On the sixteenth day of the battle.
According to the agreement, more than four hundred thousand soldiers of the southern coalition army would be divided into three groups and advance into the Qing Dynasty's territory at the same time.
On the western route, the Emperor of Da Xi, Zhang Xianzhong, would personally lead a 120,000 strong Da Xi army out of Sichuan. They would pass through Hanzhong and head straight for Xi 'an. They would then head north and be responsible for capturing Shaanxi and Shanxi.
Zhang Xianzhong was even more ferocious than Ouyang Shuo had expected. He had directly mobilized 120,000 soldiers.
On the eastern side, Guo Ziyi would lead 90,000 Blazing Flame Soldiers, 30,000 Great Shun soldiers, and 60,000 Southern Ming soldiers, a total of 180,000 soldiers. They would advance north from Huai'an and be responsible for capturing Shandong.
In the middle, Li Jing led 60,000 Great Xia Imperial Guards, 30,000 Great Shun Army, and 60,000 Southern Ming Army. A total of 150,000 soldiers headed north from Yangzhou and were in charge of attacking Henan.
The three armies agreed to rendezvous in the capital.
In view of the fact that there were fewer rivers in the north, which was disadvantageous to naval operations, the Royal Fleet led by Zhou Yu did not follow them north. The three thousand Divine Martial Guards also temporarily stayed in Jianye to protect Ouyang Shuo.
Before setting out, Li Jing's troops and Guo Ziyi's troops met once in Yangzhou City.
After the two armies met, Li Jing made some adjustments to the various departments. He mainly retracted the separated imperial guards of the Great Xia Dynasty and reorganized them into a legion.
Apart from this, the Great Shun and Nanming armies were also reorganized.
How could Li Jing not know that Dorgon could see the weakness of the Southern Alliance Army?
There was no need to talk about the Great Western Army in the west for the time being. After all, they were too far away and beyond their reach. With Guo Ziyi's cooperation, Li Jing took the opportunity to rest in Yangzhou and reorganize the 120,000 soldiers of the Nanming Army that belonged to the four towns of Jiangbei. With the help of Guo Ziyi, he took the opportunity to rest and reorganize in Yangzhou. He also took the opportunity to plant a group of officers from the Great Xia Dynasty and Fallen Phoenix City into the Nanming Army.
That way, Li Jing's control over the Nanming Army was greatly increased.
The 60,000 Great Shun troops were also split into two by Li Jing and allocated to the Middle Army and the Eastern Army. Although the Great Shun generals were quite dissatisfied with this, they had just expressed their stance in front of Ouyang Shuo, so they naturally couldn't immediately go back on their word.
Just like that, Li Jing decisively seized the favorable opportunity after Jianye's great victory. With the mutant army as the core, he reorganized the Eastern Army and the Middle Army, greatly reducing the possibility of internal strife.
At the same time, the chances of the Southern Ming Army and the Great Shun Army acting on their own and disobeying orders were greatly reduced.
…
After the reorganization, the three armies immediately set off according to their original targets.
During this period, the 400,000 Qing troops scattered in the north quietly retreated like a tide under the unified command of Dorgon and quickly gathered in Yan Jing.
For a moment, the official road to the north was filled with the silhouettes of the Qing army marching, dust and smoke billowed.
The Qing army's unusual action was quickly noticed by the common people everywhere. The common people were discussing it spiritedly. Someone said, "The Qing army is afraid, they retreated without fighting, they are preparing to roll back to the border with their tails between their legs."
The rumors about the Southern Coalition Army on the Northern Expedition became more and more ridiculous.
In the morning, it was said that there were five hundred thousand soldiers. In the afternoon, it became seven hundred thousand. In the evening, before night fell, it was already said that there were a million soldiers.
The more he spoke, the more exaggerated he became.
However, the common people still believed in this. The braver ones had already quietly taken out the hoes and machetes they had hidden in their homes and gathered at a secret location. Those who were less courageous only dared to discuss quietly, waiting to see what would happen next.
No matter who it was, the way they looked at the Manchus was very different from before. Everybody just stared at them, they did not say anything vicious, but it was enough to scare the Manchus witless.
Especially the Manchus nobles, who usually bullied the common people, they were so scared that they did not dare to go out. Some simply packed up their valuables and followed the Qing army and fled with their tails between their legs.
That night, some local militias attacked the yamen and killed the officials appointed by the Qing dynasty.
What was more ironic was that more than ninety percent of these officials were Han people. After the Qing army gained power, they either coveted power and position, or in order to protect their families and lives, actively or passively became the Manchus' slaves.
A large portion of them were previously Great Ming officials.
Toward these officials, the local militias did not show any mercy, they killed them all. Even their families were not spared, they were cruelly murdered by the red-eyed militias.
The real Manchus officials received the news in advance and quietly withdrew under the protection of the Qing army.
Sometimes riots were blind and bloody. The northern land that had just calmed down, starting from the southernmost area, was soaked with blood, forming bright red circles.
These circles were strung together, forming a thick line of blood.
The line of blood spread from the south to the north, gradually forming a destructive force.
"The world is changing!"
As the Qing army sped up its retreat, the revolts in various places became more and more intense. When the allied forces from the south charged into the north, what they encountered was not the fierce resistance they had imagined, but the common people spontaneously opened the city gates and lined the streets to welcome them.
It was a sea of people.
The lively scene made people feel like they were in an illusion.
"Are we in the wrong place?" A soldier muttered to himself, he seemed to be at a loss.
Just like that, the three armies followed the Qing army's retreat path and miraculously recovered the lost land at an unimaginable speed.
Hanzhong, Xi 'an, Tongguan
Guide, Kaifeng, Qinzhou
Wherever the army went, it was announced that they had recovered. Because it was too smooth, it seemed a little unreal.
In the first two or three days, the army could still maintain vigilance, afraid that the Qing army would return and set up an ambush. As time passed, the soldiers gradually relaxed.
When the spies came back with definite news, the army finally felt relieved.
"There's no need to doubt it anymore. The Qing army has indeed retreated!"
After confirming the information, both the commander of the central army, Li Jing, and the commander of the eastern army, Guo Ziyi, had complicated expressions. There was no excitement on their faces. Instead, they looked very solemn.
"There must be a reason for this abnormality!"
On the other hand, the generals of the Great Shun army and the Nanming army were all in high spirits. They looked as if they had won a great battle, their backs were straighter than the other.
The cheers of the common people, the eager eyes of the young girls, and the successive victories gradually went to their heads, wearing down their willpower and blurring their judgment.
Towards the end, they really thought of themselves as invincible and invincible masters.
In the beginning, they were full of doubts in the face of the cheers. "We are heroes?"
"Yes, we are heroes!"
Now, they answered as if it was a matter of course.
Because it was too smooth and lively, the discipline in the army began to relax. The soldiers became undisciplined. Not only did they not have the motivation to do morning exercises, but they also did not march as quickly.
They were already intoxicated with themselves.
…
At the same time, Zhang Xianzhong, who was in charge of an area, felt even more complicated.
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