When the first batch of officers and soldiers arrived, the sun had not yet set, and thousands of cavalry approached the city, blowing horns and beating drums to demonstrate, in order to fight for a battle.

Xu Ji went to the city to watch and experienced the previous feelings of the people of Dongdu: standing on a high place, with the thick city wall, although he felt safe, he could not see the details of the enemy army outside the city, and there was nowhere to escape, and the longer he stared, the stronger the sense of anxiety.

If someone can lead his troops out of the city to meet the enemy, even if it is only a draw, it will greatly boost morale, but if the battle is defeated, it will be even worse.

If he was a strategist, Xu Ji would definitely advise the commander to attack when the enemy's foothold was not stable, now he is the commander himself, everything is up to him, and the target he wants to persuade is not someone else, but himself, which makes him hesitate.

If you win, you will live all the game, and if you lose, you will lose all the games, this is a big gamble, and Xu Ji has never liked to gamble.

There are many things he doesn't like, and now he has to do them one by one.

Xu Ji turned around and smiled at the generals: "Officers and soldiers also play this kind of trick, when they first arrive, they do not set up camp first, but challenge in formation, which is obviously a bluff. There are only more than 1,000 officers and soldiers, and the rear army is still far away, so there is nothing to be afraid of. I will lead my troops out of the city to meet the battle, so as to show the majesty of my army, and who of the generals will fight with me? ”

Almost all the generals of the five kings were here, and immediately a group of Wu generals stood up, all willing to fight with the ruling government.

Xu Ji designated Song Xingju and left Meng Shenglun.

The Wu army was not good at horsemanship, and before luring officers and soldiers, they just ran, and when they really fought, they still contributed to the Jin soldiers and Ning soldiers.

Xu Ji ordered Song Xing to cut down the city to prepare, and said to the remaining generals: "The Wu army is going to battle, please watch it at the head of the city, and cheer for our Wu army." ”

Sure enough, someone couldn't be excited, so Ning stood up Luo Hanqi and said in a rough voice: "I will only challenge, I will not watch the battle, I am willing to go out of the city with King Wu, as long as I ...... As long as King Ning agrees. ”

Although Xu Ji was promoted to be the military master, and the generals also came to be dispatched by him, he still only recognized the old master in his heart.

Xu Ji wanted to appease him at first, but before he squeezed out his smile or words, he immediately changed his mind and said sharply: "I am the lord of the whole army, you all receive the king's orders and accept my moderation, why do you need to ask for the consent of others?" General Luo will fight if he wants to fight, and if he wants to stay, he will stay, and there is no need to find another excuse. ”

Luo Hanqi's face was red, and he also said sharply: "I am willing to fight, please give an order from King Wu." ”

Xu Ji arched his hand and said, "There is General Lauro." ”

Luo Hanqi went down to gather the soldiers and horses of the headquarters, and Xu Ji explained a few more words, designating Meng Shenglun as the general to defend the city, and he went to join the two generals of Song and Luo.

The soldiers and horses have been gathered, there are as many as 5,000, Xu Ji felt that it was enough, and was about to order the door to open the door to fight, Ning Baoguan came.

Ning Baoguan was stationed in Beicheng, which was relatively close, and arrived immediately after hearing the news.

Xu Ji thought of a lot of countermeasures, and he had to persuade Ning Baoguan in public to prevent him from obstructing the battle.

But these words are useless, Ning Baoguan is not to block the war, but to ask for war.

"King Wu is the military master, it is not appropriate to fight in person, so I should come."

Xu Ji hesitated for a moment, and Ning Baoguan had already ordered the generals, "There are only more than 1,000 officers and soldiers, let's not do anything to bully more than less." You each choose, General Song has 400 people, General Luo has 700 people, and we have to convince the officers and soldiers to be defeated! ”

Luo Hanqi immediately obeyed the order, and Song Xingju did not hesitate, and ordered his leaders to reduce their soldiers, leaving only those who were slightly better at riding and dared to fight.

Ning hugged Guan Heng on the saddle, and arched his hand to Xu Ji and said: "Please King Wu to go to the city to cheer, if I am defeated, I would rather die on the battlefield, not to work for King Wu to open the door, let alone send troops to help." ”

When it comes to charging into battle, Xu Ji is indeed far inferior to Ning Baoguan, he knows this, and all the generals also know it, so Song Xingju did not hesitate to accept King Ning's command.

Xu Ji returned the salute, "I cheer for King Ning, if King Ning has any case, there are cavalry in the city, I will lead the troops one after another, and never let the officers and soldiers be proud." ”

Ning Baoguan nodded, and rode his horse to the city gate first.

The soldiers at the gate were already ready, and immediately opened the city gate and let the cavalry out of the city.

Xu Ji re-ascended the city, and the generals above had already learned the news of King Ning's battle, and they all pulled down the wall and looked out.

There were war drums in the city, and Xu Ji held the mallet with both hands and beat the first shot.

Drumming has its own rules, Xu Ji knows a little bit about it, but fortunately, Ning Baoguan and others don't know much about it, just listen to the sound.

At the beginning of the night, the officers and soldiers outside the city shouted for a long time, the momentum was slightly weakened, and they were about to retreat and set up camp, when they suddenly saw someone rushing out of the city, and there were drums in the city, and they hurriedly rearranged the formation to meet the rebels.

This was a tough battle rarely experienced by the rebels, and the two sides were equal in strength, and the fighting was particularly fierce.

Xu Ji kept beating the drum until he was exhausted, and then handed it over to Meng Shenglun.

Ning Baoguan is at a disadvantage, he is a little too big, the Jizhou cavalry is well-known in the world, the soldiers are strong and strong, and there is a lot of training, and the cavalry of the righteous army is mostly a temporary patchwork, and it is too late to practice, and it is already great to dare to go out of the city to fight, and it is really on the battlefield, it will soon become scattered, and it is not as neat as the officers and soldiers.

Even so, Ning Baoguan is still right to lead less cavalry, the more people there are, the more chaotic the rebel army will be, and at least fifty percent of the 1,100 people will be able to keep up with King Ning, so that they will not all become a plate of scattered sand.

Although Ning Baoguan claimed that he did not want to support, Xu Ji could not sit idly by, and immediately went down to the city, led the remaining thousands of cavalry out of the city, crossed the bridge and lined up, and made a posture that he was about to participate in the battle.

The officers and soldiers noticed the movement at the city gate, they did not expect that the rebels would really dare to come out to fight, although they had the upper hand on the battlefield, their momentum had weakened by three points, and when they saw that there were cavalry behind the rebels, their momentum was three points weaker, and they immediately withdrew their troops.

Xu Ji also sent someone to recruit Ning Baoguan.

This battle does not seek a big victory, as long as it can show the courage to fight.

Ning Baoguan led his troops back to the city, and Xu Ji stayed by the bridge, and only after confirming that there were no more of his own people outside, did he retreat into the city.

The officers and soldiers stopped at a distance and did not take advantage of the situation to attack the city.

Xu Ji guessed correctly, this is just a vanguard, the rear army is still far away, and the main general does not dare to really fight with the rebels.

The battle lasted not long, the losses on both sides were not large, but the impact on morale was extremely significant, the officers and soldiers obediently set up camps, no longer thinking that the rebels were loose and could be bullied, the morale of the rebels in the city increased sharply, and the fear of King Wu and King Ning also skyrocketed.

Xu Ji took advantage of this residual power, reorganized the team, and officially distributed the descending army to the kings, the number of people was almost the same, and there was no favoritism over the other.

Xue Liujia sent people to come several times to invite King Wu to the palace to discuss matters, but Xu Ji refused, he had just emerged, and on Xue Liujia's list of fears, it was likely that he was on par with King Jin and King Ning, or even higher.

From now on, Xu Ji will never venture into the palace again and go to see Xue Liujia alone.

After midnight, the distribution of the rebels in the city was completed, and more and more officers and soldiers outside the city began to camp around the city and make a siege.

Xu Ji stayed up all night and ran around, trying to let every leader and as many soldiers in the city see him.

There is a battle outside the city and inside the city, and the siege of the city by the soldiers outside the city is a battle for survival, and the kings of the city set up their own banners, which is a battle of prestige.

One real one, Xu Ji has to strive for a big victory.

There was a temporary stalemate outside the city, and Xu Ji had a slight advantage in the city, he was the military lord and the son-in-law of the incarnated king, and he had just repelled the arrogance of the officers and soldiers, the more far away from the northern city and the soldiers and civilians who did not see the details of the battlefield, the more they thought that the righteous army had won a great victory, and the more they were afraid of King Wu and King Ning.

When Xu Ji returned to Beicheng, it was nearly five watches, and as soon as he entered the camp, he was stopped.

Huang Tieniang has been looking for her son-in-law for a while, she doesn't care who the soldiers of the Incarnation Army belong to, and she doesn't even notice that the power of the kings is expanding rapidly.

"What about my daughter? Where's the Golden Shake? Huang Tieniang grabbed the reins and asked.

Xu Ji had long forgotten about this, "Golden Shake girl...... Haven't come back yet? ”

"Come back to fart!" Huang Tieniang was in a hurry, swore words, grabbed one of Xu Ji's arms, and dragged off the horse, "My wife is gone, you are not in a hurry, but ask, what kind of husband is it?" ”

Xu Ji was also ashamed, and dismounted to help Huang Changniang, "Mother-in-law, don't worry, the officers and soldiers have not yet been surrounded, Miss Jin Shao is on her way back, and she will be able to enter the city soon." ”

"You haven't seen it with your own eyes, what's the use of saying this? Send someone to find it. ”

The officers and soldiers outside the city have surrounded half of the city, Xu Ji will never send people out to die in vain, the casualties are small, and the damage to morale is big, so he said perfunctorily: "Mother-in-law will go back to the palace first, Lord Yue-in-law has been looking for you, I will send someone to find the whereabouts of Miss Jin Shao, and tell me as soon as there is news." ”

"You're really going to send someone?"

Xu Ji nodded.

Huang Tieniang had nothing to do, although her temper was short-tempered, she was also a member of the Incarnation Army, and her habit of being afraid of officers and soldiers would not be able to change for a while, and she didn't dare to go out of the city, so she had to say: "Then I'll go back first, you must find my daughter." One night husband and wife, you can't forget your wife. ”

"How so?" Xu Ji sent someone to send Huang Tieniang and the female soldiers back to the palace, inspected the city, and explained to the generals, if they saw Xue Jin shaking back to the city, immediately call him, if there are pursuers behind the golden saintess, do not open the door easily.

Xu Ji hoped that Xue Jinyao would come back safely, but he couldn't take the risk because of her.

When Ma Wei abandoned his wife and children and fled the Eastern Capital, Xu Ji was still a little difficult to accept, but now he understands that the private relationship of his children is not as important as the world after all.

Among the kings, only Xue Liujia dragged his family with him from time to time, and Ning Baoguan and the others did not bring their wives, and they didn't even care if they entrusted it to their opponents.

The officers and soldiers were not successful in the first battle, and they were no longer in a hurry to fight, and concentrated on building the camp.

As soon as he got out of the city, he saw Guo Shifeng standing below waiting for him.

Coming to the house together, Guo Shifeng arched his hand and said, "Congratulations to King Wu for getting what he wanted." ”

"Brother Guo's words are strange, the officers and soldiers are besieging the city, what do I want to taste?"

Guo Shifeng stepped forward and said with a smile: "King Wu can hide it from others, you don't have to hide it from me." The Jizhou soldiers came suddenly, but King Wu dealt with it in an orderly manner, as if he had been prepared, I was not wrong? ”

"Brother Guo can't see that I can stay in danger?"

"Haha, of course I didn't mean that. Actually, I'm here to defect to King Wu. ”

"Defection?"

"Remember? I have long told King Wu when King Wu will retreat to Yecheng, and I am willing to follow and deliver letters for King Wu to serve as a small worker. ”

"Brother Guo thinks too much, I have no intention of retreating anywhere. The eastern capital is here, the rebel army is not less than 300,000, there is more than enough to defend the city, and the attack is also advantageous, why should you entrust others? ”

The righteous army is claimed to be 300,000, and the number of people who can really go to the battlefield is far less than that, Xu Ji is still not used to boasting about Haikou, and he didn't say 500,000.

Guo Shifeng was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "Understood." Since King Wu is the lord of the army, the soldiers in the city are all servants, and I have come to defect, not to be considered a betrayer, right? ”

Guo Shifeng is the best at seeing the wind and making the rudder, and this is the first time he has completely switched to King Wu's side.

Xu Ji knew this character, but he couldn't say that he was disgusted, Guo Shifeng's "defection" at least showed that his plan had begun to bear fruit.

"Brother Guo is willing to stay, yes."

Guo Shifeng gave up his hand again and whispered: "One servant does not do anything and two masters, since it belongs to King Wu, I can no longer hide it." ”

"Oh?"

"King Liang led his troops to the palace to kill the king."

Xu Ji was shocked, especially didn't understand, why did Ma Wei want to kill Xue Liujia?