Lu Cong kept mobilizing troops and horses, and his intentions were very obvious.

Ma Jian stationed 150,000 soldiers and horses in Datong County and attached great importance to it.

The two sides prepared separately, and the smell of gunpowder was full.

Because Tang Niu led the main force of soldiers and horses to conquer the barbarians, the remaining soldiers barely guarded the border, and it was impossible to cooperate with Ma Jian. This time, in the face of Lu Cong, he could only fight alone, and Ma Jian was still quite worried.

The military advisor Feng Qiao is Ma Jian's most trusted person and the strongest strategist under his command. However, in the face of Sima Fa's few victories and many defeats, coupled with Lu Cong's profound background, both the generals and the troops are stronger than their own, and it is very troublesome to fight alone!

Tang Niu couldn't help, and it was unrealistic to ask Ning Ze for help.

In particular, Ma Jian is famous for inheriting Dacheng, but Liu Yuanxiang regards himself as orthodox Dacheng and establishes Dahuaguo, and the two sides are in conflict in terms of righteousness. To unite, who is orthodox becomes a rather troublesome disagreement. It's just that Ma Jian doesn't have a royal identity, and Liu Yuanxiang is the blood of the first emperor, so it's easy to suffer.

Facing Lu Cong alone has become a helpless choice.

Unless Ning Ze's side happened to send troops to attack Lu Cong, it might be able to alleviate the predicament faced by his side a little.

However, the military advisor Feng Qiao analyzed that Ning Ze would definitely not send troops at this time, but would only sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, while watching the two sides weaken their strength, while constantly hoarding food and recruiting troops.

He really expected that Ning Ze was happy to see Lu Cong and Ma Jian attacking each other, and chose to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. This time was used to train soldiers and prepare rations. In order to solve the problem of low grain production, he is ordering the research department to make every effort to develop new varieties and increase the country's grain production with the common knowledge of hybrid crops that he knows very little.

When grain production increases, the people will harvest more, and only when they are satisfied with food and clothing can they pay more taxes and grain, and only then can the problem of military rations be solved.

The people take food as the sky, the people's hearts are stable only when there is food, and the army has no worries when there is food!

On the other hand, he doesn't want to fight outside all the time, and finally has the opportunity to share the family atmosphere with his wife and children, who wants to go outside to fight?

The two sides were ready, and Lu Cong really sent Sima Fa as the main general, supplemented by Lu Yuan and Zhou Hao, to lead the army south to attack Datong County.

Ma Jian personally sat in Datong and took defensive measures.

When Sima Fa's army arrived, he did not attack immediately, but sent messengers to deliver the message.

Ma Jian met with the envoy and asked what the other party's intentions were.

The envoy said: "Pass on Your Majesty's edict, the orthodoxy of the world is in my Liang country, and if you go with it, you will live, and if you go against it, you will die! If you abandon the army and surrender yourself, you can be crowned a prince and inherit it from generation to generation!"

Ma Jian was furious when he heard this, and refuted the envoy on the spot: "Lu Chong coerced the Son of Heaven to order the princes, and killed the king to usurp the throne, and heaven will not tolerate it! Such a chaotic minister and thief dare to be called orthodox?"

and he shall order the messenger to be killed.

Feng Qiao hurriedly persuaded and said in his ear: "Your Majesty should not be angry, this is Sima Fa's plan! Sima Fa deliberately provoked Your Majesty, wanting to lure you to kill the envoy and go out of the city to meet the battle. If Your Majesty breaks the rules, I am afraid that the world will laugh at it. If you go out of the city to fight in a rage, you will have a trap in Sima Fa's plan!"

Ma Jian came to his senses instantly: "Fortunately, the military advisor reminded me that I almost fell for Sima's poison plan!"

"Sima Fa has been preparing for a long time, and now he is leading a large army to come, it is extremely difficult to deal with!" Feng Qiao said in a low voice, "Our army should stick to the city and not go out, delaying time." On the one hand, the enemy's army is outside, and the loss of grain and grass is extremely huge, and we cannot delay, and we must delay it urgently, and our army can win by exposing its flaws; on the other hand, in the face of the enemy army alone, our side is at a disadvantage, so we can only resist the city and defend it, so as to delay and wait for changes. Once Tang Niu returned to Bian Zhou, Lu Cong would inevitably divide his troops to the north to defend the Zhou State. ”

"It's just that the enemy is so provocative, how to deal with it?" Ma Jian asked.

Feng Qiao said with a smile: "Your Majesty can order someone to cut off the ear and nose of the envoy and drive him out of the city." did not hurt his life, and insulted Sima Fa. If Sima Fa gets angry and shows his flaws, the minister will be able to seize the opportunity to deal a heavy blow!"

Ma Jian immediately ordered his subordinates to cut off the ear and nose of the messenger and throw him out of the city.

The messenger fled back to the camp and cried to Sima Fa. The generals of Liang were all so angry, and Lu Yuan and Zhou Hao directly asked for battle.

Sima Fa saw through Feng Qiao's calculations, ordered the military doctor to take care of the envoy, and said to the generals: "This is a method of agitating generals, with the intention of making me lose my cool and expose my flaws! Everyone should be calm for a while, and still carry out the original plan! Hussar general, you take your troops and horses to the city gate to call for battle and lure the enemy out of the city. ”

"Whew!" Lu Yuan got the order, led his troops to the north gate of Datong, and shouted for battle.

The gatekeepers ignored the call for battle.

Ma Jianjun refused to come out, and Lu Yuan could only retreat to the camp.

Sima Fa said: "Tomorrow, the general will send some gifts over and see how the other party reacts." ”

The next day, arrange a box of women's dresses and let Lu Yuan send them over.

Lu Yuan put the box outside the city gate and smiled at the defenders: "There are guests who dare not greet them from afar, you are really as cowardly as a mouse! Send a box of gifts, please smile!"

After that, he left the box and led the troops back to the camp.

The general defending the city made sure that Lu Yuanjun had withdrawn, and quickly opened the city gate to check the box, and found that the box was full of women's clothes, as well as a letter to Ma Jian.

Immediately ordered someone to report it, and sent the box and letter into the city.

Ma Jian didn't know the other party's intentions, opened the letter and looked at it, and was furious.

The letter wrote: "I have heard that Ma Qiao is a real hero, who is the tiger hiding in the mud kiln, if you don't have the courage to call yourself a hero, you will be beautiful in front of the colorful skirt?"

Translated into the vernacular, your son Ma Qiao is a real hero, but it's a pity that his son is as timid as a mouse, and he doesn't dare to go into battle when he hides. If you don't have the courage at all, just wear a women's dress and pretend to be a beautiful girl in front of the soldiers of the two armies!

The content of the letter made Ma Jian feel deeply humiliated, and he was so angry that he wanted to send troops immediately to fight Sima Fa.

Feng Qiao hurriedly persuaded: "Your Majesty, this is Sima Fa's deliberate doing! If we fall into this scheme, our army will be in danger! Those who achieve great things will be able to endure what others cannot endure, and we must put the overall situation first!"

Ma Jian listened to Feng Qiaoyan's plan, and after thinking carefully, he said: "Sima Fa tried his best to provoke me out of the city, if it wasn't for the persuasion of the military advisor, he would definitely fall into his plan! It's just that the other party is so excessive, I am extremely displeased! The military advisor may win back a game?"

Feng Qiao thought about it carefully and replied softly: "The minister has a plan, it's quite risky!"

"Will the plan be released?"

"Tomorrow, I can order the people to stand on the city in women's clothes, Sima Fa saw it, and it was expected that our army would make up its mind not to fight. Feng Qiao said, "If you take advantage of his unpreparedness to attack the camp that night, you will definitely win!"

The next day, Lu Yuan led his troops to the city to call for battle, and was quite surprised to see the soldiers in the city wearing the women's clothes sent by Sima Fa.

When he went back to tell him, Sima Fa was also surprised: "It seems that Ma Jian has made up his mind to stick to the city, and the agitation method will not work!

"The enemy army refuses to leave the city, what can I do?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Wait for me to think of another plan!" replied Sima Fa.

Because of Ma Jianjun's women's clothes in front of the formation, Sima Fa rarely miscalculated, thinking that the other party would not go out of the city.

That night, according to Feng Qiao's strategy, Ma Jian suddenly went out of the city to attack while Sima Fa's army was asleep.

In the darkness of the night, Sima Fajun was caught off guard.

Although Sima Fa, Lu Yuan, and Zhou Hao quickly stabilized their positions, they were still seriously damaged.

Ma Jianjun returned victorious, and his morale soared.

Sima Fa suffered a loss, but he was not angry, but after reorganizing the army, he laughed: "This time I was careless and fell for Feng Qiao's strategy." ”

"Strategist, why don't you forcibly attack the city?" Lu Yuan said.

"Forcibly attacking the city is the next resort," Sima Fa laughed, "and it is a last resort." If you want to capture Datong County, there is a way. Don't be anxious, let me think about it. ”

Ma Jian returned to the city victoriously and said excitedly to Feng Qiao: "Today's big victory is out of the evil anger in my heart! It's a pity that I couldn't catch Sima Fa." ”

"Sima Fa is very human, how can he be arrested so easily?" Feng Qiao said, "Your Majesty will win for a while, and you can't underestimate the enemy army. ”

"I know what I know!" Ma Jian nodded.

"Next, Sima Fa will definitely try to seize the city. Feng Qiao said, "No matter how the other side moves, our army must stick to the city and stay still! The only way to win at the moment is to delay!"

Ma Jian listened to Feng Qiao's advice, and for the next period of time, no matter how Sima Fa's army provoked, he resolutely stayed in the city and refused to fight.

Lu Yuan was a little anxious, and said to Sima Fa: "Our army has been attacking Datong for more than a month, and it has not advanced an inch, which will damage the trust of Your Majesty! It is better to let me lead my troops to storm the city and guarantee that it will be broken within ten days!"

Sima Fa said: "General, don't worry, I have a plan to break the city!"

"What's the plan?"

"Since tonight, General Lao has led troops to attack outside the city gate one after another, and gongs and drums have sounded in unison. ”

"Why is that?" Lu Yuan asked.

"This is a strategy for the tired army, so that the defenders in the city are overwhelmed and cannot rest!" Sima Fa said, "Our army can repair during the day and recuperate their spirits." ”

"Brilliant plan of the military advisor!" Lu Yuan was delighted, "When the enemy army is tired, you can lead the troops to break the city!"

"No!" Sima Fa said with a smile, "On the surface, it is a strategy to exhaust the army, but in fact, it is secretly Chen Cang. ”

"Darkness Chencang?"

"The general harassed the enemy, on the one hand, to achieve the effect of exhausting the army, and on the other hand, our army took advantage of the attack to dig tunnels to lead to the city. Sima Fa said, "The enemy's attention is on the general, how could he have expected our army to attack from underground? As long as you enter the city, you can launch a surprise attack and capture the city in one fell swoop!"

When Lu Yuan heard this, his eyes sparkled: "Wonderful! Wonderful! If you come up with two strategies, you will definitely be able to get miraculous results!"

So according to Sima Fa's strategy, let the soldiers go to bed early during the day to nourish their spirits. At night, they went to the city gate to beat gongs and drums, and feigned an attack.

The defenders of the city really got nervous, and they all rushed to the city gate to defend.

It's just that Lu Yuan's soldiers and horses simply disturbed the enemy, and did not storm the city gate. Beat the gongs and drums to keep the defenders tense.

On the other side, Sima Fa asked the soldiers to harass the enemy while they landed in the abyss, and used the loud sound of gongs and drums to cover up the sound of digging tunnels, and dug the secret passages leading to the city at full speed.

The defenders of the city were harassed every night and had a lot of headaches.

Feng Qiao said to Ma Jian: "This is a plan to disturb the enemy, the army can be divided into two teams, on duty day and night, and take turns to defend the city. ”

Ma Jian followed the advice and divided the soldiers and horses in the city into two parts, one part rested during the day and did not sleep at night. Some of them are working normally, and they rotate with each other to deal with the enemy's tactics. ”