The number of officers and men that Guan Yong can command is no longer very large. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoLooking at the entire Youzhou City, there are only a few thousand people at best. It's not that the soldiers in the city have died, but the generals below have their own thoughts. What are you kidding, now the soldier is the most valuable reliance in his own hands. Regardless of whether Youzhou can hold it or not, it is always good to have soldiers in hand. Even if you don't want to open the city and surrender, at the moment when the city is broken, you can have the strength of the soldiers to protect your own population and escape as soon as possible. Speaking of which, this is not greed for life and fear of death, but it is just the deepest selfishness of the human heart.

That's exactly what happened.

"It's come to this, what's the use of me even if I'm calm?"

Saying that, Li Guangfeng shook his head again and again, and asked with a wry smile, "The general trend has gone, even if I wait to do anything, I can only do my best." ”

"Master Li, Youzhou is still there, the official is still there, what is the general trend has gone? Do you think this Youzhou City is a paper paste? Don't forget, Your Majesty is still waiting for our good news in the capital, and reinforcements from all over the country are on the way. In this battle, there is no judgment on who will lose and who will win!" Guan Yong couldn't help but scold.

"General Guan, don't you think I'm afraid?" Li Guangfeng was still smiling bitterly and asked in a low voice.

Guan Yong's eyes widened, and he was speechless for a while.

Li Guangfeng is a rare figure among the civil servants of the Chu State who can get along well with the generals, and it is absolutely impossible for him to be a coward, he knows this. Even Guan Yong felt that Li Guangfeng was one of the few civil servants in Youzhou who could be pragmatic and do things. A few years earlier, before the last battle of Rong Di's southward march, Li Guangfeng had made a presentation to the imperial court, concluding that Dadan Yu Tuyuhun had not shown hostility towards Chu and that his target should have turned to other countries in the west. Although there is not much evidence to show whether Li Guangfeng's judgment is correct or not, the facts are here, and in the next few years, Rong Dishan did not attack on a large scale in his subordinates, and even took the initiative to send a mission to ask for peace. However, it is a pity that the state of Chu did not seize the opportunity to vigorously rectify military affairs, but the factional disputes in the court intensified. From the beginning to the end, no one thought that there should be more defense forces, more soldiers, and repairs of fortresses here in Youzhou.

The drought in the north has had a great impact on Youzhou. As early as half a year after the start of the great drought, Li Guangfang once again advised the imperial court not to levy more salaries in the interior in order to quell the disaster, so as not to provoke a civil uprising in the interior. Li Guangfeng even used a lot of impassioned rhetoric in his recitals. The reason was clear enough, but the court still didn't listen to him.

Youzhou is no better than anywhere else. If there is a loss here, the entire Chu State will be in danger. Even as an officer in command, when he felt that there was something wrong with his approach, Li Guangfeng often did not hesitate to put forward his opinions. For example, when the grassland snow disaster fell, Guan Yong issued an order to accept and surrender, and wanted to give preferential treatment to the poor Rongdi herdsmen who came from the grassland, and wanted to enrich himself with these Rongdi civilians who came over, Li Guangfeng also argued on the basis of reason, saying that the risk was very high, and Rong Di's heart was unpredictable and difficult to control. However, Guan Yong did not listen to the persuasion at that time, and Li Guangfeng had no choice but to sigh and say, "This is the beginning of the disaster." ”

Judging from the hindsight, Li Guangfeng's suggestion at that time was actually very reasonable. Most of these people who have surrendered under the guise of being poor and having no food to eat are unreliable. There are even a lot of fine works on the grassland side of Rongdi mixed in it. In many cases, the steppe Rongdi actually relied on these internal forces to start chaos when the army moved south. For example, Tieyang City, which was captured by the Aries tribe before, is the best example.

It's all gone. I've done everything, what's the point of regretting it now? Guan Yong shook his head and sighed gloomily in his heart.

When he first gave the order, it was not that he was unaware of the risks. It's just that the border defense of Youzhou has been corrupted, and the military strength of Youzhou at that time really had no combat effectiveness. The officers and soldiers are poor and weak, but the grassland Rong Di is fierce and strong. For thousands of years, the Chu army has been deeply wary of the grassland Rongdi, as well as an inevitable sense of fear. Fighting in such a situation, the result is bound to be one-sided. Therefore, Guan Yongcai thought about using these Rongdi disaster victims who could fight to enrich his own strength, but he was just ...... The way things turned out was really not what I wanted.

Li Guangfeng said seriously: "General Guan, I know that you are angry in your heart, thinking that we are waiting for the book city to talk about misleading the country. In this regard, the official has nothing to say. Speaking of which, the princes in the court are indeed at fault, and they are too careful about you and other generals. But now that the overall situation is important, we don't want to fight for anger anymore. ”

After being silent for a long time, Guan Yong sighed: "Master Li, you will leave Youzhou tomorrow! That is the last line of defense of my Great Chu State, and someone is still needed to preside over the overall situation. ”

This is a bit of a puzzler. Li Guangfeng was a little puzzled at first, and then suddenly he suddenly understood something. Immediately afterward, the whole person was so angry that his beard stood on end.

"General Guan, what do you mean by this? Are you telling me to run away? You, you, what kind of person do you think of me, how can I, Li Guangfang, be so greedy for life and afraid of death?"

"Master Li, the time of your colleagues and my colleagues is not too short, how can I look down on you?"

As soon as the words came out, Guan Yong was also a little anxious, "It's just that it doesn't help you to stay here now, so why bother? I am a town guard general appointed by the imperial court, and I can't leave my post without permission." The battle in Youzhou was fierce, and I don't know how many people will survive. When the war here is over, I am afraid that you are the only one who can go to the Great Wall to clean up the situation and appease the defeated army for the imperial court. ”

"The situation? At this point, what is the situation? It's all over a long time ago!"

Li Guangfeng was still angry, and shouted angrily at the crown: "I have been in Youzhou for a long time, I can see it." Scholars are useless, they are people who have misled the country in everything, and in the end, what kind of face do they have to say to clean up the situation for the imperial court? I only hope that the imperial court can send one or two capable generals to quell the erosive situation in Youzhou. In this way, we will have the face to go underground to see our ancestors and ancestors. ”

When they said this, the two of them were dumbfounded again. Regardless of whether Li Guangfeng is still effective, he obviously has little confidence in whether the imperial court can "send one or two capable generals to quell the erosion situation in Youzhou" in the future. The Rong Di army in front of him is so strong, even if there are hundreds of thousands of reinforcements sent from all over the Chu State, is there really anyone who can wipe it out?

After a long time, Li Guangfeng heard Guan Yong say in a hoarse voice: "I heard that Yang Tianhong, the newly rising Duke of Yiyong in the imperial court, can be regarded as a fierce general. This person pacified the Yue barbarians in the south and killed 100,000 people. I don't know if it's true. If this is the case, then if this person can come to Youzhou, maybe he can alleviate the crisis. ”

The anger on Li Guangfeng's face gradually subsided, and a wry smile appeared on his face again: "Kill 100,000...... Sounds good to say. There are many exaggerated things in the court, and the Yue barbarians are not idiots who are placed there to be manipulated. Anzhou in the south is ravaged by the Yue people every year, and the situation there is estimated to be similar to ours here. Cut 100,000 in a formation, if he Yang Tianhong can really cut 100,000 in a formation, then even if the head of this official is cut off and given to him, what does it matter?"

I have seen so many fiascos that both of them have no bottom in their hearts, but out of the best wishes, they instinctively want to believe it. It's just that, whether it's real or not, everything is fake until the eyes don't see it.

After this suffocating depression lasted for a while, Li Guangfeng finally regained his composure.

"General, what a beautiful thing to die for the country. If you don't run, how can I let you be preoccupied with beauty? Besides, the defeat in the Youzhou War has come to this point, and both you and I are responsible. Even if he leaves Youzhou alive, there will definitely be a court commissioner who will be held accountable in the future. Now that the catastrophe is approaching, how can this official escape alone? After that, naturally someone will come forward to clean up the matter. We just need to serve the country here. ”

Guan Yong turned around and saw the firmness in Li Guangfeng's eyes. At this moment, the town guard officer Yong finally felt that this colleague had made up his mind to die.

His heart couldn't help but tremble.

Then the two of them will die together in this Youzhou City!

However, just when Guan Yong was still secretly sighing in his heart, Li Guangfeng and Zhang Quan suddenly spoke again, their eyes full of pain and tears.

"Now that the matter has come to this, we should take the blame for self-determination, needless to say. But...... But this Chu State has accumulated disadvantages for a long time, and the military affairs of Youzhou are becoming more and more corrupt, what should be done when the time comes?"

"The Great Chu Kingdom has been in the country for nearly 10,000 years, and there are many talented people in the world, how can there be no way to deal with a little barbarian like Rongdi in the grassland? This is the heavens that will kill my great Chu, and the heavens will kill my great Chu!" Li Guangfeng stood on the head of the city and howled.

"Master Li, don't think about it. ”

Guan Yong smiled and comforted him, but his tone was a little astringent, full of unspeakable pain: "Okay, since you don't want to leave, then let's stay here together......! It's good. ”

Saying that, Guan Yong still instinctively remembered Duke Yang Tianhong in his mind. Previously, a letter came from the newspaper, saying that Yang Tianhong was vigorously rectifying military affairs in Lizhou. Speaking of which, Lizhou, like Youzhou, is a border town that belongs to the same state of Chu. This time, the Aries tribe is attacking south, and Youzhou is in trouble, will Lizhou send troops over for reinforcements?

Guan Yong couldn't help but shake his head secretly. There has never been a similar precedent for Chu officials. He has served as a town guard general in Youzhou for many years, and he has encountered danger more than once. The distance between Lizhou and Youzhou is very close, but Changhu Hou Cui Yangguang has never sent a single soldier to Youzhou. After all, this world is the world of the emperor of Chu State, but the soldiers, horses, grain, grass and armor are their own things. Why is there a problem on your side and you want my side to help?

At this moment, a fierce drum beat suddenly came from a distance. Guan Yong and Li Guangfeng hurriedly looked in the direction of Rongdi's cavalry outside the city at the same time. Then, they found that a cavalry with the banner of the Aries tribe was breaking away from the array and rushing towards the city of Youzhou.

Do you want to attack the city directly?

The two of them looked at each other, and such thoughts flashed in their hearts at the same time.

Then, they suddenly found that behind this group of Rongdi soldiers, there were many people dressed like ordinary people, who were being escorted to Youzhou City.

What's going on? Is it trying to drive civilians away and attack the city?

This is also the old method commonly used by Rong Di. They hunted the civilians of Chu outside the city, and then gathered together and let the people walk in front to block the arrows shot from the city.

"It's not good! Rong Di is trying to kill people as a ladder. ”

After looking at it for a while, Li Guangfeng, the assassin of the assassination, suddenly shouted: "General Guan, hurry, hurry up and give the order to stop it!"

As if to confirm his claim, the Rongdi cavalry began to kill people very close to the city walls. They gathered in groups, and several people carried huge shields with a large protective area, forming a protective surface. The rest of the Rongdi cavalry killed people with their swords in the area. The people of Chu who were surrounded by it suddenly became riotous, and their cries shook the sky one by one, and the voices of pleading and screaming were endless. The Rongdi cavalry was covered in blood, and they pushed and drove the people forward, and then slashed them from behind. In this way, there were more and more corpses on the ground, stacked layer by layer, and soon formed a slope of increasing height under Youzhou City.

"Damn, damn Rong Di!"

Guan Yong also reacted immediately. His red eyes widened and he roared down the city.

Thousands of people of Chu were killed in an instant. Although the slope of the pile of corpses on the ground is not too high, there are already rudiments that can reach the middle of the city wall. In the Rongdi Great Array in the distance, more people of Chu were still being driven out. Rong Di was not good at tools and could not make large siege equipment. However, the method of using a living person as a ladder can also work. As long as the number of dead people is large, they can rush into the city along this height, which is raised layer by layer.

The most important part of the city defense is the city wall. If such a defense is removed, it will certainly be difficult for the oil bearing to hold out for long. As a local town guard general, Guan Yong knew very well that the soldiers mobilized by the Great Chu State from all over the country actually had no effect at all. Those garrison soldiers have never fought, and their combat effectiveness is even inferior to that of the common people in Youzhou City. At least, the people of Youzhou have seen dead people, and many people have actually killed people. What's more, the state of Chu will not be able to muster too many troops to aid Youzhou in the short term.

It can even be said that there may not be anyone to rescue Youzhou at all. This kind of thing can be understood just by thinking about it. The generals everywhere are greedy for life and afraid of death, and they are stuck one by one. Even if there is a military order from the imperial court, there will still be people who resist and disobey. In the past, when Youzhou City was besieged by Rong Di, something similar happened -- the reinforcement order of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Court had been issued several months earlier, but not a single reinforcement from all over the country appeared. It wasn't until Rong Di had killed enough, robbed enough, and left, that the reinforcements showed their tracks one after another. The leading generals in various places have deduced that they have encountered trouble of one kind or another. Some said that there was a shortage of food and grass, some said that the roads were destroyed, and some simply said that the soldiers had encountered an epidemic and suffered too much damage...... In a word, before the battle is over in Youzhou and the war is not concluded, the reinforcements from the interior of Chu will definitely not appear.

Guan Yong's stubble-covered face was all blood, red as fire.

It is also unrealistic to directly abandon the outside of the city and retreat inside the city for defense. Since ancient times, if the army defending the city does not have the courage to fight the enemy in the field, then even if the army retreats to defend the city, it will not be able to hold the city for long. This is clear to even any general, and Guan Yong is no exception.

In this case, since they are all going to die anyway, it is better to die a little more heroically. Guan Yong looked at the corpses that had been thickly piled up under the city wall and thought to himself.

As soon as he thought of this, Guan Yong did not hesitate any longer. He turned, looked at his own soldiers, and shouted orders.

"Go and give an order to General Li and General Wang. This official will personally lead them out of the city and fight Rong Di to the death!"

It was a big deal to decide to go out of the city to fight. The soldiers quickly brought the armor and served the official to put it on. He drew his saber, led several generals and soldiers who had received orders, opened the city gates, and rushed in the direction of the Rongdi camp in the distance.

On paper, the number of Youzhou garrisons was as high as 300,000. This is a very funny number, and it is also a trick deliberately played by the officials of the court of Chu State. The number of soldiers in the three military towns of Tongzhou, Lizhou, and Youzhou is the same. According to the thinking of the civilian officials, only in this way can the indispensable balance of military power be maintained among the three towns. Even if one of the three towns wanted to rebel, there were two other towns that could suppress the rebellion in a short period of time. Of course, the idea is good, but when it is actually done, it is not like this at all.

Youzhou is a concept in a broad sense. These include large and small state and county villages. The capital city of Youzhou, which Guan Yong and Li Guangfeng defended, is the core of the entire Youzhou. If the 300,000 soldiers are dispersed, there will not be much that can be used here in the city. This also has to remove the old, weak, sick and disabled, plus the imperial court is deducting salaries and grain every year, and the soldiers who can really feed are actually about 150,000 at most. Now, the Youzhou army in Fucheng is 50,000 horses. In addition to the manpower that was indispensable for defense, the number of soldiers who could be taken out of the city to fight outside the city by the officers and brave was at best 20,000.

The moment he left the city, Guan Yong knew that it was impossible for him to win this battle. The Aries tribe on the opposite side has more than 100,000 Rongdi, and they are all cavalry. In such a situation where forces do not have a superiority, there can be no chance of victory. Even if you take a step back, the number of soldiers on your side exceeds that of the other party, you are still a foot soldier. For cavalry, it is inherently weak. In this situation, there is really no chance of winning. It's just that as a general of the army, Guan Yong can only try to kill as many Rong Di's soldiers as possible.

This is their duty, their own destiny.

Lao Tzu's name is Guan Yong. The official who is an official, the brave and brave. (To be continued.) )