At the time of the lantern, the more than 10,000 military tents scattered in the mountains were lit with faint candles. Li Jingyan ordered that bonfires should not be set off in the army without permission, not because he was afraid that the flames would be discovered, but because he was afraid that the smoke generated in mid-air would be discovered by the rebel spies on the other side.

"General, the little one is back." Under the guidance of the junior colonel of the Chinese army, the shopkeeper Wang, who went to Pinglu City in the afternoon to inquire about the news, rushed back at night, followed by several people.

"I've seen General Li, I've seen Uncle Han." I saw a young general turn out under the dim candlelight, and I saw that this young general was wearing the iconic golden crown double dragon grabbing pearls, looking dignified and majestic, it was Luo Cheng, followed by the generals Wei Chi Nan and Yu Chi Bei. He was accompanied by a young civil servant.

"Huh! It turned out to be General Luo Cheng! How did it come to be here? Could it be that the lord has reached Pinglu? Li Jing was both overjoyed and surprised when he saw Luo Cheng, and couldn't help but ask anxiously.

"General Li, order Wancheng in Xiapinglu County. General Luo quietly rushed from Liyang to Pinglu by civilian boat yesterday and waited for the general to arrive here. The young civil official beside Luo Cheng stepped forward and said.

"Virtuous nephew, but with His Highness's orders? Say it quickly, don't make the old man anxious. Han Baohu asked eagerly.

"Huh! Don't hide it from the uncle, the little nephew was sent here by the lord to join the army to assist General Li in the battle, and the last general also brought 3,000 white horse cavalry from the headquarters, but the brigade was still in Liyang City, and did not dare to move lightly, so as not to disturb the rebels. ”

"Dao Xing! This is the Chitose master who thinks that the old man is old and can't help the general kill the enemy, so he supports all the fierce generals around him. Alas! ”

"Huh! O old general! Hundreds of thousands of rebels are thousands of generals alone, and there are more than a dozen anti-kings, just how you and I eat in Hangu Pass, it is not too many people to eat, General Luo came just right. Li Jing said with a laugh, causing everyone in the tent to burst into laughter.

After beckoning everyone to sit down, Li Jing hurriedly asked the county commander Wancheng: "Lord Wan, is there anything abnormal in the city at this time?" What is the movement in Shaanxi County on the other side? ”

"General, Xiaguan is a small county town with few people, barren land and poor people, that can attract the attention of the kings of the Central Plains, there are many caravans in the city of Hedong and agents of the long-term garrison military intelligence department, and there are few people in and out of this county, if they are alive, they have already been seized by the military intelligence department. Therefore, the county is as usual. On the other side of the river, Shaanxi County is about the same as my Pinglu, and I have never heard of anything abnormal. ”

"Hmmm! That said, we should be careful. ”

"General Li, in the last days, he learned that Meng Hai, the king of Song Yi of Caozhou, was in the rebel army, and sent troops to Tongguan in advance, and it is estimated that his vanguard has arrived at Tongguan City. The middle and rear armies also followed, and it is estimated that they are passing through Hangu Pass at this time, but the rear army's heavy grain and grass are still dragging west of Luoyang, and they are slowly marching towards Tongguan. Luo Cheng told him what he was listening to in Liyang City. At the suggestion of Yu Wenhua, he first left the headquarters in Liyang to avoid startling the snakes, and he took a merchant ship upriver to land on Pinglu, where he waited for Li Jing's army to leave the Zhongtiao Mountain Trail.

"Oh? If you wait for the rebels to follow up and all the baggage has passed the Hangu Pass, it will take at least ten days to go. It's just that I'm waiting here, can the king of Tongguan hold on for more than ten days? After listening to Luo Cheng's information, Li Jing couldn't help but worry about Tongguan in his heart, Tongguan is the bottom of the pocket, Hangu Pass is the pocket mouth, if the bottom is penetrated, there is no point in tightening the mouth by himself.

"Daoxing filtered, if his old Yang head can't cover the bottom of the bag, there will be no one in my court. If the grain and grass are sufficient, the old man expects that Lao Yang will be able to keep it for at least half a year. Han Baohu comforted Li Jingdao.

"General Li, the lord also believes that the old prince can hold it before the last general comes, it is not far from Huayin City, and there is a canal, so there should be no problem in supplying grain, grass and reinforcements." Luo Cheng also said.

"Good! Even so, the camp of our Chinese army will move to the city tomorrow, and the army will still have to lie still in this mountain. I would like to ask Lord Wan to contact the agents of the Military Intelligence Department tomorrow to cross the river to find out the situation of the rebels. ”

"Yes, the lower official has transcribed the county government to wait for the general."

At dawn the next day, more than 100 Chinese soldiers including Li Jing quietly settled in Pinglu County Mansion, which became the command post of this surprise army. It's just that in this way, the guards against the living in and out of Pinglu City are stricter.

On the flat land of the river beach outside Tongguan, it is now full of rebels who rebel against the king, and the tents are arranged for hundreds of miles.

At this time, in the rebel army's big tent, Wang Shichong was giving a banquet to the kings and their respective generals and marshals. This is also the so-called pre-war wine in Wang Shichong's mouth, not only the kings and generals in the Chinese military tent gathered together, but the armies in the anti-king tent were also immersed in the pre-war carnival.

"Alliance leader, after today's feast, are you going to rush tomorrow?" Meng Haigong, who won the first victory, asked drunkenly.

"Hmmm! This matter also asked Xu Junshi to say one or two for the princes, and the military advisor asked ---" Wang Shichong pushed Xu Maogong to the front desk and asked him to tell the kings what he was thinking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, generals! Tomorrow, when we should rest for a day, the whole army will sort out the siege equipment, and the day after tomorrow we will be elected to send an army to attack the key problems with all our might. It's just that I don't know which prince is willing to take the lead? Xu Maogong asked.

"Meng Gong easily won the first victory the day before yesterday, injuring his general Xin Wenli, which has made Yang Lin Lao'er break his arm. Later, the king of Japan was willing to take the lead and make new contributions. Shen Faxing, the king of Ruyang, Yuzhou, replied loudly.

"Good! The king of Ruyang was the vanguard of the attack, but the Tongguan Pass was dangerous and extremely difficult to capture, and it could only be overcome by continuous and uninterrupted attacks. In addition to the king of Ruyang, when preparing at least 3 waves of attacks, the white king Gao Tansheng can be the second wave, and Liu Wuzhou, the king of Dingyang, will be the third wave of continuous attack. ”

"Yes, this king is willing to attack for the second wave." Gao Tan Sheng stood up and answered.

"The king is willing to follow the attack." Liu Wuzhou also got up and responded.

"If it fails to be conquered on the first day, this time the other princes and horses will continue to attack, so that Yang Lin will not have the slightest chance to breathe, Tongguan Bike!" Xu Maogong said categorically with a feather fan.

"The words of the military advisor are reasonable, we and other kings continue to attack the city, why are we afraid that Tongguan will not be broken? Come, the lord of this alliance toasts the kings. ”

Hehehehe--- there was a burst of laughter in the tent, as if Tongguan was already in their hands.

During the banquet, only Du Fuwei, Chen Liuer, and Ruan Fei were silent, and they only cared about drinking. The wine of the feast was drunk until the time of the near son.

The three of them quietly returned to their tent with their guards.

"Big brother, that Xu Lao Dao is really a treacherous person, using the tactics of waves in the sea of people, regardless of the damage, I am afraid that Tongguan will not be protected!" Chen Liu'er whispered.

"Yes! Big brother, if the first few waves are in vain, wouldn't it be my Jianghuai people's turn to attack the city by myself, how aggrieved? Ruan Fei said depressedly.

"That's right! Big Brother ---"

"Okay, don't talk about it. For the brother to try to be the last to strike. Maybe I can't wait for the 20,000 horses of Jianghuai to fight, and the anti-kings will mess up their own positions first. Let's see. Du Fuwei couldn't say it in his heart, so he had to comfort his two henchmen.

"Third child, did you let the brother you sent to Shaanxi County the day before yesterday? Why haven't you come back yet? ”

"Big brother, just rest assured, my brother is a clever ghost, and it will take two days to come back after a round trip."

"Hmmm! I hope that the meticulous work of our Shaanxi County Military Intelligence Department will be effective and that it will be able to send the information to the other side. That's all for today, go and rest, and talk about it tomorrow. ”

Chen Liu'er and Ruan Fei had to bow their hands and then turn out of the big tent and rest.

Under the leadership of Lu Xingxing, 2,000 warships of various types in Donglai have arrived in Liyang City. At this time, Liyang City seemed to have become a huge military station, and the 350,000 men and horses of the Jizhou Jin Army of Yu Wenhua and Jizhou were basically gathered around Liyang City. Generals at all levels were speculating about the time to board the boat and cross the river, and most of the high-ranking generals even went to the Liyang Mansion to urge Guo Yu Wenhua several times.

"Lord Yuwen, my army has been stationed on the outskirts of Liyang City for 3 days, and now our ships are ready on the river, why don't you let me wait for the ship to board and attack?"

"General Tianxi, although I have everything here, but there is still a lack of a general order from the lord, and the general has not dared to cross the river before he arrives? Let's wait a few days! Yu Wenhua said to Wu Tianxi, who wanted to cross the river and fight with the Jinan army in the past, and Wu Tianxi suddenly had nothing to say, so he had to come out in a huff.

"Alas! The lord doesn't know when to make me wait for Nandu? Yu Wenhua sighed and asked softly Wu Yunzhao, Lu Xingxing, Ling Jing and the others in the Shuai Mansion.

"My lord, the lord has his own considerations, most likely the time is not ripe! I'll just wait. Wu Yunzhao said to everyone.

"From the day before yesterday, the Lord sent Luo Cheng and Luo Shixin, two personal generals, to Pinglu to support General Li Jing by ordinary merchant ships from here, it should be that after General Li Jing has made a move, I can only cross south to attack Tangbi. Or maybe you have to wait for the hundreds of thousands of rebels of the Central Plains to go west to Tongguan, and then let me wait for the troops! Ling Jing whispered for everyone. When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but nod their heads in agreement.

"It's a pity that Puyangcheng, who our army was going to attack after crossing the river, originally had not many defenders, and could have fought down, but now the city has increased by nearly 100,000 troops, and the city wall has been heightened, even after crossing the river, it is quite time-consuming and laborious to capture." Yu Wenhua looked at the map on the wall and sighed.

"Is there any news from Luoyang?" Yu Wenhua raised his eyes and asked the flag officer of the Chinese army in the account.

"My lord, there is no information from the Military Intelligence Department about the anti-king in Luoyang, only some sporadic news from the caravan that has come here from Luoyang." The Chinese officer hurriedly answered.

"Oh? Let's hear it. ”

"The caravan in the city said that Luoyang is now sending grain to Tongguan every day, and the official road to Tongguan is full of Luoyang grain trucks, and there is an endless stream."

"Good! That's the best news. Ladies and gentlemen, look. After listening to the report of the Chinese officer, Yu Wenhua suddenly felt shocked, and said to everyone with a smile.

"In the past, the official road leading to Tongguan was crowded due to too many people, horses, carriages, and battles of the rebels' westward expedition. Now they are transporting military rations, indicating that the rebels on the official road have arrived at Tongguan. The official expects to wait for two days at most, and the lord will order to arrive. Yu Wenhua pointed to the line west of Luoyang on the map, and said Kan Kan.

"Your Excellency has a point. At most, the grain and grass transported from Luoyang to Tongguan City on the 2nd can pass through the Hangu Pass, that is, when our Luzhou army crosses from Pinglu to the south. My Liyang City army will no longer have any worries to cross the river and fight. Wu Yunzhao also said as an analyst.

"Inform the soldiers to prepare for the southern crossing within 2 days. General Lu Xingxing, you have 1,000 large boats ready to go up the river at any time, and I have 1,000 ferries here. ”

"Yes, my lord, I will go and prepare."

Similar to the Liyang Chengyu culture and the situation here, at this time, the 250,000 horses of the Taihang Jin army also gathered in Jiyuan County, Zezhou. It is at most 60 miles away from Wen County, where the Yellow River ferry is located, and in order to ensure that the news is not leaked, Hou Junji, the little white ape, has already controlled the ferry boats, and issued a notice that those who board the boat to cross the river without permission or take the fishing boat to catch fish will not be killed, and the soldiers patrolling along the coast are also endless. This made Luoyang Xizuo, who originally infiltrated Jiyuan City, unable to pass the information across the river at all.

"Master Pei, when will there be a boat to cross the river? The soldiers were getting impatient. Hua Gongyi asked Pei Yun, the master who was only interested in studying the map under the dim candlelight.

"What? Don't wait! Hehe! It should be soon. Now there is a big pocket between Tongguan and Hangu Pass, and after letting the anti-kings of the Central Plains get into it, let General Li Jing tie up the mouth of the bag, and I can wait to cross the river and take Luokou. It's too early to cross the river, wouldn't it be that Wang Shichong's men and horses who went west have rushed back to Luoyang again? Pei Yun explained in a low voice.

"But the speed of the rebels is too slow! It's been more than ten days, why hasn't it been over yet? ”

"Hundreds of thousands of horses are crowded on the official road, and the speed is naturally not fast, and a large amount of grain and grass will be transported over later, which will have to wait for him to pass first. The most anxious thing is not us, General Li Jing is lurking in Pinglu Mountain, and he is even more anxious! When General Li Jing occupies Hangu Pass, it is time for me to cross the river in the south. ”

"How many days do you think you'll have to wait? The last general can also give the soldiers an explanation. ”

"Five days, in five days our army will be out."

"Good! The last general will let the soldiers prepare at this time, hehe! Hua Gongyi laughed and walked out of the Shuai Mansion.

"Huh! The lord played a big game of chess! A few days later, a total of 700,000 horses crossed the river with a total of 700,000 troops on the 3rd Route Army, and half of the land of the Great Sui was in the midst of the war. Pei Yun said to himself. His task of 250,000 troops was much easier than the other two.

Just as Pei Yun judged, Li Jing and Han Baohu in the Pinglu County Ya are like ants on a hot pot. The news I got every day was that there was an endless stream of grain trucks from Luoyang to Tongguan, which made Li Jing wait for the Luoyang grain trucks to finish.

"General Li, someone is here in Luoyang." When he was anxious, Luo Cheng broke into the house and said.

"Quick, please."

"General Li has always been good? It's too late! ”

"Oh! It turns out that Lord Wang is here in person, please sit down and talk, quickly, watch the tea. Li Jing was shocked when he heard this, and when he looked up, he recognized at a glance that the person was actually Wang De of the Luoyang Military Intelligence Department, and he couldn't help but be surprised.

"General Li and General Han, the lower officials crossed the river at night to inform the two generals that the 2.5 million stone of military rations transported from Luoyang to the Tongguan front line had all left Luoyang. It is estimated that in 2 days at most, the last cart of grain will pass through Hangu Pass, and it is time for the general to send troops to attack Hangu Pass. ”