On the morning of the next day after the imperial court's rebellious decree to exterminate the rebel king of Anhua was issued, Zhang Yong, the eunuch of the prison army, led the army out of Beijing with Jiang Bin, the governor of the Shenshu camp, and Xu Tai, the servant; Although there was no fanfare departure ceremony, and there was no practice by the emperor himself, everyone understood that the responsibility on their shoulders was heavy.

As a newly established Beijing battalion, the strength of the Shenshu battalion is less than 5,000, and a small half of them are newly recruited and trained personnel, and the combat effectiveness is really not flattering. The emperor's careful thinking and everyone understood that since Song Nan once again led the suppression of the rebellion, his soldiers and horses naturally had to follow left and right, and the people under his command who had merit would also follow, which was a matter of course.

The army marched quickly, did not dare to delay along the way, set out from the 23rd day of the first month, traveled for six days, and arrived at Lingzhou City on the afternoon of the 29th day of the first month; After Zhang Yong read out the imperial decree, because Song Nan, the governor of the counterinsurgency, was in the enemy's nest, the military power of the entire counterinsurgency army was handed over to Yang Yiqing.

That night, Yang Yiqing introduced the current shape to Zhang Yong and Jiang Bin Xu Tai, since the first battle in the north of Lingzhou, the rebels took the initiative to retreat and abandon the ferry on the south bank of the West Cliff and retreat to the north of the Yellow River, although the soldiers and horses from Guyuan, Pingliang, Yansui and other places were mobilized to gather in Lingzhou, but the total strength was less than 20,000.

That's because a place with a strong army like Yansui can't mobilize all the troops and horses to come, because then the city's air defense is weak, and if the Tartars know about it, they are afraid that they will be attacked. Although Guyuan Pingliang and other inland state capitals are not worried about being harassed by Tartars, the number of soldiers and horses is really limited, and the soldiers of Jishucheng are less than one guard and horse.

Since yesterday, large chunks of ice floes in the upper reaches of the Yellow River have drifted down, and reconnaissance has shown that a large number of men on the other side of the river have used gunpowder to blow up or pile up firewood on the ice surface to burn all the ice on the Yellow River, except for the unfrozen Xiya Ferry.

On the other side of the river, the rebels were building fortifications on a large scale, apparently intending to defend the river.

After listening to Yang Yiqing's narration, everyone present was silent, Zhang Yongjiangbin, Xu Tai and others were even more demoralized, and their ambition before coming has come to naught.

"Lord Yang, do you have a way to deal with the current situation?" Zhang Yong looked at Yang Yiqing expectantly.

Yang Yiqing slowly shook his head and said: "I don't have a good plan for a while, if I attack strongly, I will obviously pay a great price, and I won't succeed, this is an unwise move." I have ordered people to search up and down the riverbank for places to be smuggled, hoping to find a place to smuggle across the river. If it really didn't work, they could only use stupid methods, and the army would go west hundreds of miles to cross the river, and then come back to attack. ”

Huang Zheng shook his head and said: "My lord, this method can't be done, the mountains and mountains in the west, the remaining veins of Helan stretch, the canyon and mountains where the Yellow River crosses, that is, to cross the river, there is no road to Ningxia Town, you don't know, the Yellow River flows through hundreds of miles at this turning bend, that is not a joke." ”

Yang Yiqing sighed and said: "Yes, so it's a stupid way, I'm afraid it will take several months, I'm actually worried not that I won't be able to reach Ningxia Town, but that as soon as the army leaves, the rebels will take the opportunity to counterattack, which is the most fatal." ”

Everyone nodded silently, Jiang Bin patted his thigh and said: "My brother Song is not here, otherwise he must have a way, but it's a pity that he is lost in the city, and the time can't be delayed for too long, otherwise his safety cannot be guaranteed." Even now, I don't know if he was captured by the thief king. ”

Yang Yiqing said: "Admiral Jiang don't worry, one of Qiu Yue's intentions in handing over soldiers and horses from Zhu Ningxiao is to hide Lord Song with his strength, as long as Zhu Ningxiao doesn't see through it, Lord Song is safe." It was precisely because his goal was too big for him to get out of Ningxia Town that Lord Song decided to take the risk and stay in the city, waiting for the opportunity to cooperate with the outside world. Now we are in a stalemate, if we can't come to the city, how can we do it? ”

Jiang Bin said: "Don't worry, let's go to the ferry tomorrow to see the situation, if you can't do it, you can only attack, you can't just stare at it." ”

Xu Tai nodded and said: "Lord Song has established a plan to cooperate with the outside and the outside, but it is not necessary to have troops under the city, if the soldiers can come to the city, why should the inside and the outside be combined, the imperial court soldiers and horses besieged Ningxia Town, are you afraid that you can't take it?" I think Lord Song's intention must be to hope that we will put enough pressure on the soldiers and horses in the city to come to the ferry to defend, and once the city is empty, Lord Song will be able to do a lot. ”

Yang Yiqing's eyes lit up and patted his thighs and said: "Yes, the anxiety of the past few days has made me confused, and the all-out attack forced Zhu Ningxiao to do his best to defend the ferry is a good way for Lord Song to move around in the city, there is Qiu Yue in the city, once the soldiers and horses in the city are empty, Lord Song will know for the first time, and if the city is in chaos, the soldiers of the ferry will return to defense, and we can break it in one fell swoop." ”

Zhang Yong said with a smile: "Sure enough, there are no weak soldiers under the strong generals, and the people around Lord Song also have their own strategies, and Deputy Admiral Xu is a talent." ”

Yang Yiqing said with a smile: "Yes, yes, I have heard that Lord Song has two fierce generals, and today I saw that the name is well deserved, and it is really with Lord Song." ”

Xu Tai's face was slightly red and said: "It's just to follow Lord Song's train of thought, at the moment, the information is not clear, so I can only figure it out randomly." ”

Jiang Bin squinted and smiled: "Lao Xu, you are like a big girl who is shy, Lao Jiang has been praised by adults for your light, and I am very useful." ”

The crowd burst out laughing.

On the morning of the next day, 5,000 soldiers and horses of the Shenshu battalion went to the West Cliff Ferry, on the flat ground behind the cliff of the ferry, the camp of the soldiers and horses who came from all over the country was densely packed, and everyone climbed up the cliff by the river through the large camp to look north, and could not help but admire and smack their tongues.

The Yellow River is like a turbid yellow dragon coming from the cliffs and valleys in the west, rushing straight to the east, the sound of the water shaking the sky, the whirlpool rolling up the sand and stones, and the branches of the trees flowing. Both sides of the Yellow River are high cliffs, and the establishment of the West Cliff Ferry is actually because the water surface is the most wide and gentle, which is most suitable for boats to cross the river. In fact, it is relatively gentle, and the rapids and rocks in the narrow canyons up and down are dense, not to mention boating, even if you look at it, you will be dizzy.

West Cliff Ferry, the Yellow River channel under the canyon is nearly four or five miles wide, but the terrain is not gentle at all, when crossing the river, you have to climb the cliff along the stone steps chiseled on the south bank, and then go down the stone steps to the riverside wharf to board the boat, to the opposite bank still have to climb over the cliff wall on the opposite bank and then go down to the flat ground behind the cliff, tossing back and forth is very difficult.

Looking up, on the cliff on the opposite bank, the figure of a black ant is busy building, hundreds of tall arrow towers have taken a little rudimentary shape, if once these arrow tower fortresses are built, condescendingly block the river, this ferry wants to cross the river, I am afraid it is comparable to ascending to the sky.

Everyone looked at this qiē with frowns, and they were speechless, saying that they wanted to attack and put enough pressure, but how easy it was to say, how to put pressure on such a pattern? Is it really necessary to force the past and become a living target?

"This, how can this be attacked? Damn, isn't there a suitable place to cross this river when it's so long? Why do you want to be here? Jiang Bin glared and scolded.

"Admiral Jiang, this is the gentlest place for the water, not to mention crossing the river within dozens of miles of the upper and lower rivers, even a stone ox will be swept away if it goes down into the river. Originally, there were several frozen places in the upper and lower reaches, and a few days ago, the rebels sent a small group of soldiers and horses to sneak through the ice and climb the cliff to reach the rear of this place to launch a surprise attack, but now the ice is broken, and the river is surging again, and it can no longer be concocted in the same way. Huang Zheng sighed.

Xu Tai suddenly turned his gaze to the top of the cliff where he was standing, and gestured with his hand to the opposite bank, muttering non-stop, Jiang Bin was surprised: "Old Xu, you shouldn't be in a hurry to lose your mind, what are you talking about." ”

Xu Tai smiled: "Brother Jiang, have you forgotten that we still have a treasure in our hands?" I just don't know if it's going to work. ”

Jiang Bin said: "What baby? ”

"Have you forgotten that we still have twenty-two general cannons in our hands? The little grandfather gave it to our Lord Song to suppress the thief, and after returning to Beijing, the adult took it for himself, and the little grandfather ran to make trouble a few times and the adult did not return it to him, if these guys are erected on this mountain beam, I don't know if they can bombard the opposite cliff. ”

Everyone was dumbfounded, Jiang Bin laughed and said: "I forgot about this, can it work, call Zhang Ning and ask." ”

Zhang Ning was originally a hundred households in the Zhankou general camp of the Shenji Battalion, Song Nan led the army to exterminate Liu Liu and Liu Qi when the little grandfather ordered him to bring twenty-two Zhankou general cannons to accompany him to help, it was originally borrowed, but Song Nan died begging for a scoundrel, Liu Bei borrowed Jingzhou and did not pay it back, the little grandfather ran to make trouble several times and was prevaricated by Song Nan's dead pig who was not afraid of boiling water, and he was forced to become a part of the family of the Shenshu camp, Zhang Ning also proposed the position of deputy thousand households, and the treatment level was even more special, so he was not happy.

Zhang Ning was called up the cliff, and everyone saw him pointing and squinting for a while and stretching out his hands for a long time, and finally stopped, his face was a little solemn.

Jiang Bin hurriedly asked, "Brother, how is it, can it work?" ”

Zhang Ning shook his head and smacked his lips and said, "I'm afraid not." ”

Everyone was extremely disappointed, and Xu Tai said: "Isn't General Zhankou able to bombard four or five miles?" This distance should be achievable, why not? ”

Zhang Ning said: "I can only bombard the opposite cliff and the place behind it, and the big camp in the distance can't bombard." ”

Jiang Bin shouted: "Damn, who wants you to bombard their camp, we just asked if we could hit the opposite cliff, those guys are busy on it, and it is them who are beating." ”

Zhang Ning was stunned and said: "I said it earlier, this distance is not a cannon hit, and the lowly officials are still adults who want to hit the enemy camp behind the cliff, it turns out that it is just bombarding the cliff, which is very simple." ”

Jiang Bin Xu Tai scolded with a smile: "Damn, let's talk about Ximen Louzi, you kid replied that Dongmen is playing with monkeys, don't be long-winded, quickly order someone to get these guys up, and give the eight lambs on the other side of the river some color." ”

Zhang Ning hurriedly agreed, and quickly went down the cliff.