As early as nearly a year ago, the Hexi Army built a logistics base in Yanfu County, Suizhou, on the other side of the Yellow River, and stored a large amount of grain and grass materials, making Yanfu a springboard for the Hexi Army to attack the Guannei.

The Guannai area refers to a large area north of Guanzhong and south of the Great Wall, including today's northern Shaanxi and part of Gansu and Ningxia, including Yuanzhou, Gyeongju, Longzhou, Yanzhou, Yinzhou, Suizhou, Danzhou, Dunzhou, Ningzhou, Fangzhou, Jingzhou and other eleven prefectures, which is the northern defense line of Gongwei Guanzhong.

These eleven states are divided into two parts, the six states of Yuanzhou, Gyeongju, Yeonju, Yinzhou, Suizhou, and Danzhou belong to the periphery, which is equivalent to the outer armor of Guanzhong, even if it is breached, the threat to Guanzhong is not very great.

The five prefectures of Longzhou, Dunzhou, Ningzhou, Fangzhou, and Jingzhou belong to the inner armor of Guanzhong, and once these five states are breached, the north gate of Guanzhong will be opened, and the enemy army can enter Guanzhong from the two routes of Jingyuan Road and Luoshui Road.

Guanzhong was the core of Zhu Zhu's rule, and Zhu Zhu attached great importance to the Guannei region, so after Guo Song captured Shuofang, Zhu Zhu impatiently signed a non-aggression pact with Guo Song, just to ensure the safety of the Guannai states.

There are three roads in the Guo Song army, one is the western front, conquer the Liupan Pass or Longshan Pass, this is the Jingyuan line, but the difficulty is relatively large, not only the pass is dangerous, and Zhu Zhu has 30,000 heavy soldiers here to guard.

The second is the northern line, that is, Xiaoguan, where Zhu Jun garrisoned 10,000 troops, which is also relatively difficult.

The third is the eastern line, crossing the Yellow River into Yanzhou, this line is the easiest to attack the Guannai, almost undefended, especially in winter, the Yellow River freezes, and the Hexi army can almost drive straight in.

After Guo Song captured Hedong Road, the defensive significance of Xiaoguan on the northern front and Longshan Pass on the western front to the Hexi army basically did not exist.

After Zhu Jun ascended the throne, all kinds of public condemnation lasted for about a month, and then gradually disappeared, and in early October, the Hexi Army began to increase its troops to Lingzhou on a large scale, and the number of troops had reached 30,000.

This news immediately aroused Zhu Jun's alarm, and he convened important ministers in the imperial study to discuss countermeasures.

Zhu Zhu's imperial study is still the original Li Shi's imperial study, Li has never used, after Zhu Zhu ascended the throne, the imperial study was decorated, he was quite diligent, and sat in the imperial study every day to deal with court affairs.

Li only became the emperor because he coveted the emperor's extravagant enjoyment, while Zhu Jun was greedy for power when he became the emperor, he enjoyed the emperor's pomp and style very much, and even more enjoyed the emperor's power.

"The news is accurate, the Hexi Army has increased its troops to Lingwu County by 30,000, and I am very worried that the Hexi Army will attack Xiaoguan, so please come and discuss."

After Zhu Jun finished speaking, his eyes fell on Liu Sigu, this kind of thing is usually asked about Liu Sigu first.

Liu Sigu pondered for a long time and said: "It stands to reason that there is no need for this, they directly crossed the Yellow River and entered Yanzhou, will this be a normal army transfer?" ”

Zhu Zhu was a little confused, Liu Sigu did have a point, he had to attack Xiao Guan again, could it really be that there was a problem with intelligence?

"Gen Xiangguo, what do you mean?"

Yuan Xiu hesitated and said: "It's only been a year since the two of us signed the armistice agreement, and Guo Song tore up the agreement so quickly?" ”

Liu Sigu sneered and said, "Without hostages and mortgages, the agreement has no meaning at all." ”

Liu Sigu said to Zhu Jun again: "I thought about it just now, this may be the voice of the Hexi Army, gathering troops in Lingzhou to attract our attention, they are actually marching from Yanzhou. ”

Zhu Jun suddenly realized, slapped his thigh hard, [51 fo]"Why didn't I think of it? This must be the case, no, I have to send a large army to Yanzhou. ”

At this time, Zhang Guangsheng couldn't help but say: "Maybe it's possible for both, and the Hexi Army will march in two ways." ”

"The Admiral is right!"

Liu Sigu nodded, "There is indeed this possibility, we can't be careless." ”

Zhu Jun nodded and said: "The two lines are defended together, and they must not be taken lightly!" ”

Zhu Jun immediately sent the general Liang Tingfen to lead an army of 30,000 to Yanzhou, and at the same time added 20,000 troops to Xiaoguan.......

The main general of Xiao Pass is still Pan Nong, he has been promoted from Zhonglang General to a general, commanding 10,000 troops to guard Xiao Pass, although he has lost Xiao Pass, but he is Zhu Zhu's personal soldier, following Zhu Zhu for decades, won Zhu Zhu's trust, and after ascending the throne, he was named the former Guogong and Zuo Xiaowei General.

Pan Nong had just received an eagle letter from Liu Sigu, warning him to strengthen his precautions, and that the Hexi army was likely to attack Xiao Pass in the near future, and at the same time told him that the lord had sent an additional 20,000 reinforcements to Xiao Pass. During the period when reinforcements have not arrived, it is especially impossible to take it lightly.

Upon receiving the eagle's letter, Pannon immediately took action, and he divided the garrison into three squads, each with three thousand men, who took turns to be on duty at Xiao Pass, even at night, and the other thousand men as a supplement for the night, and in fact, the number of defenders at night reached four thousand, which was better than during the day.

Squadrons patrolled back and forth over the city, the city was full of torches, and it was as bright as day, and Pannon even set up an ambush outside the city, building the entire defense of the city like an iron bucket.

At night, Pan Nong patrolled back and forth at the head of the city, vigilantly watching the movement outside the city, after the lesson of the loss of Xiao Pass last year, he was especially vigilant at night, and the Hexi army often carried out sneak attacks at night.

At this moment, a miserable scream of 'ah-' came from under the city, which immediately alarmed the entire Guancheng.

Pan Nong immediately leaned out and looked out of the city, only to see a black shadow flashing, a large group of black shadows had disappeared, he immediately realized that the Hexi army was going to attack Guancheng, and shouted: "Archers are on alert!" ”

'When! While! While! The alarm bell rang, and countless archers flocked to the battlements, their arrows wound, waiting for the enemy to appear.

.........

The 30,000 Hexi Army was waiting five miles away at this time, led by Liang Wu, the commander of the Lingzhou soldiers and horses, Liang Wu received two tasks, one task was to capture Xiao Pass, the army went south and occupied Yuanzhou, and the second task was the correction of the first task, if the enemy's heavy troops were assembled in Yuanzhou, then there was no need to go south to occupy Yuanzhou, as long as Xiao Pass was occupied and made a momentum.

But no matter which task it is, it must occupy Xiao Pass, and Liang Wu led his army to prepare for a night attack on Xiao Pass.

Last year, when the Hexi army evacuated Xiaoguan, a large iron fire mine was placed in the city wall, as long as the iron fire mine was detonated, the city collapsed, and the task was carried out by the Zhonglang general Liang Ju'er, Liang Wu was patiently waiting for his news.

At this time, hundreds of soldiers retreated in the darkness on horseback, and the leader was none other than Liang Ju'er, who seemed to be wounded, with an arrow stuck in his back, and was unconscious.

"What's going on?" Liang Wu stepped forward and asked.

A captain saluted and said: "Commander Qiqi, we touched the city, but we didn't expect the enemy army to ambush a secret post outside the city, and shot a cold arrow and injured General Liang!" ”

Liang Wu was extremely annoyed in his heart, and he turned around and shouted, "Order the army to march!" ”

Since the sneak attack was unsuccessful, then simply pressed it on a large scale, which could also crush Xiao Guan.

In the dark night, an army of 30,000 marched towards Xiao Pass.

At this time, Xiao Guan has been like a great enemy, 10,000 soldiers all went to the city, standing full of Guancheng and the Great Wall, although the torches on the head of the city will shine on the city and the city as day, but after all, it is two watches at night, the Hexi army picked a night without moonlight, dark clouds to carry out a sneak attack, fifty steps away can not see anything, swallowed by the thick night, but from the city to see the city head is particularly clear.

At this time, a series of screams came from under the city, which was a secret post lying in ambush outside the city was pulled out by the Hexi army, and before the soldiers on the city could react, a raindrop of arrows suddenly appeared in front of them, and the defenders were caught off guard.

Countless soldiers defending the city were hit by arrows one after another, and a scream sounded at the head of the city, and the soldiers at the head of the city reacted and released arrows into the darkness outside the city, and a battle of arrows broke out between the two sides.

The strength of the Hexi army was three times that of the defenders, and they suppressed the defenders at the head of the city, and the defenders had to retreat, crouch down and release arrows outside the city.

The soldiers hooked out four large blue bricks with iron hooks, revealing a large black hole, and the large iron fire mines that had been placed last year were vaguely visible, and the soldiers filled the holes with the hay and sulfur they carried with them, and sprayed two bags of fire oil before turning around and running wildly.

When they disappeared into the darkness, more than a dozen gunpowder arrows shot into the dark wall hole at the same time, the fire was ignited, and only for a moment, an earth-shattering explosion sounded in the hole in the city wall, hundreds of soldiers on the city head were blown up, bricks and stones flew sideways, the city wall shook violently, a large section of the city wall collapsed violently, dust and gunpowder smoke mixed together, thick smoke inside and outside the city was filled, and there was a cry.

Liang Wu waved his sword, "Kill into the city!" ”

The sound of iron hooves was loud, and the cavalry of the 3,000 Hexi Army took the lead in killing the city!