Only a small part of the new army crossed the river, and even then the most elite cavalry of the rebel army could not rush forward.
This fact is truly disappointing.
Seeing more and more new troops crossing the river, Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng were a little at a loss.
"How about we put on a show and have a real fight with him?"
Li Zicheng had a new idea.
He planned to take advantage of the fact that only the infantry of the new army had crossed the river and the artillery was still on the other side of the river, to concentrate all the main forces and use the numerical advantage to fight a decisive battle with the new army.
Although the New Army's muskets are frightening, the rebels also have long-range weapons such as artillery, French cannons, Hudun cannons, trebuchets, bows and arrows, so they may not be able to fight.
Gao Yingxiang hesitated again and again, and just when he was about to agree, the scouts rushed over.
"Report to King Chuang that Hejiadu has been captured and the eight kings have retreated."
Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng were shocked and looked away to the east.
However, I was too far away to see clearly. I only noticed that Zhang Xianzhong's flag seemed to be getting further and further away.
When the New Army fought against Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong also endured tremendous pressure.
Considering that Zhang Xianzhong's troops were weak, Gao Yingxiang asked him to defend Hejiadu, which had a town to rely on.
This is the most important ferry crossing on both sides of the Huaihe River, so the government has established a tax card here. With the support of fortifications, it is easier to fight than in the wild.
But it is a pity that Hejiadu is just a small town, and the low and damaged city walls cannot stop the bombardment of the New Army artillery.
Seeing the city wall being blown down in large areas and his soldiers dying in an endless stream, Zhang Xianzhong's soul was expelled and he no longer had the will to fight.
He did not notify Gao Yingxiang and Li Zicheng, but led his troops southward.
As soon as Hejiadu was lost, the speed of the new army crossing the river suddenly accelerated.
Not long after, the new army appeared to the east of the Northwest Rebel Army.
Everyone knows that if we delay any longer, we will definitely be surrounded by the New Army from both sides, and the whole army may not even be annihilated.
Gao Yingxiang broke his riding whip angrily and sighed dejectedly.
"A concubine has no idea! Send the order and the whole army retreats."
The Northwest Rebels have long since stopped wanting to fight this battle.
In fact, the enemy they faced now was completely beyond their imagination.
The earth-shattering artillery and the rapid-fire muskets are simply not something that flesh and blood can withstand.
Following Gao Yingxiang's order, the northwest rebels retreated to the west as if they had been granted amnesty.
They retreated very simply, even Fengyang no longer defended.
Regarding the retreat of the Northwest Rebel Army, the New Army was not in a hurry to pursue it and continued to act step by step.
In the evening, the entire fifth division crossed the river and occupied Fengyang according to the previous plan.
The 27th Brigade of the Sixth Division did not choose to cross the river, but went up the Feishui River towards Mengcheng in the northwest.
Their final destination is Woyang.
"Commander Huang, let's say goodbye. If the war becomes urgent, please provide support."
On the bank of the Huaihe River, Guo Wei and Huang Sanhu said goodbye.
The target of their fourth division is Luzhou Prefecture, so they need to cross the third army and attack quickly.
Guo Wei didn't know what the situation was like ahead. If he ran into trouble, he would definitely need support from the Third Army.
Huang Sanhu returned the gift.
"Don't worry, the 28th Brigade will move forward to the Shouzhou area, right behind you."
Guo Wei felt relieved after receiving this guarantee. After the fourth division had all crossed the river, he rushed straight to Luzhou Prefecture along the official road without stopping.
Guide Mansion.
Hong Chengchou finally arrived.
The governor of the five provinces was really frightened when he learned that the northwest rebels were heading towards Fengyang.
Of course he understood what it would mean if Fengyang was captured by the northwest rebels.
He didn't even have time to wait for his direct troops, so he rushed to Guide Mansion alone and dusty.
From here, follow the official road and pass through Bozhou, Woyang and Mengcheng, which is the shortest way to Fengyang Mansion.
Moreover, Zuo Liangyu's troops were stationed in Guide Mansion, so they had ready-made troops.
But when he arrived at Guide Mansion and saw the situation here, Hong Chengchou was so angry that he twisted his mouth.
"Zong Rong Zuo, you must not forget your responsibilities as a general of the imperial court. You must never act like a bandit."
Why is Hong Chengchou so angry?
Just because Zuo Liangyu will bring great harm to Guide Mansion, the tragic situation is even more extreme than the place where the rogues passed by.
In the original history, Zuo Liangyu fought endlessly in Henan, but never entered Guide Mansion.
Simply because this is the hometown of his benefactor, Hou Xun.
Zuo Liangyu not only did not dare to launch troops to plunder, but also went to the house alone to kowtow to Hou Zhipu to say hello.
But now that Hou Xun is under Zuo Mengeng and has turned against him, Zuo Liangyu no longer has any worries, and with the thought of revenge, the disaster is even worse.
Hong Chengchou saw it but could do nothing.
After all, Zuo Liangyu's troops are the only troops that can be mobilized now.
If Zuo Liangyu is dealt with, he will become a polished commander. How can he regain Fengyang?
Zuo Liangyu kept his promise and felt relieved when he saw that Hong Chengchou did not dare to pursue the case.
"General Zuo, gather your troops and horses quickly and follow me to Fengyang."
As soon as Zuo Liangyu heard that he was going to Fengyang, he trembled on the spot.
"Lord Hexian, you can't go!"
Hong Chengchou was furious.
"What nonsense are you talking about? We are all in trouble, but you don't think about rescuing us. Do you have loyalty as a king and father in your heart? You must know that you cannot escape the death penalty."
Zuo Liangyu called Baotianqu.
"My lord Bing Xian, it's not that the general doesn't dare to go, it's that he can't get through."
Zuo Liangyu looked sad and pointed to the east and said: "That little beast has mobilized troops and horses and is in Yongcheng. If our army goes south, we will definitely run into it head-on."
Hong Chengchou paused for a moment before he figured out who Zuo Liangyu was talking about.
"Yongcheng is the land of Henan. Why did his troops from Shandong cross the border?"
Zuo Liangyu spread his hands.
"The general doesn't know the reason. That little beast is arrogant and has no credibility. He just wants to do something. Who can do anything to him?"
Hong Chengchou had a splitting headache and quickly sent people to investigate.
The intelligence sent back showed that what Zuo Liangyu said was true.
Today, Yongcheng has indeed been occupied by the Shandong New Army, with at least a thousand troops.
Zuo Liangyu's troops only numbered more than 2,000 people, so he had no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation.
However, this group of new troops was right in front, making it impossible for Hong Chengchou to go around and save Fengyang from danger.
"Mr. Wu, please take action and negotiate with the Shandong soldiers and horses. No matter what, I hope they will make way."
You will definitely not be able to win through a fight, so the only solution for now is negotiation.
Hong Chengchou sent his counselor Wu Xin as an envoy to Yongcheng.
"Now there are two 300,000 bandits in Fengyang and Hong Bingxian's 2,000 troops. What's the use? I, Shandong, know the court's difficulties, are generous and righteous, and have sent troops to help the court. Please go back and tell Hong Bingxian, Fengyang
Recovery is just around the corner.”
Stationed in Yongcheng is the 78th Regiment of the Second Army.
The leader of the group, Liao Fengzhi, received Wu Xinyu, but the situation he conveyed made the other party feel as if he had been struck by lightning.