Anti Qing

Chapter 99
In the eighth year of Chongzhen, the Ming court was in a hurry to encircle and suppress. The leaders of 36 rebel armies gathered in Xingyang to discuss the strategy of advancing troops. This is the well-known Xingyang Conference.

During the Xingyang General Assembly, Li Zicheng made his first appearance and put forward the strategy of dividing troops and directional orientation, and he emerged among the leaders of the 36 rebel armies.

At that time, Li Zicheng's reputation was not as widespread as it is now, and he was under the command of Chuang Wang Gao Yingxiang, and he was a Chuang general.

At that time, Wang Guangen, nicknamed Hua Guansuo, was already one of the leaders of the 36 rebel armies on an equal footing with the Eight Great Kings Zhang Xianzhong and Chuang Wang Gao Yingxiang.

The 11th year of Chongzhen can be called the darkest moment for all rebels.

In this year, the rebels from all walks of life were either wiped out, or they chose to surrender when they were desperate.

In the same year when Zhang Xianzhong was appeased in Gucheng, Wang Guangen was desperate, and also accepted the appeasement of Gao Doushu, the inspector in Huguang, and returned to the court.

Many rebel leaders were appeased, but it was an expedient measure. Zhang Xianzhong rebelled in Gucheng the second year after he surrendered to the court.

Wang Guangen was not the case, he sneered at the envoys sent by various rebels to appease him.

"Big husbands set up their own families. Today, if you offer loyalty and rebellion, my generation will also rebel. It's out of his pants, and I won't do it."

Since then, Wang Guangen has been following under Gao Doushu's tent, fought in Huguang and other places, and was promoted to the commander-in-chief of Yunyang by virtue of his military exploits.

Seeing that he showed signs of underestimating the enemy, Gao Doushu frowned slightly.

"After the First World War in Tongguan, Thief Li had gained a foothold in the northwest, and now he sent his third brother to station in Xiangyang, there must be a conspiracy."

"Wang Junmen received the emperor's grace and stationed in Yunyang. Don't underestimate the enemy."

"Remember to be lenient in anticipating the enemy, and strict in defending against the enemy!"

Wang Guangen's face was full of arrogance. Hearing this, he immediately put away his smile, his expression gradually became serious, and he raised his fists and said.

"What Futai teaches is that the final general will follow Futai's teachings!"

Gao Doushu nodded in satisfaction, then looked down.

"The treasurer, please tell me in detail the distribution of the garrison of bandits in Xiangyang City, so as to help me make a decision."

The good life of the storekeeper of the Le family was ruined by these rogues, and he became a homeless refugee.

Hearing that Gao Doushu was willing to send troops to assist, he was naturally overjoyed.

"Thank you Futai and Junmen for your great kindness, I, Leshi, will never forget it!"

As he spoke, he tremblingly took out a map from between his sleeves, handed it to a general of the Ming army, and then said.

"On this map, the distribution of bandits in Xiangyang City is marked."

The general stepped forward and hung up the map, and all the civil and military personnel came forward to watch the situation on the map, discussing for a while.

"This map is so detailed."

"It's so clear that even the troops of the thieves are stationed. Is there any fraud?"

"Soldiers, deceitful ways, have to guard against!"

Listening to the discussion of the crowd, Wang Guangen also stepped forward, looked at it for a while, his eyebrows moved slightly, and his thick voice immediately covered up the discussion of the crowd.

"Xinchengwan in the northeast corner, why is there no detailed information about the strength of this front battalion?"

The shopkeeper was taken aback when he heard the words, and sighed.

"The one stationed here is Li Zijing who has just arrived in Xiangyang. Once he arrives in the city, he will occupy the entire new city."

"It happened suddenly, within two days, and I haven't had time to figure it out yet."

Wang Guangen stared slightly, then raised his head.

"I have been to Xiangyang. The terrain of Xincheng Bay can be called the most advantageous in the whole city. If you control Xincheng, you can strangle the whole city if you advance. If you retreat, you can enter the Hanshui River and pass through Fancheng Pass."

"It seems that what Futai said is true, this Li Zijing needs to be on guard."

Xu Qiyuan also nodded, with deep eyes.

"According to the distribution of this map, Liu Tichun's department, which was originally stationed in Xiangyang, seems to be at odds with Li Zijing's department, which has just arrived in the city."

"Xiangyang City is high and deep, and the number of people in Li Zijing's front battalion is unknown. If we want to attack the city, I think we need to start from inside the city."

With that said, Xu Qiyuan set his eyes on the Ao Cang on the east and west sides of the city.

"This thing, Ao Cang, occupies a very large area. If it catches fire, the whole city will be burned, and the bandits will be destroyed without attack!"

Listening to everyone's brainstorming, Gao Doushu had a lot of ideas in his mind, but he still didn't have a firm plan to take the initiative to attack.

He opened his mouth to ask when the voice of everyone's discussion had subsided slightly.

"According to what the shopkeeper of the Le family said, I already know the distribution of bandits in Xiangyang City."

"What is the current situation in Jingzhou and De'an Mansion?"

Wang Guangen immediately turned around, cupping his fists and saluting.

"Going back to Futai, there are quite a few bandits in Jingxiang now, if there are not a hundred thousand, there should be seven to eighty thousand."

"Jingzhou is currently being besieged by Ma Jinzhong, the subordinate of Zuo Liangyu, Marquis of Southern Ning. The Ma department has [-] soldiers, and they can echo me from afar."

"The De'an mansion is the main force of the Jingxiang rebel army. The rebel army is the largest. Its leader Bai Wang is calm and good at defending. The Marquis of Ningnan fought against him many times in De'an territory, but he didn't get any advantage."

"If you want to attack Xiangyang, you may first contact the left marshal, and use the east side to contain the main force of the thieves and prevent them from coming back for help."

Gao Doushu stared slightly, pondered for a while, and his eyes suddenly became bright.

"The way to use soldiers is to show them softness, to welcome them with strength, to show them weakness, to take advantage of them to be strong, to defend them with sheerness, and to respond to them with openness."

"This official will want to go west, but show the thief to go east."

Wang Guangen is also a man who has led soldiers for many years. Since he quit the bandits and became a serious official army, he also began to learn to read and write.

Hearing this, he immediately understood Gao Doushu's intentions, and his eyes lit up.

"Futai means"

"Our army made the illusion of attacking Xiangyang, which made the bandit army exhausted. They led their troops to the south and cooperated with Ma Jinzhong's troops to attack Jingzhou."

Gao Doushu smiled slightly and looked around at the generals.

"That's exactly what Xu Zhifu thinks?"

Xu Qiyuan thought for a while, paced in the hall, and stood in front of the map from time to time to stare and meditate. It took a while before he made up his mind.

"The land of Junzhou, after several wars, is in dire straits."

"However, in Xiangbei, Junzhou can still be called an important place. It can be used as a screen for Yunyang to advance and control the Hanshui River. It is elected to send a capable general who is good at fighting and stationed there with great momentum."

"At the same time, I contacted Zuo Hou, claiming that I want to restore Xiangyang, please send troops from Wuchang to contain it."

"If the thieves hear about it, they will definitely be in chaos. At that time, they will attack from south to east, and they can make decisions according to the situation."

As Xu Qiyuan said, he raised his eyes, and the cruelty in his eyes flashed past.

"By the way, try this Li Zijing's details, and see if he is just an idiot who doesn't understand military affairs as the military sect said."

After he finished speaking, everyone talked about it.

"This is a great plan!"

"With Futai and the magistrate sitting in town, why not wipe out the bandits and regain Xiangyang!"

"When Xiangyang is recovered, Yunyang, Xiangyang, and Wuchang will be connected together, and great things will be accomplished!"

Everyone discussed for a long time, but no more perfect plan was proposed.

After all, the information given by Le Shi is not perfect, and the details of Li Zijing's former battalion first arrived in Xiangyang are still unknown.

But judging from the fact that Li Zicheng trusted Li Zijing and appointed him alone to preside over Xiangyang, it is impossible for this person to be an idiot.

Gao Doushu regarded Li Zicheng as a bandit, but he also knew Li Zicheng's ability in his heart.

This reckless leader of the bandits would never send an incompetent person to serve as the chief general of the Dashun Army in Huguang.

When the details of an army and its general are completely unknown, it is a big taboo for military strategists to attack rashly, and Gao Doushu would not do that.

In his opinion, to regain Xiangyang, it is the rogues who should be most anxious now, not his Yunyang Ming army.

Whether it is to take advantage of the time to recover Xiangyang, or to attack Jingzhou first, there is no priority at all.

As long as any one of Jingxiang and Xiangyang is recovered, the rogues in Huguang will be beaten back to their original form in an instant, and they will become rootless duckweeds, and they will never become prosperous again.

(End of this chapter)