?? ~7??:b??? f?z?u?m????? _?? e?? a???? 61?n????????? Thick columns of smoke continued to rise in Xuyi City, and the cavalry of the ant thieves could already be seen in the streets searching for the town navy non-commissioned officers who had taken refuge in the houses, and from time to time there were hand-to-hand battles, but this was no longer helpful.

Wang Ziyi, who was hiding on the eaves, retracted his head, jumped down, and sighed, and finally Xuyi City fell.

He needed to prepare how to connect with someone from outside.

It seems that the ant thief did not burn and loot like before, it really looks like it is going to stay forever, which makes Wang Ziyi also curious.

Can the ant thieves still change sex? Wang Ziyi didn't think they could last long.

There is not much to plunder in Xuyi City, and in the past more than a month of siege, although the war has been intermittent, but the life in the city has become more and more difficult, although he has stuffed a lot of money and silver into the defenders, but he has also been almost captured as a master several times.

The city's elite were requisitioned by the town navy, and even the women had to go to the city walls to help cook, carry the soil, and deliver the food.

The food in the city is almost consumed, but Xuyi City is close to Huaishui, and it has also received some help from Linhuai before, and it can still hold on, but after the Baishuitang water bandits entered Huaishui and began to strengthen the blockade of Huaishui, life in Xuyi City became more and more difficult.

In fact, after Duliang Mountain was occupied by ant thieves, Wang Ziyi knew that Xuyi City was afraid that it would be difficult to protect.

The main forces of Li Wu's Eastern Navy and Zhenhai Navy were placed on the front line of Shanyang and Anyi to ensure that the ant thieves did not cross the Cao Canal.

The offensive and defensive battle of Shanyang was particularly fierce, and if it weren't for the all-out efforts of the Eastern Navy, I am afraid that it would have been taken down by the ant thieves long ago.

The ant thieves are said to be quite desperate and attacking, but Shanyang is governed by Chuzhou Prefecture, plus there is a large army from the East China Sea stationed, and there is a steady stream of material support from Caoqu, so the ant thieves have never been able to break Shanyang City.

The Baishuitang bandits and the Yangzhou water army also frequently clashed on the Cao Canal, winning and losing each other, but on the whole, the Yangzhou water army has already occupied the advantage, even if the Baishuitang water bandits hooked up with the water bandits of Fanliang Lake and Baima Lake to attack together, but the undisciplined water bandits have always been difficult to resist this large-scale frontal attack.

Huaiyin is the first city to be attacked by the ant thieves, but it is said that Huaiyin City has not been poisoned, especially some gentry have been courtesy, which has made countless people dumbfounded, although this may be a kind of goodwill behavior of the ant thieves to the gentry in Jiangnan, but this at least also made many gentry breathe a sigh of relief.

However, this is not enough to make the gentry recognize the ant thief, a thief is always a thief, and when you have not reached a certain level, it is impossible to make the gentry accept and recognize.

The door creaked, and a figure flashed in.

"Is it Xiaolang?" Wang Ziyi glanced at it, and when he heard the footsteps, he knew that it was his companion who had returned.

"Brother Ziyi, the city is broken. The young man who came in was still breathing a little fast, wearing a gray cloth shirt, drenched in sweat, but there was still a touch of flush on his face, obviously a little excited.

"Well, it's time to break it, I've held on for so long, and if it doesn't break, I'm worried that Qin Quan will be murderous and will slaughter the city fortress Jingguan. Wang Ziyi clapped his hands and glanced into the distance: "How is the situation outside?"

"The ant thieves really didn't burn and loot like they used to, except for chasing and killing some deserters, they didn't intrude on the people, but there were still some people who broke into the fire and looted, but I think the ant thieves also have special people to stop and deal with them, so the situation is quite passable. The young man wiped his sweat as he spoke, "There is a fire burning on the east side of the city, as if the people of the town navy are setting fire to the baggage supplies. ”

"It seems that the town navy is also prepared, how many escapes?" Wang Ziyi raised his head.

"I don't know, but it's not much, the last three or five hundred. The young man shook his head, "Brother Ziyi, what should we do now?"

"Don't worry, it's time for someone to come. Wang Ziyi silently counted the time, "When the ant thieves occupied Duliang Mountain, I sent the letter back, I heard that at that time, our Huai Right Army began to return from Xuzhou to the north, and when he passed Linhuai, he also stayed in Linhuai overnight, the first army of the Navy and a military infantry army by boat, but I don't know which army it is." ”

"I heard that the monarch presided over the reorganization of the whole army in Xuzhou, which was divided into the Wuning Army and the Huaiyou Army, but how it was divided, I don't know, it should be the Huaiyou Army who came back, right?" The young man was full of anticipation, "The battle is over in Xuzhou, is it time to fight Chuzhou and Yangzhou?"

Wang Ziyi laughed, this little guy who came out of the army is really looking forward to the war, and he hasn't really tasted the cruelty of war.

"Chuzhou and Hezhou are still in the middle, where can we talk about Chuyang Erzhou, and just wait for Li Wu and the ant thieves to fight, isn't it good to lose both?" Wang Ziyi said with a smile: "Let's just sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, and when they have no strength to fight, let's just sit and reap the profits." ”

"Brother Ziyi, do you think we should take Chuzhou and Hezhou? Li Wu didn't garrison here, and the ant thieves didn't enter here, so of course we should occupy here, otherwise if the ant thieves really come in, it will be ruined. The young man's face was full of unwillingness, "This should have been our Huaiyou's territory." ”

That's right, this should have been our Huaiyou's territory, Wang Ziyi thought so in his heart, but last time the monarch took the initiative to back down, and didn't want to make peace with Chuzhou, but now?

Qi Gang chewed the grass roots a little anxiously, and sat motionless on the stones, but his eyes looked out of the gate from time to time.

He entered Zhaoyi City three months ago.

After the ant thieves began to appear on the front line of Duliang Mountain, Huaiyou's side began to get nervous.

Although Cui Shang also felt that it was unlikely that the ant thieves would provoke Huaiyou during the fierce battle with Li Yu, then again, the Huaiyou army went north, and the army left south of Huaishui was only two armies of infantry, that is, the Seventh Army and the Ninth Army, which had been waiting for the equipment to be distributed and replenished.

The Seventh Army was transferred to Shouzhou, and the Ninth Army was originally stationed in Luzhou, but the ant thieves moved, so they were transferred to Haozhou and directly stationed in Zhaoyi County.

In fact, Qi Gang has always hoped to advance directly to the east and occupy Duliang Mountain, which is the real important place to attack and retreat, but the upper side strictly ordered not to enter the territory of Chuzhou, so as not to stimulate Li Wu and the ant thieves, and the Ninth Army of the Huai Right Left Army of Qi Gang can only be in Zhaoyi City.

Now that the overall situation in Xuzhou has been decided, it is said that the formation of the Wuning Army is also very fast, so the Huaiyou Army is about to come back.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, which lifted Qi Gang's spirits and came.

Sure enough, it came.

"My lord, there is news from the front, the Second Army of the Navy Army, the Fifth Army of the Left Army, the First Army of the Right Army, and the Second Army have all landed in Huaiyin. ”

"Okay!" Qi Gang was overjoyed, as soon as he came, there were four armies, now it would be good, so many armies were stationed in Huaiyin, they must have done something, "Order our whole army to be on alert, and the scouts will hurry up and search south." ”

"My lord, where did you search?" asked the soldier softly.

"Search for Yongyang, Qingliu and Liuhe, especially pay attention to Liuheyi. After thinking for a while, Qi Gang gritted his teeth and said.

Yongyang is the northern county of Chuzhou, not big, and there are not many people, Qingliu is Chuzhou Prefecture, not much, but Liuhe is different, Liuhe is a large county in the west of Yangzhou, located on the north bank of Chushui, close to Chuzhou, the location is important.

Li Wu's town navy has a large army stationed on the west line of Fanliang Lake, and has been fighting with the army of ant thieves, while Liuhe and Gaoyou are the supply of heavy grain and grass for the town navy.

If you want to go south to Chuzhou, it is bound to alarm the Zhenhai Navy on the first line of Liuhe, but Qi Gang feels that now is the best time to take Chuzhou.

He has written to Shouzhou and Xuzhou many times in this regard, hoping to make a decision as soon as possible, otherwise once the ant thieves break through the defense line of the Zhenhai Navy, it is very likely to affect Chuzhou, and even directly enter Chuzhou, and there is no garrison on the Chuzhou side, so it is not an exaggeration to say that it is not an exaggeration to go down with a drum.

Ten days ago, news came from Shouzhou and Xuzhou, asking him to strengthen the collection of the surrounding situation and make various emergency preparations.

From Huaiyin, it only takes half a day to land on the shore of Huaishui in the north of Zhaoyi, and now three armies have suddenly come, which means that they will definitely go south.

Qi Gang guessed correctly, the Huaiyou Army did intend to go south to Chuzhou.

The desire to go south to Chuzhou stems from two aspects.

The first is the suggestion from Yang Xun, the assassin of Luzhou, he believes that the current war between the ant thief and Li Wu has been fierce to the point that both sides can not get out of each other, Li Wu does not have the strength to estimate and Chuzhou, the most obvious proof is that Li Wu does not even have a garrison in Chuzhou, and Yang Xun is worried that once the ant thief breaks through the defense line of the town and navy, it may directly lead to the loss of the entire Chuzhou, and once Chuzhou is lost, it will directly threaten the entire Luzhou, and the situation in Luzhou, which has finally stabilized, will face a crisis, which is not conducive to agricultural production next year。

It should be said that Yang Xun's worries are not unreasonable, once the ant thieves invade Chuzhou, then Luzhou, which is close at hand, has not been warned, it is difficult to say that the ant thieves can control it and not come to Luzhou to fight the grass valley, Luzhou is vast and densely populated, and the north and south of Chaohu Lake are fertile fields, and the famous granary, once it is harmed by the ant thief, the loss will be too great.

The second comes from Jiang Feng's own considerations, he judged that the entanglement between the ant thieves and Li Wu would last for a long time, and Chuzhou was facing the threat of ant thieves, and it might be more unfavorable for Li Wu to be occupied by the ant thieves, so as long as he communicated with Li Wu after creating a fait accompli, he may not be able to reach a compromise, that is, the original agreement will replace Hezhou with Chuzhou, a temporary garrison, and local officials will be sent by the imperial court.