When the curtain was slowly pulled away, it was found that the entire Zhuoluo City had been surrounded by tall firewood and grass walls on all sides, and Yeli Yuqi and Renduo Baoqing were dumbfounded. The firewood and grass piled up outside were much taller than the city walls, and the surrounding Song troops were firmly blocked from view.

Suddenly, a rocket landed on the firewood and grass, freeing up a stream of flames. Fortunately, the firewood was all wet, and the fire was quickly extinguished.

When Ye Li Yu beggar saw it, his heart jumped with fright, and he shouted: "Do you want to die? Stop shooting! ”

Only then did Baoqing react and ordered the party soldiers at the head of the city to shoot arrows again, and even the charcoal of the rockets was extinguished.

The sun was rising overhead, there was not a single wind in the valley, and there was a deathly silence everywhere. Song Jun didn't know where he had retreated, and there was no movement at all, as if Zhuoluo City had become a dead place.

After waiting for a while, seeing that the Song army had neither lit a fire nor sent someone to shout, Baoqing whispered to Ye Liyu and begged: "King, Song has piled up so much firewood and grass outside the city, as if he is going to burn the city." But what does it mean that they don't light a fire? ”

Thinking of what Xu Ping said to him last night, he would either die or be captured, Ye Liyu begged and said in a deep voice: "Maybe you still want us to abandon the rod and surrender, right?" Although Zhuoluo City is not big, how easy is it to completely burn down? Most of this firewood and grass still intimidate us—"

Before he finished speaking, he saw a black smoke suddenly rise from the middle of the firewood and grass wall outside the city. As this small puff of black smoke rose, the entire firewood and grass city wall was like a signal, and black smoke continued to come out. It didn't take long for smoke to billowing around Zhuoluo City, and flames were secretly coming out of the smoke.

Duo Baoqing stared blankly at the firewood and grass city wall outside the city, his eyes were already smoked with tears, and he muttered: "How did the Song army light the fire?" I didn't see them sending, and I didn't see torches or other ignition materials—"

Outside the city are piled up with fresh firewood, which is not easy, and the initial rise is billowing smoke, and after a while, there will be no one standing on the city. Seeing that there were many people, Baoqing already looked stupid, Yeli Yu begged to order someone to put him off the city wall, and then think of countermeasures.

On the hill not far away, Shi Quanbin stretched his neck, and saw that Zhuoluo City, which was not far away, quickly disappeared into the black smoke, and said to Xu Ping beside him: "Jingluo, this smoke is so strong, where can the living stand it?" I don't think the thieves inside will be smoked to death before the fire starts! ”

"Where is it so easy? The smoke gathered over the city, and it was difficult to sink into the city. If you want to make the people in the city breathless, I am afraid that it will burn for some time. I was afraid that this fire would burn for a day and a night, so I asked the two armies of Sang Yi and Gao Daquan to disperse within two hundred miles of each other, drive away the cattle and sheep of the Tibetan tribe, and return to Qinzhou with us. We only brought five days' rations with us on this trip, and when the fire was extinguished, we should return home, and we could plunder some cattle and sheep so that the army could have some meat to eat. ”

Shi Quanbin couldn't stand it after eating dry food for a few days, and nodded again and again after listening to it: "It's so good, I have an idea." ”

According to the military law of the Song army, even if they go deep into the enemy's territory, they are not allowed to take civilians captive, unless the commander allows it. Of course, military law is military law, and in fact, the decision rests with the commander who leads the troops, and there are very few armed forces that actually act in accordance with military law. Competing with the party for the population and materials in the border areas was a necessary subject, and the plundering of the Tibetan population, cattle and sheep was almost a must-do for the troops. Xu Ping didn't want to defend Zhuoluo and the south, so it was inevitable to bring the surrounding population and livestock to Qinzhou. In the vast and sparsely populated northwest, land plays a small role.

Xu Ping asked Wang Kai to arrange for the two armies of Sang Yi and Gao Daquan to attack separately, even if this year's spring hunt started early.

Seeing that the smoke in front of him was getting thicker and thicker, and finally a flame began to burst out, Shi Quanbin said: "Jingluo, how did you light the fire?" Seeing that you didn't send someone to light the fire, I thought it was just to scare the thieves in the city! ”

"To put it bluntly, it's worthless. Wrap the red charcoal in cotton wool and put a little gunpowder around the tinder before pouring oil. It takes some time for the charcoal fire to burn the cotton wool thoroughly, so at first there is no fire, but when it burns, it is out of control. ”

This is a method used by thieves to set fires, and it is powerful to accurately calculate the time when the fire will burn according to the weather. The thief and the master were drinking and talking in the house, and the fire outside suddenly broke out, knowing that he had set the fire but was helpless.

It was spring, and the breeze was blowing, and there was hardly any wind in the valley of Zoro. By the afternoon, the fire was getting bigger and bigger, and the smoke lingered over the city for a long time.

Seeing that the soldiers in the valley had prepared a lot of spare firewood and grass, Xu Ping ordered to stop and began to take care of the surrounding battlefield. At this time, the overall situation has been decided, regardless of whether the soldiers in Zhuoluo City will be burned to death, this battle has basically ended.

In the evening, Xu Ping and Wang Kai arranged for the armies to evacuate one after another. Liu Jianji took the lead and took care of Huichuan City after returning to Dingxi City, although it was difficult for the party to launch a major war again in this season, it was still not to be taken lightly. Zhang Kang's troops followed Liu Jianji's troops, holding prisoners and supplies for this battle, and also set off tomorrow. Xu Ping left only Cao Keming's troops by his side, and waited until Sang Yi and Gao Daquan's troops swept away the surrounding Tibetan tribe tents and livestock, and then returned together.

In the cellar of the City Lord's Mansion in Zhuoluo City, there were many people with a wet cloth on his face, his eyes were red, and he was staring closely at the entrance of the cellar. Seeing the pro-soldier coming in, he asked impatiently, "How?" Out of town? ”

The soldiers shook their heads: "The north and south gates have been sealed by the Song army, and the fire outside the city is booming, and the smoke is billowing out, where can I get out of the city?" I forcibly sent two of them down to the city, and they were roasted alive as soon as they reached the ground—"

There are many people Baoqing stood up suddenly, and shouted with a hideous face: "I have a lot of hatred and grudges against the civilized Lao Tzu outside, and I want to burn us alive like this!" The two armies are fighting, and we just surrender! It's not okay to drop?! ”

Ye Liyu on the side had a gloomy face and didn't say a word. Now his intestines are full of repentance, last night he only had to nod his head, and the soldiers and horses in the city abandoned their staffs, where would they get to this field? What's there about being a captive? I can't do it now!

After a few sharp turns in the cellar, Renduo Baoqing suddenly turned around and stared at Yeli Yuqi: "King Yeli, you tell me the truth, what did you say to Song Jun yesterday?" If they are determined not to live people, how can they let you come back! ”

"I've told you countless times, what the Song army wants is our head, but who would be willing to kill him! I originally thought that when I came back to rectify the soldiers and horses, the Song army attacked the city and fought a few battles, and if they killed some people, their tone would soften, where did I think——"

There are many people who don't believe in a hundred, but what can he do? Now around the cellar, the soldiers who have just been caught are no less than their own people. As for the overseers in the city, it is the same now whether there is or not.

Sitting down again, Duo Baoqing gasped for a while before asking his soldiers: "How is the situation in the city now?" ”

The soldier said: "The fire outside the city is too big, and now the weather is dry, and some places in the city are already burning. It seems that in the middle of the night, everything that is on fire in the city will be burning. The most worrying thing now is that there is not a drop of water left in the city. ”

There were many people, and Bao Qing was stunned for a while, and then said: "Zhuoluo City is built of earth, and there are few houses in the city that are made of bamboo and wood, so they can't be burned!" ”

The soldier shook his head and said no more. The current Zhuoluo City is like a big brick kiln, it really can't be burned, but those who are panting inside don't want to live. The smoke from the fire had choked many soldiers to death, and now that the water in the city was gone, and even the wells had been dried up, the fire outside was getting bigger and bigger, how long could the remaining soldiers last?

No one spoke, and there was silence in the cellar.

There were only a lot of people around, Baoqing and Yeli Yuqi's personal soldiers, adding up to one or two hundred people, around a few large water tanks. The other soldiers in the city in the fire had already collapsed, and they couldn't make trouble if they wanted to, so they could only wait for death to come.

When the fire first started, everyone was not panicked, and they didn't believe that the Song army could roast the whole city. When I couldn't bear it anymore and wanted to go out of the city and surrender, I couldn't even get out of the city. Now, you can only wait for death.