Jinxi's urgent report was sent by Lin Fei's pigeon flying over Bohai Bay. Due to the limited space, Lin Fei only mentioned in his heart that Gongsun Duxing was coming, and Jinxi was determined to resist. As for how to fight it, it is not explained. As the so-called matter is big, after Cai Ji received the letter, he immediately recruited the civil and military forces in the city into the palace to discuss countermeasures.

As Lin Fei's handwritten letter circulated among the cadres, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became solemn. Although Gongsun Du has been entrenched in Liaodong for the past two years, no one can underestimate the strength of Liaodong Hou. Especially in the case of Jinxi's solitary overseas, the situation is quite unfavorable to Cai Ji's side.

Huang Zhen is an old bureaucrat in Donglai, and he still remembers the situation of Gongsun Du's attack on the sea in the first year of Chuping. Therefore, he was the first to say to Cai Ji: "My lord, Gongsun is powerful, and it may be difficult to parry with the power of Jinxi City." It's still a quick repair book, and it's good to order Jinxi to talk with Gongsun He. ”

Who knew that Tai Shici immediately shook his head and denied, "Huang is doing this wrong. Jinxi and Donglai are separated by oceans, and the enemy situation cannot be judged by just a few words. From the point of view, whether it is war, peace, or should be decided by Lin Langjun and General Wen Yuan. If the lord is not at ease, he can send a sailor to help Jinxi. ”

As soon as Tai Shici said this, the generals present all showed expressions of joy and convincing. After all, Donglai is no longer what it used to be, and Cai Ji is even sitting on a state, and even Cao Cao has to marry him to deal with Yuan Shao. said that Cai Ji was afraid of Gongsun Du, which was really a bit of a fall in his own prestige. What's more, as Tai Shici said, Jinxi is alone outside the customs, and it is impossible for the people present to have an intuitive understanding of what is happening in the local area. It may even be at the stall where everyone is discussing countermeasures, and the troops have come to Jinxi City. Relying only on the sporadic news from carrier pigeons to direct Jinxi's actions is really a bit of child's play. However, just when everyone thought that Cai Ji would give an order according to Tai Shici's advice, a veto voice sounded in the hall.

"No."

It was no one else who said this. It is Cai Ji's mastermind Guo Jia. In the eyes of everyone, Guo Jia is the most relied on advisor of the lord, since what he said is inappropriate, there must be a reason for him. So a group of civil and military officials, including Tai Shici, set their sights on Guo Jia. I saw Guo Jia turn around and bow his hand to Cai Ji and say, "My lord." Longkou people have many mouths, if the sailor sets sail rashly, he is afraid of being talked about. ”

Guo Jia mentioned it like this. Cai Ji and Tai Shi Ci nodded in unison. Indeed, there are many more fresh faces in Longkou these days, although Guo Jia has sent someone to investigate secretly. But in these troubled times, no one can guarantee that there will be no spies in the city. Not to mention that many businessmen who had a good relationship with Cai Ji also had friendships with Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. Jinxi and Yi Shui were originally a nail buried by Cai Ji behind Yuan Shao. This thing is not airtight, though. But at least Yuan Shao doesn't have the energy to send troops north to pull out these two nails. If the news of Gongsun Du's attack on Jinxi reached Yuan Shao's ears. That's a different story. With Yuan Shao's influence in Youzhou, just a little pressure was enough to make Jinxi and Yi Shui suffer from the enemy.

After thinking for a moment, Cai Ji immediately bowed his head and said, "Feng Xiao's words are reasonable. General Guan, the sailor allocated five warships to go to sea on the pretext of escorting, so as not to alarm the people in the city. ”

"Whoa." The sailors are all in charge of holding their fists and receiving orders.

But Huang Zhen still reminded Cai Ji uneasily, "Neither Lin Langjun nor Pang Junshi have ever commanded an army. General Wenyuan alone resisted Gongsun Du, and it seemed that his strength was a little weaker. ”

Huang Zhen's doubts aroused the worries in the hearts of many people. Indeed, in the eyes of many people, Lin Fei and Pang Tong had no combat experience at all, and only Zhang Liao was in charge. Jinxi is really weak in terms of the generals' lineup. Even Jia Xu, who had not spoken before, turned his gaze to Cai Ji, as if he was asking Cai Ji. Can Lin Fei and Pang Tong take on this great responsibility.

Cai Ji certainly believed in Lin Fei and Pang Tong's abilities. Lin Fei may not necessarily know how to fight, but he is good at dancing with long sleeves and is a rare diplomatic talent. In Liaodong, where tribal forces are intricate, this ability is especially useful. Pang Tong not only had a high reputation in later generations, but also proved that he was not in vain in the battle of Wancheng. But Pang Tong has an unavoidable weakness, that is, he is too young and too young. After all, no one can come from a thousand years later like Cai Ji, and it is impossible to know that Pang Tong will be a household name in the future. In this case, any explanation and analysis is superfluous. Cai Ji couldn't use examples to prove that Pang Tong dealt with Gongsun Du, just as Liu Bei couldn't prove that the fledgling Zhuge Liang could worship the prime minister. At this time, the most important thing Cai Ji needs to do is to force his subordinates as his own lord. At this moment, in the face of everyone's doubts, Cai Ji responded in an unquestionable tone, "Don't use suspicious people, don't doubt people." ”

A bitter north wind runs through the primeval forests of Northeast Asia, and tall pine trees spread from east to west from dense to thin all the way to the Bohai Sea. At the junction of the snowfield and the coastline, the pitch-black city wall of Jinxi stands proudly. Gongsun Du's camp was built between Jinxi City and the forest, with about 15,000 people. Another 30,000 Fuyu people were stationed in the north of the forest, forming an angle with the main force of Gongsun Du. Many tribes in Liaodong often have only about 1,000 people. Gongsun Du, who can mobilize tens of thousands of young and strong people at a time, is undoubtedly the overlord of this vast snowfield. And this overlord is planning to conquer the outsiders on the other side.

As the sky grew brighter, a little smoke lit up in the camp, and the smell of burnt barbecue filled the air. Liaodong lacked grain, and Gongsun Du's army was still mainly based on dried meat and salted fish, even Gongsun Du himself. The climate of Liaodong is cold, and the people who live here need high-calorie food to replenish their bodies, and the dried meat and salted fish can do this although they are hard as stones. After a hasty meal, it was still a hot breakfast, and Gongsun Du put on a sable fur cloak and walked out of the warm tent. Some of the soldiers who were busy with their work stood up and paid their respects to their masters.

Perhaps in the eyes of Li Min and other Liaodong families, Gongsun Du was a tyrannical usurper. But in the eyes of the vast majority of Liaodong soldiers and civilians, Gongsun Du is a strong man worthy of respect. This is Liaodong, and the tribes here have always respected the strong. For this, Gongsun Du can be said to know well. The prestige of the Marquis of Liaodong is built on blood and fire, and once someone shakes this absolute authority, the rule of the Gongsun family will also be wiped out. Of course, Gongsun Du didn't want that to happen, so he wanted to kill it before it sprouted into a tree.

I saw Gongsun Du summon his confidant Liu Yi and asked casually. "Is there any news?"

Liu Yi, who was following behind Gongsun Du, stepped forward quickly and replied in a disdainful tone, "That guy is a rabbit, and when I heard that the lord was going south, he was so frightened that he hid in Changli and didn't dare to go out.

Gongsun Du nodded after hearing this, and then pointed to Jinxi City in front of him and asked. "Is there any movement on the other side?"

Liu Yi looked at Jinxi City, which was towering in the distance, spat on the ground, and replied. "It's to help Wang Ba, shrink your head and don't come out. My lord, this brother will knock over this turtle shell! ”

Gongsun Du glanced back at Liu Yi, who was eager to try, and did not immediately talk. Gongsun Du, who used to be Shang Shulang, saw at a glance that the Jinxi City opposite was built in imitation of the Central Plains city. Not only with towering walls. There is also a trench dug on the perimeter. In addition, judging from the location of the arrow towers on the left and right of the gate, it is likely that there was a curved pond behind the thick gate. Such a strong city is not the cottage that Liu Yi usually raids. With the current strength of Gongsun Du, it is not easy to gnaw such a hard bone. What's more, Liaodong is dominated by cavalry, and it is already more than enough for this kind of city with high walls. Of course, Gongsun Du still has a certain advantage in numbers. In addition, Jinxi City itself is not big, as long as it is surrounded and cut off from the water source, I am not afraid that the other party will not comply.

After some consideration, Gongsun Du finally decided to let the Buyeo people take the lead first. Tempt the reality of Jinxi City and then make a decision. So he instructed Liu Yi, "Let the people of Fuyu clean up and attack the city after three poles in the sun." ”

Liu Yi listened. At first, he paused for a moment, and then immediately comprehended his fists and led the way. "Whoa."

Pang Tong stood quietly at the head of the city, overlooking the army of Gongsun who were as busy as ants under the city. The cold wind whistled around him, but he didn't feel the cold at all. Gongsun Du's soldiers and horses arrived at Jinxi City one after another yesterday evening. Although the number of people is not as good as the 100,000 people it boasts, it is not to be underestimated. Although the soldiers and civilians in the city had been prepared for this, it still caused a lot of shock in the city when Gongsun Du's men and horses set up camp outside the city.

No, just when Pang Tong was observing the enemy's situation, Zhonglang led Tang Ying to the city tower with two men. Although Pang Tong was not familiar with these two men, he had heard of them somewhat. At the forefront, a middle-aged man surnamed Chen Mingmu, about forty years old, wrapped in a fox skin robe around a fat body almost the same height as his waist. But such a fat man who has to take a breath of air every step is a well-known fur dealer in Jinxi City. In stark contrast to Chen, the other man was as thin as a reed pole that could be broken by a gale, except for the mung bean eyes on his horse's face that flashed with the cunning characteristic of a merchant. Of course, this person is not an idle person. The largest fleet moored in Jinxi Bay belongs to this thin Qin Sui, Qin Laoqi. Although these two people are not among the best in Jinxi City, they also have a number of three and four wealthy figures. On weekdays, I also have some friendship with Lin Fei.

As soon as they saw Pang Tong, Chen Mu and Qin Sui hurriedly rushed forward to salute and said, "Grass people Chen Mu, grass people Qin Sui, I have seen Pang Junshi." ”

Pang Tong is not as sociable as Lin Fei, and he still has Confucian prejudice against businessmen in his bones. It's just because Cai Ji has always been business-oriented that he maintains due politeness on the surface. Facing the two uninvited businessmen, Pang Tong just raised his hand to return the salute and asked, "What are the two shopkeepers doing?" ”

Chen Mu and Qin Sui first secretly glanced at the busy Gongsun Army under the city. After exchanging glances, Chen Mu took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat on his forehead, and then asked Pang Tongtan: "Master Pang, General Zhang has led his troops out of the city for a few days, I don't know when he will return to the city?" ”

Pang Tongyi looked at the two of them with cold eyes, and replied in an official tone, "General Zhang will return to Jinxi in a few days." The two shopkeepers don't need to worry. ”

Nonsense, of course we know that Zhang Liao will come back. But when will he come back? Was Jinxi still there when he came back? Who knows. Qin Sui, who was a little impatient, eagerly asked: "Gongsun Du's army has already arrived in the city, and General Zhang will not return to the city, how can we wait?" ”

"Jinxi City has thick walls, and the old thief can't help Jinxi." Another official.

Seeing that Pang Tong's official tone continued, Chen Mu and Qin Sui exchanged glances again, and then put on a smile and said with a little flattery, "Pang Junshi works day and night for Baojinxi. We have been deeply cared for by Jinxi for a year, and we are willing to donate five boxes of gold and silver and three boxes of jewelry to buy peace for Jinxi. ”

It turned out that he wanted to make peace. Pang Tong sneered in his heart that the two businessmen were too short-sighted. Regardless of the fact that even if the gold and silver are sent, Gongsun Du may not be able to stop. Taking a step back, even if Gongsun Du accepts the peace talks and Jinxi pays tribute to him, whose city is Jinxi? Pang Tongxiang believed that Jinxi was the bridgehead for Cai Ji to attack Liaodong. And this battle is an opportunity for the two sides to reverse the balance of power. As for ideas such as "harmony makes money", Pang Tong never thought about it at all.

Pang Tong, who had no intention of listening to the demands of the merchants, even issued an eviction order, "Tong has thanked the two shopkeepers Gao Yi on behalf of the head of my family. However, it is our duty to protect the people in the city, and there is no need for them to worry about it. General Shan Wei escorted the two treasurers down to rest. ”

Pang Tong specially emphasized the word "escort", and Tang Ying suddenly glanced at his subordinates and put these two guests who were bent on peace under house arrest. And after seeing the two businessmen leave the city tower, Tang Ying sighed and said, "These two people are also kind. ”

"In extraordinary times, do extraordinary things. When Gongsun Du is repulsed, I will release him. Pang Tong said coldly. In his opinion, the most important thing to do at the moment is to unify the idea of the main battle in the city. The main peace faction like Chen Mu and Qin Sui naturally has to be resolutely suppressed.

"That's it. Who makes the whole city the biggest at the moment. Tang Ying smiled bitterly and shook his head, then turned his gaze to the opponent on the opposite side and said, "How does Shiyuan plan to repel Gongsun Du?" ”

"Gongsun Du will definitely let the Buyeo people take the lead to test the reality of Jinxi. We only need to hold on to the point to repel the enemy. Pang Tong analyzed.

Tang Ying, who had fought with the Yellow Turban Army, agreed with Pang Tong's judgment very much. Siege warfare has always hurt people and horses the most, and the generals will not send Jin Rui to attack the city until the critical moment. On the other hand, the defending side has to deal with waves of desperate attacks, and the pressure is often greater than that of the besiegers. At present, there are only 10,000 defenders in Jinxi City, and some of them are strong men. Tang Ying didn't believe that Pang Tong would really plan to rely on this man to fight a siege battle with Gongsun Du. What's more, Zhang Liao also led his troops out of the city knowing that Gongsun Du would attack. And his real goal didn't even know Tang Ying.

Tang Ying, who was impatient and curious, couldn't help asking, "No aftermove?" ”

But just as Tang Ying asked Pang Tong what his next move was, he suddenly saw Cai Meng, who was speaking in the martial arts hall, leading a group of strong men to carry two objects covered with red cloth to the city tower.

"Commander, the bronze cannon has arrived." Cai Meng stepped forward to report.

Pang Tongyi listened, suddenly perked up, and asked, "When is it available?" ”

"It took another day to install and adjust." Cai Meng replied.

Pang Tongxin, who got the answer, stepped forward and stroked the copper cannon, turned back to Tang Ying and smiled confidently, "This is a hindsight." (To be continued)