Ma Lantou turned his horse and walked back, the officers and soldiers were killing like a tide, there were countless torches moving in the north, thinking that it was Chen Hansan's team, holding the horse's head, shouting and leading people to break through in the direction of East Huaiyang.

Five days ago, Ma Lan wanted to take 2,000 elites to jump out of the encirclement and pull a group of people to the area of Wuyang and Zhoudian to support the increasingly difficult situation in Huaiyang.

Unexpectedly, Chen Zhihu's soldiers and horses hid in the old Huaigou to play an ambush, and they couldn't hide when encountered, and a scuffle occurred.

The 2,000 veterans who followed the southern expedition and the northern war from the beginning of the Hongzepu incident were defeated in only one night. Many were killed in battle, and many more were scattered at the time; Chen Zhihu had cavalry under his command, and in the bright and miserable snowy night, he chased and killed on horseback.

Fortunately, the deputy general He Zongliang led dozens of people to protect him, and Ma Lantou had the opportunity to fight his way north out of the encirclement in the melee and did not annihilate the whole army. In the hilly area north of Laohuaigou, he was entangled with the pursuers for a day, and then turned south at night, and saw the corpses with his heads cut off along the way.

Walking into a ditch, he encountered ambushes again—it was only then that Ma Lantou discovered that the number of officers and soldiers west of Huaiyang far exceeded his previous estimate.

At first, Ma Lanlong wanted to use the terrain and night to disguise himself and pass through the encirclement, but when he saw that the number of officers and soldiers in the west was so large, he could only forcibly protrude through the gap in the encirclement that had not been completely closed.

The villages and forts on the left and right were almost all cleaned by Chen Zhihu, and Ma Lantou and his party hid and hidden, and after eating up the rations they carried, they could only rely on digging grass roots from the snow to satisfy their hunger - although it was only more than 100 miles away from Huaiyang, it was so difficult to pass through the encirclement of officers and soldiers.

Chen Zhihu implemented a policy of prohibition between the rivers and Huai, especially in the area of hundreds of miles surrounded by Sizhou to the north, south of Yanling, west of Bianshui, and east of Wushui, and he demanded that his soldiers kill any man he saw taller than a horse as a traitor.

Chen Zhihu was brutal and tyrannical, which made the exile army hate him to the core, but he had to admit that his forbidden policy brought great difficulties and crises to the Red Jacket Army in the encirclement.

Chen Zhihu's elite department has only more than 10,000 people, plus the local people under his control, the total strength is about 20,000.

The total strength of the Hehuai Liumin Army with the Huaiyang Red Jacket Army as the core was once more than 200,000; Even if it is fought until now, it has been compressed to the inner line of Huaiyang, and the number of troops is as high as 100,000.

Counting the officers and soldiers around Huaiyang, the total strength is almost 70,000 or 80,000.

Only by transferring these soldiers and horses to Chen Zhihu's command can he besiege Huaiyang City - but the officers and soldiers around Huaiyang have their own thoughts, and Chen Zhihu can only call on 10,000 elites and 10,000 miscellaneous soldiers, and it is extremely difficult to completely besiege Huaiyang.

It was through the prohibition of tyranny that Chen Zhihu formed a no-man's land between the rivers and the Huai River with a depth of 2,300 miles and almost 12 counties. He led the elite of his headquarters to garrison the inner line of the walled city, and with only 20,000 soldiers and horses, he actually besieged hundreds of thousands of wandering troops in the inner line of Huaiyang.

Moreover, because of the forbidden policy, the people in the countryside between the whirlpools, who did not have time to flee, could only hide in Huaiyang City to avoid massacres, so that the population of Huaiyang City, plus the displaced army and their families, surged to nearly 400,000 in a short time......

No one would doubt that Chen Zhihu would kill these 400,000 men, women, and children as rebels.

Of course, holding Huaiyang City is not a problem, and the key is that Chen Zhihu is not attacking, but only besieging on the periphery, how can the 400,000 bellies in the city be filled?

Huaiyang City's original relatively sufficient grain reserves soon bottomed out. Ordinary people have nothing else to gain every day except for a bowl of gruel mixed with wild vegetables and weeds that can see the face of the human face. Even the 20,000 elites in Liu Miaozhen's hands only have four or two meters of flour every day to satisfy their hunger - a large number of people in Huaiyang City starve to death every day, and the dead man's ditch outside the city is almost filled with corpses, and they are all frozen tightly - some people in the city even began to eat Yizi.

There is a precedent for the Yanling massacre, and there are still people who lead their troops to go out and surrender.

Liu Miaozhen and Ma Lantou did not stop it; Chen Zhihu only said that there was no government to raise the thieves' surplus rice and grain, and he ruthlessly slaughtered two groups of people and horses, so no one dared to go out and surrender again.

Thinking of this, Ma Lantou almost fell into despair, Chen Zhihu was a crazy tiger who was extremely hungry and ate people. Perhaps when all the generals of the Wandering People's Army sacrifice their heads, he will give a way out to the hundreds of thousands of people trapped in Huaiyang City.

Maybe there is no way to survive at all, even if the gate of Huaiyang City is opened, how many people can have the strength to climb dozens of miles away?

************

Ma Lantou and his deputy general He Zongliang took dozens of soldiers until the third day to approach the periphery of Huaiyang City, and only entered the city with the help of soldiers and horses in the city. The two thousand old soldiers who broke through this time, almost only a few dozen of them survived, and Ma Lantou's heart ached to death.

Liu Miaozhen stood at the head of Huaiyang City, looking out at the snow-covered fields.

After her delicate mask was cut off by Lin Xuan, she changed into a bronze mask and put it on her face.

Liu Miaozhen's figure is taller than that of ordinary women, about the same as ordinary men, and she is a little shorter. In the past, she used to wear several layers of armor to cover her figure, but now she only wears a red armor. The bronze mask has big eyes, a broken nose and fangs, and a bloody tongue spitting out, which is lined with the red armor on her body, which is very powerful.

Ma Lantou climbed to the top of the city, walked to Liu Miaozhen's side, and said in a suppressed voice: "Miss, if you don't break through, you won't be able to break through." The blockade in the west is more than twice as dense as half a month ago, it seems that the Changhuai army is coming north from Luzhou again, you have to keep the fire for the Huangjue Righteous Army......"

Liu Miaozhen already knew the news that Tao Chun led the main force of the Changhuai Army from Luzhou to the north.

Due to Chen Zhihu's ban and blockade, it was difficult for Huaiyang's scouts to sneak into Huaixi, and she knew that these news were sent by Sun Zhuang secretly, at least they would not completely seal their ears and eyes.

Of course, Sun Zhuang's news is also true or false, not that Liu Miaozhen doesn't trust Sun Zhuang, but Huaidong is very wary of Sun Zhuang, and the Tang copy that Sun Zhuang can access is likely to be adulterated with fake news, in short, they have no ability to verify the truth or falsehood.

"It's easy to lead 20,000 people to stand out, but what about their small family?" Liu Miaozhen asked, "Shall I go and tell my brothers that we will leave our family in Huaiyang City, and one day, I will bring you back to avenge the blood and hatred?" ”

After the Huaisi War, Liu Miaozhen led his troops to cross Bianxi to the west, mainly in the area west of Huaiyang, and reorganized the troops, with more than 20,000 elite soldiers. In the past two years, the 20,000 elite soldiers led by Liu Miaozhen have always been the core combat strength of the Hehuai Liumin Army.

It is not difficult for her to lead 20,000 elite soldiers to stand out from Chen Zhihu's encirclement, but it doesn't matter whether other people in Huaiyang City live or die, the 30,000 or 50,000 families behind the 20,000 elite soldiers in the headquarters are not something that Liu Miaozhen can give up if she wants to.

The exile army has no foundation, no stronghold, and taking their families to fight in the world is their biggest weakness, and Liu Miaozhen can't overcome this.

"I'll stay," Ma Lantou said resolutely, "Only when the eldest lady leads her troops to stand out, will there be a way to survive here." Even if it doesn't work, my family and I all die in Huaiyang City, and I will give you an explanation! ”

Ma Lantou said tragically and generously, Liu Miaozhen was moved in her heart - she frowned and thought, she didn't immediately agree to Ma Lantou, but the bronze mask shone with a cold glow in the sunset.

At this time, a female guard wearing red armor came up to the city, saw Ma Lantou present, and saluted: "Ma Shuai!" With irrepressible excitement, he replied to Liu Miaozhen, "The Bianshui River in the east is frozen, and the ice is enough to be more than a foot thick!" ”

"Fight east?" Ma Lantou asked in shock.

If the Liumin Army in the Hehuai region can still breathe in the past two years, it is mainly because the Huaidong Army has not expanded northward in Siyang and has not put military pressure on them, and Huaidong even deliberately turned a blind eye to Sun Zhuang's contact with this side.

It's just that Huaidong is also on guard against Sun Zhuang, no matter how lively the fight is elsewhere, the elite of the ten battalions of the Fengli infantry battalion is always deployed on the front line of Siyang and Shanyang.

After Chen Zhihu led his troops south, Lin Jian once led the elite cavalry to cross the Huai River and inspect Suyu, Suining and other places. The meaning is also very obvious, so he warned Sun Zhuang not to secretly collude with this side, and even warned this side not to cross the river rashly.

Now it is very difficult to deal with Chen Zhihu, the army of tigers and wolves, and the eldest lady even wants to go east to provoke the Huai Dongjun, how can Ma Lantou not be surprised?

For Ma Lantou, the Huaisi War was just yesterday, and Lin Jian led his troops to break through two villages and one city in a row, like a river down - the so-called elite of the exile army was almost vulnerable in front of the Huaidong army.

At this time, although there are twenty or thirty thousand elites in Huaiyang City who can be used, but there is a shortage of food and clothing for many days, it is not easy to stand out from under Chen Zhihu's nose, do you still want to gnaw the hard bone of the Huaidong Army?

Even if Sun Zhuang could be allowed to raise the banner of righteousness again, and Huaidong cut off the supply of grain and grass to Suining and Suyu, they were still caught between Huaidong and Chen Hansan's Xuzhou army. Just dragging Sun Zhuang into the water again in vain will not do any good to improve the situation of the displaced people's army.

Huaidong's grain and grass for Suining and Suyu are supplied once every half a month. Once the supply to Huaidong is cut off, Sun Zhuang's more than 12,000 people will almost immediately fall into a food shortage.

"I know that there is less room for maneuver in the east, but now the officers and soldiers are preparing us to break through to the west, whether it is Chen Zhihu's department or Tao Chun's Changhuai army, the troops are concentrated on the western front. If it drags on any longer, all the people in the city will starve to death," Liu Miaozhen said, "Besides, the thousand-mile journey to Nanyang, this thousand-mile journey, the place is dilapidated, and the supply is very difficult, without sufficient supplies, it is a big problem to break through to the west and want to get rid of the pursuit of Chen Zhihu and Tao Chun......"

Eastward even if it is a breath of relief, Ma Lantou sighed in his heart.

*******************

King Ning's mansion was brightly lit, illuminating the snow in the court, and the slaves and maids in the mansion were full of fear, thinking that they would be punished for accidentally doing something wrong tonight. Yue Lengqiu came in a hurry, turned the flower hall, walked into the Ming Hall in the middle, and saluted King Ning who was sitting in the hall. Zhang Yan, Zhang Xitong, Liu Zhi, as well as Jiangning's Ministry of Shangshu and Zuo Shilang were all invited.

"Governor Yue knows all about those books?" Ning Wang Yuan Jianwu asked Yue Lengqiu to sit down, and he couldn't wait to ask.

"Wechen knows a little bit about it." Yue Lengqiu said.

"What do you think Huaidong wants?" Yuan Jianwu asked.

In order to strengthen Jiangning's centralized rule over the southeastern region, Yuan Jianwu, the king of Ning, as the minister of southeastern administration, controlled the six departments of Jiangning. The Ningwang Mansion Guard Battalion has also expanded to ten battalions, except for one name, Yuan Jianwu almost already has the authority of the prince to supervise the country.

Subsequently, the authority of the six departments of Jiangning also expanded dramatically, with the most obvious being the Jiangning officials. To the south of Henan, including Lianghu, Sichuandong, Jiangxi, Jiangdong and other counties, the transfer and appointment of the official officials at the county level in Jiangning and the local county departments have the right to decide, and they can no longer be approved by Yanjing.

In addition to Zhang Yan, Zhang Xitong, and Liu Zhi, seeing that Jiangning's officials and Zuo Shilang were here, Yue Lengqiu thought that King Ning should know what Lin Jian wanted, and he still replied respectfully: "Lin Jian wants the position of Hailing prefect......

"He's also too arrogant and domineering, is the Wupin Zhengyin official he can ask for?" King Ning said hatefully, "I don't believe he has the courage to instigate the grain merchants to make trouble behind his back!" ”

In recent years, there have been many people who have reached out to beg for officials, and there is no such thing as being domineering. Chen Xiyan, Chen Xinbo, Zhang Xie and others are vying for the position, how much do they hide and how embarrassed they are?

It's just that Lin Lian, as a military official of the eleven counties of the two prefectures of Huaidong, and then arrests the political officials of Hailing Mansion, such authority is too amazing. At this time, it is not too much for Lin Tie to ask for the title of a county earl or a marquis, or to be promoted to the rank of disband, but directly reaching out to the official position of the Hailing Prefect will inevitably remind people that he has the mind of self-reliance and secession - Lin Tie is arrogant here, and even if he has ambitions, he should cover it up in every possible way.

"Maybe he knows that after the imperial court solves the border troubles in Liaodi, he will no longer be qualified to bargain," Zhang Xitong guessed while standing on the side, "So he opened his mouth to be ruthless this time?" ”

"I think that's probably the case," Liu Zhi said, "otherwise why would he go on several times to talk about the war in western Liaoning?" ”

Yuan Jianwu's face was cloudy, and Zhang Yan also touched the fake beard under his chin, a little unpredictable Huaidong's intentions.

"Your Highness, now is not the time to fight for this will, what if this seat is given to him?" Yue Lengqiu looked at King Ning's face, and said slowly, "Besides, Lin Lian has worked hard to govern Huaidong, and he should be given a position as the prefect of Hailing...... This was not what Weichen said, but Weichen's subordinates heard the Marquis of Yongchang talking about it with their own ears in the feudal building, and I felt that it made some sense after hearing it, and I specially told His Highness that he knew. ”

"The people over there in the Wanshou Palace are talking to Huaidong?" Yuan Jianwu asked in surprise.

"Oh!" Zhang Yan was also slightly surprised.

He didn't know that it was not just a matter of the Dongyang family secretly instigating a few officials to hand over the folds, and it seemed to explain why Lin Jian was so bold and reckless to directly reach out for the position of Hailing prefect. If Huaidong and the Liang family advance and retreat together, it will really be a big deal.

There has never been any morality in politics, the Liang family and this side jointly forced Tang Haoxin to die, but after the imperial court solved the border trouble in Liaodi, the Liang family wanted to keep the existing territory, not to seize power, and Huaidong, and the Qin family to advance and retreat, but the most likely choice. In Zhang Yan's view, it is impossible for Huaidong to hate the Liang family for the rest of his life because of Tang Haoxin's death, the key is to depend on the size of the interests.

"Now it seems that it is time for Meng Yishan to lead his troops into Weiyang to rest ......and recuperate," Yue Lengqiu said, "After all, the three prefectures in northern Zhejiang are seriously short of food, and Meng Yishan led his troops to Weiyang to provide military food, which can also relieve the food pressure in northern Zhejiang." ”

Yuan Jianwu looked at Zhang Yan and Zhang Xitong, and when he saw that they nodded slightly, he nodded and agreed, and said, "As you said, you go and do it!" "Very upset. He originally thought that if he held the authority of the southeast, he would no longer need to be as cautious as when he was the king of Jin before, but he didn't expect that none of the powerful ministers and heavy generals in the southeast would make people worry.