How could the Qin army conceal such a large scale and preparation?
Li became aware of the situation as soon as he established his horse.
Regarding Sun Chuanting, he was naturally cautious and fearful.
"The elites of the nine sides are all in the Qin army, so we have to be careful."
Li Zicheng sat high, frowned, and said in a deep voice.
"The opinions of ministers and others cannot be argued against."
Song Xiance couldn't help but hold up his hands and said: "We still have to use the old method, kill the officers and soldiers, wait until their food and grass are exhausted, cut off their retreat, and then annihilate them in one fell swoop."
The other generals nodded in approval.
No one will ignore Sun Chuanting's strength. If you go head-to-head, the gains outweigh the losses.
"That's really what I meant!"
Li Zicheng's eyes flashed and he said: "In addition to Sun Chuanting, we must also be wary of several other Ming armies."
"Chen Yongfu's tribe in Henan is nothing to worry about. Only Zuo Liangyu's tribe in Jiujiang and the Sichuan soldiers are somewhat powerful."
"Although Zuo Liangyu has many soldiers and generals, he has always been as timid as a mouse and has never been willing to do anything for the Ming court. He only needs to send 10,000 elite troops to make him retreat without a fight."
Song Xiance chuckled softly and said: "As for the Sichuan soldiers, they are just defeated generals under Qin Yiming. If it is veteran Qin Liangyu, we will be a little afraid of him. He is not worth mentioning."
Li Zicheng nodded slightly and said: "So, going to Tongguan is definitely not a wise choice. I want to build dozens of earthen forts near Xiangyang, and look for opportunities to send cavalry, cut off their food routes, and then besiege their people."
Therefore, under his approval, the Shun Army divided tens of thousands of people and went to Neixiang County to block the Sichuan Army from going eastward; tens of thousands more went to Quexiang to lure the Ming Army southward and lengthen their food routes.
As for Zuo Liangyu, Li Zicheng pinched his beard and sneered: "Zuo Liangyu is an arrogant man. If he wants to have both sides, let him do it. Anyway, Zhang Xianzhong is between us. I don't believe him. He dares to leave Jiujiang."
city."
Everyone was amazed.
From then on, throughout July, the Shun soldiers took the initiative and marched westward along the Yellow River, once again occupying Luoyang, Mianchi, Shaanzhou, and Nuxiang along the way.
As for Nuxiang, it was less than a hundred miles away from Tongguan, and it could be said that it was under Sun Chuanting's nose.
…
In the court, there was also a lot of discussion about Sun Chuanting's departure to the east.
Zhang Fengxiang, the minister of the Ministry of War, admonished: "Sun Chuanting has all the best soldiers and generals in the world. The emperor only has this property, so don't touch it lightly!"
Emperor Chongzhen was quite annoyed. He said in a deep voice: "The intruders are getting bigger and bigger day by day. If they are not wiped out as soon as possible, they may cause harm to the southeast. By then, one section of the canal transport and the entire north will be unsustainable."
"Besides, Sun Chuanting himself said that the intruders can be put down within one month. In fact, I followed suit."
Feng Yuanbiao, Minister of the Ministry of War, remained silent.
At this time, it seems that he had already received Sun Chuanting's letter in his hand.
In the letter, he vaguely revealed that the military situation was unpredictable and he was in a dilemma.
However, it is difficult to disobey the holy order and must be obeyed.
The officials in the imperial court had long been frightened by the emperor's actions and did not dare to act recklessly.
The first assistant, Zhou Yanru, and the second assistant, Wu Zong, have both been captured, and their weight is even less important, so it is better to say less and make less mistakes.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the palace was a little dull.
Chen Yan, the first assistant, was mediocre. The reason why he took up the position of first assistant after Zhou Yanru was because he had bribed the internal servants and answered fluently, so he gained the favor of Emperor Chongzhen.
He frowned, knowing what the emperor was thinking, and said hurriedly: "What your Majesty said is true. Sun Chuanting has been staying in Shaanxi for several years. Last year, he was defeated again, but he hesitated and did not send troops. This year, he took the initiative to submit a letter about sending troops. He must have gathered his energy and strength to fight.
Fight."
"Yes!" Emperor Chongzhen nodded, quite appreciative of his cooperation, and explained softly: "After the Battle of Songjin, the land outside the pass was completely lost. It is not easy to imagine that Jiannu was injured. I even heard that Jianchief was sick.
Haunted.”
"Seizing this good opportunity, we can eliminate internal troubles in one fell swoop. Then we can use the power of the whole country to clear out the slaves."
This reason is barely acceptable.
The ministers had to submit.
A royal meeting ended in an anticlimactic manner.
Many ministers have doubts and are worried.
At this time, in the city of Beijing, the plague was getting worse, with countless deaths, and it even gradually spread to the Beijing camp, with unpredictable consequences.
…
Manchu Qing Dynasty, Shengjing, Chongzheng Hall.
Since the Battle of Songjin, Huang Taiji carried his sick body and traveled hundreds of miles, causing his body to become increasingly sick.
More importantly, the most beloved Concubine Chen died of illness, which made the Manchu Khan feel even more uncomfortable and depressed.
However, over the years, he was determined to stay in the pass and sent a large number of spies just to pay attention to the movements of the Ming Dynasty. He knew every move of the Ming Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, Master Fan wishes to see you."
While Huang Taiji was reading the memorial, he was thinking about Concubine Chen. Suddenly he heard that the eunuch came to report. He was stunned for a while and said in Manchu: "Let him come in!"
Soon, the door of the palace opened, and a Confucian official in his forties or fifties, wearing a full robe, walked slowly: "Fan Wencheng, a humble minister, comes to pay homage to Your Majesty."
"Mr. Fan is here." Huang Taiji twitched the corner of his mouth and showed a smile: "What's the matter?"
Fan Wencheng raised his eyes and saw that his broad body was getting thinner and thinner. He couldn't help but said with concern: "Your Majesty, it is important to take care of the dragon body."
"Nothing!" Huang Taiji's eyes darkened, and he shook his head and said, "But something big happened in the pass?"
"That's right!"
Fan Wencheng smiled and said: "The report came from inside the customs. Under the pressure of the Ming court, Sun Chuanting had no choice but to lead the Qin army to prepare to leave the customs and fight against the bandit Li Zicheng."
"Okay -" Huang Taiji was shocked and said hurriedly: "No matter who wins, it is a good thing for us."
"But, in the end, it is best for thieves like Li Zicheng to be victorious and suffer heavy losses."
"Let Hong Chengchou come!" After thinking about it again and again, Huang Taiji couldn't help but say.
Fan Wencheng's eyes moved slightly and he smiled calmly.
For the Han ministers of the Manchu Qing Dynasty like him, they were weak in power. If one more Han minister was favored, it would be an extra boost.
As for Hong Chengchou, it was precisely because of his persuasion that he naturally had a huge relationship.
However, for more than a year, Huang Taiji only used it for consultation and did not dare to use it extensively. He was very afraid.
Soon, a burly old man of fifty years old ran over.
Hong Chengchou was wearing a long robe and was extremely respectful: "The humble minister is bowing to your Majesty."
"Hurry up, Hong Qing, please get up." Emperor Taizu said coldly and warmly, "I haven't seen your family for a few days, and I miss you very much."
Hong Chengchou naturally thanked him, but he kept smiling bitterly in his heart. He had not been reused for more than a year, so what was the use of being respected?
Huang Taiji hurriedly repeated Fan Wencheng's words.
Hong Chengchou fell into deep thought. After a while, he smiled and said: "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Congratulations, Your Majesty."
"Oh?" Huang Taiji said in surprise.
"Li Zicheng will definitely win this battle."
Hong Chengchou said confidently.
"What do you mean by this?" Fan Wencheng couldn't help but ask.