Although Li Qingshan's troops were completely wiped out by the court in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, his remaining troops were still quite active. Chang Yichen felt that Li Qingshan's background was not as sensitive as Li Zicheng, the king of rebellion, and the banner of Li Qingshan would not attract a brigade of official troops to fight.

Chang Yichen's most worried issue was only fifty cavalry under his command. Not to mention attracting a large army of officials, even the local gentry and powerful acted recklessly, they could drink a pot.

But the problem is that Beizhi belongs to the core area of ​​the Ming Dynasty rule. Even if it is only under the banner of Li Qingshan instead of the banner of Li Zicheng, the villages they pass by are still on high alert everywhere. Although they generally provide some help within their ability, they are unwilling to enter the village to rest or provide human support.

Some strong villages did not even allow this team of horses with unknown intentions to approach. Chang Yichen even fought with a village that was ungrateful. However, he did not expect that the village not only contained crossbows and armor, but also several muskets. Although it was discovered that it was timely and immediately withdrawn, Chang Yichen still injured one man and two horses.

But now, countless fleets of ships under the banner of Sincerity Bo Mansion suddenly appeared on the canal, making Chang Yichen not sure where the target he was chasing was.

Chang Yichen had already run six or seven times for this, but the facts proved that these few times were in vain. These six or seven times did block the canal ship under the banner of Chengyi Bo Mansion twice, but Chang Yichen knew that this was definitely not the real target he was looking for without having to board the ship.

Because according to the information from the inside, the fleet of Chengyi Bo Mansion had at least six large ships, and now only one small canal ship was blocked these two times. The facts also proved that Chang Yichen's guess was correct. The owner and the sailors on the ship both said that the reason why they were allowed to go south by Zhangjiawan was because Liu Yongxi asked them to take the banner of Chengyi Bo Mansion.

Now there are more fake and real news coming, which makes Chang Yichen feel afraid of difficulties, but this is still a mission that must be accomplished.

If this was the order of General Zhengquan Tian Jianxiu, Chang Yichen would dare to say that he could no longer catch up. After all, General Tian Jianxiu was a kind person, but this was the order of General Deputy General Liu Zongmin.

This made him difficult. Even the blind man knew that Liu Zongmin was easy to kill, and even if he couldn't complete the task he assigned, he would have to take off a layer of skin even if he didn't die.

Now Chang Yichen is in a dilemma. Although he feels that if he continues to chase after him, he may even chase him to Shandong and face more unexpected changes, since it is Liu Zongmin's order, he has to pursue him.

What should I do?

Just when Chang Yichen was at a loss, the old scholar who came to negotiate on behalf of Linjiazhuang and several other villages, put forward his opinion: "General Chang, I think your idea is completely wrong. It is indeed correct to chase the rebels on the canal, but the river network is densely covered with water and waterways. If you chase the horses, you may not be able to find the target you are looking for!"

When Chang Yichen heard the old scholar's statement, he suddenly became interested: "Brother, how do you say this?"

Although this old scholar was a country scholar who had never entered the palace examination, he had his own experience in using troops: "General Chang, you must understand that the waterway is the most powerful, the boat runs faster than the horse, and it does not lose horsepower downstream. Your horse team can't catch up at all, let alone the waterway is connected and no one can find any tributary. If you want to catch up with this rebel, you may have to find another way."

Chang Yichen sat in his current position based on his qualifications rather than his ability, so he decided to take the banner of Li Qingshan's remaining troops and knew nothing about water wars. Before he set off this time, he was already in trouble when he heard that he had to pursue the fleet belonging to Chengyi Bo Mansion along the canal.

Now when I heard the old scholar say this, I feel it makes sense: "Then according to my father-in-law, how should we find another way? Is it impossible to abandon the land and water!"

The old scholar said earnestly: "You don't have to abandon the water on land, but you must have your own warship on the water. You can move forward together by water and land, so that you can catch up with the target, otherwise the blind man will touch the elephant and cannot see it!"

The old scholar said this and Chang Yichen had a great enlightenment, but he still had a question: "But my brothers are not good at fighting against water!"

The old scholar laughed: "Is General Chang's water battle not possible, or is his brothers' water battle not possible?"

Chang Yichen felt that the old scholar was saying something. He had been a landslide since he was a child, but he did have a lot of fraternity workers, and several of them were even water athletes: "What else can I give to you?"

The old scholar gave another advice, and he told his brothers the situation to his brothers according to the old scholar's opinion. These brothers thought that what the old scholar said was quite reasonable. Without the Clippers, there was no way to catch up with the target. Moreover, a small half of the fifty people could swim. As long as they got a Clipper, they could go up from water and land to pursue the fleet of Chengyi Bo Mansion.

They soon forcibly snatched a passing merchant ship for chasing the clutch, and a group of brothers from Hui Shu guarded all the key positions on the clutch. Chang Yichen became more and more proud as he watched his own clutch advance along the canal.

With this Clippers, Chengyi Bo Mansion's fleet could not escape no matter how sloppy he was!

Now he has discovered that he has a huge advantage in chasing a Clipper, and he wants to give a long roar to the sky to express his excitement, but before he finished yelling, he found that the situation suddenly changed greatly: "Damn it!"

Chang Yichen didn't expect that he had just divided his troops, and the fleet of Chengyi Bo Mansion chose this opportunity to attack. Moreover, they not only had fleets, infantry and even horses, but also the opponent's army, horses and fleets attacked with war drums at the same time.

No matter how incompetent Chang Yichen could see that this was the deadliest moment for him. On the canal, he only had one Clipper and more than 20 brothers who had no experience in water warfare and the captured sailors. But the problem was that six ships came from the opposite side, and this was Cao Jiang Chengyibo's fleet.

When Chang Yichen thought of the Chengyi Bo Mansion four times as the admiral Cao Jiang since Jiajing, he felt that he was half cold.

However, he didn't take much advantage on the land. Although he still had thirty cavalry in his hands, there were more than twenty cavalry and nearly a hundred elite boys on the opposite side.

Although Chang Yichen saw at a glance that this group of so-called "elite" infantry was just well equipped, the problem was that after the horses and stances merged on the official army, there were more than 100 people, and the military strength advantage was very obvious.

The bigger problem is that Chang Yichen cannot withdraw at all. Although the official army has at most more than twenty horses, Chang Yichen's horse team can withdraw at any time as long as he is determined to lose half of his troops, the problem is that once the horse team retreats, the brothers on the canal will be made into dumplings!

When Chang Yichen thought of this, he said without hesitation: "Brothers, fight with me. If you disperse this official army, you can get all the brothers back!"

And Liu Yongxi also said confidently: "Brothers, it's time to make achievements!"

In this battle, Liu Yongxi could be said to have taken out all his capital to prepare for a battle, but the war drums on the canal had been officially ringed before the land confrontation began.
Chapter completed!