While Li Laiheng was besieged in Shangcai Yingzhai, Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai led the main force of the rebel army to attack Ruyang, the capital of Runing Prefecture, via Suiping and Queshan.
When they passed through Queshan County, they had no intention of attacking the city. However, when the hungry people in the city heard that King Chuang's army had arrived, they opened the city gates to respond. Only then did Luo Ru hear his intention. His troops from Cao's camp had not attacked for some time.
There was a lot of looting in the city.
But Li Zicheng was just the opposite. He was concerned that the lack of military discipline after Cao's camp entered the city would inevitably cause all kinds of unnecessary losses and would also affect the popular sentiment of the invading army in Henan, so he forcefully ordered not to allow the soldiers to enter the city, so that the officials and gentry in the city could live their lives in peace, and there was no need to panic.
He just accepted the people's accusations and sent Tian Jianxiu and Luo Rucai's deputy general Zhao Yingyuan into the city with thirty horses each to execute some officials and gentry who were deeply angry with the people on the spot.
Everyone in Cao Ying was dissatisfied with Li Zicheng's toughness, but the situation was stronger than the people. They had to bow their heads under the eaves. Another nephew of Luo Rucai, Yang Shengzu, smiled bitterly and said: "We finally broke away from Zhang Xianzhong, but now with Chuang Chuang
If we start a partnership, we will have another mother-in-law."
Luo Rucai's military advisor Ji Ze shook his head to stop him from talking. He sighed softly and said, "Commander Cao wanted to come to Henan to seek refuge with King Chuang. We all felt that there was no other way. Commander Cao refused to listen. Now he is under the control of others and has no choice but to eat.
I regret the medicine, what else can I do?"
Luo Rucai pretended not to hear the various dissatisfaction voices of his subordinates. This time he sent troops with the Chuang army, and he felt the progress of the Chuang camp more truly. When they were in Yiling that day, the Chuang army had already shown good military discipline, and it was only one year.
We haven't seen them yet, but their appearance seems to have taken on a completely new look, and they are even more orderly than when they were lurking in Shangluo.
"Look at people who invade the army. They give orders and prohibitions, and they all follow the will of the general. Lao Ji, what do you mean by that sentence? You are as quiet as a virgin, but as active as a rabbit."
Deputy Commander Cao was somewhat envious of Li Zicheng's high degree of control over his troops. He saw that the soldiers in Cao's camp would either get together to play leaf plays or talk about women during the break. They were really unpromising.
Look.
He also sighed: "Almost all the food and property captured by the generals who broke into the camp were handed over to the public. The generals did not covet treasures, and the soldiers did not hide gold and silver. Our Cao camp paid the public to the public four or six times, but even so, the generals did not covet treasures, and the soldiers did not hide gold and silver.
Some people still can't do it and still move all their gold and silver treasures into their tents."
What Luo Rucai said was a bit of a scolding of Sang and Huai. According to his smooth character, he would not have said such words that hurt his subordinates. However, the comparison between Chuang and Cao really put a lot of pressure and stimulation on Deputy Commander Cao.
It forced him to come up with all kinds of new ideas.
As for the other generals in Cao's camp, listening to Luo Rucai's instructions, they were only promising on their faces, but they were all slandering in their hearts. They were all slandering in their hearts: If they say they are greedy for gold and silver, who can compare with Deputy Commander Cao? Everyone.
It's also a matter of example. Vice Admiral Cao raised a band and raised wives and concubines. Couldn't he let his brothers below also drink soup?
If Vice Admiral Cao was as frugal as Li Zicheng and lived in poverty, then it would not be a problem for the brothers to grit their teeth and endure hardship. But the key point is that Admiral Cao himself sings and dances every night. What do the brothers think?
Brother Cao Ying is not born greedy for money and lust. Who doesn't want his troops to obey orders and prohibitions as if they were breaking into the camp? The prerequisite is that the deputy commander-in-chief takes the lead in enduring hardship.
Not only Luo Rucai has come up with all kinds of new ideas, but many of his close confidants and generals have also come up with new ideas recently. They don't think that they are born with a greedy and lustful nature. They have heard too much about "suppression" that is often said in the camp
"Soldiers to bring peace to the people" and "Soldiers of Benevolence and Righteousness" also felt that they did not start the army just to make a living, but to save the people from the fire and so on.
For example, Zhao Yingyuan got very close to the people at the camp. It is said that he even began to implement the military discipline regulations of the camp under his own command. He learned many new rules from the young tiger commander Li Laiheng, which indeed made some changes in the army.
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It's just that this change in Cao Ying's camp was a silent and passive change. Neither Luo Rucai nor his military advisor Ji noticed the slow change of Cao Ying's undercurrent.
After the army collected a group of mules, horses, grain, beans, and firewood in Queshan County, Li Zicheng ordered a few hundred people to stay behind in Queshan County to protect their retreat, while the rest of the army marched towards Ruyang.
They didn't know that Yang Wenyue and Hu Dawei's main troops were already engaged in a fierce battle with the vanguard army at Shangcai Camp. They still followed the pre-war plan and advanced towards Ruyang at a more cautious and slow pace. Along the way, Li Zicheng and Li Zicheng
Guang sent detective horses to investigate the enemy's situation, but no trace of the Baoding soldiers was found.
At this time, everyone gradually felt that something was not good. Li Guo was the first to realize the crux of the situation. He patted his horse next to Li Zicheng and whispered: "Brother, we are only more than ten miles away from Ruyang City, and there is no one on the road."
Found any trace of the Baoding soldiers? I'm afraid that Yang Wenyue will be too determined, move too fast, and directly lead the main force of the army to Shangcai."
When Li Guo and Li Zicheng talk in private, they will call Li Zicheng the eldest brother. Although the two of them are uncle-nephew, because Li Guo's father died young and the two are relatively close in age, they are actually more like father and brother.
relation.
Li Zicheng breathed out and said: "You and Liu Fangliang will immediately take your two troops and head north at full speed. If Yang Wenyue and Hu Dawei really ignore the defense of Ruyang City, the vanguard army may not be able to hold on and be defeated... You two
People go to rescue immediately!"
Li Zicheng did not even communicate with Luo Rucai, and immediately decided to send Li Guo and Liu Fangliang to reinforce the vanguard army. After Li Guo obeyed the order and left, Li Zicheng went over to explain the changes in the battle situation to Luo Rucai. He was worried that Luo Rucai would resent the unauthorized action of breaking into the camp, and in his words
He said that he would arrange for Li Guo and other troops to go for reinforcements later, hiding the fact that Li and Liu Ershuai had actually attacked.
After all, Luo Rucai is also a leader who has dominated the world for many years. He has already had this premonition in his heart. After Li Zicheng told him, he immediately ordered the soldiers and horses of Cao Camp to put down their artillery, baggage, light cavalry, and rush towards you.
Yangcheng.
Zhao Yingyuan, who was under the command of Deputy Commander Cao, asked him what to do with the musicians and singers who were following him in the rear group. Should they stay with the artillery and baggage?
Luo Rucai waved his hand coldly and said softly: "Kill them all."
Tian Jianxiu and Yuan Zongdi who were beside Li Zicheng all frowned, and then they all looked at Li Zicheng, but Li Zicheng did not say anything to dissuade them, and everyone could only lower their heads and continue marching.
Zhao Yingyuan hesitated for a while and did not respond immediately. Luo Rucai's nephew Yang Shengzu rushed to the rear with a group of guards. Every moment, more than a dozen screams came from the rear group, and Yang Shengzu immediately rode back to the front group to resume his life.
After Luo Rucai smiled and nodded, he raised his hand to Li Zicheng and said: "Zicheng, I know that you only want to win this battle, not lose. Cao Ying will never hold you back, those musicians, singers, even
Let’s hold a flag for our brothers.”
Li Zicheng also laughed twice, came closer, took Luo Rucai's hands, and thanked him: "Then I really have to thank Brother Cao!"
The two commanders of the coalition forces laughed loudly, and Yang Shengzu also laughed and laughed. Zhao Yingyuan on Cao Ying's side lowered his head and remained silent. Tian Jianxiu and Yuan Zongdi also looked at each other, with no expression on their faces at all.
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The army galloped away on horseback and arrived at the foot of Ruyang City in a blink of an eye.
As expected, Yang Wenyue left only a small number of troops to defend Ruyang City. Li Zicheng was half-surprised and half-joyed. What he was happy about was that by taking Ruyang City easily and cutting off the retreat of the Baoding soldiers, Yang Wenyue's entire army was bound to be annihilated. What was surprising was that
Yang Wenyue and Hu Dawei were so ruthless that even if the main force of the coalition forces was sure to annihilate the Baoding soldiers, the Baoding soldiers would most likely annihilate the vanguard army before being completely annihilated.
He hurriedly called Miao Lichen. Miao Lichen's reputation as a miner had already spread in the camp. Everyone knew that they were good at civil engineering and were very good at defending and attacking cities.
Li Zicheng wanted to capture Ruyang as soon as possible so that he could free up his hands to destroy the Baoding soldiers. He did not bother to hide his weakness in front of Luo Rucai, so he directly used the trump card of the mine apprentices.