The vast Qinling Mountains, with Hanzhong as the boundary, enter Guanzhong to the north, there are Qishan Road, there are Chencang Road, there are Bao Slope Road, there are Fu Luo Road, there is Meridian Road, and to the south into Shuzhong, there is Jinniu Road, there is Micang Road, there is Lychee Road.

Bazhou, an important traffic node in the southern section of the rice cang road, seems to have been repeated many times in history, and the war is fierce.

It's October 26th.

Bazhou City is built on a notch to the west of the river bay, the city is two feet high, there are 5,000 guards, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Sixty zhang wide Ba River bends the north bank, the Ming Dynasty conquered the deputy general Chang Yuchun led the army to be stationed here, from Xingyuan all the way to attack the village raid, the cumulative loss of more than 1,000 soldiers, there are still more than 13,000 elite soldiers at the moment.

It was the third day of engagement between the two sides.

The winter morning in Qinling was cold and wet, and the offensive launched before dawn had lasted for most of the hour, and under the overlapping of shouts, fights, and screams, many of the soldiers on both sides had forgotten the cold and went into battle shirtless.

On the north bank of the Ba River, in front of the Ming army.

Chang Yuchun, who was covered in iron armor, stood under the banner with a shoulder knife in his hand, and his heroic posture not only made the surrounding Ming soldiers look up, but even the defenders of Xia on the opposite side of the city, every time they looked at a rumored Ming killing god, they were inevitably worried and timid.

On the Ba River in the gentle winter, the Ming army, which is good at construction, has paved six pontoon bridges two days ago, so that the summer army sent people who dared to die out of the city every time they sent them out of the city in the previous two nights, and they were still not destroyed, thus greatly weakening the barrier effect of the Ba River.

The only thing that the Bazhou defenders can rely on at the moment is the two-zhang city wall built near the river.

Beside Chang Yuchun, Liu Sizhong, the former general of Xia Guoxingyuan, noticed from a distance that a familiar subordinate on the other side of the river was stabbed down by several spears, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

In the face of the oppression of the Ming army, Liu Sizhong and other generals of Xingyuan decided to surrender the city on September 17.

Only two days later, Chang Yuchun made a decision to go one step further and go south to Micang Road and seize Bazhou.

Liu Sizhong also understands that this opportunity is too good, and he will not be affected by the order of the monarch outside, and if he does not take advantage of the situation to go south, wait for the Xia Kingdom to strengthen the defense along the Micang Road, and then want to enter Shu here, the difficulty will be doubled.

The problem is that not counting the soldiers and civilians who are responsible for the supply along the way, the 15,000 soldiers led by Chang Yuchun to the south, only 5,000 Ming army descendants, and the other 10,000 are all his subordinates, or the most capable half of the 20,000 defenders of Xingyuan at the beginning.

It is conceivable that most of the losses along the way are also their own subordinates.

Liu Sizhong, as a military general, actually knows that it is customary to be called in turn to attack the former master after surrendering, but he can't let his subordinates consume it all.

Not to mention the sporadic losses of the various military villages along the way, but in the past two days, in order to lay the pontoon bridge, more than 1,300 brothers were lost on their side.

Looking at the current offensive posture, if it continues, I am afraid that the loss will exceed 1,000 in one day.

Thinking of this, Liu Sizhong couldn't help but look at Chang Yuchun.

Liu Sizhong knew that the Ming army had a better way to siege the city.

However, when the words came to his lips, he hesitated a little, and Liu Sizhong still swallowed the words back into his stomach.

This well-known killing god in the Ming army, just getting along with the other party, he will inevitably get angry, otherwise, he would not have chosen to surrender under the oppression of the Ming army before, at the moment, Liu Sizhong really does not have the courage to fight with the other party.

Alas......

Anyway, just don't let yourself go into battle.

Chang Yuchun actually noticed the change in Liu Sizhong's expression, but he didn't see it. Although because of the lord's repeated teachings, he also treated Liu Sizhong preferentially, but in his heart, he despised this kind of person who sacrificed the city and betrayed the lord.

If it weren't for the fear that reinforcements would come over in Shuzhong and that he needed to fight quickly, he wouldn't have stopped if Liu Sizhong's 10,000 people didn't consume most of them.

Thinking so, Chang Yuchun looked at the city again.

Take this Bazhou, Micang Road will be opened to most of it, and on the way south to Shu, you only need to pull out another hundred miles away, and the danger is far inferior to the Langzhong County of Bazhou.

Chang Yuchun is pondering at the moment, more of which is already Jinling, whether the lord will take advantage of the situation to enter Shu.

It's all at the door!

With the wisdom of his own father-in-law, I am afraid that he will not miss it, which is also the confidence of Chang Yuchun to dare to Xingyuan to continue to go south.

Even if......

Even if the lord has to wait a little longer, he is not disobedient, and the edict that came last month was to let him open the way to the south, which is ...... Fought all the way to Bazhou, the lord can't say that he is too hardworking?

Just thinking about it, a few people walked through the military formation, and the first one was wearing a red battle jacket with a full set of black leather armor, but it was Tu Xiao.

More than half a year has passed, and the surveying and mapping division who doesn't know that he has been promoted again has long lost the literary atmosphere that he didn't have when he was in Mingzhou.

In fact......

Tu Xiao is not bad to reach out at the moment.

Chang Yuchun spoke in person, picked someone to teach Tu Xiao the art of riding and shooting, and occasionally did it himself.

Because I like it.

Well.

In other words, it should be called leaning.

Starting from the hot air balloon that accidentally flew away during the Battle of Dadu, then to Shanxi, then to Shaanxi, and even Xingyuan before, Chang Yuchun only felt that Tu Xiao was like his lucky star, making everything go smoothly.

That's it, this battle is getting more and more chewy.

Dull.

Chang Yuchun couldn't help but think of the reverse grass valley plan being implemented in the north, he felt that leading the cavalry to attack the grassland over and over again was what he was good at, and he should have led the army when he raided Kaiping, I don't know why the lord sent him to Shaanxi.

When this side is finished, you must talk to the lord and ask for the errand over there.

I don't want to have more military exploits, and I often want to have a good time in spring.

Tu Xiao came to the front, hugged his fists and said, "General, everything is ready." ”

"Let's go, don't keep your hands, repair it again when the wall collapses," Chang Yuchun said, turning to Liu Sizhong on the other side: "General Liu, you send another thousand people as a cover, and by the way, remind the sergeant in front of the formation, be smart later, and avoid in time." ”

Liu Sizhong hurriedly agreed and went down to make arrangements.

About a quarter of an hour later, more than 1,000 Ming troops crossed the pontoon bridge again and entered the city of Bazhou, some of them carrying square cloth bags of unknown purpose on their backs.

On the city of Bazhou, the defenders did not pay attention to the more than 1,000 enemy troops that had been added for a while.

Because, behind the camp of the Ming army, there were three strange balls painted with terrifying images, which slowly bulged in the flames, slowly rose again, and then slowly forced towards Bazhou City.

This......

O God!

However, this is really just a threat.

Distraction.

The Ming army did not expect to repeat again and again, and most of the defenders of the capital could be frightened, but it was because the city was too big. In a small city like Bazhou, as long as the defenders are determined enough, they can still stabilize the situation.

And so it is.

In the face of the riots caused by the hot air balloon, the Bazhou guard led the guards to cut down more than a dozen soldiers who wanted to flee in a hurry, and soon re-stabilized the rout that was about to spread at the head of the city.

However, the big picture is decided.

With the sound of a rapid gong, the Ming army, which was in a hurry, suddenly began to retreat, and the cautious Bazhou guard ordered the troops not to slack off, and was about to order his subordinates to transfer the bed crossbow, intending to try to shoot the strange big ball, when suddenly, a heaven-shattering explosion sounded.

Boom –

In the tremor of heaven and earth hanging upside down, a large gap appeared in an instant in a section of the city wall on the east side of the north gate.

This was followed by the Ming army that pressed on again, and the neat shouts prepared in advance: "Those who surrender live, and those who do not surrender die; Those who surrender live, and those who do not surrender die......"

has broken the city, and it is still so gentle, this is not the style of Chang Yuchun.

However, Chang Yuchun also understood that reinforcements from Shuzhong could arrive at any time, and he had captured Bazhou, so he must stabilize the situation as soon as possible and counterattack for gain.

In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to adopt a certain degree of gentle means. Of course, the main defender of Bazhou will be Zuo, and since he refused to surrender before, he will not be able to stay later.

In this way, when it was close to noon on this day, the Ming army not only successfully occupied the city of Bazhou, but also quickly repaired most of the city walls that they had blown up.

During this period, the expected reinforcements from Shuzhong did not come, but the Jinling messenger arrived!

His Majesty the Emperor approved the early start of the Battle of Shu.

Not only that, but the messenger also brought official documents that the Ming Dynasty would distribute the fields according to military age and military merit.

When the news spread, the whole army was excited, and even the Xingyuan soldiers who had just surrendered began to gear up, eager to attack Chongqing tomorrow.

Seeing that the military heart was available, Chang Yuchun immediately decided to go further, seize Langzhong, and completely open up the rice cang road.

……

Jinling.

October twenty-seven.

Zhu Yuan was still close to Jizheng before entering the imperial city, and soon learned that Chang Yuchun had conquered Bazhou.

This was the seventh day that the imperial court received Chang Yuchun to take Xingyuan and make the decision to cut down Shu in advance.

What Zhu Yuan is most uncomfortable with is the correspondence of this era.

On the twenty-first day of October, he received a military report and made a decision, according to the previous prediction, that various orders would be issued in the afternoon of the same day, and arrive in Xingyuan, that is, Hanzhong, where Chang Yuchun himself was, and if nothing else, it should be the twenty-sixth day of October.

This is an extrapolation based on the time when the military report was sent back.

Speaking of which, it's not like there's no faster way to communicate.

Homing pigeon!

This was already in place in the Song Dynasty.

There is no shortage of officially bred carrier pigeons in Jinling.

However, there are too many limitations for carrier pigeons.

For example, it's not that there is no possibility of getting lost.

For example, the security of the message is not high, you don't know who sent the message, in case the enemy breaks the city and catches their own carrier pigeon to release false news?

Therefore, important information is still transmitted by people.

This time, the next day you will be able to know that Chang Yu Chun has Keba Prefecture, and it is through carrier pigeons that the message is transmitted.

This kind of military newspaper that does not involve major policy decisions, even if it is late, wrong, or even omitted, has nothing to do with the overall situation.

In the conference room of the left east pavilion of Fengtian Gate.

Zhu Yuan still listened to the discussion between Lao Zhu and the ministers in the room without interjecting, with a fountain pen in his hand and some paper in front of him, occasionally writing records.

This situation made both the left minister Li Shanchang on the opposite side and the other central ministers on both sides of the conference table who had recently been entangled by this strange 'conference room' a little ...... Enlightened.

Oh!

It turned out to be played like this.

It's no wonder that everyone has been sitting here lately, and they always feel that they have something missing in their hands!

After discussing with the ministers the follow-up transfer of troops and the arrangement of supplies and other matters, Lao Zhu looked at his precious twenty-third grandson again, and habitually asked, "Yuan'er, what else do you think?" ”

Zhu Yuan shook his head with a smile: "The army has done everything that needs to be done, I don't have anything to say." Ancestors, I just think that we can include Shuzhong in the next first 'three-year plan', Shuzhong not only has thousands of miles of fertile land, but also various other resources are also very rich. In addition, to take over Shuzhong, it is still necessary to focus on pacification. ”

Lao Zhu nodded: "I gave Yuchun this morning, and he has told him again in every letter, as long as the Xia Lord surrenders in time, he will definitely treat him with courtesy." ”

Zhu Yuan thought for a while, and then said: "Ancestor, Shu is rich, and taking it in advance will only benefit Daming a lot." However, after this time, whether it is Saibei or Yunnan, unless it takes the initiative to surrender, or takes the initiative to provoke, otherwise, if there are fighters, we still have to maintain restraint, and in the next three years, it is best for the Ming Dynasty to focus on economic development and lay a solid foundation. ”

This is not the first time Zhu Yuan has mentioned it, Lao Zhu also nodded again: "You said this, I also think the same, I still have to accumulate grain, ......" Speaking of this, Lao Zhu remembered one, and said with a smile: "Speaking of which, Yuan'er, you get that...... Steam engine, what's wrong, yesterday's court meeting can someone talk to you again, Pingzhang Mansion is lit up all night, I don't know how to be thrifty, and I spend too much? ”

】

"It's wrong," Zhu Yuan shouted with a smile and said, "Those craftsmen are busy day and night, and it is also for our future in the Ming Dynasty." Well, the ignorant...... Forget it. Ancestor, I was already thinking about choosing a time, and since that is the case, I ...... On the second day of the first lunar month next month, I would like to invite the ancestors, the crown princes, the princes, and all the central ministers to my house to watch a demonstration......" deliberately paused for a while, Zhu Yuan swept around, and then continued: "...... A demonstration of what the future of our Ming Dynasty should be. ”