"These are the elite weapons used to resist the enemy's iron cavalry," Zheng Yunming said: "First, we must train diligently, and master how to cast the bamboo general and how to shoot the relatives." ”

"Second, we must take good care of it, don't let the gunpowder get wet, and when the time comes, it will be a big mistake if it doesn't ignite."

"Thirdly, safety must be ensured, and the powder magazine must always be guarded by the well, and no idle people should enter it. The source of fire should be closely investigated. ”

"Okay, everyone knows these things." Yang Yu said: "You don't have to recite it over and over again like an old woman. ”

"That must also be careful, and the matter of weapons should not be neglected." Zheng Yunming said: "If something goes wrong in the weapon, I won't be embarrassed at that time." ”

Everyone saluted in unison and said, "Obey the instructions of the general." ”

"So, that's all for now?" Zheng Yunming asked, "What else needs to be reported?" ”

"If not, starting tomorrow, we will officially start the division of troops to drill in case war comes at any time!" ——

Zheng Yunming said that the war would soon come.

September in the second year of Duanping (1235 in the Christian calendar) is the season of high and crisp autumn. The atmosphere in Xiangyang City was extremely tense.

A few days ago, Zhao Fan ordered Quan Zicai, the governor of Suizhou, to lead 20,000 elite soldiers to recover Tangzhou, which was occupied by the rebels. Unexpectedly, he provoked the Mongolian prince stationed in Henan, and personally led the army to rescue Tangzhou. Quan Zicai was frightened by the Mongol army in the Battle of Bianluo, and once he heard the news of the arrival of the Mongol cavalry, he immediately burned all the siege equipment and baggage, and fled to the south overnight.

"It's already come to this point, and we have to take the initiative to provoke. The Mongols must come, right? "The Mongols are definitely coming, aren't they?" As a result, there are such discussions in the city of Xiangyang Prefecture.

Zhao Fan disagreed: "Joke, the battle of Bianluo has torn his face. Even if you don't attack Tangzhou, can you keep the peace of Jinghu? ”

But he didn't expect the retribution to come so quickly.

It was supposed to be a beautiful morning, and the gates of Xiangyang City opened to the north, and a bustling flow of people poured into the city. Every shop on the street has a door panel, and the front door is sprinkled and ready for the day's business.

But soon it was seen that the soldiers, dressed in half-tattered iron armor, were covered in blood and carried in by the defenders of the north gate. Directly escorted into the Yamen of the Establishment Envoy.

"The Tartars are attacking the Zaoyang Army! The whole city is under siege! Fan Du ordered the villain to fight to the death and report it! The man cried and reported to Zhao Fanyu: "If the ruler does not send reinforcements, Fan Dutong and thousands of brothers will really be finished!" ”

Fan Wenbin, who was arguing with Zheng Yunming, who ordered military rations on the street, was besieged in Zaoyang City at this moment.

"To save, or not to save?" Zhao Fan looked at these generals under his tent, and a chill inevitably surged in his heart.

Huang Guobi and Li Boyuan, you look at me, I look at you, and they don't want to say anything.

The Mongols are attacking in large numbers, and those who dare to face the enemy's blade at this time must be quite courageous and responsible.

Huang and Li are obviously not.

If it was his companions in the Northern Army who were surrounded, it would be fine, but it was thousands of southern soldiers who were surrounded. Even if Huang and Li were willing to send troops to rescue them because of the face of the envoys, the soldiers under them would not fight for the sake of the Southern Barbarians.

Zhao Fan looked at the staring eyes of these generals, and naturally understood in his heart that it was just a matter of relying on these people to rescue Fan Wenbin, but if he wanted to say the word "not to save" himself, Zhao Fan, as the commander-in-chief, was still ashamed to say it.

"Dashuai, I want to say a few words." Luo Jian suddenly said under the tent.

Zhao Fan responded: "If Mr. has anything to say, you might as well say it bluntly. ”

"The Zaoyang Army can't be saved." Luo Jian said loudly.

The corners of Zhao Fan's mouth turned up slightly, and then he said sharply: "Do you want Ben Shuai to see that thousands of brothers and hundreds of thousands of people in Zaoyang are dying under the Tartar blade but have not done anything!" Sir's words are excessive! ”

"Commander, please listen to me first." Luo Jian replied unhurriedly: "There are five reasons why the Zaoyang Army can't be saved. ”

"First, the Zaoyang Army was originally a newly surrendered military state, and the people in the city have never known the prestige of the imperial court. If the people in the city have different intentions, even if they send tens of thousands of troops over, how can they keep the city unbroken? ”

"Second, the Zaoyang army was too close to the Mongol-occupied area and too far from Xiangyang. The Tatar army is the main position, but it has become a guest position for our army, and the situation of the host and guest is reversed, how can we win? ”

"Third, Fan Wenbin has always been brave and capable of fighting, even if he really can't resist the enemy, he can completely break out of the encirclement to protect himself."

"Moreover, Zaoyang is located in a flat wilderness, which is conducive to the cavalry galloping, where can Xiangyang have Han water and self-consolidation. It is a fool's fool's move to put our army in front of the enemy's large number of horses without any protection. ”

"The last thing is, if the rescue in Zaoyang fails, and tens of thousands of troops are annihilated by the Tatar cavalry in the wilderness, how can they have the ability to defend Xiangyang City, Xiangyang is the backbone of the world, and if Xiangyang is lost, the Song Dynasty is in danger! Think about the big picture. Luo Jian bowed to Zhao Fan and said, "The Zaoyang Army can't be saved!" ”

Huang Guobi also quickly stood up: "What Mr. Luo said is true, marshal, the Zaoyang Army is really difficult to save,"

He gestured his eyes to Li Boyuan, and Li Boyuan also quickly stood up.

Zhao Fan glanced at everyone, slowly walked back and forth in the tent for a few steps, gritted his teeth and said: "In this way, the only way to give up the rescue is to rely on Fan Du's loyalty and bravery." ”——

Although Fan Wenbin has the same problems as other Song generals, he does live up to the word loyalty and bravery. Surrounded by more than 100,000 Mongol troops, Fan Wenbin only led thousands of soldiers to defend the defense with all his might.

The Mongols erected dozens of seven-tip and nine-tip cannons outside the city, attacking day and night, and Fan Wenbin also removed wood from the houses to cause the cannons to fight back. The Mongols erected a fence outside the city to prevent the Song army from leaving the city. Fan Wenbin sent death squads out of the city to tear down the fence.

In order to conquer Zaoyang City, the Mongolian generals led by the commander-in-chief Qu Chu can be said to have done everything possible, and Fan Wenbin also defended it wholeheartedly.

In the end, the Mongols had no choice but to send additional troops from Henan to intensify the siege, and fought until September 23, when they finally broke through the southwest corner of Zaoyang City, and a large group of men and horses poured into the city to engage in street battles with the Song army.

Fan Wenbin had no choice but to set fire to the firewood and grass stacked in the southwest corner, hoping to use the fire to ease the fierce offensive of the Mongolian army. Unexpectedly, the wind direction changed abruptly that night, and the fire that extended to the Mongolian army outside the city rushed into the city, burning to death many Song troops defending the city, and the Mongolian army took advantage of the fire to break into the city and occupy the city. Fan Wenbin saw that the city was not defended and was forced to hang himself. With his own life, he fell with Zaoyang City.

When the Mongols occupied the city, a large number of Song soldiers and civilians rushed out of the city in an attempt to flee to Xiangyang. Unexpectedly, the south gate was surrounded by heavy fences by the Mongols, and it was difficult to stand out. Zhang Rou, a Mongolian Han man, led his subordinates to rush into the people and slash and slaughter. Most of the more than 100,000 people were squeezed into the river and drowned. Shi Tianze, the Han army, led the army to attack again, and the commander-in-chief Qu saw the rise of Zhang Rou's killing, and sent people to remind him to pay attention to safety several times, but Zhang Rou refused to stop, until all the old and young women and children who escaped from the city were killed.

After this battle, except for the forty monks and craftsmen who were ordered to be safeguarded, all the 140,000 soldiers and civilians of the Zaoyang Army were killed.

The terror of the Mongol army was like a pebble thrown into the lake, causing ripples in the entire defense area of Jinghu.

Soon, Zhao Xiang, the general of Dengzhou and the former general of the Jin State, expelled the Song Dynasty officials in the city and led the whole city to ask the Mongol army to surrender.

Subsequently, the northern generals in De'an Province also seized the opportunity to launch a rebellion and defect to the Mongols.

The flames of war spread from Henan to Xiangyang almost all at once-

Even Lu Xunzhi, who rushed back to Lao Yashan from Xiangyang, also felt the imminence of war. Earlier, the envoy officially issued an order for all prefectures, counties, and camps north of the Yangtze River to clear the wilderness.

Naturally, Kiyono drove all the people from the villages and suburbs into the city, confiscated all the property and food, demolished the houses, burned the crops that were too late to harvest, cut down the trees near the castle and the village, and even poisoned the wells. In short, block all resources in the territory that may be used by the enemy.

Despite Zheng Yunming's repeated declarations of military discipline, there were still many incidents of looting of property in the process of clearing the wilderness, until Zheng Yunming became angry and hung the heads of several first criminals at the door, and the boom of robbery came to an abrupt end.

Lu Xunzhi came all the way south from Xiangyang, and he couldn't see any people in the mountains, only a few terrible barks of wild dogs, which set off the sad atmosphere of the barren mountains and mountains.

The efficiency of the Earth Dragon Army's actions had increased so quickly, even he himself felt a little surprised.

When I arrived at the camp, the scenery was different. The nearby peasants all moved into the village with their possessions and families, and the solemn and neat camp was much more lively on weekdays. Every day, the bored idlers and village women gathered on the avenue in front of the camp to watch the drills of the soldiers of the Tulong Army.

It was said to be a drill, but it was just a weight-bearing run back and forth on the avenue, Peng Man and Deng Fang were holding a Heavenly King Banner in their hands, shaking back and forth, commanding a thousand soldiers to wear armor all over their bodies. Running on the road with heavy bags and weapons on his back. Although it was close to autumn, the intense training still made every soldier sweat soak through his clothes. Heavy gasps kept on the ground as soldiers fell to the ground. But the two commanders did not have the slightest intention of relaxing.