If Ma Shao knew that the little emperor of the Southern Dynasty was still having the leisure to study what the 'armor removal wind' was, he would have to be so angry that he would be half dead. Since Batu led his army to break the siege of the southern army and returned from defeat, he was simply like a pins and needles, and sent envoys to the province for help. But yesterday, he received a reply from Yuxi Timur asking him to preside over the government affairs of Yangzhou and stick to the city, drag the main force of the southern army, and wait for the turnaround, and immediately realized that there was no reinforcement back, at least in a short period of time, and he could only rely on himself.

If the city had just been besieged by the Song army, Ma Shao might still have some confidence in receiving the order to hold on, but now under the First World War, the troops have been reduced by more than 40%, and the equipment and materials have also been seriously lost. And the act is even more critical, when Yangzhou City was built, it was to defend against the enemy in the north, and there was a canal in the south of the city to form a natural barrier. The east and west also lead two rivers as moats, although there is a long bridge on the river and the bank is the same, but the wide river surface is not suitable for siege, only the north side is relatively suitable for siege, and the pattern of being surrounded by water on three sides avoids the suffering of the enemy on all sides.

At the beginning, in order to defend against the attack from the north, the Southern Dynasty successively built Baoyou City and Jiacheng City to strengthen the defense, and now Baoyou City was captured by the Song army, that is to say, it has obtained a foothold for the siege, and the Beacon Hill located in Baoyou City can also be used as a commanding height overlooking the city, and can be used to snipe the defenders on the city wall. At present, the Song army not only set up lookout posts on the mountain, but also set up artillery positions, which can condescendingly bombard targets in the city, and several test firings have caused panic, causing the residents in the city to pour into the city for refuge.

As early as after the southern expedition of the Mengyuan army captured Yangzhou City, in order to retaliate against the soldiers and civilians of Yangzhou for not surrendering, the city was slaughtered, and the Jiacheng and Baoyou City were demolished. In order to prevent the Northern Expedition of the Song Army last year, Boyan only had time to repair the main city, and the Jiacheng and Baoyou City were not yet repaired.

Once the city is lost, the main city will be attacked directly, and the artillery fire of the Song army can directly enter the city. Thinking about the soldiers who returned to the city after the defeat, they all changed color when they talked about the might of the Song army's artillery, and Ma Shao felt even more hopeless in defending the city. However, the main general of Yangzhou, Badu, got the 'unloading wind' again, saying that he was not sick, and he went to invite him three times and twice to come to discuss the matter of defending the city, but they were all closed.

In desperation, Ma Shao could only visit the patient in person, and he was also taken aback at first sight, Badu's face was flushed, his body was hot, and a man who could hold a strong bow and ride a fierce horse was actually bedridden, obviously really sick. After thinking about it, he also figured out that the wind and cold were just a symptom, and the serious one was a heart disease, thinking about the arrogant general who had fought a hundred battles and had a difficult defeat, he actually lost more than half of his troops under the first battle, and it can be said that the 10,000 people under his command were basically disabled, so that they were in a hurry and couldn't afford to get sick.

The situation in Batu in front of him was obviously no longer able to lead the troops to fight, and Ma Shao could only comfort him with a few words to recuperate with peace of mind. The other two Wanhu Duge and Tuo Lie Du both suffered big losses in front of the Southern Army, and the losses were not small, and they were already cowardly; On the other hand, the fiefdoms of the two were occupied by the Southern Dynasty, and not only did the family know the life and death of the family, but the wealth accumulated over the years must have come to naught. Therefore, not only the two of them, but also the soldiers and generals under them are also fluctuating, and they do not want to stick to Yangzhou, but they want to break through the siege and go out of the city to recover their fiefdoms and rescue their relatives at home.

In this case, even if the two wanted to take on the heavy responsibility of defending the city, Ma Shao was not at ease, and they had no intention of defending the city at all. And although he himself had the authority granted by Yuxi Timur to command the various departments in Yangzhou, he did not dare to take over.

One is that Ma Shao knew that the configuration of the province was the separation of military and government, and the province of Shangshu was nominally more powerful than the provincial privy council, but in fact it was not subordinate to each other, and no one could control anyone. Although Yuxi Timur was only a privy envoy of the province, he wore a hat and held a double tiger talisman, which actually represented the imperial court and commanded the army, and his power was still above the province.

In this kind of emergency, Yangzhou City has the highest position, and it is said that in the past, his predecessor Boyan was in charge of the two Huai departments as the right minister of Shangshu Province and the political affairs of Pingzhang. But Ma Shao knew that he could not compare with Boyan at all, he had no prestige in the army, and even with the authorization of Yuxi Timur, he could not mobilize those generals at all.

Second, Ma Shao was clear about the unspoken rules of employing people in the Mengyuan court, and he had always been wary of the Han army, and after conquering Jiangnan and unifying the various armies, he easily stopped granting military power to the Han people, and even those hereditary Han marquis in the early years were also subject to many restrictions to prevent them from following Li Tan's great rebellion. Although the Great Khan Zhenjin has always valued Hanchen, it is the revival of the Mongols at the moment, otherwise he would not have been demoted from the court. If he takes over the military power, no matter whether he wins or loses, he will not end well, and if he wins, he will be jealous of the Great Khan, and if he loses, he will have to take the blame.

The three Ma Shao are still self-aware, he was born as a Confucian scholar, and he has never had the experience of assisting in military affairs, let alone commanding troops to fight, it can be said that he knows nothing about how to fight, and it is a joke to let himself command the troops to defend Yangzhou. If he knew that his ability was not good, and he acted by force, he knew that it was not only irresponsible to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the city, but also irresponsible to the imperial court.

'Boom, boom, boom......'

"What's going on?" Hearing a continuous burst of explosions, the contemplative Marsho couldn't help but be excited, and asked loudly outside the door.

"Yu Youcheng, the southern army intends to restore the dismount bridge between the two cities, the stone throwers and archers arranged by our army cast artillery to stop it, and the enemy army opened artillery to counterattack, and the north city wall that had just been repaired was blown up more than three feet, and now the husbands and servants are now organizing to repair it!" After a while, a pro-soldier who had inspected the situation ran back and returned to the road.

"Can the Southern Army launch a siege?" Ma Shao listened and asked anxiously.

"Yu Youcheng, the enemy army has not repaired the long bridge, and it has been temporarily stopped under the counterattack of our artillery army, and it has not taken advantage of the situation to attack the city!" The pro-soldier said.

"Which general is in command of the defense of the city?" Ma Shao's face softened slightly, and he asked again.

"Yu Youcheng, the city is commanded by the Batu infantry army Qianhu Solaqi, but ......," the soldier replied, but he wanted to stop talking.

"But what? What are you talking about, tell this official quickly! Ma Shao's brows furrowed again, and he asked urgently.

"Yu Youcheng, and it is rumored that there are only 700 soldiers under the jurisdiction of Suo Qianhu, and he has repeatedly asked for reinforcements, but the other two Wanhu said that Jiacheng is the defense of Batu Wanhu Mansion, and they refused to send troops to assist. In a hurry, he could only arrest Ding Zhuang in the city and go to the city to assist in the defense, and there was a conflict with the people. The soldier stepped forward and reported softly, obviously feeling that it would be difficult for a thousand-strong team to hold the under-defended city.

"Bastards, bastards, don't they know that once the city is lost, the southern army will come to the city, and the artillery can directly enter the main city, at that time, it will be the state of jade burning, and everyone is the ghost of the southern army...... "Ma Shao heard that he was angry, and in a fit of rage, he also swept the teacup on the table to the ground, making a crisp sound of breaking, and the people in the house saw him angry, and they were so frightened that they all lowered their heads and did not dare to make a sound.

"Youcheng, we still have to try our best to defend the city, otherwise it will be difficult for us to protect it!" Seeing Ma Shao turning around in the hall with a dark face and anxiety, Zhang Ting, who came to Yangzhou with him, stepped forward to persuade him.

"Zhang Langzhong, this official is now in vain, and he can't mobilize a single soldier at all. Badu is infected with diseases, and there is no leader in the army, do you want this officer to take a group of soap officials to fight the enemy in blood? Marsho waved his arms in anger and said loudly.

"Don't be angry, you are already in the city, and we have the order of the commander, whether it is for the sake of the soldiers and civilians in the city, or for yourself, we must try to defend the city." Zhang Ting knew that Ma Shao was upright, and he was also very annoyed because he had no plan for a while, as long as he calmed down, he would understand, "Xia Guanfeng heard that the puppet emperor of the Southern Dynasty did not look young, but he acted extremely ruthlessly and cruelly. When it conquered Jiangnan, all the Mongols and even the Han people who accepted the official positions of our dynasty were slaughtered, and the Han troops who surrendered and captured were sent to the remote areas to serve hard labor. After breaking through Yangzhou City with what he did, the blood that will be killed will flow like a river, and the chickens and dogs will not be left, and Youcheng will watch the soldiers and civilians in the city being slaughtered as much as possible, and be indifferent? ”

"This ......" Ma Shao was stunned when he heard this, but his mind also calmed down and said in a deep voice, "I understand the rule of eating the king, and I should be loyal to the king, and the party guarding the land should be responsible." I am not afraid of life and death, for the sake of the soldiers and civilians in the city to break their bones, if I can exchange my life for the safety of the soldiers and civilians in the city, what is there to fear if I can tie myself out of the city and lead my neck! ”

"The heart of the right fist to serve the country, the lower officials and others are all vivid, and they will not doubt it. Now, as long as you explain the matter to the soldiers and civilians in the city, you will definitely be able to fight against the strong enemy together and wait for the imperial court reinforcements to lift the siege. Zhang Ting said.

"What does Zhang Langzhong think is the most important thing in front of him?" Ma Shao listened to what he said, but looked at him in disbelief.

"Right Cheng, Xia Guan once served as a staff member under the command of Zhang Wulie, the general of Zhenguo, and participated in the Southern Expedition to destroy the Southern Dynasties, but unfortunately in the Battle of Yashan, the lord calculated for the puppet emperor of the Southern Dynasty, and the army was defeated and died, and the lower official escaped by luck, and Meng Da Khan did not give up and was able to stay in Huaidong to serve." Zhang Ting knew that Ma Shao had not been here for a long time and did not know much about himself, so he first reported to his family in order to gain his trust, and at the same time, he also showed that he had the experience of serving in the army and fighting on the battlefield.

"Oh, it turns out that Zhang Langzhong is Zhang Wulie's confidant, and I have to rely on it more!" Ma Shao was surprised and excited, and there was a person beside him who was familiar with military affairs as if he had an extra arm, and he arched his hand and smiled.

"You Cheng is polite, I have a national enmity with the puppet emperor of the Southern Dynasty who has committed the border, and I have a family hatred of killing the lord, and I will do my best to help the right man defend the city, defeat the puppet emperor of the Southern Dynasty, and avenge the lord!" Zhang Tingshen gave a salute and said with a straight face.

"In this way, we will share the same hatred of the enemy, resist the strong enemy together, protect the lives of the soldiers and civilians in the city, and ask Zhang Langzhong to give advice!" Ma Shao grabbed Zhang Ting's wrist and pulled him to sit down.

"Right Cheng, it's rude to be so subordinate!" Zhang Ting sat down and poured tea for Ma Shao and said politely, "Since the cardinal marshal is ordered by Youcheng to preside over the military affairs of Yangzhou, don't think about it too much, although the letter will be shown to the generals, take it first, and the current defense of the city is the first priority." ”

"Well, it's because I'm overthinking, I care too much about my own honor and disgrace, and if I can't hold the city, everything is in vain, and my little false name is nothing in front of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians!" Ma Shao nodded thoughtfully, and at this moment he also woke up to the truth that death is empty.

"It's best if you think so!" Zhang Ting is most afraid that Ma Shao can't let go of his body for the so-called scholars to clear their names, and he misses the right thing, so he can say that it is equivalent to thinking clearly, "The top priority, in addition to holding the city, only the city can be protected from the threat of enemy artillery fire, so we must seize the time to mobilize the soldiers and civilians in the city to repair and strengthen the city, and send additional troops to prevent the enemy from crossing the moat." At the same time, strengthen the walls of the main city in case there is no danger after the city is lost! ”

"What Zhang Lang said is exact, but now the people in the city are panicking, and they are all trying to get out of the city, and the people's hearts are difficult to use!" Ma Shao frowned, he knew that due to the successive defeats, the morale of the soldiers and civilians in the city had been greatly damaged, and he had no confidence in defending the city, and it was not easy to revive the morale.

Therefore, the lower official said that the top priority is to take over the military and political power of Yangzhou, and it is easy to act only when the power is in hand. can be on the list to appease the people and boost morale; You can also kill those who do not obey and force them to obey; It can also be tempted by money to buy people's hearts with heavy rewards. Zhang Ting poured himself another bowl of tea and took a sip.

"Please also ask Zhang Langzhong to explain in detail!" Massachor leaned forward and spoke.

"The defenders of the city are most afraid that the enemy army will not be able to attack for a long time, so they will move troops to besiege the city and cut off water and food. Yangzhou will not have the risk of water interruption near the water, but the grain storage in the city is limited, so the first thing to do is to seal the warehouse to collect grain, and there is grain in hand, not afraid that they will not obey their fate. Zhang Ting said, "At present, it is strictly forbidden for grain merchants in the city to store grain and collect it for the government, and at the same time collect surplus grain from the common people and wealthy households, first to supply the military, and the rest of the people to give grain according to their mouths, so as to stabilize people's hearts." ”

"Zhang Langzhong, how much food do you think we can get?" Marsho nodded, looked at him again and asked.

"The lower officials thought that as long as they were strictly controlled, the reserves in the city could be used for more than a month, and even if they sent troops from Dadu to help, they would have arrived. In addition, the wealthy families in the city were required to donate gold, silver and silk for the army, and the private army was sacrificed to defend the city with the official army. Ding Zhuang in the city of Dianji, as a servant to assist in defending the city, if necessary, he can also issue weapons to fight the enemy, and it is estimated that he can get 30,000 usable soldiers! ”

"Well, it does. But the giants in the city are rich if they are not officials, how can they be easily handed over? Ma Shao knew that Yangzhou City had the benefit of salt, and there were many people in the city who used salt to get rich, and in order to protect their wealth, they often raised a large number of private soldiers to guard their homes and homes, and if they could be recruited for military use, they were also a strong army. The problem is that you want money and people, and most of these have roots, how can they be willing to give them.

"So you Cheng still has to visit someone first, as long as he comes forward, the matter will be done!" Zhang Ting seemed to have expected this question, and smiled mysteriously......