The peasant army poured into Maojin Ferry, and the purpose was self-evident. After what happened, the whole of Shanxi and Shaanxi were panicked. Chen Qiyu, the governor of the three sides, quickly ordered Cao Wenzhao to return and march south to Hancheng. At the same time, he wrote to the imperial court, hoping that the imperial court would find a solution.
The peasant army must be blocked north of the Yellow River. Unfortunately, it would take time for Cao Wenzhao to enter Shanxi from Yan'an Prefecture and Hancheng. As soon as he led his troops to Hancheng, he heard the news that the peasant army controlled Shaanzhou.
Chen Qiyu was furious. With his elegant demeanor, he couldn't help but curse at this time: "How did this Tie Ruide suppress the bandits? He actually allowed the bandits to cross the Yellow River south. What on earth did he want to do?"
Hong Chengchou comforted him from the side, but he lamented in his heart. Chen Qiyu was a typical civil servant, and his military knowledge was not as good as that of Yang He, the previous governor of the three sides. Although Yang He didn't know much about military affairs, at least he would not meddle in it.
, willing to delegate power, and willing to listen to other people's opinions. Chen Qiyu is better, he doesn't understand anything, and he takes things for granted.
When we first counterattacked Yan'an Prefecture and recaptured Ganquan and other places, we should have thought that this day would come. After taking over the base of the rogue bandits, the rogue bandits would naturally find a way to find a new territory. Unfortunately, Chen Qiyu didn't understand how to recapture Ganquan.
After waiting for a while, he happily expressed his merits to the court. Now that the rogue bandits were crossing the Yellow River, his expression changed and he cursed Tie Mo. He didn't even think about how he could successfully attack Yan'an Prefecture and gain military honors before.
Thanks to whom? If not for the more than 40,000 Xuanfu elite soldiers of the Iron Governor who stood in front of the rogue bandits, and with the king's own temper, they turned over and fought with all the soldiers and horses in Shaanxi Province to death.
There were some things that Hong Chengchou couldn't say to Chen Qiyu explicitly, so he could only persuade him tactfully: "Supervisor, you can't blame Supervisor Iron entirely for this. Think about it, there are hundreds of thousands of rogue bandits, they are sitting in the fortress of Yueyang, avoiding
If we don’t go to war, what will we do?”
"What does Tie Ruide do? Can't he attack Yueyang City?" As soon as these words came out, Hong Chengchou was immediately confused. He didn't know what to say for a while. The 40,000 elite border troops were fighting to the death.
In a fortified city where hundreds of thousands of bandits are stationed, if the Iron Governor really does this, it would make people laugh. Hey, it seems that Governor Chen has a problem with the Iron Governor from the bottom of his heart.
Chen Qiyu was very anxious here, but Cao Wenzhao, who captured Hancheng, was in a different situation. In the original county government office, Cao Wenzhao was drinking tea calmly, and occasionally he could be heard humming a few songs.
He had expected the rogue bandits to cross the Yellow River south. Anyone with some experience knew that being trapped in Yueyang would be a dead end. A guy like Wang Ziyong, who had been fueled by the war, would never stay in Yueyang without moving.
Cao Bianjiao walked into the house with a letter. When he saw Cao Wenzhao's appearance, he groaned and slapped the letter on the table, "Uncle, you really can sit still, but the man named Chen is urging us again.
, how should I reply?”
Cao Wenzhao squinted his eyes and thought for a while, then smiled and said: "There is no need to reply, just lead the troops to Zhaocheng. Although it is useless, it is still a show, so you should be prepared. We may not be able to do it soon."
Went to Henan."
Cao Wenzhao did not think that the imperial court would leave the elite troops alone, and even Shaanxi troops and horses would be transferred to Henan.
...
In Taiyuan Prefecture, the pressure on Gao Jie is now greater than the sky. The imperial court issued several official documents in a row, asking him to urge Tie Mo to send troops quickly to bite the rogue bandits and delay the rogue bandits from crossing the Yellow River south. Gao Jie felt bitter, and the Iron Supervisor could not send his troops.
How could Gao Jie control the dispatch of troops? Besides, there were hundreds of thousands of bandits, and even if they were hundreds of thousands of pigs, they couldn't be driven back if they wanted to. What's more, Gao Jie still had some hope in his heart.
Following the bandits, they hurried south to cross the Yellow River. In short, as long as they didn't cause trouble in Shanxi, Gao Jie would quietly burn the incense sticks.
Those in the imperial court were relaxed. Have you ever thought about who would suffer the most if the rogue bandits stayed in southern Shanxi and refused to leave? It was not Tie Mo, the newly appointed governor of the three provinces, but him, the prefect of Taiyuan. The rogue bandits wreaked havoc in southern Shanxi, and in the end, they had to rely on
As for Tie Mo, who do you expect from Zheng Chun? Unless the sun comes out in the west.
Gao Jie ignored those official documents, which surprised Tie Mo. Gao Jie was so sensible, but Tie Mo was a little embarrassed to cause trouble for him.
Of course, the pressure on Tie Mo is not small. The rogue bandit crossing the Yellow River is a bit of a gamble. Because of this incident, there has been a quarrel in the court. The cabinet members are very angry. If it were not for Hou Shilu's support, I'm afraid
Chongzhen also had to waver. Therefore, it would definitely not work to just watch the rogue bandits crossing the Yellow River south and do nothing. Tie Mo was waiting, waiting for the best opportunity.
After several days of suffering, the opportunity finally came. In early July of the third year of Chongzhen's reign, the hot summer arrived. Under the sultry weather, Zhang Cunmeng, who stayed behind in Yueyang, finally received the order to go south.
After receiving the order, Zhang Cunmeng directly led the more than 60,000 peasant troops who stayed in Yueyang and began to move south along the official road. As for Yueyang, it had become an empty city at this time. When Zhang Cunmeng moved, Orger, who had occupied Fushan earlier, suddenly also
Fight out from the east and attack directly at the rear of Zhang Cunmeng's army. This is a 60,000-strong army. It spreads down from the official road like a giant python. Its tail was attacked. Although the damage was not serious, it greatly delayed the peasant army's advance.
speed.
Zhang Cunmeng did not dare to be careless. What he was afraid of was not Org's two thousand cavalry, but the main force of the frontier army in the rear. The King of Hell would not send just one Org to die after waiting for so long.
There was a busy scene in Taiyuan. The logistics team that had been silent began to frequently transport supplies to the south, and the generals of the Xuanfu were summoned to the government office. At this time, even a farmer could feel the aura of the approaching war.
.
"I won't go into details about the situation in Yueyang. Everyone knows that the rogue bandits intend to go south and sweep across Henan. Allowing hundreds of thousands of rogue bandits to enter Henan will not be a good thing for our subsequent suppression of bandits. Therefore, we must take advantage of the opportunity.
This is an opportunity to give the rogue bandits a heavy blow." Tie Mo looked serious and held the table with both hands, "Zhou Dingshan, you lead our troops and must rush to Yicheng before the rogue bandits. No matter what method you use, I must defeat this rogue bandits.
Cut it off."
Zhou Dingshan didn't say anything, he cupped his hands and accepted the general's order, turned around and walked out. After he left, Tie Mo spread his hands and said loudly: "Now, the generals listen to the order, go back immediately, lead the troops and go south along the Yueyang official road, the cavalry
I will be the first to attack this bandit. As long as we can defeat the bandits on the north bank of the Yellow River, I will personally take credit for everyone."
"Here" all the generals stood up and shouted in unison. Even Geng Zhongming, Shang Kexi and others were also infected at this time. They found that these Xuanfu generals were filled with a strong sense of self-confidence. This is
Something other border towns don’t have.
Due to this expedition, the Xuanfu army was mainly composed of Yunfu soldiers and horses, so it was mobilized very quickly. Only half an hour after Tie Mo gave the order, the armies of various ministries began to move south along the official road in the east of Yueyang. Liu Guoneng, Sha Diao,
Without taking off the flowers, each led the cavalry brigade and flew away. Naturally, their speed was not comparable to that of the peasant army.
Yicheng, this small county town has suffered a great disaster since Zhang Xianzhong broke the city. In addition, Wang Zi used his main force to ravage southern Shanxi, and Yicheng became even more unbearable. However, good times will not come for a while, so this
No, a cavalry charge came from the northeast with such a majestic momentum that it seemed to engulf the entire county. This cavalry was the vanguard army led by Zhou Dingshan. In order to reach Yicheng before Zhang Cunmeng's army, he was the gateway.
Fushan, there was not much rest along the way, not to mention the people, even the horses under their crotches were breathing heavily.
The five thousand troops under his command were in urgent need of rest, but Zhou Dingshan could not do this. He only stayed outside Yicheng for a while, then ran towards the west and ordered to his deputy Suo Chao: "Suo Chao, pass this general's order and all the troops will form formations.
Hold the pass."
Suo Chaoda frowned and said worriedly: "This... General Zhou, should you rest for a while? The brothers are very tired, especially the war horses. The brothers can hold on, but the war horses can't."
"No, we must form a formation immediately and organize a good defense. Our troops are exhausted and unable to fight, but the rogue bandits don't know the truth. As long as we occupy a favorable position, the rogue bandits will inevitably slow down and not dare to rush forward rashly. As for the rogue bandits in the south
, they finally got a foothold at Maojin Ferry, and they probably won’t dare to go north to help Zhang Cunmeng for a while.”
Suo Chao could only sigh when he saw Zhou Dingshan insisting on this. General Zhou was gambling. He had been following him for so long, but it was rare to see him forced into this position. In fact, Zhou Dingshan was indeed gambling, but Zhang Cunmeng did not dare to act rashly.
Attack. Thinking about Zhou Dingshan, Zhang Cunmeng should be more cautious. After fighting so many times, I don’t believe that Zhang Cunmeng doesn’t have some psychological shadow.
Zhou Dingshan braced himself and set up a battle formation, as if waiting for Zhang Cunmeng. Zhang Cunmeng, on the other hand, was completely panicked. When the news from Yicheng came, he groaned in his heart and quickly ordered the army to stop.
At this time, the position of Zhang Cunmeng's army was very awkward. Tens of thousands of troops were sandwiched more than ten miles between Yueyang and Yicheng, unable to advance or retreat. He never dreamed that the officers and soldiers would rush ahead of him to occupy the Yicheng area.
I already attached great importance to the officers and soldiers, but in the end I still underestimated the speed of the Yunfu cavalry. The cavalry under the Living King of Hell was really terrifying. They rushed from Taiyuan Prefecture to Yicheng in one day. What did these people eat to grow up?
Zhang Cunmeng knew very well that Zhang Damou and Wang Ziyong who were at Maojin Ferry would never send troops northward again. If they send troops northward, if they are entangled, the plan to cross the Yellow River south may be disrupted. The only option now is
It's up to him, Zhang Cunmeng, but when facing Zhou Dingshan, Zhang Cunmeng really doesn't have much confidence.
Five thousand cavalry may not seem like much, but judging from the experience of several battles, even if he has tens of thousands of troops, he will still not be able to get a favor from these five thousand cavalry. Waiting is still not an option. He has received the news that the Living King of Hell
He has already personally led the army to rush over. If he waits any longer, it will be even worse.
Without hesitating for too long, Zhang Cunmeng made an extremely important decision in his life. He did not continue to go south to Yicheng, but turned to the west, from the south of Pingyang Mansion, and crossed to the west. With a mob of 60,000 people, he forced
He did not have much confidence in the five thousand cavalry that broke through Zhou Dingshan, so he planned to divert to Taiping Pass, bypass Jiang County from Jiuyuan Mountain, and follow the mountain road to Maojin Ferry in Shaanzhou.
The road is much longer and difficult to walk, but as long as we enter Jiuyuan Mountain, the officers and soldiers will have nothing to do. The main force of the King of Hell is cavalry and musketeers. The combat effectiveness of these soldiers is greatly reduced in the mountainous area.
.
It can be said that Zhang Cunmeng was really frightened by Zhou Dingshan's posture. He stopped and turned around, running towards Taiping Pass. After receiving the news, Zhou Dingshan breathed a long sigh of relief and quickly let his troops rest, because there must be something coming next.
A fierce battle.
Taipingguan is thirty miles away from Pingyang and seventy miles away from Yicheng. This former pass has long been abandoned. From Taipingguan to the south, you can climb Jiuyuan Mountain. Zhang Cunmeng urged tens of thousands of soldiers to move forward without stopping.
Dare to delay, we finally arrived at Taipingguan at noon the next day.
Taipingguan, which has been in disrepair for a long time, is dilapidated and the brick walls have long since collapsed. Under the scorching sun, every man was sweating profusely. Along the way, many people were thirsty and their throats were smoking. Zhang Cunmeng drank some water, held on to the dilapidated brick wall, and looked at
Looking at Jiuyuan Mountain in the distance, "Brothers, work harder. It will be cooler when we enter the forest. When we get there, we will have a good rest."
Many people were already resentful, but they did not dare to say anything and could only continue dragging their heavy legs. After passing Taiping Pass, it took only a cup of tea to reach the foot of Jiuyuan Mountain.
Looking at the narrow mountain road in front of him, Zhang Cunmeng finally showed a hint of joy, finally no longer having to fight to the death with the main army of the Living King of Hell.
A large number of peasant army soldiers were already exhausted, and wanted to go up the mountain to rest. Many people swarmed up the mountain road, but at this moment, there was a loud bang, and the rocks in front of them exploded, and a rumble sounded.
Many stones fell, and many people did not react and were directly killed and injured by the stones.
Following this loud noise, countless heads popped up from the mountain. One of them, a man holding a long knife, shouted loudly: "Zhang Cunmeng, your grandfather has been waiting here for a long time. I, General Yun Mansion, have surrendered quickly!"
"
"Ah?" Zhang Cunmeng's eyes suddenly trembled and he trembled. He never dreamed that there would be an ambush on the mountain. He decided to come to Jiuyuan Mountain on the spur of the moment...
However, there was not much time left for Zhang Cunmeng to think. Now the arrow was on the string and he had to fire it. Even if he knew that there was an ambush, he had no choice but to rush up. Taking off his armor, Zhang Cunmeng raised his sword and shouted: "Brothers, don't do it.
Panic, split into three groups and rush up the mountain back, there won't be too many people on the other side."
There are indeed not many people under Sha Diao, but Zhang Cunmeng didn't know that these people under Sha Diao are different from ordinary soldiers. They are hunters in the forest.
Under the urging of Zhang Cunmeng and other leaders, the peasant army dispersed and spread like ants in Jiuyuan Mountain. But what made them sad was that people kept stepping on the traps, and the screams were horrifying to hear. They wanted to find someone.
After all his efforts, those people disappeared again.