The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 408 Destiny
"According to the current intelligence, Sun Chuanting is completely unable to defend Pizhou."

Inside the military tent of the Hanzhong Army, Hu Zhili stood at the edge of the sand table and said solemnly.

It took him more than a month to lead his troops all the way from Hanzhong to Linying.

The situation along the way was not peaceful, and the famine in Henan seriously delayed the march.

"The Shandong People's Army has already captured Pei County. Yang Yufan and Liu Zeqing retreated to Luliang Mountain. In the battle of Pei County, they lost more than 2,000 men. Now there are only 13,000 men left. The morale of the soldiers under their command is low, and many have fled."

The internal affairs of Hanzhong Town were originally under the command of Hu Zhili.

Hu Zhiyi was in charge of military affairs in Henan.

However, as the imperial edict was issued, deliberate checks and balances began to take place.

Chen Wang also began to mobilize the affairs of Hanzhong Town.

Hu Zhiyi was transferred to Hanzhong Town by Chen Wang to be in charge of the affairs of Hanzhong Town.

Li Zicheng had already entered Shaanxi. Gongchang Prefecture and Hanzhong Prefecture were connected to each other, and there were old grudges between the two sides.

There is a possibility that Li Zicheng might invade Hanzhong Prefecture.

Therefore, Hanzhong Prefecture now needs a general who can take charge of things independently.

Although Hu Zhili handled internal affairs very well, he had no military talent or relevant experience, so he was not qualified for this position.

This is also the reason why Chen Wang swapped Hu Zhili and Hu Zhiyi.

Hu Zhiyi was good at military affairs, had good methods of commanding the army, and had the talent of a great general.

This can be seen from the fact that Hu Zhiyi remained calm in the face of danger during the Battle of Fengyang, and was able to easily find a gap under the heavy siege and suppression of the Wanmin Army.

So Hu Zhiyi was transferred to Hanzhong Town to take charge.

And the reason why Hu Zhili was transferred to Chen Wang's side.

This is because the situation is becoming increasingly confusing and unpredictable.

Zhao Huailiang is a pure military general, while Huang Long and Zhang Er are white gloves who handle some difficult matters.

The only person Chen Wang can use now is Chen Gong.

When one person plans for something short-sighted, there are always things that he fails to consider.

So at this time, someone else is needed to fill the vacancy.

Hu Zhili is now in charge of the Military Law Department and also manages the Supervisory Office.

The current supervisory offices have spread across the entire provinces of Henan and Huguang, down to the prefectures and counties.

The promotion of officials, troop movements, transportation of money and grain, and local towns in any prefecture or county were all under the supervision of the Supervisory Office.

For Chen Wang, there are no secrets at all in the entire Huguang and Henan territories.

Nanjing and Beijing are still far apart, and each has only two bases for gathering information and communicating.

In neighboring provinces such as Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Jiangxi, only one or two liaison offices were set up.

Although Sichuan is quite close, the power structures in the region are complex and there are chieftains in many places, making it difficult to penetrate.

Therefore, Sichuan, like Shanxi, Shaanxi and other provinces, also only set up liaison offices in major cities and failed to cover prefectures and counties.

The Nanzhili region is quite far away, but the coverage rate of the Supervisory Office is not low.

The biggest reason is still the needs of war.

Today's Nanzhili is divided by the Yangtze River.

All areas north of the Yangtze River are under the surveillance of the Supervision Office.

Fifty thousand taels of silver were spent, plus the previous arrangements in the Wanmin Army and various places in Nanzhili.

It didn't take long for the Supervisory Office to develop a large number of spies and informants in the northern part of Nanzhili.

Transferring Hu Zhili to his side would help Chen Wang get timely information about these places.

"Li Yan reorganized the Wanmin Army and reformed the military system. The organization of the troops in various routes remained unchanged, but only the organization of the troops directly under his command was changed."

Hu Zhili looked serious and spoke in a concentrated voice.

"Li Yan set up a direct command of troops as the 'Central Army', with a force of 25,000 men, divided into four battalions."

"The first battalion is called the Cavalry Battalion. It has one Cavalry Captain, led by Li Yan himself. They are Li Yan's personal armored cavalry, with 5,000 elite cavalry."

"The soldiers in the Cavalry Battalion of the Ten Thousand People Army are selected from various armies. They are required to be skilled in archery and horse riding, strong and healthy, and have served in the army for three years. Half of them are selected from the former soldiers of the Left Five Battalions."

Chen Wang looked solemn, and Li Yan once again carried out military reforms.

It goes without saying how threatening this aggressive force is.

Moreover, Chen Wang also found the shadow of Hanzhong Town under his command in Li Yan's military reforms.

"The second battalion, named Shenji Battalion, has 5,000 soldiers and is still led by Li Yan himself. The army uses firearms and is equipped with many artillery pieces. The Battle of Baiyang River was also very impressive."

"Among them, the firearms used were mostly captured during the Battle of Fengyang."

"The spies stationed at the Fengyang Supervisory Office reported that Li Yan reformed the Military Equipment Bureau in the inner city of Fengyang, tried to produce his own muskets, and summoned craftsmen to sharpen bayonets. There is evidence from many sources that he intends to imitate the Haishi musket used by our army."

Chen Wang's eyes moved slightly. He had led his troops to fight against the Wanmin Army no less than ten times.

Ten battles and ten victories, and no Haishi gun was captured.

Weapons like the Seasworn Gun are still difficult to hide from the enemy after engaging them.

After all, many times during a battle, long-range shooting cannot defeat the People's Army.

Many times, the real way to defeat the People's Army is through close combat.

The close combat was enough for the Wanmin Army to see clearly the structure and shape of the Haishi Gun.

The Wanmin Army is aggressive and enterprising. Like many successful rebel armies in history that have conquered the world, it is a truly emerging force.

"The third battalion is called the Advocate Battalion, which corresponds to Li Yan's title as the Grand Marshal of Civil and Military Affairs of Fengtian Advocate for Justice."

"A leader will be appointed, who is currently under the command of General Yuan Shizhong of the Wanmin Army. He will have 10,000 soldiers, divided into two divisions, each led by a commander."

"Among them, there are many soldiers wearing armor, accounting for about 70% of the army. The selection of their soldiers is the same as that of the Cavalry Battalion. The elite soldiers are selected from each army and added to the central army."

"The soldiers in the Changyi Camp are all veterans and experienced soldiers. Among them, 30% are cavalry and 70% are infantry. They are highly motivated and good at attacking strongholds."

"In the Battle of Baiyang River, Hu Dawei led the Baoding troops to fight against the Changyi Camp. The two sides lined up and fought in Zhennan."

"The soldiers of the Advocate Camp arranged their troops in battle formation. They were not defeated by the bombardment, but pressed forward and fought a bloody battle. After one battle, they defeated the troops of Tiger Great Power Town, and the Wanmin Army was able to capture Baiyanghe Town."

Yuan Shizhong's uprising in Daming Prefecture stirred up a storm.

Although he was defeated by Sun Chuanting, it does not mean that he was an incompetent general.

After all, in this era, how many people can surpass Sun Chuanting?

When Yuan Shizhong first started his rebellion, he marched all over Daming Prefecture, defeated government troops one after another, gathered hundreds of thousands of people, and was at the peak of his power. How could he be a mediocre person? !
"The fourth battalion is called the Fengrui Battalion. It has one Fengrui Captain. It is currently led by Zhang Chengyi, the General of the Wanmin Army, and has 5,000 soldiers."

"In the Fengrui Camp, all soldiers wear two layers of heavy armor, carry strong bows and heavy arrows, form a large formation, use long spears, and are equipped with shield carts, just like our main force."

Chen Wang looked solemn. This wave of reforms by Li Yan was obviously aimed at imitating the army under his command.

"Zhang Chengyi, the commander of the Fengrui Camp, is extremely brave and the bravest among all the troops. He is from Shangqiu, Henan. In the 13th year of Chongzhen, he joined the Wanmin Army. He was promoted to Baizong for his merit of being the first to reach the enemy, to Bazong for his merit of beheading the general and seizing the flag, and to Qianzong for his merit of breaking the enemy's formation."

"He later accumulated the second merit of being the first to reach the summit, the third merit of breaking the formation, and the seventh merit of beheading a general, and was promoted to General Guoyi, second only to General Zhi."

Chen Wang searched his mind three times, but still couldn't find Zhang Chengyi's name.

This undoubtedly proves that Zhang Chengyi was originally just a minor figure hidden in history.

But now, it can be revealed to the world.

Like Zhang Chengyi, there are also Zhao Shouping, the clay pot man, and Yidougu Changjianxi.

In the original time and space, these two people disappeared in the long river of history after joining Li Zicheng's army, and were subordinate to a group of Shaanxi generals who had followed Li Zicheng in his campaigns. But now, they have become powerful generals in the Ten Thousand People's Army, commanding thousands of troops and conquering all directions.

It greatly affects the direction of the war and influences the situation in the world.

The torrent of the times carries the fate of individuals.

However, the fate of an individual also affects the trend of the times to a certain extent.

What happens every minute and every second actually constantly affects the direction of the times.

Times create heroes, and heroes also create times.

"Li Yan reformed the military system. Originally, the ordinary soldiers in the Wanmin Army were divided into four categories: armored soldiers, soldiers, strong men, and new soldiers."

"Now there is another category, called the Sharp Warriors."

Hu Zhili pressed the sand table in front of him and said solemnly.

"The so-called elite soldiers are like the soldiers in the sharp camp of the Central Army. They wear heavy armor and carry strong bows, just like the main force of our army, just like the Bayala of Jiannu. They form an independent camp as a reserve force and can be added to the army at any time to support the various units."

After Hu Zhili finished speaking, the tent fell into a long silence.

All the people present were senior officers in Hanzhong Town. How could they not realize what the changes that the Wanmin Army had experienced this time meant?

Chen Wang looked solemn, but his eyes were still calm.

The development of the Wanmin Army was rapid, but it did not exceed Chen Wang's expectations.

We should despise the enemy strategically and take him seriously tactically.

The victory of the Ten Thousand Nations Army was not accidental, but inevitable.

Li Yan embarked on the right path from the very beginning and found a vacuum period when the Ming army was at its weakest.

This vacuum period became even greater as the Ming army suffered major defeats in Songjin and the northwest.

The victory in the Battle of Fengyang laid the foundation for the Wanmin Army to have a huge advantage today, and also made the Wanmin Army the most powerful rebel army today.

Chen Wang slowly raised his head and spoke in a serious tone.

"Today's Wanmin Army is no longer the weak rebel army it once was in Kaifeng."

"After the Battle of Fengyang, a large number of officers and soldiers surrendered. After these trained soldiers were selectively absorbed into the ranks of the Wanmin Army, the strength of the Wanmin Army was greatly improved."

"The organization of the People's Army is becoming more and more regular and perfect now."

"The Wanmin Army, which is located in the southern part of Suqian and is led by Li Yan, is the strongest main force among the Wanmin Army. Its weapons are as well-equipped as the elite troops of the Nine Frontiers, and its morale is better than that of the mighty armies in all the towns in the world."

Chen Wang's eyes slowly swept across the sand table and said.

"The Jiannu were fierce and their reputation could stop a child from crying at night. They were known to be invincible with tens of thousands of men. But in the battle of Zhending, they were defeated by our army and left in fear."

Chen Wang looked around at the officers in the tent, then continued in a deep voice.

"The Wanmin Army was mighty and powerful, but they were defeated by our army in the battle of Kaifeng."

"But we can't underestimate the heroes of the world because of this."

"The strength of the Wanmin Army has already been established. It is on the rise. It will surely become a strong enemy of our army in the future. You all have seen it."

"The Jiannu are advancing, the Mongols are advancing, and the Wanmin Army is also advancing. Standing still will only make us weaker. Only by forging ahead can we compete for the world."

All the generals in the tent had solemn expressions, and the pride that originally arose in their hearts was suppressed a lot.

Chen Wang also noticed the changes in the generals.

As our power grows, and as we win battles.

The feeling of pride also continued to spread in the army, especially among the officers and soldiers in each camp.

In their eyes, the rest of the troops were weak.

Such sentiments can maintain the morale of the army when the wind is favorable.

However, once you fall into adversity and suffer a blow, if you don't control yourself properly, you will be doomed to failure.

This kind of arrogance must be suppressed.

Seeing that everyone was taking him seriously and no longer looked down on him, Chen Wang's mood gradually calmed down.

"The situation in the southeast has changed dramatically. We can no longer stand by and watch."

Chen Wang took the command whip from the side and placed it horizontally on the sand table.

Once Sun Chuanting is defeated, the Wanmin Army will completely open up the connection with Shandong.

It occupies the land north of the Huai River, sits on the Grand Canal, controls Shandong and overlooks the whole world.

Take Nanjing in the south, go down the river, and advance into the southern country.

The situation is similar to that before Zhu Yuanzhang founded the country at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, or even worse.

The Ming court's control over the South is now unprecedentedly weak.

Once the Wanmin Army takes over Nanzhili and other places and cuts off the north and the south, everything will come naturally.

After a series of defeats and unrest in all directions, the southern provinces may be conquered at the cost of a single edict.

By then, the People's Army will have become a powerful force, and it will undoubtedly be extremely difficult to eliminate it.

and so……

The best way is to nip everything in the bud.

At this time, the court's military order had already been sent to the army.

"Where is Gao Qian?"

Chen Wang raised his head, looked at the generals in the tent, and spoke loudly.

"The end will be here."

Gao Qian stepped forward, half-knelt down, and spoke in a solemn voice.

"You will lead your own troops, the seven battalions of the new army, and the troops from the various battalions in Henan, and advance from Shangqiu to Xuzhou."

Chen Wang took the seal from the brocade box beside him and said in a serious tone.

Chen Yongfu was still in Ying and Huoshan districts, while Hu Zhiyi went far away to Hanzhong.

Hu Zhili has no talent for commanding troops, so the command of the Henan camp troops has now been handed over to Gao Qian by Chen Wang.

As early as after the Battle of Kaifeng, Gao Qian had already selected the team.

"General, follow your orders!"

Gao Qian bowed and took the seal with both hands.

"Where is Chen Gong?"

"The end will be here."

"You will lead the Cavalry Battalion to set out first, as the vanguard of the army, and advance towards Suzhou."

Chen Gong also half-knelt down and received the military order.

"The rest of the generals, gather your troops and follow me. We will set out tomorrow..."

Chen Wang looked calm and spoke in a serious tone without any reservation.

"The building is about to collapse, and the raging tide has already turned."

"The artifacts are dim and are being watched by foreign invaders, and the court is dark and cannot protect the borders and the people."

"The world is divided, and disasters are brewing in all corners of the world."

"It is said...the change of destiny..."