After the Allied Forces of the Invading Cao Army were defeated in the north of Xinyang and marched into Zhongzhong, without a moment of respite, the entire division marched north, re-passing the route of Xixian, Xincai, and Ruyang and rushed back to the north. The reason why they did not take the Queshan County line was to ensure that they passed through the line of Queshan County.
The route from Queshan County to Tongbai Mountain and the true strategic intentions of the coalition forces will not be exposed prematurely.
However, Zuo Zhen's solid combat effectiveness in Xinyang changed Li Laiheng's optimistic attitude toward Ben Chu's strategy.
Although he had fought against Zuo Zhen when he was in Zhuxi County, he did not expect that Zuo Zhen would still show good combat effectiveness in such a large-scale battle even though his military discipline was poor.
At this time, Zuo Zhen was far from the army that was defeated later in the Battle of Zhuxian Town. The gang of gangsters gathered by Zuo Liangyu from all over the world still possessed considerable combat power under the stimulation of desire.
This kind of half-bandit, half-soldier group will probably cause a lot of trouble for Li Laiheng before their overly exuberant desires are completely defeated.
Zuo Liangyu's base camp is still Xiangyang...and Wuchang in the future!
If Zuo Zhen is not severely damaged in Henan, Zuo Liangyu, who is quite powerful in Huguang, will become a big trouble for Li Laiheng in the future to achieve "entering the Chu strategy".
This time the coalition forces returned north and hardly stopped when they passed through Ruyang. Li Guo and Yuan Zongdi fortified themselves in Ruyang during this period, because Fu Zonglong did not really leave Xiangcheng. After the defense line in Yancheng moved south to attack the coalition forces,
Road, so they took advantage of this short period of time to raid the rich and evil gentry, inventory the government's treasury, open warehouses and provide relief to the poor people, while waiting for the rebels from south to join forces.
There was no process of greeting and cleaning up. Li and Yuan's troops were fully prepared and waiting near Ruyang. As soon as the main force of the coalition forces arrived, they immediately led their troops to join them.
Along the way, there were some hungry people helping the old and the young, and came in groups to beg outside the coalition army's marching tent. In addition, many shoulder-to-shoulder vendors in Ruyang also had the courage to hustle and bustle because of Li Guo's previous practice of buying and selling equally.
Go near the army and try to take advantage of the opportunity to make a little profit.
In addition to traveling among the various camps, they also formed a temporary small market on the road leading to Xiangcheng and Yancheng in the north of Ruyang.
This situation was not uncommon during army marches in the late Ming Dynasty. It was just because the rebel army was more disciplined and easier to approach than Zuozhen's army, which could kill all the rich and poor.
The size of the vendors gathered near the coalition forces was also larger.
Niu Jinxing felt that the craftsmanship of Fu Zonglong and Zuo Liangyu might be mixed among these vendors and hungry people. Luo Rucai did not care about this. He felt that Niu Qidong had overestimated the enthusiasm of Fu Zonglong and Zuo Liangyu in combat.
However, Luo Rucai was indeed a little worried that so many vendors gathering near the army would affect the army's rapid advance.
After all, the central spirit of the entire "Ben Chu" operation is the word "kuai".
Li Laiheng was also worried about this aspect, but Tian Jianxiu had been ordering all ministries to protect the nearby people and not to drive away the hungry people or the vendors who came to sell goods.
"What are Uncle Yufeng thinking? Although the common people have been harassed by the army and treated like this by us, it can increase their support for the rebels and the generalissimo. But it also depends on the opportunity! Now is the time to show our true love
People, when you don’t disturb the people?”
Li Laiheng couldn't help but complained to his stepfather Li Guo. Tian Jianxiu was indeed a woman's benevolence. Now is the time of urgency. To be benevolent and righteous, it also depends on the time and occasion.
He looked at Tian Jianxiu's kindness to the hungry people around him and his behavior as a hawker. It was not that he couldn't understand that this was a good thing, but he was still full of resentment and was very dissatisfied with Tian Erfu and Tian Zongshao.
Although Li Guo's face remained calm, there was a bit of surprise in his eyes.
After all, when Li Laiheng was in Zhuxi County two years ago, when he saw the army emptying the county warehouses and storing food in the cellars of rich houses, the first thing that came to his mind was not the success of the battle, but the question of what would happen to the hungry people of Zhuxi County after losing this food.
The question of how to survive.
Li Guo had mixed feelings in his heart. He knew that the flames of war had tempered Li Laiheng, turning this half-grown child in his eyes into a sharp enough material.
Li Laiheng's sobriety in this regard is more correct than Tian Jianxiu's benevolence as a woman. However, an army like the Chuang Army, which was born out of defeated soldiers, bandits, and landless peasants, will always need people like Tian Jianxiu to correct its mistakes.
"Laiheng...well, Yufeng's approach is indeed inappropriate." Li Guo's tone contained a bit of bitterness. Li Laiheng's change was indeed a kind of growth. At least he replaced his womanly kindness with a more appropriate attitude.
.
But Li Guo couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by Li Laiheng's arrogance and confidence.
In any case, Tian Jianxiu is considered the second most popular person in the camp, and Li Laiheng seems not to take seriously this commander whose status is even half a point higher than Li Guo.
Breast tiger?
Ruhu has grown up, but he is flying a little too gracefully now.
Li Guo didn't want the cruelty of reality to crush Li Laiheng's expansion. That would be too cruel and would inevitably kill countless soldiers.
He was thinking about how to use a more appropriate way to teach Li Laiheng to have a more calm and peaceful attitude while being confident.
It's just that Li Laiheng can't listen to his sincere words now. What's more, Li Laiheng is the kind of person who is "intelligent enough to refuse advice and eloquent enough to cover up his mistakes." He has to find some way.
Li Guo shook his head inwardly, but he still agreed, quickly led his soldiers to find Li Zicheng, and urgently told him about Tian Jianxiu's kindness to the hungry people and the negative impact caused by the traders.
"Yufeng's approach is very appropriate in normal times, but now that the war is burning, we don't even dare to take a breath, so how can we have such extravagant energy and time to take care of the hungry merchants?"
Li Guo was not completely opposed. He also thought of other countermeasures and suggested: "But the hungry people and the merchants coming here show that the people of Zhongzhou are available. If we refuse, it will affect the army's ability to absorb refugees in Henan in the future. It is best."
The best way is to give some sweetness and abandon some gold and silver to resettle the people in Ruyang so that they will no longer pursue our army for small profits."
Li Guo's suggestion was quite pertinent, but it would take some time after all, so Li Zicheng could reluctantly agree. But Luo Rucai felt that Tian Jianxiu's excessive womanly kindness would affect the lives of Cao Ying's soldiers, because even
Julien rejected Li Guo's suggestion to take a step back and directly threatened to send troops to drive them away for a while, which would naturally solve the problem immediately.