Autumn of the 17th year of Chongzhen

Chapter 805

After entering the customs, the nobles of the Eight Banners actually didn't have much desire to fight. They already had enough clothes to eat, and they didn't have to work.

But this year's failure, coupled with the cold winter, made them seem to be back outside the pass.

The Gushan, Jiala, and Niulu of the various banners are lucky to say that their family has a great career and can continue to enjoy happiness for a while, but the bannermen are miserable, 20 taels of grain, and it is still rising, they snatch it The money is all cheaper for those grain merchants.

At this time, in the Eight Banners camp in Yongding outside Beijing, many bannermen complained, if they had been suffering outside the customs, it would be fine, because they not only applauded, but naturally they had no complaints, but after they entered the customs, they spent a few years Even if the current situation is better than outside the customs, they are still dissatisfied.

Before the Qing court recruited troops to fight in the south, although Qi Ding didn't hate it, he didn't particularly hope to be able to draw him, but this time, they were very enthusiastic, and everyone was looking forward to going south to rob a wave, otherwise the family would really support them. Can't stop.

The news that they are about to go south has already spread within Qiding, but there is still no way to say how many people will go south and who will go.

For a moment, there was a lot of noise in the tent, and at this moment, a series of hooves sounded from far to near, and a group of cavalry came galloping from the snow and directly entered the camp. The bannermen in the middle rushed out immediately, forming a big circle.

Seeing this, Najia Laer really said loudly: "The regent ordered to seize the Southern Dynasty. Let's go to the white flag and keep half of it. I was lucky and won an extra spot for you. Let's go to three and stay two. How many of you are there?" The cattle are recorded in my account for random inspection, and those who win will immediately pack up and go south with me, and those who don’t win should not complain, and if something is robbed in the banner, some of it will be shared with you.”

After saying that, Jiala Erzhen got off his horse and entered the big tent. Several Niu Lu glanced at each other and rushed in immediately.

After a while, the five Niu Lu came out of their tents, and each was surrounded by his bannermen, some were dejected, and some cheered from around, "Take Nanchao!" "Take Nanchao!"

The lack of food and food aroused the animal nature of this group of animals, and the voice of the selected Niulu resounded everywhere, "Hurry up and get ready. Prepare your bows, arrows and horses, bring your own coats, and get ready to go right away."

Banner Ding, who was able to go south, looked excited. The Southern Dynasty is Tingjiu, but he is not going to fight this time, not to siege the city for a decisive battle.

The bannermen immediately returned to their tents, picked up the guys, led two war horses, and went out to gather at the gate of the camp. The voice of "grab Nanchao, seize Nanchao" echoed in the camp accompanied by people's voices and horses neighing.

Soon the Eight Banners of Manchuria who were drawn in each camp began to gather, and many slaves in coats also led horses to accompany them. The people and horses left Beijing and went south to Baoding, where the Mongolian Zasak Banner and the Karaqin Banner were already here. waiting.

Mongolia, which surrendered to the Manchu Qing Dynasty, had a small population. In the ninth year of Tiancong, Huang Taiji checked the population and established regulations and established banners according to the example of Manchuria. 950 three, the Southern Dynasty is now difficult to grab, unless it is a last resort, Mongolia is not willing to fight for the Qing court, but it is impossible not to grab it, and it cannot survive the winter without grabbing it.

In Lianghuai, outside the city of Huai'an, heavy snow fell. The soldiers of the brigade were moving on the river, digging into the ice with nails. Zhang Mingzhen led a group of soldiers to stand in the north of the river. The heavy snow covered him in a thick layer.

After Lu Wang was recruited into Nanjing, Zhang Mingzhen was appointed as the governor of Jiangbei, supervising Jiangbei's military, and responsible for the defense of Ming Dynasty in Jiangbei.

During the Little Ice River period, the weather was too cold, and the Yellow River rushing northward reduced the water volume of the Huaihe River. The Huaihe River actually froze this year, which represented the entire north of the Yangtze River.

King Lu's navy has withdrawn from the Huaihe River and is stationed in Chongming to avoid being frozen in the river. Furthermore, it needs to cooperate with the Dongting navy to protect the river defense.
The Huaihe River was frozen, and the line of defense that was originally based on the navy seemed to be in vain.

Zhang Mingzhen looked at the river with a heavy face. The soldiers above had been busy for a while, then all of them got up suddenly, and ran back to the shore a little clumsily.

It turned out that the soldiers in Shandong and Lianghuai were better. The weather was abnormal for a year or two. The cheeks were flushed from the cold, and the hands and feet were uncomfortable. Many people also suffered from chilblains.

The damn thing is only in the Lianghuai River, if it goes further north, the eggs will freeze off.

The soldiers ran back to the riverside, a thousand households, and came to report to Zhang Mingzhen in a white breath: "Captain, they are all buried."

"Then try!" Zhang Mingzhen nodded and said in a deep voice.

Qianhu clasped his fists, then turned and left, walked to the riverside, ordered someone to light the fuse, and wrapped the primer wrapped in cloth strips, white smoke and flickering fire, rushed to the middle of the Huaihe River.

A series of "rumbling" explosions sounded, and the shattered ice splashed on the river surface, like a white mist rising from the sky, the entire ice surface trembled for a while, shaking out cracks.

"Captain, it doesn't matter what use it is! The Huaihe River is thousands of miles away, and it can't be guarded at all, and the ice exploded today, and it will form a whole block tomorrow morning." Ruan Jin, the general beside him, said.

"It's just a matter of human affairs, and there is no other countermeasure right now. I can only hope that it won't snow anymore." Zhang Mingzhen raised his head, and snowflakes fell from the sky, falling on his face and beard.

In late November, the weather was getting colder and colder. Most of the soldiers of the Ming army patrolling along the Huaihe River hid in the piers.

On the night of the 25th, near Lianshui County in the east of Huai'an, inside the Ming army pier north of Maluo Town, a pile of firewood was crackling. Sitting together, leaning against the inner wall of the pier and taking a nap, the outside world is white, although it is the third watch, it is almost the same as the daytime.

At this time, a group of 300 cavalrymen suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the river. To the west was Huai'an, which was heavily defended by Zhang Mingzhen. The Qing soldiers did not intend to touch it, but chose the Lianshui area in the middle as a breakthrough point.

In the first ten days of October, the Qing soldiers began to gather in Baoding, and then divided into two groups, one led by Azig, entered Henan to meet King Liangshun, and the other led by Nikan passed through the frozen yellow flood zone and killed Into the Lianghuai.

At this time, the fire inside the pier was shining brightly, and the wild dogs outside kept barking. The Zhejiang soldiers inside the pier heard the noise, and most of them continued to doze off.

Xiao Qi reacted and kicked a soldier next to him, "Climb up and have a look."

The soldier had a reluctance on his face. For Zhejiang people, it was too damn cold. He really didn't want to leave the fire, and he didn't want to lift up the blanket.

"Damn, it's such a cold day, you think the Tartars are human or not, so they are not afraid of the cold?" The soldier stood up cursing.

"They live in the bitter cold in the north, how can they compare with me? You don't talk nonsense, and see what's going on!" Xiaoqi held a wooden stick to stir the fire, looked up at the soldiers climbing up and cursed .

"I know, I know." The soldier said while crawling, just as his head came out, a gust of cold wind made him shiver, "Oh, no, I can't even hold a knife in this weather, if it happens to me~~~"

Xiao Qi lowered his head and flicked the flames, waiting for him to finish, but suddenly heard a sound of "puff", a feathered arrow shot directly through the soldier's throat, the soldier's face twisted, his hands covered his neck, and he fell down from the ladder, heavily fell on the fire.

(End of this chapter)