There is a space for passenger planes in the late Ming Dynasty

Huguang, Xiangyang City.

Xiangyang city is connected from north to south and water runs from east to west. It has always been a battleground for military strategists and was also the regional political, economic, military and cultural center of the Ming Dynasty.

The city has a circumference of about 14 miles and has six gates, all with a moon city. There are six turrets in the east, south, west, big north, small north and east, each with three floors. The city defense is very complete.

One day in late May, when it was almost dusk, the city gate had been closed, and a small group of army cavalry rushed to the south gate of Xiangyang.

"Stop, who are you waiting for?" the defenders on the tower shouted.

The leading officer took out a document and shouted: "I am Liu Xingguo, the messenger sent by Governor Yang, and I have an urgent document to deliver!"

The man named Liu Xingguo showed an arrogant air and took out an urgent document sealed with lacquer. After looking at it, the guard officer realized that it was to be handed over to Mr. Zhang of Xiangyang Military Preparation Road, so he agreed to report it.

Liu Xingguo asked dissatisfiedly: "Are our official documents fake? Why don't you let us enter the city?"

"Brother, please don't be surprised. The official document is of course true, but now is an extraordinary period, and we need to report to Mr. Li, the guard of the south gate, before we can open the city gate." The gatekeeper explained.

"Brother, this is an urgent document of 100,000 yuan. You and I can't afford to delay this important event."

"It won't be a mistake, it won't be a mistake. Mr. Li is right next to you and will be here soon!"

The guerrilla generals responsible for guarding the south gate arrived. Seeing that there were no flaws in the official document, he looked at the people who were coming and said, "Please rest and wait at the Nanguan restaurant outside the city. I will immediately send someone to deliver the official document to the Taotai Yamen. As soon as there is a reply, I will arrange for you to take it back to the governor." "Master Xingyuan."

The young officer immediately explained: "I came to Xiangyang to mobilize troops urgently. I must hand over the military talisman to Master Daotai. I cannot wait outside the city." As he spoke, he presented the military talisman.

When General Li saw that the military talisman was not fake at all, he looked at Liu Xingguo's firm attitude and it didn't seem to be fake. His expression also relaxed, and he asked him to wait for a while, and after Master Daotai inspected them, he would immediately let them into the city.

Zhang Kejian of the Bing Bei Dao read the urgent documents from the cabinet ministers and personally compiled the military symbols before agreeing to allow them to enter the city and arrange for them to live in Chengtian Temple, waiting to be heard tomorrow morning.

When Liu Xingguo led twenty-eight brothers to Chengtian Temple, General Li asked him in a low voice: "There are rumors here that the situation in Sichuan is not good. Is it true?"

"Please don't believe the rumors. Although the suppression of bandits in Sichuan did not go smoothly, it is impossible for the two thieves Xian and Luo to escape from Sichuan." The young officer replied seriously.

General Li nodded and said, "Maybe there are spies hiding in Xiangyang City, spreading rumors. The prefect of the king said yesterday that Zhang Xianzhong is far away in Sichuan, and I don't expect him to fly from the sky!" The young officer nodded in agreement. .

Yang Sichang was indeed a man of great ambition and talent. He knew clearly that Zhang Xianzhong and other bandits had left Sichuan, but he tried to hide it, causing Xiangyang City to lose vigilance.

The crescent moon has gone down, and the night is getting darker.

Zhang Xianzhong led a cavalry of 1,500 people galloping from Yicheng to Xiangyang.

Eighteen miles away from Xiangyang, the lights on the city could already be seen. A large city was silhouetted in the night, and the morale of the peasant army was particularly high.

Suddenly, Zhang Xianzhong ordered the team to stop at the foot of the mountain to rest. He waited until it was almost three o'clock before he loudly ordered "mount the horse". This team immediately stood up and ran towards the south gate of Xiangyang.

Because it was far away from the fighting in Sichuan, the guards of Xiangyang City only focused on the six gates to check in and out. The defense on the city has long been lax, and after the third watch every night, there is no one on duty.

When Zhang Xianzhong led the cavalry two miles away from Wenchang Gate, the third watch was going on in the city.

At this time, a fire broke out near Chengtian Temple, followed by a fire near Duanli Gate of Prince Xiangyang's Mansion, and then a fire broke out inside Wenchang Gate. The streets were abuzz with people, some shouting loudly for a mutiny in the Daotai Yamen camp.

Guerrilla general Li Min'an, who was guarding the south gate, led a small number of soldiers to suppress the attack. Liu Xingguo, who entered the city at dusk, led more than 20 cavalrymen and suddenly arrived. Before he could figure out what was going on, he was hacked to death with a knife and kissed on both sides. The soldiers fled in all directions.

Then, this small team opened the city gate and lowered the suspension bridge. Zhang Xianzhong led his troops into the city. He first rushed to the camp where Yang Sichang stayed in Xiangyang, sent troops to occupy the military supplies warehouse on the left side of the camp, and then rode his horse to Prince Xiang's Mansion.

When he arrived in front of Duanli Gate, Zhang Xianzhong met his adopted son Zhang Kewang who had captured King Xiangyang from the palace. He said happily: "Okay! Send the dog king to the west city gate tower to be imprisoned. When I have time, I will interrogate him in person." Zhang Xianzhong led He rushed to the Yamen of Yun and Xiangdao with his soldiers, and saw his adopted son Zhang Wenxiu coming towards him, so he asked, "Have you caught this bastard Zhang Kejian? "Hui Fu Shuai has been killed by us on the spot. Let the people see him at dawn." "

Zhang Xianzhong sat down in the middle of the lobby. Zhang Dingguo came in and said with a smile: "My dear father, my son has finished his work."

Zhang Xianzhong laughed and scolded: "You son of a bitch, you did a great job! You didn't encounter any difficulties entering the city, did you?"

"Fortunately, the twenty-eight of us met the envoys sent by Yang Sichang to Xiangyang to mobilize troops on the road and took away their uniforms and military symbols.

Xianzhong immediately stood up from the chair and laughed loudly: "Good boy, you are worthy of being the adopted son of the Eight Kings! Do you understand? The most important thing is not the military symbols and uniforms, but your bravery, carefulness and natural expression. You have established Great work, I will be greatly rewarded!”

Just as Zhang Xianzhong was scolding Fang Qiu and celebrating grandly at his adopted sons, the scene of a mantis stalking a cicada and an oriole behind him began.

Xiangyang North Gate.

A group of cavalry with bright armor and neat military appearance surged out of the night and headed quickly towards Xiangyang. It was the personal guard division led by Lin Feng.

Lin Feng had already arranged for Tingfeng Guards to ambush Zhang Xianzhong in the west and south of Xiangyang City in the two directions where Zhang Xianzhong might enter the city. He immediately reported the information through Bailitong, and every move of the peasant army's attack on Xiangyang was under control.

After discovering traces of Zhang Xianzhong's troops in the Jingmen area, Lin Feng judged that they were about to seize the city, so he left Xinye, Henan with his personal guard division and approached Xiangyang.

Because the north gate of Xiangyang was close to the Han River, it was inconvenient to hide his troops. Lin Feng led his army eastward and quietly crossed the Han River and reached a place about sixty or seventy miles northeast of Xiangyang to hide.

While Zhang Xianzhong was resting eighteen miles south of Xiangyang, the Guards Division army approached again twenty miles east of Xiangyang City.

At this distance, Lin Feng's detectives could immediately report through Bailitong if they found out the enemy's situation. However, Zhang Xianzhong's thieves, even if they found out the information, would not have time to report back.

At three o'clock in the middle of the night, Feng Wei came to report that fire and the sound of fighting were heard in Xiangyang City. Zhang Xianzhong's troops entered the city from the south gate.

Lin Feng immediately ordered the entire division to attack. Division commander Luo Kai led a brigade of 2000 people to the south gate to intercept. He directed Li Guo to lead the remaining 3000 people directly into the city from the east gate of Xiangyang.

At this time, the east gate of Xiangyang was already open. Because rogue bandits entered the city, the situation was unclear and there was no one to command. The defenders at the east gate immediately abandoned the gate and fled.

Some people living nearby, especially some wealthy families, took advantage of the chaos and opened the city gates to escape.

As a result, Lin Feng led the army into Xiangyang City without any effort.

The layout of Xiangyang City is the Grand Cross Street, and the southern half is the military and political office area. The Xiangyang County Government Office is located in the northwest corner of the city; the County School is located in the south of the County Government Office.

Prince Xiang's Mansion and its affiliated institutions occupy most of the southeast corner of the city. To the east of Nanmen Main Street and south of East Street, almost a quarter of the city is occupied by the Prince's Mansion and its affiliated institutions.

Lin Feng led his army into the city from East Street and met the officers and soldiers of Zhang Xianzhong's general Bai Wenxuan who were about to bring people over to control the east gate.

They were very surprised when they saw a large army coming in from the east of the city. Zhang Xianzhong's raiding force into the city totaled only more than 1,500 people, and Bai Wenxuan's troops were also small, with only about 200 people in total.

When he saw the thousands of troops coming towards him, he immediately turned his horse around and retreated decisively.

The cavalry from the front team of the Guards Division rushed forward quickly, and with a single volley from their breech-loaded rifles, more than a hundred peasant soldiers were knocked off their horses. Zhang's men and horses had never seen such fierce firepower before, and they immediately howled and fled in all directions. My parents lost two legs.

Bai Wenxuan was indeed a decisive person. No matter how the officers and soldiers behind him screamed, he just patted his horse and ran away, preparing to report the news.

(End of this chapter)