In Mengjindu, about two miles away from Zhongchuan Island, dozens of horsemen hid in a forest, looking at a sea of fire that stretched for miles on the south bank of the Yellow River, which was a thousand large ships frozen in the river that were ignited, and the flames spread into a sea of fire, thick smoke billowed out, and I saw groups of Sui soldiers and cavalry galloping on the river with torches.

Most of these warships are the ships of the Sui Dynasty, which were made in the heyday of the Sui Dynasty, and the people are poor today, it is unrealistic to want to build so many warships, the horsemen can't help but sigh, Yang Yuanqing's desperate plan to make their army cross the Yellow River north into nothing.

"General, there is also a fire in Zhongyu Continent!" A knight shouted as he pointed to the firelight in the Yellow River two miles away.

At the front of the team, a burly man was squinting his slender eyes, staring at the fire burning in Zhongyu Continent, which should be Heyang Pass, and the Sui army had actually begun to attack Heyang Pass.

This group of people was sent by Wang Shichong to Hanoi to see Yang Yuanqing's envoys, Yang Yuanqing was discovered by Wang Shichong's spies as soon as he arrived in Hanoi, and the person led by Wang Shichong's nephew Wang Renze, they hurried day and night, preparing to cross the Yellow River at night, but found the battle situation at Hayang Pass.

Wang Renze's eyes are very complicated, although the city in Zhongchuan Continent is called Heyang Pass, it should actually belong to the land on the south bank of the Yellow River, although it can also be interpreted as the Sui army to strengthen the defense of Hanoi County, but the greater strategic significance of capturing Heyang Pass is to directly oppress Henan, and Mengjindu is almost in its bag.

This made Wang Renze's heart full of doubts, what was the real intention of the Sui army to seize Heyang Pass, could it be that the Sui army really had the intention of getting involved in Henan?

But Wang Ren also knew that it was impossible for the Sui army to consider Henan in the short term, their strategic goal was in Hebei, and taking Heyang Pass should be considered from the perspective of defense for the time being, despite this, Wang Ren turned around and ordered one of his subordinates, "Go back quickly and report this matter to the prince!" ”

An attendant turned his horse's head and ran in the direction of Luoyang City. Another subordinate asked, "General, what do we do now?" ”

"Let's treat it as if we didn't see anything and go to Heyang County!"

Wang Ren hurried his horse to the surface of the river, withstanding the severe cold on the river. Heading across the Yellow River......

In front of Heyang Pass, the fire on the moat was still raging, and the defenders of the city were in disarray, they had realized the Sui army's intentions, and poured basins of hot water from the city, but it did not work at all.

Yang Yuanqing immediately stood on the mound and watched coldly as the defenders of the city hurriedly extinguished the fire. At this time, he saw that there were soldiers carrying bags of sand and soil from the city, and Yang Yuanqing immediately ordered, "Suppress with a heavy crossbow!" ”

"Boom! Boom! Boom! "With the sound of rapid drums, a thousand Sui troops rushed out of the ranks, armed with large heavy crossbows, which were seven-stone rhubarb crossbows that required the strength of two strong soldiers to mount the crossbow, and could reach a range of three hundred and fifty paces. If fired within 200 paces, you can use the GI Arrow, which is aimed at iron. The arrow is two feet four inches long, and can pierce through enemy shields within one hundred and fifty paces.

One thousand soldiers with five hundred heavy crossbows in their hands, two of them stood facing each other, stepped on the crossbow with both feet, and pulled the string with all four arms, the bowstring slowly opened and jammed the string buckle, one soldier carried the heavy crossbow on his shoulder, and the other soldier loaded the arrow.

The thousand soldiers were all Yang Yuanqing's personal guards and were well-trained. They moved skillfully, and in just a moment, five hundred heavy arrows were aimed at the head of the city, and one of the eagle generals shouted, "Shoot! ”

There was only a click, and five hundred iron arrows came out of the string. Whistling and shooting at the head of the city, some arrows hit the battlements, sparks splashed, rubble flew around, and some arrows were shot into the group of soldiers at the head of the city, the soldiers at the head of the city were caught off guard, and were pierced through the head and body by iron arrows, and a scream of shooting broke out, and then the second round of arrows whistled again, and dozens of people were shot down, the powerful crossbow arrows of the Sui army made the Wagang army tremble, and the defenders were so frightened that they squatted down one after another, not daring to show their heads again.

The moat burned for half an hour, and the charcoal moat could no longer bear its own weight, and broke with a bang, and some of it was hung on the wall with iron chains, while the other part was smashed into the ice and broken into five or six pieces.

"Heavy crossbow cover, drums to siege the city!" Yang Yuanqing gave the order for a formal attack.

The drum suddenly sounded, 'Knock-knock-knock!' The deafening sound of drums resounded throughout Zhongjunzhou, and even Heyang City, ten miles away, could be heard clearly.

Wang Renze, who was about to arrive on the other side of the Yellow River, turned his head suddenly, looking nervously in the direction of Zhongchuanzhou, when hundreds of patrol cavalry rushed in from all directions, surrounding Wang Renze with dozens of people, and hundreds of bows and crossbows pointed at them.

"Who is it?" The captain shouted loudly.

Wang Ren raised his hand and shouted in the cold wind, "We are the envoys sent by King Zheng of the Eastern Capital, asking to see His Royal Highness the King of Chu!" ”

"Dismount and lay down your weapons!"

Wang Ren turned over and dismounted, threw the sword and bow on the ground, all the entourage put down their weapons, dozens of Sui soldiers stepped forward to pick up the weapons, searched them again, and turned back to report, "Captain, they have no weapons!" ”

"Take them into town!"

Hundreds of soldiers escorted Wang Renze and his party to the city of Heyang County.

In front of Heyang Pass, in the huge drum sound, the battering ram came out of the battle, this is a battering ram made of a thousand-year-old giant wood, the hammer head is equipped with pig iron, the mallet body has a handle, weighing thousands of catties, carried by one hundred and twenty soldiers, sixty people stand on each side, and two hundred people raise shields to cover.

The huge battering ram was like a black centipede, along the pine road, slowly walking towards the city gate, behind them, 1,500 cavalry were already lined up, waiting for the city gate to crash open and kill into the city, at this time the Sui army's heavy crossbow had suppressed the enemy, and a round of iron arrows shot at the city, the sound of clanging one after another, and the rubble on the battlements was splashed everywhere.

Sun Fu, the commander of the Wagang army, was anxious, he saw the battering ram slowly approaching the city gate from the gap in the battlements, but his soldiers were so pressed by the powerful crossbow arrows of the Sui army that they couldn't raise their heads, and he was so anxious that he shouted: "Prepare to roll the wood and stones!" ”

Hundreds of soldiers bent their waists and piled up three-foot-long logs and dozens of pounds of stones on the top of the city, and they did not dare to raise their heads, so they could only throw the rolling logs and stones down the city.

Most of the suspension bridge was split into five or six pieces and lay on the ice, the fire had been extinguished, but the suspension bridge that could be burned to carbon was still dotted with sparks, and the dark red fire was extinguished from time to time, and dozens of Sui soldiers rushed up and picked up the big axe and slashed violently, completely smashing the suspension bridge.

At this moment, the rolling wood and stones at the head of the city fell like raindrops, and dozens of Sui soldiers were caught off guard. He was hit by rocks and wood, and fell to the ground screaming.

The lieutenant who commanded the crash was furious and yelled, "Hit the wood!" ”

One hundred and twenty soldiers sped up suddenly. Carrying the battering ram and ramming it towards the city gate, 'Boom! There was an earth-shattering bang, and the city gate shook violently, and the sand and stones fell from the city, and many soldiers on the city fell to the ground in pain, and the huge impact force when they hit the city almost broke their hearts.

A feeling of despair creeps through the castle. Many soldiers realized that the castle would not be able to hold it, and without heavy weapons to defend the city, the city gate would be broken sooner or later, and this was Yang Yuanqing personally leading the army to attack the city, and the military spirit began to collapse.

The defender Sun Fushi saw that there were only a few hundred people on the city wall. He was so anxious that he shouted hoarsely, "Throw it down with a stone!" ”

Dozens of soldiers around him carried stones and threw them downwards in desperation, and at this time, another round of five hundred soldiers came at him. More than 20 soldiers were shot to the ground, and Sun Fu was also shot in the left shoulder by an arrow, and the huge force of the arrow knocked him to the ground, the tip of the arrow penetrated through his back, and the pain in his heart made him almost faint.

In the roar in unison, the battering ram hit the city gate again, the city gate could not support it again, and was banged open, and more than 100 Sui troops rushed into the city with the battering ram.

Yang Yuanqing saw that the city gate had been opened, and he waved his sword. He ordered sharply: "Kill in, not a single defender in the city will be left, kill them all!" ”

Fifteen hundred cavalry suddenly, war horses galloped, shouting to kill the sky, brandishing swords and killing the city......

Three watches. Yang Yuanqing led his army back to Heyang County, where Zhongyuzhou and Heyangguan had been taken over by a thousand Sui troops, capturing more than 400 warships anchored in Zhongjizhou, and all 1,500 warships on the south bank of the Yellow River were burned.

"Steward!"

As soon as Yang Yuanqing entered the county seat, a school captain rushed forward to report, "Chief Qiqi, Wang Shichong's envoy is here, it is his nephew Wang Renze, waiting for the chief manager to receive him." ”

At this time, it was already the third watch, Yang Yuanqing was also a little tired, he was just about to say goodbye tomorrow, but after a thought, he still nodded, "Bring him to see me!" ”

Yang Yuanqing's temporary residence was in the county office, he returned to the official room, the brazier had been lit in the room, the room was as warm as spring, Pei Qingsong stepped forward to take off the big hat for Yang Yuanqing, Yang Yuanqing rubbed his cold hands and asked, "Is there any news from Taiyuan?" ”

Pei Qingsong said with a smile: "There is no news from Taiyuan, but there is news from Chang'an, Pei Lin was dismissed from the post of secretary of the ministry, and was sent to Bashu as a pacification envoy, Sheng Yanshi was also transferred to Beijing, and He Chang took over from Pujin Pass." ”

Yang Yuanqing couldn't help laughing, "This old Li is good at being a peacemaker!" Fifty boards on each side. ”

Yang Yuanqing sat down, stretched out his hand to roast on the charcoal basin, glanced at Pei Qingsong again, and said, "Tell me your opinion." ”

Pei Qingsong lowered his head and thought about it: "I feel that the humble position is that on the one hand, he is just an ordinary general in the army, and on the other side, he is the first minister of the dynasty, which seems to be unbalanced. ”

Yang Yuanqing nodded approvingly, Pei Qingsong didn't have any experience in politics, but he could think of this step, which shows that he has extraordinary intelligence.

"You are right, this should be the prince's counterattack, they grabbed Pei Lian's handle, but Lao Li is more sophisticated, put the two things together, it looks like playing fifty boards each, but Li Yuan did not appoint Uncle Xie Fang as the chief general of Pujin Pass, but transferred He Chang, who guarded Guangtongcang, there should be an article in it."

"Sir, what's going to be in here?"

Yang Yuanqing sneered, "I don't know about this, but Li Yuan actually appointed He Chang, who killed my division, as the chief general of Pujin Pass, is he provoking me?" ”