[Chapter 371] Sweeping all over the world, just around the corner

(0371)

This Ciyao Village is located in the southeast of Ningxia Town, close to Ningxia's rear guard, and is surrounded by complex terrain. There are plateaus, deserts, Gobi Deserts, gullies, canyons, cliffs, saline-alkali land, caves, wind and sand... As long as you think of it, there are almost all here. The only thing you don't have is vegetation. All the ground here is bare and there is no green at all. It feels good to pass here when it is cold. If you pass here when it is hot, you will probably die of heat.

There is another characteristic of the area around Ciyaozhai, which is that it is abnormal drought and has no water source. Due to historical reasons, a large amount of salt is produced here. Large pieces of salt are lying directly on the surface. Unfortunately, no one wants it. Because the natural environment here is too harsh, this area basically has no permanent population. Even if there are, it is probably some horse thieves who are desperate.

The castle closest to Ciyao Village is called Qingshuiying, which is named after a small spring. This small spring is actually the fatal part of Ciyao Village. If people trapped in Ciyao Village want to replenish clear water, they must venture here. Otherwise, they must go south for a long distance and walk to Shigou City to have a water source. At such a long distance, they must die of thirst on the road.

Gao Yingxiang was actually besieged here, and he was really in a desperate situation. If no one had extended a helping hand in time, he would be finished this time. The official army did not need to launch a large-scale attack at all. They just needed to surround the area around Ciyaozhai and prevent them from finding water. They would die of thirst in Ciyaozhai. The human body would die of water for two days. It can be seen that there is not much time left for Gao Yingxiang.

In addition, the matter of Yansui Town has been basically understood. The most fundamental reason is that Yansui Town suddenly changed its general officer. The original general officer was suddenly arrested by the Jinyiwei and was imprisoned for punishment. The new general officer was still on the road and had not yet taken office. As a result, it was a bit messy. During the transition between the old and new general officers, there must be someone who will rise up and almost become a common practice in major military towns. This has nothing to do with Gao Yingxiang himself.

Because of the sudden change of general officers, Yansui Town inevitably caused some chaos, and some people with ulterior motives incite rumors to spread rumors and fuel the fire, which made Yansui Town panic and rumors spread everywhere, as if the end of the world was about to come. It is precisely because of this that so many military households fled. As the situation gradually stabilized, I believe that the number of military households fled would be smaller and smaller. If Xu Xingxia had not captured those military households in time, he would probably have no big gains in the days to come.

The army mobilization of Ningxia Town was mainly to prevent Gao Yingxiang from entering Ningxia Town. This was the direct order of the three-sided governor, and they must comply with it. Of course, the situation in Guyuan Town in the south was not very stable, so that the senior management of Ningxia Town could not be careful to be vigilant. They were very intimate. If the southern part of Ningxia Town was ruthless and Xu Xingxia was eyeing him in the north, then Xu Xingxia would sweep south and all of them would be done.

This is definitely not their unfair worries, but their real concern. These days, money and food have been owed for too long, and the emotions of the military households are very unstable. As long as they are strongly stimulated or someone deliberately provoked, their emotions will be out of control. The entire Ningxia Town feels like a pile of ripe dry firewood. If it is accidentally dealt with, a huge fire will burst out, and it will be difficult to curb it at that time.

Why didn't there be any *** in the Tianqi Dynasty? The simple reason is that Wei Zhongxian also knew that the military households could not force them too quickly, so they had to let them take a breath and give them hope of survival. Therefore, we must work hard to ensure a certain amount of money and grain supply. The method Wei Zhongxian adopted was to temporarily delay the debts of the previous ones. Since the first year of Tianqi, money and grain were distributed as much as possible every year, and the arrears would be as long as possible, so that the arrears would not exceed two months.

This move is still very useful for stabilizing the emotions of the military households. Although Emperor Tianqi works carpenters all day long, and does not care about anything, in the minds of the vast number of military households, he is a wise monarch. Whoever gives the military households food is a wise monarch, there is no more straightforward truth than this. Emperor Wanli is not a good emperor. Emperor Tianqi does not arrears money and food, that is a good emperor. Since he is a good emperor, he must support it, and rebellion is not supposed to be a little dissatisfied. Although he is still a little dissatisfied, he will be over with just enduring it.

On the contrary, after Wei Zhongxian died, the court adopted the original plan and owed money and grain indefinitely. As a result, the contrast between the front and back was too large, and the military households stopped working. Some military households were owed for 20 or 30 years, and no one could stand it! As long as someone stirred up a little, they couldn't help but turn against the court. They agreed that the newly-employed Emperor Chongzhen was not a good emperor, but a bad emperor. Since he was a bad emperor, we would not live with him. As a result, a vigorous peasant uprising broke out.

"Wang Xia!"

"Liu Heng!"

"Xia Kewu!"

Xu Xingxia shouted quickly.

"arrive!"

The three of them stood attentively and agreed solemnly.

"Order your troops! Be prepared for battle! Long-distance raid!"

Xu Xingxia said decisively. He felt that he had to rescue Gao Yingxiang immediately. If time was delayed, Gao Yingxiang might die in Ciyao Village. As for the reason for sending troops, it is very simple. Assist the superiors to arrest the horse thief! Isn’t Gao Yingxiang a horse thief? Our white-clothed army will be dispatched and arrested him. There is no problem? Although, without the superiors’ orders, we have to actively serve the country, right?

Of course, this long-distance raid was different from the last time. This time, it was basically a march on the ground of Ningxia Town, and the journey was only three or four hundred miles, not very far. However, there were many garrison troops around Ningxia Town, all over the place, densely packed, weaving into a dense spider web. It is basically impossible to hide the actions of the White-Clothed Army from the White-Clothed Army from the White-Clothed Army from the East Bank. If you are not lucky, someone might feel that something is wrong as soon as the White-Clothed Army has just arrived on the east bank of the Yellow River.

The three troops of the Dragon Cavalry, the Tiger Cavalry, and the Eagle Cavalry have about 2,000 people in total. Such a large-scale army operation will definitely not be concealed. It is estimated that the senior management of Ningxia Town will soon react and use various reasons to prevent the White-Clothed Army from entering the vicinity of Ciyao Village. Because the White-Clothed Army must move quickly, and must resolve the battle before the enemy can react and "catch" Gao Yingxiang and others.

On February 27th, late at night, Xu Xingxia led his army to set out quietly from Heishan Camp.

The White-Clothed Army had enough war horses, all of which were used in two horses, and they were rotated and moved south quickly. In order to ensure the secret, Xu Xingxia led his army to cross the river near Weizhen Fort. If he met other officers and soldiers on the road, he would say that he was going to Ciyao Village to reinforce. It was difficult to distinguish between true and false, and it was difficult to distinguish between real and real. As a result, in just one day, the White-Clothed Army came to the vicinity of Qingshui Camp. This place was only less than thirty miles away from Ciyao Village. However, the number of officers and soldiers gathered here was already quite large. They surrounded the surrounding areas of Ciyao Village. Since it was close to the war zone and the guard was tight, the White-Clothed Army's open mouth was useless.

"Sir, the officers and soldiers in front are blocking the road! They will not be released after negotiations!" Minghao came to report.

"I'll go and have a look." Xu Xingxia waved the horse whip and quickly arrived at the front line. As a result, it was fine if he didn't look at it, but he felt a little funny at first glance. It turned out that he actually recognized the commander of the Ming army in front!

Ma Shilong!

Ma Shilong, the Ningxia defender!

Leading troops to intercept Xu Xingxia is exactly Ma Shilong!

"Brother Ma Shi, it's you!" Xu Xingxia said with a gentle smile.

"Why is it you..." Ma Shilong's face was a little embarrassed and a little ugly.

Xu Xingxia actually led her army here, which really surprised Ma Shilong. Of course he would not believe that Xu Xingxia was really here to reinforce and arrest Gao Yingxiang. Ma Shilong didn't know about his thoughts. This kid was never restless. He could almost conclude that Xu Xingxia must have come to pick up Gao Yingxiang to escape from danger. However, he really could not speculate when Xu Xingxia got along with Gao Yingxiang?

Ma Shilong tried hard to stabilize his emotions and said slowly: "Xu Qianhu, do you say you are here to reinforce, do you have a written order from your boss?"

Xu Xingxia smiled and said, "Yes, but I forgot to bring it."

This is clearly a scoundrel. I guess there is no one else except Xu Xingxia. This is also telling you clearly that Ma Shilong, when we come here today, it is indeed the bad people who come here, and the kind people don’t come. If you are tactful, please make way out quickly. Everyone just needs to live a life and be friends when they meet in the future. If you don’t want to get out of the way, you will have to turn against each other. If you insist on blocking the way, you have to consider the consequences of turning against each other. Basically, this is a naked threat.

Of course, Ma Shilong understood what Xu Xingxia meant. He was also very clear about the consequences of the White-Clothed Army's turn against each other. The White-Clothed Army's turn against each other, and even tens of thousands of Tartar cavalry could not stop him. Such a small amount of troops in his hands was really not enough to be intertwined. However, he also accepted the order to block irrelevant people and those who were approaching Ciyao Village. Just in time, Xu Xingxia and his White-Clothed Army were standard irrelevant people, and they belonged to the ranks of intercepting. He could not do nothing and let Xu Xingxia pass leisurely. This would be a huge insult to his dignity. Ma Shilong said slowly: "Xu Xingxia, if you do this, I will be in a difficult situation."

Xu Xingxia smiled slightly and said leisurely: "Actually, it's not difficult. Last time, I said that we must not hold back when we meet on the battlefield. To do our best is what each of us should do. If we unfortunately die in the hands of the other party, it is also the destination of the soldier. Now, let us see the true seal under our hands! I will take you!"

Ma Shilong looked at his subordinates and obviously lacked confidence. In terms of the number of troops, his number of people under his command was actually more than the White Army. He had 3,000 people, while Xu Xingxia only had 2,000. However, in terms of the equipment and the quality of soldiers, it was completely unparalleled. This time, his son did not go into battle, and he was going to show off his archery skills instead. Unexpectedly, he met Xu Xingxia! Apart from the word "unlucky" to describe, Ma Shilong really couldn't find any other words.

However, no matter whether it is public or private, he cannot let Xu Xingxia go. From the perspective of public affairs, he retreats without fighting, but he has to pursue military responsibility. The encirclement and suppression of Gao Yingxiang, but the order of the three-sided governor is not allowed to be careless. If an accident occurs, the superiors can catch a few people and behead the head and confiscate the house. As far as he knows, officials such as Huang Kezhang and Zhu Xieyuan are not rude people. If they are unlucky and caught by them, it would be miserable.

From a private perspective, retreating without fighting is also a great humiliation for him. He is also a proud person and is unwilling to admit defeat easily. Even if his archery skills are not as good as Xu Xingxia, can't he stop it for a moment? Even if he dies in battle, he must let Xu Xingxia get rid of his skin. In any case, Xu Xingxia cannot underestimate him. He has made up his mind and immediately ordered the troops to prepare for combat and block the attack of the White Army.

"Okay! Come on!" Xu Xingxia immediately ordered the troops to attack.

Both sides quickly set off to fight. The soldiers of the Eagle Cavalry Army had dismounted, lined up their troops, and prepared to shoot. Opposite them were densely packed with Ming troops. The weapons they used were also large numbers of muskets. The difference was that the muskets of the White Army were equipped with bayonets, while Ma Shilong's troops did not.

"Wang Xia!"

"A squadron shot a volley!"

Xu Xingxia waved her hand casually and shouted in a deep voice.

The soldiers of the Eagle Cavalry took the lead in stepping forward, raised the Sun and Moon gun, and pulled the trigger.

"Bang bang bang!"

Dense gunfire sounded.

The Ming army in front fell down in pieces.

The Minnie bomb that was whistling away burst out with a large amount of blood, and the scene was bloody.

The range of the Sun and Moon Gun is much higher than that of the Thunder Guns used by the Ming army on the opposite side. Shooting at a distance of 50 meters caused great casualties to the Ming army on the opposite side. Roughly, the Eagle Cavalry fired a volley, causing at least hundreds of Ming soldiers to suffer casualties. This was Xu Xingxia's men showed mercy and only dispatched one squadron of the Eagle Cavalry, with only three hundred muskets. If the entire army fired volleys and more than six hundred muskets exploded together, more Ming troops would fall.

Xu Xingxia waved his hand and let the second volley stop temporarily. He jumped forward and said loudly to Ma Shilong: "Brother Ma Shi, I don't want our people to die in the hands of their own people. You get out of the way. This is not that your ability is not good, but that your army's weapons are not good. If you persist in fighting, they will all die. God has the virtue of life. Don't let your army die in your hands. They also have wives and children!"

The officers around Ma Shilong had long turned gray and wanted to turn around and run away. They had all heard of Xu Laomo's name, which was said to be fierce. It was indeed amazing when they saw him today. No one knew why the white-clothed army's muskets were so powerful. The white-clothed army's musket volley only once caused their troops to suffer a fatal blow. If such a volley was fired several times, their troops would definitely be completely wiped out.

In fact, there is no need to do it a few more times, just once, and the remaining officers and soldiers will all be dispersed. Facing the muskets of the White Army, they can only die in vain. If they don’t run away quickly, do they think they are not dying fast enough? Do you want your wife and children? Once the hearts of the people are dispersed, no matter how they stop them, they will not be able to stop them.

Ma Shilong felt bitter inside and his mind was blank. He did not expect that the first duel between him and Xu Xingxia would end with such a result. He was completely defeated! There was no chance to fight back at all! At the beginning, he tried to fight hard. Even if he couldn't tie Xu Xingxia, at least let Xu Xingxia know that he was not a easy persimmon. But now it seems that all this is meaningless.

His combat power is not the same level as Xu Xingxia. The combat power of his subordinates and the combat power of the White-Clothed Army are even more different from that of the White-Clothed Army. If the stalemate continues, his troops will definitely end up being wiped out. As the opponent, the White-Clothed Army may not even have any casualties. The more he thinks, he becomes more angry and can't help but say, "Xu Xingxia, you are a good man, why don't you serve the country?"

Xu Xingxia smiled exaggeratedly, waved her whip hard, and said coldly: "Did I not serve the country? Then what are the Tartars I killed? But, I want to serve the country, but others want to punish me and destroy me. What can I do? Am I going to take the initiative to send my head under the guillotine?"

Ma Shilong was speechless. In fact, he was also a young man, strong and energetic, and he didn't like the darkness in the army. However, he was a veritable servant and wanted to take office, which was a little different from Xu Xingxia's butt. His butt was completely in the court. For his own future, he could not take the path of Xu Xingxia. In fact, in many cases, he could not understand everything Xu Xingxia did.

Of course, he did not understand more, and focused on Xu Xingxia himself. He could not understand why Xu Xingxia had such great ability to develop such powerful muskets. The power of the Sun and Moon Gun was far beyond ordinary muskets! The court was also a fool, why didn't he win over Xu Xingxia? Just looking at the secrets of the muskets, what did the thousand households of the two Jinyiwei have? As long as all the Ming army was equipped with Sun and Moon Guns, sweeping across the world, it was just around the corner! With such a fuss, Xu Xingxia was even more unlikely to hand over the secrets of the muskets.

After sighing silently for a moment, Ma Shilong had to wave his hand and let his subordinates retreat slowly. Xu Xingxia was right. This was indeed not his fault, but his troops were not equipped with weapons and equipment. For the sake of his subordinates, this battle should be ended sooner! If you continue to fight, there will be meaningless death in human life. As for what will happen in the future and whether you will be pursued by your superiors, that will be a matter of the future.

"Continue to move forward!" Xu Xingxia waved her hand and said calmly.
Chapter completed!