Traveler Major League

Chapter 179 Preparation

Since the people's army took control of the four city gates and the two main cross roads, it was only a matter of time before Xi'an was completely taken down. More troops entered the city to encircle and suppress with superior forces.

There are shouts everywhere, "The surrender will not be killed. Come out and accept the surrender within half an hour, otherwise you will be severely punished! All the people guard the door tightly and are not allowed to go out."

The vast majority of the officers and soldiers in the entire city also surrendered, but there were still a few diehard elements. Seeing that the situation was over, some of those close to the city wall fled the city in chaos, and some of them hid in the houses in the city or gathered together to stick to it. With more artillery progress, even the officers and soldiers relying on solid buildings are completely desperate. Basically, the riflemen are in squads and platoons to cooperate with the militia companies to encircle and suppress. Small-scale street battles are far more bloody than frontal battlefields.

Not only were the soldiers on both sides fighting bloody battles, but the hooligans and some militiamen in the city still robbed and murdered from time to time in the chaotic city. It didn't get better until the situation stabilized and the military police began to patrol.

The fires in various parts of the city became more and more intense, and there were many casualties. Originally, it was Wang Shanbao and others in the northwest who set the fire, and then there were sporadic fires in various places in the city. The main reason was that no one put out the fire until the People's Army basically controlled the situation. The Changping and Yongfeng warehouses that had been burned by fire dragons before, and were robbed and burned again this time, had lost all their grain.

Lao Kong and Zhang Pu led a group of clerks who were nervously writing the Announcement for the People, and posted it at the gate of the city and in various streets. They have never been separated since they partnered. No matter where they go, they have to be together. The other party said a few words, these days are harmonious, and they cooperate with each other more tacitly, and they are all mature people.

The notice reads: Murderers will die, wounding and stealing will be punished. If there are illegal soldiers and civilians, they can go to the Changlemen Military Law Office to sue. All officials and gentry in the city will stay at home. Come to the government affairs department of Changle Gate to sign up.

At this time, as the situation in the city gradually stabilized, the chief officials of various ministries came back to report one after another. Yang Zeming was carrying a package and stepping on the city gate ladder. What's coming!"

As soon as Yang Zeming entered, he found that the room was full of people. Liu Ze had just finished assigning the remaining cavalry battalion tasks. Chao Zhongchen's cavalry battalion had been entangled with the officers and troops in the direction of Tongguan in the rear. The cavalry in Xi'an The battalion suffered more than half of the casualties due to the bloody battle, and the remaining [-] cavalry were equipped with cold weapons. Liu Ze had to select [-] soldiers who could ride horses from the rifle battalion to supplement them, and sent them out to check the surrounding officers and troops.

Looking up and seeing the excited Yang Zeming and the bulging package in his hand, Liu Ze asked suspiciously, "This is it?"

At this moment, Yang Zeming walked up to him, stretched out his hand to push aside the cloth bag, and several chubby human heads rolled out together, with bloodshot eyes that had not completely dried up. Among them, an old head had not closed its eyes, lying on the table. As if they were still alive, these heads immediately caused exclamations from the surroundings, "Look, these are the heads of Yang He, the governor of the three sides, and the head of the county magistrate of Chang'an County."

"How did you die?" Liu Ze asked, frowning.

Yang Zeming knew what Liu Ze meant, he was always unwilling to do indifferent killings, especially the leaders of the officers and soldiers, it would be best if they could be captured, so he quickly waved his hands and explained: "We didn't kill this. If they can’t do anything, they all commit suicide.”

Watching Liu Ze nod his head, Yang Zeming breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "We just broke the city, and those officials didn't know how powerful they were, and most of them were caught just fine. It's just that Zheng Chongjian, the rightist in Shaanxi who confronted us across the river before, He ran so fast, I heard that he passed through the city without stopping at all, and he bought some good horses at Ximen, so he couldn't even catch up."

"If you run away, the monk can't run away from the temple. This Xi'an has been taken down by us. These small fish are nothing. I just arranged for Li Kefu and Li Cunbao to lead a team to sweep the surrounding areas. Now only people and food supplies are useful to us." Liu Ze was very indifferent. At this time, a guard made a pot of tea and brought it over, and distributed it to the chief officials in the house one by one.

Yang Zeming picked up a bowl of tea and blew on it, it wasn't too hot, he took a sip and mumbled, "This city of Xi'an is really big, this palace, that general's palace, a few steps away is the governor's palace, the chief secretary, all officials. "

"Arrest these people, we will be of great use in the future."

"I got caught, I got caught, but quite a few died, just like the magistrate of Chang'an County, when we led the team to attack the county government, he had already hanged himself to death. Guess what, he died by himself. Put all the printed documents on the case, and according to the servant who served him, the county magistrate is afraid that we will damage his body, so everything is in order, hehe." Yang Zeming smiled with a row of white teeth leaking from his mouth. road.

"This little official who is as big as a sesame seed is a bit interesting. What's more interesting is that Zhu Cunshu, the king of Qin, just after we hit his palace, he surrendered with the whole mansion. He didn't dare to resist at all. It's interesting. Hearing what his housekeeper said The day before yesterday, Yang He came to ask Zhu Cunshu for a few times to help him with his salary, but he was prevaricated, and now it’s all over, it’s all ours.” Yang Zeming recalled the appearance of the butler of Prince Qin’s mansion, and almost flattered the seller and begged for honor. The words were written on the face, telling all the truth and falsehood in the mansion, and it saved the search.

Everyone around them drank tea and smiled, and looked down on these people in their hearts, thinking that their failure must be reasonable, just like being a human being, some people do well, and some do poorly.

"Commander, are we going to Hongmaoman's?" Someone asked suddenly. They have been here for almost half a year, and the areas that should be hit have already been hit. Right now, all kinds of ammunition resources are extremely scarce. I'm afraid it will be impossible to lay down a city of Xi'an.

Liu Ze also understood everyone's concerns. He nodded, then shook his head, showing hesitation: "We have to prepare now, and we have to spend the winter there. There are so many people here, food, medicine, clothes, and houses. It's not a small project, it has to be prepared in advance, and the surrounding officials and troops will inevitably come to attack, these are all things, when to leave, we can only see the situation."

Everyone in the hall nodded one after another. This is the best time, but also the most dangerous time.

Seeing that everyone had no objection, Liu Ze continued the topic just now and said, "If there is anything else, we have to find people like housekeepers in various government offices, so as to save us some effort, Zeming, don't worry about anything else, you We specially cooperated with Lao Kong and Zhang Pu to straighten out the affairs in the city, check how much money and food we have collected for the population, and all the officials of the imperial court and so on have also been checked."

Hearing the order, the people who were named left one after another and got busy.

By sunset, the whole of Xi'an had returned to calm. Because of the curfew, there were patrolling militias all over the streets. Almost all resident shops posted the word "people" on the forehead, which means obedience.

Seeing that the man-eating beast army, which has been advertised as all kinds of evil before, has such strict military discipline, does not engage in rape and robbery, and has soldiers patrolling back and forth, most people are slowly relieved.

With the news of the capture of Xi'an, the whole night outside the city was full of excitement. The large group of people, old and young, luggage, women and children, all began to abandon the fortifications built in Fuping County at that time and concentrated in Xi'an. The team with torches, the bonfires at each intersection are lit like stars.

The weather in March is still cold, especially at the end of the Ming Dynasty during the Little Ice Age. In the city of Xi'an, which had been frightened all night, the people got up early in the morning, and when the sky was just dawn, they boldly went out through the doors and windows. Lo and behold, there was a burst of exclamation.

On the streets of Xi'an, there are many soldiers lying in the dark, a few are riflemen wearing cotton armor, most of them are civilian militiamen, and there are all kinds of clothes. Wearing a red scarf, they lay on couches in an endless formation. Some people's faces were covered with wind and frost, some people's blood was still wet, and most of them were shivering with cold.

At this time, the common people were completely shocked. The young soldiers sleeping in their clothes on the street in front of the gate slept on the ground without even a mat. A few riflemen had quilts for sleeping, while most of them curled up The body resisted the cold, and the dew on the clothes was wet, which was very conspicuous.

People in Xi'an, who had never seen such an army, went out one after another to invite the soldiers of the People's Army on the street to come in and rest, but no soldier dared to go in, and no soldier dared to take the hot water cooked by the people. .

This is a battle for the hearts of the people. Although there is no bloody battle on the battlefield, it is more meaningful.

As soon as the city of Xi'an was stabilized last night, Liu Ze issued an iron law. After entering Xi'an, except for the suppression of rebel government offices and mansions, all soldiers are not allowed to enter civilian houses or disturb the people. Lighting and cooking must be reviewed by the company commander or above. It is confirmed that the firewood and materials of the common people are not allowed to be used. The cooking team prepares meals in the urns of each city gate and then sends them to the troops in the city.

According to Liu Ze: "Injured and unwell people can be stationed in the medical team houses that occupy the government everywhere. Others, including battalion commander-level commanders, must implement it unconditionally. Neither can the heavenly king and I! This is a 'meeting gift' given by our People's Army to the people of Xi'an! Anyone who dares to disobey the military order will be severely punished!"

This is such a spectacular scene of not disturbing the people, not entering the house; not entering the urban area with luggage and kitchens; not receiving gifts, not taking public property. , and compared with such completely different soldiers of the People's Army, in just one night, the name of the teacher of benevolence and righteousness resounded throughout the city of Xi'an.

When it was dawn, order was restored in the entire city, shops on the streets opened one after another, and the people no longer had the fear of the People's Army before.

At this time, the two supporting troops, Hong Chengchou and Du Wenhuan, who were hundreds of miles away, also received the bad news that Xi'an was broken.

Du Wenhuan led nearly [-] cavalry, as if he had been whipped, and immediately increased his speed to Xi'an City, and the nearly [-] infantry behind him also began to speed up. The elite frontier army came, and the fall of Xi'an had a lot to do with him.

The same Hong Chengchou couldn't hold his breath any longer. Most of his men were new recruits from the countryside. The Sichuan Army, the main force under Wu Guofu, suffered a big loss before. Also gradually figured out the distribution of the People's Army.

Almost at the same time as the news was received, all the township soldiers were dispatched, and a huge team of nearly ten thousand people was divided into several groups and marched together. Passed through Weinan, passed Xinfeng, and went straight to the section from Gengzhen to Bahe. This is the rear of the People's Army of Fuping County. On the second half of the journey to Xi'an, when Chao Zhongchen found out about it, he immediately led nearly half of the cavalry to support him.

At this time, Hong Chengchou was not in the large army of the township soldiers, but led Wu Guofu's nearly [-] infantry to move quickly to the southeast of Fuping County forty miles to join his cavalry.

Wu Guofu looked up at the slightly shining sky, rubbed his face, struggled to get up from the haystack, and washed his face with the cold water in the water bag with both hands. The cavalry played hide-and-seek with Chao Zhongchen's cavalry battalion almost every day.

During this period of time, he also discovered that if they were concentrated in one place to fight against Chao Zhongchen, they would be defeated but never won, but if they were divided into small groups of a hundred or ten people, they could compete with the same number of people's cavalry.

But after a few battles, Chao Zhongchen also realized that he no longer divided into teams, but twisted into a whole, and under the guidance of the militia beacons around him, he chased the cavalry of the officers and soldiers, and this time he bit off a few pieces of fat from Wu Guofu's cavalry.

After losing two squads, Wu Guofu had no choice but to retreat the cavalry, entangled Chao Zhongchen in a distant deterrent, and then was ambushed by Chao Zhongchen from a long distance while paralyzed, and lost another two hundred cavalry before getting rid of the pursuers. Only then did he receive news of the fall of Xi'an and Hong Chengchou's future.

Wu Guofu, who got up early in the morning, galloped for a long time before joining Hong Chengchou's troops. Although he suffered a heavy loss and only had [-] riders left, he managed to smile when he saw Hong Chengchou. Why did it come so urgently?"

Hong Chengchou, who was also full of exhaustion, watched Wu Guofu lower his airs, and felt relieved. What he is leading now is not the standard battalion he trained himself. They are elite soldiers from Sichuan in Wu Guofu's headquarters, and he will rely on these elite soldiers for his plan this time, "Your Majesty Wu, you are welcome, this time you will have to work harder and harder."

"We will do our best!" Wu Guofu replied, "Then what is the strategy?" The letter Wu Guofu received only had news that he would lead the troops here to gather for a major event, so he was at a loss about this.

Hong Chengchou turned his head and looked in the direction of Fuping County and said: "Xi'an has fallen, and the main force of the bandits is a hundred miles away. All the soldiers under my command have gone towards Xinfeng, which will surely disturb the bandits. I want to lead an elite raid against the bandits with the general. Rear team."

(End of this chapter)