Chapter 17: Earth Rift V

As soon as Zhang Xuan entered Wuchang City, he entered the state. After he sat down with everyone, the first question he asked was, "Where is Zhou Fuchen?" ”

Wang Long said: "I have already been sent to support Chongqing. ”

Zhang Xuan frowned slightly, feeling that Wang Lung's decision could not be said to be wrong. To defend Chongqing, the water division should be the priority, because Chongqing is simply a peninsula stretching into the Yangtze River, facing water on three sides, as long as the water division is strong, it is an unbreakable city.

But compared with Chongqing, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River are more places for sailors.

Zhang Xuan said: "Is He Hutou in Chongqing? ”

"Yes." Wang Lung said.

Zhang Xuan said: "Order He Hutou to command the soldiers and horses in Chongqing, and send more than 10,000 recruits from all over the country to supplement Chongqing, and I transferred dozens of artillery pieces from the army and 3,000 guns to support Chongqing, so that Zhou Fuchen immediately went down the river to support Nanjing." ”

Wang Lung naturally has no problem. But the people behind Wang Lung had some embarrassment.

Zhang Xuan instantly understood. Wang Lung may not have too many ideas, but the people around him may not have too many ideas. Qian Qianyi's troubles are not without sequelae in the local area. To put it simply, for many officials, they would rather wait and see than take a stand and see.

Luo Yulong's prestige is not high, but how many people Qian Qianyi has, his prestige may still be useful in all parts of Jiangnan, but in places like Huguang, there are not many.

Wuchang was so eager to welcome Zhang Xuan. Maybe it's not how high Zhang Xuan's prestige is, but that they urgently need a person to top the thunder.

And Zhang Xuan's identity, prestige, and so on. It's all suitable.

Zhang Xuan seemed to explain to Wang Long, and also to the people behind Wang Long: "Under the current situation, although Nanjing has the danger of the Yangtze River, the Yangtze River Naval Division is in Chongqing, the Zheng Naval Division is overseas, although there are warships on the Yangtze River, but there are not many, as long as the Yangtze River Naval Division returns to help, Nanjing is as stable as Mount Tai." Even if the Qing army had millions of soldiers and horses, it could not cross the river and go south, so we would have time to solve our problems. ”

Wang Lung said, "What does the general mean? ”

"Without defeating the Qing army in Xiangyang first, it is impossible for us to turn east at all." Zhang Xuan said.

There are all kinds of factors, and of course there is a strategic threat to the north, but there are also other things, such as political factors, and his army suddenly advanced near Gyeonggi, and he was in a situation of political chaos.

What kind of chain reaction will it cause, Zhang Xuan couldn't figure it out for a while.

As soon as he thought of this, Zhang Xuan hated in his heart. Secretly said: "I hope Luo Yulong will deal with housework as soon as possible." ”

Zhang Xuan's idea is Luo Yulong's idea.

Under the city of Yangzhou.

The fire has the potential to burn the prairie fire. The boiling fire burned out the prosperity accumulated in Yangzhou for more than 200 years.

As I have said before, Yangzhou is the prosperous place in the world, outside the city wall of Yangzhou, there are at least nine streets, not to mention the courtyards of the rich or something, it can be said that the city wall of Yangzhou is in the layers of attics, and even from the attic to the city wall, only need to lay a layer of wooden boards.

In such a situation, the situation outside the city is of great benefit to the besieging side.

It can be said that the Qing army could directly go up to the city wall through the attic and fight hand-to-hand with the Xia army.

If the previous Xia army had too many Cao Ying veterans, this kind of battle in the city may not be afraid of the Qing army.

But now, Luo Yulong's hands are full of no more than 50,000 horses, half of these horses are the Xia army that followed Luo Yulong and returned defeated, and some of them are defenders who have withdrawn from all over the country, the largest of which is the Fengyang army, which was brought back by Zhang Pu.

The cavalry of the Qing army was extremely fast, and even went in front of the retreating troops, losing a lot of cities in vain, and most of the men and horses did not withdraw.

The news of Zhang Yingyuan's death in battle made the people in the city even more panicked.

These repeatedly defeated soldiers have no morale at all. If he can resist the newly victorious army of the Qing army, after Luo Yulong came to Yangzhou City, the first thing he did was to withdraw all the people outside the city to the city, and those who did not want to enter the city could go to the countryside to hide. In short, this is mandatory.

Then Luo Yulong set fire to all the buildings outside Yangzhou City.

For a time, the flames outside the city soared, and the crying inside the city was overwhelming.

For the local people of Yangzhou, there is almost no difference between living in and out of the city. But now, a fire has blessed them for a lifetime, and even the inheritance passed down from their ancestors. And Luo Yulong has no compensation.

If you have relatives and friends in the city, it's a little better, and you can find an eight-foot place to stay.

And those people in the city who have no friends, no relatives, and no savings of their own can only be reduced to beggars on the streets.

Before the war came, all prices were rolling upward. For those who have less savings, I am afraid that even three meals will become a problem. The streets and alleys are full of beggars, although it is winter, but the winter in Yangzhou is slightly warmer than the winter in the north.

The snow and ice have long since melted.

It's just that for these people who sleep on the streets, it is also an extremely sad threshold. Almost every morning, several bodies were brought out, either from the disease, from starvation, or of course to death. When people have no way out. A lot of things have been done.

In the face of such a situation, Zhang Zhen, as the minister of Yangzhou, had nothing to do. Just send people to collect the corpses, and then find a way to evacuate the population of the city to the south of the Yangtze River. But this thing, with the arrival of the Qing army one after another, could not be done.

Although the Qing army did not besiege Yangzhou City, it was impossible to transport a large number of people out under the nose of the Qing army.

This operation ended, and the situation in the city was even worse.

Zhang Zhen can only count all the strong men in the city as people's husbands, and there is no remuneration, only three meals a day. In the face of hunger, countless people enthusiastically signed up. Yangzhou was originally one of the transshipment bases of the Northern Expedition, and a lot of grain was stranded in Yangzhou.

Therefore, for a while, the food in Zhang Qian's hands was enough.

Even so, Zhang Zhen can only take care of the strong men, those old, weak, sick and disabled, etc., can only be left to their own feats.

And in front of Luo Yulong, it is such a miserable picture of the homeless.

Luo Yulong followed his father Luo Rucai, who started from among the homeless, and he did not lack sympathy for the homeless, but in the face of the current situation, he could only be ruthless, once he was a little soft-hearted, Yangzhou City was not guaranteed, and the consequences would be much more serious than starving to death.

But he had countless reasons to convince himself, but he still didn't want to look more, and closed the window.

The world is divided into three moonlit nights, and two scoundrels are in Yangzhou.

The place where Luo Yulong collapsed was the Sanfen Mingyue Tower. Although there is a little bit of vassal elegance, the architectural furnishings are also extremely elegant, and in Luo Yulong's opinion, it is much better than the Nanjing Palace. It seems that as long as the windows are closed, the voices of the people's distress will not be heard.

Luo Yulong said: "How many Qing troops are coming. ”

"The Qing soldiers came in separate ways." Yang Chengzu said: "When the minister went to the city to watch, there were probably tens of thousands of soldiers, and it should be Li Chengdong under the name of "Li". It should be the vanguard of the Qing army. ”

Yang Chengzu was squeezed out by Qian Qianyi, and he brought reinforcements from Nanjing, but there were only 20,000 horses.

20,000 is a new force, and it is Luo Yulong's capital to stay in Nanjing, which is naturally the most elite, but what about the elite? Yang Chengzu brought these to support Yangzhou, which shows that Nanjing is completely under the control of Qian Qianyi.

Thinking of this, Luo Yulong felt a burst of anger in his heart, this emotion came and went quickly. Luo Yulong quickly calmed down. He just felt that there seemed to be a bottomless hole in his heart, empty.

There is always a limit to people's emotions, after Luo Yulong was angry many times. I don't have the strength to get angry anymore.

"Uncle Yang, what does Qian Qianyi want to do?" Luo Yulong said: "With their little means, I can calm it down with my backhand." ”

Luo Yulong's words are not false.

Qian Qianyi is indeed good at the party fight, but if you want to fight, don't look at Luo Yulong's only a little bit of soldiers and horses left, but it is not difficult to calm down Qian Qianyi.