On the 29th day of the seventh year of Chongzhen, feeling the threat of the Runing Army, Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai, who had retreated to the northern border of Guide Province, led the main force of more than 200,000 horses, regardless of the more than 60,000 people who were besieged by the Runing Army, and turned west to re-enter the hinterland of Kaifeng Mansion.

And under the surprise, the main force of the Runing Army, which was preparing to entangle the reinforcements of the peasant rebel army, could only watch Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai's troops flee. Seeing that the situation on the battlefield had changed, the main force of the Runing Army immediately pressed forward, blocking the retreat of more than 60,000 people who had crossed the sky and shot the Tianbu to flee eastward.

Hearing that he had been abandoned by King Gao Yingxiang and Cao Cao Luo Rucai, it was a big mess to trap the stars and shoot the heavens. The reinforcements who broke into the camp immediately organized their own 13,000 men and horses to flee eastward. But under the resistance of the main force of the Runing Army, only more than 3,000 people rushed out. But even the people who rushed out couldn't catch up with the brigade that broke into the camp, and they basically fell into the grass in Henan.

And Guo Tianxing immediately abandoned the brigade of men and horses, and on the night of the 29th, he fled in the direction of Huaiqing Mansion with his elite more than 5,000 horses overnight, thinking of crossing the Yellow River again to find a way to retreat.

But after a night, there were only more than 3,000 people left around Guotianxing. At this time, Zuo Liangyu, who was in Kaifeng City, heard that there was an opportunity, so he led his more than 8,000 men and horses to outflank along the Yellow River. As soon as he engaged the remnants of Guo Tianxing, Guo Tianxing was defeated, and most of his relatives were captured by Zuo Liangyu. Guo Tianxing took the remaining more than 800 people and horses, and under the guidance of the mountain bandits who took refuge at that time, they went up to Taihang Mountain.

And the Shooting Collapse Sky that remained in place could only integrate the troops that remained. But at this time, the trapped peasant rebel army had already surrendered to the Runing army in twos and threes. When the Runing Army understood the situation, they immediately pressed the whole army, wanting to completely eliminate this peasant rebel army.

However, the actions of the Runing Army immediately caused the collapse of the entire peasant rebel army, and now there was a phenomenon of a large number surrendering to the Runing Army. Seeing that the situation was not good, the sky immediately led more than 18,000 people who had just integrated haode. Fleeing in a panic in the direction of Xuzhou. And the Runing army was temporarily trapped because there were too many prisoners who surrendered, and they did not catch up in time.

Therefore, by Chinese New Year's Eve, the first phase of the Runing Army's operations in Guide Province had almost no casualties, relying on the strength of the Runing Army and the collapse of the peasant rebel army, and a total of more than 19,000 people were beheaded and captured. Moreover, there were two cavalry armies with a total of more than 600 cavalry and more than 800 veteran soldiers and horses, and under the leadership of their respective leaders, they surrendered to the Runing Army.

This battle report was transmitted to the city of Guide on the second day of the first month of the eighth year of Chongzhen, which made the whole city immediately boil. The sound of firecrackers completely overshadowed Chinese New Year's Eve, and the congratulators in the Hou Mansion were also endless.

Old lady Hou also held a flowing water banquet in the Hou Mansion. But there is also a trace of regret in his heart. Wu Shigong and Zuo Liangyu, the two great assistants of the Hou Mansion among the military attachés, completely became enemies in the process of suppressing bandits.

But Old Lady Hou thought about it, didn't this just highlight Hou Sui's transcendent status? As long as Hou Sui can suppress these two generals, Hou Sui's status in the imperial court will be further improved.

Wu Shigong thought that as long as the remaining peasant rebels were forced into Xuzhou, he would only need to do some finishing work. Because of the more than 10,000 peasant rebels who fled into Xuzhou. At most, we can only muster together 5,000 soldiers who can fight.

And what kind of place is Xuzhou? What a battleground for soldiers! From ancient times to the present, how many wars have taken place here in Xuzhou! In addition to the establishment of Xuzhou Wei in Xuzhou, the Ming Dynasty set up Xuzhou. More than 3,000 soldiers were also stationed here. In addition, the local people of Xuzhou are fierce. Coal and iron mines were complete, and the combat effectiveness of the miners and the families of the local gentry also exceeded that of most of the Ming army.

But what Wu Shigong didn't expect at all was that in the face of this peasant rebel army like a lost dog, the Ming army of Xuzhou hid in the city and did not dare to take the initiative to attack, and the soldiers and military households scattered in various places also fled one after another, making the strength of the peasant rebel army joined by a large number of local displaced people and miners. Got a lot of recovery.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Wu Shigong arranged for the Runing Army to stay in Guide Mansion to guard the prisoners, and he personally led the main force of the Runing Army into Xuzhou on the fifth day of the first month to suppress the bandits.

In the previous year, the army of Hong Chengchou, the governor of the five provinces, had already shaken off the entanglement of Li Zicheng's troops and repelled the peasant rebels blocked by the western road. Prepare to enter Henan to help suppress bandits. Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao's 3,000 men and horses also crossed the Yellow River south to join the army of Xuanmo, the governor of Henan.

After Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai's troops broke away from the entanglement of the Runing army, they quickly headed west, and soon left Kaifeng Mansion and entered Henan Mansion. This also made Zuo Liangyu, the chief soldier in Kaifeng City, free of his hands and feet, and follow the Runing army to pick up some benefits.

The Xuanmo army guarding Luoyang was also strengthened by Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao's troops, and the number of troops also reached more than 16,000 horses, and they took the initiative to attack the more than 200,000 peasant rebels of Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai with Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao's troops as the vanguard.

To be honest, this attack was also instigated by Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao. They were arrogant people who never took the peasant rebels seriously. Until now, the peasant rebels have always fled, and there has never been a precedent for resistance.

Sure enough, upon hearing of the arrival of Cao Wenzhao, the number one butcher in the Ming army, the peasant rebel army immediately turned southward, wanting to avoid Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao's troops. On the way around, the peasant rebels also broke up nearly 20,000 newly collected displaced people.

Moreover, Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai also spent a lot of money, breaking into the camp and taking out 7,000 old battalion soldiers and horses, and Luo Rucai took out 3,000 trilateral veterans, who, under the command of Yang Chengzu, the first brave general of the peasant rebel army, wanted to block Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao, the vanguard of the Ming army.

So on the third day of the first month of the eighth year of Chongzhen, the two sides fought a fierce battle. But the outcome of the battle greatly exceeded the expectations of both sides.

In fact, the peasant rebels have always had a strong fear of the Ming army, especially those elites from the nine sides. But in fact, after such a long battle, the combat effectiveness of the veterans who survived the old battalion in the peasant rebel army was very close to that of these nine-sided elite soldiers. The difference is nothing more than equipment, tactics and morale.

However, during this getaway in Henan, no Ming army dared to stop the footsteps of the peasant rebels, and this situation gave the peasant rebels great confidence. Especially in a vicious battle in Ningling County, it has also tempered and grown the style of daring to fight in the camp.

Although the equipment and tactics of the peasant rebel army are still some distance from Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao's troops, those distances can be made up by the number of people! So after the first engagement, the two sides fought an evenly matched.

Moreover, at the beginning of the battle, the peasant rebels were still a little shy from fighting, but the more they fought, the more confident they became. This Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao's Guanning Iron Cavalry is nothing more than that! As a result, the peasant rebel army launched rounds of attacks with high morale, beating Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao's troops backwards.

The peasant rebel army commanded by Yang Chengzu was completely crazy. If it weren't for the follow-up army led by Xuan Mo approaching, maybe Yang Chengzu would have been able to win a big victory.

This battle lasted for half a day, Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao suffered more than 600 casualties, and Yang Chengzu suffered nearly 1,000 casualties. Coupled with the fact that the main force of the peasant rebel army fled southward, it can also be said that the Ming army has achieved the goal of the battle.

Moreover, because of the arrogance of Zhang Yingchang and Cao Wenzhao, they thought that they were just attacking the enemy, so the casualties of the Ming army were also concealed intentionally or unintentionally, and did not attract enough attention from the Ming court and other Ming troops.

However, when Gao Yingxiang and Luo Rucai learned of this result, they were shocked, and after the shock, they were ecstatic, because they didn't expect that their troops already had the ability to compete with the elite of the Ming army.

This is not only the rebirth of the combat effectiveness of the peasant rebel army, but also the rebirth of the mentality of Gao Yingxiang's leaders. From then on, they will take the initiative to attack the Ming army under favorable conditions. (To be continued......)