Yangzhou is one of the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty, located in the southeast of the world, and Jingzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou, Jiaozhou junction, the Yangtze River interspersed in the meantime, a total of six counties, there are four counties in the south of the river, Danyang County, Wu County, Huiji County, Yuzhang County, north of the river, Huaishui between two counties, Lujiang County and Jiujiang County.

Jiujiang County is Xuzhou in the northeast, Yuzhou in the northwest, Shouchun is located in the north of Jiujiang County, Yuan Shu said that the emperor had prepared before, built a large number of buildings, built Shouchun City tall and strong, the city wall is as high as more than ten zhang, and the moat is surrounded by the Huai River, which can be described as unbreakable.

Yuan Shu went out to Yan and Henan this time, leaving 40,000 defenders in Jiujiang County, 20,000 in Shouchun City, and two generals Lu Mian and Zhang Xun left behind, with the help of the tall and strong Shouchun City, it was enough to resist 100,000 male soldiers.

But at this time, in the tall and sturdy Shouchun City, there was a panic.

Outside the city of Shouchun, ten miles of joint venture, the flag is unfurled, the drum beats the sky, a hundred steps outside the city, there is a horizontal soil slope, a row of thunderbolt cars and crossbows on the soil slope, stones and giant crossbows continue to shoot on the city wall, and the city wall screams a lot.

Five days ago, when Zhang Liao's 20,000 soldiers and horses had just arrived outside Shouchun City, although the defenders in Shouchun City were alarmed, they did not panic, pulled up the suspension bridge, and closed the four gates.

In the evening of the same day, Zhang Xun, the general of Yuan Shu, personally led his troops out of the city to attack the camp outside the city, but he was ambushed and returned defeated, losing more than 3,000 soldiers and horses.

After returning to the city, Zhang Xun immediately closed the city gate and never fought again, only wanting to rely on the tall city to defend.

Not wanting to do it the next day, Zhang Liao did not storm the city at all, but mobilized his troops and horses to pile up a horizontal dirt slope outside the city, only 80 steps away from the city wall.

Seeing that the slopes outside the city were piled up, and there was grain and grass in the rear constantly transported from the Huai River, Zhang Xun and Lu Mian, who were defending the city, were greatly uneasy, and Lu Mian led 5,000 soldiers and horses to launch a strong attack from the north city gate, not wanting to be defeated by Xu Chu, and almost lost the city gate, Shouchun was frightened.

From then on, Zhang Xun and Lu Mian no longer dared to go out of the city, and while strengthening the defense, they sent people to send an urgent report to Yuan Shu, who went out to conquer Chen, and sent letters to Ji Ling of Zuo Jinpeiguo and Liu Xun of Lujiang for help.

At first, Zhang Xun and Lu Mian didn't know enough about the dirt slope outside the city, and they only thought that they were going to pile up the earth and release arrows, because Shouchun City was too high and arrows couldn't shoot under the city, so they were just worried, but on the third day, their nightmare began.

Early in the morning of the third day, with Zhang Liao's order, rows of thunderbolts and crossbows were staggered and pushed up the dirt slope, and then set up.

Soldiers carried baskets of stones and bundles of huge spears up the dirt slope.

Shouchun's guards looked at the movement outside the city, and they didn't know why, but they just tightened their strings, and the archers had already drawn their bows.

But then, from the top of the dirt slope, flying stones bounced up from the sky, fell from the sky like a huge hailstone, and smashed into the towers and the city, smashing the soldiers into pulp, and the arrow towers on the towers were also smashed to pieces, and the archers died in them.

At the same time, a huge spear roared away from the crossbow and shot into the city wall, directly through the defenders, and flew into the city with the corpses.

For the defenders of Shouchun City, this was a great terror.

The guards on the tower shouted in horror, and those who survived crawled into the city and fled, not daring to stay in the city for a moment, they had no way to defend against these huge stones and powerful spears and crossbows that fell from the sky!

There was a great chaos in the city, but unexpectedly, Zhang Liao's soldiers and horses outside the city did not take the opportunity to attack the city.

For Zhang Liao, he doesn't need to rush to capture this city, his first goal is to eliminate and defeat Yuan Shu's living force, kill Yuan Shu, and then Shouchun City will naturally surrender without a fight, and now he just gives a gesture of storming Shouchun and transfers Yuan Shu's soldiers and horses back.

In Zhang Liao's army outside the city, Zhang Liao did not bring other military divisions this time, but his disciples Zhuge Liang and Guo Huai followed the march to fight.

"Master."

In the big tent, Guo Huai looked at the topographic map and asked Zhang Liao: "Yuan Shu has 200,000 soldiers and horses, Shouchun is in a hurry, he will return to the army this time will be no less than 100,000, even if Yang Zhonglang and Jiang Zhonglang intercept and kill on the way, there will be 40,000 or 50,000 escapes, in addition, the Lujiang closest to Shouchun has Liu Xun's 20,000 soldiers and horses, and Peiguo has 10,000 soldiers and horses of Ji Ling. ”

"Yes, if more than 100,000 soldiers and horses from all sides come to the rescue, our 20,000 soldiers and horses will be very dangerous." Zhang Liao first glanced at Guo Huai with appreciation, and then compared it on the topographic map: "But I have prepared for the division in advance." ”

Zhang Liao pointed to Xuzhou and Wu Jun on the topographic map and said: "Before this battle, for the division to send a message to Xuzhou Lu Bu and Wu County Sun Ce, they will also send troops to respond as a division, will suppress Yuan Shu, Lu Bu sent troops to Peiguo, how can Ji Ling take care of him, Sun Ce sent troops to Jiangyou, Liu Xun did not dare to move lightly." ”

He pointed to Yuzhou again: "After Yuan Shu returned to his master, Chen Guo had Zang Ba, Chen left Cao Cao, and he was pressing step by step, how could he not leave his soldiers and horses behind?" Therefore, Yuan Shu's return to the army is only part of the soldiers and horses, and it is a tired soldier, I am not in a hurry to attack the city, and it is not difficult to break it. ”

Guo Huai nodded again and again.

At this time, Zhuge Liang suddenly spoke: "Master, the defeat of Yuan Shu is not enough to worry about, but the rear of Luoyang should be bothered. ”

Zhang Liao was stunned, glanced at Zhuge Liang, the corners of his mouth showed approval, and then he was bitter, and looked at the tall Shouchun City in the distance through the big tent, and was silent for a long time.

Guo Huai and Zhuge Liang stood silently behind him.

After a while, Zhang Liao sighed a little excitedly: "You can't never leave Luoyang for the rest of your life, right?" ”

Yes, he can't be trapped in Luoyang for the rest of his life because the court is unstable, right? The bloody suppression, which was not what he wanted, was not that step.

Guo Huailang said: "Master has Qin and Jin Xiong's soldiers, as well as Hedong and Hanoi, even if Luoyang is lost, it will be easy to recover." ”

Zhuge Liang looked at the master's somewhat depressed back, as Guo Huai said, even if Luoyang is out of control, it will be easy for the master to regain Luoyang, but in that case, the nature of the matter has changed, that is, to regain control of the imperial court, the rift is completely irreparable, and it will eventually embark on the road of rupture.

He had another thought in his heart, if it really came to that time, it might be a better choice to let go, but if he let go, the problem of reputation would come out.

Zhuge Liang pondered repeatedly in his heart, he didn't know if the master had thought about this, but he estimated that he must have thought about it.

But how will Master choose?

Zhuge Liang was thinking about this problem, Zhuge Liang at this time had followed Zhang Liao for several years, and he was no longer the Zhuge Liang in history, not only did he practice both civil and military, but also many ideas were changing unconsciously, not to mention that he was not a pedantic person. 8910