-- September 5, the twenty-third year of Hongwu of the Great Zhou Dynasty, when it was ugly --

On the west city wall of Yongning City, eighty miles away from Yiyang, Yiyang guard Feng Rongzheng and Yongning guard Zhang Jie looked nervously at the dark place under the city where the sound of gongs and drums sounded.

"Knock Knock Knock ......"

The earth-shattering sound of gongs and drums lasted for a whole night, and it also made the defenders of Yongning City tired.

But no one dared to close their eyes and rest, because they knew very well that in the dark place where the sound of gongs and drums was heard, there was a well-equipped and well-trained Zhou army of the Western Expedition, numbering more than 10,000 people.

It was this partial division of the Zhou army that conquered five cities and passes, including Yique Pass, Dagu Pass, Xincheng, Luhun Pass, and Yiyang, in just eight days, so that it finally arrived in Yongning yesterday evening.

Thinking of the spectacular scene of tens of thousands of Zhou troops lining up outside the city yesterday evening, Zhang Jie, the general of Yongning, had palpitations.

He was secretly glad that if it weren't for Feng Rong, the guard of Yiyang, who came to report the news one step earlier, he was not sure if he would be able to hold Yongning.

After all, the number of troops in Yongning City is too small, only 8,000 people, no wonder, after all, no one in the rebel army expected that the Zhou army of the Western Expedition would send a partial division to attack here.

"There is still an hour and a half to ......," Feng Rong took a deep breath.

Zhang Jie glanced at Feng Rong when he heard this, he could understand the deep meaning of Feng Rong's words, Feng Rong wanted to say that in another hour and a half, when the sun rose, it was the time when the Zhou army outside the city attacked the city on a large scale.

You must know that since yesterday evening, the more than 10,000 Zhou troops outside the city have been arrayed outside the city and waited solemnly, during which the earth-shattering gongs and drums continued, forcing Zhang Jie to use all the troops in the city to guard the city wall.

He knew very well that this was the exhausting tactic of the Zhou army, and he used half of his troops to line up under Yongning City and waited solemnly. During the period, gongs and drums were beaten, which disturbed the chickens and dogs in Yongning City; The other half of the Zhou army took this opportunity to rest for a night, and waited for dawn before attacking the city.

And the defenders in Yongning City were tired because of a night's sleep. It is difficult to exert the combat power it deserves.

Some people may think that since Feng Rong and Zhang Jie saw through Zhou Jun's intentions, why did they still act according to each other's steps? Wouldn't it be better to keep half of the army as well?

The reason is simple, there are only 8,000 people in Yongning City. If half of the soldiers are allowed to rest, once the Zhou army suddenly attacks the city at night, then. Yongning is very likely to be breached in a short period of time.

Feng Rong and Zhang Jie didn't dare to bet.

"What a despicable ...... of soldiers"

Holding back the tiredness of his body, Zhang Jie gritted his teeth and scolded.

Yesterday evening, he saw the commander of the Zhou army in the city.

It was a woman, a beautiful woman dressed in unusually luxurious clothes, a woman named Changsun Xiangyu.

In all fairness, Zhang Jie had never seen such a beautiful woman.

At that time, she sat on a horse and gently shook the folding fan in her hand. Silently looking in Yongning's direction, and then told him with a relaxed face that she would be the next day. Raise troops to attack the city.

Then, the woman left, leaving only more than 10,000 soldiers of the Zhou army in the west. Stand like a stake under the city.

At that time, Zhang Jie couldn't understand why that woman had such confidence, and after a few hours, he understood......

The reason why that woman left behind the more than 10,000 troops was to completely drag down the morale and physical strength of the defenders in Yongning City.

It is not difficult to imagine that when the sun rose, the more than 10,000 tired Zhou troops retreated and were replaced by the other half of the soldiers who had eaten and slept enough in this night, which was a blow to the Yongning rebel soldiers who had never closed their eyes all night and were on guard against the Zhou army outside the city to attack the city at night.

But Feng Rong and Zhang Jie had no choice, even if they knew that woman's plan, they still had to obey.

In this way, after an hour and a half, the first sun rose, and the sky gradually became brighter.

Zhang Jie, who had been standing on the city wall for almost a night, moved his muscles and bones, because he knew very well that Tianming was the time when the Zhou army outside the city began to attack the city.

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and told himself secretly.

Even if you die in battle, you must hold Yongning, after all, Yongning is the last line of defense on the side of the Hangu Pass front, behind Yongning, that is Mianchi, that is Hangu Pass, Xin'an around tens of thousands or even more than 100,000 rebels of the place of grain, but also the rebel soldiers and their families, once Yongning is lost, so that this Zhou army can drive straight in, burned the grain and grass of Mianchi, then this battle, it can almost be said that there is no need to fight, and it is difficult for the rebels to have the possibility of turning the tables.

"Drumming...... Stopped? ”

Feng Rong's face showed a little surprise, and then, this surprise was slowly replaced by solemnity, he knew very well what it meant that the sound of the military drums outside the city had stopped, which meant that the eight thousand soldiers of Yongning were about to face a difficult siege battle.

But to Feng Rong's surprise, the drumming of the Zhou army stopped, but the Zhou army arrayed outside the city had almost no intention of leaving.

With the first ray of light shining on the earth from the early sun, Feng Rong vaguely saw that the countless Zhou soldiers who were standing straight outside the city were still motionless......

What's going on?

While puzzled, Feng Rong felt a little uneasy in his heart.

Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he rushed to the city wall in a few steps, and said in disbelief, "This...... How is this possible? ”

"What?" Zhang Jie was stunned, followed Feng Rong's line of sight, and then gasped in shock.

The neatly arranged under the city, where are the soldiers of the Western Expedition Zhou, it is clearly a straw man covered with soldiers' clothes and armor, and some are wearing helmets and leaning on spears.

And behind the countless straw figures, more than 1,000 Zhou soldiers were carrying gongs, drums and musical instruments, slowly retreating.

"......" Feng Rong and Zhang Jie glanced at each other, both of them looking sluggish.

The hazy shadows that he and the others saw at night, could they be these straw men?

Tricked......

Zhang Jie hammered the bricks on the city wall, and suddenly, he raised his head sharply and asked in surprise, "What about Zhou Jun?" Where is Zhou Jun? ”

As the sun rose, the sky gradually brightened, but even so, Zhang Jie still did not find the whereabouts of the Zhou army, as if the tens of thousands of Zhou troops had disappeared out of thin air.

What's going on?

Just when Zhang Jie couldn't understand Zhou Jun's intentions, suddenly, Feng Rong's face changed greatly, and he exclaimed, "Oh no! - The woman. Attack the pond is gone! ”

"What...... What the? How is this possible, I haven't ...... Yongning yet" Halfway through, Zhang Jie's words came to an abrupt end.

That's right, no one has a rule that you must capture Yongning before you can attack the next city's Michi......

Thinking of this, Zhang Jie exclaimed. "Quick, General Feng, I'll wait for all the soldiers in the city to rescue Michi!"

"That Yongning ......"

"Don't! -- The stakes are very high, and there is no room for error! ”

Feng Rong nodded when he heard this. Then he frowned and said, "But if that woman left last night, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up......"

"If you can't catch up, you have to chase it!" Zhang Jie gritted his teeth and said-

5――>

Recalling the arrogant words of the woman before she left last night, Zhang Jie turned blue with anger and slammed the bricks and stones on the city.

"What a despicable ......"

-- At the same time, sixty miles northwest of Yongning --

As Feng Rong and Zhang Jie expected, the eldest grandson Xiangyu was marching towards Mianchi with Liu Yi's army of more than 10,000 people.

Suddenly, the eldest grandson Xiangyu frowned and turned his head sideways. Cover your face with a fan.

"Sneeze!"

"Huh?" Liu Yi, the commander of this army, heard the voice, turned his head, and hurriedly said. "Isn't the military advisor cold? - Someone, bring warm clothes! His words were full of concern.

"No need." The eldest grandson Xiangyu shook his head slightly, and then chuckled and said, "It's not that I'm cold, it's probably someone scolding me behind my back...... For example, the defenders of Yongning! ”

Liu Yi was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then couldn't help laughing, and said with a chuckle, "If the last general is the Yongning guard, most of them will be angry to death by the military advisor...... They must have thought it was a tired tactic, but they didn't expect that the sound of the drums was just to cover up for us sneaking from the side of the city, and when the Yongning defenders foolishly confronted the straw men under the city, we had already broken off their shells and ran to the pond ......" he said, he paused, hesitated and said, "But the military advisor, let Yongning go away, is this okay?" ”

The eldest grandson Xiangyu smiled slightly, and said lightly, "Since this military division said that Yongning will be taken lightly, it will naturally be honored...... When Feng Rong and Zhang Jie saw that it was not our soldiers who confronted them for the night under the city, they naturally thought that our army must have come to Mianchi, which is a major place for the rebels...... Although there are only more than 1,000 people beside General Qi Hao, what effort does it take to take an empty city? ”

Liu Yi was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then nodded with a smile and said, "What the military advisor said is extremely true, although General Qi Hao led people to beat the drum under the city all night, it is not a problem to take an empty city...... Hey? What does the military advisor mean to ask General Qi Hao to take Yongning? The four thousand archers of the adjutant general ......"

"Naturally, it's the pursuers who ambushed Yongning!" Glancing at Liu Yi, the eldest grandson Xiangyu said lightly, "Using four thousand archers to take an empty city is too cheap, right?" ”

Liu Yi's face turned red, and he clenched his fists and said, "The military advisor is far-sighted, and the end general is not as good!" ”

"Huh!" The eldest grandson Xiangyu smiled faintly.

At this time, a fast horse suddenly ran in front of him, in front of the eldest grandson Xiangyu.

"Qiyu Military Division, Vice President Luo will report to the future, Guanmichi defends, it seems that I don't know that our army is approaching ......"

"Good!" Snapping and closing the folding fan in his hand, the eldest grandson Xiangyu said in a deep voice, "Hurry up and ** Vice General Luo, tell him not to startle the snake, hide in the forest, and wait for half an hour after my army arrives!" ”

"No!" The cavalryman clenched his fists and commanded, turned his horse, and galloped away.

Looking at the back of the departing soldier, the eldest grandson Xiangyu looked back at Liu Yi and asked, "How is General Wupeng's preparations?" ”

Before Liu Yi could speak, Wu Peng had already arrived from the rear of the army on a fast horse, and he saw that he was wearing rebel armor, his hair was messy, and he was covered in blood, looking indescribably miserable.

Seeing this, Liu Yi said with a smile, "It looks like you're ready!" ”

Perhaps hearing Liu Yi's laughter, Wu Peng grinned and said with a wry smile, "I was > by you -5--once when I was in Xincheng, and now, I want to be > by you-5- again...... Strategist, why don't you change it next time? ”

The eldest grandson Xiangyu smiled faintly, didn't speak, slowly opened the folding fan in his hand, and muttered, "That guy, I don't know what I'm doing right now......

Liu Yi and Wu Peng glanced at each other, and did not step forward to interrupt the thoughts of the eldest grandson Xiangyu.

-- At the same time, twenty miles away from Hangu Pass, Li Jing and Fei Ying--

When the eldest grandson Xiangyu quickly swept away the rebel forces behind Hangu Pass at an incredible speed, Xie An's army of more than 110,000 people was still rejected from Hangu Pass.

It stands to reason that this stalemate is really a blow to the morale of the two armies, but this time, no one on the side of the Zhou army in the west is worried.

You must know that in the past few days, every night, the rebel soldiers on the Hangu Pass have been sneaking out of the pass one after another and surrendering to the Zhou army.

At first, it was one or two, then one army, one ti, and then a battalion of 100 people, and then a battalion of 200 people, so that later, it was out of control, although Qin Wei, the commander of Hangu Pass, sent people to supervise, but it was still repeatedly banned.

By the third day, more than 2,000 rebels had surrendered to the Zhou army, not counting those who were caught and killed on the spot when the rebel soldiers at Hangu Pass escaped at night.

And Xie An also kept his promise, according to the previous request for Tang Hao's shouting to the rebels in Hanguguan, he did not hurt one of those soldiers, but was quite favorable, and temporarily incorporated it into the second army of Zhang Dong, Ou Peng, Tang Hao and others, and after the fall of Hanguguan, they were pardoned together.

To say that the only thing Xie An wants those soldiers to do is to ask them to take a walk under Hangu Pass under the leadership of Tang Hao and other rebel generals, so that the rebels on Hangu Pass can see clearly that their companions yesterday have now returned to the Zhou army.

The power of example is endless, as long as there is someone who dares to be the first to eat crabs, the rest of the matter will be much easier, and even, Xie An does not need to ask his soldiers to attack Hangu Pass at all.

He just waited in the barracks, ate and drank well every day, and waited for the rebels on Hangu Pass to come and surrender one after another.

In just three nights, more than 2,000 rebels surrendered, looking for this kind of continues, but in just a month, then Qin Wei may not even have a single usable soldier left.

Of course, this is the best estimate, but I have to say that the current situation of the Hanguguan rebels is indeed precarious, with deserters inside and strong enemies eyeing them outside.

Perhaps even the rebels on Hangu Pass did not expect that it was not the Zhou army of the Western Expedition that killed them, but the generals and Tongze who were on the same side.

From a certain point of view, Qin Wei wanted to prohibit the defection of his subordinates, make an example of him, and kill all those soldiers who intended to join the Zhou army, but instead of causing any changes to the current situation, he accelerated this phenomenon and secretly helped Xie An.

It is precisely because of this that the soldiers of the Zhou army of the Western Expedition are in an extremely relaxed mood, not at all like they are on the battlefield, except for the guard work at night, they are almost idle and have nothing to do, waiting for Hangu Pass to be defeated.

This way of attacking the city is simply incredible.

Of course, there are also people in the military camp who are very unhappy because of the current good situation, that is, the assassins sent by the crown prince Li Wei to kill Xie An and Li Shou, --5--One of the >-5->, Jin Ling'er.

She originally planned to use the hands of the rebel general Chen Bei to eradicate Li Shou and Xie An through Hangu Pass, but the result was good, Xie An did not attack Han Guguan at all, which made her a little restless.

Because she knew that if the current situation continued, Hanguguan would inevitably be self-defeating, so how could she still use the hands of the rebel Chen Bei to eradicate these two?

"Shhhh ――In the end, it is up to the old lady to do it herself! ”

Under Fei Guo's sideways gaze, Jin Ling'er pulled out the dagger in her boots and stabbed it the desk in front of her.