Pu Guanshui pondered again, but still shook his head: "Let our brothers also rest for a while, give orders, closely monitor the thieves, and the rest of the people can go back to the camp to rest, if anyone wants to play cards, there is no need to strictly prohibit it, just stop in moderation." ”

"Yes, my lord." Cheng Ping bowed with his fists in a bow, and then shouted at the officer, "Be careful, if the thief moves, shoot back immediately." ”

In the darkness of the night, piles of bonfires were lit by the soldiers, and when they saw the light of the fires on the opposing positions, the soldiers of the two armies were encouraged to light more fires. Although some officers feared that this would become a target for the enemy, the enthusiasm of the officers and men for the New Year could not be suppressed, and finally the camps of both armies became brightly lit.

On the first day of the twenty-third year of Chongzhen, the Henan battlefield, which had been fighting for many days, was shrouded in a peaceful atmosphere, and there was no sound of gunfire. The commander of the Forces nouvelles was summoned for an urgent meeting, and the meeting was full of arguing about whether it was time to continue the offensive, while Pu Guanshui remained silent.

"My lord, as long as we work harder, the thieves will collapse, how can we stop at this time?" Chengping excitedly shouted at Pu Guanshui.

"But it's the New Year, and the soldiers don't want to kill people at this time."

"Are we going to wait until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month?"

"We won't wait until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month," Pu Guanshui said, "but the first and second days of the first lunar month are really not good, so send an envoy to the other side, saying that I want to ask for a truce for three days, and the fourth lunar month will resume the attack." Well, inform the whole army of my orders. ”

After this order was transmitted, the soldiers were encouraged to engage in more celebratory entertainment. At first, the Shandong people who followed the new army, or the displaced people who broke into the camp, were at first timid and cautious than the soldiers of the two armies, but soon they became more unscrupulous than the army, and some even took the opportunity to sell New Year's goods or entertain them.

When Xu Ping received Li Dingguo's report, it was already the morning of the second day of the new year, and several infantry wings on the front line reported that the soldiers had no desire to fight, and Li Dingguo felt in a dilemma. Seeing that the commander was also hesitant, Chen Zhe was so anxious that he only shouted: "My lord, the new army is already exhausted, and every day of armistice, their vitality will be restored by a point." ”

"I know," Xu Ping sighed: "But I can't force the soldiers to counterattack in the first few days of the first month, this will make the people below resentful, and it is too unlucky to kill people on the first and second days of the new year. ”

After turning around the camp tent a few times, Xu Ping made up his mind: "Tell General Li that before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, our army cannot take the lead in any case, and as long as the new army does not attack, do not launch any counterattack." ”

"Yes," Chen Zhe and the other staff officers agreed with him with a reluctant expression: "If the new army attacks us, we should immediately fight back." ”

"This is natural, let the brethren be on guard." Xu Ping instructed.

On the morning of the third day of the new year, Yue Mu, who was ordered to patrol the front line, caught Gao Chengcang in front of Qin Dedong, the fruit chief, and they were in charge of guarding this morning, Gao Chengcang had previously made a living by acting in shadow puppets in Luoyang, and before the New Year, he was busy making a set with the simple tools at hand, saying that he wanted to have some fun for his brothers during the New Year.

"He ran to the officers and soldiers without permission." Yue Mu said angrily, throwing the set of things in his hand on the ground.

Qin Dedong looked at this old acquaintance who didn't belong to him, and his face was full of helplessness: "Brother Gao, what should you do with this old brother?" Fornication with officers and soldiers is punishable by death. ”

"I didn't have any fornication officers and soldiers?" Gao Chengcang's face was full of unconvinced, he saw that many halfway monks had started his old business, and he could collect a penny from each audience every time, so he couldn't help but start a business, and he kept doing business on the side of the new army: "Those guys can play shadow puppets there, and they are obviously cheating money." ”

"Save that to your fruit chief."

Qin Dedong and Yue Mu escorted Gao Chengcang to his fruit chief, and before the two of them finished speaking, Gao Chengcang's fruit chief jumped up and beat and scolded, and also ripped Gao Chengcang's plan: "You kid don't want to live anymore?" Do you want to kill me? ”

After scolding, Guo Chang complained to Qin Dedong with a sad face: "Brother Qin, he was caught by you, you go and talk to Hu Tou, I'll look him first, and after a while, Hu Tou ordered it down, and I personally slaughtered him and sent the head." ”

After Qin Dedong left, Guo Chang immediately asked Gao Chengcang to dig the snow in the trenches: "Do a good job, let me have something to say."

At least on the surface, Yue Mu still had to continue to monitor Gao Chengcang, and when Gao Chengcang was digging the snow with a dejected face, Yue Mu squatted on the edge of the trench and chattered: "It's good for Qin Tou to say it's okay, if you go to report, it's not good to say good things to you from Team Hu...... Okay, Brother Gao, don't cry with a sad face, you're too out of line, it's good now, even I don't have a shadow to watch. ”

"I charged twenty yuan just now," Gao Chengcang was so sad that he seemed to be about to cry: "When my head was torn off, my heart was blocked like when my mother died." ”

……

"Bastard thing!" At this time, Hu Chen was scolding Qin Dedong bitterly: "Gao Chengcang, as a sergeant, did not lead by example, and dared to fornicate with officers and soldiers, but you didn't kill him immediately, and put him back!" I don't think you want to be a fruit grower! ”

"Guilty of contemplation." Qin Dedong lowered his head to his chest: "Please punish your lord." ”

"You're good-looking! But now I have to report to Shangfeng immediately. Hu Chen threw down a cruel sentence before leaving: "Wait!" You wait to eat the whip! ”

……

When he was playing shadow puppets for our brothers, several officers and soldiers came to watch the play, and he was so happy that he was carried away by the cheers around him, but he did not find out immediately. Third-class sergeant Yue Mu was the first to react and led his subordinates to prepare for battle, and first-class sergeant Qin Dedong disposed of the benefits and quickly completed the combat preparations, so that the officers and soldiers had no gaps to take advantage of. After a while, Hu Chen solemnly reported to the officer: "I wanted to execute the convicts, but considering that killing people during the New Year was bad for the whole army, I sentenced the convicts to flogging. The prisoner has been personally imprisoned, and the prisoner will not be able to get out of bed for three days. ”

"Nonsense! The general repeatedly told him to be on strict guard, but why was he not immediately discovered by the officers and soldiers who touched it under their noses? The officer reprimanded sharply: "You are so tired, what if the officers and soldiers come over in a big way?" ”

"Despicable capital offense."

"I'll spare you your life for the time being." The team officer scolded: "What murderous bad luck? Neglect of vigilance is not good for the whole army! I'm going to report you in the wing, and I'll keep my eyes open, and if there's any mistake, I'll just ask. ”

……

Although Pu Guanshui planned to launch an attack on the fourth day of the new year, this order was not realized. On the fourth day of the new year, the battlefield was still as calm as the previous three days. Between the camps of the two armies, soldiers belonging to the Ming and Chuang sides were squatting together in small groups and chatting, a behavior that had appeared two days earlier and then intensified.

On the side of the Ming army and the people, he watched the Fengyang flower drum side by side with a group of brothers who broke into the camp, and Yue Mu came back and planned to listen to Duan Henan Bangzi again, but there were people everywhere around the platform, and a large group of new army soldiers were crowded in front of him and had nowhere to enter. Suddenly seeing Gao Chengcang sitting on the side and concentrating on shadow puppetry, Yue Mu leaned over curiously to look at the progress: "Brother Gao, when will it be done?" ”

"Alas," Gao Chengcang sighed: "It's going to take two days, I'm dying, I won't sleep tonight." ”

……

"Fellow countryman," a soldier from Henan took a big puff of dry tobacco, and pushed the dry tobacco bag towards the New Army soldier opposite as he spoke: "Where are you from?" ”

"Naoli." The soldier of the new army took the rifle from the enemy's hand, took a big puff of it, and then handed it back: "When there is a natural disaster and I can't pay the rent, I join the army." ”

"Fellow, you are the same as me," the Henan man sighed and said slowly: "I also fled from home and joined the army." ”

The two soldiers shared the dry tobacco one by one, and the eyes of the new army soldier were full of longing: "Master Hou said, when the world is peaceful, you will buy me ten acres of land and a cow." ”

"Oh, it's the same as our general," the soldier patted his thigh and said proudly, "But my land has been divided, and now my mother-in-law is watching, and when the world is too peaceful, I can go back to planting." ”

"That's good," the new soldier complimented enviously, "what are you still doing in the army, fellow?" ”

"Our General Sun said that if we run away, we will take back the land." The soldier's eyes suddenly crooked, and he smiled and said, "Fellow, are you married?" ”

"I'm married, my mother-in-law is in Beijing."

"It's not as good as me, my mother-in-law came to see me." The Henanese proudly flaunted at his new friend.

"Really? Can you enter the barracks casually? Naoli's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Originally, I didn't let it, but my mother-in-law came by herself, not only her, but many people's mothers-in-law came and wanted to reunite for the New Year. Originally, the barracks were blocked from entering, but yesterday the top began to loosen up. The Henan people clasped their hands together and muttered to the Buddha: "Bodhisattva bless, don't fight tonight, it's my turn today." Bodhisattva bless, tonight is safe, my mother-in-law can come in and see me. ”

When the Henan people muttered to themselves, the Zhili people did not return the dry tobacco to him, but held it in their mouths and smoked it one after another. Then the two of them talked about their parents, but the minds of the Henan people were obviously not on this, and the Zhili people also seemed a little absent-minded. The conversation between the two was interrupted by shouting from afar, and when it was nearly dusk, the Henan people jumped up and said happily: "It should be my mother-in-law who is here, and I will go back first." ”

"Hmm." The people of Zhili agreed casually, took another puff of cigarettes, reacted suddenly, stood up and shouted at the back of the Henan people: "Fellow, your cigarette pouch!" ”

The Henan man trotted all the way away, shouting loudly without looking back: "Fellow, take it first, and return it to me tomorrow." ”

……

"Your Excellency." There were only Chen Zhe and Xu Ping in the camp tent, and he bluntly stated his plan: "It's just that the battalion training team is ready, they are all absolutely reliable, and they can act tonight." ”

"Our soldiers are also many defenseless." Xu Ping did not agree to a surprise attack on the New Year's celebration of the New Year, and although the New Army was bound to fight back and resume fighting, many of the soldiers who broke into the camp would be defenseless in the sudden conflict: "This will undoubtedly kill our own people." ”

"Ci is not in charge of the soldiers, my lord."

"Let's talk about it."

……

On the day of the fifth day, there was another sound of firecrackers in the camps of the Ming and Chuang armies. The two soldiers from yesterday squatted together and chatted again today, and the Henan people told the people of Zhili about their happiness, and took out the meatloaf that his wife had brought him to share with his new friends. The Naoli man's mouth was stuffed with food, and he sighed: "Why didn't this battle be fought in Naoli?" ”

"It's you who are coming to Henan to fight us."

The Zhili people chewed the bread in their mouths over and over again, frowned and pondered for a moment, and asked, "Fellow, you are a good person, why do you want to be a thief?" ”

"I can't live, fellow countryman, you are also a loyal person, why did you come to Henan to kill people?"

Naoli was silent, and the hand holding the meatloaf was still in mid-air.

"Watching shadow puppetry...... Watch a shadow puppet show. A gong-like voice sounded in the distance: "Brothers, if you have money to hold a money field, you don't have money to hold a personal field." ”

"Alas, alas, this is all fate," the Henan man took out a copper coin from his arms: "For the New Year, don't talk about this, go, fellow, watch the shadow puppet show." ”

……

The guards reported that Yu Shenhe and Chen Zhe had come together to ask for a meeting, and Xu Pinggang had just sent a message to let them in. The door of the tent was slammed up, and the two of them strode in at the same time, walking side by side with heavy steps until they walked in front of Xu Ping, without a trace of smile on their faces, as serious as marble.

"My lord, this battle can't be fought." Chen Zhe threw his felt hat on Xu Ping's table, and at the same time slapped it on Xu Ping's table: "Seeing the new army recover, we just stay inactive?" Xu Ping! If you don't want to live, say it as soon as possible, it's still too late for Lao Tzu to be a deserter. ”

Yu Shenhe also echoed Chen Zhe's opinion, he also threw off the officer's felt hat, it swept over the table and flew to Xu Ping's body: "My lord, you handed over the guards battalion to me, so many brothers died in the battalion to drag the new army to almost collapse, so many brothers died, if you don't order a counterattack, then please be smart, I won't do this battalion officer, I can't do it!" ”

The staff officers hurriedly came up to fight the round, but no matter what Zhou Dongtian said or not, Chen Zhe and Yu Shenhe refused to shut up: "(Xu Ping) My lord, even if you whip it now, you have to let the soldiers go up to fight, otherwise the morale of the army will be scattered." ”

……

"The soldiers are reluctant to fight, and the battalion is now full of complaints."

The staff officer's report left Pu Guanshui and the New Army generals in the battalion speechless. In the past two days, although there have been repeated orders not to talk to the intruders, there are many soldiers who have violated the ban, and the non-commissioned officers have apparently not carried out the orders properly. Cheng Ping complained: "If it goes on like this for ten days, it won't be possible to fight after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month." ”

"Well, this is obviously a thief's trick, and I can't let it go." Pu Guanshui nodded, and shouted: "Pass my order, the whole army will retreat ten miles back tonight and set up camp." ”

When he heard this order, the Naoli soldier still had a large cake stuffed into his waist, which was given to him by the Henan man. When we broke up today, the people of Zhili asked the people of Henan to meet tomorrow in the old place. After returning to the camp, the Naoli people saved their share of New Year's wine, exchanged their rations for some with their brothers, and filled a full pot to share with their new friends. Today, the people of Zhili also asked the clerk of Tianyi Battalion to help him write a letter home, about his family, the people of Zhili also have a lot of good memories, these things in the iron-blooded atmosphere of the barracks he has never shared with others, but the people of Zhili have already thought about it, when meeting new friends again, he must talk about it through wine, but also let others share their happiness and joy.

As the order was conveyed to the whole army, the soldiers of the new army immediately formed a team, and the Ming army and the people slowly moved away under the gaze of the breaking army. After the Zhili and Shandong people of the brigade gradually disappeared from the field of vision of the Henan and Shaanxi people. A small group of heralds of the new army galloped to the trenches of the camp, and they parked their horses not far from the fortress of the army, and shouted loudly to convey the declaration of Pu Guanshui: "We will return here on the seventh day of the new month, and then we will attack and shell your fortress." ”

The loud proclamations echoed through the wilderness, and the camping positions were silent, without any echo—as in the past, there had always been an impassioned cry in response.

On the night of the seventh day of the first month,

The Henan people lay in the trenches with muskets in hand, and the new army returned to the front line as promised, and the roar of artillery resounded on the battlefield again. The dark night was torn apart from time to time by the fire from the muzzle of the mortar cannon, and with the roar of the cannon, the deadly fireworks exploded in the sky near the trench where the Henan people were located, and after each explosion, the Henan people could hear the painful cries of their companions. The people of Henan stared at the depths of the dark night, looking for the slightest figure shaking with their eyes wide open.

"The officers and soldiers are up!"

Guo Chang's voice suddenly sounded beside him, and the Henan people did not hesitate, leaned out of the trenches, and flattened the muskets.

"Fire!"

A row of muskets fired without hesitation, and then the flames of the muzzles, the Henan people saw several enemies fall to the ground in response, and the night raiders of the new army were already approaching, and time did not allow the soldiers to reload.

"Come on, brothers!"

Before Guo Chang's words fell, before the Henan people had time to climb out of the trench formation, they heard a shout with a Zhili accent coming from the front close at hand: "Kill, brothers!" ”

The soldiers who broke into the camp hurriedly crawled out of the trenches to meet the battle, colliding with the rushing enemy, and the Henan man roared and brandished his gun, drew his bayonet from the trouser leg, and fought to the death with any black shadow with a straight accent, and the two men rolled down the trench with each other.

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