Even Zhang Ning did not expect that the generals of both sides met and exchanged curses before the battle broke out. The process was also very fast. In less than half a day, the Xuzhou officers and soldiers were defeated like an avalanche and out of control. Zhang Ning once again witnessed a one-sided battle.
, this will only happen in asymmetric battles.
The reason for the one-sided battle when encircling bandits in Fengxia Mountain was very simple. Zhang Ning's troops had absolutely superior firepower. In the face of powerful long-range weapons, the poorly equipped bandits were helpless. But in today's battle, Hanwang
The army has no equipment advantage, especially in terms of firearms. Since its light troops did not carry heavy firearms when they went south, they only had some light muskets and their effect was not obvious.
Morale or momentum played a decisive role in this battle. Zhang Ning did not see what tactics or tricks the King of Han used, so he rushed forward with his troops, and it worked. In this era, war is at the intersection of hot and cold weapons.
, the commander-in-chief is still very important, which is in line with the ancient saying "a thousand armies are easy to get but a general is hard to find". The commander-in-chief directly affects the confidence of the soldiers. The relatively loosely organized ancient army can easily collapse when morale is low.
The King of Han sent his army to follow the defeated troops and took advantage of the situation to approach Xuzhou City. The city gate was opened, and the prefect led his people to open the city and surrender. The army entered the city and quickly occupied all the important places in the city. This extremely important town between the two capitals easily fell to the King of Han.
hand.
Xuzhou is an extremely important city in the eastern part of the Ming Dynasty, not only because of its location as a land and water transportation hub, but also because it is the gateway to Fengyang. What is Fengyang? Also known as Zhongdu, the hometown of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, and the imperial mausoleum
It is located in the Dragon Vein of the Ming Dynasty. Fortunately, the King of Han also had the surname Zhu, and Taizu was his biological grandfather. He could not do anything to Zhongdu, and he had to protect it... If someone else were to attack Zhongdu, then
It's really serious. People in this era believe very much in mythical things such as heaven's qi numbers. Their ancestral graves have been dug up, and their qi numbers have been cut off. It is estimated that the country will be shrouded in the haze of national subjugation.
China is very big, and Xuzhou is such a famous place. Zhang Ning has never been to the city before in his two eras. Today is the first time he has set foot here. The city is located in the center of the vast Jiangsu plain, and it is a place with almost no danger.
When the King of Han's army entered the city to rest, Zhang Ning took a few of his followers around and Zhu Heng sent a few soldiers to follow him. This was necessary when the army was in chaos.
There are mostly hillside-style houses, old houses and tall trees everywhere, full of traces of ancient history. However, the greening in the city is indeed very good. In some yards, not only flowers, trees and vegetables are planted, but there is no industrialization.
In the central plain, the air is relatively fresh. Only the low altitude is covered with dust. This is caused by the large number of people entering the city. The sky is still blue... However, in Zhang Ning's impression, the environment in the plain area here has become harsh in modern times.
Coal ash and exhaust gas have covered the entire city with black ash, and the sky is also gray and polluted.
Zhang Ning and others walked casually for a while, then left the main street and entered a stone-paved alley. There was not a single commoner on the road. They probably closed their doors and hid after hearing that the army was entering the city. The road surface is very distinctive.
Some irregular stone slabs are paved, and the years have worn them smooth and smooth.
At this moment, a child's cry was suddenly heard, followed by a woman's scream. Zhang Ning was stunned for a moment, then turned around and said, "In front, go and take a look."
A group of people quickened their pace and followed the cry for a while. They saw a several-year-old child sitting on the road in front of a house, crying loudly, and a few soldiers in uniform and military uniforms were loosely walking around. The gate was wandering. Zhang Ning looked at an open shop next to it, which seemed to be a blacksmith's shop. Several people, old and young, were kneeling inside. There was also a big man tied to a pillar with his mouth gagged. Two sergeants next to him were holding riding whips. Cursing and cursing.
Zhang Ning and others walked over, but the sergeant at the door said nothing, but looked at Zhang Ning and others with fierce eyes, because Zhang Ning was looking at the closed courtyard door, and there was a woman's scream inside.
As he walked quickly to the door, Zhang Ning suddenly stopped, pointed at the courtyard door and said, "Open it and call the people out to talk."
"What are your backgrounds?" A sergeant stood over and looked Zhang Ning up and down. Several other sergeants also gathered around, dragging long weapons and looking very unfriendly. A sergeant cursed: "These people are rebels. Are you responsible for our search? If you are smart enough to mind your own business, who are you?" This group of people glanced at the two soldiers behind Zhang Ning, who were wearing the uniforms of the King of Han's army, and they did not use violence, just verbally. Yell a few words.
Zhang Ning stopped talking nonsense, rushed forward, and kicked the courtyard door. Unfortunately, it seemed to be locked inside. He kicked the door swaying with a "bang" but could not open it. The sergeants rushed up angrily and kicked the door open. Pushing Zhang Ning away, they all drew their weapons and forced them forward. Lao Xu and others immediately drew their swords and stepped forward to protect Zhang Ning. The two followers behind him seemed unreliable and stood there with their hands and feet in a pretentious manner.
"Bang!" Suddenly there was a loud noise, and the young student Jiang Hai suddenly kicked the courtyard door down. "Damn it! Take it down before we talk!" A sergeant cursed, pulled out a knife, and the others They were surrounded from left to right.
At this time, a disheveled young general appeared at the entrance of the courtyard. Seeing the situation outside, he asked: "What's going on?"
Zhang Ning shouted: "If you dare to lay a finger on me, I guarantee that you will die without a burial place!"
A sergeant said in a sinister tone: "That's so loud. Let's tell you your name." The young general at the door stared at Zhang Ning and others while tying his belt, and made a gesture to stabilize his subordinates. He turned to Zhang Ning and said: "Look. You are also a member of the King of Han, so don’t be angry if you are one of your own. These people from Xuzhou dared to lead troops to resist the prince, and we risked their lives to fight them down. Why do brothers have fun? Hey! In this world, winning is like this, a hero! "The young general extended a thumbs up.
Zhang Ning looked angry and couldn't help scolding: "Look at what you have done, you are just a bunch of ruffians, don't you have any appearance of a hero? A hero will bully the defenseless people?! Get the hell out of here! If you don't accept it, we will go to Zhuge Liang." Please go and reason with me."
When the young general heard Zhang Ning mention Zhu Butang, he saw that he looked like a scholar and was accompanied by an entourage. He guessed that he must be an official. He didn't care about being competitive at the moment, so he called his subordinates and hurried away.
Peach Blossom Fairy said: "If you let them go, you might go somewhere else to do evil."
Zhang Ning did not explain, but he thought that he did not have to fight with a bunch of ruffians to fight against injustice. If he really wanted to catch them, I am afraid they would not be able to catch them so easily. He said: "There are many criminals among the soldiers of the King of Han." , I’m afraid this group of people is not the only one who has set up an army to rape and plunder. We can’t control it like this. We must go to the King of Han to advise and ask the Chinese army to issue strict laws.”
At this time, the people kneeling in the blacksmith shop cautiously untied the sturdy man from being tied up. They walked over silently together. An old woman came in again and brought out the little daughter-in-law with messy hair and disheveled clothes. She had just been tied up.
The big man who came down glanced at his little wife and cursed angrily: "It's so damn frustrating!"
An old man among the people pulled the woman next to him and knelt down in front of Zhang Ning. The others also knelt down. The old man worshiped: "My benefactor for saving my life will be unforgettable by our Zhao family. Please accept it."
The common people are waiting to kowtow."
"How can you stand kowtowing to me at your age?" Zhang Ning hurriedly helped the old man up and asked the others to get up.
The old man asked: "Dare you ask me your benefactor's name? The common people will keep it in mind and try their best to repay me in the future."
"It's easy, don't worry about it. My surname is Zhang, and my name is Zhang Ning." Zhang Ning responded casually, looking at the big man next to him. That big man was the one who was tied up just now. He probably suffered such treatment only if he resisted, and
When the whole family was submissive and submissive, the big man even cursed "It's aggrieved", which left an impression.
Zhang Ning then looked at the big man and said: "Those people showing off their power are actually cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong. A real warrior is not someone who bullies the weak, but one who dares to fight against the strong and protect the weak."
He spoke very gently and did not intend to attract attention. But Xu Wenjun was immediately attracted by these words. She couldn't help turning her head to look at Zhang Ning's face and gently bit her lower lip.
The sturdy man with thick eyebrows and big eyes said sincerely: "Sir, when you see injustice on the road, you dare to stand up and confront the armed soldiers. You are a scholar, but you are a real warrior. I am sincerely convinced."
Zhang Ning felt good when he heard his clear and coherent speech, so he asked: "Does the strong man have a special name?"
"My dear benefactor, my name is Zhao Erhu, and this is my elder brother Zhao Dahu." The big man tore open his unlined clothes, revealing his strong chest muscles, but there was a big scar on his chest. "This is left by the local soldiers in Luzon Island."
A few years ago, I followed Eunuch Zheng to the West. I learned in Luzon that a local chief was killed by his brother and lost his throne. Zheng Gong passed by Luzon and learned about this. He thought that they killed his brother and used his ministers to seek the king.
Unfaithful, warships came to the border and soldiers pressed down on the border, forcing the traitor to abdicate and give way to his brother's son. There was a battle and I was accidentally injured, so I was allowed to return to my hometown."
"A true hero!" Zhang Ning was overjoyed and patted him on the shoulder, "It is precisely because of countless heroes like Zhao Erhu that our Ming Dynasty can dominate the world. Anyone who is unjust or disrespectful will be sincerely afraid of disaster...
The two tigers are not things in the pond, so why not let me go out and make some achievements?"
Zhao Erhu had a look of hesitation on his face, and the old man said hurriedly: "My benefactor is so kind and kind, and our family can't repay it, so Erhu will follow his benefactor in front of and behind the horse to repay his life-saving grace. There is still a big tiger at home, so you can rest assured."
, still not grateful?"
Zhang Ning said calmly: "I am not from the King of Han. I just have a friend in the army and I came here to visit him. I should leave soon."
After hearing this, Zhao Erhu said happily: "To be honest, I really don't want to work with the King of Han. If my benefactor says this, do I dare to follow you without any hesitation?"
Zhang Ning smiled, took off the jade with his name engraved on his body and handed it over: "You should explain your family affairs first. When you are ready, come to the Chinese army to find me. This is a token, maybe it will come in handy."
Zhao Erhu accepted it readily.
Zhang Ning glanced at the frightened young daughter-in-law next to her, and said to Zhao Erhu: "Don't blame the young lady, she is also a victim, please give me some comfort."
Zhao Erhu said: "I would like to obey my benefactor's order."