Before hanging himself, Chongzhen lifted the table

Chapter 102 The Battle of Daizhou
"What? Yanmen Pass was lost?"

When Li Zicheng heard the report, he was shocked and immediately asked: "Is it the new Ming army or not the army of Ningwuguan? How many troops are there?"

Soon, the gathering drums started beating, and the sound of "dong dong dong" suddenly sounded over the camp in the evening, which surprised many civil and military officials of the Dashun Army and rushed to the Chinese military tent to report.

Along the way, they met each other and asked about the situation.

"What's going on? You're still gathering at this hour. Is there something big going on?"

"Isn't it calm? It's really strange that something could happen!"

"..."

After the three drums were completed, all the civil and military officers gathered in the central military tent. Li Zicheng hurried out from the rear tent with a gloomy face. He knew at a glance that something was up to him.

When everyone saw him, they immediately stopped talking and looked at him, wondering what happened.

Seeing that Li Zicheng was still undecided, he already said: "Yanmen Pass has been taken back by the Ming army!"

Upon hearing this, the people in the Zhongjun tent were shocked, and then surprised.

"Doesn't this mean that the imperial officers and soldiers are coming for reinforcements?"

"That's right, otherwise it would be absolutely impossible for Zhou Yuji's men and horses to divide the troops and recapture Yanmen Pass!"

"But where did this reinforcement come from? How many troops are there?"

"..."

Seeing the commotion below, Li Zicheng immediately slapped the table in front of him, causing the people in the Zhongjun tent to immediately quiet down. Then, he said with a gloomy face: "It is reported that the Ming army started with cavalry, about three thousand. , attracting the attention of the defenders head-on, and then the infantry fought out of the alley and captured Yanmen Pass. From the accent, they sounded like soldiers from Datong."

Having said this, he paused and said with obvious depression: "We have all been tricked by Zhou Yuji. There should be reinforcements in Ningwuguan, so this can explain the abnormality these days!"

When Liu Zongmin heard this, he immediately cursed: "Damn old thief Zhou, you know he is cunning..."

He still hasn't changed his reckless habits.

When the others heard this, they remembered that Zhou Yuji had deceived them for several days and treated them like monkeys. They were also very dissatisfied with Zhou Yuji like Liu Zongmin and wanted to scold him.

But at this time, Li Zicheng shouted and cursed: "Shut up!"

He was the only one who could control these old brothers. As soon as he opened his mouth, the Zhongjun tent suddenly became quiet.

At this time, Song Xiance told Li Zicheng with a serious expression: "Your Highness, if Yanmen Pass is lost, Daizhou will become the front line. Additional reinforcements should be sent immediately to ensure that Daizhou is not lost!"

Originally, Daizhou was just behind Yanmen Pass and connected to Ningwuguan. It was a good place for them to store grain in the rear.They even thought that they would soon be able to enter Datong and Xuanfu, so even the small camp was moved from Taiyuan to Daizhou to facilitate follow-up.

Unexpectedly, Yanmen Pass was recaptured by the Ming army, immediately exposing Daizhou to the front of the Ming army.

Food, grass and children are the most important part of an army. Li Zicheng had already thought of the danger in Daizhou and immediately shouted: "Zhang Tianlin, you set out overnight for me, do you hear me?"

Zhang Tianlin's original plan was to walk to Daizhou in one day early the next morning. If he had set out yesterday afternoon, he would have to camp halfway and the road was not wide, so he did not go.

At this time, he had no choice. Fortunately, the camp had been packed and he was waiting to set off early tomorrow morning.So, without saying a word, he immediately accepted the order and strode away.

Seeing that Li Zicheng's face looked very unhappy, Song Xiance comforted him again: "Your Highness, even if the Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers come to reinforce, there should not be many. Otherwise, when Yanmen Pass is captured, troops will definitely be sent to Daizhou. Now Daizhou We must be prepared and heavily guarded, so there will be no accidents!"

Datong is only a town, and it is impossible to send out all the troops. Therefore, there should not be too many troops to reinforce Ningwuguan.

Li Zicheng thought to himself, his face looked a little better, and then he asked in a deep voice: "So, what should we do next?"

The capture of Yanmen Pass was equivalent to cutting off the way for the Dashun Army to go north.If the Ming army did not surrender and just attacked hard, they would suffer heavy losses just like Ningwuguan.At the end of the fight, the only thing left is the consumption of troops and materials.

When Song Xiance heard what he said, he seemed to have thought about it and immediately replied: "Wei Chen thought that he might as well contact the guard at Yanmen Pass to see if he can recruit people. If so, all plans will remain as usual. If Ruo is as stubborn as Zhou Yuji , then our army can leave Guguan and head to the capital of the Ming Dynasty via the south road!"

After hearing this, Li Zicheng nodded, but his expression was still ugly, and he immediately decided that early tomorrow morning, half of the army would be dispatched, led by Li Guo, and head to Daizhou first.By the way, it can also reduce the supply of food and grass here.

It was originally planned that the main force would march through Shanxi, pass through Datong, Xuanfu, and then reach the capital, which would eliminate all possible reinforcements from the Ming Dynasty when attacking the capital in the future.As a result, seeing that this plan was about to be frustrated, Li Zicheng was not in a good mood and went to bed early.

Under night, on the south side of the Taihang Mountains, an army was traveling overnight, with torches shining like a long fiery dragon.

To the north of Yanmen Pass, there is also an army. Because they are all cavalry, they have just arrived and are preparing to rest.

In the makeshift Chinese army camp, Emperor Chongzhen was in charge. There were more than 20 people standing in front of him. The leader was Zhou Dabiao, who had just surrendered.

I heard Zhou Dabiao tell Emperor Chongzhen with a serious face: "All the generals are aware of the dangers involved. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the generals will do their best to serve the country with loyalty!"

"Serve the country with loyalty!" The people behind him chanted in unison.

After saying that, they backed out of the Chinese military tent and left in a hurry.

At the same time, Yanmen Pass guard Zhu Sanle hurriedly entered and reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, after the last general captured Yanmen Pass, he did not send troops out of Daizhou, but only obeyed the order to guard Yanmen Pass."

When Zhou Yuji heard this, he also came out of the queue, turned around and reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, it may be possible to deceive the city. But considering the time, the bandit army at Ningwuguan may have known that Yanmen Pass was recaptured by me. Since Daizhou is where his food and family are located, reinforcements will be sent overnight, and time may be very tight for tomorrow's battle!"

Emperor Chongzhen listened, nodded, and said solemnly: "What Zhou Qing said is absolutely true. If so, the order will be sent immediately, the cavalry will rest, and we will set off after midnight according to the plan."

When Zhou Yuji, He Zan and others heard this, they immediately responded with clasped fists: "The general will obey the order!"

Emperor Chongzhen also quickly took the time to rest.

However, he suddenly found that he couldn't sleep no matter what.

Tomorrow is the real first battle. The time is tight and there is a certain degree of danger. I don’t know what the outcome will be?
According to Zhou Yuji, this side of Daizhou is a basin and there is no danger to defend.If the infantry attacks with sufficient preparation, it will be no problem to capture Daizhou.

However, he was leading a cavalry army, so it was very difficult to attack the city.The only thing we can count on is the more than 350 prisoners led by Zhou Dabiao. No, they are no longer prisoners. They are officers and soldiers who have re-submitted to the army. Can they open the city gate by fraud?

If we can deceive the city gate and capture Daizhou, it will definitely be a heavy blow to Li Zicheng's army.If Daizhou cannot be captured, it will only be a show of force. It will damage the morale and morale of the army, but it is hard to say the actual damage.

Good luck opening the door, good luck opening the door, good luck opening the door...

Emperor Chongzhen recited the four-character idiom silently in his heart, and finally fell asleep in a daze.

In the middle of the night, the soldiers in the cavalry camp, including Emperor Chongzhen himself, were all awakened. After a short meal, they did not take anything else with them but were fully armed. Zhou Yuji's people led the way, using only the moonlight, and walked out of Yanmen Pass in the dark, heading towards Go in the direction of Daizhou.

As time passed slowly, a hint of fish belly white finally appeared in the eastern sky.

On top of Daizhou City, the defenders on duty finally heaved a sigh of relief.

It was a peaceful night, and when the army from Ningwuguan is reinforced, it will be truly safe!

Yawning and exhausted, they waited for the soldier who would take over their shift to come and change their shift.

Suddenly, someone pointed to the west with his hand and said loudly: "Look, there is someone over there!"

"Are the reinforcements coming back?" Some people speculated, turning their heads to look to the west.

Sure enough, I saw silhouettes of people in the distance to the west. It seemed that there were quite a few people heading this way.

So, the leader on duty at the top of the city immediately shouted: "Quick, send someone to report to His Highness the Third Highness." About two quarters of an hour later, Li Zicheng's third brother Li Zijing rushed to the top of the city.At this time, the people in the distance were closer and could be seen clearly on the top of the city.

Suddenly, Li Zijing frowned and said, "What's going on?"

I saw that those who rushed over were all in a state of panic, and they were not organized at all. They seemed to be escaping back for their lives.

Just looking at it gives people a bad feeling.

They were looking forward to the arrival of reinforcements, but when they saw this scene, not only Li Zijing, but also everyone on the city was a little surprised, and their expressions became a little heavy.

At this time, no one could answer Li Zijing's question. Finally, when the people outside the city got closer, someone shouted loudly: "Stop, who are you?"

These people who came here in small groups, once they got closer, could see that they looked tired. They must have been running all night and were sweating profusely.

When the leader heard the shouting, he continued towards the city and responded loudly: "It's over, it's over, it's all over..."

Upon hearing this, the people on the city suddenly felt even heavier.

Judging from the appearance of these people outside the city, they must have run back from Ningwuguan overnight, right?
Just as they were thinking about it, people outside the city were already shouting: "... reinforcements are coming from Ningwuguan. They are all elites. They suddenly counterattacked and we were defeated. Your Highness fled south..."

Hearing this, the people on the top of the city were immediately shocked.

"Impossible, how is this possible? There are 20 troops at Ningwuguan, how can they be defeated?"

"Yanmen Pass has been lost, and there must be reinforcements at Ningwuguan. It's really hard to say!"

"What's going on? How could this happen?"

"..."

Li Zijing turned pale when he heard this, but he still shouted: "Impossible. Where did the imperial court come from with so many troops? How could it be possible to defeat the army led by my brother! Who are you? You dare to come and confuse the public with your evil words. You should be killed!"

The man was getting closer and closer, standing in front of the pass, panting, looking up and saying: "Your Highness, Third Prince, it's me, Zhou Dabiao from Taiyuan, the one who took you to swim through Taiyuan City..."

Zhou Dabiao was not good at fighting, but he was good at flattery. Since Li Zijing was Li Zicheng's third brother, he would naturally join in the fight, but obviously, people might not remember him.

Fortunately, after he reminded him, Li Zijing remembered it. After taking a closer look at Zhou Dabiao, who was sweating and looking embarrassed, he really recognized him and knew that he was indeed following his elder brother's army to attack Ningwuguan.Suddenly, he believed it, and his face became even paler.

For a long time in the past, they had been chased away by the imperial officers and soldiers. It can be said that there was definitely a shadow in their hearts.It was only when the past two years started going smoothly that I forgot about the past.

But at this time, I heard that the imperial reinforcements had arrived and not only captured Yanmen Pass, but the main force should be at Ningwuguan and defeated Li Zicheng's troops. According to experience, it is not impossible.

While Li Zijing was thinking, many more people ran to the city one after another. Everyone looked exhausted and sweating profusely. It was obvious that they had not slept all night and had spent all their time escaping for their lives.Before long, more than 300 people had gathered.

I saw Zhou Dabiao looking behind him, then turning to the top of the city and shouting: "Your Highness, please open the door!"

Since Li Zijing had recognized the person and saw no pursuing troops from the imperial court, he ordered: "Let them in and bring Zhou Dabiao to see Gu!"

He planned to ask for more details and decide whether to stick to Daizhou or abandon Daizhou and flee south.

When the people on the top of the city saw that Li Zijing knew the man, they didn't say anything. They opened the door immediately and let the people who had fled back in embarrassment into the city.

At this moment, Li Zicheng's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Gao, heard the news and hurried over. When she saw a group of remnant soldiers and defeated generals being released into the city gate, she quickly asked what was going on.

Li Zijing heard this and quickly replied: "The officers and soldiers reinforced by the imperial court defeated the eldest brother at Ningwuguan. They said that the eldest brother had fled south. Sister-in-law, what should we do?"

Ever since Gao Jie cuckolded Li Zicheng, Li Zicheng didn't trust any other generals with foreign surnames on the logistics side, so he asked his brother and his wife to guard the logistics.

When Gao heard this, he was shocked. He looked up and looked outside the city, and then looked down at most of the fleeing soldiers who had entered the city.She didn't know why, but her brows were wrinkled, as if she was thinking about something.

Li Zijing was a little surprised when he saw it, so he asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

After hearing Mr. Gao's answer, he spoke again: "If sister-in-law is still unclear about anything, I'll ask Zhou Dabiao to come up and explain."

Hearing his words, Gao suddenly said decisively: "Come on, arrest them all. Anyone who dares to resist will be shot to death!"

The people on the top of the city were shocked and didn't know why she gave this order.

But the people brought by Mr. Gao just listened to Mr. Gao, without questioning at all, and immediately gathered on top of the city.

Only then did Gao turn to look at Li Zijing, sneer and shout: "If Ningwuguan is really going to be defeated, they won't be the infantry who escape first, there will always be some cavalry. Let's take a step back and say , even if Brother You escapes south, he will definitely notify us and will not abandon us!"

After all, Li Zicheng has about [-] troops, so even if he loses, he still has a certain amount of time to react.Daizhou is where the food and family camps are located, how could they just ignore it and just flee south!
The fact that the infantry was able to escape showed that the imperial army did not cut off the road, so it was impossible for only the infantry to escape.Therefore, she concluded that there must be something wrong.

However, Li Zijing couldn't figure it out and asked immediately: "I know the leader. He is indeed following my elder brother at Ningwuguan."

Gao also couldn't understand this, but she still said firmly: "Although I also have doubts about this, it is always right to be cautious. If you don't resist, you won't be killed."

While they were talking, noises came from the city, including loud shouts and shouts of grievances.

Even afterwards, there were sounds of swords and guns clashing and shouts of injury.

After a while, these sounds stopped.Someone went to the top of the city and reported to Mr. Gao: "Some people resisted and killed three of them!"

After hearing this, Mrs. Gao glanced at Li Zijing, and then, surrounded by his men, he descended from the city.

Seeing this, Li Zijing followed him down to the top of the city.

Inside the city gate, more than 200 people were seen disarming themselves, and they were all surrounded by heavily armed soldiers.There were three people lying on the ground motionless, with only blood flowing.

Zhou Dabiao was fine. When he saw Gao and Li Zijing walking down the city, he shouted: "We finally escaped back, why did they kill us? What crime do we have?"

After Li Zijing heard this, he didn't know what to say, but Gao asked calmly: "If you are not guilty, why resist?"

Zhou Dabiao looked at the three dead brothers, then looked up at Mr. Gao, and quickly defended: "I was panicking when I just escaped, and suddenly they used knives and guns against us. Who wouldn't be more panicked?"

After he finished speaking, he saw that Gao's expression remained unchanged, but Li Zijing's expression seemed to have changed a little, so he shouted again: "The third highness knows the villain. We kindly escaped and came back to report the news, but we were treated like this, brother." They are not convinced!"

"Yes, not convinced!"

"We don't agree!"

"..."

After hearing this, the others started shouting one after another, all with indignant expressions on their faces.

Mrs. Gao looked at them and suddenly sneered: "Your name is Zhou Dabiao, right? Your child should be in the city. Come and take his child!"

When Zhou Dabiao heard this, his expression suddenly changed.

Li Zijing glanced at Mr. Gao and asked, "Why are you the only ones who escaped? What about the others? Why are there no brothers from the old camp?"

When Zhou Dabiao heard this, he replied without thinking: "The villain is stationed in the east, so he can escape faster. As for the others, how does the villain know? I know, just because we are not brothers from the old camp, we will be punished for everything we do." Suspect?"

Hearing his words, others also started making noises.But they all just echoed, rather than asking questions like Zhou Dabiao.

(End of this chapter)