After Li Yan entered Shaanxi, he headed west and headed straight for Xi'an, and wanted to fight Li Zicheng to take Xi'an. So he didn't have time and had enough troops to clear the countryside along the way.

This time, the cutoff of Li Yan's food route was a strategy to defeat the enemy set by Li Zicheng and others. Therefore, what is hidden in the countryside and mountainous areas is not the scattered soldiers, but the elite cavalry under Li Zicheng. There are more than a hundred people, three or five hundred people in a team, just waiting for Li Yan's baggage troops.

The food brought by Li Yan with his army can be eaten for six or seven days. Yesterday was the time when the food and ammunition were transported. These hidden cavalrymen suddenly appeared, causing some losses to Li Yan's baggage transport team. Moreover, there were more than once attacks along the way, so the arrival time was delayed a little.

Li Yan said: "Although there are not much loss of supplies, the baggage team is indeed threatened. This is a major hidden danger for us and must be solved."

Li Futian of the baggage transport team clasped his fists: "Master General, I requested to send more cavalry guards. Most of the cavalry attacked by the enemy were 200 to 300 cavalry. As long as we were given five or six hundred cavalry, we would definitely ensure that there would be no accidents in the baggage."

"Is five or six hundred enough?" Li Yan rejected: "Li Zicheng has tens of thousands of cavalry. How many are there on the north bank of the Wei River? How many are hidden in the mountains in the south? If Li Zicheng's cavalry force arrives, these five or six hundred cavalry will be in vain. We only brought three thousand cavalry, so we can't waste it like this. We don't have time to slowly clear out and conquer Xi'an and take Guanzhong before the Qing army reacts."

"In fact, their harassment is just causing some trouble to the baggage team, and their own losses are not small." Zhao Datong said: "I think I don't have to worry about them for the time being. After we conquer Xi'an City, we will come and clear them out."

What Zhao Datong said is the fact that after five or six attacks, the baggage team lost eleven trucks of food and ammunition, less than half of the materials transported. Moreover, the baggage team killed and injured more than 100 enemy cavalry. After a few times, the hidden cavalry were almost consumed. Their baggage team's combat power was not weak, and they could not be allowed to attack and destroy the enemy at will.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Li Yan said with some dissatisfaction: "Although the transportation distance is short and the loss is not large, in the future, we must transport supplies for a long distance, and the enemy cavalry they face will be even more powerful. What should we do at that time? Find a solution temporarily? How much loss will it cause? So even if we train troops this time, we must come up with a good solution."

Everyone knew that this was about using troops to the Qing and Mongolia outside the pass. At that time, the enemy had more cavalry and more bravery, and their logistics supplies were indeed more susceptible to threats. It was easy to say that the food could be solved on the spot. If there were no ammunition and arrows, they would be miserable.

Everyone was thinking carefully. After a while, Feng Cheng suggested: "The most appropriate way is to build a city. Build a small city from thirty or forty miles to garrison some soldiers. The baggage troops enter the small city and can resist the enemy's attack and wait for the arrival of reinforcements. Even if the baggage is attacked on the road, the garrisons of the small cities on both ends can quickly reinforce, restrain the enemy, and wait for the arrival of reinforcements."

"This cost is too high, right?" Li Futian said: "When you go deep into the enemy's territory, how many cities will you have to build?"

Li Yan smiled and said, "Although this method takes more time and troops, it is a safe method. It not only allows the baggage to arrive at the front troops smoothly, but also provides effective control over the surrounding areas. However, it is used to deal with Li Chuang's harassment, which is a bit of a killer."

Afterwards, he thought for a while and ordered: "Let's do this, add twenty tiger squat cannons and two hundred musketeers to you. You must strengthen your reconnaissance, be vigilant, and reduce losses. You must also pay attention to fire prevention, especially ammunition and tinder oil, and you must pay attention to safety."

"I remember it." Li Futian agreed with his fists.

At this time, news came that Li Mou had also captured Yulin and was heading towards Yan'an Prefecture in the south.

Li Yan said happily: "Very good, we have now become two-way attacks. Li Chuang's troops deployed in the north should rarely come to reinforce Xi'an."

"Then should we continue to head towards Xi'an immediately?" Zhao Datong asked anxiously.

Li Yan nodded: "Well, since the ammunition has been replenished, I will continue to move west tomorrow."

In the middle of the night, Li Yan was woken up and said that he had captured several treacherous soldiers and had something to ask for. Now it was wartime, and Li Yan did not dare to disturb the rules after resting. Moreover, Sun Sifu was dealt with first. Since he woke him up, he knew that there must be something important.

When Ma Tianhe, who was kneeling on the ground, saw Li Yan coming out, he immediately kowtowed: "Little man Ma Tianhe, pay homage to his benefactor."

Li Yan asked in confusion: "We know each other?"

Ma Tianhe told Li Yan about the food gift, kowtowed and said, "The villain has now controlled the entire Lintong, and I will come to repay the benefactor. If the benefactor allows, the villain can send fake messages to Xi'an, saying that the benefactor's troops are insufficient and the siege is weak, and the troops in Xi'an City are weak. The benefactor can be transferred out at a suitable location."

"Oh?" Li Yan asked, "How do you know I have insufficient momentum?"

"The villain knows that Li Chuang had ambushed three or four thousand elite cavalry along the way, all of whom were trusted troops of Li Chuang and others, in order to cut off the food route of Engong. Moreover, Engong should have encountered some problems when he stayed here for a day."

Li Yan smiled and said, "Why are you a general manager with such good skills?"

Ma Tianhe explained: "Li Chuang and others valued the old men who rebeled in Shaanxi and Shanxi, and the villain who defected halfway and had little strength, and they had no chance of anything. After the founding of the country, we were all incorporated into the local guards, and there was no chance of promotion. Moreover, the brothers under the villain all knew about the actions of the Empress in his hometown in Henan, and we all wanted to join the Empress in his command. But we had no choice but to station in Lintong, and we only had this opportunity at this time."

Li Yan thought for a while before saying, "Your idea is good, but Lintong is too close to Xi'an, so it should not be easy to deceive Li Chuang. So you don't have to send any fake news to Xi'an, just let us enter smoothly. When we enter Lintong, you will be a member of me. After registering, all treatment will not be less than others."

Ma Tianhe agreed, "Thank you for your acceptance. The villain will go back now, so that the brothers will be happy."

"No need to go back first. Let's go with us as soon as the sky is dawn, so there will be no delay." Li Yan smiled and ordered.

Ma Tianhe clasped his fists: "The villain obeys the order."

After Ma Tianhe was taken out, Sun Sifu asked: "Master, will there be a fraud?"
Chapter completed!