The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chongzhen ninth year, March [-]th.

Hanzhong Mansion, Xing'an City.

As the largest city in the eastern part of Hanzhong Prefecture, Xing'an City has been very lively for many years.

But today is different from the past, and now there are no shops opening in the streets and alleys of Xing'an City.

The atmosphere in Xing'an City is oppressive, there are very few pedestrians coming and going, and there are only a few horses and carriages. Even the pedestrians you see occasionally in the neighborhood are mostly women.

The reason for all this is because the vanguard who broke into the army has now left the city.

All the young and strong men in the city were recruited and went to the four walls to help defend the city and enrich the city defense.

There were only a few yamen servants left in the city, and they led some militiamen to maintain order in the city.

Outside the city, the vanguards of the burglars marched and cavalry, and there were tens of thousands of people.

The brigade of cavalry in gray armor roared and swept over the field outside Xing'an City, and wild laughter came from a distance.

When there are ten thousand people, there is no limit; when there are hundreds of thousands of people, the earth reaches the sky.

Looking up, I felt that the mountains and plains were full of enemy troops, and an unknown number of cavalry came rushing in black.

The troops of the invading army spread out, dragging branches and dust behind them, acting as a suspicious soldier, making it difficult for people to see what happened next.

On the city wall, Chen Wang stood at the crenel, his brows were frowned, and he stared coldly at the rushing army outside the city.

Rao has experienced countless battles, and even personally led troops into battle many times.

But when Chen Wang saw the big flag with the word "Chuang" embroidered on it, his heart beat faster.

Among the peasant army in the late Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong are well-known to most people in later generations.

But in fact, the person who should really be remembered should be Gao Yingxiang.

Among the rogues in the late Ming Dynasty, there were only two people who could be called leaders and heroes.

One is Wang Jiayin.

After Wang Jiayin's uprising, responders flocked to him, and then even defeated the officers and soldiers.

At that time, the rebels in Shaanxi followed Wang Jiayin's call to act together.

Under the leadership of Wang Jiayin, the flames of war burned throughout Shaanxi and spread to the three provinces of Shanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu.

The other person is Gao Yingxiang.

After Gao Yingxiang's death, the peasant army, which was about to form one, fell apart soon after.

Gao Yingxiang had a high prestige among the peasant army at that time.

After his death, many people were desperate, and there were countless leaders of the 72nd Battalion begging for surrender.

Although Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong left far longer pages in the history books than Gao Yingxiang.

But the two of them are far inferior to Gao Yingxiang.

After the deaths of Wang Jiayin and Wang Ziyong, it was Gao Yingxiang who stood up and stabilized the 36th Battalion that was about to fall apart.

It was also under the leadership of Gao Yingxiang that the civil uprising team was able to grow stronger and stronger.

But when Gao Yingxiang died, neither Zhang Xianzhong, nor Ma Shouying nor Li Zicheng could provoke the 72nd Battalion.

Since then, the peasant army uprising in the late Ming Dynasty has been in a state of splitting, and they have been dissatisfied with each other. Although most of the time they are still united, they are all in harmony.

Li Zicheng is not a wise master, facing people who are unwilling to submit to him, what he thinks in his heart is not how to make them surrender, but chooses to use the simplest method to deal with it - kill!

In the 14th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong was defeated in Xinyang and defected to Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng wanted Zhang Xianzhong to be his part from now on, but Zhang Xianzhong refused, so Li Zicheng planned to kill him directly.

But later, he hesitated under Luo Rucai's persuasion, and he continued to stop when he should.

In the end, Zhang Xianzhong escaped at night, and grievances arose.

In the 16th year of Chongzhen, Li Zi became the unified leader, and even directly killed Luo Rucai and He Yilong, annexing his subordinates.

It is precisely because of such a simple and rude way of handling that it also laid the root of disaster for Li Zicheng's subsequent downfall.

Chen Wang's face was solemn. Although there were more than 6000 soldiers under his command in the city, it did not bring him much sense of security.

The smoke and dust billowed in the army formation outside the city, the sound was loud, and the sound of trumpets and drums did not stop for almost a moment.

All the soldiers and civilians on the city wall were terrified and panicked, and some of the timid ones even had their legs shaking like chaff.

Chuangjun scout cavalry roared across the city wall, relying on their horses to gallop quickly, they kept wandering outside Xing'an City.

From time to time, he suddenly charged forward with his horse, and then shot an arrow towards the city wall.

Although the arrows shot did not cause any damage at all, it still made the people guarding the city on the wall panic.

The cavalry who broke into the army roared away, but they did not attack the city.

Putting on a huge momentum, they set up a military camp on a high ground thirteen miles east of the city.

After two days, it was noon on March [-]th.

Gao Yingxiang's main force appeared outside Xing'an City.

The queues on the official road are winding, with dense army and horses, stretching endlessly.

If you look down from a high altitude, the official roads outside Xing'an City are covered with soldiers wrapped in gray turbans.

Unlike ordinary rogue bandits, these soldiers were surprisingly silent while marching.

A group of soldiers marched in formation, with spears held on their shoulders.

Countless long spears gather together like a forest made of steel. The tip of the spear is pointing at an angle, and there is a little bit of cold light under the sun, which is breathtaking.

The army is mighty and mighty, like the roaring water of the Yellow River, ferocious and violent.

The invading troops with spears on their shoulders rolled forward, and soon gathered in the wilderness outside Xing'an City into endless forests of spears and halberds.

The invading troops in the front had covered the entire front, while the invading troops in the rear seemed to be endless, coming continuously from the distant horizon.

Even though it was three miles away, the murderous aura emanating from the ranks of the self-invading army still rushed towards our faces,

Feeling the pressure coming to their faces, all the militiamen on the East Gate were pale and trembling.

Chen Wang looked left and right, and the soldiers under his command on the city wall had different expressions.

Although some of the veterans who followed him all the way had a little fear on their faces, their eyes did not waver much.

And most of the newly recruited soldiers had embarrassing faces, unable to hide their fear.

Some trembled all over, some bowed their heads, and some had shortness of breath.

But it stopped there, they were still standing on their posts, and no one dared to do anything.

But the militiamen on the city wall were terrified, all of them were pale, and some couldn't help but retreat in small steps.

This is true of the militiamen who have been on the battlefield, let alone those who have been recruited.

Chen Wang didn't issue any military order to deal with it, the battlefield is the best training ground.

A city defense battle is no better than a field battle. No matter how strong the Chuang army is, they can't fly over the city wall and enter the city directly.

There are not many siege equipment when the army comes from afar, and it takes a long time to make even the simplest ladder.

In the early days of the uprising in the late Ming Dynasty, the methods used by the peasant army to attack the city were the most stupid and simplest methods.

One is the ladder, and the other is the tunnel. They don't even have siege vehicles.

The ladder here is not the kind of large siege ladder that can carry a large number of soldiers, and even has barbs on the ladder body, but the simplest long wooden ladder, bamboo ladder.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was recorded that the rogues attacked the city, and there were many times that "a hundred roads at Yunti Cave advance side by side".

It sounds very powerful, but it is actually ants attacking the city, taking human lives to pile up, and taking human lives to fill.

In troubled times, the least valuable thing is human life.

The dense army of intruders rolled in like a swarm of locusts, and first covered the entire front.

But when it covered the entire front, the tide didn't stop flowing,
The waves continued to surge and spread to the south and north of the city, filling the entire Xing'an City like a pocket.

Chen Wang glanced at most of the invasion troops that were slowly unfolding outside the city. After a short period of absent-mindedness, he had already returned to his normal state of mind.

The generals among the rogues in the army were called the management team and the master. Although they were called differently, they were actually similar to the military system of the Ming army.

Either it was adapted according to the battalion sentry system, or it was based on the banner bureau system. The so-called titles of team management, master board, etc. also had their corresponding positions in the Ming army.

In the early days, there were good and bad bandits from all over the country, and their organization was chaotic.

However, after a large number of Ming army rebels who could not survive joined in, they also gradually began to have order, established an organization, and their combat power began to become stronger.

Chuangjun is the elite among them. The military system adopted by Gao Yingxiang is the military system of Yansui Township.

The lowest unit is the team, each team has 12 people, with one captain, two deputy teams, and a team flag.

In the army formation outside the city, there are so many banners and flags that it is difficult to count them.

According to a rough estimate, there are more than 4000 banners on the front alone, that is, 5 to [-] people, and there are not a few soldiers who cross the front to go north and south.

Not counting the number of follow-up people, there are already more than [-] people stranded in Xunyang.

I am afraid that the number of people who entered Hanzhong Mansion with Gao Yingxiang will exceed 20.

"The four cities have all been settled properly for defense and defense. Each battalion has 3000 people. It is divided into ten battalions, and the defense is cyclical."

Just behind Chen Wang observing the enemy's situation, a general wearing an iron pointed helmet and full armor came over and reported in a low voice.

The armor leaves of the armor are exposed outside, and it will clang when walking. Both arms wear ring iron arm armor, and a waist knife is hung on the belt.

The general was none other than Du Wugang from Qianhu of Xing'an Qianhu Office, about 30 years old, with a slightly yellow complexion, bearded beard and eagle eyes.

Du Wugang's Qianhu was not hereditary. The Qianhu of the former Xing'an Qianhu Office died in the hands of Wang Cheng. Du Wugang was originally the deputy Qianhu of the Xing'an Qianhu Office.

Holding the head of 56 rogue bandits, he competed against another Qianhu, and won the official position of Zhengqianhu by virtue of his military exploits.

Du Wugang was followed by more than 20 servants. These servants were all wearing double-breasted cloth visors, high-topped helmets, knives and bows. Bloody soldiers.

There are more than 800 guards under Du Wugang's command, which is already considered a lot.

As a thousand households, Guan Qilin didn't have so many guards and servants under his command.

Chen Wang had inspected the guard army under Du Wugang's command. Compared with the beggar soldiers under Guan Qilin's command, the guard army under Du Wugang's command was slightly better.

At least half of them are still wearing red hats, and they can also wear a girdle over their Tsing Yi battle skirts. Although the armor is quite tattered, at least they still have it.

"The people, livestock, grain and grass in the surrounding suburbs have all been transported into the city, and they are currently being counted, and the counting is expected to be completed in the evening."

"All the wells outside the city have been filled with soil, but the invading army came too quickly, and only half of the surrounding forests have been cut down."

Filling wells and cutting down trees are trivial matters. These are Chen Wang's orders in order to fortify the walls and clear the fields, create as much trouble as possible, and slow down the attacking speed of the Chuang army.

Chen Wang turned his head to look at Du Wugang, frowning.

"The people who entered the city were placed in the central area of ​​the city."

"No matter the residents inside the city or the residents outside the city, they are not allowed to approach the square walls. Those who dare to approach the gates of the walls will be treated as collaborators."

Most of the cities that were breached by rogue bandits were basically due to internal response.

This is how Zhang Waijia died at the hands of Li Zicheng, and there are many lessons in history, so Chen Wang is naturally more cautious.

Now there are 300 soldiers directly under his command, of which more than 2000 are recruits. During this period of time, they have only experienced simple queue training and army formation training.

There were a total of more than 2000 militiamen. There were originally about 1000 people, but [-] of them were transferred to Xunyang by Chen Wang.

There are more than 3 people recruited to assist in the defense, but these 3 people have never been on the battlefield before, and many of them don't even have weapons.

During this period of time, these militiamen and militiamen were all transferred by Chen Wang to train with the recruits under his command.

Because of time, they didn't train for a long time, but it was better than no training. At least one of them could stand still, and they understood what a queue was and what an army formation was.

But that's all. Let him take a weapon and go to fight the rogues in the field. The battlefield will definitely be one-sided, and he will definitely only be slaughtered.

However, there is a city wall for shelter and protection, so long as it is commanded properly, it can also play a huge role.

As a state city, Xing'an City has taller walls than ordinary county towns.

The city wall is two feet five feet high, and bricks and stones are added inside and outside.

There are urns and city towers at the gates of the four sides of the city. Because the river often rises, there are city gods pouring water around the city pool.

Not only is there a moat outside, but also a moat was dug around the city. In order to prepare for the next battle, Chen Wang also ordered people to continue to deepen and widen the moat around the city. Today, the moat around the city is two feet wide and seven feet deep.

Chuangjun just wants to fill up the trenches, and it takes a lot of effort.

When they filled up the moat and attacked, they had to find a way to cross the moat.

There are urns and city towers at the gates of the four sides of the city. Because the river often rises, there are city gods pouring water around the city pool.

In order to prepare for the next battle, Chen Wang also ordered people to continue to deepen and widen the moat around the city. Today, the moat around the city is two feet wide and seven feet deep.

……

The Bingkedu gave Chang Ziyu a speech in the matter:

"There are hundreds of thousands of rogue bandits, and the strongest is none other than Chuang Wang. Pi Duo is a descendant of the Han Dynasty, and he is a strong armored cavalry."

"Thieves Qu 90 people, King Chuang is the strongest, his subordinates have many soldiers, armored battles are neat, and their steps are not chaotic. They are not comparable to him."

"It is appropriate to combine the power of the world, and the heavy purchase will win the first place. If the first one breaks through, the remaining thieves are not equal."

Lu Xiangsheng said:

"King Chuang is number one again, who can be the one? Yu and Chu will surely be in a state of chaos."