Moreover, the documents for help issued by Yanzhou are also quite particular, and the request for help letter to Caozhou is that the city bureau is chaotic, and if you walk 20 miles every day, you will stop lodging, and you can not rush in, and the Ma Gang Department stationed in Mengyin is to use the fast horses of various shops in Jining to expedit.

Liu Zeqing, the general soldier of Caozhou, received the news five days later, which was told to him by his fellow villagers who were on an errand in Yanzhou Mansion, that Liu Zeqing had always been willing to spend money on his fellow villagers.

For the new Jiaozhou battalion to dare to enter the Yanzhou territory so blatantly, Liu Zeqing, who has always been domineering, is extremely angry, why do you have to add an abnormality after the anger, it is because everyone who is arrogant is often even more angry when they encounter a character who is more arrogant than him.

Liu Bu of Caozhou immediately mobilized, Ma Gang led 1,500 people into Yanzhou Mansion, Liu Zeqing thought that he was fighting on the inside line, and because of the loss suffered by Dongchang Mansion, he knew that the other party was not easy to get along, so he simply sent 5,000 soldiers and horses to ensure victory.

Of course, what both sides said was to suppress bandits and quell the chaos, and hurriedly rushed to Surabaya County, the backward means of communication in this era, plus the time difference of five days, Ma Gang led 1,500 people entered Surabaya City three days earlier than Liu Zeqing's troops, and after coming to Surabaya City, Kong Sande immediately began to transport grain and grass by water through the relationship between Confucius and the commercial house, and also helped recruit people and strong men to build city wall fortifications.

Under the temptation of white flowers and silver, as well as food, especially in such a catastrophic year, there are many people who seek to have enough to eat.

When the 5,000 soldiers and horses led by Liu Zeqing's brother Liu Zetao arrived at the foot of Surabaya City, he couldn't help but open his mouth wide and look at a small fortress with heavy guards and fortifications.

The purpose of the rapid march of both sides was not for the illusory banditry rebellion, but for each other, and as for how to explain to the higher authorities at that time, "the death of the bandits in their duties" and "or the collapse of the troops" are all explanations that can be accepted by the upper peak.

Liu Zetao had been fighting with his brother for many years, so he naturally knew that his 5,000 people wanted to besiege a city guarded by 1,500 soldiers who were stronger than himself, and it was also a well-defended city, not to mention heavy casualties. And it's more likely that you won't be able to take it off.

On weekdays, Liu Bu obtained supplies in Yanzhou Mansion on the spot, and the gentry and heroes were also afraid of Liu Bu's viciousness, so they could only do so, but when they came to this Surabaya City, the people and villagers who belonged to Yansheng Mansion did not give an inch, this is a big monster that cannot afford to offend. Supplies are insufficient, morale is insufficient, let alone a siege. All Liu Zetao could do was to garrison the city, while sending fast horses to Caozhou to ask for help.

Liu Zeqing in Caozhou has gathered more than 20,000 soldiers and horses because of the catastrophe and famine, but most of them are hungry and scoundrels, since he heard that the Jiaozhou battalion entered Yanzhou, Liu Zongbing has seen that the gentry below have a somewhat cold attitude towards him, and he knows that this is because he can't suppress the place.

If you don't drive Li Meng's troops out. Then his business in Yanzhou Mansion will be ruined, and when he received an urgent letter from his brother, he immediately paid attention to it.

Immediately, more than 5,000 people were sent to reinforce the army, which was not those hungry people who had been gathered, but the old army under his own command who had combat experience, and he now had more than 8,000 troops capable of fighting, and 5,000 were stationed in Dingtao. Shuanghekou and Cao County, Caozhou is his old battalion of 3,000 people, there are too many troops, and the local government cannot afford to support it.

In the face of the imperial court's order to transfer and go to war, Liu Zeqing's troops, who had always been delayed, had a rare high efficiency at this time, and on November 20, more than 5,000 reinforcements had already been drawn and rushed to Surabaya County.

These things were called the Lunan disaster by the scholars of Yanzhou Prefecture, and it was clear that the drought was already a hardship for the people. When Liu Zeqing's troops crossed the border, they were even more like locusts, running rampant and lawless, and the journey was miserable.

Ma Gang's 1,500 people seemed to be turtles with shrunken heads, and they were defending Surabaya City, Liu Zetao sent people to try to attack several times, but they were all beaten to the point of bleeding, and what made him even more angry was that the other party actually had two artillery, although it was not that kind of heavy artillery. But it was enough to make the soldiers stop.

On the first day of the tenth lunar month of Chongzhen, several soldiers guarding the east gate of Caozhou City, after sleeping on the warm charcoal brazier for a night, walked up to the city with their sleepy eyes, but they were surprised. I don't know when. The city gate was already full of soldiers and horses.

Although he didn't know whose soldiers it was, he was sure. These people outside are definitely not friendly troops, this little leader is extremely remorseful in his heart, thinking that even if he survives this time, he will be cut off by the general soldier, and he can't help but cut the gentry who sent wine and meat last night with a thousand knives.

But it's too late, and the gates of the city are closed at night, but I didn't expect the other party to hit my door, so the gate just fell down.

This kind of defense, even a civilian strong man can open it, listening to the creaking sound below, this little leader is very familiar with this kind of sound, it is the friction sound of the rotation of the city gate shaft, he has used the oil money to sell wine and drink several times, it is indeed impressive.

What to do? The little boss saw that the soldiers and colleagues around him were all not moving, turned his head to look, and looked at the strange expressions on the faces of these people, and immediately understood what was going on, the little leader's hand holding the weapon suddenly relaxed, and scolded complainingly:

"Lao Tzu treats you well on weekdays, why don't you bring Lao Tzu with you for this kind of thing!"

"Aren't you worried about Brother Liu, you are following the handsome old man......"

These soldiers in the city didn't care about anything, they just followed the request of one of them, threw the weapons in their hands aside, sat on the city wall, and didn't care about anything, the little leader breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and knew in his heart that if he opened his mouth to report or do something else, the ground knife next to him would be cut down.

He didn't expect that the soldiers around him were also relieved, Liu Zeqing's old battalion soldiers were all selected from Caozhou and Cao County, these people have families and mouths in the local area, although these soldiers in the city received the benefits of money, but they also got a warning, if there is a problem with this city gate, the heads of the family will fall to the ground.

God knows, how do those people know about their own affairs, and Liu Dashuai may not know?

Liu Zeqing treats the top heroes politely, but treats the gentry landlords below as pigs and dogs, and Li Meng's private salt agents are these small and medium-sized landlords, and these lower-level heroes are very familiar with everything in the local area.

Li Meng and his horse team stayed in Qufu for three days, and then the informant arranged by Kong Sande led the way, marched in the early morning every day, rested during the day, and rushed to Caozhou within two days with the help of the mobility of horses.

Seeing someone shaking the lantern at the head of the city, Li Meng, who was hidden in the darkness of the early morning, breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and ordered the guards behind him to let go of the dozens of old and weak people who accompanied the army, and at the same time answered with torches.

In his plan, even if the door is not opened, the other party will not be guarded, and it is enough to send capable people to rush in when the other party opens the city gate during the day.

The city gate suspension bridge on the east side was lowered, the city gate was wide open, and the cavalry of the Jiaozhou battalion covered with cloth clothes rushed in, and there was no resistance here.

The residents who left the city early in the morning saw the sudden appearance of a large force of cavalry, and the only thing they could do was to run home to the cat, praying that the army would not notice them first.

More than 2,400 cavalry broke into the city, no matter how cautious, it was also huge, it was impossible not to be seen, not to mention that the city of Caozhou was not big, after the east gate was opened, the soldiers on the city wall were already present for the first time.

"Break into the king's righteous army, break into the king's righteous army, don't disturb the good people, don't disturb the good people!"

The cavalry of the horse team were all shouting there, and the residents of Caozhou, who were drilling cellars at home or kneeling on the ground to ask for the blessing of the gods and Buddhas, were all shocked, wondering why this chaotic people and thieves suddenly came here.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves gradually quieted down, but all parts of Caozhou became more and more worried.

Even with the felt lining, wearing this iron armor still felt a little cold, Li Meng was surrounded by several guards with large shields, riding on horses to observe the inner city in front.

Liu Zeqing lived in Caozhou City, and did a lot of evil, one of which was to forcibly demolish the houses of nearly 1,000 civilians and drive them out of the city, and used these demolition materials to build this inner city.

But this matter involves civilians, Liu Zeqing has always been kind and powerful to the local wealthy and powerful, and treated the fellow villagers in the court with kindness, and he passed silently.

In addition to Liu Zeqing's luxurious mansion, his 3,000 soldiers are also stationed here, and there are also deep trenches and high walls, and the whole city is a military fortress.

"My lord, there are Liu Bu's fast horses going out of the city at the west gate and south gate, so they should have gone to ask for help."

Tang Er whispered on the side, Li Meng was observing the gate of the inner city with a clairvoyant mirror in his hand, and replied with an impassive expression:

"Don't bother, you can't come here in a day, and now the city gates are closed?"

"The gates of Caozhou are tightly closed, and the south gate and west gate are resisting, but they have all been pacified and firmly controlled by the army."

"That person is Liu Zeqing?"

Li Meng suddenly asked, in addition to the soldiers who were nervously guarding at the head of the inner city, a fat man surrounded by people appeared.