Ding Kuichu took a deep breath, pointed to the north and said, "Order the whole army to turn around immediately and return to Wuzhou as soon as possible." ”

As soon as the words came out, he felt a knot in his chest. Not long ago, he was deceived by King Chen with various illusions, and honestly led his army to leave Wuzhou and go south, and he didn't even want baggage on the road. Unexpectedly, King Chen's gang suddenly went to surround Wuzhou, so that he could only turn around and turn back in embarrassment.

This back and forth was a hurried march, and when he returned to Wuzhou, he was waiting for work by King Chen.

It took him a long time to calm down the anger in his heart, and suddenly realized that his army was close to Luchuan, but the grain and grass were still falling in the Cen River area. And King Chen has surrounded Wuzhou, but it is close to Cen Xi, and it is likely to send a team to attack his baggage.

His men and horses brought only seven days' rations, and if they lost their baggage, the army would be in chaos. He hurriedly summoned Zhong Mingyuan, the general of the department, to roughly explain the change in Wuzhou to him, and ordered his subordinates to requisition grain and grass on the spot for the war.

Zhong Ming was far away but did not leave immediately, but repeatedly looked at the black jade wrench handed to him by Chen Jiao, and after a while, he frowned and said: "Lord Dutang, this wrench is extremely finely made, and it has become the thing of King Gui in the nineth. But it is also possible that it is a skillful craftsman of Chen Wangde, and it must be guarded against. ”

Ding Kuichu shook his head with a wry smile, "Don't say ninety percent, King Gui is the only one percent possible in Wuzhou, and I will go to it." ”

This Zhong Mingyuan is Su Ping's father-in-law. His son-in-law had led the main force of 20,000 Cantonese troops before, but he was completely annihilated in less than half a day in Fujing.

He immediately admonished: "Governor, in the humble opinion of my subordinates, the decisive battle at this time is very unfavorable to me.

"Or when you are based in southern Guinan, hoard grain and grass, Chen Bing resists the enemy on the front line of the Xunjiang River, and takes Xu Xu Tuzhi as the ......"

"Confused!" Ding Kuichu glanced at him angrily, and reprimanded, "I raised troops in the name of King Gui Naizhengshuo, if I lose King Gui in Wuzhou, my generals will be nameless, and the rebels will not be far away."

"In addition, if King Chen wins Wuzhou, the connection between our army and all parts of northern Guizhou will be severed. He reverted to the imperial court to edict Guangxi, who else in Liuzhou, Pingle, Guilin and other important towns in the north obeyed my orders? ”

In fact, he also knew that many officials in Guangxi were still attached to the imperial court, and where his military strength could not reach, he would inevitably soon break away from his rule.

He continued sharply: "At present, Wuzhou is beginning to change, just when all places have not had time to react, with my several times the strength of the enemy's army, with the momentum of pushing the mountains and abysses to relieve the siege of Wuzhou, regain the throne of King Gui, and issue the edict to Huguang and Yunnan Qinwang, and the major event can be continued."

"And sitting in Guinan, but in the land of the two provinces, the soldiers, horses, money and food are poor, and they can't wrestle with King Chen. And if there is no King Gui as the name, it is difficult for Gui Nan to be stable! ”

He pointed hard at the outside of the tent, "Pass my general order, immediately go north to Wuzhou, and fight King Chen to the death under the city!" ”

Zhong Mingyuan sighed in his heart, and had to give up his hand and answer: "The last general will obey the order." He bowed down again.

A few days later, Ding Kuichu's men and horses had traveled less than forty miles away from the Huanghua River, and it was Cen Xi City that crossed the river for half a day.

Suddenly, the cavalry of the front team galloped to the Chinese army, saying that the scouts in charge of the guard had encountered a baggage team that had just crossed the Huanghua River last night, and that the soldiers and horses of King Chen had not appeared for several days, and none of the money, food, and utensils they had brought had been lost.

Ding Kuichu was overjoyed when he heard this - "none of the money, food and utensils were lost", that is to say, the twelve heavy artillery sent by the Francophone were still there. With these cannons, the decisive battle with King Chen has a few more chances of winning.

On the side, Chen Xue was a little puzzled: "King Chen is close to Wuzhou, why didn't he divide his troops to rob me?" This is quite unexpected. ”

Ding Kuichu stroked his beard and smiled: "But it was not unexpected by me." King Chen had only four or five thousand men and horses, and it was not surprising that he was stingy with the division of troops for besieging the city. Or he was sloppy in probing the horse, and the team couldn't find me in the back, so he left the ear. ”

He also instructed Chen Jiao, "Order the whole army to camp on the south bank of the Huanghua River as soon as possible." Tomorrow at the end of the day, bury the pot to make rice, and cross the river at the end of the day. ”

"Subordinates obey!"

The next day, Ding Kuichu's soldiers had breakfast, and they were about to start crossing the river by the boats they had recruited nearby yesterday.

When Zhong Ming came from afar to transport grain, he saw that the queue of soldiers and horses by the river was crowded, and they rushed to Ding Kuichu's tent, and hurriedly said: "Lord Dutang, when the advance team is fortified on the opposite bank, and then the whole army crosses the river, beware of the enemy attacking me in the middle of the crossing." ”

Ding Kuichu smiled and shook his head, "You are also too cautious." There is no King Chen in the near future, otherwise how could he ignore the grain and grass of my rear team? ”

Zhong Mingyuan persuaded him for a long time, and Ding Kuichu reluctantly ordered him to lead more than 1,000 people to cross the river first.

As soon as his brigade arrived on the opposite bank, Cen Xizhi County brought 100 people and rushed to the labor army with money and grain.

Zhong Mingyuan hurriedly stepped forward to ask if he had encountered suspicious soldiers and horses nearby, and Cen Xizhi County only looked at Ding Kuichu deeply, and said loudly: "The Heavenly Army of the Governor Hall has arrived, and Xiaoxiao can't avoid it, how can any soldiers and horses dare to come and send them to death?" ”

Ding Kuichu laughed heartily when he heard this, and ridiculed Zhong Mingyuan again, saying that he was afraid of King Chen like a tiger.

Half a day later, Ding Kui Chu had already crossed Cen Xi, because he was worried that Wuzhou would not be able to hold on, so he only plundered the city, and arrived at the big mountain top pass north of Cen Xi in the evening.

Zhong Mingyuan personally drove the horse's head forward to explore the road, and saw that the majestic peaks on both sides of this place were hundreds of feet high, and there was only a small road more than ten zhang wide in the middle, which was a dangerous place for soldiers.

He once again persuaded Ding Kuichu to camp outside the mountain pass first, and sent a scout horse to turn over the mountains on both sides.

It wasn't until half a day later that the horses reported one after another, saying that this place was full of barren mountains, and not a single soldier was ambushed here.

Ding Kuichu hated that he couldn't fly back to Wuzhou, but he was delayed here for a long time, and angrily reprimanded Zhong Mingyuan in public, "Don't think that you know soldiers in the whole world!" The Huanghua River is on the top of the mountain, and you delay the one-day trip of my army, if Wuzhou loses because of this, I will cut you to sacrifice the flag! ”

After walking for more than half a day, when the main force of the Ding clan passed the top of the mountain, there was already a flat river in front of him, and there was no dangerous terrain before reaching Wuzhou, and he repeatedly urged the army to advance quickly.

Although Zhong Mingyuan was scolded, he was still careful at all times. This time, he didn't dare to alarm Ding Kuichu, so he only led his henchmen to explore in front, and saw that the west side of the mountain pass on the top of the big mountain was a sparse poplar forest, and the east side was a gentle slope, and there was a smooth road more than two miles wide in the middle.

He first rode his horse in front of the forest, the trees were at least six feet apart, and the shrubs under the trees were only more than half a foot high.

There are no enemy troops in the two places that are very suitable for ambushes at the ferry and the mountain pass, and the terrain should not be different at present, that is, if you really want to set up an ambush here, the terrain is wide and flat, and your own brigade of men and horses must advance and retreat calmly, even if there is no impassable place on both sides.

He breathed a sigh of relief at the moment, and couldn't help laughing at himself for being too suspicious, and turned his horse back to the army.