers and horses of Nanjing come, this Xinyang is afraid that it will be captured by the rogues. Far water can't quench the thirst of the near, and besides, the soldiers in Nanjing are not something that Lu Xiangsheng can move.

Zheng Shi suddenly patted his head: "By the way, Inspector Hong's soldiers and horses are in Luonan, Danfeng, and Lingbao, and the Inspector can write to him to ask him to join forces to suppress Gao Yingxiang, these soldiers and horses are not far away, as long as they are willing to come, it will only take a few days." ”

Hearing this, Li Chongzhen shook his head and said: "Hong Lao'er only hopes that the Liukou will not enter the mountains and Shaanxi, and our supervisor is responsible for this matter in Henan. ”

Lu Xiangsheng also said: "It's Hong Chengchou who is willing to transfer Luonan and Lingbao's soldiers to help me, but the rogues in the north are not fools, they won't take advantage of the situation to enter Shaanxi?" At that time, Hong Lao'er will not be able to stop the rogue from entering Shaanxi, and he will definitely put the responsibility on my head, forget it, don't count on him. Lu Xiangsheng didn't have a good impression of Hong Chengchou, he always felt that this person was timid, with more than a dozen generals and generals under his command, and forty or fifty thousand elite soldiers, but for a few months, I didn't see him make any moves, but he led these 10,000 people to fight east and west, and he was tired of running for his life. If he really loses in the hands of the rogue, I'm afraid that Hong Chengchou will gloat. Alas, a governor of five provinces, a prime minister of five provinces, the whole world is looking at it, he Hong Chengchou doesn't want to compare himself to the prime minister of five provinces? I don't want the world, I don't want the emperor to think that he is still capable? Count on him to help you and stop dreaming.

Zu Kuan, the deputy general of Ning Jin, who had just rectified the cavalry brought from Ning Jin by his department, listened to what the generals of Tianxiong said, and also said: "Don't count on reinforcements, the enemy is outnumbered and I am not easy to fight." ”

"Yes, I am outnumbered." Lu Xiangsheng looked at Zu Kuan, a general from the Guanning Army, and asked him rhetorically: "The enemy is outnumbered but it is not easy to fight, but back then, Yuan Inspector won with an army ten times the enemy in the field outside the Beijing Division, General Zu, the battle of the Beijing Division, you are also the person concerned, but I don't know how to explain that this enemy is outnumbered and I am not easy to fight?" ”

Listening to Lu Xiangsheng talk about Yuan Chonghuan, all the generals in Tianxiong are discolored, this Yuan Chonghuan's name is not something that anyone can mention, and it is taboo.

Zu Kuan was also stunned, and said in a deep voice: "Yes, it was the Eastern Tartar soldiers who led us to win with one when Inspector Yuan led us that day, and the internal thieves were even more insignificant. But our army has been without food for three days, and it is only maintained by gruel and wild vegetables every day, and the soldiers ......"