The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 363 Based on Xiangyang and Looking at the Southern Kingdom
Xiangyang City.

The middle hall of Xiangwang Palace.

"Damn you for stealing, damn you for stealing!"

Zhang Xianzhong frowned and kicked over the desk in front of the throne. His eyes were red and he couldn't stop cursing.

In the hall, Xu Yixian and Pan Duao, as well as Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, Ai Nengqi, and Liu Wenxiu stood on both sides, all waiting with lowered eyebrows and lowered eyes.

At this time, Zhang Xianzhong was furious. How dare they touch Zhang Xianzhong's brow at this time.

"It's Chen Wang again!"

After Zhang Xianzhong vented his anger, he sat back on the throne panting. His heart was so depressed that he felt like a big stone was pressing on his heart.

Whenever you hear the name Chen Wang, nothing good has ever happened.

When I was in Yunyang Mansion, my original plan was to go to Hanzhong Mansion, pass Hanzhong Mansion and then rush to Shaanxi.

But in the end, he was stopped outside Baitu Pass by Chen Wang and suffered a big loss.

After turning into eastern Sichuan, Chen Wang blocked their way north again, forcing him to flee into central Sichuan.

Thinking of being chased like a lost dog by Zuo Liangyu, who was as fierce as a tiger, Zhang Xianzhong's anger became more and more intense.

"Chen Wang, this bitch, isn't he in his mother's Henan? How could he end up in Fancheng?!"

Zhang Xianzhong was furious. After calming the situation in Xiangyang, he immediately sent Sun Kewang to lead troops to attack Fancheng.

I had inquired well a few days ago that there were only seven or eight hundred militiamen in Fancheng. However, when Sun Kewang led his troops to attack Fancheng, Da Biao's troops suddenly rushed out.

Sun Kewang brought a total of 3,000 troops and horses. In the first battle, more than 1,000 people were killed, and only less than 2,000 people escaped.

Recruiting troops in Xiangyang has now recruited more than 30,000 people, and reducing a thousand soldiers is indeed within the acceptable range.

But among the more than a thousand people, there were more than 200 veterans, which was somewhat unacceptable to Zhang Xianzhong.

After fighting for such a long time, from Shaanxi to Yunyang, then from Yunyang to Sichuan, and finally to Xiangyang, he only has a total of more than 5,000 capable soldiers and horses left under his command, which he usually treats as treasures. Watch.

Zhang Xianzhong was heartbroken when he lost two hundred soldiers in this battle.

Thinking of the wounded soldiers, Zhang Xianzhong couldn't help but look a lot more embarrassed. He was really heartbroken.

"Father, calm down and don't hurt yourself. This is just a child's carelessness. You should be more careful."

Sun Kewang hesitated for a moment. After thinking for a moment, he took a step forward and knelt on the ground to plead guilty.

"Get up and be careful next time."

When I received the news before, Chen Wang was still confronting the Wanmin Army in Kaifeng Mansion.

But now Chen Wang has appeared in Fancheng, which is something no one could have imagined.

Zhang Xianzhong glanced at Sun Kewang who was kneeling on the ground, then at Li Dingguo who was standing aside, and then waved his hand.

"You are our son, how can we blame you for these things?"

Among all the adopted sons he adopted, the four most capable were Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Ai Nengqi, and Liu Wenxiu.

Being able to break out of tight sieges so many times along the way and lead so many soldiers and horses, these adopted sons also contributed a lot.

Zhang Xianzhong sat up straight and did not dwell on this matter anymore.

Now that Fancheng was occupied by officers and soldiers, it was a foregone conclusion, and it was no longer important to find out the reasons.

What matters now is where to go next.

"Commander Xu."

Zhang Xianzhong suppressed the anger in his heart, his expression softened a little, and he asked warmly to Xu Yixian who was standing below.

"Fan City is now in the hands of the officers and soldiers. Chen Wang is guarding the north entrance. The north is no longer accessible. Where should we go next?"

Zhang Xianzhong has always maintained a respectful attitude towards the two military advisors Xu Yixian and Pan Duao.

To be able to reach this point, Xu Yixian and Pan Duao are indeed indispensable.

Pan Duao helped manage the logistics and arranged everything properly.

And Xu Yixian helped preside over military affairs. Now the military establishment has completed the reform, and it is no longer as messy as before.

Marching, camping, and offensive deployment have also begun to be organized. These are all obvious things.

After hearing Zhang Xianzhong's question, Xu Yixian also raised his head.

Fancheng is now in the hands of officers and soldiers. Without Fancheng as the gateway to the north, Xiangyang's importance has dropped by more than a little.

But if we just give up Xiangyang like this, we really feel unwilling to do so.

Today's Xiangyang is like a piece of chicken ribs, tasteless to eat, and a pity to discard. It's really hard to make a choice.

"According to previously learned information, the main force of the Hanzhong Army led by Chen Wang has been stationed in Kaifeng Mansion, holding a stalemate with the Wanmin Army."

"Our army's attack on Xiangyang was an impromptu attack. Xiangyang was indeed unprepared. Naturally, Yang Sichang could not have predicted it."

Xu Yixian's eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing the current situation.

"Chen Wang went south from Henan. It should be that after our army was defeated in Huangling City, Huguang's troops were weak, so Yang Sichang urgently recruited the Hanzhong army to go south for reinforcements."

"I never thought that our army would take the first step and attack Xiangyang."

Based on the existing information, Xu Yixian had already guessed the actual situation.

"Now Chen Wang suddenly appears inside Fancheng. It should be that when he rushed south to rush for reinforcements, he found that Xiangyang had fallen, and then he entered Fancheng."

"In such a short period of time, it is impossible for Chen Wang's entire division to arrive. The only ones following Chen Wang should be his elite cavalry."

"According to General Hope's report, the Hanzhong Army cavalry encountered at Fan City were all armored cavalry, so it should be correct."

Zhang Xianzhong touched the beard on his chin and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Zhang Xianzhong had sources of intelligence within the imperial court, and Zhang Xianzhong naturally had his own sources of intelligence locally.

But with the more than twenty cavalry brought by Li Dingguo, it was naturally impossible to cause such a serious turmoil in Xiangyang City.

The reason why Xiangyang City was able to disrupt Xiangyang City that night was naturally due to the secret hand left in Xiangyang City a long time ago.

Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong also knew something about the Hanzhong Army under Chen Wang.

The Battle of Kaifeng was not a secret. Chen Wang led three thousand armored cavalry and Chen Yongfu cooperated with each other, attacking from both sides, and defeated the Wan Min Army in the western suburbs of Kaifeng. It was widely publicized in the official Tang newspaper.

"Chen Wang only has cavalry under his command now, and he must be reluctant to use them to attack the city."

Zhang Xianzhong naturally heard the implication of Xu Yixian's words.

The soldiers and horses under Chen Wang's command are strong and sharp, and the Hanzhong Army's artillery is powerful. These are all things that everyone knows.

However, the order Chen Wang received was to rush south for reinforcements. The artillery was cumbersome and could not keep pace with the cavalry no matter how fast it was. Naturally, it was impossible to carry the artillery.

"Zuo Liangyu will not act easily now. Yang Sichang died of illness. He must be busy preparing his troops and occupying the territory."

Zuo Liangyu's heart is as clear as day.

Zuo Liangyu has been continuously developing his power these days.

It turns out that when Yang Sichang was here, Zuo Liangyu didn't behave too obviously, but he just found excuses to disobey orders sometimes.

Now that Yang Sichang is dead, the entire southern country is in a situation where no one has jurisdiction.

Zuo Liangyu will only become more unscrupulous. According to the news coming from east Sichuan, Zuo Liangyu occupied
"Except for Zuo Liangyu's troops, there are only less than 20,000 soldiers and horses left by the imperial court to suppress them. There is no successor."

In the battle of Huangling City, the subordinates of Mengruhu suffered heavy losses, and the other towns also suffered varying degrees of losses.

Moreover, despite repeated collections, there were also losses along the way.

"What does Commander Xu mean?"

Zhang Xianzhong raised his eyebrows and looked at Xu Yixian.

Xu Yixian pondered for a moment and then said.

"In the current situation, Fancheng is in the hands of officers and soldiers, and the gate is controlled by officers and soldiers. We cannot go north, so we can only go south."

Xu Yixian took a step forward and said.

"Yang Sichang died, his successor has not yet arrived, and the main force of officers and soldiers is not strong, so naturally they dare not take action. This is a good opportunity for our army to make strategic plans."

Zhang Xianzhong frowned slightly, hesitated, and said reluctantly.

"What do you mean, the military advisor, that we just give up on Xiangyang?"

When he captured Xiangyang, he had no intention of staying in Xiangyang.

But Xu Yixian told him that if you look to Xiangyang, you can look to the Southern Kingdom, and if you control the Southern Kingdom, you can conquer the world, which really ignited the ambition in his heart.

But now, Xu Yixian seemed to be telling him in an insinuating way that Xiangyang could not be defended and Xiangyang must be abandoned.

How could Zhang Xianzhong be willing to do so?

"Of course not."

Xu Yixian also knew that Zhang Xianzhong didn't want to give up, so he said immediately.

"Since our army has captured Xiangyang, there is no reason to give up Xiangyang easily."

"If we directly abandon Xiangyang, when our army goes south, Chen Wang leads his troops to recapture Xiangyang and leads his cavalry down the river to pursue our army, and our army will suffer heavy losses as a result."

"So, no matter whether we think about it or not, we must leave a force of troops to guard Xiangyang."

Zhang Xianzhong looked gloomy and said displeased.

"The soldiers and horses left in Xiangyang have become lone soldiers."

Xiangyang is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side, making it an easy-to-defend but difficult-to-attack place.

But their main force went south, Xiangyang became an isolated island, and the soldiers and horses on the island became a lone army.

Xiangyang is the throat of Huguang, but precisely because it is the throat, it is easier to be choked.

The soldiers and horses left behind will undoubtedly die.

Zhang Xianzhong was indeed ruthless. In order to escape, he threw hundreds of thousands of hungry troops at random. Even Luo Rucai was used as bait and thrown to the Ming army.

It is not too heartbreaking for Zhang Xianzhong to leave one soldier and horse as the rear guard to attract firepower.

Who would be willing to let someone die if it was so obvious?
No one is willing to die willingly.

Naturally, it was impossible for all of his direct soldiers to stay in Xiangyang and die.

Those newly recruited recruits are all looking for a piece of food, so it is naturally impossible to let them die.

They were afraid that if the imperial army came over, these newly recruited soldiers would simply lay down their arms and surrender.

Xu Yixian has been following Zhang Xianzhong for a long time, so he naturally understands what kind of person Zhang Xianzhong is.

"Those who guard Xiangyang are not left to die."

"Our army's march south does not mean we have to abandon Xiangyang."

Xu Yixian walked aside and ordered an attendant to push the map hanging aside to the center of the palace.

"Your Majesty, please take a look."

Xu Yixian stood beside the map and explained.

"The Ten Thousand People's Army is now in Guide Mansion in Henan, fighting with soldiers and horses from Baoding, Shandong, and Nanzhili, restraining the main force of the Hanzhong Army and Henan officers and soldiers."

"The main force of officers and soldiers in Shaanxi has been restrained by Li Zicheng, and is now being delayed in the Lintao Prefecture area in the west."

"Due to the agitation of our troops in Sichuan, many places have been turbulent. Sichuan soldiers are now unable to leave Sichuan."

"The Fifth Battalion of Ge Zuo is in Ying and Huoshan Mountains, containing the main force of officers and soldiers in the southern Zhili area."

"The officers and soldiers we need to face now are less than 20,000 remnant soldiers under Wan Yuanji's command. Even if we add Chen Wang in Fancheng, there are only 23,000."

"It is not impossible to defend Xiangyang."

Xu Yixian bowed his hands, faced Zhang Xianzhong, and said in a deep voice.

"There are many displaced people in Xiangyang Prefecture. These refugees have difficulty eating and making a living."

"In a field battle against the enemy, no matter how many hungry soldiers there are, they are useless, but when defending a city against the enemy, they can be a help."

"The city of Xiangyang is strong and solid. It is the logistics center for the officers and soldiers of the Southern Kingdom. It has accumulated tons of food and grass, so there is no need to worry about the food and grass problem."

Due to the impact of the famine in Henan and the previous military disaster in Huguang, there were many refugees outside Xiangyang City.

Most of the newly recruited troops under Zhang Xianzhong are now recruited from these refugees.

As long as food is used, these precarious hungry people can work hard.

"Going south is for the great cause in the future, and guarding Xiangyang is also for the great cause in the future."

"Xiangyang has always been a battleground for military strategists. If you rely on Xiangyang, you can look to the Southern Kingdom. If you control the Southern Kingdom, you can conquer the world. Controlling Xiangyang is extremely important for our army."

"Leaving one to guard Xiangyang can not only seize important areas, but also contain some of the officers and soldiers."

"There are not many officers and soldiers in Huguang now. After being contained, there will naturally be even fewer that can restrain the main force of our army from going south."

"The force of the officers and soldiers to suppress the enemy is unprecedentedly weak. This is a God-given opportunity."

Xu Yixian's voice became louder and louder, his expression was excited, he looked at Zhang Xianzhong and clenched his fists.

"Luoyang city fell and Li Yan killed King Fu. This time the king conquered Xiangyang and killed King Xiang. The prestige of the Ming court has been ruined."

"Your Majesty will lead the main force down the river and directly into Jianghan. If the force along the way is unstoppable, the world will be shaken."

"By then..."

Xu Yixian calmed down his excitement and replied.

"The king only needs to raise his arms and give a shout, and all the people will follow suit. Crowds from all directions will join forces to attack the Ming Dynasty. The world will change its hands in a matter of seconds!"

Zhang Xianzhong's expression was solemn, and Xu Yixian's words really touched him.

The current situation in the world is indeed as Xu Yixian said.

The officers and soldiers entering the suppression campaign were unprecedentedly weak.

From Xiangyang to the southeast, there is the Jianghan Plain.

Wide sea diving, sky high the birds to fly!
Seeing that Zhang Xianzhong was moved, Xu Yixian took another step forward and spoke.

"One general and ten thousand soldiers are enough to defend Xiangyang."