The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 409: Ten Thousand People
The north wind is howling, the river breeze is gentle, and the waves are raging for thousands of miles.

The tents set up by the 140,000 militia troops almost covered the entire northern part of Suining City.

It reached the south bank of the Huai River and then spread to the east and west along the water's edge.

At a glance, the mountains and fields were densely packed with tents of the People's Army, and the layers upon layers of military camps were brightly lit.

The Wanmin army set up camp, and the bright lights filled the field and shone like the moon, like a sea of ​​stars in the sky.

After Li Yan reviewed the battle deployment presented by Zhongjun Zanhua for the last time, he stood up.

Seeing Li Yan stand up, Hongniang, who was sitting next to him, also stood up, took a cloak from the hanger, and put it on Li Yan.

Li Yan held Hongniang's hand, and the chaotic thoughts in his mind gradually calmed down.

The night is deep and the view is as dark as ink.

Autumn is getting deeper and the chill is getting closer.

Li Yan walked out of the tent and subconsciously tightened his cloak, while also holding Hong Niangzi's hand tightly.

Li Yan looked up at the sky. Above the night sky, the stars were shining brightly and the moonlight was dim.

The stars are intricate and scattered, and there seems to be a sense of weirdness in the darkness.

Just tonight, Li Yan received news from Xuzhou.

About 20,000 officers and soldiers marched eastward from Shangqiu, passed through Xiayi, and stationed in Dangshan.

The chief commander of the officers and soldiers was Gao Qian, the deputy general of Henan Province, and all the troops under his command fought under the flag of Henan Camp.

The vanguard of his troops was Henan Lieutenant General Chen De.

Chen Dezheng is the son of Chen Yongfu, the current general of Henan Province.

At the gate of Suzhou, elite cavalry from the Hanzhong Army also appeared, led by Chen Gong, the lieutenant general of Hanzhong Town.

The mobilization of troops from Henan can still be considered normal.

Then the mobilization of the elite cavalry of the Hanzhong Army will undoubtedly raise the curtain.

Li Yan naturally knew what this meant.

Henan's military was actually controlled by Chen Wang.

Whether it was Gao Qian or Chen Yongfu, they all obeyed Chen Wang's orders.

The current Henan Governor, Gao Mingheng, is not familiar with military affairs and has limited abilities. It takes all his strength just to maintain the current situation in Henan.

However, the imperial court was weak, many people shirked their responsibilities, and no one was willing to take charge of Henan affairs.

Therefore, the duties of the Governor of Henan have always remained on Gao Mingheng's head.

"marshal."

As the fire flickered, Yuan Shizhong came from the side with a team of armored soldiers. When they saw Li Yan walking out of the military tent, they saluted with their fists.

Yuan Shizhong asked with great concern.

"Simian...don't worry about it?"

Most of the soldiers of the Wanmin Army were unaware of the unusual movements of the Hanzhong Army in the west.

However, as a general, Yuan Shizhong naturally had the authority to know these inside stories.

Officers and soldiers came from Henan, gathered heavy troops, and prepared to attack Xuzhou, Suzhou and Fengyang.

These three places are extremely important both in terms of strategic value and economic status.

Especially Fengyang.

Fengyang can now be said to be their base camp.

The loss of Xuzhou is still acceptable.

However, if Fengyang is lost, it will be equivalent to directly losing control of Ying and Huoshan areas.

At the same time, Li Jiyu's army, which has now arrived in the north of Nanjing, will also face the danger of being surrounded.

The three armies they are currently marching eastward will also lose important logistical bases.

"Need not."

Li Yan raised his hand to stop Yuan Shizhong's questioning.

Yuan Shixin felt a little relieved. Seeing Li Yan's calm look, he subconsciously thought that everything was as Li Yan planned.

Li Yan should have known that Henan's troops would attack at this juncture and had taken precautions in advance.

However, Li Yan's next words made Yuan Shizhong feel depressed.

"There is no need to defend the west."

Li Yan's eyes were indifferent, as if he was talking about something insignificant.

"This……"

Yuan Shizhong was shaken and had no idea what Li Yan was getting at.

The person in charge of Henan's military affairs now is the famous general Chen Wang who suppresses bandits.

After the Battle of Fengyang, everyone knew how powerful the Hanzhong Army led by Chen Wang was.

Yuan Shizhong's expression did not escape Li Yan's eyes.

Li Yan put down his hand and said calmly.

"You also participated in the Battle of Fengyang, and you have seen the strength of the Hanzhong Army."

"Chen Wang now has 60,000 soldiers and horses under his command, and more than 20,000 elite troops under his command. The soldiers of Henan Battalion have long been greatly improved under his training."

"What do you think are our chances of winning in a head-on confrontation?"

Yuan Shizhong's expression changed, he couldn't answer this question.

He wanted to say that they could win, but the invincible momentum of the Hanzhong army in the Battle of Fengyang once again came to his mind.

The Hanzhong Army under Chen Wang's command is absolutely elite, which makes people feel despair.

The extremely sharp rifle fired in succession almost without stopping, which was enough to make the charging enemy despair.

After suffering heavy casualties and arriving close, what awaited them were extremely sharp bayonets.

The deafening roar of the tiger made Yuan Shizhong tremble with fear.

The loud swan sound frightened Yuan Shizhong.

During the Battle of Fengyang, there were only 8,000 soldiers stationed in Hanzhong.

Now, according to reports from spies, four battalions of troops from Hanzhong Town have gathered in Henan.

The Hanzhong garrison troops directly under Chen Wang's command have exceeded 20,000 people.

God knows why there are only 13,000 soldiers in a military town with five battalions.

Now with four battalions deployed, there are as many as 20,000 soldiers and horses.

The current strength of the Hanzhong Army.

I'm afraid that only if all the elite troops of the people's army are deployed and all the generals fight to the death, can the winner be barely determined.

But the army has already moved and cannot be easily recalled.

The officers and soldiers along the canal are now on the defensive.

But as long as they show any flaw.

Those officers and soldiers would surely cross the canal like tigers and wolves and tear all of them to pieces and eat them alive.

Because their heads represent military merit, and their destruction can bring them promotion and high rank.

"If you can't stop it, why should you stop it?"

Li Yan's voice remained calm, as if he was talking about something insignificant.

From the very beginning, Li Yan never thought that Chen Wang would keep his promise of a ceasefire.

Li Yan knew very well what kind of person Chen Wang was.

"Since the beginning of Kaifeng, Chen Wang and I have been taking what we need from each other."

"In his heart, Chen Wang wants to be more than just a general who fights bandits."

Li Yan raised his head, looked at the devastated night sky, and gazed at the stars in the sky.

"Being promoted to general and titled a marquis has been the lifelong pursuit of many warriors for thousands of years, but it is not what Chen Wang pursues."

"What he wants is..."

Li Yan's eyes were solemn and his tone was grim.

"But the whole world..."

Li Yan lowered his head, turned to look at Yuan Shizhong, and said calmly.

"Chen Wang will not watch us perish."

"Because he still needs us as the butcher's knife in his hand."

"At the same time, Chen Wang will not stand by and watch us grow stronger."

"Because then, things will get out of control and his plan will fail."

Yuan Shizhong's eyes were solemn and his expression was gloomy.

As the general of the Wanmin Army, how could he not know about the conspiracy with the Hanzhong Army?

At that time, the situation was stronger than the people, and when you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

If they had not followed Chen Wang's will at that time, then the only thing waiting for them was destruction.

"Then...is this all we can do?"

Even though he already had the answer in his heart, Yuan Shizhong was still unwilling to give in.

"That's all."

"At least for now, this is the only way."

Li Yan looked normal and said calmly.

"Now people are the butchers and I am the meat. It can only be like this."

Li Yan clenched his fists, and his eyes gradually became firm.

“But from now on, it won’t be like this anymore.”

If you keep the enemy for your own benefit, you must be prepared to be attacked back.

The world's situation is changing rapidly and in twists and turns. How can it be controlled by human power?
Even Zhuge Liang, who was once known for his wisdom and strategy, had moments of despair and helplessness.

Even a wise man can make mistakes after careful consideration.

In this world, no one can plan everything for the best.

"Officers and soldiers of Pizhou, what is the situation?"

Li Yan retracted his scattered thoughts and turned his gaze to Yuan Shizhong.

"Officers and soldiers set up camps in the city and recruited able-bodied men. Tang Ma reported that thousands of community soldiers entered Pizhou City yesterday."

Yuan Shizhong showed a sad look and said in a deep voice.

"As of today, more than 10,000 community soldiers have entered Pizhou City. Our spies in the city have reported that Pizhou City has recruited more than 2,000 community soldiers, following the example of Kaifeng."

"Including the reinforcements from the communities in various cities, the total number of officers and soldiers in the Pizhou area has exceeded 35,000."

When he was in Daming Prefecture, Yuan Shizhong had already experienced the power of Sun Chuanting.

Even though they won the Battle of Fengyang, the tenacious fighting power displayed by the officers and soldiers led by Sun Chuanting was still frightening.

Sun Chuanting only led 25,000 officers and soldiers, but he was able to hold his own against their 150,000-strong army.

When it comes to the ability to deploy troops and command battles.

Looking at the entire Wanmin Army, no general dared to say that he could defeat Sun Chuanting.

Even Li Yan can't do it.

Now with the addition of tens of thousands of militiamen, the outcome of the Battle of Pizhou has become unclear again.

Li Yan frowned slightly, and his right hand subconsciously touched the goose-feather knife at his waist.

The cold touch gradually calmed Li Yan's mind and suppressed the restlessness in his heart.

Militia training was opened up very early, even when the 36 battalions of bandits in Shaanxi were fighting in various places. All prefectures and counties were qualified to train militia.

But that does not mean that the right to militia training has been completely relaxed.

The militias organized in various places and the militias trained in various states and counties are not of much use.

Past experience guide for the future.

The Ming court was clearly aware of the lessons of previous dynasties.

No one wants to, no one dares.

Once the Pandora's box is opened, the situation will fall step by step into an uncontrollable abyss.

No one has the courage to completely let go of this ferocious beast, Tuan Lian.

In history, no one dared to propose this plan until the demise of the Ming Dynasty and the suicide of Chongzhen.

However, this time, the Ming Empire reached its end faster than in history.

The Ming court's control over the local areas had already reached its lowest point.

Successive defeats and constant failures.

The country’s demise is imminent.

As a result, the shackles tied around the neck of the primitive beast Tuanlian were loosened again.

The imperial court issued an edict allowing prefectures and counties to recruit militia and train militias, while at the same time abolishing the original requirement that militias could not be trained outside their jurisdiction.

Militia groups were no longer confined to one state or one county.

The upper limit of militia training was raised from hundreds of people to 1,000 people per county, 2,000 people per state, and 5,000 people per prefecture.

The leader of the militia was given a corresponding position based on the combat effectiveness and number of troops.

All militia troops are directly under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister and the Governor.

This is an extremely dangerous signal.

"Just over 10,000 community soldiers cannot shake the current situation."

Li Yan's expression was calm, his eyes were like a mirror without any ripples, and he said calmly.

"In every dynasty, when the right to militia training was released, it meant the end of the dynasty."

The flickering flames danced in Yuan Shizhong's eyes.

He came from the countryside, had not read many books, and did not know what had happened in history.

But he believed in Li Yan, the leader who had always led them forward.

Li Yan was not aware of Yuan Shizhong's inner thoughts.

After all, Li Yan is not a god, and he doesn't have the ability to read minds.

If he could know what Yuan Shizhong was thinking, he would probably sigh in his heart.

He did not deceive Yuan Shizhong.

Throughout the dynasties, whether it was for the purpose of resisting foreign enemies or quelling internal unrest, those dynasties that dared to release the power of local militia almost all ended up in ruin.

But before it was destroyed, many enemies standing in its way were also buried with it.

The Red Eyebrow Army and the Yellow Turban Army of the Han Dynasty.

Wagang and Huang Chao during the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

The Red Turban Army at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

When a building is about to collapse, it will surely stir up millions of rubbles.

Once the raging tide comes, it will surely cause chaos.

But all this cannot be told to others.

Li Yan tightly gripped the goose-feather knife at his waist.

He needs to keep these things deep in his heart.

Li Yan didn't know whether he could succeed.

Li Yan didn't know whether he could take on this responsibility.

Li Yan didn't even know whether they were walking on the bright and correct path now.

But at this moment, countless people are following him, and the lives and deaths of millions of people are on his shoulders.

He must stay calm and maintain his confidence.

Once it fails.

There is no recovery.

The tide of the times rolls forward.

He has no choice.

He could only move forward.

Move forward firmly!
"Boom! Boom! Boom boom boom!"

A huge roar suddenly resounded between heaven and earth.

Li Yan clenched the goose-feather knife in his hand and looked outside the camp.

As the drums of war sounded, the camps on all sides were in an uproar in an instant.

Countless lights lit up on the south bank of the Huai River and in the camps of the Wanmin Army.

Dazzling fireworks bloomed above the surface of the Huai River.

On the Huai River, boats were meeting each other and flames were flying everywhere.

A clash between the navies has broken out.

The sound of gunfire echoed on the surface of the river.

The deafening shouts of killing lingered in everyone's ears.

Just on the north bank of the Huai River.

A large number of cavalrymen from the Wanmin Army wearing black scarves were galloping down the canal.

Torches lit up like winding fire dragons.

The river wind howled and the flames flickered.

It reflects the boats and ships on the Huai River.

The deafening shouts surged in like a tide, rising straight up to the sky.