After the weapons were issued, the firehead army, like the soldiers, carried out drills.However, he did not teach any tactics, only conducted queues and marching drills, or stood for most of the day.Zhao Ming objected to this, but Lao Li Tou told him that the Huotou Army was not a regular soldier, and it was just to improve everyone's discipline and ensure that they did not get separated during the march.The training time was very short, and after three days, the army marched north from the camp at the foot of the mountain.Zhang Mingzhen's army was stationed here, the military discipline was strict, and the people were rarely disturbed, and the local squires organized the people to send farewell to the Taizhou soldiers to the north, and instructed the officials and troops to recover Wudi, and the two sides shed tears and parted.The 5,000-strong army crossed the Fuchun River at Dongziguan and went north along the mighty Gexi, Zhao Ming sat on the cart of the baggage camp, only to see the chariot and the horses Xiao Xiao, and the mountains and the undulating land of western Zhejiang, full of officers and soldiers wearing mandarin duck robes.After the army crossed the Fuchun River, it soon approached Xincheng County, and the herald cavalry of the Chinese army ran along the road against the flow of people, loudly passing the commander's military order, so that the army was on alert.Xincheng is the territory of the Qing general Wu Zhaosheng, the Ming army immediately raised vigilance, the killer team unsheathed the sword, the firearms team loaded the bird gun, the fire fold in the hand, and even the firehead soldiers also picked up the flat pole and sticks.Although Zhao Ming judged that Wu Zhaosheng might really be anyway, he was still vigilant in his heart, afraid that an accident would happen.However, Zhao Ming's worries were finally superfluous, and the army came to Xincheng County, and Wu Zhaosheng, who had picked up the braids, led a group of generals wearing Ming Dynasty armor to greet him, and Zhang Mingzhen met with him, and the two sides were as affectionate as brothers.After the army arrived at the new city, the men and horses camped on the side of Gexi to rest, and after a while, a group of men and horses, about 2,000 people, rushed to the west, and camped not far from the Taizhou soldiers, and then several cavalrymen, escorting an official in a scarlet robe, entered the new city.When Li Zhongming and the others saw it, they couldn't help but smack their tongues secretly, and at the same time they were a little excited, there was no doubt that reinforcements were coming, and they were also a first-class member, the strength of the Western Route Army had increased, and the odds of victory were a few points greater.There are not many Qing soldiers in Hangzhou, only more than 10,000 people, now the Taihu Righteous Army attacked Huzhou, cut off the connection between Hangzhou and Nanjing from the north, Zhang Mingzhen led the Western Route Army, broke through the Qing army's defense line, interspersed to the west, occupied Changhua, Huanghuaguan, Tianmu Mountain and other places, cut off the connection between Hangzhou and Chizhou, Anqing, Wuhu Qing Army from the west, and the Qing army in Hangzhou became a turtle in the urn.King Lu's 100,000-strong army besieged Hangzhou, not without a chance to defeat it.Although Li Zhongming is the head of the fire, he is very well-informed, and when he saw Wu Zhaosheng anyway, and other people joined him, he also became optimistic.Zhao Ming looked at the scarlet-robed figure from afar, and a strange feeling arose in his heart, but he didn't care, and continued to help the Huotou army to wash rice.Xincheng County, on the city gate building, the wine and music are large, the generals and schools are gathered, the saber is sonorous, Zhang Mingzhen, Wu Zhaosheng, and the scarlet official who has just entered the city stand at the head of the city, full of spirit, pointing out the country.Zhang Mingzhen pointed to the Taizhou soldiers camped in the distance, and asked the scarlet-robed official quite complacently: "Sir, how about watching a certain subordinate?"
”The old scarlet-robed official nodded and said, "General Zhang has elite soldiers and horses, and this battle will definitely be successful." ”After the 5,000-strong army assembled outside the new city and set up camp, Ruan Mei took a few more people and pushed a cart into the city to buy some salt and food.There is heaven above, there is Suzhou and Hangzhou below, Xincheng is a county town in Hangzhou, the commodity economy is developed, there are 60,000 or 70,000 people in the county, but because of the war and the shaving order, the population in the city is less than half, and commerce is also withering.Zhao Ming and his entourage walked on the street, looking for a long time, only to find a business shop, Ruan Mei asked loudly: "Shopkeeper, is there salt in the store?"
”Salt is a necessity of life, in the past, Jiangnan ate salt, mainly to eat Huai salt, the Qing army occupied Jiangbei, the two Huai salt merchants who were rich in the world, after the Qing army was almost killed in Yangzhou, it became a problem to eat salt in the south of the Yangtze River.The Jin merchants from Shanxi, through their relationship with the Manchu Qing Dynasty, controlled the salt industry in Lianghuai, covered the salt and did not sell it, and raised the price of salt, making it a problem for Zhejiang to eat salt.Ordinary people eat less salt, and they can still hold on, but if the army does not eat salt, the soldiers will not have the strength to fight, and they will not be able to fight.The shopkeeper in the shop was broadcasting an abacus to settle accounts for several soldiers, and when he heard the words, he raised his head and said with a smile: "This general, I really don't want to go, the salt in Allah has just been sold!"
”The other group of people in the store turned around, led by a middle-aged man, glanced at Ruan Mei, and said with a smile: "You are the people under Zhang Mingzhen and Zhang Dashuai!"
”Ruan Mei nodded, "Exactly, brother, are you?"
”The man didn't answer, it seemed difficult to speak, he smiled unnaturally, and arched his hand: "Since it is Zhang Dashuai's person, then let Yu give up a generation of salt." ”After speaking, the man left a belt of salt, and the shopkeeper re-settled the account, and the man took people and left with the salt."
Thanks, brother!"
Ruan Mei said to her back, and after speaking, she went in to find the shopkeeper to settle the bill.The two groups of people went in and out, and when they met at the door, the man in charge saw Zhao Ming, and was suddenly stunned, and immediately said with joy: "Xi'er." ”Zhao Ming walked at the end, shocked when he heard the sound, and hurriedly pulled the man aside, causing Li Zhongming to turn back suspiciously.Zhao Ming and the man came to the alley, and the relatives met in troubled times, and the man was overjoyed when he saw Zhao Ming, and tears flew everywhere."
Xi'er, why are you here, and you don't go to your father."
The man took a step back and looked at Zhao Ming carefully, "Are you in the army under Zhang Mingzhen?"
”Zhao Ming's mind was blank for a while, but he quickly understood that this person was not Ma Shiying, but his elder.Zhao Ming didn't know how to answer, and he didn't know what to call the man in front of him, so he just sighed: "It's a long story." ”The man didn't notice anything unusual, "Your father is outside the city, come with me to meet him, he must be very happy!"
”As he spoke, the man went to pull Zhao Ming, but Zhao Ming did not move.Seeing this, the man frowned slightly, and his expression suddenly dimmed, "Are you going to abandon your father and deny him?"
”After the collapse of the two regimes of Hongguang and Luwang one after another, Ma Shiying did not surrender to the Qing Dynasty, but raised people and horses to fight guerrillas in western Zhejiang.The king of Tang ascended the throne in Fujian to establish the Longwu court, and the king of Lu supervised the country in eastern Zhejiang, and established the power of the Lu Jianguo, Ma Shiying once submitted a letter to the two regimes and asked for annexation, but was rejected by the two regimes of Tang and Lu and abandoned by the Ming court.With the surrender of Ruan Dacheng, the No. 2 person in Ma Ruan's party, Ma Shiying can be said to be a betrayal of his relatives, and those who were originally attached to him have abandoned Ma Shiying.The first assistant in front of the dignified house, with only 2,000 private soldiers by his side, hid in the mountains of western Zhejiang to resist the Qing Dynasty.Seeing that Zhao Ming was not going, the man sighed and said, "The situation is so far, it is not your father's sin.Do you know everything about the Nanjing family?
”Seeing this, Zhao Ming said in a low voice: "After I came out of Nanjing, I encountered some things, and I didn't know many things. ”The man didn't seem to understand his words, and continued: "After the fall of Nanjing, your eldest brother Ma Luan did not escape, and the whole family was killed.Your sister's family also died in Nanjing, as well as your uncle, third uncle, and my family, all died tragically under the butcher's knife.Now the Ma family is left with your father, your uncle and me, and you.If you don't recognize your father, the Ma family will be extinct. ”After speaking, the man was already in tears.At this moment, Ruan Mei and her party came out and shouted to the alley: "Big man Zhao, what's the matter, let's go!"
”When Zhao Ming heard this, he hurriedly said to the man: "Uncle, I'm going to see my father tonight!"
”After speaking, Zhao Ming turned around and left the alley, and Ruan Mei asked, "What's the matter?"
”Zhao Ming smiled slightly: "An acquaintance!"
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