The news that Zhang Ji's army had taken Shouchun was soon transmitted to Xia Cai, Sicheng, Lingchen, Pengcheng and other places, and the Yanzhou army that was besieging the city immediately knew that they should step up the siege of the city, while assisting the Xun Yu army that was rushing to Huaiyin and other places. As a result, a series of bloody battles are about to be staged.

And at this time, Huan Fan, who came from Chang'an, also appeared here, naturally to assist Xu Shu. So, in the battle of Xuzhou, the Yanzhou army sent a total of five top military divisions, Xu Shu, Yu Tuo, Xun You, Huan Fan, and Lu Xun, which shows Xu Ji's importance to Cao Cao and his determination to seize control of the north of the Yangtze River. Because, Huan Fan's goal is to take this place without blood, so that it will pose the greatest threat to the few remaining cities controlled by Cao Cao's army. "A soldier who surrenders without a fight, and a good man who is good."

Under Cai City, Ji Ling led the army to stand proudly outside the city, looking at the city wall with his eyes up.

Since he seriously injured Zhang Ying, he closed his door to the convenience and no longer came out to fight, no matter how he scolded outside the city, but today is different, Ji Ling naturally has a way to take down Xia Cai Cheng, because there is a wise man Huan Fan here. Ji Ling shouted to the Liu Kun soldiers at the head of the city: "Tell your commander Zhang Ying to come out to see me, this general has something important to tell him, if he doesn't come, he will bear the consequences, and he will not blame him for not informing him in the future." ”

Of course, Fan Neng, who was guarding the city, did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly called his subordinates to comrade Zhang Ying.

Ji Ling turned his head and said to Huan Fan: "Mr. Huan Fan, what should we do next?" Rixi's mature Huan Fan laughed and said, "Why does General Ji Ling ask me? Zhang Ying is Liu Xuan's subordinate, and now Liu Xiang is already the lord's subordinate prisoner or guest, why doesn't Zhang Ying comply? ”

Ji Ling nodded and said, "Ji Ling knows this. But the question is whether Zhang Ying will agree, after all, Cao Mengde has infiltrated Jiangdong very much over the years. Will Zhang Ying and others be bought by Cao Cao? If you hear that Liu Miao has been arrested, will you abandon the city and flee? What about going to Cao Cao? Huan Fan shook his head and said: "General Ji Ling thinks a lot, but General Ji Ling doesn't know the characteristics of Liu Ling's army very well. Although Liu Miao is a person who knows that he is mediocre and is not a person who does big things, Liu Miao has one thing that is indeed worthy of praise, that is, he treats his subordinates well. ”

Ji Ling nodded suddenly, and admired Liu Xuan, who had always looked down on him. Huan Fan said again: "There are more." Liu Xuan's army is the local army of the Liu clan, and the cohesion is very strong, these generals. Including Zhang Ying, Chen Heng and others, they are all generals brought out by Liu Miao from his hometown, how could they betray Liu Xuan? ”

After a pause, Huan Fan said confidently: "If Liu Miao is really unfortunate enough to die in the battle, then Zhang Ying and the others will definitely swear to defend the city, or abandon the city and flee to find Cao Cao." Waiting for an opportunity to avenge Liu Xuan. But now that Liu Miao has been caught, Zhang Ying and others will only think about how to keep Liu Xiang's name. Where is the spiritual head to fight against us? Zhang Yingdi's army looked for a party to surrender. Ji Ling suddenly realized: "No wonder the lord wants to keep Liu Xuan's life, it turns out that it has its wonderful use." ”

Huan Fan glanced at him and said in his heart: This is still secondary, the lord is afraid that Liu Miao will die unexpectedly. He is not easy to explain to the master, how can he say that the lord himself can be regarded as a royal clansman, Liu Miao does not have much handle, Xu Ji is really not a killer.

And the two are only talking to each other. There was some commotion in Xia Caicheng's head. In just a few days, Zhang Ying, who had aged a lot, appeared haggard at the head of Xia Cai City, looked down at Ji Ling, and saw Zhang Ying like this. I was amused in my heart, and said loudly: "General Zhang Ying." How are you doing today? ”

Zhang Ying rolled his eyes angrily, and said in his heart that he had fallen into this field today, all thanks to you, and now this kid is still saying cool things to himself, if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't beat Ji Ling. I had already gone down to chop off Ji Ling's head, ignoring Ji Ling's sarcasm, and just said in a deep voice: "Ji Ling, you and I are not friends or enemies, and it is inconvenient for the two armies to talk in front of the formation, so if you have anything to say, just say it." Ji Ling and Huan Fan glanced at each other, feeling funny in their hearts, and then said leisurely: "General Zhang Ying, I'm here to tell you that Lord Liu Miao was captured by my Yanzhou Army two days ago, and now Shouchun City has fallen into our hands, and Lord Liu Miao is healing in Shouchun City at this time......

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar on Xia Caicheng's head. Chen Heng, the general under Liu Xuan, was the first to shout out: "Impossible, the lord will definitely not be caught by the Yanzhou army!" If you want to attack Shouchun, you must make a detour to Yuzhou, where does the Yanzhou army have this strength now? How could General Zhang Ji let them pass? ”

Zhang Ying also stood at the head of the city with a blue face and said, "Ji Ling, can't General Ben see this trick of yours?" If you want to shake my military heart, then it's wishful thinking! ”

Ji Ling turned to Huan Fan and smiled bitterly: "Look, I knew that this was the result." Tell him the truth, but he doesn't believe it, and tell him a lie, but he always believes, as if it were a very pleasant thing to be deceived. Huan Fan smiled: "Isn't this a proof of the success of our strategy, we should be happy." ”

Ji Ling couldn't help but smile on his face when he heard this

Huan Fan said in a loud voice: "General Zhang Ying, do you still know me?" Zhang Ying has been focusing on Ji Ling, and didn't notice Huan Fan, at this moment, Huan Fan said this, looked at Huan Fan with God, and after a while, he suddenly remembered that Huan Fan was the person next to Xu Ji, although he didn't know him, but he had seen Huan Fan appear next to Xu Ji, and often whispered, obviously the relationship with Xu Ji was not simple.

At this time, when he saw Huan Fan, he immediately exclaimed: "Why are you here?" Could it be that Xu Ji has returned to the Central Plains? Impossible" Huan Fan cut him off and said, "General Zhang Ying, I know you want to say that it's too late in time, right?" Indeed, it is absolutely impossible for a large army to travel from Chang'an to the Central Plains so quickly, but let me tell you, if you go it alone, you can be so fast. ”

Zhang Ying was shocked and said, "What do you mean?" Didn't Xu Ji lead the army back? Isn't he worried that Xu Shu is playing tricks in it? Huan Fan laughed and said, "General Zhang Ying's question is really interesting, but I can tell General Zhang Ying that Mr. Xu Shu will never give in to Cao Cao." Hmph, wouldn't we know that Cao Cao took Mr. Xu Shu's mother away? Cao Cao's strategy in Chang'an City has long been known to my lord. It's ridiculous to think you have a plan. ”

Zhang Ying's face began to turn pale. "Impossible," he said. You're just guessing. Huan Fan smiled and said, "Really? Then let me tell you, Cao Cao's strategist Cheng Yu, this old guy is very likely to have been arrested by our army now. ”

Zhang Ying heard Cheng Yu's name. His face changed dramatically. Cao Cao has his own strategy in Chang'an, of course Zhang Ying knows, but he doesn't know the specific content of Guo, but Cheng Yu is fully responsible for the affairs of Chang'an Zhang Ying knows that if he says something else, Zhang Ying will think that Huan Fan is blackmailing himself, but Huan Fan can actually say Cheng Yu's name. From this, it can be seen that this is not false. Of course, it was shocking. Since the other party can say Cheng Yudi's name, presumably Cao Cao's Chang'an attack and bribery have completely failed, is it really as the young man in front of him said, and the current war in the Central Plains is completely a trap for Xu Ji?

Huan Fan looked at Zhang Ying, who was in doubt, and said indifferently: "General Zhang Ying must wonder why we know about Cheng Yudi, then I might as well tell the general." If the general now goes out of the city and surrenders. You'll get the right answer right away. Hearing this, Zhang Ying's face was cloudy, and he looked at his subordinates around him, Chen Heng, a rough man, kept shaking his head, and Yu Mi also frowned. Fan Neng said to Zhang Ying: "General Zhang Ying, the situation is complicated now, although we are trapped in the city. But it's not really cornered, you must know that the opposing side has a limited number of troops. There is no power to attack the city from all sides, and they don't come out of the house just because no one is the opponent of Na Ji Ling, if they want to escape out of the city. The other party may not be able to stop us. Yu Mi glanced at Fan Neng and said, "What you said is too simple. Why don't you want to think about it? Why does the other side want us to surrender now? That's because Xia Cai is a military suppression, and now General Cao Mengde is fighting with Yu Chu's army. We are an important side barrier if we abandon and flee. Wouldn't General Cao Mengde's offensive immediately become precarious? ”

Zhang Ying also said: "That's true. Now what the enemy says is simply true or false, and I don't think it's credible. Chen Heng said: "I'm not fighting!" I only know that this life of mine was given by the lord, and now we can't be sure where the lord is, and what kind of battle is there with the Yanzhou army? I think that little white face outside the city has a point, we must not joke with the life of the lord. ”

Zhang Ying glared and said: "This is confused, if the lord loses, of course we all go out of the city and surrender, but the lord sits in Shouchun, has the river as a barrier, and echoes Xia Cai, how can the Yanzhou army break the city so easily?" As you said, unless Zhang Ji took refuge in Xu Ji. But it's really unbelievable. Everyone nodded.

Chen Heng raised his neck and said: "You say I'm confused, I think you're confused!" Cheng Yu was arrested in Chang'an, then there must be a traitor who reported the news, thinking about it, it can only be Zhang Xiu's kid, I think Zhang Xiu and Zhang Ji are Xu Ji's people at all. ”

Everyone was stunned, they didn't expect that Chen Heng, a rough man, could still say such a truth. Chen Heng didn't know that he would mistakenly guess the truth of the matter. Fan Neng was stunned for a moment before he said: "What you said makes sense, but it is biased, Chang'an is far away in the sky, none of us know what happened, how can you be so arbitrary?" Maybe all this is a ploy of the Yanzhou army? ”

How can Chen Heng be convinced? shook his head and argued with them again, but Ji Ling outside the city couldn't wait.

Ji Ling frowned, looked at Huan Fan, and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Huan Fan, should we attack the city immediately now, and then invite our Lord Liu Xuan, I don't think they will surrender yet?" Huan Fan's eyesight was very good, and he had already seen the situation in the city, and said with a smile: "Isn't the general waiting any longer?" They have made a commotion with each other, and now they are quarreling and shouting in the city, and perhaps we can take it without blood. ”

Ji Ling was stunned and said, "What does Mr. mean by this?" Although the other side is not unanimous in its views at present, it is obvious that there will not be a consensus in a short period of time, and we must not miss the opportunity as the so-called 'opportunity must not be lost, and the time will not come again'; not to mention that the other side is now suspicious of what we are saying and does not believe it at all, and in this case, we will not attack it head-on. Isn't it fueling the arrogance of the enemy? Huan Fan laughed and said: "The time and place are favorable, and the location is not as good as the people." Now the other party is inconsistent, and it is a suspicious army. Those who suspect the army will not move in a duel with them. Wait for the enemy to wear themselves out. The morale of his army was scattered, and he collapsed without a fight. It's easy to win. After a pause, Huan Fan smiled again: "To fight now or not to fight." The initiative is mine, not him, if you want to attack the city at any time, but if you rush it, it will only make the other party temporarily give up their own claims and unite with the outside world, then we will not gain more than we lose? On the contrary, if we let it develop. It won't be long before they fall apart because of disagreements, and by that time. We can reap the maximum benefits. ”

Ji Ling nodded convincingly, and as he was talking, the quarrel at the head of the city became louder and louder, and Chen Hengjian would never fight again. And the other three also have their own plans for where the army will go. They quarreled so much that the defenders of the city looked at each other, and they didn't know why, but they all felt that it was really a shame to quarrel in front of the enemy, but they agreed with Chen Heng's opinion. After all, it is the clan army of the Liu clan, and many people are from Qingzhou, and leaving their hometown in this era is really a thing that no one will feel willing. After all, it is difficult to leave the homeland.

Over the years. Since Xu Ji seized control of Qingzhou, it has been thriving, and if you say that you don't want to go back to your hometown, it is a lie. It's just that Liu Miao treats them really well. They won't have the slightest complaint, and now they hear that Liu Miao has been arrested. True or not, the impact on them is immeasurable. Time. Liu Miaojun's morale was at its lowest.

Finally, Yu Mi found that it was a very stupid thing for the four of them to quarrel here, and hurriedly stopped the remaining three from talking, and the three of them realized that something was wrong, but at this time they were already unable to regret it.

Huan Fan and Ji Ling looked at each other and smiled, knowing that their goal had been achieved, the former said leisurely and loudly: "General Zhang Ying, how is it?" Have you thought it through? Zhang Ying is in trouble now, he and Chen Heng quarrel with each other, but they are like brothers on weekdays, and now everyone disagrees, so how can he answer?

Huan Fan said to Zhang Ying: "I know why General Zhang Ying is in trouble, do you have any doubts about Lord Liu Ying being invited by us now?" This matter is not difficult, I can give you an idea, you can send someone you trust at will, we will lead this person to Shouchun City to see if Lord Liu Miao is healing under our arrangement. How is it? Huan Fan's words made Zhang Ying and the others silent for a while, Huan Fan's words had already made them believe most of Huan Fan's words, and they were almost certain that Liu Miao had really fallen into the hands of the Yanzhou army.

A mood called despair began to permeate their hearts. "Yu Mi, you are the most daring and careful of our brothers, and this matter will be left to you to do, lest the Yanzhou army use tricks to trick us into opening the city." Zhang Ying finally whispered to Mi that he also knew that this was actually a superfluous move, but he was unwilling.

Yu Mi sighed heavily and went down to the city.

Huan Fan let out a sigh of relief, with a smile on his face, knowing that Xia Cai's matter had been resolved most satisfactorily.

Lingbi City, the sound of killing shook the sky.

Zang Ba commanded his army to attack the city on all sides.

Among all the armies in Yanzhou, the army of Zang Ba's subordinate who originally belonged to Bocai has always been known for its fierce advance.

After years of training, the overall quality of Zang Ba's army has gradually improved, and every soldier in his army is wearing invulnerable rattan armor, holding a horse chopping knife in his mouth, and uses the super high speed to move quickly close to the city wall, and he does not pay attention to the bows and crossbows fired from the city wall.

The defender of Lingbi City is Cao Cao's general Li Dian, and the ensuing deputies are Cao Chun and Xia Houen, Li Dian is calm and wise, Cao Chun has a good command of the army, Xia Houen is brave and good at fighting, Cao Cao sent three people to guard the Lingbi, it is really painstaking.

At this moment, the three of them looked solemnly at the Yanzhou army that was rapidly approaching outside the city with a serious face.

Cao Chun, who was white-faced and beardless, frowned and said, "I really didn't expect that the Yanzhou Army actually had this kind of armor, and it could be invulnerable." Xiahou Si snorted coldly and said: "It's true that swords and guns are not as good as fake, but looking at their movement speed, you know that their armor is very weak against the defense of heavy weapons, and I don't think they are invincible." ”

Li Dian nodded: "That's true, so against this Yanzhou army, anyone will think that rolling wood and stones must not be missing." ”

Cao Chun and the others thought deeply and Li Dian smiled suddenly: "But if the Yanzhou army is so simple, I'm afraid this Yanzhou army doesn't know how many times it has been wiped out." How can it appear in front of us alive now? ”

Cao Chun and Xia Housi looked at each other, they didn't expect Li Dian to go back on their word and overturn their opinions. Li Dian looked at the two of them and said in a deep voice: "Don't forget, there is a bow and arrow called the Divine Arm Bow in Yanzhou, and there is also a way of archery, which is specially used for siege cities, although we don't know the name of this method, but we know that the power and range are very amazing, and these soldiers in front of them are invulnerable, so when attacking the city, they only need to rush forward, and they don't need to worry about accidental injuries at all." If the other side succeeds, our city will need to be covered by the enemy's bow and arrows, so what is the use of rolling logs and stones? ”

Cao Chun and Xia Houen were shocked when they heard this, and they all looked out of the city, looking at the Yanzhou archers in the distance, and their faces changed greatly. (To be continued......)