The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 417 Alliance
With the sound of firecrackers a year old, the spring breeze sent warmth to Tusu.

Thousands of families always exchange new peaches for old ones.

The first day of the first lunar month in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen.

East of Fengyang City, there was silence in the camp of the Wanmin Army.

Li Yan sat back in his chair with a gloomy look on his face.

In recent days, the news coming from the front line has been almost all bad.

"The baggage train of the Hanzhong Army uniformly uses four-wheeled carriages, and the escort team is all equipped with self-propelled muskets, as well as small cannons such as the Tiger Crouching Cannon."

"As soon as our army appeared, the baggage train of the Hanzhong army immediately removed the saddles and rammed the carriages, using the carriages as a shield for the city walls, and divided into many small formations, isolating our army on the periphery."

"If our cavalry gets too close, they will be fired upon."

"The Hanzhong army's musketry is sharp and continuous, making it impossible to get close to them."

"Even if we get close, the Hanzhong Army's baggage train has tiger squat cannons that can fire scattershot on vehicles, and a single strike could kill or injure dozens of people."

The old Hui Ma Shouying sat aside. He looked very bad and was sighing as he spoke.

Ma Shouying had the largest number of troops under his command and the most experience, so Li Yan gave the command of this large-scale cavalry combat to Ma Shouying.

"The Hanzhong Army transported grain from Bozhou through Mengcheng and stored it in Huaiyuan City."

"The Hanzhong Army set up forts along the road and also arranged a battalion of soldiers to patrol and guard the surrounding area."

Ma Shouying said in a deep voice with a sad face.

"The fortress built by the Hanzhong Army has a very strange appearance. Unlike ordinary cities, the Hanzhong Army Fortress is built in the shape of a five-pointed star. The fortress defenders mostly use fire guns and are equipped with many small artillery pieces."

"When our army attacks the fortress, no matter where we attack from, we will encounter enemy fire from two or more sides at the same time. Our army is composed entirely of cavalry and lacks offensive means, so it is difficult to conquer it."

"But even if most of our army attacks, I'm afraid it will be very difficult."

Ma Shouying sighed. He had suffered a lot under the Hanzhong army during these days.

From the time he started his army until now, he has never fought such a frustrating battle.

It's just a simple feeling of frustration, the frustration of having the strength but not being able to use it.

Li Yan frowned as he looked at the document drawing of the Hanzhong military fortress in his hand.

Having fought for such a long time, he could naturally see the trick from the layout of these fortresses.

The design of this fortress is to make the towers extending from an ordinary city pointier and the walls lower.

"Chen Wang, you are truly a talented person."

Li Yan put down the drawing in his hand and couldn't help but sigh.

"This kind of bastion is not very useful in other people's hands, but in Chen Wang's hands it can shine."

The bottom is wide and the top is narrow, which is called "ridge".

This type of city wall has existed for thousands of years.

Multi-faceted defense has existed since ancient times.

But there were no firearms thousands of years ago.

Even now, not all camps and towns can possess the firearms under Chen Wang's command.

The Haishi guns under Hanzhong Town not only have an extremely fast loading speed, but can also be equipped with bayonets, allowing the army to directly eliminate the spearmen responsible for protection, thereby greatly increasing firepower.

The musketeers of the Hanzhong Army were well-trained and could fire continuously for a long time without any confusion.

When the battle started, the Hanzhong army's musketeers' long formation could fire their guns continuously, and with the help of artillery, the enemy often collapsed before they got close.

Li Yan stood up and picked up a musket from the table.

If Chen Wang were here, he would be able to tell at a glance that the musket Li Yan was holding was the very musket he was wearing in battle formation.

"What did the Ordnance Department say?"

The Ordnance Bureau was a military factory set up by Li Yan in Fengyang.

After conquering Fengyang and completing his separatist rule, Li Yan reformed the Military Equipment Bureau, tried to produce his own muskets, and summoned all the craftsmen in the area under his rule to the inner city of Fengyang to make weapons specifically for the Wanmin Army.

"After several rounds of reforms, the Ordnance Bureau is now able to barely replicate the Sea Oath Gun."

Yuan Shizhong was sitting next to Ma Shouying. When he heard Li Yan's question, he answered immediately.

"But the reeds used in self-propelled firearms like the Sea Oath Gun have extremely high material requirements and a very low ignition rate, which is much worse than ordinary firearms."

In the battles during these days, they have always been the losers.

But it's not all without gain.

The previous battles with the Hanzhong Army were all large-scale direct confrontations, and each time they ended in failure, and they were never able to defeat the Hanzhong Army.

Therefore, they knew nothing about the Haishi guns equipped in the Hanzhong army.

This time, most of the fighting took place on the supply lines of the Hanzhong Army, so a number of Haishi guns were captured.

With the imitation object, many problems can be solved.

But the biggest problem still lies in technical issues, which are not easy to overcome.

"The Ordnance Bureau is trying to find a solution to this problem. There is also the problem of the bayonet. The bayonets made by the Ordnance Bureau are not strong enough and often break easily. There are many other problems..."

Li Yan looked at the Haishi gun in his hand that looked like a work of art. The bayonet reflected a cold light into Li Yan's heart, making Li Yan's heart even colder.

The Hanzhong army's armor was strong, their swords were sharp, and their firearms were powerful, several times better than theirs.

There is almost no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation.

During these days, the Hanzhong army attacked Fengyang City with the help of artillery and did not give them any chance at all.

Last night, Tang Ma reported that the reinforcements from Hanzhong Town had arrived at Huaiyuan City west of Fengyang.

The reinforcements from Hanzhong Town consisted of four battalions of soldiers, with more than 12,000 men, all flying under the banner of Hanzhong Town.

The intelligence that Tang Ma sent back at the risk of his life showed that these soldiers were the guards of Hanzhongwei.

But how could a guard of one of our garrisons have four battalions with 12,000 regular soldiers?

Moreover, whose guards are equipped with better equipment than the soldiers in Jiubianying Town, not to mention the intelligence reports sent in.

This guard was also equipped with sea oath muskets, and more than 70% of the soldiers were musketeers.

Li Yan really had no idea how to deal with such a force.

In a head-on confrontation, the firepower of the Hanzhong army covered the entire area from afar. In many cases, the armies suffered heavy losses before they had even reached half the distance. Their morale was also severely damaged and often on the verge of collapse.

If they do not charge, the Hanzhong army has a large number of artillery and can carry out attacks from a long distance.

It's not a good idea to charge or to fight, there is simply no way out.

Even if they really got close, the Hanzhong army still had a heavily armored unit that was almost armed to the teeth.

Really...

It’s hard to cross the mountain…

Li Yan couldn't help but feel frustrated again.

Chen Wang had fully anticipated his approach.

In fact, this is reasonable.

Chen Wang fought for many years, first following Cao Wenzhao and then Hong Chengchou, and later served as a general under Sun Chuanting and Yang Sichang, commanding a region.

So far, we have won more than a dozen great victories and have been invincible wherever we go.

The path he was taking now was originally arranged by Chen Wang, and the choices he could make were extremely limited. How could Chen Wang not be on guard against him? Naturally, he might not understand him.

Li Yan clenched the Haishi gun in his hand.

Today, Chen Wang has gradually shown the appearance of a powerful official.

The troops in Shandong and Huguang provinces were all under the command of Chen Wang.

Sun Chuanting is dead. Logically speaking, Shandong's troops would be out of control and would retreat to important towns, waiting for the new commander-in-chief or governor to mobilize them.

However, Liu Zeqing, who had always been afraid of fighting, led his troops south and began to attack Luliang Mountain.

Gao Jie, Hui Dengxiang, Ma Jinzhong and other garrisons had close relations with Chen Wang and also began to move closer to the Huaihe River.

They had just suffered a defeat in Pizhou, but now they were marching again.

All these things are enough to prove that it was Chen Wang who was commanding them.

Moreover, Gao Qian, who was arranged by Chen Wang to guard Xuzhou, also led his troops eastward and besieged Luliang Mountain.

If it weren't for the advantage of the navy, all the troops led by He Yilong would probably have been wiped out at Luliang Mountain.

In the deployment of troops, Li Yan saw a lot of Sun Chuanting's shadow.

Chen Wang kept deploying his troops, squeezing their space for movement bit by bit.

Li Yan rubbed his swollen temples and asked.

"Where did Zhang Xianzhong lead his troops?"

Yuan Shizhong walked forward and answered while pointing to the west of Nanjing on the map.

"Zhang Xianzhong has led his troops to Quanjiao in Chuzhou. There are about 100,000 soldiers and more than 60 naval warships. They are now docked at our port."

Yuan Shizhong's face looked a little ugly, and he couldn't help but raise his voice and curse.

"That bastard Zhang Xianzhong asked us for money and food, saying that he had come all the way from Wuchang and his baggage had fallen behind."

"If it's just food and fodder, it's fine. They're heading north, and we can provide them with food and fodder, but they want 200,000 taels of silver. That's simply asking too much."

He Jin, the Prince of Zuojin, who had been silent, snorted coldly after hearing Zhang Xianzhong's name.

"Zhang Xianzhong is a yellow tiger. He has always had a big appetite. He is a ruthless person. When King Chuang was still alive, he could not be controlled by orders. He said one thing in public and another in private."

"Back in Yansui Town, he committed a crime and was sentenced to death, but General Chen Hongfan showed mercy and spared him, saving his life. As a result, when he met General Chen later, he fought harder than anyone else."

King Zhengshi Liu Xiyao, who was sitting nearby, also had a bad face and was disgusted with Zhang Xianzhong's behavior.

"The soldiers chased us and killed us all the way. The reason we were able to hold out for so long was because we supported each other."

"Luo Rucai and Zhang Xianzhong had a life-and-death friendship. Without Luo Rucai's help, Zhang Xianzhong would not have been able to leave Shaanxi and Henan alive."

He Jin was also a little annoyed by Liu Xiyao's words and said in a cold voice.

"Zhang Xianzhong is such a son of a bitch, I will chop off his head sooner or later."

If we were to say who has the greatest power and is the most popular among the 36th Battalion, it would definitely be King Chuang Gao Yingxiang.

But if we were to say who has the best popularity, it would definitely be Luo Rucai.

No matter what difficulties you encounter, go to Luo Rucai. Even if Luo Rucai cannot solve the problem, he will do his best to help you.

Although Luo Rucai's nickname is Cao Cao, he is definitely the most loyal one.

Zhang Xianzhong was different. Although he was the strongest one except King Chuang, there were only a few battalion leaders among the thirty-six battalions who were willing to follow him.

They said he was the King of the West, and that those adopted sons who had nowhere else to go followed him.

Liu Guoneng was also deceived by Zhang Xianzhong several times. Later, when he heard that Zhang Xianzhong was rebelling again, he did not join in the rebellion.

Facts have proved that Liu Guoneng's choice was right.

If Liu Guoneng had really followed Zhang Xianzhong in rebellion, he would probably have suffered the same fate as Luo Rucai.

"Zhang Xianzhong is cunning and fickle. Marshal, you must be careful if you want to plot against him."

In troubled times, King Lin Yangcheng looked solemn and gave advice.

Ge Liyan He Yilong also had a bad expression on his face and advised.

"Zhang Xianzhong is a bloodthirsty man with a bad reputation. Our Wanmin Army is disciplined and kind to the people. Marshal, please think twice before you act."

"Marshal, you must not give them money and food this time, otherwise Zhang Xianzhong will become even more greedy and keep asking for more."

Li Yan's gaze slowly swept across the people in the tent.

Everyone's advice was very straightforward, and they all disagreed with the strategy he proposed at the beginning - alliance.

"I know what you want to say."

"In troubled times, blind benevolence is not benevolence, but cowardice."

"I am clear."

Li Yan's eyes were calm.

"Zhang Xianzhong is cunning and fickle, and he has evil ambitions. If you really want to work with him, it will do you no good."

Li Yan left his seat, walked forward, went to the center of the big tent and said in a deep voice.

"But now the officers and soldiers are so powerful that only the alliance can compete with them."

As the leader of the Wanmin Army, how could Li Yan not know Zhang Xianzhong?

Li Yan not only knew Chen Wang, but also knew Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, and even knew something about the Qing court in Liaodong.

Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles will never end.

If you want to dominate the world but don’t understand your enemy, that’s a sure way to death.

"Since Zhang Xianzhong wants money and food, then give him money and food."

"He wants 20,000 dan of military rations. Give him 30,000 dan of military rations."

"If he wants 200,000 taels of silver as a reward for his troops, then give him 300,000 taels of silver as a reward."

Li Yan's voice was calm, but everyone could hear a hint of unclear meaning in it.

"Tell this to Zhang Xianzhong."

Li Yan pointed at the paper and pen on the desk. The clerk who was sitting nearby and taking notes immediately changed the paper and picked up the pen again.

"The Ming Dynasty has lost its power, the sacred artifact has dimmed, and chaos is coming to the world."

"The imperial court is weak and incompetent, foreign invaders are causing trouble for the Central Plains, and collapse is imminent."

"The strongest place in the South now is not Zuo Liangyu or Lu Xiangsheng, but Hanzhong Town and Chen Wang."

"They have set up farms in Huguang to serve as their granary, controlled Hanzhong to spy on Sichuan and Shaanxi, and controlled Heluo to look at the rest of the world. They are driving us to be their vanguards, weakening the power of the Ming court, reaping the benefits, and trying to fulfill their ambition of stealing the country!"

"Hanzhong Town has strong soldiers and horses, all of whom are veterans of hundreds of battles. It is difficult to defeat them. They first captured Xuzhou and then Suzhou. Now Fengyang is also in danger under their attack."

"Chen Wang is pressing us more and more urgently. If we don't cooperate sincerely at this moment, we will be in danger of extinction."

Li Yan walked closer to the desk, looked at the ink falling, and continued.

"Chen Wangyun gathered a large number of troops and made all the necessary preparations to attack Fengyang, but it was difficult to defend it."

"If we fight head-on, our chances of winning are slim. The only way to survive is to unite our forces and march south to capture Nanjing."

"Otherwise, once we are caught in a pincer attack from both the north and the south, our demise is imminent."

Li Yan turned his gaze to look at Nanjing on the map beside him and said in a cold voice.

"We respectfully invite the Grand Marshal of Civil and Military Affairs to hold a meeting at Jiangpu to jointly plan... for the whole world..."