Yang Mi hurriedly walked into Liu Ruyan's big tent, looked up at Liu Ruyan, who was fully armed on it, and said bitterly: "General, you have failed." ”

In fact, from Yang Mi's face, Liu Ruyan also guessed that this action must be in vain, but when she really heard Yang Mi say it, she still sighed in disappointment.

"It's been going well, why did you fall short at the last moment?" She asked.

Liu Ruyan said that the action is that the Tang army attacked for many days, after returning in vain, Yang Mi offered a plan, recruited a large number of people in the back camp, and began to dig tunnels into the city from the Tang army barracks, while more than ten days, the excavation operation has been progressing smoothly, several tunnels have been dug under the city wall, and I see that as long as one day passes, it can be dug directly into the city.

"General, Liu Xinda is extremely cunning, this person dug a trench in the city, and then diverted water to fill the ditch, but we didn't know, after digging all the way, the final thickness was too thin, and the water in the ditch in the city broke through the last layer of soil wall, and the water poured into the tunnel." Yang Mi said.

"What about the casualties in the rear battalion?"

"The water came too suddenly, washing the tunnel all the way, and most of the tunnel collapsed, and only a few dozen of the hundreds of people who were camped in the tunnel escaped." Yang Mi lowered his head and said.

Liu Ruyan was moved, "There are so many casualties?" ”

"It's the dereliction of duty of the lower officials, and the desire for merit is a little cut, there is no need for so many people in the tunnel, it is the lower officials who want to speed up!" Yang Mi said in a low voice.

"Well, it's my responsibility." Liu Ruyan stood up a little irritably: "It's been more than half a month since I attacked Ezhou, and there has been no progress except for tearing down the stone wall built by the other party and filling in the outer trenches. Instead, the number of casualties is increasing day by day. ”

"Liu Xinda is as cunning as a fox, and he began to build the defense of Ezhou very early, Ezhou itself is steep and difficult to attack, and Liu Xinda is the general of the Liang Army who knows our Tang army best, and it is difficult to fight, which is also expected." Yang Mi said.

Liu Ruyan sat down again, took a deep breath and calmed down his emotions, "What does Yang Changshi mean, is it to suspend the attack?" ”

"General, we have suffered heavy casualties in the past few days, and today's defeat still has a great impact on morale. Yang Mi said.

"Siege instead?" Liu Ruyan said: "But Ezhou City is well prepared, and the siege is not the best way." ”

"General, after a long time, the morale of the defenders in the city cannot be as high as it is now." Yang Mi said: "As long as Yingcheng is taken by us, Ezhou will become an isolated city, and it is inevitable that the morale of the Liang army will fluctuate." There is no army to be rescued outside, and there is no city to be defended inside. I think Liang Jun also understands this. We will further intensify our psychological offensive to further shake the determination of the Liang army to hold on. What's more, as long as our Tang army is progressing smoothly in Henan and Guanzhong, what reason does the Liang army here have to hold on? ”

"In this way, we won't be able to catch up with the Battle of Chang'an?" Liu Ruyan was a little annoyed, originally, she still wanted to participate in the Battle of Luoyang!

"General, who won't fight?" Yang Mi said with a smile: "If the general must go down to Ezhou City quickly, there is no way. ”

"Do you have a way? Why didn't you say it earlier? Liu Ruyan looked at Yang Mi with some surprise.

"General, but this method is harmful to heaven and peace." Yang Mi hesitated for a moment and said.

"Tell me about it."

"Xia Xun is coming." Yang Mi took a step forward and said in a low voice: "As soon as the rainy season arrives, we will withdraw our troops to a high place, and then build a dam to divert water and flood Echeng." ”

Liu Ruyan's eyelids jumped, and she gasped, it was really a desperate plan to hurt the heavens and peace.

"Around Ezhou City, there are actually not many ordinary people left." Yang Mi said: "Just move them away, and although Ezhou City is inlaid with blue bricks and stones, their foundation is still earthy." From this time we dug the tunnel, we were able to find out. As long as it attracts a great flood and soaks him for more than ten days, his walls will inevitably collapse. Even if it doesn't collapse, the water level inside the city will inevitably rise together, and with such weather, it is inevitable that there will be plagues. In the city of Ezhou, there are so many soldiers, young and strong, coupled with the original population, it can be said that the population is dense, and only the plague is used together, and it will not be defeated. ”

Liu Ruyan exclaimed: "How to control the plague together?" When the time comes, I am afraid that we will also suffer from it. ”

"General, we can naturally prepare more medicinal materials to prevent the plague in advance, and then collect more medical camps for backup, even if there is any problem, we can quickly kill the sprouts, but there is no such convenience in the city. I don't believe that Liu Xinda also has a large number of anti-plague medicinal materials, even if the medicinal materials are available, how many medical officers does he have? ”

Liu Ruyan was silent.

"General, if you want to get down to Ezhou quickly, this is the most convenient way. Ci is not in charge of the army, when it is time to be ruthless, we should be ruthless, otherwise we can only besiege for a long time, or mobilize reinforcements, regardless of casualties and fierce attack. Death of our own people, or death of the Liang army, I think, the general has his own plans! Yang Mi bowed and said.

"I know, you go down first, I'll think about it!" Liu Ruyan waved his hand and said.

Yang Mi bowed slightly, turned around and walked out of the tent.

The next day, Liu Ruyan gathered to discuss the matter.

Yang Mi looked at Liu Ruyan's somewhat haggard look, and her heart moved slightly, but she lowered her head again, looking at her nose and her nose. And Ren Xiaonian, Li Mi and other generals saw Liu Ruyan's appearance, but one by one they felt ashamed, and they couldn't raise their heads a little with a dirty face.

"In the battlefield battle, there are naturally victories and defeats, not to mention, now we are far from defeat, we can only say that we have suffered temporary setbacks, are they all so heartless?" Liu Ruyan knocked on the table and said, "Raise your heads, you are all depressed, and the soldiers below will see it, what kind of feelings will it be?" One soldier bears, one bear, a nest of bears, lost the earlier battle, and then find a way to win. ”

The words made everyone even more ashamed, and they all stood up and bowed.

"Alright, sit down, and talk about a happy thing first. Li Dang has already taken Yingcheng. Liu Ruyan said with a smile: "It's ridiculous that Xia Yi, the defender of Yingcheng, actually wanted to fight with Li Dang, and the 10,000 loyal army was defeated by Li Dang's blow, Xia Yi didn't even dare to go back to Yingcheng, and fled back to Anlu in embarrassment." After Li Dare took Yingcheng, it was expected that Xia Yi must be unwilling, so he led the troops to set up an ambush, but in fact, three days later, after Xia Yi collected the rout, he united with Lu Chen of Anlu, gathered more than 10,000 soldiers and horses, and wanted to kill a horse gun to seize the city, but at a distance of fifty miles from Yingcheng, he was ambushed by Li Dang, Xia Yi, Lu Chen in this battle, all ambushed, Li Dang only led the cavalry, and the soldiers took Anlu without blood, and now Anlu, Yingcheng has been owned by us. ”

After listening to this military report, the morale in the tent was really boosted, and I couldn't help but compare Li Kang's brilliant achievements, and the other generals in the tent didn't need to be more sneering. Especially Li Mi and Ren Xiaonian, they are even more red-faced.

"The advantage is still on our side." Liu Ruyan said with a smile: "However, Liu Xinda is obviously not comparable to Xia Yi and Lu Chen, this person has fought with us many times, and when he was in Pinglu, he caused us a lot of trouble, so when attacking Ezhou City, we can't be in a hurry, we need to take our time." Next, our strategy will change slightly, from a rush to a siege. ”

"General, please allow me to attack for a while, and the last general is willing to make a military order." Ren Xiaonian Huo Ran stood up: "The last general is willing to lead the way to death, climb the city to fight, and the general will definitely take Ezhou City, what Tian Guofeng could do back then, the last general can also do." ”

"I know General Ren's loyalty and bravery." Liu Ruyan shook his head: "However, Ezhou City at this time, compared with Ezhou City at that time, has changed a lot, and it is not the same." I have made up my mind, and General Ren does not need to say more. ”

Ren Xiaonian sat down helplessly.

Liu Ruyan followed by a series of military orders, and to the great shock of the generals, Liu Ruyan actually ordered the army to retreat and camp in another location, and it seemed that he was really going to prepare for a long-term siege.

Obviously, Liu Ruyan had no intention of consulting with everyone. The military order has been issued, and the generals can only take their own orders, and then leave the account in a hurry to arrange a matter.

With Liu Ruyan's assignment one by one, only the marching commander Shi Yangmi and the marching Sima Gong Yunda were left in the big tent.

"Yang Changshi, what you said yesterday, I think about it, and I still think it's feasible." Willow like flue.

"The general is wise."

"This matter, you and Gong Sima will handle it together. The two of them are consulted together, and it is important to make sure that the water does not leak. Liu Ruyan said softly: "If you don't do such a thing, if you want to do it, you have to attack it with one blow, otherwise, it will become the laughing stock of the world in vain, and it will be criticized by history." ”

"Xia Guan understands."

The retreat of the Tang army was carried out under the noses of the Liang army in the city, and it was very big, without any scruples, and Liu Hanqing, who saw the city above, gritted his teeth.

"General, they can't capture Ezhou City, this is to retreat in the face of difficulties, please let the last general lead the army to attack." Liu Hanqing pointed to the cheering Liang soldiers above the city, and said, "Morale is available." ”

Liu Xinda shook his head categorically: "An Zhi This is not a conspiracy of the Tang Army?" Han Qing, since we have forced back the Tang army, why not make extraneous branches, we are opposite, but Liu Ruyan. Don't look at this person as a woman, but since Chang'an took the emperor of the Tang Dynasty all the way to fight thousands of miles, even Her Majesty was a defeated general under her, and this year it has swept the two Zhejiang, such a person, fighting with her in the field, I have no confidence at all. I'm afraid that at this moment she is wishing that we would go out of the city and fight him. Do you see her cavalry? ”

Although she is still a little unconvinced, Liu Ruyan's fame does not only come from her husband Li Ze, this woman is indeed a famous woman who was killed with a knife and a shot.

"What the general said is very true." Liu Hanqing said: "Since you are not ready to fight back, then you will be forced out of the city to keep an eye on them and see what their general arrangements are next?" ”

Liu Xinda nodded, always feeling that it was not so simple. The Tang army was indeed frustrated, but it couldn't even be said to be injured, so it withdrew from the siege? It doesn't make sense.