Zhan Ying was dressed in military uniform. He was not looking at a battle map, but an almanac.
March twenty-eight…
He thought about this day over and over again in his heart.
Wanyanku stood aside for a long time, and finally couldn't help but said: "War Commander, you have been reading this old almanac for almost an hour. Is there anything wrong with March 28th?"
Today is March 16th, and there are still twelve days until March 28th.
Wanyanku thought to himself, could it be that March 28th was Zhan Ying's birthday? Or maybe this day was of great significance to him.
Zhan Ying put down the old almanac and set his sights on the map of the world.
He said slowly: "After the beginning of spring, the ice and snow in the Kunlun Mountains in the west will melt, and a large amount of water will enter the inland rivers, mainly from the Yangtze River in the south and the Huangyan River in the north into the East China Sea.
This wave of floods is called the Peach Blossom Flood.
This year's peach blossom flood will reach its peak around March 28."
Wanyanku, who was born in Saibei, didn't know what Peach Blossom Flood was.
With the war in the capital at the moment in crisis, he couldn't figure out why Zhan Ying was paying attention to the Peach Blossom Flood.
Zhan Ying did not give Wanyanku any explanation.
He stood in front of the map and drew a long dividing line with charcoal.
This line is drawn almost along the Huangyan River, dividing the entire map into two.
Then, he placed the charcoal pencil heavily on Yingzhou.
He said bitterly: "There is not enough time. Xu Kai, Xu Kai, you disrupted all my plans! You are a sinner through the ages!"
Zhan Ying felt quite unwilling.
According to the original plan, Niangzi Pass should not have been breached so early.
Being defeated three months in advance made Zhan Ying feel that the direction of this catastrophe was gradually out of his control.
Xu Kaineng could stick to Zhan Ying's plan until June or July of this year, and then start the battle in the capital.
In mid-to-late August, he will take advantage of the autumn floods of the Huangyan River to dig out Huayuankou and Huanghukou in Yingzhou, forming a large-scale yellow flood area in Hebei. This will not only severely damage the Tianjie Army, but also successfully delay the catastrophe until next year.
summer.
But,
Xu Kai lost Niangzi Pass, leaving the entire human defense line passive.
The two defense lines of Shanhaiguan and Yumenguan that had not yet been breached had to be transferred and retreated in advance.
The most terrible thing is that according to the current offensive of Tianjie Anwenxiu, the winner of the battle in the capital will be decided in the next few days.
Zhan Ying could only change the autumn flood to the peach blossom flood in March.
There is a five-month difference between the Peach Blossom Flood and the Autumn Flood.
After the autumn floods came the cold winter, and the heavenly realm could no longer send troops to the south.
However, spring has just begun, and the Peach Blossom Flood can only delay Tianjie's offensive for two months at most. In July or August at the latest, Tianjie Anwenxiu's troops will be able to cross the Huangyan River and attack the Central Plains.
The water potential of the Huai River is far less than that of the Huangyan River. Even if the Huai River was dug up at that time, it would not be able to stop the heavenly army.
Before winter this year, the heavenly army may be able to reach the north bank of the Yangtze River and confront Jinling City.
After such a long war, Zhan Ying felt powerless for the first time.
However, Zhan Ying feels that the world has not reached its end yet.
This time, my fleet will pick up the human defenders of Shanhaiguan.
At that time, the two armies in heaven will merge into one place.
However, the combined number and combat strength of these two armies are not as large as those of the West Army currently stationed outside Yumen Pass.
As long as Zhao Zian can hold back the millions of troops on the west route led by Phantom, then this battle will still be fought.
Zhan Ying set his sights on the location of Kunlun Pass.
He murmured: "Zhao Zian, you can't retreat anymore! You must guard the Kunlun Pass. Otherwise, the world will fall into a more passive situation!"
At the same time, Yingzhou.
Zhao Xianfeng has arrived in Yingzhou.
At this moment, there are many rafts and boats on the water of Huangyan River in Yingzhou, as well as a dozen simple pontoons.
Rows of troops and civilians are retreating to Henan.
Zhao Xianfeng
He is the only one who came out of the capital city. He does not want to live an ignoble existence, but wants to be a sinner through the ages.
Zhao Xianfeng looked at the turbid river water rolling by and was filled with emotions.
Over the past year, he has secretly visited this area several times to investigate, knowing what kind of disaster it would bring to the people of the Central Plains once the embankment was dug.
However, he must do this.
"Zhan Ying! Even if I turn into a ghost! I won't let you go!"
He placed all the blame for this incident on Zhan Ying.
At least before the appearance of Zhan Ying, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty had never thought of digging up river embankments to stop the enemy.
A large number of troops have tightly blocked the two areas of Huanghukou and Huayuankou.
Barrels of black powder had also been secretly transported to these two places.
As long as the capital city falls and a large number of heavenly legions arrive on the north bank of the Huangyan River, Zhao Xianfeng will ignite black powder and die with the enemy.
Battle of Beijing, third day.
The two sides fought fiercely for two days and two nights, and the soldiers in the world still did not lose the city's defense line by relying on their advantages in numbers and terrain.
A dense rain of arrows splashed down, and rotating diamond umbrellas were shot out from the enemy formation.
The two sides are going back and forth, and the fight is indistinguishable.
On the fourth day, several sections of the southern city wall were captured by the enemy.
The human soldiers organized several groups of death squads, but they still couldn't get it back.
His Majesty the Emperor knows that he does not have much time left for him.
He issued a desperate order.
Broken jade.
He would never leave a huge city to the enemy, and he would never let his people become food for the six-legged evil beasts in the heavens.
Everyone was armed, and those who could not hold a kitchen knife chose to commit suicide.
On this day, in many houses in the capital, there were elderly people hanging themselves on the beams.
Many young ladies, who had avoided being spoiled, slowly floated along with the rope.
Many babies who are waiting to be fed have stopped crying forever and are in the arms of their mothers.
Passed away peacefully.
Zhao Mansion.
Zhao Zian's wife, Princess Yuyang, burst into tears while holding her five-year-old son.
"Child, don't blame your mother..."
This is her and Zhao Zian's only child, but at this moment there is a dagger stuck in his chest.
The dagger was inserted by Mr. Yuyang himself.
At the beginning of last year, it was possible to send his youngest son out of the capital and take a boat to Yizhou, but Zhao Zian did not agree.
After Princess Yuyang killed her son, she wiped away her tears and took the long sword handed over by a young man.
There is blood on the sword.
The body of another seven or eight-year-old boy was moved to the crown prince by his servants.
The blood on the sword belongs to that boy.
This is Zhao Zian's second son, born to his maidservant. He is eight years old this year.
He died by his brother's sword.
It was the young man who handed the sword to Princess Yuyang.
Princess Yuyang looked at the handsome young man next to her who was covered in blood.
Said: "Fu'er, you can't die. Although you are a concubine, you are the eldest son and grandson of the Zhao family. You must live."
The thirteen-year-old boy shook his head gently and said, "Just because I am the eldest son of Zhao, I cannot disgrace the Zhao family's reputation. Mother, Fu'er is willing to die with you."
Princess Yuyang laughed miserably and stretched out her hand to caress the stepson she had never liked.
Then, he led more than 300 people from Zhao Fu to guard the courtyard, servants and maids, carrying long swords, iron forks, kitchen knives... and walked out of the mansion.
Not long after, a raging fire broke out in the mansion behind him.
The streets that were crowded three days ago now have few regular soldiers in sight.
Civilians kept coming, armed with crude weapons.
Thousands of eunuchs and maids in the palace, after setting fire to the palace, also appeared on Zhuque Street carrying crude weapons.
Most of the capital began to burn.
This is the last battle, and everyone knows that they will not survive tomorrow.