The barbarian, who succeeded Mipo Tulei as the commander of the slave army, was the uncle of little Zijin, and after the death of Wu Liqiha, the Eagle Altar stole the position of chief. Barbarian refused to accept it, and led his troops to fight with him for many years, so that his left eye was injured by a stray arrow, and after Xiao Qijin was elected as the leader, he appointed Manle as Da Guanglu (equivalent to the prime minister).

After taking charge of the slave army, he changed the strategy of Mipu Tulei to lure the enemy into battle, and changed it to a direct siege of the city, he chose a relatively low section of the city wall in the north city, and divided the 4,000 slave army into 16 squads, taking turns to attack the city. The slave army is equipped with battering rams and city breakers, both weapons are very damaging to the earthen wall, and unlike ordinary armies, the generals of the slave army have no mercy for the soldiers, in their eyes the soldiers are the same as pigs and dogs, and the status is lower than that of the war horses in the army, and the soldiers have gradually identified themselves as slaves in the long-term subtle process.

During the siege of the city, the soldiers of the slave army were completely a group of walking corpses, not afraid of life and death, and they were indomitable, which is not to say that the soldiers of the slave army were dull and dull, but in fact, the soldiers of the slave army had a very high tactical cultivation. The defenders of Fengzhou did their best, and they didn't think about going to the city to command and supervise the battle. The corpses of the slave soldiers piled up huge mounds beneath the city, but the walls were finally breached. The soldiers who seemed to be the walking dead suddenly turned into hungry wolves and tigers with agility, rushing into the city through the gap in groups......

Seeing that the city was about to be breached, a strange scene suddenly appeared - the slave army suddenly stopped attacking the city.

The destruction of Fengzhou City was only in an instant, and more than half of the 5,000 defenders had already been lost, and three of the four main forces attacking the city have not moved so far! When the victory and defeat have been divided, the relationship between Meng Bochang and Xiao Qijin has undergone subtle changes.

Xiao Qijin is a guest army invited by Meng Bochang to help in the battle, according to the prior agreement that the guest army is not allowed to enter the city after breaking the city, and Fengzhou City is handed over to the Tiande army to garrison. In return, Meng Bochang was to give half of the wealth obtained from the destruction of the city to Xiao Qijin, and to restore the silk horse trade on the border (which was actually an unequal trade). But now the problem is that the slave army has paid huge casualties in order to break the city, and the main general Mipu Tulei has even died because of it, while the Feng'an army is suspected of letting go of the local generals and has reneged on the original agreement.

The generals in the forest called on Xiao Qijin to negotiate with Meng Bochang, and the two families entered the city at the same time, and took Fengzhou East and West Street as the boundary to implement partition occupation. Xiao Qijin couldn't convince the generals, and his authority was not enough to ignore public opinion and act arbitrarily, so he had to go to Meng Bochang's tent to discuss the matter in person. Meng Bochang used a "drag" trick on this matter, and Xiao Qijin came to the door three times in a row, but there was no actual progress.

Meng Bochang's delay and Xiao Qijin's efforts were in vain, which made the generals in the middle of Lin very dissatisfied, and some people openly shouted that they would break with the Tiande army and attack the city by themselves. Some people even advocated closing the four gates after breaking the city to prevent the Tiande army from entering the city.

Yang Hao was very anxious about this matter, Meng Bochang and he both expected in advance that after the city was broken, the two families would have a dirty relationship, and even swords and soldiers would meet. For this reason, he was even ready to fight in the middle of the forest. But at this time the situation is much more complicated than originally thought, although the city of Fengzhou is broken, don't think about the left army of Tiande is still in the city, roughly estimated that there are two or three thousand people, if the two families turn their faces, Fengzhou City has become a three-legged situation, the result is that the expedition is fruitless, in vain, but also left a huge hidden danger.

And in response to Lin Zhongzhong's request, the two divisions occupied Fengzhou, and with his toes, he could imagine that Lin Zhongzhong would unceremoniously loot half of Fengzhou City: "The children's jade silk swept north." ”

The purpose of recovering Fengzhou was to remove its own threat and quell the war, but if it brought ruin to the people in the city, what was the point of sending troops in the first place?

Just when Yang Hao was in a dilemma, the tent came to report that there was a secret envoy in Fengzhou City asking to see him, and after Yang Hao was stunned for a while, he ordered someone to invite the secret envoy in.

The person who came was in his forties, with a round neck and a purple robe, and a fish bag hanging from his waist. As soon as he walked into the military tent, he bowed to Yang Hao and said: "The general of the defeated army, Liu Wei, will meet the general at night, and please ask Haihan to disturb the place." ”

Yang Hao was taken aback, hurriedly bowed and replied, and instructed Guan Suo: "Without my order, no one is allowed to enter the account." ”

Liu Wei's late-night visit made Yang Hao both puzzled and shocked, Fengzhou City was about to be broken, and it was expected that the generals in the city would secretly communicate with each other for their future livelihoods, even if they didn't think about sending people to negotiate, it was not worth making a fuss. But standing in front of him is a generation of famous general Liu Wei, an idler who seems to have nothing to do with Fengzhou, how can he not let Yang Hao have some strange thoughts in his heart?

"The city of Fengzhou is about to be broken, and Mr. has thought of a way out." As soon as Liu Wei sat down, Yang Hao asked unceremoniously. Liu Wei's current name, a town's festival envoy, Yang Hao deliberately did not call him an official position, but he was called a gentleman, which made Liu Wei secretly surprised.

Liu Wei smiled slightly, took a sip of fragrant tea and asked Yang Hao: "Can the general think about which of the two of you will enter the city first?" ”

"What does that gentleman have to teach you?" Liu Wei's words hit the key point, and Yang Hao suddenly felt respect.

"Don't dare to teach. However, if it is not my race, its heart will be different, and the general must not be guarded against. Liu Wei said this coldly, and seeing that Yang Hao's face showed a look of surprise and approval, he changed his words: "The dispute between the two of them is my internal affairs of the Tang Dynasty, and it is understandable to use tactics to make Lin Zhongzhong help in the war." But if the Uighurs were allowed to enter the city and slaughter the people...... The general may be at ease? ”

Yang Hao was shocked, and the last sentence hit the sore spot in his heart. Collusion with Gentiles to slaughter their own compatriots, isn't this the legendary traitor and traitor?!

"Then ask sir, where should the juniors go?" Liu Wei's words woke up Yang Hao, and the fog that lingered in his heart suddenly disappeared.

When Liu Wei heard this, he put down the tea bowl in his hand unhurriedly, and said: "Don't think about the general's willingness to sacrifice the city under his feet, I just ask the general to let him live and let him return to Zhenwu with me." ”

Yang Hao sneered: "The old gentleman has such a big face! Don't think about how Mr. used to subdue him, and how to persuade Dugu Chang to give up the Zhenwu Army. ”

Liu Wei heard his implicit sarcasm, but he didn't take it to heart at all: "The old man is like duckweed, he has lost his family and has no roots, how can he convince the famous generals of Saibei?" It was only a matter of showing him a way out of his conscience so that he would be willing to follow it. As for Dugu Chang, he is already a person who has fallen into the well, Zhenwujun has become a prison for him, and the old man is in prison for him, so he is naturally happy to give up Zhenwujun. ”

Yang Hao laughed and said, "The more the old general talks, the more interesting it becomes, what clear path did you point out to Bei Si so that he would follow you willingly?" ”

Liu Wei said: "Does General Yang really want to hear it?" Yang Hao nodded.

Liu Wei said: "I can't take it out when I hear this." ”

Yang Hao said: "My two ears are connected, if you don't want to listen, go in from the left ear and out of the right ear." ”

Liu Wei smiled: "Then I'll say it." Oh, let's have another cup of Dongting silver needles, slightly thicker, Liu Wei is a rough person, and he loves to drink good tea. ”

Guan Suo brought tea in, Liu Wei took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and asked Yang Hao: "You must have heard about the imperial court's withdrawal and annexation of the three cities of Fengzhou." Yang Hao nodded.

"Let's start here, in the eyes of General Yang and General Meng, the imperial court, oh, to put it simply, is Qiu Shiliang, his purpose in withdrawing and annexing the three cities is nothing more than to seize the two real powers, provoke the three cities to fight, open the door for Shuo Fang to enter the Hetao, and get rid of the two generals under the pretense of Shuofang Wang Chongwen. What the old man said is accurate. Yang Hao nodded silently.

"This is Qiu Shiliang's first intention."

"The first intent? Does he have a second purpose? ”

Liu Wei nodded, "His second intention is to take the opportunity of weakening Fengzhou to take Hedong into his own hands, and this is the real purpose of his deployment of this bureau." ”

Seeing Yang Hao's puzzled face, Liu Wei explained with a smile: "Hedong and Hetao are far apart, and there are Zhenwujun and Wang Qian in the middle, and the two seem to have nothing to do with each other. In fact, otherwise, Hetao, Wang Qian, and Zhenwujun are lined up in a row, guarding the northern frontier of the Tang Dynasty, and the three forces are between Bozhong, and no one can eat anyone. I believe the general also agrees with the old man's assertion, right? ”

Yang Hao said: "Sir, please continue." ”

"But compared to behemoths like Shuofang and Hedong, the three of you are not opponents even if they are combined. If the Hetao falls into the hands of Shuofang, it will inevitably arouse the vigilance of Hedong, and Liu Qingling will inevitably send troops north to seize the Zhenwu army and the military fortress of Zhuchengchi where Wang Qian is based. ”

Yang Hao still didn't understand when he heard this, and asked in a daze: "Doing this will only make the strong stronger, what does it have to do with Qiu Shiliang's control of Hedong." ”

Liu Wei smiled and continued: There is a dispute between Li Zaiyi and Liu Qingling within Hedong, and a dispute between Wang Chongwen and the Tang clan within Shuofang. In order to overwhelm their opponents, they are each looking for foreign help, who else can meddle in the housework of the two strong today? Is it the general you? Is it me? Neither. ”

Yang Hao suddenly understood that this was Qiu Shiliang's strategy to use the Hetao as bait to induce the two powerhouses to compete and profit from it. The more fierce the two families fight, the more they ask for him. However, Shuofang Wang Chongwen is justifiably taking over the power, although his grandmother Tang is constrained everywhere, but in the final analysis, it is all a family, Qiu Shiliang can provoke and use it, but if he wants to meddle in the control, I am afraid that no one will agree.

Hedong is different, Hedong is the land of Longxing in the Tang Dynasty, and Guanzhong and Heluo have always been regarded as the heart of the imperial court. The influence of the imperial court on Hedong was far stronger than that of Shuofang, and in order to prevent the secession of Hedong, several generations of emperors carefully arranged to let the Hedong Jiedu envoy and the northern capital stay to supervise and contain each other.

Supporting one faction to defeat the other faction and dominate Hedong is not to say that it is absolutely impossible, but it is not easy to operate. Taiyuan Mansion is the place where Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, raised troops, known as the northern capital, and has a very special status in the court. Hedong Jiedu envoy had nearly 100,000 troops, rejecting the Uighurs, Murwei and Khitan in the north, and connecting the Central Plains in the south, which was the gateway to Heluo and Guanzhong, and played a pivotal role in the towns of Hebei.

Although the two powerhouses are fighting endlessly, they still need a fire to tear off their faces and fight.

This fire was to induce Liu Qingling to send troops to attack Zhenwu Army and Wang Qian. Although the place where Wang Qian and Zhenwujun were located was barren and desolate, and there was no oil and water to squeeze, the location was urgent, guarding the northeast gate of the river. The reason why Liu Qingling was able to tolerate the two was mainly because the two were weak and did not pose an actual threat to themselves. Moreover, the two places are also the front line of border defense, which can serve as a useful buffer between Hedong and the Uighurs, Khitans and other departments.

What is certain is that if there are no major changes, Liu Qingling is very willing to see the existence of this buffer zone.

Qiu Shiliang's strategy was to use Wang Chongwen to force Liu Qingling to make a move. Once the three cities of Hetao fell into the hands of Wang Chongwen, Wang Qian and the Zhenwu army were difficult to preserve, Liu Qingling never wanted to see the north gate of Hetong fall into the hands of a strong enemy, he was bound to send troops to solve Wang Qian and Dugu Chang before Wang Chongwen started, and held the north gate of Hedong in his own hands.

The problem is here, Wang Qian is Li Zaiyi's old friend, Li Zaiyi's niece is the wife of Wang Qian's younger brother Wang Ben, and Dugu Chang accepted a protégé post from Li Zaiyi, and the two have long been regarded by Li Zaiyi as his own people. In this way, the two powerhouses in Hedong will inevitably tear their faces and openly fight. At that time, in order to defeat each other, both of them will ask Qiu Shiliang for help, and Qiu Shiliang can take the opportunity to take the land east of the river in his own hands.

Seeing Yang Hao's expression of epiphany, a strange look that was not easy to detect crossed Liu Hao's eyes. He took a sip of his tea, which was almost cold. "I heard that Qiu Shiliang's chess skills are average, but this game of chess is ingenious, and it is really clever."

Yang Hao snorted coldly and said, "I heard that Mr. once served in the Shence Army, and this time it was Qiu Shiliang who recommended him to Fengzhou." How is Qiu Shiliang's chess skills, how can Mr. not know? ”

"If the old man remembers correctly, General Yang also served as a captain in the Shence Army, right? You've done a lot for him, and he's got a lot of appreciation for you. ”

"There is no need to talk about the past." Yang Hao's face was a little unbearable, the time spent in the Shence Army was really unbearable.

"Even if Dugu Chang voluntarily gave way to Mr., what strategy does Mr. have to protect the Zhenwu Army from being annexed by Liu Qingling? Are you on good terms with Liu Qingling, or do you have an old friend with Li Zaiyi? ”

"The old man and the two of them are both general friends."

"What is the gentleman's strategy for self-preservation?" Yang Hao felt more and more that this Liu Wei was unfathomable.

"It's very simple, the three of us swore to protect each other, so that the two strong would retreat in the face of difficulties, and not give Qiu Shiliang a chance to take advantage of."

"Hahaha......" Yang Hao burst into laughter, "Three mutual insurance?!" What a big breath, sir. My three families were in trouble a few months ago, how can I donate my previous suspicions and pledge to protect each other? ”

"General Yang, don't forget, a few days ago, you and Lin Zhongzhong were like brothers, but now you don't want to meet each other. This time and that time. You and I are not children, how can we rob you of a jelly bean and have to hold a grudge for three years? ”

"Alas......" Yang Hao sighed, he didn't understand the truth. It's just that it's a little funny.

"If you want my three families to guarantee each other for a long time, Mr. has forgotten one thing."

"Oh, please."

"What to do with the middle of the forest?"

"The general must have a clever plan, and the old man listens to it."

"I do have a plan, but I still need to think about it, and maybe I will have to ask the old general to help me then." Yang Hao swallowed back the words that came to his mouth.

"It's a matter of great profit, and the old man is duty-bound."

Yang Hao sent Liu Wei to the door, Liu Wei put on a black cloak and was about to leave, Yang Hao suddenly asked: "Mr. still hasn't told me, why is Dugu Chang willing to give up the Zhenwu Army?" ”

Liu Wei hesitated slightly: "I lied to him that I was a person who hated my father, as long as he obediently gave up the Zhenwu Army, he could ensure the prosperity and wealth of his family." ”

Yang Hao exclaimed: "This can also work?" ”

Liu Wei asked rhetorically: "Why not?" ”