Outside the city, in the Jinwuwei camp, Shi Hanqing and Feng Xin looked anxious, and kept looking outside the camp gate. After Wang Zhaoling was transferred to the Ming Ce Army, the emperor ordered Feng Xin to replace the post of General Jin Wuwei, with Shi Hanqing as the left general and Xi Yan as the right general.

Finally, Xi Yan appeared in the sight of the two in a madder wedding dress. Before he had time to change his wedding clothes, Xi Yan was invited to the tent by the two generals.

Feng Xin's face was embarrassed, "Young Master Xi, no, General Right, the situation is urgent...... You must already know that there was a civil uprising in the water. Your Majesty personally decreed that you lead the army to quell the rebellion. ”

While listening, Xi Yan took off his wedding dress three or two, wearing only his middle coat, and said, "Without further ado, the last general will immediately lead people to set off." ”

Feng Xin nodded in response, "You take 20,000 soldiers to collect water, and the remaining 30,000 stay in charge of the defense of Gyeonggi!" ”

"The last will understand."

"The grain, grass and baggage are all ready, and now we can go."

Xi Yan had just left the camp tent, and he saw He Yan outside the camp gate wearing a wedding dress, and the hairpins were scattered, and he was about to break into the barracks, but was stopped by two sergeants.

Xi Yan's face turned pale, and he ordered the soldiers around him in a low voice: "Send Miss He back to the house." ”

"Yes!" The soldier took the order and left, but just took two steps, he turned his head hesitantly, "General Right, send it back to Xi Mansion or He Mansion?" ”

"Naturally, it's Hefu!"

Xi Yan put on a dark robe and hung a long sword from his waist. Sitting down, Sa Lu Zi let out a burning snort.

Chongdu City is getting farther and farther away, and behind Xi Yan are 20,000 Jinwu guards with strong soldiers. In front of him, there is a bleak Dazhao River and Mountain.

"Your Majesty...... After all, he made a move at the most critical time......" Xi Yan thought, and the iron horse had already carried him to the south.

Along the march, the farther south you go, the more refugees you will face. Most of the refugees were old and weak, women and children, all of them were yellow and thin, and when they saw the army led by Xi Yan from afar, they cast fear, contempt, or spurning glances.

Xi Yan also felt the hostility of the people to the Praetorian Guard, and couldn't help but secretly think in his heart, what he led was the elite who protected the country and the people, but he was going to wave a butcher's knife against a group of people who rebelled because they were cornered. While secretly sighing, Xi Yan couldn't help but think...... Are you completely opposed to them? The foundation of the strength of each of the Shi clans in Great Zhao is based on the plundering of the small people of Dousheng. I was born in a family, and I am afraid that in the eyes of some people, I am a demon who kills people without blinking...... But this opposition is so acute in a riot.

Before leaving, Feng Xin had already handed over the military intelligence report to Xi Yan intact.

It turned out that the rebels took advantage of the night to rise up. Storm the government in the city, kill a bunch of officials, open the granary, loot it and burn it to the ground. It has not been a strategic place since ancient times, and it is located in the hinterland of Dazhao, so there are almost no defenders in the city.

After reading it carefully, Xi Yan thought about it for a long time...... It is only a few dozen miles away from the water and is located in a mountain pass. If they advance any further, the soldiers will be tired and will not be able to immediately go into battle. So he commanded: "Give me the order and camp on the spot." Before dawn tomorrow, each person will bring enough rations for five days, with the battalion of shooting feathers in front, the battalion of spearmen in the center, and the heavy armor in the rear. After passing through the mountain pass, they are lined up in the shape of crane wings, and the perimeter is cleared first. ”

"General Zuo," Xi Yan ordered without haste, "you are responsible for deploying all the horses in the spear and cavalry battalion, and you must force all the rebels into the city within two days." ”

Xi Yan's tone has always been very calm, and the feeling of not being impatient has slowly infected the people around him, so much so that everyone has forgotten that he is a general who leads the troops to fight, "Right general, you lead four hundred archers and four hundred heavy armor soldiers, and stay to protect the grain, grass and baggage." When the Chinese army forms a joint encirclement, it will immediately follow. ”

After speaking, Xi Yan's slender fingers tapped on the table very casually, as if all the things he had just arranged had nothing to do with him.

Suddenly, Xi Yan seemed to remember a very important matter, and hurriedly emphasized: "By the way, go back and control your soldiers, if there are those who ignore the law of the country and kill the good and the meritorious; or those who pervert and oppress the people, beheaded! They will do what they say, and if anyone does not believe, let them test their heads. ”

In the end, Xi Yan's tone had become cold and hard.

The left and right staff officers glanced at each other, and their hearts were all in the same place. Unexpectedly, this general, who was born in a family, would care about a few cheap human lives.

The next day, as soon as the sky was bright, nearly 20,000 Jinwu guards were cleaned up and marched in formation towards the water. After crossing the mountain pass, the whole army immediately spread out in the shape of crane wings, and the spear battalion advanced on both sides of the Chinese army, which was well protected, and it should have been the general's main formation. But Xi Yan and the left staff general each led a spear cavalry, one left and one right to outflank the city.

Wherever the army passed, the people scattered one after another.

The mob was a rabble, and they only rose up because they couldn't survive, and after occupying the city, they had no next plan.

Of the thousands of rebels that are often seen in the eyes, there are only a few hundred of them who are really combative, and most of the rest are dragged by their families. The ranks of the Jin Wuwei people hurriedly chased after them, but they did not kill them...... At this time, more than 100 officers and soldiers can often be seen chasing thousands of mobs around the water.

Under such a scene, all the rebels invariably chose to retreat to the city, and in just two days, tens of thousands of rioters were driven to the vicinity of the city. Seeing that the Jin Wuwei army continued to press on them, they retreated into the city of Chushui, in a vain attempt to rely on the city's solid position to resist stubbornly.

In the distance, Xi Yan watched the gate of the city close on the hill opposite the city, and ordered the army to stop advancing.

General Zuo was puzzled, "The rebels have no way to retreat, they have neither the tools to defend the city nor the way to defend it, they are just a group of rabble." Why didn't the general order the siege? ”

Xi Yan said casually: "Surrendering without a fight is not only the best result, but also the best method. Besides, they have already burned down the granary......"

Burn down the granary? Xi Yan's heart suddenly froze, and a big question suddenly came to his heart...... The mob is making a riot to grab food, so why should they burn down the granary? Even after the granary was emptied, it stands to reason that the government should be burned......

Seeing Xi Yan, General Zuo was suddenly stunned, and hurriedly asked with concern: "What's wrong?" Checkmate. ”

"It's nothing," Xi Yan hurriedly disguised the past with a chuckle, and then elaborated, "They have already burned down the granary, so even if the grain of the whole city is gathered together, it will only last for ten days." We besiege but do not attack, and in a few days, the rebels will come out and surrender. In the end, most of them are just a bunch of poor people who have no way out. As a royal guard, do I really want to swing the butcher's knife at these tens of thousands of people? ”

"General Right," General Zuo hesitated, "but we only have less than 20,000 soldiers and horses, and although the city is not big, we want to besiege it with our soldiers and horses alone." With all due respect, I'm afraid it's tantamount to a fool's dream. ”

Xi Yan was noncommittal, "There are many ways to besiege the city, cutting off the communication roads and spreading the troops evenly around the city is just one. We don't have many troops, and there is a rabble in the city that don't know the art of war, so we just need to make a drip-proof appearance. ”

"Does the general mean to make the people in the city mistakenly think that the grass and trees are all soldiers?"

Seeing Xi Yan nodding yes, General Zuo immediately realized, "Then the soldiers will be immediately arranged to cut down trees and set up camps, the more the merrier." It is bound to form a siege of the city before tomorrow morning. ”

Xi Yan said slowly: "Well, the camping speed should be fast. At the same time, send a letter of surrender to the city. If the city does not refuse to surrender after seven days, then the city will be attacked. ”

Xi Yan once carefully calculated that the seventh day should be the time when the food in the city is exhausted. If the rebels really refuse to surrender, they will not suffer many casualties among their own soldiers when the siege is at that time.

The speed of 20,000 people cutting down trees and camping is naturally extremely fast, and Jin Wuwei is worthy of being a Praetorian Guard directly under the capital. On the night of the order, the city was besieged. Xi Yan stood on the hill outside the city, raised his eyes, and there were many flags outside the city, and 20,000 people were born to create a momentum of 100,000 troops.

Under such a situation, rumors spread in the city. It is rumored that the 100,000 troops outside the city are sharpening their swords and will attack the city in a few days; There are also rumors that the emperor has already issued a holy decree, and all those who make trouble will be killed, but those who sincerely repent can still be spared......

Seeing that the food was about to run out, and there would be no reinforcements, everyone in the city was panicked for a while. What's more, they climbed out of the city wall overnight and surrendered to the Jinwuwei army.

Early in the morning of the seventh day, Jin Wuwei's 20,000 horses had been assembled, and Xi Yan was in charge of the Chinese army, ready to issue an order to attack the city at any time. The order was issued, and the army was gone. At this moment, the city gate of the city slowly opened, and a group of ragged and unarmed people poured out of the city gate, kneeling at the feet of the Jinwu guards.

Xi Yanzi immediately looked at this scene, his face was as pale as iron, and he said loudly: "Spread Your Majesty's decree, and wait for the people to commit rebellion, according to the law, it should have connected the nine clans." However, I obeyed the will of heaven and could not bear to destroy the living beings, so I did not impose capital punishment. Whoever is the leader of the rebellion is guilty of unforgivable; Those who do not know the truth or are coerced are not guilty. ”

In an instant, several leaders of the rebels had fallen to the ground. The rest of the people all surrendered at the feet of the Jinwuwei soldiers, and the voice of the mountain shouting long live was higher and higher.

Looking at the scene in front of him, Xi Yan remembered the conversation he had with Qi An in the Begonia Courtyard that day...... The people, just the people. They just want to live with food and clothing, and as long as they can live in peace, they would rather choose the most modest way to live.

The level is chaotic, and the sum of the front and back is only half a month. On the way to the class teacher, Xi Yan thought that he was going to marry He Yan when he returned to Chongdu, and his heart was even more uncomfortable.

Chongdu City was nearly fifty miles away, and when the army was advancing, a scout dressed as a hundred thousand people came in a hurry, "General Jin Wuwei listens to the order!" ”

Xi Yan saw that this was wrong, and hurriedly stepped forward.

"General Jin Wuwei listened to the order, the battle in the northwest is urgent, and the enemy has captured Shuiluo! You speed Jin Wuwei to the northwest to support, set off immediately, and there is no delay! ”

Xi Yan didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly gave up the order. The army was then ordered to turn around and head northwest.