Dashun Yongchang

Those Han troops who surrendered within the Qing army happened to be a group of weak-minded people, otherwise they would not have surrendered so quickly against the Manchus who had been fighting for decades.The surrendered Han army who originally wanted to rely on the strong to protect themselves, faced with the result of yesterday's battle, their morale was extremely depressed, because they suddenly discovered that what they thought of as strong and weak may not actually be real, that is, Said that they may have played the wrong team this time.Especially after a night of fermentation, most of the Han troops in the battalion began to doubt whether they could escape the pursuit of the Shun army.

Not only the Han army in the Qing army camp felt uneasy, but even the Manchu and Mongolian generals urgently asked Azig to come up with a decision as soon as possible, and not to stay under the city of Suizhou for long.Under the pressure of these Manchu and Mongolian generals, Azig had no choice but to hold a military meeting on the afternoon of the [-]th to discuss the current whereabouts of his army.

The reason why Azig handed over the issue of war withdrawal to the military council for discussion was that he did not want to bear the consequences of withdrawing troops.Yesterday's cavalry parade failed to suppress the morale of the Shun Army, but ended with the failure of the Qing cavalry to attack the Shun Army's infantry. The camp fought against the Qing army.

In a battlefield where there is no rear support and the enemy has a steady stream of reinforcements, once it falls into a confrontation, the defeat of the Qing army is a matter of time.Therefore, the next move of the Qing army was to retreat, and this conclusion had been confirmed before Azig arrived in Suizhou.

However, under the premise of determining the retreat, how to retreat becomes the key.The best way to retreat is naturally to take all the people in the city of Suizhou out of contact with the main force of the Heshun Army, retreat to the Xuchang area to regroup and then attack, or wait for the battlefield changes brought about by the actions of the Eastern Route Army before taking action. .

The east and west armies of the Qing army went south this time. The east army was originally the main attack direction, and the west army was responsible for the containment task. It was only after breaking through the Shun army's Yellow River defense line that the west army fought smoothly. The situation of the West Road advance.Now that they retreated to Xuchang and resumed the task of containing the Shun army, it was not a failure.

However, there is another kind of retreat, which is to retreat all the way to Zhengzhou by the Yellow River under the pursuit of the Shun Army, and may even retreat across the Yellow River, thus completely losing the results of these months of battle. This kind of retreat is actually a retreat. , even Azig can hardly take on such a responsibility.

The reason why it is difficult to bear is that Azig believes that Dorgon will not give up on himself, because attacking himself is also attacking the two white flags, but if other banners unite to put pressure on the two white flags because of this matter, he is not sure that he will Will he be abandoned by Dorgon? After all, he once abandoned his mother under such pressure, and she is also Dorgon's mother.

After Huang Taiji's death, Azig, who became arrogant because of the two white flags gaining power, once again showed his cowardice when faced with the possibility of taking responsibility for the defeat, and left the issue to his subordinates to decide, which further It hit the morale of those Han generals, and the current coach is still shirking responsibility, how could they be willing to work for the Manchus.

At this military meeting, the generals of the Han Dynasty, headed by Wu Sangui, almost kept silent, assuming an attitude of obedience.But as long as people with some brains can see that these Han people have lost their trust in Azig, because they know that no matter what they say, they will not change their fate of being the queen or being abandoned, so they simply don't express their feelings. attitude, so as not to be humiliated by the Manchurians.

Gushan Beizi Man Dahai and Liangbaiqi veteran Subai both saw the dissatisfaction of the Han generals, so they also tried to reconcile the conflicts between the Manchus and the Han in the camp to ensure that there would be no infighting at such a critical moment, but the Manchus and Mongolians of other banners The generals did not have such a view of the overall situation. As expected by the Han people, they put forward the idea of ​​abandoning the infantry and retreating first.

Facing the silent Han generals and the emotional Manchurian generals below, Azig was also caught in a dilemma.To be honest, he has not yet come out of the state of being scolded before the battle yesterday, so looking at those emotional Manchurian generals, he always feels that the other party has listened to the scolding of Shunjun yesterday, so he has lost respect for himself .

Therefore, Azig had an inexplicable emotion in his heart, that is, he did not want to accept the claims of these people.Another one, leaving the infantry to retreat now is tantamount to giving up the battle completely, and can only wait for the Eastern Route Army to make a breakthrough to change the situation. For Azig, who is trying to use this southward battle to gain political capital for himself, It is equal to the failure of the southward battle.

Faced with the sudden collapse of the originally good situation, Azig, who was not strong enough in will, was naturally unwilling to make a decision immediately. He hoped to delay the decision for a while, maybe the situation will change for the better?Azig doesn't know that his mentality is actually no different from that of future generations of A-share investors. He thought that the stock market would turn around sooner or later, so he held the stock and didn't move, but he didn't expect that the capitalists would directly withdraw from the market. trick.

Azig, who didn't know what a sunk cost was, faced his subordinates' idea of ​​retreating, and finally couldn't help but reprimanded him: "Our army suffered a small setback yesterday, and now there are tens of thousands of troops in the battalion. Retreat after the first battle, do you regard Shun Jun as a heavenly soldier?

Since Father Khan raised his troops, didn't we hit more with less that time?Didn't we win that time?With an army of tens of thousands in your hand, you don't think about how to defeat the enemy, but you only think about withdrawing your troops. If Father Khan is still there, you must be dealt with by military law.

Man Dahai, Subai, and the Shun army are going out of the city today to build a camp, why don't you send troops to stop them? "

Facing Azig's reprimand, although the Manchu generals fell silent, they were not convinced.Before yesterday, everyone was in awe of Azig, but this awe was based on the achievements of Azig in the past and the current strength of the two white flags.But after yesterday's battle proved that the defeat of our army was inevitable, most of the awe of Azig disappeared. The next thing everyone pays attention to is how to bring their subordinates back instead of continuing to obey one. After the order of the doomed clan.

Not long after the founding of the Manchus, although under the adjustment of Huang Taiji, they gradually established a feudal dynasty system that emulated the Ming Dynasty, but the loudest voices among the Manchus were those generals who held military power, not the blood of Aixinjueluo.This is also the reason why the two yellow flag generals dared to close the palace gates and try to fight the two white flags after Huang Taiji's death. The name Aixinjueluo did not intimidate those Manchu generals who held military power. They were only loyal to their masters.

It is precisely because the status of the generals who hold military power in Manchuria is so high, so the Manchus also worship military exploits the most, and there are not many people who follow the generals who cannot win on the battlefield.Azig's current status does not depend entirely on Nurhachi's blood. In the past, he also worked desperately on the battlefield, and only then did he have awe-inspiring military exploits.

But this time the Southern Expedition faced such a big defeat. Even if they left the infantry and ran away now, only some of the main forces of the Eight Banners could run back. It can be said that most of the Han servants who followed them south this time were wiped out.What's more, it is gratifying to lose Monk Luo Luohong, which almost touches the real root of Manchurians, so in the absence of miracles, Azig's conviction is almost the same result.

Think about the fate of Amin and Mang Gurtai, their status is much higher than that of Azig, but they are also like useless people after the trial.At this time, wouldn't it mean that the birthday man hanged himself if he followed Azig again?

The non-white flag generals such as Yibai and Xiergen felt even more upset in their hearts. Facing the challenge of the Shun army going out of the city yesterday, Azig first responded recklessly, and then flinched and evaded, completely at a loss.Either ignore the provocations of the Shun army from the beginning, so that the infantry of the Shun army will not completely despise the Qing army, or simply start a decisive battle with the Shun army. The army was also unable to launch a pursuit.

However, Azig chose the worst way to deal with it. First, he couldn't bear the provocation of the Shun army and confronted the Shun army rashly. Then after the attack failed, he thought of preserving his strength and avoided the decisive battle with the Shun army.This action completely stimulated the morale of the Shun army and hit the morale of the army. The Qing army in Suizhou, who had been waiting for the main force of the Qing army to arrive, pinned their hopes on Azig, but after seeing yesterday's scene , there is no hope at all.

Today, the Shun army went out of the city and set up a camp to attack the Qing army's camp. It was the courage inspired by yesterday's battle.How dare the Qing army, whose morale had fallen to the bottom at this time, dare to attack easily again. If they lose another game, the next step is not to retreat but to flee.

However, although these generals were complaining in their hearts, no one stood up and pointed this out to Azig. Anyway, the ones being questioned now were Man Dahai, who was biased towards the Two White Banners, and the Two White Banners General Subai.Faced with this question, Man Dahai was still hesitant about how to answer, but Subai replied honestly to Azig: "The Shun army is on the side, and a small number of soldiers and horses will not help, and if there are too many, it will easily lead to melee. Since our army has already Prepare to retreat, naturally we should not engage in pointless battles..."

Chapter 402

After hearing this, Azige said angrily, "What is a meaningless battle? If the Shun army is allowed to build camps around the camp, how can our army retreat? You are also an old man who has fought battles, don't you understand what's going on? reason?"

Subai didn't raise his head, he just bowed to Azig and said: "The slave just wants to preserve the strength of our army, and really has no time to care about other things. The general's questioning, the slave has nothing to say, please punish the general. "

It’s just that Azig hasn’t said anything yet, Che Erbu and other generals have bowed down to Azig and said, “This is not the fault of Subai Zhangjing alone, the servants also think that we shouldn’t fight, that’s why Subai Zhangjing followed us…”

Seeing that the Manchus and Mongolians were kneeling on the ground, how could Azig not know that the generals had lost confidence in him, and that they were trying to force him into the palace right now.Just when Azige's face turned red and white and he remained silent, Wu Sangui stood up and built a ladder for Azige: "General, I'm afraid it's not appropriate to discuss whether to dismantle the Shun army camp at this time." Even if we demolish it today, they can rebuild it tomorrow.

The most important thing right now is to discuss whether to withdraw or stay.Moreover, even if our army wants to stay and fight a decisive battle with the Shun Army, we should make a decision as soon as possible. The longer we stay here, the more reinforcements the Shun Army will receive. This is definitely not good for us. "

With the buffer provided by Wu Sangui, Azig finally stepped down to this level, and he didn't want to have a direct conflict with these Manchurian generals, because Dorgon would definitely not even offend the old men of the two white flags for him. up.Azig also realized that he was really confused by Shunjun yesterday, so he wasted a night in vain. Originally, he should have discussed with his subordinates how to retreat last night, instead of hiding in his big tent and drinking .

But at this time, Azig will not take the blame on himself, he can only follow Wu Sangui's words and say: "The words of King Pingxi have won the hearts of the country, and the Shun army is standing outside our army camp. We obviously want to keep fighting with our army, and we can’t be fooled after all. So Subai, let’s talk about it, should we stay or leave? If we leave, how should we go?”

For Wu Sangui's meddling, Subai was not grateful, but felt that this person was troublesome.Just now their Mongolian generals united as one, just wanting Azig to say the word "withdraw".Then they can leave the infantry and run away tonight, without having to think about how to make the infantry retreat.

But now being blocked by Wu Sangui, it is not easy for him to continue to contradict Azig, because it is the task of these generals to assist Azig in the battle. Now that Azig asks him about his battle plan, he cannot continue to fight The other party is awesome, so if Azig executes the military law, his family has no place to appeal.

However, facing Azig's question, although Subai could not continue to contradict him, he gritted his teeth and said, "Back to General, yesterday was the best time for a decisive battle with the Shun Army. Although our army is not strong enough from afar, However, the morale of the army is still high. Neither the Shun Army nor the Suizhou Army know what our army is really like. Our army is fully pressing the Shun Army for a decisive battle. Everyone can still fight.

However, we missed yesterday's decisive battle opportunity. Our soldiers have already known the news that they will be evacuated. Right now, the entire army has no fighting spirit and is just waiting to retreat.At this time, if we announce to the soldiers that we will stay and fight with the Shun army before withdrawing, most people will feel confused. They are going to retreat anyway, so is it necessary to fight another battle before withdrawing?

When the soldiers are doubtful, they must be driven to the battlefield. This is the root cause of failure.Therefore, the servant thought that there was no need to stay, and the only thing that should be considered at the moment was the retreat.As for how to retreat, I thought it should be divided into three groups, one cavalry led the way, the other cavalry set up an ambush on the way, and the infantry retreated last to lure the army to attack.After leading the Shun army into the ambush circle on the road, defeat them with one blow, and then you can retreat slowly. "

Regarding Subai's proposition, the Manchu generals in the room all nodded and praised, only Wu Sangui and his group stood there expressionless, as if the retreat matter discussed by the Manchus at this time had nothing to do with them.Of course, Wu Sangui inside had scolded Subai and those Manchus for meeting.

It was no wonder that Wu Sangui was angry, because Subai was not only targeting those local tyrants who had surrendered. Subai also didn't like him, a new Han who had just surrendered.Facing the strength of the Shun Army, at this time, holding the line at the rear of the army is actually no different from throwing it to the Shun Army.

Therefore, Subai's opinion is actually one point, let the Han people stay and fight for the Shun army, and then the Manchus go first, so as to maintain the foundation of Manchuria.Although Wu Sangui didn't trust the Manchus very much, what he said from Subai's mouth really annoyed him. At this time, he suddenly remembered the letter Li Zicheng wrote to him. For a place where half of the year is winter, the warmth of the south is quite tempting.

And when Wu Sangui was distracted, Azig suddenly glanced at him. At this time, Azige was a little embarrassed to make such a decision in front of Wu Sangui, because when he was forced by the generals just now, it was Wu Sangui who made it for him Steps, it is indeed a bit too much to repay kindness and revenge so quickly.

Besides, at this time, he is not willing to cause any conflicts between Manchus and Hans. In the past, he emphasized that Manchus are the priority, hoping that Manchus will support him.But now that Manchurians are starting to turn their backs on him, why does he need to emphasize Manchuria first?At this time, for Wu Sangui and the others to surrender to the Shun Army, the scapegoat on him is getting bigger and bigger.

Therefore, after thinking for a long time, Azige said with a strong attitude: "Although what Subai Zhangjing said is reasonable, we are currently in the territory of the Han people. Without the Han people leading the way, how can we find a suitable place to ambush the Shun army?" Woolen cloth?

Since everyone thinks that it is more appropriate to withdraw to Xuchang, the country also agrees with this opinion.However, it is considered inappropriate to only leave infantry or Han Chinese in the rear to lure the enemy. At least we need some Manchus in the rear to preside over the retreat, so that the entire ambush plan will not leak out and lead to failure..."

Yibai and the others felt a little speechless. They didn't expect that Azig actually took the ambush plan in the middle of the retreat seriously. They couldn't figure out whether Azige really believed it or just planned it.The purpose of their launch of this plan is to be able to get rid of the infantry and run away by themselves.

In fact, Xuchang is not a good place to retreat. If it is not to save the face of Azig and the West Route Army, they want to retreat directly to Zhengzhou, because the current West Route Army is actually facing failure. The most important thing is to retreat to a safe place to reorganize the defense line. Only Zhengzhou, which is backed by the Yellow River, meets the conditions for the Qing army to retreat. Xuchang is still too south.

Yibai and others felt that Azig should not have failed to see this, because the premise of their retreat to Xuchang was to maintain most of their strength and retreat to Xuchang. The key was not to let the local powerful lose confidence in the Qing army, but After yesterday's war, this premise no longer exists.

The Shun army had demonstrated its strength in yesterday's battle, and the Qing army had no way to safely retreat to Xuchang with the infantry including the local tycoons. It is possible to fall back to the Shun army, unless Li Zicheng orders not to accept them, thus forcing these local tyrants to fight to the death with the Shun army, but Li Zicheng cannot be so stupid.

Therefore, in this retreat plan, they have already planned to throw these unreliable Han people to the Shun army, and the next step is the problem of the Manchus running away by themselves.But Azig pretended not to know, insisted on arranging the retreat plan, and put everyone under arrest.Although everyone knows that abandoning the Han people is the best way to preserve the Manchus, but before the army retreats, these Han people are still members of the army. If they say it so clearly, it will only lead to the death of the Han army in the camp. Mutiny, no one can afford this responsibility.

But if it is really arranged according to the ambush plan, wouldn't the Manchus who stayed behind in the Han army be lost in vain?However, there were also a few Manchus who suddenly felt their backs shudder, guessing in their hearts that this could not be Azig trying to use the knife of the Shunjun to eliminate those who did not like it.

Although they followed Azig to the war, few of them were Azig's people.Azig really wants to kill people with a knife, and these people will be charged with ineffective combat after they die.But they have no reason to stop Azig from doing this, because this plan was proposed by themselves.

Realizing that they might become one of the abandoned ones, some Manchus suddenly settled down a lot. At this time, they realized that before returning to Beijing to hand over the military power, General Azig wanted to kill They still have a solution, and it's not a problem that they can solve with a private alliance.

And some Manchus also realized that if Wu Sangui was on Azig's side, they really couldn't hold him back, because the power in Wu Sangui's hands was enough for Azig to suppress them.So the Manchu generals who had originally planned to stay away from Azig changed their position again, thinking that it is better to wait and see the situation for the time being.

After using Wu Sangui's power to break up the alliance among the Manchu generals, the issue of retreat was delayed again, because no one was willing to stay and urge the Han army to lure the Shun army to pursue it. Everyone knew that this was almost impossible. possible tasks.Wu Sangui was even more unlikely to stand up and ask for Ying. As a Han Chinese, after taking the initiative to stand up, these Manchus probably thought he was going to join the enemy.

In fact, although Wu Sangui had some regrets, he didn't really want to surrender to Li Zicheng, because he was not ready for anything. What is the difference between voting for Li Zicheng at this time and surrendering directly with the white flag.Naturally, Azig would not leave Wu Sangui here, he needed Wu Sangui to suppress the Manchus below who did not obey him, and he also needed Wu Sangui to share the responsibility for his defeat this time.At this time, the independent horse in Wu Sangui's hand and the title of King Pingxi on his head are very useful.

Although no results were achieved in the retreat, Azig and the generals went to the gate of the camp to observe the speed at which the Shun Army built the camp to determine the time to retreat.

Chapter 403

Standing on the wooden platform built in front of the camp gate, with the good view brought by the plain terrain and the platform at a height of 15 feet, no movement around the camp could escape the eyes of the Qing army.

But at the same time, once the Shun army established camps around, the movements of the Qing army in the Liangzhuang camp could not escape the eyes of the Shun army.In other words, a good observation field of vision is not unique to the Qing army.

As a general, Azig asked his subordinates to destroy the camp that the Shun army was building, which was actually a very normal order.However, after seeing the Shun Army's army covering the camp, Azig realized why Subai and others opposed the attack on the Shun Army's camp under construction.

Because the Shun army did not seem to be a cover for the army that was dispatched for the purpose of building a fort, but rather a fort that was built next to the army to attract the Qing army to attack.In the eyes of ordinary people, they may only see that the Shun army is building a fortress, but in the eyes of experienced generals, they can see that the Shun army is actually in a field formation, not a defensive formation.

Just as Subai and others said, in the face of such a submissive army situation, sending a small number of troops over there would mean death, while mobilizing a large number of troops is no different from mobilizing the entire army for a decisive battle.Mobilizing the entire army to fight against the Shun army is not something that can be done with a small number of people. Once the battle starts, it is not up to the Qing army to disengage.

The Manchu generals who have no fighting spirit will naturally not start the war lightly, and the Han people in the battalion are also in a state of instability. If these Han people are pulled out to fight with the Shun army, who can guarantee that they will not turn against them on the battlefield?It is precisely because of such and such concerns that the Manchurian Eight Banners, who have always been brave and good at fighting, also have the feeling of avoiding war at this time.

Azig, who calmed down, quickly understood the ambivalence of his subordinates. On the one hand, they were trying to maintain the deterrent effect of the Manchu force on the Han people; Fighting, that's why they united to put pressure on him, trying to make him take responsibility for retreating.

After being forced into the palace by his subordinates, Azig's mind finally cleared up a lot at this time. He suddenly realized that the promotion of the status of the two white banners did not mean that the two white banners had increased their loyalty to him. In their minds, the objects of their allegiance were still his two brothers.

Shun Jun's public humiliation to him yesterday, although it revealed the biggest scar in his heart, it also made him suddenly come to his senses, no matter how he tried to curry favor with those generals with two white flags, it was impossible for him to gain their approval again Yes, because from the moment he agreed to the funeral of the mother of the four Baylors, the connection between him and the two white flags has been severed.

In the hearts of these two white flag generals, he has become the one who betrayed Lao Khan and the two yellow flags, and it is also the root cause of the two white flags losing the title of the two yellow flags.From two yellow flags to two white flags, this is not only a change of flags, but also a decline in the status of the two flags.How could the soldiers of the two white flags who had lost their interests for more than ten years treat him?They will only support the Nine Kings and Ten Kings who can bring the Two White Banners back to the top of the Eight Banners.

Azig didn't think so deeply before, because he didn't want to face his past self, because he didn't want to face his past self, so he thought that the loyalty of the two white flag soldiers to himself and his two brothers was Same, that's why he tried to imitate his father Khan's dislike of the Han people, so as to win the hearts of the two white flags.

But it wasn't until this moment that he came to his senses instantly. No matter whether he had the same blood as the two brothers or not, no matter how much he resembled his father, the soldiers of the two white banners would not regard him as the real master, because there was no slave. He will be attached to a master who can't bring him any benefits, no matter what he does, he can't make the soldiers of the two white flags forget that he betrayed his mother in the past.

The sudden awakening shattered Azig's utilitarianism when he went south, and he began to change his mind. He no longer sought to climb to a higher position, but tried to break out of the current quagmire and keep his current position. .

The difference in thinking naturally brings about different views on the current war.Azig suddenly realized that in fact, bringing back all the Manchus would not alleviate his responsibility for failure. On the contrary, letting some Manchus die here would make Dorgon have to do his best to protect himself. Bai Qi, it is impossible to let him fall and weaken the strength of the two white flags.

Seeing the attitude of the Shun army building the fort, Azig has given up hope of defeating the Shun army in front of him. Even if he still wants to fight, the Manchu and Han soldiers below will not obey orders.Therefore, what he needs to consider now is who to bring back to help him get rid of the crime, and who to keep so that those who follow him back can justify his retreat.

While thinking about this problem, Azig said to his subordinates with a straight face: "The Shun army is just imposing, and we can't let them build camps there. Once the Shun army in the north and east After the fort is completed, the Shun army will be able to rely on these two forts to continue to build the fort. Before they finally reach our camp, the Shun army will have artillery. At that time, they will place cannons in the fort. Don't we have to continue to be beaten? ?”

Azig, who had come to his senses, was able to tell the Shun army's combat intentions straight away, and even the Manchu generals nearby would not deny Azig's judgment.It's just that everyone is thinking about retreat now, why should they consider the attack method after the Shunjun camp is built in front of them?We have all run away, no matter how many camps Shun Junxiu has, he will not be able to threaten us.

When the Manchu generals on the side were hesitating, Azig suddenly said to Wu Sangui on the side: "King Pingxi, do you think we should stop the Shun army from building the camp first?"

Wu Sangui didn't understand Azig's intention of asking this question, but looking at the eyes of the surrounding Manchu generals looking at him, he also knew that if he didn't stand by Azig's side at this time, probably his own team would be cut off next. There are people.Those Manchus definitely won't stay behind. Compared with the task of leaving behind, it seems less scary to attack the Shun Army's camp under construction.

After thinking for a while, Wu Sangui said firmly: "What the general said is very true. If we can't destroy the camp that the Shun army is building, our army will be under the surveillance of the Shun army even if we want to retreat. This must be the reason for this." I'm at a disadvantage. I'd like..."

However, Azige suddenly cut off his words and said, "Pingxi King's words are exactly what I want. We will send people to attack the Shun army's camp tonight. After breaking the camp, we will retreat in divisions. Do you have any comments to add?"

Of course there are opinions, whether it is the two white flags or the other banner generals, they are full of resentment when they hear that Azig is going to fight the camp, thinking that Azig is simply sent to death.But they were looking at each other, waiting for someone to come forward to refute Azig, but they heard Azig say: "Ibai, your men and horses prepare their luggage, and when we launch a night attack here, you will take them with you." Our troops withdraw from the camp, and set up an ambush in front first. After our army retreats tomorrow, if there is a Shun army following behind, your department will attack to intercept them."

As soon as Azig said this, Yibai and others immediately changed their positions, and Yibai immediately agreed: "Using night raids to cover up our army's withdrawal is indeed feasible as a general's strategy. But if this is the case, then the scale of night raids It can't be small, if it's small, it can't attract Shun's army's attention, and it can't cover up the movement of our army's retreat."

Azig, who had made up his mind, put everything aside at this time, and he immediately said: "This night attack will be led by the Ping Xiwang of our country. In addition to attacking the camp under construction by the Shun army, we also need Set up an ambush near the city gate, if the reinforcements of the Shun Army go out of the city overnight and defeat them at once, the country will not believe it, those Shun Army can also block the impact of the cavalry at night..."

Azig's sudden turn surprised Subai and other generals of the two white flags. This plan of night attack and retreat was actually not very beneficial to the two white flags, because Yibai's retreat and the night attack presided over by Azig himself, It means that two white flags have to pay more risks.From a common sense point of view, it is a good way to balance public and private interests by allowing the troops of the two white banners to withdraw first, and then let the troops of other banners join the Han army in attacking the camp of the Shun army.

But they can't say this openly at this time, otherwise they will offend everyone present.Moreover, Azig's attitude of prioritizing public affairs and private affairs also saved some hearts for himself, at least

Ibai and other generals who are not under the two white flags are very supportive of this plan, which means that the opposition to Azig's plan at this time cannot be supported by the majority of people.

Azig, who had regained control of the situation, asked Subai, Yibai and the others to come up with a specific plan, while he dragged Wu Sangui, who was feeling a little flustered, back to the big tent to talk.

Just when the Manchu generals reached an agreement on the retreat plan, the local tyrants in the camp also quietly gathered in a large tent to discuss the current situation.There were nearly [-] local tyrants who surrendered to the Qing army, the most famous of which were Zhang Changke, Wang Yanbin, and Ning Zhen. The small landlords can compare.

There are still two local tyrants who can compare with these three forces, but they are relying on Dashun. At this time, some of the tyrants who gathered together patted their thighs and said annoyedly: "I knew today, Guo Guo When Huanglian wrote to recruit me, I should have voted for Guo Huanglian, but now we are in a dilemma."

There are quite a few tyrants who fit this person, but after Zhang Changke, Wang Yanbin, and Ning Zhen walked into the tent, everyone immediately became quiet.After Wang Yanbin glanced at everyone here, he said unceremoniously to everyone: "The purpose of calling everyone here is actually to discuss one thing, which is how to protect ourselves. But before discussing, I want to say something ugly, since we are here Discuss things here, if you dare to betray your brothers after going out, then brothers will punish them together. Do you have any opinions?"

There was a moment of silence in the tent, and then someone took the lead and said, "Brother Wang is right. If anyone dares to betray his brother, the whole family will die. I swear that the world will serve as a lesson..."

Chapter 404

Seeing everyone in the tent swearing one after another, Ning Zhen stood up and smoothed things over and said, "Brother Wang said this for the good of the brothers. After all, we are surrounded by people. If someone goes out to inform you, it will be so harmful." It wasn't one or two of us, but it killed everyone.

Well, since we have made an oath, we will live and die together, we will live together if we live, and we will die together if we die.Calling everyone here today is actually just for one thing, how we should live together. "

As soon as Ning Zhen's words fell, several people in the tent echoed: "Brother Ning is right, we can't follow the Manchus to death."

After the tent quieted down, Ning Zhen continued: "Yes, we can't follow the Manchus to death, but we can't escape with them either. Those of us who lived and grew up here, and our family's small business is here, follow the Manchus If you escape across the Yellow River, don't you become a dog that loses its family?"

A strong man stood up very excitedly and said: "I agree with this statement. It is said that people are cheap when they are away from home, and things are expensive when they are away from home. We also know how much we are, and we can live a happy life for a few days in our hometown. , but if you leave your hometown to serve as a soldier, don’t say I can’t bear it, my brothers will also run away. Without brothers by our side, what is the difference between us and slaves in front of the Manchus?”

There was also Hao Qiang who said with a sneer: "If you are willing to take us with you, it is considered a man of loyalty. But judging from the results of the first battle yesterday, why did the Man take us with you? I am still worried that the Man will use us as a shield , resist the Shun army's attack, and then run away by yourself."

This person's words pierced the most worrying thing in everyone's heart, so everyone fell silent by coincidence.If the Manchus use them as shields, it means that it is impossible for them to escape from the army and go back to their hometown. Before the Shun army launches an attack, the Manchus will not give up their surveillance. How to avoid the Shun army's attack?

But at this time, Zhang Changleg suddenly said to the crowd: "The brother just said is right, the Manchus will definitely cut off our infantry so that they can escape. If everyone only wants to get out of the camp If we leave, then I am afraid that none of them will be able to escape, but will stand in front of the Shun army. If we want to survive, we must not just think about running, we must choose a way that allows everyone to survive safely."

After hearing this, the tyrants who had been silent immediately became interested again, and said to Zhang Changleg: "Old Zhang (Commander Zhang, Brother Zhang), just say what you have, everyone has already made an oath, everyone They are brothers who live together and die together, so why bother to betray you..."

"Be quiet, be quiet, listen to me first." Zhang Changleg stretched out his hand and took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and then said to everyone: "When the Shun Army attacked the Hengshan Camp earlier, some of my subordinates were killed by them." They were captured. But they were released soon, and they brought a leaflet with them when they came back. Lao Ning, you have read the book, come and read the contents of this leaflet to everyone..."

Ning Zhen took the flyer in Zhang Changleg's hand without any surprise, and then read it to everyone. The content of the flyer is in vernacular, so it is not difficult for everyone to understand. It is just that there are a few new things in the flyer. Nouns, everyone is still scratching their heads.Someone then asked: "What is the difference between this pre-battle uprising and pre-battle surrender? Why did the Shun army urge us to have a pre-battle uprising?"

Zhang Changji immediately took up the conversation and replied: "The uprising before the battle and the surrender before the battle sound similar, but the meaning is different. Surrender before the battle is a large army. We have no choice but to Put down your arms and surrender, so there's no credit for them..."

Immediately someone replied: "We surrendered to the Manchus, have we not long been sinners in the eyes of the Marshal's Mansion? If the Marshal's Mansion can ignore this matter, I will be Amitabha. How dare we ask for any credit from the Marshal's Mansion? Didn't bastard think his life was long?"

These words immediately caused laughter from several people, diluting the tense atmosphere of the discussion in the tent before.Zhang Changji immediately shook his head and said to everyone: "If we follow the past practice, if we take the initiative to lay down our weapons, the imperial court or the rebel army will treat us with courtesy. The army has only made a detailed division.

If we do nothing in the ensuing battle and see the Shun army approaching, we put down our weapons and surrender, which will naturally be regarded as surrender before the battle.But if we do something before the Shun army arrives and speed up the defeat of the Manchurians, then we will become an uprising before the battle. Not only can we be exempted from the crime of going to the Manchurians before, but we can also get preferential treatment according to our achievements .

Therefore, the difference between the pre-battle surrender and the pre-battle uprising depends on whether we want to take the initiative to save ourselves, or passively watch the battle until the end of the battle..."

Before Zhang Changlegs could finish speaking, someone already sighed and said, "Now that the Shun army is building a strong camp outside the camp, will the Manchus let us quietly watch the war? I think they will sooner or later." We were sent out to consume the vital strength of the Shun army. I think we should either act obediently as a shield for the Manchus, lest the Manchus attack us first, or we should unite and fight for the opportunity to revolt before the battle."

Wang Yanbin immediately clapped his hands and said: "This brother's words won my heart. Indeed, if we don't unite and give it a go, even if the Shun Army is willing to accept our surrender, the Manchus will not easily let us surrender to the Shun Army..."

Those who can be invited to this big tent are basically people who have deviated from Manren's thoughts.They are not from Liaodong, so there is no basis for mutual trust with the Manchus, and they are not the frontier soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, so the fear of the Manchus has not yet penetrated into the bone marrow.

Although they have heard about the record of the Manchus defeating the Ming army in the past ten years, and they also know the deeds of some Manchus killing rampantly in the pass, it is precisely because of these rumors that after the Qing army crossed the Yellow River, they immediately chose He took the action of surrendering to the Qing army.

However, compared with the achievements of the Qing army heard in the rumors, Henan people actually know Li Zicheng's achievements better. After all, the area where Li Zicheng was active in most of the time of the rebellion was in Henan, especially in Xuchang, Kaifeng, Guide and other places in the late Chongzhen period. attack.

When Li Zicheng led the main force to defeat the Qing army in Kaocheng and went south, these local tyrants in Henan were already panicked, but they still pinned their hopes on the Manchus at the time, thinking that Azig brought such a huge cavalry team, Before, the Qing army won more victories than lost, so they felt that Azig would not easily lose to Li Zicheng, so they persisted.