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Chapter 639 The First Level of the Great Wall

After several days of continuous marching, the soldiers of Shenji Battalion began to curse and act procrastinatedly. In the end, they took off all their armor and handed over all their weapons to the transport team accompanying the army.

On the other hand, the generals under Zhang Cheng's command, although they were marching on the inside and taking the same route, were still full of energy. They still kept half of the cavalry in armor to prevent almost impossible accidents.

Since setting off at the Peking University campus in the capital, half of the cavalry under Zhang Cheng's command have kept half of their armor on. They take turns to rest every day, and the sentry cavalry is still a galloping sentry.

The officers and soldiers under Zhang Cheng's command saw it and couldn't help but despise them. Zhang Chengfang, taking advantage of no one around, scolded softly: "What a pillow soldier with embroidery!"

But unfortunately, Zhang Cheng listened to him seriously, he glared at Zhang Chengfang, and said with feigned anger: "Little brat, just do your own thing and stop gossiping here."

He called Zhang Chengfang to him with a wave of his hand, raised his hand and knocked him on the head, and said: "If Mr. Chen heard what you said just now, it will hurt the friendship between the two armies. You must pay attention to it in the future." myself."

Although Zhang Chengfang felt a little wronged in his heart, he also knew that what Zhang Cheng said was right, so he lowered his head and replied softly: "Here. My child, write it down."

Zhang Cheng waved his hand again, and said to him, "Aren't you tired of marching for days? Come on, I'll send you an errand to the former army and tell Zhang Guangda to speed up the march and set up camp at Yuguan tonight. Enter Shanhaiguan tomorrow."

Here Zhang Chengfang rode his horse and galloped, and the former battalion deputy general Fu Yingchong came to Zhang Cheng and said, "Brother, from Funing to Yuguan, there is still about twenty miles to go?"

Zhang Cheng said with a smile: "It's less than twenty miles away, and we'll be there in less than two hours."

Hearing this, Fu Yingchong looked back and saw that the soldiers in his battalion were exhausted after marching for days, and he said to Zhang Cheng, "Even if we camp at Yuguan today, we will not be able to leave Shanhaiguan tomorrow.

It is better to set up camp by the Yanghe River outside Funingwei City today, so that the soldiers can wash up well and rest early, so that the army can pass through the pass city in two days, and the army period will not be missed. "

In fact, Zhang Cheng didn't have to rush to Yuguan tonight, but he looked a bit embarrassed, and when he was hesitating, Chen Jiugao, the former battalion commander, came over at this moment and said, "Yes, brother. The soldiers and horses of Xuanzhen under your command are all warriors, our infantry are incomparable, not to mention the artillery cart is not easy to pull."

Seeing that Chen Jiugao came to talk, Zhang Cheng took the opportunity to sell favors, he said: "Okay. According to the wishes of the two elder brothers, we will camp on both sides of the Yang River tonight, so that the soldiers can rest early."

After he finished speaking, he asked Zhang Jintai to give instructions: "Jintai, go, catch up with you, Brother Cheng Fang, and order Zhang Guangda's riding camp to speed up and go to the bank of the Yang River to survey the location of the camp."

After Zhang Jintai agreed, he rode forward and chased Zhang Chengfang eastward.

…………

A slight embarrassment appeared on Fu Yingchong's face, but it was also fleeting. He still laughed and chatted with Zhang Cheng and Chen Jiugao again.

Zhang Cheng walked side by side with them, chatting while walking, but secretly sighed in his heart that at the end of each dynasty, those descendants of nobles and military exploits would end up like the children of the Eight Banners in the late Qing Dynasty.

Look at the Jiannu in Liaodong now, how brave and powerful they were when they were rising, but how virtuous and useless they were at the end of the Qing Dynasty?

Is this question really unsolvable?
Zhang Cheng couldn't help but fell into deep thought!
After Shen Shi passed, the army rushed to the Yanghe River and set up camp. It is convenient to get water here. After discussing with Chen Jiugao, Zhang Cheng ordered all the troops to boil water and wash up to relieve the fatigue of the long march.

…………

On May 14, the 27th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Cheng and Chen Jiugao led the army to the outside of Shanhaiguan. After passing the Shanhaiguan, it was the bitter cold place in Liaodong outside the customs.

"The lock and key of the two capitals is unparalleled, the first pass of the Great Wall."

Shanhaiguan, known as Yuguan, Yuguan, and Linluguan in ancient times, in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, Xu Da, king of Zhongshan, was ordered to build Yongping, Jieling and other passes, and led troops to this place. Shanhaiguan was built ten miles away. It is named Shanhaiguan because it leans against Yanshan Mountain in the north and connects with Bohai Sea in the south.

This is the starting point of the east end of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty. Together with Zhenbeitai and Jiayuguan, it is called the "Three Famous Passes of the Great Wall". Jiayuguan echoes each other and is famous all over the world.

The circumference of Shanhaiguan City is more than nine miles, and it is directly connected to the Great Wall. Since the city is the gate, the city is nearly five feet high, more than two feet thick, and has four gates.

The east is "Zhendongmen", the west is "Yingenmen", the south is "Wangyangmen", and the north is "Weiyuanmen". Corner terraces and turrets, Linlu Building, Muying Building and Xinlou Building are also built on the north and south sides of Zhendong Gate Building.

There is a water gate in the southeast, northwest and southwest corners of Guancheng, and a five-foot-wide and three-foot-deep moat was dug outside the city wall, which is indeed easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Maybe everyone thinks that Shanhaiguan is just a pass, but it is not just a pass. It is composed of Shanhaiguan City, Dongluo City, Xiluo City, South Wing City, North Wing City, Weiyuan City, Ninghai City, Some castle groups such as Weihai City constitute a defense system.

When the army of Zhang Cheng and Chen Jiugao arrived at the foot of Shanhaiguan City, it was nearly dusk, and the setting sun shot through, casting a layer of golden brilliance on the ancient city of Xiongguan.

Guided by the generals guarding the pass, Zhang Cheng and Chen Jiugao climbed the steps of the ancient city wall to the tower of the Ying'en Gate on the west side of Shanhaiguan Pass.

They looked at the heavily armed soldiers under the city, who were constantly passing through this majestic pass and stepping into the land outside the pass at a neat pace.

The flags are like the sea, the mighty torrent of steel, you can't see the end in front, you can't see the end in the back, keep moving forward...

…………

When the Liaodong war in the Ming Dynasty was urgent, and Hong Chengchou, Zhang Cheng and others hurried out of the customs with the fate of the country on their shoulders, the situation in the Central Plains was also brewing new major changes.

For hundreds of miles around Funiu Mountain, although there was not much snowfall last winter, which led to a slight lack of rain this spring and severe drought in the crop fields, but compared with other places in Henan, such as the Nanyang Basin between Funiu Mountain and Tongbai Mountain, this is already is much better.

Many hilltops are still verdant with lush vegetation and flowers, and the deeper you go, the farther you are from Desheng Village where Li Zicheng was stationed, the more lush the vegetation.

Standing on Deshengzhai and looking into the distance, there are black and green hilltops everywhere, as if those continuous mountains covered by vegetation are not afraid of drought, and dare to compete with the gods.

(End of this chapter)