Daming wolf ride

In September of the seventh year of Chongzhen, the main force of the thieves who escaped from Chexiangxia all withdrew from Shaanxi, and drove to Shanxi, Huguang, and Henan respectively.

The thieves entered Henan this time with a huge momentum, with hundreds of thousands of people, including 72 battalions of [-] families, large and small, stationed between Yi, Song, Wan, and Luo, and the battalions stretched for tens of miles.Officials in Henan said: The heart of the Central Plains is thousands of miles away, from Dahe in the north to Chu in the south.

Chongzhen ordered Hong Chengchou to go out of the Tong joint to control the governors, ordering to suppress the thieves within six months. If the success is successful, the officials involved will award a reward, and if it is not completed, a heavy code will be set up.

At the same time, [-] Jizhen soldiers left Jizhen for Henan under the leadership of Zhang Jiamo and You Shiwei;

Zhending [-] pacesetters plus [-] Tianjin soldiers, led by Xu Laiqian, the commander-in-chief, headed for Linyi;

Three thousand soldiers from Baiganzi and Luoyan Tusi, led by Sichuan general Tan Daxiao, went from Kuizhou to Henan via Yunyang.

The commander of the Beijing camp, Lin Jiantai, supervised [-] soldiers of the Shenji battalion from Tongzhou to Henan.

All the soldiers in each town were controlled by Hong Chengchou, and Yang Phin, the commander-in-chief of Shaanxi, and Wang Chengen, the commander-in-chief of Yulin, each led their headquarters to the governor's camp.

Zhang Quanchang, the general soldier of Henan, Cao Wenzhao, the general soldier of Yansui, Qin Yiming, the general soldier of Kaiping, and Deng Qi, the general soldier of Chongqing, were photographed in the front line of Kaifeng and Luoyang to ensure that Kailuo would not be lost.

Hearing that the imperial court was mobilizing a large army to encircle, Gao Yingxiang immediately sent a letter to summon all the leaders to Xingyang to discuss countermeasures.

..............

In Dengzhou, in the re-expanded Dengzhou Army Campus, banners are flying, and the sound of guns is loud.

After several rounds of volleys, the school grounds were shrouded in smoke, and the pungent smell of gunpowder was unbearable, and Hou Xun, the Minister of the Ministry of Finance who was watching, couldn't help coughing.When he coughed, all the imperial envoys who were holding back coughed immediately.

The Liaodong generals on both sides of the reading platform were all as still as still water, and no one had a strange expression on their faces. They had already gotten used to it.

After coughing, Hou Xunfang felt refreshed. At this time, the smoke in the field had cleared, and the 3000 drill soldiers had collected their guns and lined up.

An imperial envoy looked over, the phalanx was a horizontal line, and a vertical line. The soldiers under the felt hats were all full of energy, and there was no yellow color on their faces. The powerful army really deserves its reputation, and it looks more energetic than those ostentatious people in the Beijing camp.

He also wondered about the rumor that Shi Dayong had robbed gold and silver piles from the Eastern Captives. He didn't believe it before, but now it seems that he is afraid that it is true. Otherwise, how could his soldiers be so full of energy, compared to other soldiers who are in charge of the army? To be powerful, I don't know how much money was thrown into it.He secretly planned how many Cheng Yi Dengzhou would send when he returned to Beijing.

3000 soldiers lined up on the school field, the officers and soldiers were silent, their eyes were on the high platform, but they couldn't even hear a cough, which made Hou Xun feel great admiration, nodded secretly, secretly thinking that this army is available.

Thinking that when I watched the soldiers charge the powder just now, they did not pour gunpowder from the gourd to load it like the musketeers of other armies, but directly tore open a small package of powder, which was much faster than ordinary powder charging, so I couldn't help asking curiously. Shi Dayong on board: "What the soldiers are holding is the new type of firecracker you mentioned?"

Shi Dayong bowed and replied: "Your Excellency, it can't be regarded as a new style, it's just a slight improvement at the end, changing the original powder filling to a fixed gunpowder."

"Fixed gunpowder?" Hou Xun was puzzled.

Dayong explained: "In the past, the gunpowder powder in the army could not be measured. If it was too small, it would not be very powerful, and it would be difficult to injure and kill the enemy; if it was too much, it would be easy to explode the gun tube. Moreover, on the battlefield, people's hearts were uncertain, and soldiers were in a panic. It is difficult to quickly charge the gunpowder, which will definitely affect the battle. Therefore, the general asked people to measure the amount of gunpowder loaded each time and put it into the oiled paper. When using it, you only need to tear the oiled paper and pour the gunpowder into the gun without counting the amount of gunpowder. , so time-saving and labor-saving, it is much faster than filling the medicine before. On the battlefield, the time saved is enough to fire a gun."

"It is said that if a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his weapon. General Shi is a good soldier. It is no wonder that he can defeat the Eastern captives and increase the prestige of our country. This method will be taught to the Holy One after I return to Beijing, and then it will be used in all armies. Promote it, and I will also ask the Holy One for your merits." Hou Xun is also a man who knows how to fight, so he naturally knows what it means to fire one more gun, and he can't wait to return to Beijing to teach this method to the emperor and spread it to the whole army.

"My lord praises it, but this fixed gunpowder is not the credit of the last general, but the creation of Ma Gui, the last general's subordinate."

"Oh? Where is Magui?"

"The last general asked him to lead the craftsmen to develop a new type of flintlock, but this meeting is not in the school."

"A flintlock?"

"At the end of the day, seeing that the arquebus gun is not easy to use in rainy and foggy days, I thought about whether it can be improved and fired with flint. If it is successfully developed, it will not be afraid of rain and wind."

"Okay, okay." Hou Xun praised several times, and asked Dayong a few details about the flintlock.With the background and technology of the Ministry of Industry, it is no worse than Shi Dayong's subordinates.

Dayong also knew the purpose of Hou Xun's questioning in such detail, but he didn't hide his secrets. If he knew what he knew, he would tell the other party as much as possible. Dayong also hoped that the Ming army would equip the flintlock guns as soon as possible. This would be another contribution he made to Daming. .But thinking of the virtues of the Ministry of Industry, I don't have any hope of how much they can improve. If they don't explode, they will be worthy of the country.

After Hou Xun asked a few more questions, Fang pointed to the gunners on the school field, and asked Dayong: "How many gunners like this do you have under your command?"

"Twenty thousand." Dayong said very frankly, without hiding anything.

"Twenty thousand?!" Hearing this number, Hou Xun gasped, and the attendants behind were also taken aback.

"Dengzhou is barren, I don't know how you can raise so many soldiers and horses?" Hou Xun frowned slightly. You Shi Dayong made a lot of money with Donglu, hehe." The smile was unnatural.

Amidst the laughter, the eyes of all the imperial envoys lit up, they liked Shi Dayong's mutilated face more and more, and there was no trace of disgust.

Dayong also smiled, and then said: "To be honest, my lord, the last general gained some wealth when he broke the Eastern Captive Shenyang City the year before last, but these two years have been spent on raising the army, and there is not much left. To be honest , the last general wanted to ask for payment from the imperial court, but he heard that the emperor not only reduced the inner court expenses in order to save money and provide military expenses, but also cut his own meals by more than half, and he could only eat one meal of meat in two days. As far as this is concerned, it hurts my heart. The emperor is in such a difficult situation, how could the general have the heart to ask the emperor for money. We should do our best to repay our father by relying on our own efforts."

"It's good to be self-reliant. If everyone in my military general is as brave as you are, why worry about the world being uncertain."

Hou Xun originally wanted to say that even the military salary was paid by you, Shi Dayong. Is this Liaodong Army still the Ming Dynasty's army, but he couldn't say this no matter what.

"But I don't know when General Shi will set off to fight against the bandits?" After talking for a long time, Hou Xun finally got down to business, which was also the purpose of his coming to Dengzhou this time.

Dayong hesitated and said, "It will take some time."

"The thieves in the Central Plains are rampant, and the Ministry of War is urging documents one after another. The so-called military situation is extremely urgent. General Shi must not delay the important matter. I promised the emperor when I came here. Don't let the emperor down. "Hou Xun didn't urge Dayong explicitly, but what he said meant that Dayong should send troops immediately.

"It's not that the last general doesn't want to leave immediately, it's because the army has no food." Dayong sighed, "Does your lord want the last general to be a thief before he can kill the thief?"

Before the army moved, food and grass went first, Hou Xun sighed how important food and grass are to an army, and said: "For food and grass, I will try to raise some for you."

"Thank you, sir." Dayong bowed and saluted Hou Xun solemnly.

"If the food and grass are ready, but I don't know when you can send troops?"

"At least half a month."

"How many soldiers and horses can be dispatched?"

"Thirty thousand horse infantry."

"[-]?" Hou Xun was startled again, but he was much weaker than when he heard the [-] musketeers before. He pondered for a while, nodded and said: "The day the soldiers and horses set off is the day when the imperial court rewards you for Shi Dayong's loyalty." hour."

"The last general dare not expect extravagant rewards from the court, but just ask the court to treat me fairly, and the princes in power don't need to doubt my sincerity."

"The imperial court will not let you down."

"The last general still has one more request, and I ask your lord to agree."

"What's the matter?"

"Dongjiang Shen Zongbing detained several boats of the last navy, and I would like to ask my lord to give Shen Zongbing a letter of divorce and let him release them."

"It's a trivial matter, and I will give you a divorce letter later on."

Hou Xun agreed, but he was puzzled, how did Shen Shikui from Dongjiang conflict with Shi Dayong?This matter is to be well investigated.

..............

Xingyang is known as "the belt of the eastern capital and the throat of the Three Qin Dynasties". Songshan Mountain stands on the south, Mangling runs across the north, Beijing Xiangcheng in the east, and Hulao Pass in the west. It has always been a battleground for military strategists.

Just after October, the Dahai Temple in the east of Xingyang City is very lively. Two huge red lanterns are hung in front of the temple gate, and two rows of colored flags are neatly planted on both sides of the road leading to the Daxiong Palace, and they flutter from time to time in the cold wind.

In front of the Buddha statue in the main hall, there is a large red sandalwood table surrounded by thirteen chairs.Li Zicheng and Li Guo, Gu Jun'en and dozens of other soldiers were busy in and out. Tonight, the leaders of the thirteen clans were going to gather in the temple to discuss plans for the battle.As soon as it was dark, the soldiers outside the door came to report the arrival of Zhang Xianzhong, the eighth king. Li Zicheng rushed out to greet him. Zhang Xianzhong clasped his fists and asked, "Brother Zicheng, what good meal did you prepare for brother?"

Li Zicheng led Zhang Xianzhong into the main hall, asked him to sit down by the big brazier, and then replied: "My brother knows that my brother is a master who drinks big bowls and eats meat. He is not used to the delicate meals of officials and eunuchs. Ten altars of strong wine, two whole pigs have already been slaughtered, and they are steaming under the stove!" He stopped talking, raised his nose and took a breath, "There is already some fragrance, it must be out of the pot soon."

"Tonight is a gathering of all the masters. If it's a normal dinner, my brother will leave without hesitation." Zhang Xianzhong stroked his thick beard and laughed.

Li Zicheng took a step forward, stretched out his hand and raised the curtain of the red sandalwood table. There were many wine jars lined up under the table. He touched the red paper sign on the jar, and said with a smile: "My brother is a distinguished guest, how dare I treat you with ordinary shochu? The famous Shangkuchun in Xingyang, the aroma of the wine is covered with mud."

"Shangkuchun? I haven't heard of it, let alone tasted it."

"This is a good wine that has been famous since ancient times!" Seeing Zhang Xianzhong's words, Gu Junen seemed a little unhappy, and explained: "This wine was recorded as early as in the "Guo Shi Bu" written by people in the Tang Dynasty. In the first year, it has always been the work of the imperial court. This wine is brewed from Sanku Village, but only Shangku Village can be considered a good wine..."

"Okay, okay!" Zhang Xianzhong yelled: "I can't read a few baskets at a big age, and my head gets bigger when I hear people drop their books. You can tell if the wine is good or not. Why are you so noisy?" There was a faint smell of wine, and the wine worm in his belly was agitated, but he asked again: "It's strange! These days I ordered people to look for wine everywhere, and I went to Shangku Village, why didn't I find it?"

Li Zicheng said: "The owner of the wine shop in Shangku Village ran away long before we came. Later, he was worried about the old wine cellars, and the year was approaching, so he sneaked back and saw that Ma Qiu, the Chuangwang's man, did nothing wrong. This is how we dare to reopen for business.”

While the two were talking, Gao Yingxiang strode in, saw Zhang Xianzhong and teased, "You came so early, you can smell the wine!"

"Look at what my brother said! I want to have a good year with my brother!" Zhang Xianzhong stood up and saluted with crossed hands and clasped fists.

"Sit down and warm yourself by the fire." Gao Yingxiang nodded with a smile,

Li Zicheng heard a commotion in the courtyard and knew that many leaders had come, so he rushed out to welcome them.Sure enough, old Huihui Ma Shouying, Ge Liyan He Yilong, Zuojin Wang Hejin, Cao Cao Luo Rucai, Changed King Xubian, Shetatian Li Wanqing, Hunshiwan Ma Jinzhong, Guotianxing Huidengxiang, Sweeping King Zhang Yichuan, Chuangtiantian Liu Guoneng , Nine dragons Guo Dacheng entered the gate of the temple one after another.

Li Zicheng greeted everyone and led them into the main hall. When they saw Gao Yingxiang, they clasped their fists and saluted.Gao Yingxiang greeted everyone to sit around the table, and the dishes were served immediately. Before the soldiers moved the wine and placed the wine bowls, Zhang Xianzhong reached out and brought out a jar of wine. Come, strong and mellow.

He looked around the crowd and said with a smile, "I'll try it first." He poured a bowl full, poured it down his throat, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and praised: "It's really good wine!"

Gao Yingxiang was aroused by his arrogance, got up with the wine and said: "I have been waiting for my brothers to rebel for six or seven years. I have moved to Sanqin, and I have never lived in peace. Today, brothers in a different place are reunited. Hurry up, let's finish this bowl first!"

Everyone did it together and sat down to eat vegetables. Zhang Xianzhong took a pork leg from the clay pot and munched.Gao Yingxiang paused for a moment, then sighed suddenly: "In the last years of the apocalypse, heroes rose together, raised the flag of righteousness, killed corrupt officials, and stormed the city. What a momentum! Over the past ten years, most of the 36th Battalion of that year has been dissipated, and we are the only ones left. A few people and horses were driven out of their hometown in Shaanxi. Although Chexiangxia survived the catastrophe, many brothers were lost in vain..."