As analyzed by Gao Gan, Deputy Director Tao is of course greedy for the north quickly, because sending troops outside is not a joke, not counting the two partial divisions of Zang Ba and Hou Cheng, just the 120,000 main forces led by Deputy Director Tao, at least 8,000 pieces of military food will be consumed every day! That's it, not counting the other expenses such as people's rations, road wear and tear, and war horse concentrate!

The consumption is so huge, although Xuzhou is rich, and the land controlled by Deputy Director Tao is already vast, but affected by the production technology, productivity, road traffic and means of transportation in this era, such consumption is still a very heavy burden for the Xuzhou Army, and Deputy Director of Iron Rooster Tao is secretly distressed, I just want to destroy Yuan Tan in one day, set Jizhou in two days, level the Huns in three days, and unify the three northern states in four days!

The ideal is very plump, the reality is very skinny, just because of the unexpected cold winter, the main force of Xuzhou wasted nearly two months on the battlefield of Yecheng, plus the time spent on the main force of Handan and Youzhou, the Xuzhou army actually took more than two months to achieve half of the established tactical purpose, using Zhangshui to block all the breakthrough roads of Yuan Tan's army, as for when the final goal of the established tactics can be achieved, take off the head of Yuan Tan Gongzi, and lay a solid foundation for quickly pacifying the three northern states, That's the answer that no one knows.

Deputy Director Tao didn't know when he would be able to take off Yuan Tangongzi's head, because Deputy Director Tao didn't know how much food there was in Yecheng and how much time Yuan Tanjun could support, but judging from the situation explained by Yuan Jun's generals, this is definitely not a problem for optimism. Because the grain stock in Yecheng is relatively abundant, at least enough for 30,000 Yuan Tan troops for two months, and then in the process of breaking through the siege, although there were losses, but the number of defenders in the city has also been greatly reduced, and the necessary grain and grass expenses have also been sharply reduced, coupled with the civilian grain stocks in Yecheng City, Deputy Director Tao preliminarily estimated that if the army wants to survive until Yuan Tan's army runs out of food, the most optimistic estimate will take at least three months!

Although the Xuzhou army can afford to spend such a long time, Deputy Director Tao still feels that such a time is too long. It's also a waste of military spending. Therefore, after severely hitting Yuan Tanjun's breakthrough team again, and basically confirming that Yuan Tanjun had no strength to launch a similar breakthrough operation, Deputy Director Tao began to consider two time-saving strategies, one is to forcibly take the heads of Yecheng and Yuan Tan by force. End the battle of Yecheng as soon as possible. The second is to leave half of the main force trapped in Yecheng. Half of the main force went north to the hinterland of Jizhou and captured various counties in the hinterland of Jizhou.

I was starting to think about it, and it didn't take a few days. Zang Ba's division suddenly sent someone to send a message, saying that although the self-army successfully took the important town of Zhixindu in Anping County, the northern counties of Anping County were collected by Yuan Shangjun, and at the same time, Yuan Shangjun had also taken the two counties of Bohai and Hejian, uprooted the Yuan Tan henchmen who refused to surrender there, and gathered troops in the area of Raoyang and Anguo, and it seemed that there was an attempt to go north to Youzhou or east to Zhongshan. What made Deputy Director Tao even more unbearable was that Yuan Shang even sent a letter to Zang Ba, asking to negotiate with Zang Ba on the ownership of Anping County, and posed that he wanted Zang Ba to hand over the southern part of Anping.

Considering that the old man still has some loyal courtiers in the three northern states, in order not to let the third brother-in-law be unable to restrain him, Deputy Director Tao immediately ordered the defenders of Handan, and ordered the guard general Cao Xing to immediately release Jiang Qi and Lianjia and others to go north and return to Youzhou, to restrain and persuade Han Heng and Zhao who stayed in Youzhou, so as not to make them quickly fall to Yuan Shang, and then divided 10,000 troops to cross Zhangshui, strengthen the defense on the north bank of Zhangshui, and beware of Jiang Qi and Lianjia and others Hu Lai, and then Deputy Director Tao immediately summoned Jia Lao Poison and Liu Ye and other accomplices and lackeys, Discuss the division of troops to attack the hinterland of Jizhou.

To the surprise of Deputy Director Tao, Jia Lao Poison, Liu Ye and Xun Chen and other strategists were opposed to dividing the main army to the north at this time, Xun Chen, who was extremely familiar with the internal situation in Jizhou, analyzed: "In Chen's opinion, our army is now dividing troops to go north to attack the hinterland of Jizhou, and it is indeed not difficult to seize a large area of land and cities, but the supply of grain and grass is a big problem. Second, now is the time when the green and yellow are not available, the grain stocks in the hinterland of Jizhou have been exhausted, but the new grain has not yet matured, and our army cannot take grain on the spot, so it can only rely on the rear to supply. ”

"The third reason is the most critical." Xun Chen added: "Jizhou is developed by water, and our army's grain and grass can be transported to every important town in Jizhou through water, but the two major rivers in Jizhou, Zhangshui and Qinghe, are in a north-south direction, and the rest of the rivers are west-east, from west to east into Zhangshui and Qinghe, which means that if our army wants to ensure smooth shipping, it must take control of Zhangshui and Qinghe, but the actual situation is that the lord can look at the map to know, the middle and lower sections of Zhangshui and Qinghe are all under the control of Yuan Shangjun, The confluence of several key major rivers in the central part of Jizhou is also directly threatened by Yuan Shangjun, and under the current situation, how can our army dare to transport grain to the north with confidence? ”

After carefully looking at the map of Jizhou for a long time, Deputy Director Tao quickly lost his spirit like a deflated ball, and said regretfully: "When Yuan Shang was asked to go to the Bohai Sea and Hejian in the northeast of Jizhou, he was really confused, and he should have let Yuan Shang go to the northwest of Jizhou." ”

"Don't be upset." Xun Chen comforted: "Let Yuan Shang entrench in the northeast of Jizhou, although it restricts our army's shipping at present, so that our army can not quickly take the entire territory of Jizhou, but in the long run, there is a big benefit, when our army starts against Yuan Shang, our army only needs to go north along the Zhangshui and Qinghe River, which can not only directly smash Yuan Shang's lair, but also let the grain transport directly downstream, saving time and effort and saving road consumption." ”

Deputy Director Tao nodded weakly, and Liu Ye next to him saw that Deputy Director Tao was in a bad mood, so he also said: "Lord, if you really think that the main force of our army of 100,000 is too wasteful to besiege Yecheng, then in Ye's opinion, the lord might as well increase the troops in Huguan to reinforce Chen Zhi's team, as long as our army takes Huguan, the largest grain producing land in Bingzhou, there will be no danger to defend. ”

Although the Jizhou battlefield is the strategic focus of the Xuzhou Army, it is really a waste to leave the 100,000 main forces in the Yecheng battlefield without moving. Therefore, Deputy Director Tao only made a little calculation, and soon decided to increase the number of troops to the Huguan battlefield by 20,000, led by Lu Mian and Tian Xiang to assist Chen Zhi in attacking Huguan, and also sent the newly surrendered Peng An over, and asked the old man Peng An of Jizhou to persuade Xia Zhao and Deng Sheng, who were stubbornly resisting in Huguan, to surrender and hand over this Bingzhou natural danger.

It was rumored that the generals had arranged the task and arranged the reinforcement team, and Deputy Director Tao was about to continue to discuss with Jia Lao Poison and others how to break through Yecheng quickly, but a herald rushed in outside the tent and said to Deputy Director Tao: "Lord Qi." A person came out of Yecheng. Flying a white flag in his hand came to the front of our army's siege team, claiming to be a subordinate of Yuan Tan, surnamed Chen Minglin and Kong Zhang, and came to send a book and beg for surrender on the order of Yuan Tan. I beg to be received by the Lord. ”

"What?!" Deputy Director Tao, who was drinking tea, squirted out a mouthful of tea. His eyes widened and he shouted in surprise: "Yuan Tan begs to surrender." Yuan Tan is willing to surrender? Is it true or false?! ”

"It's hard to say right now." Jia Lao Poison said: "Although Yuan Tan is now at the end of the road, there is no way to go to heaven and no way to go to earth. Surrender is the only choice for his life, but Yuan Tan is a conceited person, not a person who is willing to live under others, even if it is reasonable to surrender this time, the lord needs to be cautious. ”

Deputy Director Tao nodded, and he didn't dare to easily believe that Yuan Tan would surrender, and then Deputy Director Tao smiled: "Regardless of whether Yuan Tan really surrendered or faked, I met the famous Chen Kongzhang first, and then said, speaking of which, this Chen Kongzhang actually indirectly saved my life, and if he came to ask me to surrender, it would be too ungrateful." After that, Deputy Director Tao immediately ordered a summons, and Jia Lao Poison and Liu Ye and others routinely looked at each other, and they couldn't remember when Chen Lin saved Deputy Director Tao? What is this not evil?!

In a moment, Chen Lin, who had never met with Deputy Director Tao, was led into the tent by the guards, seeing that Chen Lin looked elegant, talked politely, and his attitude towards himself was also respectful from the heart, Deputy Director Tao was also very happy, and was busy ordering someone to sit for Chen Lin, Chen Lin thanked him first, and then immediately took out Yuan Tan's letter of surrender, and said respectfully: "Yu Taiwei, this is the handwritten letter of my lord Yuan Tan, please take a look at it." ”

The guard forwarded the surrender letter to Deputy Director Tao, and Deputy Director Tao did not rush to watch it after taking it, but first smiled at Chen Lin and asked: "Mr. Kong Zhang, your family master has a very high opinion of himself, is there any fraud when he suddenly descends this time?" ”

"Is there a fraud?" Chen Lin, who has a more loyal personality, first took a look, and then arched his hand and said: "Please rest assured that when the lord plans to surrender, although Lin, who has stepped down from the post of lord Bo, is not present, but Lin steals that the lord asks for surrender this time, it must be out of sincerity, Ming Duke leads Zhangshui to besiege the city, the lord has suffered a fiasco several breakthroughs, the water in the city is deep, the army and the people are miserable, the soldiers have no fighting heart, the people have no attachment, the lord has no way to defend the world, in order to survive, it is normal, I hope that the Ming Duke will make a living for the world, and understand the tens of thousands of people in Yecheng, Forgive my lord for his previous wrongs, and accept the surrender of our army. ”

Listening to Chen Lin's sincere tone did not seem to be fake, Deputy Director Tao nodded and stopped talking, but just opened Yuan Tan's handwritten begging book to watch, but to Deputy Director Tao's surprise, Yuan Tan seemed to be really planning to surrender this time to save his life, in addition to scolding himself for killing his stepmother and beasts, not only did he not put forward any additional conditions, but also said that as long as Deputy Director Tao agreed, at the appointed time, he would open the gate of Yecheng, lead the civil and military officials to surrender by themselves, and hand over the letter of the letter to Deputy Director Tao, as well as the defense of Yecheng.

Seeing that there were no conditions attached to Yuan Tan's surrender letter, he tacitly accepted the surrender conditions proposed by Deputy Director Tao before to serve in the Xuchang Dynasty, and waited for death to be a rich man, Deputy Director Tao was overjoyed, and hurriedly handed the surrender letter to Jia Lao Poison and others to read, and then said to Chen Lin: "Mr. Kong Zhang can go and repay Yuan Tan, just say that he sincerely surrenders, don't play tricks, I will spare his life, and then crown him as the general of Zhennan, rank as a liege, and ensure that he is rich and noble for life." ”

"Xie Minggong." Chen Lin hurriedly knelt down to thank him, and said cautiously: "Duke Ming, regarding the surrender, my lord has a small request, and I hope that Duke Ming will approve it." ”

"Say it." Deputy Director Tao smiled and said: "But Mr. Kong Zhang, don't blame me for not giving you face, if you want to beg our army to temporarily fill in the siege trenches, or if you want to ask our army to temporarily retreat a few miles, you don't need to open this mouth." ”

"Ming Gong, please rest assured, my lord does not dare to have such a non-divisive thought." Chen Lin hurriedly shook his head and waved his hand, and said respectfully: "My lord said the truth." When the official crossed the previous time, the Duke of Ming allowed my lord to consider surrendering for a day, but he suddenly sent troops to ...... that night. ”

Deputy Director Tao blushed a little rarely, and said with a smile: "That time is not counted, that time I just promised to give him time to think about it, and I didn't promise not to enter the army during the period he considered, and it is not a remorse to send troops suddenly, but this time I can understand the promise, as long as you surrender sincerely, before the agreed deadline." As long as you don't take the initiative to attack. Our army will never attack Yecheng. ”

"Xie Minggong." Chen Lin thanked him again, and then arched his hand and said, "Duke Ming, in view of the previous incident, my lord took the liberty of it. I want to invite Ming Gong to come to Yecheng City to surrender. and forgive the sins of my lord in public. to show the sincerity of the surrender. ”

"You want me to come to the city and surrender?" Deputy Director Tao was a little suspicious, and said in his heart that he wanted to trick me into the city and shoot me to death with a random arrow, right?

It seems to have seen through Deputy Director Tao's thoughts. Chen Lin took the initiative to say: "Please rest assured that our army will withdraw all the soldiers in the city, and open the doors and windows of the city tower, and set up a viewing platform higher than the city wall outside the city, and ask the soldiers of Ming Gong to come to the stage to monitor." ”

"Really?" Deputy Director Tao was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Then when will you open the city and surrender?" ”

"When our army will open the city and surrender, please decide to the Duke of Ming." Chen Lin replied sincerely.

"Okay, it seems that Yuan Tan doesn't want to play tricks this time." Deputy Director Tao was overjoyed, only thought about it for a while, and decided to go to the south gate of Yecheng at noon the next day to accept Yuan Tan's surrender, and then sealed Chen Lin on the spot to seek sacrificial wine for the Tinghou army.

Finally sent Chen Lin away, and after personally sending Chen Lin out of the camp gate, as soon as he returned to the Chinese army's big tent, Deputy Director Tao asked Jia Lao Poison and others the first thing he wanted: "How is it?" Is it true or false? ”

"As long as nothing happens tonight, it's true." Jia Lao Poison said cautiously: "The lord also sends double the troops to guard the three gates of Yecheng tonight, beware of Yuan Tan breaking through the siege overnight or sending troops to rob the camp, if there is nothing to do tonight, Yuan Tan should really surrender." ”

"I think so too." Xun Chen also said: "Although Yuan Tan asked the lord to come to the city to surrender, but since he said that he would withdraw the troops in the city in advance, open the doors and windows of the city tower, and set up a viewing platform for our soldiers to monitor the movement in the city, this is enough to prove that Yuan Tan did not deceive in this request, but only doubted the lord's credibility, so he begged the lord to personally go to the city to surrender and forgive his sins in public." This arrangement does not look like deception. ”

"So, as long as there is no problem tonight, we will have hope of ending the battle in Yecheng tomorrow?" Deputy Director Tao was overjoyed and said: "If Yuan Tan is really not a cheater and really surrenders Kaicheng, then what's the harm if I spare his life?" Immediately send an order to go down, send double the force to guard the siege trench tonight, if there is nothing to do tonight, I will personally go to the south gate of Yecheng tomorrow to surrender! ”

"No." Several strategists sang the promise together, and then Liu Ye cautiously reminded: "Lord, when you go to surrender, please be sure to bring more soldiers and horses." ”

"Of course." Deputy Director Tao smiled and said, "My brother-in-law's hatred of me is not an ordinary hate, and I won't take it ......lightly until he really puts down his arms." ”

"My lord! Lord! ”

Suddenly an exclamation interrupted Deputy Director Tao's words, and then, our heartthrob Yang Changshi rushed into the big tent with a roll, and shouted and asked before he could salute: "Lord, I heard that you personally sent Yuan Tan's envoy out of the camp just now, Yuan Tan's envoy, did you come to ask for surrender?" ”

"Mr. Zhongming's news is so fast." Deputy Director Tao, who was in a good mood, smiled, and saw that Yang Changshi's clothes were messy, and he didn't even wear the Jinxian crown, as if he had just gotten up from the bed, and couldn't help but smile again: "Why is Mr. Zhongming in such a hurry?" ”

"Lord, don't be fooled! Don't be fooled! Yang Changshi stomped his feet and yelled: "Lord, it is impossible for that Yuan Tan to surrender, it is impossible to surrender!" Don't be fooled! Weichen dared to bet on his head, that Yuan Tan must have surrendered! It must be a scam! ”

"How does Mr. Zhongming know?" Deputy Director Tao hurriedly asked.

"It's ......." Yang Changshi froze, and it took a long time to come up with a reason, and hurriedly said: "Weichen has been to Jizhou several times, and he has dealt with Yuan Tan the most, and he knows that he hates our army to the bone, and you have a grudge against the lord, it is absolutely impossible to surrender to you, and it is absolutely impossible to surrender to you!" So this Yuan Tan can't stay, absolutely can't stay! It has to be killed! It must be killed! ”

"What's the reason for that?" Deputy Director Tao also froze for a moment, and looked Yang Changshi up and down for a moment, Deputy Director Tao suddenly came to his senses and said, "Mr. Zhongming, you oppose me accepting Yuan Tan's surrender, could it be that you are worried that Yuan Tan will really surrender to me, and you will not have a chance to raid his home, right?" ”

"Ahh My lord, ...... you? Yang Changshi, who was told about the central matter, was taken aback, and almost asked Deputy Director Tao how he knew his thoughts, but fortunately, Yang Changshi reacted quite quickly, and immediately shouted injustice: "Lord, you have wronged Weichen to death, how can Weichen interfere with your military decision-making for these trivial things?" Weichen was worried, worried that Yuan Tan would surrender by fraud and deceive our army to take it lightly, and then break through or rob the camp overnight, and repay the revenge of the last Guandu with a tooth for a tooth! ”

"There are times when this money addict is wrong." Deputy Director Tao added in his heart, and then said with a smile: "This point is not reminded by Mr. Lao Zhongming, your friend Mr. Wen He has already reminded him before, and I have also ordered to be strictly vigilant tonight, and will not give Yuan Tan a chance." ”

"Oh? Yes. Yang Changshi, who had a ghost in his heart, was dazed twice, and then hurriedly asked: "Lord, then Weichen dares to ask again, if there is nothing to do tonight, will the lord plan to accept Yuan Tan's surrender?" ”

"Yes." Deputy Director Tao nodded calmly and replied: "If Yuan Tan doesn't play tricks tonight, he will honestly open the city and surrender tomorrow, and I will go to Yecheng City to accept his surrender." ”

Yang Changshi's face immediately became more ugly than crying, but Deputy Director Tao didn't bother to pay attention to this money addict who only cared about his own family and fortune and didn't care about the overall situation, waved his hand and said: "If Mr. Zhongming has nothing else to do, then retreat, I'm going to inspect the camp." ”

"No." Yang Changshi agreed with a sad face, and reluctantly withdrew from the Chinese army's big tent, and there was only one thought in his heart, "Trouble, if Yuan Tan's puppet really surrendered with the Yecheng defenders, wouldn't I have no chance to make a fortune in Yecheng?" In this whole world, the officials in Yecheng are the richest, if they don't copy back the people's fat and people's ointment they snatched from the people, how can I be worthy of the people of Jizhou and myself?! ”

"Oh my God, O earth, what can I do about this? God, I beg you to bless me, for the sake of my Yang Zhongming's usual good deeds and integrity, I must bless Yuan Tan Pifu this time for fraud! Bless Yuan Tan Pifu to send troops to rob the camp tonight, or go out of the city to break through! Please, if you bless me this time, I will definitely kill horses and cattle and sacrifice three animals for you! ”

Destined to disappoint Yang Changshi is that God did not hear his sincere prayer this time, that night, the only movement in Yecheng was to build a five-zhang high viewing platform overnight, except for dozens of soldiers who did not carry weapons with torches, let the Xuzhou soldiers monitor, outside the city 100 steps outside the city to build a viewing platform, there was no abnormal movement, so that the closely guarded Xuzhou soldiers worked hard all night in vain, and also let Yang Changshi, who was looking forward to shouting and killing, look forward to the night in vain.

"No matter what method I think, no matter what means I use, I will also ask Yuan Tan Pifu to be demoted this time! forced the lord to dominate him, and gave me the opportunity to raid the house! At dawn, Yang Changshi swore in his heart with a pair of dark circles under his eyes, gritting his teeth and swearing in his heart! (To be continued......)