After returning to the county seat, Li Yanzhi directly ordered the cavalry to send more than 100 people to various sentinels. After all, the thief sentry is already moving around. The situation in Lingju has suddenly become tense.

The relocation of households presided over by Xin Yan has also been fruitful. Within a few days, more than 1,000 households in the county town had been moved out. Gong Cao, the clerk of the county government, and other minor officials, took the county's officials and some auxiliary soldiers, and escorted them to choose a place to live near the state government. Although the families of the craftsmen have been evacuated with the brigade, the craftsmen in the workshop have stayed in the county and held on.

Time was in a hurry, and the captives who were about to kill the city became a sharp sword hanging over everyone's heads. Although these craftsmen also knew that it was more dangerous to stay in the county. However, in order to produce more ordnance for the use of the soldiers in Lingju County, everyone still stayed in the county seat temporarily at the insistence of the senior craftsmen led by Li Jiangtou.

Nowadays, the county seat is in a state of closed doors even during the day. When he was adding to the county seat before, Li Yanzhi by the way asked those auxiliaries who were free laborers to dig a moat around the county seat. Now that the thieves are approaching Lingju, he forced the auxiliary soldiers to expand this deep pool. Dig it wider and deeper.

When Xin Yan heard that the county soldiers had returned, the baggage convoy that had been postponed was raided by the captive cavalry, and he also changed color when he heard it. Previously, Li Yanzhi sent back the war report and suggested that he should evacuate the households in the county. He used almost all the manpower available in the county to reluctantly move more than 1,000 households in the county. Now, if the captives appear and plunder, even if the county soldiers are dispatched in a dozen or so miles of the county, it will not be enough to move all these households in a hurry.

Li Yanzhi had no better way to deal with this urgent situation, and after thinking hard, he had to let some of his cavalry put on leather jackets and hats, pretend to be captives, and burn several haystacks that were piled up by the households around the neighborhood to be used as fuel and fodder. The flames reflected the frightened faces of the households. Then he ordered the cavalry to appear "at the right time" and drive away the "invaders" who burned the residents' haystacks.

After this kind of self-written and self-staged drama was staged several times, the panic in the suburbs of Juxian County also spread. Li Yanzhi sent out nearly 1,000 auxiliary soldiers who had not yet been incorporated into the regular army to "guide" the villagers in various villages to evacuate in an orderly manner. After witnessing the attack on the perimeter of their homestead by the captives, the inhabitants barely allowed the auxiliaries to use coercive means, and obediently packed up their food and soft food, and set out on the road north to avoid disaster.

However, a day later, the farthest away from the county seat, close to the side of Yongdeng County, there was still bad news. This bad news was reported to Li Yanzhi after the Lingju cavalry who went out to reconnoiter and returned to the county seat. More than 200 households in the whole mile were slaughtered by captives, and no chickens and dogs were left. The rations that the inhabitants had hidden in their homes were also gone, apparently as trophies for the thieves to hunt in the jungle.

When Li Yanzhi heard the report, his mood was even more sad. He tried to stay ahead of the enemy in everything, and he did his best to do so. However, in the end, it is always because of the slight deviation between the plan and the reality that everything ends up falling behind.

The incident of the attack on the villagers under his rule also sounded the alarm for Li Yanzhi. So he found Tao Heng, and in a fit of anger, he sent all the more than 300 cavalry soldiers under his command to inspect the various miles under his rule. Under the support of nearly 1,000 auxiliary soldiers, the villagers marched north one after another, and gradually formed a flow of people dozens of miles long in the county. Along the way, the crying of babies and the noisy quarrels of women were incessant.

The cavalry members of the Lingju were divided into teams and patrolled for several miles, and as soon as they encountered the enemy, they retreated, and sent people to inform their friends and neighbors to support each other. In the few days that covered the retreat of the people to the north, the cavalry had already fought seven or eight outpost battles with the captives. Both sides hurt each other. However, it is still the familiar terrain and the smooth flow of information that gives the cavalry the upper hand. Through the tacit coordination between the teams, they can always form a situation of fighting more and less against the captives in the local area. After the setback, the thieves and sentinels were often stagnant, so they also gained a little more precious time for Lingju County to prepare for war.

By the time the main force of the Zhao army and a large number of foot soldiers who were cannon fodder smuggled across the river and arrived at the border of Lingju County, it was already ten days later. Liu Yin didn't understand the truth of the speed of the soldiers, but the sentinels who were sent to cross the river in advance did not get any advantage under the strict fortification of the Lingju cavalry, and received a report that the people of Lingju County had begun to move, and they knew that their whereabouts had probably been detected. He built a fort near the left side of Caohan, waited for the arrival of the grain and grass to be transported, and then crossed the river with it, and then drove north.

According to the feedback from the sentry cavalry, the Lingju County in front of him had only about 2,000 soldiers, and although the whereabouts of his troops had been detected in advance, no army had yet approached him to help. This paradoxical situation also made Liu Yin have to act cautiously. After all, under the current situation, the 20,000 people he led are almost the only military presence of Liu Zhao in the Longxi region. Now there is tension between the eastern front and Shi Zhao, if he loses 20,000 people, the land of Longxi will be in danger.

In short, under the situation that all parties have their own evil intentions, the quiet Lingju began to gradually become the center of the storm. Li Yanzhi, who was standing at the head of the city to supervise military affairs, did not know that the center he was in would become the key point of this war. Since Wugong Zhang Liang entered Liangzhou, the Zhang family has ruled Liangzhou for more than 20 years. However, the land west of Hexi, on which Liangzhou depends, is still the first time that foreign forces have set foot in it.

The reason for this is that the defeat of Woganling in the eleventh year and last month has caused several losses to the elite troops directly under the Assassin Mansion that the Zhang clan relied on to dominate Hexi. The weakness of the military presence is bound to make the invading enemy less worried. Just as Liu Yin is only 20,000 people today, he has dared to cross the river and go straight to the territory of Liangzhou. Even the soldiers pointed directly at Guangwu! Guangwu Ruoke, then Gu Zang is almost in the bag, Liu Yin took a risk, and it was this great credit that he fought.

With the relocation of households in Lingju County, the streets of Lingju are almost empty. Li Yanzhi gathered almost all the troops he could gather in the city at this moment. There are 200 ironclad infantry soldiers in the front battalion, 300 cavalry soldiers in the cavalry battalion, more than 160 infantry soldiers in the old battalion, and 210 crossbowmen. There are more than 800 pioneer battalions adapted from auxiliary troops, and more than 400 Han Pu troops who have been contained. There are also more than 1,000 auxiliaries.

After calculating, he has worked hard in Lingju for about four years, and now when he is facing a battle against the city, the military force he can mobilize is these 3,000 soldiers. Although they vary in composition, there is also a large age difference. Not to mention combat experience. Most of the nearly 1,000 veteran battalion soldiers who have been handed down since the beginning have participated in several tragic battles under Jincheng in the past 11 years. Now these old battalion soldiers, when they are faced with such a solemn battle array, they have already looked like they are looking at each other.

And the defeated soldiers of Han Pu's department who were contained here had a panicked look on everyone. The strength of the thieves and the nightmare of Woganling have long formed a lingering shadow in their hearts. Many of the routs these days wanted to take the opportunity to escape, but without exception, they were all tied up and lost by the sentry riders wandering outside.

However, what deeply disturbed these soldiers was that Li Yanzhi did not say that he would correct them on the spot to enforce military discipline, nor did he say that he would lenient them. They were just imprisoned in the deep dungeons of the camp. Meals are also provided daily. Whatever the camp eats, these routs who can't escape eat. No one knows what kind of calculation he has in mind. Just as all the soldiers who tried to escape were all tied up and captured in the same way, no one ever escaped.

As a result, the soldiers simply died. stayed in Lingju every day and ate and waited for death. Anyway, the worst outcome is to die here. Many people have experienced such a toss, but they have seen a lot. When it comes to death, many people have died almost once in Woganling before. To this day, I don't know how much I have earned. It's better to be outside than to stay in a cold, damp dungeon.

However, today, this Lingju County Sima patrolled the city with a serious face. After him, there were more than a dozen ironclad foot soldiers with knives in armor, escorting the routs who had tried to escape through the streets. Seeing that the former Tongze was pulled out of the street at this time, the remaining routs also seemed to understand something. Many people looked at them, and there was already a sigh in their hearts.

After escorting these deserters in front of the battalions for a while, Li Yanzhi had already climbed the city tower, looked at the few people who were escorted by the ironclad soldiers under the city tower, opened his mouth and slowly ordered: "Behead the sacrifice flag!" ”

As soon as the words fell, a sword flash flashed under the city. In an instant, more than a dozen bloody human heads had been hung on the flagpole on the side. Looking at the heads of those who were still dripping blood, the soldiers of the various battalions gathered in the city were all silent.

"Those who escaped before the battle, slash! Those who fear the enemy and avoid the war, slash! Mistaken fighters, slash! Those who do not obey the order will be killed! ”

Li Yanzhi on the city tower roared four slashes with an expressionless face. The armies below were silent. Dou Tong, who was at the forefront of the cavalry camp, looked at Li Yanzhi on the city tower, and suddenly had an illusion, feeling that the familiar figure on the city tower was so strange at this time.

"When the great war came, we, as soldiers, should defend the land against the enemy. The enemy is menacing, I am outnumbered, if I don't hold the heart of death, I am afraid it will be difficult to survive! ”

Li Yanzhi looked at the several large and small phalanxes gathered in the city with a solemn face, but his tone was as smooth and calm as before: "You must not be lucky, you can survive by retreating and escaping!" Today, the enemy has advanced here, and we will abandon the order without a fight; Tomorrow, the enemy will approach Guangwu, and we will abandon Guangwu without a fight; The day after tomorrow, the enemy will be close to Guzang, and we will abandon Guzang without a fight...... If the enemy comes, I retreat, and I don't know where we can go in the future. ”

At this time, Liu Jiwu was sitting on a bed of Hu placed in front of the camp general, and through the towering watchtower at the camp wall, the impassioned young face on the city tower could be vaguely seen.

"If the heavens are not favored, Lingju will be our grave! As the commander of the residence, I must be the first to set an example. Whenever there is a war, I will be with you on the tower, and if you see me retreating, all you can punish me! I didn't retreat and the kings retreated, and the back team cut the front team! Will abandon the army and leave, beheaded! The army abandoned the generals and left, and they were all killed! ”

An invisible, heavy atmosphere spread. Li Yanzhi's words on the city tower were in their ears, and these soldiers under the city knew that it was indeed an unprecedented critical moment, and there was no room for falsehood above the battle array. Only by destroying the enemy can we survive.

"Lift to the front!" Li Yanzhi beckoned in the direction of the front camp. Immediately, Zhou Xing pressed the knife in his left hand and led more than ten soldiers to carry more than ten large boxes placed in front of the battle to the bottom of the city tower. Then he turned around and hurried back into the formation.

"Open!" With Li Yanzhi's drinking order. The guards on the left and right sides of the city gate stepped forward quickly and opened the lids of the more than ten boxes. When the lids of these boxes were opened, the copper coins, treasures, jewels, and so on contained in the boxes were all presented to the assembled army.

In the various phalanxes under the city tower, there was already a sound of admiration. With so many treasures suddenly appearing in front of them, the generals of the various teams almost forgot that Sima on the city tower before was still reprimanding military discipline with a blank face. However, in the face of this rare warm atmosphere, Li Yanzhi did not immediately speak out to stop it.

After a long while, waiting for the atmosphere in the field to gradually return to cold, Li Yanzhi looked around at the soldiers of each battalion who had gathered, and said in a slow tone: "These are all the treasures in the treasury of the county government, and I have agreed with Xinming Mansion that this time we will live according to the order, and life and death are all on the line." If we wait for victory in the future, I will be the master and reward the armies with these goods! And if we all die here, these goods will be used to give us pensions! So that we can still enjoy a rich life and worry-free food and clothing! ”

After a long time, there was a dead silence in the field where the three thousand soldiers had gathered. The soldiers all raised their eyes to look at the man on the city tower, and looked at Sima who usually got along with them day and night. No one knows whether they will be able to stand in the world after this treacherous war is over. It's just Sima Fangcai's words that almost dispelled their last concerns.

"The officers and soldiers of each battalion handed over the roster to General Liu Bairen! Liu Bairen will bring these goods, and Tao Bairen will lead 200 cavalry to escort him. When the war is over, if I am still there, then I will give a reward and a pension, and if I go with you, then Liu Bairen will give a pension! ”

"Defend this city with all the kings today, and look forward to the coming day, I can meet the rich and noble kings, and drink and talk!" With tears in his eyes, Li Yanzhi finished his last sentence. With a wave of his big hand, the flag danced and the trumpet sounded. The battalions dispersed one after another, and began their final stage of preparation.

Liu Jiwu was carried into the carriage by several soldiers. More than 10 boxes of goods were also loaded into the car. Tao Heng led more than 200 cavalry to escort Liu Jiwu, who had not recovered from his injuries, and more than ten boxes of goods, and slowly set foot on the road out of the city.

Liu Jiwu lifted the curtain and looked at the big camp gate that was getting smaller and smaller in his sight, and tears had unconsciously wet his eyes. He looked back and saw Tao Heng on the side, staring at him silently.

Liu Jiwu wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then looked at Tao Heng on the side, and asked, "Tao Bairen, what are the chances of Li Sima winning this battle?" ”

Tao Heng was silent, rode his horse for a long time, and then said in an inaudible voice: "General Liu Bairen, you and Sima have known each other for several years, don't you know what Sima meant?" ”

"There is no chance of winning...... Liu Jiwu muttered in his mouth: "Sima's three thousand have all been abandoned!" ”