Wuchang in the future known as one of the three fire furnaces, the summer weather is hot, today's rain is particularly small, the city is more and more sweltering.

The mood of Confucius was as anxious as this weather.

The Western Army and Chu Jun fought in the vast number of battles in the lake, the two sides invested in the increasing number of forces, the total has exceeded 200,000, in the western part of the lake on the three fronts of the vicious battle, like three torn around everything to be crushed, Kong Yide and Shang is happy to be trapped in the two lonely cities of Wuchang and Hanyang, just on the edge of the storm, by this huge force tearing up the station is not standing, just like hiding in the cellar.

The Western army has been gathering for a long time, a shot is like a broken bamboo, Sun is expected to connect to the capture of the Yanzhou, Chenzhou, continue to march on Baoqing, Chu Jun Tenshuanglin and other departments rushed to support, the mobilization of heavy troops ready to guard Baoqing, Sun is expected to lift weight light, flexible, in Baoqing Province after a small setback, suddenly turned to the northeast, attack Changde.

Changde is blocking the territory of the tin, after years of painstaking management, is already his foundation, although the Western army is large, but also do not easily give up, leading the gentleman camp to fight to the death resistance, but the strength of the two sides is too big, after a vicious battle or Sun expected to be defeated, had to lead the remnants into Changde City, closed doors to the door.

Lips and cold, Chu army struggling to save, Teng Shuanglin led the ministry from Baoqing North, the intention is to relieve the siege for Changde, but the Western army has long been prepared, the two forces of the White Selection and Feng Shuangli two forces of the double battle Teng Shuanglin, Teng Shuanglin hard to fight the day, unable to break through the line of Bai Wensheng and Feng Shuangli, in order to avoid being surrounded by the main force of the Western army, had to temporarily withdraw.

At this time, Chu Jun from other provinces to the reinforcements also arrived, Wang Sheng led Zhang Jiayu, Lu Renqing and other ministries from Jiangxi, in the southern shore of the Yangtze River a boat, and Sun is expected to fight a vicious battle on the shore of Dongting Lake, the two sides of the loss is not small, is a tie.

Chu's army temporarily blocked the footsteps of the Western army to continue to advance eastward, and relieved the threat of Yueyang and Changsha, but it was also unable to solve the siege for Changde.

During this period, Li Dingguo of the northern line started from Sichuan and marched all the way along the Yangtze River to the east, at the beginning of his speed was the slowest, but after killing the Three Gorges, the speed of promotion suddenly accelerated, and within a few days successively broke the Qian and Yichang, the army pointed directly to the Jingzhou capital's capital, Gangling, if not without a water division, his troops may have appeared under Wuchang City.

Liu Wenxiu in the southern line of the slowest progress, his troops are expected to be transferred half by Sun, Chu Jun has Liu Fangliang, party guard and Hezhen to join, under the elimination of each other, the force has not occupied the dominant position, in the Lingling City several times frustrated, can only play a role in the production, Tan Xiao and Zhou Guodong saw his inability to attack, but also constantly drawn troops to support other battlefields.

In general, at the beginning of this Huguang War, the Western Army still clearly occupied the advantage, not only firmly grasped the initiative of the battlefield, but also caused great losses to the Chu army, because they have entered the lake hinterland, the Chu army is not safe, can only disperse the force, everywhere to defend, successively broken by the Western army.

The friendly army reported frequently, and the monk was gratified but more and more anxious and uncertain.

"I thought that Chu Thieves was the first strong army in the world, and since the eight flags, no one can be invincible, who would have thought that the West Thieves could fight this way?"Since they have this ability, why didn’t they occupy Beijing?I don’t have to wait until now, so it’s hard to get around!”Kong has a virtue of not playing a place, suspected that Zhang Xianzhong was a pig to eat a tiger, he was not called a pit man, the harm is endless, to this day also put himself into a pit.

"I want to think of Sun's talent, far better than the Zhang Xianzhong, the Yangtze River after the wave, our generation, is old."It was also very surprising to sigh, and it was also very surprising that the sudden rise of the Western army.

After the last Qing Army and Chu Junhu Guanghui Battle, the entire lake fell into the hands of Chu Jun, he and Kong Yide have been sticking to Wuchang and Hanyang, not wanting to withdraw, but into the Chu army's encirclement and withdrawal, can not go, can only be trapped in the lonely city, gritted their teeth and insisted.Shang Kexi is usually stationed in Hanyang, and Wuchang although only a river apart, but also by the Chu army cut off, recently under the onslaught of the Western army, Chu army has been unable to maintain the original encirclement, in order to come to Wuchang and Kong Yude to meet.

“Brother Yuanji, do you think we should evacuate Wuchang now?”

“That... I can’t say that either.”

And the Chu army fought for two years, and knew each other well for a long time, Kong and the priest were pleased to know the most about the strength of the Chu army, with Wu Sangui and Tan Tai, the most can give Anqing's Tunbule relief, almost impossible to hit the lake, if not take advantage of the retreat now, then want to go, I am afraid there will be no chance.

Thirty-six, take the best course.

But Dorgon didn’t want them to go.

After repeated consideration, Dorgon decided to stick to Wuchang and Anqing, and sent someone to send a will to Kong Yide and the monk, ordering them to continue to adhere to Wuchang and do not easily retreat.

Dorgon's plan was to divide the river with the Han people, and whether it was the Western Army or the Chu Army, they tried not to let them touch Jiangbei.

To divide the river and rule, we must keep the provinces of Hubei, Anhui and Henan, otherwise it will not be divided into rivers and cures, but rowing rivers and ruling (Yellow River).That clear land is too small, the population is too small, can not master Henan, the Central Plains, and lost Hubei, Anhui two important grain-producing areas, not to mention the competition for the world, even self-poverment has problems... After a long period of war in the north, many places are deserted, the population is not one, want to restore normal production, at least more than ten years of time, otherwise the farmers of the land are not enough, the most basic food can not be self-sufficient, just how to feed the Beijing division of millions of military and civilians.

Kong Youde and the monk are gratified to continue to nail Wuchang, in addition to suppressing the Chu army, but also to prevent the Western army from occupying Hubei, and then continue to go north, into Henan and Anhui.

This is the national chess strategy, Dorgon although knowing that Kong has virtue and monk can not do it, or hope that they can create miracles for me to save Hubei, in order to mobilize their enthusiasm, Dorgon also exposed the wind, as long as Kong has virtue, Shang Zixian can complete this glorious and arduous task, you can establish a vine in the lake.

The monk was gratified on the surface of gratitude, but secretly sniffed.

In the lake to establish a fascination, the fissure soil is king, you can have all the people in the place of property power, the two of them are indeed full of temptation, but like hanging in front of the donkey carrots, you can see but can not eat, Chu Jun has been busy fighting around for the past two years, the lake is not used, only Pai Teng Shuanglin one plus the old battalion of the second-line troops, the Kongde and the monk can be forced to the lonely city, and now come to a more serious Western army.

Chu Jun what is the strength, Teng Shuanglin and the old camp is what the fighting force, Kong Yude and the monk are most pleased to have the most say, they even in front of Sun Hope and Li Dingguo to eat and lose the battle, these two Grand Qing Dynasty was initially unexpected, if the Western army ran the Chu army, and then attacked Wuchang and Hanyang, it is really the front door driving wolves, the back door into the tiger, more and more dead road.

This possibility exists entirely.

Manchu and the Western army did not formally form an alliance, although there are verbal agreements between "union thieves" and "union depote", but they may tear their faces at any time.Generally speaking, this kind of alliance forced by the situation, will choose different battlefield operations, the two forces will not directly contact, far away, once the two sides direct contact, almost inevitably contradictory, just like Sun Liu United against Cao, but because of the competition for Jingzhou first hit a you live - the situation on the front line is so complicated, clearly and out of a big version of the three kingdoms, Sun and Li Dingguo in order to seize the "Jingzhou" this land, casually find a reason.

If you give up Wuchang and retreat to Henan or Anhui, Kong Youde and the monk are happy and dare not.

First of all, Kong Yude and the proud strength of the monk is not enough, dare not bargain with the Qing court like Wu Sangui, and even sprinkling, after more than a year of bitter war, God's soldiers and aid soldiers have long been beaten, Kong Yude and Shang is happy in the most difficult time, every day watching Chu Jun outside the city, but there is no strength to fight back, with their hands on this army, if they tear the face, Dor.

Secondly, Kong Youde and the monk were happy to surrender to the Qing Dynasty in the early years, and then have been acting as the pawns of the Qing court, and the Ming army has fought many times, the hands are stained with the blood of the Han people, and the troops under the command are also mixed with the Han army flag, which can no longer easily reverse, and Wu Sangui is less than a back road.Speaking of, Kong Yide and monk are very impressed with Wu Sangui, this guy clearly and himself as a traitor, but partial to a good reputation, so in the face of the Qing court, the tone of speech are more than three points.

"Wu Sangui, the ass sitting in Xuzhou, the fist hit Fengyang, four straight and eight stable, there is no meaning of the south, certainly can't count on it."

"Yes, at present, this situation, only expect the West Thief and Chu Thief to fight a lose-lose, the situation has a turn, as for Wu Sangui, hey, he must be on the idea of stepping on two ships, secretly may have had contact with Wang Kefan, but I do not know where to go."

Kong Youde and the monk are not happy to withdraw from Wuchang, there is another reason is that the time is not yet ripe, although the Western Army and Chu Army have been all-out war, but the real decisive battle has not yet broken out, the two armies have retained a considerable part of the mobile force, Kong and Jianshi once left Wuchang, it may be eaten by Chu or the Western Army.