Yang Wanhu was at the head of the city to supervise the battle, and Yang Xingjian was not idle.

Defend the city. If you want to defend the city, not only the soldiers must defend it, but also the strong men of the residents of the city must participate. Of course, the soldiers are the main force, but what do the strong men do? Give the soldiers a hand. Only in this way can we liberate the logistical subsidy and concentrate our limited forces on the tragic defensive battle.

Wang Baobao dug ditches and built mountains outside the city, and the same was true in the city of Jinan. Yang Xingjian emptied the houses on the edge of the city and organized the people to dig trenches within the city walls. The earth dug out of the trenches was likewise piled up into a rampart, and a wall of earth was built in the city. In the event that the outer walls were breached, with this ditch and earthen ramparts, the defending army would be able to continue to resist stubbornly. The so-called "step by step" is just that.

Yang Xingjian was originally a cloth cloth in Liaodong.

Yan Zhao is a generous and sad person, and Liaodong is also the old land of Yan. Affected by the geographical environment and weather, the people who grew up here have a resolute and heroic personality and a boyish temperament. Although Yang Xingjian is a scholar and a family heirloom, he is no exception. And without Dunshe, he would not be where he is today.

The humanities in Liaodong are not gathered, and compared with Jiangnan, even the Central Plains are far inferior. Jiangnan people regard it as a barren and cold frontier outside the border. If it weren't for Deng She's rise in Haidong, no matter how knowledgeable he Yang Xingjian was, it is estimated that he would be unknown. How can you have the opportunity to be famous in Haidong? Now the name is spread all over Yidu. Therefore, because of this, he naturally had the idea of the death of a confidant in his heart.

Although Wang Baobao's siege was tight, he didn't take it seriously. Putting life and death out of the way. I have long held the intention that the city is in the people, and the city is dead.

I think that many days ago, when Wang Baobao first arrived in the city, Liu Jue panicked, and many of his subordinate generals abandoned the city and even proposed to surrender.

Yang Wanhu was furious at that time, and immediately ordered his soldiers to bring his big axe, erect it outside the tent, draw the knife on his waist, and said: "This axe followed me to defeat the twin cities, and then to defeat the Wang Jing of South Goryeo." Transferred to Liaodong, there are hundreds of killings! The number of people who died under my axe, whether it was a Goryeo general or a Tartar chieftain, could not be counted. Today, the lord takes Liu Pingzhang as the general town of Jinan, supplemented by me. Liu Pingzhang, there will be people who will say or leave, what do you think should be? ”

The soldiers outside his tent were all tigers and wolves, and when they heard the words, they drank hard and drew their swords at the same time.

Liu Qi and the trilogy were shocked. Yang Xingjian also took the sword at his waist, stepped forward, and shouted, "Today's things are just death!" "Analyze the pros and cons to Liu Qi, "Since the day Chahan went east, the lord has been in a hurry to Haidong to gather reinforcements. I have tens of thousands of tigers in Haidong, and I can cross the sea and go south at any time to come to help. I think that because of the strict orders of the Tartar Emperor, Nachahan did not have time to prepare, so he rashly invaded me. When my army arrives, who will be wiped out, Liu Pingzhang, have you thought about it?

"Moreover, although our Haidong reinforcements have not yet arrived for the time being, there are still a few elites in Yidu City, and there are more than 10,000 troops in Dizhou Tianfeng, and thousands of Jurchen cavalry in Jiyang Xiaopingzhang. Jinan, the big city also. The lord will never fail to come to my rescue. They are also ready to come at any time. How much does Wang Baobao's military horse have? There is no need for Haidong reinforcements, and Jinan City will definitely be in danger! Liu Pingzhang: Do you think so?

"Moreover, Jinan, the gateway to Yidu. If Jinan loses, there will be something wrong with Yidu. If there is something in Yidu, the lord will take Shandong's hard work and abandon it completely. This is not the gain or loss of one city and one battle, but the great plan of the lord! If it is due to the fall or departure of the plain chapter, the benefits are lost. Even if Liu Pingzhang doesn't care about his wife's life, doesn't he even care about your own life? Ping Zhangjiu has been in Shandong for a long time, and he should know the story of the king!

"Liu Pingzhang, the matter has come to this point, there will be people who will say or leave, what do you think should be?"

Earlier, Deng She had expanded the recruitment of the Proton Army, and Liu Jue's sister-in-law and many of the generals' sons and nephews were also recruited, and all of them were called to Yidu. Yang Xingjian's sentence "Liu Pingzhang doesn't think about his wife's life" is threatening Liu Qi. If Liu Jue dares to surrender or abandon the city, causing Yidu to be in danger, then it is self-evident what will happen to his sister-in-law's life.

"Don't you even care about your own life?" This sentence is obviously also a threat. Tens of thousands of reinforcements from Haidong can arrive at any time, and there are still a lot of military horses in Yidu and Jiyang.

If Chahan is defeated. No matter whether Liu Qi descends or leaves, since "this battle is related to the great plan of Haidong", as long as the reason for the fall of Yidu is implemented on him, then after the autumn, he will definitely not escape death in the end. Wang Shu, a native of Yidu, was a powerful minister in the early Yuan Dynasty, and his power was overwhelming the world and harming living beings. The king assassinated him. "The story of Wang Shu", even if the battle of Shandong was won by Chahan in the end, Haidong did not lack warriors like Wang Shu. The ministers of the dynasty can be stabbed and killed, let alone a little Liu Qi?

Think about Deng She's invincible reputation since he started the army. Think about the bravery of the tiger generals in Haidong, one by one, they can be called ten thousand enemies. Liu Jue said on the spot: "My generation of soldiers should die to the country and fight to the death." The generals have words to descend and go, slash! ”

Yang Wanhu is loyal and brave, and under the anger and anger, he doesn't pay much attention to the way he speaks. If it weren't for Yang Xingjian's later additions and analysis, it might only cause one consequence: he would have fallen out with Liu Qi and his subordinate generals on the spot. There is no need to wait for Wang Baobao to attack the city, and he will directly stage a good show of blood spattering and cannibalism.

Even if Liu Jue and the generals of Liu Jun were killed, there were still more than 10,000 of their troops and horses in the city, and the interior would definitely be unstable. Therefore, Deng She sent Yang Xingjian to be the prefect of Jinan, which is really good at knowing people. Yang Xingjian is strategic, eloquent, fearless in the face of danger, and talks eloquently, which can just supplement Yang Wanhu's slightly reckless insufficiency.

The two worked together to force Liu Qi to make up his mind. Only then did this series of bitter battles in the fortress.

Yang Wanhu and Liu Qi divided their powers. Yang Wanhu mainly guarded the south and west, and was the front of Wang Baobao's main attack. Liu Jue guarded the north and east. In addition to defense, if there is an emergency in the south, it is also necessary to replenish it in time. At the same time, the collection of the people in the city and the logistical support were all handed over to Yang Xingjian.

Yang Xingjian slept less than half an hour a day, and his spirit was highly excited. The original civil officials in the city, many of whom were demoted by Meng Yuan, were all removed and replaced, and Yang Wanhu was asked to dial a few literate and hyphenated officers to come over, divide them into districts, and use the military to rule the people. He also organized hundreds of brave, reliable and trustworthy people to cooperate with the soldiers to patrol the city day and night. They also bought grain and oil at high prices, and at the same time encouraged large households to donate and make careful budgets for military use. There is a lot of grain stored in the city of Jinan, which is enough to support the food of the whole city in March, but those who cannot see far must not be near. Who knows how long this city will be kept? It is still necessary to plan ahead. When he came to Jinan to take office, Deng She gave him dozens of personal soldiers and family members, and most of them were handed over to Yang Wanhu to go to the city to help in the war. There were only a few left, and they were left and right to use as heralds.

When Wang Baobao's siege began, Yang Xingjian had only been busy all day, and he just closed his eyes and wanted to rest for a while. Hear the sound and get up. Hurriedly shouted left and right, took the shoulder, and walked in the city.

Under the starlit night, several high platforms were erected in the city, with soldiers on them, and red lanterns were hung, overlooking the whole city. This is to prevent unrest in the city. If they saw any changes, the soldiers on the high platform would beat gongs and drums, use lanterns to guide the direction, and their own patrol soldiers galloped forward to calm the chaos.

Yang Xingjian walked between the high platforms one after another, checking the situation in various parts of the city according to the region, and commanding the people to gallop to help the battle, and there was an endless stream.

Jinan hadn't seen much war in years. What's more, Wang Baobao attacked the city, and the shouts were earth-shattering. And Yidu has only changed masters, and Deng She's foothold is not too stable. There were rumors all over the city, some said that Haidong's reinforcements were about to arrive, some said that Haidong had not sent reinforcements at all, and some even said that Deng She's whole army had already retreated to Liaoyang. It is said that Yang Wanhu even beat the king of South Goryeo, and it was more than enough to defend Jinan City. It is said that Chahan will descend from the stars, and ordinary people are difficult to be opponents. There are also well-informed ones, citing the example of Xuzhou City. Because of the stubborn resistance of Sesame Li, after getting rid of the city, he slaughtered the city and killed a chicken and dog. Faintly worried about what to do if the city is broken. The people's hearts were shaken.

Among the people in the city, the blessing of Li Shousheng, Yang Xingjian's installation has a fine work. He knows all these kinds of rumors. What is in the heart, others do not know. The subordinate officers and personal soldiers who followed him only saw that he was stable and undisturbed. Yang Xingjian turned to look at the south city wall, and saw that the arrows were like rain, and the cannon stones that entered the city were piled up in a short period of time, almost several steps high.

A subordinate official said: "My lord, there are many rumors in the city. It's only been a few days since the city was defended. If effective measures are not taken to reverse it, the consequences will be worrying in the long run. ”

Yang Xingjian smiled slightly and said: "Mao Gui and Shicheng have been running Shandong for a long time, and there are many people in the city who burn incense and eat vegetarians. The state religion has deep roots. Even if there are rumors, what is there to fear? ”

"Burning incense and eating vegetarian" is talking about the White Lotus Sect. The main doctrine of the White Lotus Sect is inherited from the Pure Land sect of Buddhism, and in order to develop lay believers, its canons prohibit marriage, but it is forbidden to eat meat and fish, and "cut off meat and vegetables". The power of religion is very strong, especially in troubled times, when people have no hope of living, and the power of spiritual belief will become the only pillar to support people's lives.

Although Yang Xingjian did not believe in the White Lotus Sect,—— in fact, there were few people in Haidong who believed in the White Lotus Sect. The "Five Precepts" of the White Lotus Sect, one of which is "abstain from alcohol". You can see it from this one alone. When there is nothing to do, Deng She often summons the heroes and generals to have a banquet, and there is no one who does not drink. Even Wang Shicheng and other people in Yidu did not say that they did not drink a drop of alcohol. To a large extent, the White Lotus Sect is just a means. Now is the time to use this tool.

Yang Xingjian pondered for a moment and said, "Choose the loyal sect members in the city and form a team. You don't need more people, you don't need to be in more teams. Day and night shifts, wandering around the city. Everywhere they went, they all proclaimed the Buddha's name and recited the scriptures. Draw the inhabitants to the Buddha and strengthen their thoughts of living in the Pure Land together. ”

Liu Futong's department, when encountering hardships and dangers, often reciting the Buddha's name together and behaving with firm faith. Yang Xingjian is in a hurry to follow the power, so let's learn and use it. In the current situation, it is obviously unrealistic to expect to use the distinction of Huayi, the great righteousness of the nation, or the idea of serving the country with loyalty to the monarch to inspire the residents to unite in the war of resistance. Yang Xingjian is by no means a pedantic person, as long as he helps defend the city, it doesn't matter what means he uses. When the subordinate officials heard the order, they went to arrange the arrangement.

"I'm afraid this arrangement alone is not enough. There are also people who do not believe in the White Lotus Sect. The monks and monks in the temples and palaces in the city were also called to come out to form a queue and proclaim the city. Didn't the inhabitants of the city rumor that Chahan would descend from the heavens? My Haidong is in the east of Yidu. Does this official remember that there are also rumors, 'Purple Qi is coming from the east'? Real people come from the east. Teach monks and Taoist priests to give good lectures and criticisms to the people. ”

"Purple Qi is coming from the east", this is the rumor that Zhao Zhong spread in Yidu earlier. At this time, it was used again.

"Then ask Liu Pingzhang and General Yang to pile up the Tartar heads that have been captured in the past few days, place them in the city, and show them to the residents. with the faith that holds the city. Yang Xingjian glanced to the side, motioned for the official assigned to handle the matter to come closer, and added in a low voice, "It doesn't matter how many heads are piled up. Remember, it's important to pick a few more fierce-looking ones to become Tartar generals. Yesterday's battle, didn't Hu Subei Hu Qianhu win the most and rank first in terms of merit? Triple the number of Tartars he killed, and spread throughout the city! ”

This move is called erecting a heroic model.

A hero, in terms of boosting morale, is often more effective than ten fierce generals. Yang Xingjian has been influenced by Deng She for a long time, and it is common for Deng She to use this strategy in the past. Yang Wanhu's troops defeated Wang Jing, and Deng She gave him the reputation of "Hanyang Battalion" for the thousand-man team that first entered the city. The two are similar.

The subordinate officer understood and turned to go.

The night was dark and the fighting was raging. The group stood in the city, and felt the ground tremble. After looking at the southern city wall for a long time, I saw the enemy and our soldiers fighting and shouting, entangled and fighting. Seeing Yang Wanhu's body standing upright in the city tower from a distance, Liu Jue quietly retreated back and retreated. Someone asked, with a worried face, "My lord, the Tartars have been besieging the city for several days. I wonder when the lord's reinforcements will come? ”

"The matter of reinforcements is planned by the master. The responsibility of defending the city lies with you and me.

"Fang is competing with each other today. The heroes of the north and the south, and the only two people in the north are the lord and Chahan. Tian Feng rats, hugging in Dizhou; Polo cunning rabbit, wait and see in Yixing. Both of these are children. Today's battle of Jinan can be described as a battle that determines the luck of the north, and it is bound to attract the attention of the world. All the princes are well-educated and clever people, and they don't need to be healthy to talk about it, and they must have already known about it and knew it clearly.

"Jinan wins, then the princes are brave and loyal, and the lords will not forget each other. If Jinan is lost, the great and heroic names of the princes will also spread throughout the north and south. This battle, for you and me, is a noble if you succeed, and a history if you die. The husband is not born to eat five tripods, and he is dead to be five tripods cooked! Life is like this, what more can a husband ask for! In that case, what does it matter when reinforcements will come? This is the subtle and superficial view of Xingjian, what do you think? ”

Yang Xingjian's subordinates and soldiers around him are all cronies, and they are all old Haidong people. Everyone was excited, and they all said: "The husband is not born to eat five tripods, but to die as a five tripod cook!" ”

Under the supervision of the soldiers, a group of people's men carried boiling water, food, arrows to supplement the consumption of the battle, tiles, wood and stones used to fight the enemy, and other things, passed in front of Yang Xingjian and others, and sent them to the city. Yang Xingjian was decisive and daring, first took measures to settle the people's hearts, and then used words to inspire the courage of the subordinate officials, looking up at the sky, the stars were dotted, and the night was not young. He patted his shoulder and ordered: "Go to the city, this official must fight side by side with Pingzhang and the general." ”

On the shoulder, the sedan chair drivers walk on their shoulders. He sat high on it, sent his subordinates to their posts, and then took only three or two of his own soldiers and ran straight to the city.

When he went to the top of the city, it might not be helpful to defend the city, but as a civil servant, he had the courage to go to the city to watch the battle, and it would definitely be a great encouragement to the morale of the army and the hearts of the people in the city. The closer you get to the edge of the city, the greater the danger. Due to the digging of trenches, the ground is undulating and difficult to walk.

Outside the city, the trebuchets and artillery of the Chahan army drove into the city from time to time, or rolled twice on the top of the city, and fell under the inner city wall. It doesn't fall locally, and a single boulder can wash away several houses. There was a loud noise, and the smoke and dust filled the sky. Straight people can't tell whether it is because of the night or because of smoke and dust where there is no torch illumination, and it is difficult to see the black pressure.

Fortunately, the residents who lived on the edge of the city had already dispersed into the city. Except for the accidental injuries of the people and soldiers, the casualties were not many.

In addition to boulders and cannonballs, there were also arrows fired from the dirt hills outside the city. Whoosh, like rain. Passing through the earthen wall and through the ditch, the palanquin bearers braved the rain of arrows and walked along the horse path towards the head of the city with difficulty. The people who passed by gave way to them. There were too many arrows, and the people were hit by arrows at every turn, screaming and screaming, and then they were helped down and carried away. Yang Xingjian sits in a high position, which is more dangerous in comparison. The personal soldier who followed the palanquin raised his shield to shield him. Yang Xingjian glanced at the noisy queue of people on both sides, and almost all the people were looking at him. He straightened his clothes slightly, sat upright, and said, "Remove the shield." ”

"Your Excellency?"

"Remove the shield!"

The shield is removed. Revealing his resolute and determined image. Mao Yashi, looking calm. I don't know who started first, and the queue of the people gradually quieted down. Those who were hit by the arrow no longer shouted, and those who led the pulp fell into silence. One after another, one team after another, hundreds of people, hundreds and hundreds, fell to their knees. Countless people, looking up to him, facing the rain of arrows, looked calm, step by step, climbed to the top of the city.

"Lord Yang! Mighty. ”

It was night, and the rumors in the city ceased, and the inhabitants were at peace. On the head of the city, the stars were brilliant, and Yang Xingjian stood side by side with Yang Wanhu. Even in the rain of guns and arrows, they are not afraid at all. The two looked at each other and smiled. Although there is one article and one martial arts, at this time I can't help but feel sorry for each other. Yang Wanhu said: "My lord is here? Yang Xingjian replied: "Help the general." After a moment of silence, Yang Xingjian said again: "Although Wang Baobao's offensive is sharp, there is no need to be afraid. Yang Wanhu nodded, did not answer, and looked far away, his gaze turned to the south.

Through the heavy night, to the south. Pass through the brightly lit Koyonsei, who is building a camp in full swing, and further south on the head of the plum mangbu. Under the same bright starry sky, south to south, Taean. The key to keeping benefits is in Thailand, and the key to keeping benefits is in Thailand. Tai'an is here, and the Chahan Henan Army cannot go north, so there is no way to support Wang Baobao. Tai'an is lost, Chahan and Wang Baobao Henan and Hebei armies will be together, and Jinan will be difficult to protect.

——

1. Liu Futong's department, when encountering hardships and dangers, often reciting the Buddha's name and behaving with firm faith.

Historically, the Red Turban Army marched east to Goryeo. It was winter, the snow was falling, the weather was cold, and the three sergeants and soldiers were frostbitten in large numbers, all gathered in the tent, chanted Buddhist scriptures, and warmed each other.