The group of people walked around the perimeter of the camp, and finally came to a ditch. Opposite it was also the faint sea of lights in the Qing army camp, and connected with the stars in the sky, it seemed that it was impossible to tell which was the sky and which was the earth.
The cold night in midwinter was bone-chilling. According to Zhang Cheng's instructions, the broken bodies and limbs of the Qing soldiers were piled up beside the ditch, and then poured with cold water. Now they were indeed frozen solid.
The lights were shining, appearing and disappearing, making it look like hell, extremely terrifying.
Zhang Cheng was wearing armor and felt cold to his bones. Sometimes a cold wind blew and he couldn't help but shiver all over. From time to time he heard the sound of the teeth of people around him clashing together.
It was really cold in the north of the Ming Dynasty. Fortunately, Zhang Cheng was originally from the north before crossing over, and his body was strong enough. Even so, he still felt that the midwinter at this time was indeed extremely cold.
Lu Xiangsheng was draped in a large cloak and just stared at the sea of lanterns at the Qing camp opposite. For a long time, he suddenly asked: "Zhongchen, have you ever regretted entering the Wei capital this time?"
He once personally gave Zhang Cheng his cousin name, and since the Battle of Ma Fang, he has always admired Zhang Cheng very much. In his heart, he has vaguely wanted to train Zhang Cheng into a generation of generals. This son is not only a general, but also a general.
Born as a child, and having outstanding military achievements after joining the guard, his future may be limitless.
Hearing Lu Xiangsheng's question, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but feel startled for a moment, and then said with a smile: "Zhang Cheng has put life and death behind him since he joined the army. He can follow his governors and kill slaves to defend the country. He is really Zhang Cheng."
All I want in life is to die, and I will die well!"
Lu Xiangsheng sighed softly and said: "Zhongchen, you are a talented person, and you are loyal to the king and serve the country. You are the first soldier in the battle, and you dare to fight bravely. It is indeed rare. You are also highly praised by the emperor. The future is bright.
Now you are following the governor, but you are trapped here, with the worry of collapse at any time, and your future is unpredictable. You are still young and have a bright future. It would be a pity if you died here!"
Zhang Cheng laughed loudly when he heard this and said: "The governor has shown kindness to me and quoted me. Although the general is a warrior, I also know the principle of repaying the kindness of a drop of water with a spring.
What's more, we soldiers, who have always wanted to die to serve the country, are now trapped in the siege of the Tartars. It's time for us to serve the country, so we might as well kill him!"
Lu Xiangsheng stood where he was, murmuring something, and then sighed: "Although you call yourself a martial artist, you know the principles of loyalty better than most literati;
Nowadays, all the princes in the court have read the books of sages, but few of them are as knowledgeable as you."
Then he continued: "After the slaves retreat this time, I will appeal to the emperor to return home. Ding You has passed away. I have been kept by the emperor for love. As a child, I cannot stay with you to keep my filial piety. In fact, it is
It is a great crime of unfilial piety.”
Zhang Cheng comforted him with warm words: "Since ancient times, it has been difficult to have both loyalty and filial piety. What's more, at this critical moment when thieves invade, the governor must not blame himself too much."
Hearing this, Lu Xiangsheng nodded silently, then wrapped his cloak tightly around his body and said, "It's still too bitter and cold in the north. Even though I've been here for several years, I still can't get used to it. I really miss the scenery of my hometown."
He turned to Zhang Cheng, smiled, and continued: "If this governor returns to Nanzhi in the future, and Zhongchen comes to Yixing, I will definitely welcome you."
Zhang Cheng smiled and joked: "If that's the case, it's a deal, I will definitely come and have a meal when I get the chance."
Everyone following the two of them laughed, and Lu Xiangsheng couldn't help but shake his head.
…………
That night, Zhang Cheng slept in the military tent until the middle of the night when he was woken up by a faint sound of screams. It came from the Qing army camp in the distance. It was like being besieged on all sides.
To break the fighting spirit of Xuan Dajun.
The sound of the bamboo pole seemed quiet and mysterious, faintly echoing in the silent night sky.
Zhang Cheng lay down and listened for a while, then simply sat up. His heart was racing at this moment. Tomorrow's battle would be extremely difficult. Can his hard work since joining the guard change the fate of the battle of Jiazhuang?
Scenes of the past appeared before his eyes. It had only been half a year since he came to this world, but he had witnessed the human tragedy at this time. The power factions in the court were constantly fighting for power, which had already exceeded the limits of human nature.
Local officials were greedy for life and afraid of death, but they did their best to engage in favoritism and malpractice, causing harm to the people. They were highly skilled and had to flee or surrender when encountering the Tartars. There were few who dared to fight to the death to resist and be loyal to the country.
But he has come all the way to this point and can no longer look back. He can only go all the way. As for whether the road ahead is light or dark...
Let him go, at least he must stand and survive. As long as he still has a knife in his hand, he can no longer allow others to bully him, and he must kill his own tomorrow!
Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng sighed softly and said: "Let's fight to the death, everything depends on tomorrow!"
He thought quietly, and he didn't know how long he thought about it, before Zhang Cheng fell into a deep sleep again.
…………
On December 12, the 11th year of Chongzhen's reign, the weather was particularly cold. Snowflakes were seen falling early in the morning. Although they were sparse, they made the weather even more chilly.
From chen o'clock onwards, the smoke from the Qing army's camp gradually became thinner, and the horns began to sound non-stop. The troops and horses in the Qing army's camp were mobilized frequently, as if they were preparing for a new round of attacks.
Zhang Cheng, Lu Xiangsheng and other generals were on the watchtower, watching the mobilization of the Qing army. Large groups of Qing troops were coming from various places, and large numbers of unarmored troops gradually gathered in front of the Qing army's camps.
It is certain that the Qing army's attack today will be more ferocious. The military orders were conveyed, and the soldiers of each battalion of the Xuan Army rushed to their respective positions after breakfast, ready to face a new round of Qing army's attack.
The Xuanda sergeants all hid behind the earthen wall, chatting with each other about the extraordinarily rich breakfast today, and teasing each other about being the last meal to be decapitated.
Amidst the bursts of orders, the sergeants checked their weapons one after another, especially the gun soldiers who had to pack the powder in their guns. Except for the matches, which were not lit for the time being, the remaining powder in each cannon was ready.
Now it has to be filled in advance.
…………
Just like yesterday, the Qing troops in the distance began to form formation again. Their army was squirming and gathering in piles. The shield carriages in the front row were neatly arranged. It looked like there were more troops than yesterday.
They were still pushing the shield cart in front. Looking from a distance, they could not clearly see the specific situation behind the shield cart. They only felt that the Qing army's formation seemed to be more numerous than yesterday.
The Qing army seemed to have learned from the experience of the Ming army's artillery bombardment yesterday. Two rows of their shield cars advanced slowly, keeping a distance of more than fifty steps from each other. Behind the front row of shield cars were actually young and strong men and women in ragged clothes.
Behind the row of shield chariots are the Qing soldiers wearing helmets and armor. They hold bows and arrows in front of them, and shields in the back. Each of them holds short weapons for close combat.