"Brother Side! Great work. Wu Shigong said to Zhou Junwu, who had just arrived in Runing.

Although Zhou Junwu's face was full of tiredness, he was still full of energy. He hurriedly returned the salute and said, "Brother Changjing is bothered." The teacher sent me to ask, is Brother Changjing's Runing Camp ready? ”

Due to the unfavorable pacification, Henan Governor Xuan Mo sent someone to contact Wu Shigong, asking him to no longer restrict his pacification area and cooperate with Xuan Mo to pacify the bandits in the whole territory of Henan, and the contact person sent was Zhou Junwu.

As soon as he heard Xuan Mo's order, Wu Shigong readily agreed, and carried out the mobilization of the Runing Army without any delay. For Wu Shigong, digesting the areas gained by the Runing Army, stabilizing the whole province of Henan, and defending against the peasant rebels from re-entering Henan were originally the established strategies of the Runing Army. So Wu Shigong will definitely choose to cooperate with Xuan Mo.

And Xuan Mo was also very satisfied with Wu Shigong's cooperative attitude. However, officials of this level will not clearly say to Wu Shigong what reward they will give, anyway, everything is in plain sight, Xuan Mo will definitely not treat Wu Shigong badly.

And this time, the military jihua of Pingjing Henan was formulated by the Runing Army, and the Runing Army will also become the main force of this pacification. Wu Shigong proposed to Xuan Mo that the main force of Xuan Mo's official army should be active along the Yellow River to attract the attention of the Henan bandits, and Xue Yongli's army plus a part of the Guide Corps slowly pressed up in Guide and the south of Kaifeng to put pressure on those bandits.

As for Wu Shigong, he will lead the main force of the Runing Army, along the line of Yexian and Ruzhou, straight to the back of the bandits, and strive to crush and exterminate the main force of the Henan bandits with one blow, and then drive the remnants of the bandits to the north of the Yellow River or to the mountains of Dabie Mountain, so that the bandits will no longer become a big threat in Henan. And Wu Shigong named this military jihua very vividly "left hook".

After that, it was Zhou Junwu's back and forth, and today was after Xuan Mo completely agreed with Wu Shigong's jihua, he sent Zhou Junwu to inform Wu Shigong that he was coming. Of course. There is also the meaning of urging Wu Shigong to send troops.

Of course, Wu Shigong understood Zhou Junwu's intention this time, so he said with a smile: "Brother Side, please wait a moment, the little brother is almost ready." In three days' time, I will personally lead the army. ”

Because of this expedition, the strength to deal with the bandits is not strong, but in order to restrict them from wandering around, the main emphasis of the Runing Army is mobility. Therefore, Wu Shigong will bring nearly 4,000 cavalry from the cavalry corps and the personal army, plus half of the teaching corps and the artillery regiment directly under him, for a total of 6,500 men and horses. However, the combat effectiveness of this unit is very strong. The mobility is also outrageous, almost to the point of a mule and horse in each person.

After arriving in Yexian, Wu Shigong will also bring the 8,000 guards of Chang Meng's reclamation firms as auxiliaries, so that these guards can also feel the atmosphere of war and receive a little basic military training.

And the Runing Army and the Marine Regiment of the Marine Division were busy holding the Runan area. The supply line to Wuchang has been opened. The Nanyang Army also had to bear the defense of the Western Front, and it could not be moved. Therefore, only the engineering regiment and the artillery regiment and heavy artillery units remained at the headquarters of the Runing Army. Therefore. This military operation of the Runing Army was to prepare for a quick victory.

June 7, 8th year of Chongzhen. Wu Shigong led the main force of the Runing Army to set off, and Zhou Junwu also accompanied him. But neither of them expected that at the same time, the battle situation in Shaanxi had changed dramatically.

In May, Gao Yingxiang joined forces with peasant rebels from all walks of life in Shaanxi, joining forces with 200,000 troops. Approaching Xi'an, it was fifty miles of the company's camp. The beacon fire shines on Xijing! And the governors Hong Chengchou and Cao Wenzhao, who had just rushed back to Shaanxi, held on to ensure that Xi'an was not lost.

So Gao Yingxiang moved west to attack Pingliang. The general Li Zicheng besieged Ningzhou (now Ning County) in Gansu. When Hong Chengchou heard the news, he immediately sent deputy commanders Ai Wannian, Liu Chenggong, Liu Guozhen, and guerrilla Wang Xi to lead 3,000 troops to help.

In Xiangle Town, Ningzhou. The Ming army encountered more than 31,000 peasant rebels commanded by Liu Zongmin, and fierce battles broke out between the two sides.

Bajiazhai.

He Shaoqi, Tian Jianxiu, Li Guo and other generals gathered around Li Zicheng, nervously waiting for the news that the fast horses would probe in. Hearing that the Ai Wannian Department had withdrawn to the direction of Bajiazhai where they had set up an ambush, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"It doesn't matter, it's just an ordinary battle! Why do you look like the little daughter-in-law in the cave room tonight? "Li Zicheng's witty words will provoke the ministry to be hahadaxiao.

But people who are familiar with Li Zicheng's habits also found that he kept taking off and putting on the Fan Yang felt hat that he had been wearing on his head for many years, and they all knew that this was Li Zicheng's subconscious action when he was nervous.

There's no way not to be nervous. This was almost the first time since the peasant rebel army took the initiative to attack the main force of the Ming army, and it was Ai Wannian and other famous generals who led the troops. Although Li Zicheng brought over more than 10,000 soldiers and horses from his old battalion this time, it was another ambush battle, but these people still had no bottom in their hearts.

"Break in! The official dog has already entered the ambush. "I rode and galloped to report.

"Call the front one and so on. Wait for all the official dogs to come in and then fight! Li Zicheng said as he put the felt hat on and fastened it. Now that you've decided to fight, let's fight hard! It's not okay to be afraid of wolves and tigers.

On 5 June, Ai Wannian, Liu Chenggong, Liu Guozhen, and guerrilla Wang Ximing, deputy commanders-in-chief of the Ming army, encountered Li Zicheng's troops while retreating to Bajiazhai and were ambushed and besieged. Ai Wannian and Liu Guozhen were killed, Liu Chenggong and Wang Ximing were seriously injured, and the Ming army was defeated, with more than 1,000 people killed.

The news of the defeat and death of Ai Wannian and Liu Guozhen quickly reached Cao Wenzhao's ears, and at this time, Cao Wenzhao still despised the combat effectiveness of the peasant rebels, so he scolded in disdain, pulled out his sword and cut the ground, and asked Hong Chengchou to let him go out and fight to the death with the peasant rebels.

At this time, Hong Chengchou was already in a hurry. Since he became the governor, he first lost Fengyang, and now he has lost two generals, so he can't explain it to Emperor Chongzhen and the imperial court.

Therefore, Hong Chengchou was immediately overjoyed when he heard that Cao Wenzhao, the number one famous general who suppressed bandits, took the initiative to ask for help, and said: "It is not enough to do this if you are not a general." Gu Wu's soldiers have been divided, and there is no one to deal with. The general line, I will be from Jingyang to purification, thinking that the general has stamina. ”

Hong Chengchou just wanted Cao Wenzhao to win a big victory to save his face. However, because the peasant rebel army attacked everywhere in Shaanxi, and the strength of the army was expanded to an exaggerated extent, Hong Chengchou's troops were already stretched. So he only promised to give Cao Wenzhao 3,000 soldiers and horses, and he led the main force to follow up.

But the arrogant Cao Wenzhao didn't think so at all, he still thought that the current peasant rebel army was still the same as before. So on June 15, Cao Wenzhao's 3,000 soldiers and horses headed for Zhenning. (To be continued......)