Chapter 60: The Great Army Passes Over

From mid-October to late November of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen.

During this period of time, Zhang Xuan has lived a very fulfilling life. Although it was only a month and a half, the people of Linying had an obvious intention of returning to their hearts, at least, during the period of time when Zhang Xuan was in charge of Linying, no one starved to death anymore, and the dead bodies near the county seat were no longer uncollected. Zhang Xuan built a mound in the south of the city and buried all these unburied corpses.

When Zhang Xuan was busy with government affairs, the ground in Linying was not completely calm, the cavalry of Luo Dai's department often fought with the horses of the official army, as well as the village soldiers of the squires from all over the country, there were no large-scale engagements, and there were not many troops in Xuzhou and Yanling, and it was not enough to suppress the local riots, and there was no intention of attacking Linying on a large scale. And Zhang Xuan was busy with things, and he couldn't finish it, and he didn't have time to touch the officials and soldiers. However, this situation broke in late November.

It was not the official army that was broken, but the rebel army. The rebel army has returned.

Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai's main force, first attacked Ye County, Xiang County, and then went all the way south, attacked Nanyang Prefecture, captured Nanyang again, and then south, Xiangyang was heavily garrisoned, Zuo Liangyu was also transferred from the east, Li Zicheng did not have the heart to touch Zuo Liangyu, and returned to the north.

However, this time, officials from all over the country were set up, of course, they were all leaders of the local hungry people, and Li Zicheng didn't care if he could hold the city or not.

Li Zicheng returned to Yuncheng in late November, and then the army marched north, arriving at Linying on the third day of December. In the midst of this, he was welcomed like never before.

The city of Linying was cleaned up, and all the roads were mated with loess. Zhang Xuan's part, divided into two sides, and the people are kneeling on the ground, and the camp of the army has already been built, part of it is in the city, part of it is outside the city, and now the people of the camp headquarters, and the people and horses of the Cao camp headquarters, add up to 100,000 people, can they fight, not to mention for the time being, but the momentum is open, which makes people fearful, and the small Linying County cannot accommodate these 100,000 horses.

"Meet General Li, meet General Luo." Hundreds of people shouted, and their voices were extremely neat.

Li Zicheng only felt a sense of smoky intoxication. He had never encountered such a courtesy, this kind of courtesy was Zhang Xuan's etiquette to greet the Qin Cha, a little simplified, and more than 30,000 people in the city came to greet him. Although Li Zicheng has more than 100,000 soldiers under his command, many people still regard him as a thief, even if he has the support of the hungry people, it is only for a bite to eat, and he does not have such subordinates who can plan etiquette, this kind of organizational ability is lacking in Li Zicheng's subordinates.

"If only there were great generals. Much better. Li Zicheng said secretly in his heart. This was the only place where he felt uncomfortable.

"Pass the order, reward." Li Zicheng said happily.

Countless copper coins were sprinkled, and the atmosphere was extremely festive for a while, and the adults did not move much, but the children seemed to be little rats, picking up money everywhere, and they were happy for a while, making people forget that they seemed to be in troubled times.

The army returned to their camps, rested for a day, and continued their march north tomorrow. As soon as Luo Rucai entered the city, he took Luo Yulong and Wang Long to have a meal with Zhang Xuan and his wife.

"Are you doing well?" Luo Rucai saw the fish pieces in the bowl and said.

"If I didn't have my father's support, how could I live in Linying." Zhang Xuan said: "I have 10,000 catties of dried fish here to send to my father, enough military food, and I will smile at my father." ”

Zhang Xuan had been prepared for this for a long time, and it was impossible for him not to provide food for the main army. In fact, the reason why Li Zicheng wants to set up officials in various places is that it is becoming more and more difficult to get food in Henan now.

"Dad, give me all these dried fish." Luo Yulong gobbled it up and said, "I've got it all." ”

Don't think that the rogues are plundering everywhere, there is nothing to eat, on the contrary, in order to raise so many mouths, it would be good for them to be full. Luo Rucai is a little better, he never suffers from himself, and when he has a harvest. The delicacies of the mountains and seas are passing, and if there is no harvest, tighten the belt, and you can get by.

But Li Zicheng is different, what Li Zicheng eats is the same as ordinary soldiers, often wild vegetable bibimbap, which is the kind of wild vegetables that Zhang Xuan eats that have no other taste except bitterness.

"Nonsense." Luo Rucai said: "There must be a bowl of water in the army, how can I give it to you?" ”

Luo Yulong didn't talk to him and tried to eat fish. Wang Lung sat on the side, his eyes looked at the smiling Luo Yujiao from time to time, his heart was a little gloomy, but he didn't speak.

"Daddy." Zhang Xuan asked, "What are your plans for King Chuang?" ”

Luo Rucai said: "Lao Li means that Kaifeng must be laid down and ready to take Kaifeng as the foundation. Raiders in all directions. This is what Niu Jinxing means, however, Li Xin is a little unimpressed. Li Xin persuaded Lao Li to go south, but most of the strategists in Lao Li's army were from Henan. They all persuaded Lao Li to capture Kaifeng and take Kaifeng as the base. ”

Zhang Xuan secretly said in his heart: "There are still some people who understand around King Chuang. ”

Kaifeng is not much of a good place. Even if Kaifeng has thousands of benefits, as long as there is one bad place, it is not a place to establish a foundation, that is, the river disaster.

The Yellow River has long since become a hanging river on the ground. Just open the Yellow River, and millions of people will become fish and turtles. How can it be the foundation of a great power?

However, Kaifeng also had to fight, and if Kaifeng was not defeated, the official army would use Kaifeng as a base and limit the righteous army to the south of Kaifeng and north of Xiangyang. Therefore, Kaifeng had to fight, Kaifeng, the Central Plains, let the righteous army gallop.

Some issues are not easy to talk about at the dinner table, just talk about them in general terms, and talk about some interesting stories about the war. After being full of wine and food, Luo Rucai and Zhang Xuan were alone.

"What are you going to do?" Luo Rucai said: "Are you still ready to guard a county? ”

"Dad, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Zhang Xuan said: "If you don't govern a county, how to govern the world, you will win the world immediately, and you can't rule the world immediately." In the land of Yingying, where the ancient Yingchuan County is located, thousands of miles of fertile fields, I am ready to settle here next year, and it will only take one or two years to supply tens of thousands of stone grain to the army. At that time, the rebels here will not be rootless. ”

Linying is actually not without shortcomings, the terrain is flat, but it is the place of four battles. When the official army came to attack, there was no danger to defend at all, so they could only retreat to the city and abandon the outside of the city to the official army. However, sometimes no choice is perfect, and you can only move forward with it.

Luo Rucai said: "Okay, since you think so. I don't mean not to be perfect, but now, although the righteous army is smooth sailing, it doesn't mean that the official army can't do it, the official army and the Qin army, the left army, and the Fengyang army are all strong forces. They didn't dare to come for a while, but it wasn't that they wouldn't come. I estimate that this year, maybe next year, Zuo Liangyu will attack from the south, and when the time comes, this Linying can be guarded, if it can't be guarded. Just bring Yujiao with you, remember, don't be reckless. ”

Zhang Xuan said: "Yes." I'm sure I'm not going to let Yujiao get hurt in any way. ”

Luo Rucai asked in a solemn tone: "You insist on Linying, do you abandon me to join Li Zicheng's heart, will it be like this?" ”

When Zhang Xuan heard this, his forehead sweated slightly, and he immediately said: "This is definitely not the case, I and my father, who are close to each other, how can I vote for another one?" I just cultivate some talents, for example, Linying Zhang Zhen is my brother, not a talent from the prefecture and county, and he will be able to use it in the future when he comes to Jiangnan. ”

Whether Zhang Xuan has the idea of finding a way out, only Zhang Xuan himself knows. It's just that he doesn't dare to say it explicitly at this moment, otherwise even if he is a son-in-law, he thinks that Luo Rucai can't do it?

Luo Rucai glanced at Zhang Xuan deeply and said: "Since this is the case, you should stay in Linying, cultivate more talents, and when you come to Jiangnan in the future, you will be my Xiao He." Luo Rucai's words, I don't know if I can see Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Zhang Xuan just feels that the clothes behind him are slightly damp.

It's a cold sweat.

Zhang Xuan said in his heart: "Father-in-law, father-in-law, it's not that I want to be like this, but you are so hesitant on key issues, it really shouldn't be, I just want to survive." I can't blame me for that. ”

Luo Rucai's feeling is very sensitive, Zhang Xuan is centrifuged, but Zhang Xuan did not defect to Li Zicheng's heart, but it is true.