Li Laiheng squatted together with the soldiers of the Little Tiger Squadron. After eating a soup made with noodles, rice balls, and wild vegetables, he wiped his mouth with his hands. He was extremely pessimistic about the future of the coalition forces and teased the kitten in his arms.
Raccoon slave, I feel very uncomfortable.
The weather in Yiling has been much better in recent times, and the freeze is gradually thawing, but this has also greatly facilitated the advance of the army. Since Zhang Xianzhong's defeat at Manao Mountain, the situation has become even more unfavorable for the rebels. Yang Sichang will encircle and suppress Zhang Xianzhong's army.
Zuozhen and the Qin army mobilized tens of thousands of soldiers and horses to western Hubei and attacked from both Yuan'an and Yidu. Not only did the coalition's original plan to attack Jingzhou Prefecture be completely ruined, it also endangered the life and death of the coalition.
Under this situation, it is no wonder that those in charge were looking for a way out. Li Laiheng shook his head and sighed, while stretching out his fingers and tapping the kitten's forehead several times.
You Ci was preparing dinner for Li Laiheng. She usually had a strong objection to the raccoon slave eating fish all day long but not catching mice. But at this time, she developed a protective mentality and snatched the kitten into her arms, refusing to let it go.
Li Laiheng continued the abuse.
"Hey, Ah Ci won't let me tease you anymore! You have such a big temper, how can you get married in the future?"
It was a good thing that Li Laiheng didn't say anything, but what he said hit You Ci again, causing the little girl to touch him and kick him. Li Laiheng was in pain, and when he was about to scream, he saw the familiar Luo Luo
Yan Qing galloped to the gate of Chuangying's old camp, jumped off his horse, and hurried over.
Seeing the anxious look on Luo Yanqing's face, he knew that the matter might not be simple. He patted Youci's little head, told her that he had something serious to do, and asked her to take Li Nu back to the house to rest. Youci
Seeing Luo Yanqing coming over, she felt a little aggrieved with a flat mouth, but she also knew that what Li Laiheng said must be true, so she obeyed and left with the raccoon slave.
"Miss Luo, do you have something important to tell me when you come here in such a hurry?" Li Laiheng stopped laughing in front of You Ci and asked in a deep voice.
He actually had some idea of Luo Yanqing's intention, but Li Laiheng's original intention was still not to believe that Cao Ying would make the wrong choice.
Luo Yanqing's eyes were apologetic. She bit her lips and turned away. She was unwilling to look directly at Li Laiheng and murmured: "I'm sorry... maybe Cao Ying will be detrimental to you."
Luo Yanqing probably didn't expect that Li Laiheng still looked calm after hearing the news. In fact, this answer was more or less expected by Li Laiheng. What he was more worried about was Luo Yanliang riding up to tell him the news.
, does it mean that Cao Ying is about to take action? And if Luo Yanqing does this, will it put her personal situation in danger?
Li Laiheng asked in a low voice: "Miss Luo, if you tell me this news, how will Cao Ying deal with you? I am sorry for you, please come back quickly."
The girl who bit her lip lightly stretched out her trembling hands to say something, but she looked at Li Laiheng's firm eyes and finally said nothing. After Luo Yanqing took a deep breath, she immediately turned around and mounted her horse, she held her head high
He picked up the riding whip, whipped it on the horse as if he had exhausted all his strength, and galloped away.
The distant dust disappeared at the end of the street. Li Laiheng rubbed his brows, smiled bitterly for a while, and then showed a calm and determined look again.
On the outermost side of the gate of the old camp is a row of canteens. There was no one in the canteen at this time. Luo Yanqing's vision was blocked by the canteen and he did not see the movement of the intruders further inside the old camp. Li Laiheng passed through the canteen and walked to
Inside, Mrs. Gao was leading a large group of women to hurriedly pack the soldiers' luggage. Yuan Zongdi and Bai Jiuhe led the craftsmen to dismantle the small stoves in the blacksmith shop. Tian Jianxiu and Wu Ruyi stood there
On a long bench, the soldiers were directed to carry food, and many other people were busy.
The army was by no means unprepared.
In fact, when the Chu army discovered the surrender tendency of Luo Rucai and Hui Deng, Li Zicheng had already made plans to break up with the coalition forces. However, Li Laiheng exposed Yang Sichang's surrender conditions, which may include requiring Luo Rucai and Hui Deng to be eliminated.
After breaking into the camp, the retreat of the breaking army accelerated even more.
Hao Yaoqi and Uncle Qing were also busy with the evacuation of the Little Tigers. Because the Little Tigers still had a lot of cannons and muskets stored here, Uncle Qing specially called Fang Yiren, the senior prisoner of the Little Tigers, to help with guidance.
How to best store firearms.
Fang Yiren knew that his life was in danger when he broke into the camp, so he did not dare to act without caution. He taught Hao Yaoqi some common sense about the storage and management of firearms with a low eyebrow. When he saw Li Laiheng coming, he immediately showed a smile.
With a more submissive expression, the deputy said respectfully: "Guard, these cannons are heavy in weight. We don't have carts and we lack mules and horses. It's not easy to walk on mountain roads. I wonder if the troop can do anything?"
Fang Yiren was in charge of the team one by one, as if he was a member of the Little Tiger Team. Li Laiheng felt funny in his heart, but said that he was planning to go to the boss to ask about this matter, and asked Fang Yiren to calm down.
Li Laiheng also knew that although he only got a small part of the captured cannons after breaking into the camp, it was still an unparalleled wealth, and he would never give it up easily unless he had to.
"Headmaster." At this time, Li Laiheng's status in the camp was constantly rising, and he had become one of the core generals in the camp. He could go directly to see Li Zicheng. He walked straight to Li Zicheng and several other generals, Li Guo and Liu Fangliang.
In the small room where Li Shuangxi discussed matters, he told everyone about the difficulty in transporting cannons mentioned by Fang Yiren.
Li Shuangxi hadn't had a good chat with Li Laiheng for a while. He put his arm around Li Laiheng's shoulders and said with a smile: "Good boy, I'm acting like a general these days. Think about the little beggar I was in Zhuxi County."
The appearance is really unimaginable today!"
"Shuangxi, stop messing around with Laiheng, we have to talk about business." Li Zicheng was only wearing a sheepskin jacket with his arms exposed. He laughed and scolded Li Shuangxi, but Dang Shou Sujian, the personal guard standing behind Li Zicheng,
Seeing Li Shuangxi's useless look, he put his forehead on his hands and sighed softly.
Li Zicheng said seriously: "What do you think should be done with those cannons?"
"I think..." Liu Fangliang thought for a while and then replied, "I might as well take away less food, so that maybe the cannon can be transported away."
Li Guo objected: "Even if we bring less food, we don't have enough mules and horses to transport it. And if we want to leave the coalition, food is the most important thing."
"Bu Zhi is right." After Li Zicheng nodded twice, he said to Li Laiheng, "Food is our most important thing. Let's leave those cannons to Luo Rucai. We just don't want them anymore!"
As soon as Li Zicheng said these words, Li Shuangxi was shocked and objected: "Father, why do you say this? Why should those cannons be given to Luo Rucai for nothing? What's more, Cao Ying is planning to surrender. If he gives the cannons to Luo Rucai, what will happen to him in the future?
Don’t you want to attack us?”
"Hahaha, Shuang Xi'er, you don't understand Luo Rucai." Li Zicheng laughed again, "I have said that Luo Rucai is not a person who would betray his brothers. He is now shaken because of the influence of Prime Minister Hui Deng.
If we leave the cannon to him, Luo Rucai will feel even more sorry for his friend, and will be even less likely to surrender."
When Li Laiheng heard this, he hesitated for a while and said: "Master, just now Luo Yanqing from Cao Ying came over and secretly told me that Cao Ying was going to attack us and advised us to leave early. Luo Rucai didn't seem so kind."
"Hmph." Li Zicheng narrowed his eyes, "Lai Heng, do you think Luo Rucai is so lax in his command that he can't even control his own sister? I know Luo Rucai better than any of you, Luo Yanqing reminds you.
It is false that Cao Ying wants to take action, but it is true that he persuades us to leave early. From this point of view, perhaps Luo Rucai is almost unable to suppress the other camp leaders. If my guess is correct, if we don't leave, Prime Minister Hui Deng may have to unite with other camp leaders.
The camp head has taken action."
Li Shuangxi was shocked again. He was too weak in human relations and could not understand these intrigues. Others quickly understood the meaning of Li Zicheng's words. Li Guo then asked: "Now that we have separated from the coalition, where are we going?"
?”
"I think we should go back to Shaanxi." Liu Fangliang was the first to answer, "We are most familiar with Shaanxi, and there are many victims there and the people are strong. We can recruit troops at any time to increase our strength."
After Li Zicheng listened to what Liu Fangliang said, he looked at Li Shuangxi and signaled Li Shuangxi to give his opinion. Li Shuangxi said, "It's good to go to Shaanxi! We can go back to our hometown again, so let's go to Shaanxi!"
As if he was not satisfied with Li Shuangxi's answer, Li Zicheng looked at Li Laiheng again. Li Laiheng's heart moved, knowing that King Chuang might have already made up his mind, so he replied: "I think it is wrong to go to Shaanxi. Shaanxi has been hit by disasters for many years.
The place is dilapidated, sparsely populated, and the Qin army on three sides is large and strong. Our future in Shaanxi is very slim. Now Yang Sichang is deploying troops everywhere, and all the officers and soldiers are concentrated in Huguang and the Sichuan-Shaanxi border. On the contrary, the officers and soldiers in the hinterland of Henan are empty.
Moreover, Henan is densely populated, and now it is suffering from drought, locust plague, and a lot of people are displaced. I heard that there are hundreds of large copycat stocks."
Li Laiheng added: "The number of refugees in the Central Plains is much larger than that in Shaanxi, but they are not as tough and good at fighting as the border residents in northern Shaanxi, and most of them lack combat experience. If we enter the Central Plains and bring combat experience to the refugees in the Central Plains, it will be like a spark.
Throw it into the hay and it will surely start a prairie fire!"
"Okay, okay, okay!" Li Zicheng praised with high fives, "Now that we suddenly go out, as long as we rush into Henan and call on the hungry people, we will immediately turn the situation around and panic the court. Laiheng said very well, we should go to Henan
, like a blazing fire, igniting all the dry firewood piled up by the imperial court on the Central Plains for us!"
"Without further delay, let's set out immediately with light equipment. Leave all the cannons to Luo Rucai and leave the Central Plains to ourselves!"
The first quarter moon has set, the mountain shadows are dim and the trees are as green as ink. The intruders took advantage of the night to sweep away all the important supplies in the old camp. Everyone was divided into several teams, with Tian Jianxiu leading the first team and Yuan Zongdi leading the second team.
, Gao Yi led three teams to protect the old camp. Li Guo and Li Laiheng led the elite soldiers as the fourth team and walked behind the old camp, leaving Li Shuangxi and other soldiers to temporarily follow the old camp.
Although the movement of breaking into the camp was clean and tidy, the ability to evacuate Yiling City so quietly seemed to be due to Cao Ying's deliberate relaxation. The north gate, originally guarded by Cao Ying's soldiers and horses, was unguarded tonight for some unknown reason, and the door was wide open.
After Li Laiheng led the Little Tiger Squad out of the city gate, he rode on his horse and looked back at Yiling City. He sighed slightly, then laughed and cursed at Hao Yaoqi, and told him to urge the Little Tiger Squad to march quickly and leave Yiling City.
Tomb.
An hour later, Cao Ying finally took action. Yang Chengzu and Luo Yanqing led their troops to take over the Chuang Army's station. Luo Rucai followed closely and arrived with a team of soldiers. He saw Luo Yanqing leading a group of cannons out.
, asked in surprise: "Xiao Qing, why didn't you take the cannon away when you broke into the camp?"
Luo Yanqing had a look of sadness and longing on her face. She didn't know who she was thinking about. She replied: "Chuangying left a note beside the cannon, signed Li Laiheng. He said that everyone in Chuangying respects Commander Cao. Although at the moment,
It's okay for everyone to part ways, but don't break the friendship, these cannons are a farewell gift left to us by the camp breakers."
Luo Rucai was stunned for a long time. He looked up at the sky and murmured: "I never want to be sorry to my friends in my life, but this time I still cannot be sorry to Li Zicheng. How can I have the face to accept Yang Sichang's surrender?"