Li Zicheng outside Baoding City did not know that the young eunuch was thinking about him, but he was enjoying eating meat and drinking wine with the generals. The men from Dingxing County in the north had already identified him as Li Yan, and Liu Fangliang personally led his men there to have sex with him.
After one scene, I didn't expect to see that this dog thief was so powerful that he easily made Liu Fangliang retreat ten miles away. At least the little eunuch behind him was at the helm.
Then, after receiving several emergency military reports throughout the day, the officers and soldiers on the Texas border moved. One force went north to break through the Jingzhou defense line and captured Hejian Fucheng. The other force directly crossed the river to the west and advanced hundreds of miles in a day and night.
Occupied the city of Jizhou.
This is not good news. All the thieves frowned, feeling that the officers and soldiers were trying to surround them, but the military advisors Niu Jinxing and Li Zicheng looked relaxed.
The policeman who helped him unload the goods finally arrived. The surrender troops with so many refugees were so exhausted that they were already dying. The arrival of these officers and soldiers was a timely blessing. When the cannon fodder was almost consumed, these officers and soldiers also
There's not much left and we can't even get close.
Immediately, he ordered the leaders of the thieves to send some of their subordinates to lead the surrendered troops and cannon fodder to form a miscellaneous army and march eastward to set up a defense line in Gaoyang County and take the initiative to attack Hejian Prefecture and kill the officers and soldiers in Hejian Prefecture.
As for the officers and soldiers in Jizhou, if they just stay there, it's fine. If they want to go westward without talking to each other, they are asking for death. There is no need to send people to intercept them. If they dare to go westward for a hundred miles, they will become thieves.
You must know that the bandit army stretches for hundreds of miles at this time. The two hundred miles from Baoding City southward to Zhaozhou of Zhending Prefecture are covered by dark clouds. You plunge in and still want to get out, it's just a dream.
"I drink the northwest wind every day in this wilderness. When will I be able to play with the emperor's women? Is this Baoding City going to fight..." Liu Zongmin was drunk and staggering and talked loudly. This guy has nothing to do every day.
In the camp, they were either drinking and gambling with their subordinates or playing with women. Many young women from good families and young girls among the refugees were humiliated by this beast.
The corner of Li Zicheng's mouth twitched: "If you have nothing to do, go and fight tomorrow to stretch your muscles, so that you can clean up those freeloaders. But be sure not to really fight them down, otherwise the officers and soldiers outside will know about Baoding City."
If you get trapped, you won't come back. If you run away, how can we have the time to chase after you..."
The generals in the tent laughed loudly, and were so surprised that the moonlight in the night sky was quietly hidden among the dark clouds.
Dingxing City, a hundred miles north of Baoding City, is heavily guarded. Hundreds of officers and soldiers patrol the city with lights on. There are several newly dug trenches outside the city, and several scout teams are ambushing the city within a radius of 20 miles. Any trouble will be reported immediately.
To the city.
This small town, which is only slightly larger than a bullet, has been undertaking an unusual mission since a few months ago. First, Yang Tianwu, one of the leaders of the Octopus Royal Merchant, led a grain team of about a thousand people to hide from the thieves in the city. Later, Chang Yu
He led the four battalions under his command to arrive, and this became the headquarters of the northern defense line of the officers and soldiers. Then Chang Yu led the third battalion to leave, leaving Jia Wai Xiong to lead the Black Panther Battalion to take charge.
Jia Waixiong was a professional soldier from the Jinwu Guards, the emperor's personal soldier, with high military literacy. He knew the importance of Dingxing at this time and did not dare to be careless. After Chang Yu left overnight, he immediately called Yang Tianwu and the county magistrate Song Mingchi.
After some discussion, it was decided to mobilize the people to build defensive fortifications.
There was no moat in Dingxing City, so it was imperative to dig trenches. After some discussion, the three took action overnight. Song Mingchi summoned the gentry in the city to mobilize the people, and Yang Tianwu's manpower was directly transferred there.
The so-called call actually meant requisition. In this era, when the officials opened their mouths, how could the common people have the reason or courage to refuse? Almost all the city's labor force was sent out to dig trenches overnight. In order to prevent night-time scoundrels from taking advantage of the situation, the Black Panther Battalion patrolled back and forth in the city.
I caught a few thieves.
Jia Waixiong ordered it to be cut down directly. He believed in the young eunuch's saying: in troubled times, use heavy codes. At this juncture, it was even more necessary to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and it was indeed effective immediately.
Overnight, the entire city dug three trenches about a hundred meters long outside the city gate. Each trench was more than ten feet apart. It was a nightmare for the cavalry.
Although there was no salary for requisitioning people's power, they were responsible for the food. Yang Tianwu escorted tens of thousands of stones of military rations and could not use them for personal use. However, Song Mingchi said that there was still a little bit of food in the official warehouse, so Jia Waixiong decisively asked people to take it all without paying wages.
You have to take care of the food, otherwise the people won't scold you.
There was a shortage of food these days, so doing some work and taking care of the food was very popular among the people, and he was very motivated. He only rested for an hour and started building fortifications in full swing.
At noon, a scout came to report that thousands of troops were found twenty miles north of the city. Xiong outside Jia knew that Li Yan had arrived.
Li Yan became famous in a battle with Chang Yu outside the pass. Not to mention turning over and clearing his name, he also benefited the most. Of course, the most important thing that made him feel that he had reached the pinnacle of his life was to meet the saint. For a down-and-out scholar who had no choice but to become a thief, it was simply
There is no honor more worthy of bragging than this.
Jia Waixiong could not say that he liked Li Yan, not because of his status as a thief. The young eunuch kept telling them that Li Yan was both wise and brave and that he was a rare general, and asked them to get closer to him. They also did so.
In the days after the war ended, they stayed together almost every day, drinking, bragging, and practicing martial arts.
Li Yan's erudite and versatile literary, Taoist and military skills have indeed made a few people admire him, but hey, this guy talks about all kinds of etiquette, justice and shame, the way of Confucius and Mencius, repaying evil with virtue, persuading people with reason, persuading people with virtue, and treating peace as the most precious thing.
A few people listening to La La Bar rolled their eyes and turned around to listen to the little eunuch.
Everyone knows that young eunuchs hate literati the most, scolding them for only talking talk and gossiping is of no use. Li Yan can be considered a literati, but Chang Yu was very happy and laughed after hearing what he said. He just said that it would be better to learn from him.
Yes, just listen to this kind of nonsense. Remember that this world is always a place where the jungle prevails. There is no reason, and no one can be convinced by reason or virtue. This world only recognizes fists. Only the one who is big and tough can be reasonable, and others will.
I obey you! Over the past thousands of years, dynasties have changed, and no one has ruled the world with hard fists. If we use that method, why should we fight bloody battles and let those civil servants reason with the Tatars?
Li Yan was ordered to walk slowly and keep a distance of thirty to fifty miles from the red lady behind him. This was Chang Yu's deliberate psychological pressure tactic against the rebels. It is not known whether it had any effect.
The arrival of three thousand vanguard cavalry made Dingxing overcrowded. Li Yan frowned. There were more than ten thousand troops behind him. This small Dingxing could not accommodate it at all. There was no suitable place to garrison on the left and right. Gu'an in the northeast was too far away for strategic significance.
Not big. Yixian County is more than sixty miles due west, and it is too far away from the battle line. Rongcheng and Xushui, fifty miles ahead, are small. Secondly, they are too close to Baoding. As long as they garrison troops, they will be immediately attacked by the rebel army.
Destroyed, the only place where troops can still be stationed is Xincheng County (today's Xincheng Town, Gaobeidian City) twenty miles behind.
Although the new city is small, it is close. If there is a war, it is convenient and timely to dispatch rescue forces. Li Yan decided to station the follow-up troops in the new city.
"In addition to your more than 10,000 troops, you still have 5,000 Shenji battalions. The small area of Xincheng cannot accommodate it." Jia Waixiong felt that the problem was still unresolved, and the defense line should be established along a horizontal line from east to west. You are so successful
Even if there is a vertical line, it won't work.
Unexpectedly, Li Yan smiled and said: "I'm just pretending, and pointed to the Juma River in the west and south of the city. The green grass and green water will keep the horses fat. It would be a pity not to set up camp."
Jia Waixiong was surprised: "You still want to camp outside the city?"
Li Yan nodded and shrugged: "There are no cities to garrison in the east or west, and as you said the defense line cannot be erected, troops must be garrisoned on these two wings." He pointed to the Juma River a few miles to the south: "That is a natural defense line.
, How can we let thieves come over easily?"
Jia Waixiong subconsciously disagreed with Li Yan's approach. There were countless armies of thieves hundreds of miles away. It was too easy to be attacked when camping in the wild. If there was no danger, the camp would be broken down if you were not careful. But Li Yan said
This is also true, and judging from the current situation, this is the best solution.
In the end, Jia Waixiong agreed. He had no other choice but the fact that Li Yan had a higher military rank than him. Although he was a direct descendant of Chang Yu, he was only the commander of the first battalion after all, while Li Yan was a senior official in the imperial court.
General, and his troops were given the name "Army of Justice" by Emperor Chongzhen: This honor is unmatched by ordinary generals. Although his actual power is not that of the commander-in-chief of one party, his reputation is not inferior.
In other words, the defense rights on the northern front had been fully taken over by Li Yan at this time.
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