The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

"mighty!!!"

With the mighty sound that shook the sky, the last Ten Thousand People Army team in the east of Ruzhou City collapsed under the fierce offensive of the Hanzhong Army.

The army was defeated like a mountain, and countless defeated troops flowed away in all directions like an ebbing tide.

Above the wilderness, a red torrent was rolling forward.

The sound of horse hooves like thunder echoed in every corner of the battlefield, like the death knell.

The cavalrymen of the Hanzhong Army raised their sabers high, controlled their horses, and formed a tight cavalry formation. They kept coming and going to attack the defeated troops of the Wanmin Army.

The defeated troops of the Wanmin Army were like ears of wheat in an autumn field, cut off on both sides by the cavalry of the Hanzhong Army, and then disappeared into the rolling torrent.

Cries, pleas for mercy, and wailings lingered in the wilderness.

The scarlet blood dyed the earth red, rendering the whole world as terrifying as hell.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

In the center of the army, the slow beat of war drums sounded like thunder in the chests of everyone.

The sound of rallying horns mixed with the sound of drums also announced the end of the war to all soldiers still in the formation.

Chen Wang led the horses under him, wading through the bloody water, and climbed a high slope.

This high slope was originally where the Wanmin Army's Kou Shou Wa Jar served as its command post.

However, just half a quarter of an hour ago, almost at the same time that the formation collapsed, Crock Pot, the commander-in-chief of the West Route Army of the People's Army, had already led his direct troops to flee the battlefield.

"Most of the defeated soldiers fled westward, the same route that the earthen jars took."

Hu Zhiyi followed Chen Wang and reported the situation of the battle to Chen Wang.

"To the west of Ruzhou is Yiyang and to the southwest is Ximaling Pass."

"Ximaling Pass has been controlled by our army, and the only place they can escape is Yiyang."

Chen Wang did not direct this battle. The command was handed over to Hu Zhiyi by Chen Wang.

The first time he commanded a battle between tens of thousands of people, Hu Zhiyi had already demonstrated his outstanding commanding skills. He did not lose sight of one thing because there were too many people and there were too many things to pay attention to.

Although Hu Zhiyi also made some mistakes when commanding, they were undoubtedly the more powerful side in this battle.

These mistakes did not put much of a disadvantage in the battle, and victory eventually fell to them.

"They are fleeing in the direction of Yiyang and should enter Luoyang Mansion directly from Song County. We have no way to stop them for the time being."

Luoyang Mansion is now completely out of control, and the passages are controlled by thousands of thieves. There has been no news for a long time.

Wuguan fled to Yiyang to the west of Ruzhou. He could directly enter Luoyang Mansion through Song County and join the main force of the Ten Thousand People's Army in Luoyang Mansion.

Hu Zhiyi looked at the battle situation in the distance with some regret and sighed.

"We still have too few cavalry."

If there were more cavalry, two to three thousand more, he would have the confidence to leave more of the Ten Thousand People's Army behind, and even annihilate them all under Ruzhou City.

"The number of cavalry is now at the limit that we can control, and it is already enough. Any more would be bad."

Chen Wang knew what Hu Zhiyi was thinking, and he also wanted more cavalry.

But it is actually not cost-effective to train and maintain cavalry now, at least not at this stage.

After absorbing Chen Hongfan's retainers and Wang Guoning's elite cavalry, the number of cavalry under Chen Wang's direct control exceeded three thousand for the first time.

This time, with Yang Sichang's permission, Chen Hongfan's Huguang soldiers were also brought under Chen Wang's control, which also caused the number of cavalry under Chen Wang to expand again, reaching more than 5,000.

However, the combat effectiveness of the two thousand extra Huguang cavalry can only be said to be acceptable.

It's fine for dealing with ordinary rogue cavalry, but compared with the rogues' elite cavalry, their combat effectiveness is still much lower.

Hu Zhiyi nodded. He was naturally aware of the current situation. He knew that Chen Wang was right. He stopped talking about the cavalry and brought the topic back to the current situation.

"In the direction of Kaifeng Mansion, Yufu Li Xianfeng has led troops to contain the thousands of thieves in Kaifeng Mansion. Ma Yuanshan has also led troops to station in Jiaxian County. There is no need to worry about the safety of the east side for the time being."

Ruzhou Prefecture is located in a place of four battles. Only in the south is Lushanguan Pass and the surrounding mountains as natural dangers to be defended, which has certain terrain advantages.

The road leading to Luoyang from north to west is very open, and to the east it connects to Kaifeng Prefecture.

In Kaifeng Mansion is the East Route Army of the Ten Thousand People's Army, which also has 50,000 people. If this threat is not resolved, then their food routes will be under threat at all times.

But now, the threat has been temporarily lifted.

Li Yan led an army of tens of thousands of people into Luoyang Mansion, threatening King Fu's safety and undoubtedly making Henan Governor Li Xianfeng extremely anxious.

This can be seen from his continuous deployment of troops and generals during these days, and he even did not hesitate to lead the army to fight the East Route Army of the Wanmin Army.

However, no matter how hard Li Xianfeng tried, he could not change the fact that Henan's military strength was greatly reduced, its armaments were insufficient, and its combat power was insufficient.

Therefore, the Eastern Route Army has not been able to open up the situation and defeat the Wanmin Army.

However, it was precisely because of Li Xianfeng's help that Chen Wang was able to solve Dongfang's worries.

"Next..."

"Are we going to Luoyang, or..."

Hu Zhiyi looked a little hesitant. The key passes between Ruzhou and Luoyang were basically blocked by the Ten Thousand People's Army. They could get very little information. He didn't know what to do next.

Chen Wang narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly passed over the battlefield in the distance.

Everything that happened now was completely different from the process in his memory, and many things were beyond recognition.

History does have inertia, but if he did not receive accurate news, he would not dare to predict the outcome of the Luoyang offensive and defensive battle.

At this time, ten days had passed since they crossed Lushan Pass. It was already March 14th, the middle of March.

There has been no news from Luoyang Mansion, and everything is still in a confusing state.

"We can't go any further north."

Chen Wang slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice.

"Now heading north towards the Luoyang area, we must leave a group of soldiers and horses to guard Yiyang to prevent the soldiers and horses of the Thousand Thieves Army from entering from the west and cutting off our army's retreat."

His own family knew his own affairs, and Chen Wang knew the situation of his troops very well.

It looks like there are 20,000 troops, mighty and majestic, but in fact they are more powerful from outside but inside from inside. "

Although the soldiers and horses under Zhang Er and Huang Long have undergone reorganization, their combat power is not strong and cannot be relied upon.

Wang Guoning was forced to surrender. Many of his subordinates were old bandits, and old habits were hard to change. It would be lucky not to cause trouble at the critical moment, and it was impossible to rely on them.

The native soldiers under Ma Yuanshan were good at fighting. Chen Wang had also dispatched a group of weapons before, and the combat effectiveness of the native soldiers was also improved a lot.

But they need to defend Jiaxian County and stop the tens of thousands of people's army that may invade from Kaifeng Prefecture.

Although Chen Hongfan's original Huguang troops had a large number of soldiers and horses, their combat effectiveness was mediocre. They had just been reorganized and were not strong enough to stand on their own. It would not be an exaggeration to say that their fighting will and combat power were the weakest among all the troops.

In fact, Chen Wang's real main force now is only the 5,000-strong army camp directly led by him.

And these five thousand soldiers are Chen Wang's real family wealth, and there must not be too much loss.

The soldiers and horses under Li Yan were much more powerful than the rogues of the old 72nd Battalion. Not to mention other things, in terms of organization alone, the rogues of the old 72nd Battalion were simply out of reach.

Although the bandits of the old 72nd Battalion have been fighting for a long time, in many cases the strength and weakness are not divided like this.

A team with a guiding ideology and a team without a guiding ideology are completely different things.

It's like the difference between a doctor with a professional background and a barefoot doctor who has been practicing medicine for a long time.

Barefoot doctors who have been practicing medicine for a long time have rich practical experience and are familiar with treating some common diseases.

But once faced with difficult and complex diseases, many times there is no way to start. Although doctors with professional backgrounds will be in a hurry due to lack of experience at the beginning, as their experience increases, they will inevitably go further than barefoot doctors, and their upper limit will be higher.

Li Yan determined the team's policy from the beginning, strictly required military discipline, made rewards and punishments clear, and clarified the purpose of the uprising.

During the battle between Ruzhou and the Wan Min Army, although Chen Wang gave command to Hu Zhiyi, he was not distracted by this. He had been observing the situation of the Wan Min Army.

The morale of the Ten Thousand People Army is undoubtedly much higher than that of the rogue bandits of the old 72nd Battalion.

With their generals fleeing first, some members of the People's Army even persisted for half a quarter of an hour before collapsing in complete despair.

"The main town means..."

Hu Zhiyi hesitated to speak, and after thinking about it for a long time, he asked.

"The situation of the enemy in Luoyang is unclear. The best way is to listen to the news quietly in Ruzhou first. We...will hold our troops aside for the time being."

Chen Wang had no intention of going north and entering Luoyang Mansion.

The enemy situation in Luoyang Mansion is unclear, and his troops are not very strong now. If he enters Luoyang Mansion rashly, he may even be in danger of defeat.

"Stand still?"

Hu Zhiyi frowned.

Strategically speaking, standing still is indeed the best choice.

But in many cases, war is not pure, it is also affected by politics.

"Prince Fu is in Luoyang. If Luoyang falls, the vassal family falls, and the court punishes him..."

Chen Wang raised his hand and stopped Hu Zhiyi's follow-up questions. He knew what Hu Zhiyi wanted to ask.

"Court?"

Chen Wang looked indifferent. Hu Zhiyi was the only one following him at this time, so he naturally spoke without any scruples.

"Does the court dare to punish me?"

"Li Yan is now at the height of his power, and we are the only one with the strongest army in Henan."

Henan has been suffering from military disasters and civil unrest in recent years, and has already suffered losses.

And because they were in the interior and their military preparations were depleted, most of Henan's soldiers and horses were not strong in combat effectiveness. This can be seen in the several battles after Li Yan gained power.

The main force of the southern army was basically controlled by Yang Sichang and entered Sichuan to chase Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai.

Soldiers and horses from southern Zhili and other places were also concentrated in the Yinghuo Mountain area to prepare for the Gezuo Fifth Battalion to come out and cause trouble.

"Even if Luoyang City falls and King Fu dies, what does it have to do with us?"

According to the current situation, the most that can be done is a punishment of demotion, and then let him temporarily take over his original position and perform meritorious service.

"The death of King Fu and the fall of Luoyang are not only harmless to us, but also more beneficial."

If the imperial court wanted to suppress the civil uprising in Henan, the only person it could rely on was Chen Wang.

It was precisely because he knew this that Chen Wang dared to choose to stand still in Ruzhou at this time.

Moreover, Chen Wang had a legitimate excuse for choosing to stand still - a shortage of food and grass.

"Since the march north from Nanyang Prefecture, our army's marching speed has been hindered by a shortage of food and grass. Moreover, the food and grass in the army now only lasts for three days, which is not enough to support the attack to Luoyang."

From the very beginning, Chen Wang was already making preparations.

Chen Wang sent letters to Henan Governor Li Xianfeng and the surrounding prefectures and counties many times to request food. These official letters can be used as evidence in the future.

When the court discusses the fall of Luoyang and the death of King Fu, because of these official documents and the impression left by King Qin of being loyal to the country when he went north to the north, Chen Wang will not be able to bear any responsibility at all when the time comes to hold him accountable.

From a factual point of view, there is nothing wrong with his journey along the way.

First, he was ordered to run all the way south to intercept Luo Rucai, and almost captured Luo Rucai.

After learning about the crisis in Henan, he led his troops non-stop to the north to rush for reinforcements, marching in a hurry and fighting against the bandits.

Unfortunately, because of the lack of food and grass, we can only stay temporarily and there is no way to save the day.

Since going south, all of Chen Wang's performances can only make people feel that this person is truly loyal and dedicated to serving the country.

"The more corrupt the situation in Henan becomes, the more the court will be able to rely on me."

Chen Wang looked into the distance, his eyes full of coldness.

"When the water is clear, there are no fish, and when people are careful, there are no disciples. The more muddy Li Yan makes the clear water in Henan, the greater our chances of fishing in muddy water."

There were many vassal kings in Henan Province.

Seven of the nine prefectures have important vassal kings.

From north to south there are seven princes: Zhao, Lu, Zheng, Zhou, Fu, Tang and Chong.

King Zhao, King Lu, and King Zheng were in the three prefectures of Zhangde, Weihui, and Huaiqing in the north.

King Zhou is in Kaifeng Mansion, and King Fu is in Luoyang Mansion, one in the east and one in the west.

King Tang and King Chong were in Nanyang Mansion and Runing Mansion in the south.

In addition to the seven princes, there are also many two-character titled princes in Henan Mansion.

The policy adopted by the Ming Dynasty towards the vassal kings was as vulgar as raising pigs.

The vassal king enjoyed wealth and honor, but had no authority and was not allowed to interfere in government affairs.

The price of the feudal king's wealth directly affected the country's finances.

The reason why there was no money at the end of the Ming Dynasty was not only due to the corrupt officialdom, but also partly because of the feudal kings.

These vassal kings are undoubtedly the moths of the Ming Dynasty.

King Fu is even more of a moth among moths.

A fool who is still unwilling to spend a little money when the rebel army is approaching the city should be dead long ago.

If King Fu had sent out a large amount of military pay to reward the soldiers and civilians in the city, how could it arouse the indignation of the soldiers and civilians defending the city, so that the soldiers and civilians in the city would cooperate with the insurrectionary troops outside the city.

Chen Wang's eyes were cold, there were some things that were not convenient for him to do now.

And Li Yan can help him deal with these things now.

There are countless gold and silver and countless treasures in Prince Fu's Mansion.

All this will soon belong to Li Yan.

And when he defeated Li Yan.

All this gold, silver and wealth will change owners.

The cavalry on the front line were still harvesting the heads of the defeated troops, and the soldiers in the formation had already begun to celebrate the arrival of victory.

Once again they won.

one more time.

……

"History of the Ming Dynasty Volume 120 Biography Eighth":
Henan suffered from severe drought for several years, and locusts became a plague. People ate each other, and the people borrowed money from each other. It was said that the late emperor consumed the world and became the fat king.

Luoyang is rich in power, and reinforcements passing through Luoyang made a noise:
"The prince's palace has millions of dollars, but we are devastated and die at the hands of thieves."

Lv Weiqi, the Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, was at home. He was frightened when he heard about it and told Chang Xun about his interests, but he didn't care.