Li Dazhuang led his troops and rushed to the military camp outside Kaifeng.
He has completed relevant handover work with the Chinese Army.
Soldiers of the Seventh Army rest in the Qin Army camp in Kaifeng.
Duan Ruide, chief of staff of the Seventh Army, went to the staff headquarters to report on the combat situation.
Li Dazhuang saw that King Qin's guard group had sent people over, and King Qin Su He wanted to summon him.
Under the guidance of the guards, Li Dazhuang quickly met with King Su He of Qin.
Su He looked at Li Dazhuang and asked: "Did the attack on Henan Prefecture go smoothly? How were the casualties? How was the morale of the soldiers? Are they feeling war-weary?"
Li Dazhuang listened to a series of questions from Qin King Su He.
He answered every question in detail.
Li Dazhuang introduced to Su He in detail the process of the Seventh Army's capture of Henan Prefecture.
All the elite Ming troops in southern Henan were wiped out.
Their Seventh Army did not carry many heavy weapons, but there were no strong cities in southern Henan.
The casualties of the Seventh Army were very low, with only more than 300 people killed and more than 2,000 people seriously injured.
The morale of the officers and men of the Seventh Army was very high. They all wanted to be rewarded for their meritorious service, and no one was tired of war.
After hearing this, Su He said happily: "Dazhuang, you fought well in this battle.
The Seventh Army's casualties were very low and its morale was very high.
We will rest in Kaifeng City for another three to five days.
Waiting for the last batch of supplies from the logistics department to arrive.
Your Seventh Army lacks heavy firepower and is too weak to attack fortified cities.
A large part of this batch of material supplies is to enhance the attack capability of your Seventh Army.
We will march to Beizhili later.
This will usher in a series of battles. The soldiers need to rest well now. They will be nervous all the time and have no time to rest.
We must not lose the battle to attack Shuntian Mansion. Even if we use up every last soldier, we must take Shuntian Mansion down.
The Seventh Army has never rested, so you take this opportunity to let the soldiers relax."
Su He's tone was extremely firm, no matter how heavy the casualties were, Shuntian Mansion would still be taken down.
The Qin army who attacked for the first time was the most confident and gathered the strongest strength of the Qin army to capture Shuntian Mansion in one go.
Li Dazhuang stood up and promised in a loud voice: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, our Seventh Army will definitely be able to crush the Ming army's resistance and capture Shuntian Mansion."
Su He said with a smile: "We are confident, which is a good thing. But don't be impatient, we must proceed steadily.
As long as we reduce our own mistakes and rely on the strength comparison between the Qin army and the Ming army, it will not be difficult to capture Shuntian Mansion."
Li Dazhuang suddenly remembered something and said: "Your Majesty, when I captured Xinye County, I encountered the garrison troops sent by Su Li of the Fifth Army to occupy other areas when they captured Xiangyang.
They told me about one thing. The Ming army in Xiangyang City had some standard weapons of our army produced by the Chongqing Arsenal.
Among them, rockets caused great obstacles to the Fifth Army.
When we captured Xinye County, the garrison we encountered said that the Fifth Army was still attacking Xiangyang and they didn’t know when they would be able to capture Xiangyang.”
When Su He heard the news, there was a murderous look in his eyes.
"Don't worry Da Zhuang, I will definitely investigate this matter to the end."
Li Dazhuang heard the assurance from King Qin Su He and saw that King Qin was not in a good mood, so he said goodbye and left.
After Su He saw Li Dazhuang leaving, he fell into deep thought.
Unexpectedly, this kind of problem would also occur under his rule.
The army in the front is fighting with all its strength, but some people in the rear are poaching and reselling the Qin army's standard weapons.
People who can do such a thing are of extraordinary status.
We must get to the bottom of it, even if we find the person of Su He, we must not let him go.
He must give an explanation to the Qin army.
Su He called Su Changsheng and asked him to send a capable force to investigate the matter.
At the same time, he wrote to Su Ying and asked the Military Justice Department to take the lead in investigating the matter in depth.
After Li Dazhuang left the courtyard, he felt that the last words he said and King Qin's expression were not right.
He immediately went to have a chat with Su Hu, so as not to influence King Qin because of himself.
With his current status, you have become very few people who can chat with him.
Su Hu came out to meet Li Dazhuang with a cigarette in his mouth.
"Brother Da Zhuang, you are back. How was your fight this time? It looks like you are missing some parts."
While Su Hu was talking, he also handed a cigarette to Li Dazhuang.
Li Dazhuang held a cigarette in his mouth and took out a small metal box. This was a high-end one without a lighter.
Just open the lid and rub the flint next to it, and the lighter will make a flame.
Li Dazhuang lit up his cigarette and took a few puffs. He said: "Cigarettes have become popular among the military now, and many people are heavy smokers.
Fortunately, there are very cheap types of cigarettes.
No wonder the King of Qin wants to take the manufacturing and sales of cigarettes into his own hands, this business is really profitable."
Su Hu invited Li Dazhuang into the room and said: "The soldiers in the army are under too much pressure, especially when war comes, and they are in danger of being killed at any time.
Even for people of our status, if a stray bullet comes over, we will die or die. No one is an iron man.
In the past, the most popular thing in the army was alcohol, but drinking too much delayed things.
In military camps, soldiers are never allowed to drink alcohol.
We have such strict military orders, and even soldiers and officers drink secretly.
The Ming army delayed its opportunity to fight because of drinking, and we defeated countless armies.
Some people wanted to drink tea instead of drinking alcohol.
How can we, old men like us, taste the taste of tea?
Until the emergence of tobacco, it immediately replaced the function of alcohol."
Su Hu briefly talked about tobacco and alcohol. Smoking in the military is now a very common phenomenon.
As long as it does not cause a fire, the soldiers will not be allowed to smoke.
In the tense atmosphere of the battlefield where death may occur at any time, cigarettes are a good way to relieve anxiety.
Li Dazhuang chatted with Su Hu for a while before he expressed his doubts.
Su Hu put out the cigarette in his hand and said, "Brother Da Zhuang, you did the right thing.
We are working hard on the front line, and there are Shuoshu behind us who are causing trouble.
This must be dealt with by the king and an explanation must be given to all the soldiers of the Qin army.
We also need to let others realize that our Qin army is definitely not easy to mess with.
If we don't establish our prestige, we will be like those cowardly military generals in the Ming Dynasty. Even civil servants can bully us.
At this level, can the soldiers still have fighting ability?"
After listening to Su Hu's guidance, Li Dazhuang's doubts were gone. He had done the right thing.
Su Hu smiled and said:
"Let's not talk about these things. Your Majesty will definitely give our Qin army a satisfactory explanation.
Brother Da Zhuang, what do you think our chances of winning are when our troops march into Beizhili this time?
I have urged the king in different ways many times before, hoping to let the Qin army use the power of thunder to defeat Shuntian Mansion as soon as possible.
The king was very hesitant, and finally chose to join the seventh army with the main army before launching an attack on Shuntian Mansion.
The king also proposed to wait until all military supplies were transported to Kaifeng City before launching an attack on Shuntian Mansion.
King Qin's actions are too steady and he doesn't want to take any risks."
Li Dazhuang took a long drag on his cigarette and said, "Brother Su Hu, you didn't handle this properly.
They actually want to monopolize the military power and leave our Seventh Army aside.
All the hard work is done by our Seventh Army. You eat meat and don’t even throw a bone to us.
I think King Qin did the right thing. Shuntian Mansion will be the most important test since we started our army.
If Shuntian Mansion is captured, the Ming Dynasty will be declared doomed.
Even if the Northern and Southern Dynasties eventually form, we have enough horses, a huge population and a strong industry.
Sooner or later, we will also bulldoze the remaining forces of the Ming army.
If we fail to defeat Shuntian Mansion, we cannot predict how the situation will eventually change."
Su Hu pointed to the melon seeds beside him and said, "Let's eat some melon seeds. These melon seeds are very fragrant when fried."
Li Dazhuang ate some melon seeds and asked, "Brother Su Hu, you have been following King Qin, have you heard where Wu Jie of the Fourth Army has gone now?
Don’t expect them to reach the vicinity of the capital by then. Our advance here is slow and we haven’t reached Shuntian Prefecture yet.”
Su Hu thought about it carefully and said: "I don't have much impression. It should be that the Fourth Army sent messengers back, but they failed to capture the big city.
The Fourth Army in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province must not have been defeated yet.
It is also possible that it has been laid down now, but the message is being delivered too slowly.
The communication between us and the Fourth Army is measured in months.
We have learned before that the Ming army in Shanxi is not strong.
They couldn't even defeat the rebel king Li Zicheng and his miscellaneous soldiers.
Wu Jie, the fourth army, will not encounter the Ming army that is too powerful.
When he reaches Datong Xuanfu and other places, he has not yet contacted the Chinese army, so he will definitely not continue to attack Shuntianfu eastward.
We will probably take the opportunity to take down the Great Wall. We also occupy a small city called Zhangjiakou to the north of Xuanfu.
Before I rushed to Tongguan, the logistics department of the Northern Governor's Office also sent troops to deliver supplies to the Monan Grassland.
If Wu Jie can open up the connection with the cavalry division, Zhang Wansi and the others will definitely be grateful to Wu Jie."
Li Dazhuang took a sip of tea to moisten his thirsty throat.
"Brother Su Hu, we are beyond our reach with Wu Jie.
I wish him all the best, and I wish us all the best.
I really didn’t expect that at that time, I was just a small military household with a precarious life.
Now we are able to lead troops and prepare to destroy the Ming Dynasty."
Li Dazhuang lamented the uncertainty of fate. He and Su Hu talked a lot about the situation of the Qin army.
They chatted for a long time, and Li Dazhuang said goodbye and left, returning to the camp of the Seventh Army.
As soon as he arrived at the Seventh Army camp, he saw Cui Xiuzhu, commander of the Third Division, reprimanding one of his regimental commanders.
Li Dazhuang stepped forward to understand the situation.
This group leader named Wang Duoniu is a native of Kaifeng.
He wanted to go to a village three miles away from the camp to learn about his family's situation.
This is war time, and soldiers of the Qin army will be punished if they leave the camp without permission.
Especially officers, because they know military secrets, are not allowed to leave the camp privately during wartime.
If an officer wants to leave the team, he needs approval from a more senior officer.
Li Dazhuang understood the situation and said: "My family is close to me, and we can't stop us from asking for leave to go home and visit."
Let's do this! Let my guards accompany Commander Wang to see his family.
It is not allowed to stay at home overnight, so return to the camp in time.
Not only Commander Wang, the Qin army has been resting for the past two days.
Other soldiers can also go to Kaifeng City to buy some things together.
Let the soldiers relax, but don't disturb the people.
Every group of soldiers must be led by an officer."
The Qin army is different from the Ming army. The army has strict discipline, and deserters will be severely punished.
The treatment of the Qin army was far better than that of the Ming army, and they won more battles than lost.
There have been no mass desertions yet.
Li Dazhuang was very relieved and let the soldiers enter the city together, but only asked the officers to control the soldiers and prevent trouble.
There will definitely be no deserters in their Seventh Army.
Wang Duoniu saluted Li Dazhuang and said with red eyes: "Commander, don't worry, I will definitely be able to return to the camp before dark."
After saluting Li Dazhuang and Cui Xiuzhu, he rode two horses borrowed by Li Dazhuang and rushed towards Wangjiazhuang, not far from Kaifeng City.
Wang Duoniu was in love with his hometown, and he was afraid that if he really returned to his hometown, he would not be able to see even a single acquaintance.
This is a very likely event. Henan was very miserable during this period, with droughts and military disasters from time to time.
Continuous disasters have led many people to choose to flee.
Wang Duoniu's family was very poor when he was a child.
The family can no longer support him, and they can't even eat enough.
The only option is to leave home and escape to a place where you can survive.
On the way, Wang Duoniu sold himself to a caravan going to Hanzhong and became a clerk.
Hanzhong was captured by the King of Qin, so he chose to join the Qin army and rose to the rank of regimental commander.
Wang Duoniu came to the village and found that there were very few people in the village, especially very few young people.
Now is the time for farming, but in a while, we will need to cultivate the land.
Under normal circumstances, villagers during this period will not stray too far from home.
Wang Duoniu came to the somewhat dilapidated thatched house.
He has been away from home for five years, and the family has not changed much.
He called out at the door of his home: "Mom, dad, are you home? The calf is back."
An old man with a stooped body and a cane came out.
He was wearing sack pieces and modified clothes that were commonly used by the Qin army to transport things.
The old man looked up and saw Wang Duoniu's clothes.
He said respectfully: "Sir, do you have anything to do in the village?"
It wasn't until he took a few steps forward that he saw Wang Duoniu's face clearly.
He said excitedly: "Xiao Niu, you are Xiao Niu. Now you have become a commander, you have made a difference, you have made a difference.
There is smoke coming out of my Wang family's ancestral grave."
Wang Duoniu looked at his father, who was less than forty years old and already in old age.
"Dad, how is your family now?"
Wang Duoniu walked into the dilapidated house and found that there was no one at home. He suddenly had a bad feeling and asked quickly.
"After you left, the situation in the village deteriorated day by day, and the food harvest often failed.
Because your mother is often hungry, she is frail and sick, and even some decoction can't save her."
When Wang Duoniu heard the news, his eyes turned red, but he had already been prepared for this.
"Dad, where is my eldest brother? Has he passed away too?"
"Your eldest brother and I are barely surviving, and our family can't afford a wife.
I have been working as a long-term worker for Mr. Liu before. After you arrived, Mr. Liu was finished.
Your brother works as a long-term worker for big men in official uniforms.
I heard that he worked hard to build the Yellow River.
With food and shelter, I can save five taels of silver coins a month.
We used to work as long-term workers for Mr. Liu, and within a year, we couldn't save even two taels of silver.
Save some money for marrying a wife in the future."
Wang Duoniu took out fifty taels of silver coins from his pocket, handed it to his father and said, "Dad, I have to go back to the military camp in a while. You can keep this money to take care of yourself.
The remaining money will be used to help my brother find a wife.
He is too old and will not be able to get a wife if he is later."
"No, your brother has delayed it for so long, it doesn't matter if he delays it any longer.
You paid for this money with your life, and you keep it to marry a wife."
"Dad, I'm married and have a big fat boy.
When the war is over, I will bring your grandson over to see you."
The old man was shaking with excitement and said happily: "Okay, this is really great.
But I can't ask for this money, you still need a lot of silver coins to support your family."
Wang Duoniu and his father discussed it for a long time before his father left twenty taels of silver coins.
Seeing that it was getting dark, he said goodbye and left.
As he rode back to the camp, his expression became even more determined. The Qin army must work hard to overthrow the Ming Dynasty.
During this conversation with his father, he saw a look in his father's eyes that he had never shown in his life before. It was a look of hope for life.
Under the leadership of King Qin, no one will live in numbness.