"It was all my fault, at that time we should have retreated to Yunzhou instead of continuing the offensive." The person who spoke was Pan Mei, and at this time he no longer had the spirit of the commander of the Song army. At this time, Pan Mei's face was written with endless remorse and despair.

The Song army has been besieged in Yingzhou City for three days, and has fought countless street battles with the Khitan soldiers in the past three days.

……

Let's go back nine days to the city of Datong.

"Captain, the army is ready." Yang Ye reported the situation of the army to Pan Mei.

"Okay, give the order to siege the city."

With Pan Mei's order, the Song army began to attack the city.

Xijing Datong Mansion is really the same as imagined, the city is high and the pool is deep and strong. Due to the consumption of too many siege equipment under the city of Yingzhou, the Song army at this time could only attack the city in the traditional way first.

Ladders, crashes, and all go into battle with no effect.

Datong has always been a military powerhouse, from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the beginning of the construction of the city has been 400 years now, all dynasties have been valued by the authorities, the city wall continues to thicken, the moat continues to widen. So far, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is the first fortified city on the Loess Plateau.

"Captain, it seems that our attack didn't work." Yang Ye watched our army's attack blocked, although he had already expected this kind of scene, but he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

"I know, change the equipment." Pan Mei also knew that the traditional method would definitely not be able to take it, so she could only use new equipment to give it a go.

After replacing the "artillery" and bed crossbow, the situation has not changed, and the defense capability of Datong City and Yingzhou are simply two different concepts.

Yingzhou City can only be described as tofu scum in front of Datong.

At this moment, neither the bed crossbow nor the "artillery" could shake the city of Datong in the slightest, and all the shells or arrows smashed on the city wall had no other effect except smoke and dust.

Seeing this scene in front of him, the momentum of the entire Song army was hit like never before, and the "artillery" and bed crossbow that had established miraculous feats in Yingzhou before were useless when they arrived under Datong City.

The long-term campaign outside has made the Song army feel physically and mentally exhausted, and the reality at this moment is like a basin of ice water, completely extinguishing all the will to fight.

Pan Mei, who was commanding the battle from a distance, also saw this scene and reluctantly gave the order to withdraw the troops.

……

"Song Jun really retreated, how long will we have to play here?" After seeing that the Song army temporarily withdrew its troops, Yelu leaned and asked Yelumo.

"At least for two more days, we have to give the Song army a little more hope, and then tie them firmly under Xijing City, wear out their last morale, and then push them to hell." This can be regarded as Yelumo's revenge for Zhao Weiji not being here.

"Then let the group go."

……

That night, the Song army tent twenty miles south of Datong City.

"Shall we retreat, Captain. Today's incident is really too big a blow to morale, and I'm afraid that something will happen if it drags on. "Today's battle situation makes Yang Ye not see a little hope.

"I know it too, but I'm still unwilling, it's so easy to hit here, I'm not willing to withdraw like this." Although they knew that the battle situation was like this, Pan Mei was still unwilling, because if they won Datong, they would become the biggest winners of this Northern Expedition.

"But ......." Just as Yang Ye was about to continue to say something, two soldiers came in from outside the tent, as well as a stranger who was escorted by them.

"What is this?" The person in front of me, Pan Mei, had never seen it, and I didn't know what the situation was.

"This person claims to be a member of the Han family in Datong City, and says that he can help us take Datong City." One of the soldiers explained.

"Oh, that's interesting, let's hear it." Pan Mei was worried about how to capture Datong City at this time, and she couldn't help but be interested in such a person.

"The villain's surname is Xue, and he is a member of the Xue clan of Datong Hedongtang, and he came to meet the general on the order of the patriarch, hoping to help the general seize Datong City."

"General Yang, you see?" Pan Mei turned her head and asked Yang Ye to arrive.

Because Yang Ye, the general of the original Northern Han Dynasty, has lived in this area for a long time, he should have a certain understanding of the wang clan in this area.

"Back to Taiwei, the Xue clan in Hedong is a famous family in the area of Taiyuan Mansion, and it is not very strange that they have branches in Datong, but we have to ask if this person is reliable."

Turning his head, Yang Ye asked the person who claimed to be from the Xue clan: "What is the couplet of your ancestral ancestral hall?" ”

The man replied without thinking about it: "The upper link is comparable to the three phoenixes, and the lower link is the same name as the five jun." ”

Shangliandian refers to Xue Wujing, a native of Fenyin in the Tang Dynasty, who was as famous as his uncle Xue Shui and his brother Xue Deyin when he was a teenager, and was known as the "Three Phoenixes of Hedong" at that time. The next Liandian refers to Xue Jian, a native of Zhuyi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, with a long word, honest and simple, and a lofty instrument, and Ji Zhan, Min Hong, Gu Rong, and He Xun were as famous as Ji Zhan, Min Hong, Gu Rong, and He Xun when he was a teenager, and was known as "Wujun".

This is indeed a couplet that only the Xue ancestral hall will have, so that most of Pan Mei and Yang Ye's doubts will be dispelled.

"Why do you Xue Clan want to help me capture Datong City?"

"Our Xue clan is originally a Han family, and it is a great shame to suffer from the rule of the Khitans. The patriarch was very happy to learn that the Taiwei Shuai Wang Shi arrived under the city of Datong, but he couldn't help but feel anxious when he saw that the Wang Shi was hindered by the Khitan, so he sent the villain to quietly go out of the city to contact the Taiwei, and our Xue clan will do internal response in the city. ”

Pan Mei was very happy when she heard this, so she asked this person to go back to the city and tell the patriarch that they would attack the city in Chenshi, so that the Xue clan could prepare.

The next day. The Song army began to attack the city as promised.

But even as they began to siege the city, there was no sign of the gates opening. While Pan Mei was still wondering, Yelu appeared on top of the tower.

"Pan Mei, are you still waiting for this person to be your internal response?" After speaking, Jerod waved his hand obliquely, and asked a person to hang down from the city.

This person was none other than the Xue clan from last night.

Pan Mei couldn't help but be shocked when she saw the man, but then Yelu's words made him settle down a little.

"This man was captured by my men when he returned to the city last night, and you actually expect such a person to help you open the city gates? Are you naïve, Pan Mei? ”

From Yelu Xianzhen's words, Pan Mei could be sure that this person did not confess the entire Xue clan, but stopped the whole thing on himself. Pan Mei couldn't help but have infinite respect for this person at this moment.

But at this time, this person appeared on the head of the city, which meant that Neiying must be gone, so in desperation, Pan Mei had to order to stop the siege.

……

On that night, Pan Mei's military camp had a new guest. is still a member of the Xue clan.

"I beg the captain to avenge my son." At this time, kneeling under the tent was a middle-aged man in his forties.

"Righteous people, please." Pan Mei helped the kneeling man up.

"The one who was hung at the head of the city today is my son Xue Mingyu, my name is Xue Xingshun, and I am the current patriarch of the Xue family. We originally wanted to serve the Taiwei army as an internal response, but how did we know that my son was so careless that he was captured by the Khitan. Fortunately, the second son was resolute and did not confess to my entire Xue clan. But he still lost his surname. We are fully prepared this time, but we still hope that the captain will send a general to accompany me into the city to assist us. ”

Seeing that the Xue family was so dedicated, Pan Mei no longer had any doubts at this time, and immediately sent Yang Erlang to Datong City with Xue Xingshun.

On the third day, the Song army began to attack the city as usual, but this time not only did the city gate not open, but countless Khitan cavalry suddenly appeared from around Datong City and directly surrounded the Song army.

"Ha, ha, ha, Pan Mei, you have completely fallen for the trick." At this time, Yelu Xian appeared on the head of the city, not only him, but also the Xue family and his son.

"I knew that you were unwilling, so I coerced the Xue family to help me act in such a play. You come and see who this is. Then Jerod hung a human head.

As soon as Pan Mei saw this head, she immediately spit out a mouthful of blood, and Yang Ye next to her fainted directly. This human head is Yang Erlang's.

In fact, this is a bitter plan, first send a disciple of the Han family in the city to contact you to attack the city, the first time Pan Mei will definitely be suspicious.

The facts also confirmed Yelumo's suspicion, although Pan Mei came to attack the city for the first time, he had reservations. So there was the scene at the head of the city yesterday.

Then the patriarch of the Xue clan came to Pan Mei again under the banner of avenging his son, and Pan Mei must have basically disappeared his doubts at this time, and when he attacked the city again, he would definitely put all the troops of the Song army into the battlefield without reservation.

The Song army, which was dispatched by the whole army, completely fell into the trap of the Khitan and was completely besieged to death under the city of Datong.

"Do you know why you fell for the scheme, it's not that you're not smart enough, it's that you want this Datong City too much, ** blinds your judgment, and it will also ruin the lives of these hundreds of thousands of Song soldiers." Then Jerumo came out.

"Let's do it." With the order of Yelu Xuan, the Khitan soldiers who surrounded the Song army began to attack.

"Impossible, all your troops should be in Datong City, how can there be so many soldiers surround us?" Pan Mei still didn't believe the facts in front of him at this time, because he had been sending people to keep an eye on the four gates of Datong City, and he shouldn't have so many soldiers dispatched without him knowing at all.

The Khitan iron cavalry in front of him was naturally the cavalry sent by Empress Dowager Xiao to assist Yelu Xian, and they had not entered the city, but were stationed in Taiyuan City, waiting for this moment.

"You don't need to know this, you just need to know that today is your death." After saying that, Jerod gave another order.

Immediately afterwards, I saw that the gate of Datong was opened, and countless cavalry rushed out of the city.

Seeing that there were still so many cavalry in Datong City, Pan Mei completely lost her last hope.

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