The fact that the firearms in the ambush area were discovered and seized by the Zhenjiang army without much effort can only show one problem: the strategy of luring the other side out of the camp to pursue and then using firearms to carry out mass destruction was detected by the Zhenjiang army.

For this reason, Sun Chuanshu felt annoyed.

He had been very careful, but he still failed to catch a big fish, which greatly dampened the morale of the defenders. You know, there aren't many opportunities like this, and the hope of being able to defend the city will also fade with it.

However, what made Sun Chuanshu even more annoyed and desperate was still to come.

At dawn the next day, the tactics of the Zhenjiang army suddenly changed dramatically. The Second Army, the Fifth Army, and the Ninth Army surrounded Changzhou City on four sides.

The so-called encirclement is not to approach the city for armed encirclement, but to surround the city of Changzhou, and cut off all the nearby land arteries and water networks leading to the outside world. On land, the Zhenjiang army dug ditches and set up checkpoints; On the water, the Zhenjiang army pulled iron locks horizontally and sunken ships blocked the way.

In other words, the attackers were separated from the city of Changzhou at a certain distance and imposed a total blockade of the movement of people and goods.

At the same time, Du Jian also sent someone to send a letter to Sun Chuanshu, and the general content of the letter was as follows: General Sun, I know that you have hoarded a large number of firearms in the city, and you want to die with us. Sorry, I wasn't fooled. From today onwards, Du will stop attacking, and will instead besiege you! Isn't there a lot of food in the city of Changzhou? That's good, if you can't eat in a month, I will surround you for two months, and if you can't eat in a year, I will surround you for two years. In short, it just ignores you and hangs you. We divided our troops to fight Suzhou, and then went to Hangzhou, until Li Jiong and Lao Jianhua were eliminated, and we still didn't fight you, and we saw how long you could hold on to those useless firearms.

After reading the letter, Sun Chuanshu couldn't help but roar angrily and tore it to pieces.

The rebels originally planned to use the terrain of the water network to block the Zhenjiang army, but they did not expect the Zhenjiang army to trap a city by cutting off water and land transportation.

Sun Chuanshu knew that Du Jian was not just talking. Once the Zhenjiang army completes the fortifications such as the gully defense line and the iron lock Henghe, then they only need to leave one main army, or even half of the main army, to completely block all the air eyes on the periphery of Changzhou like playing Go.

The rest of the troops moved south and continued to attack Suzhou, Huzhou and other places until they occupied Hangzhou.

At that time, Sun Chuanshu and his tens of thousands of defenders will become a group of wastes that waste food and grass, and a large number of useless firearms will sit in the city of sorrow.

-

"Dadu Hu, will Sun Chuanshu really come out?"

Faced with Xiong Yunjie's question, Du Jian replied for Li Jiangyao: "Don't worry, our adults are clever, which time didn't we lead the enemy's nose?" As soon as my letter was sent to the city, Lao Sun had only three ways to choose. One is to sit obediently and wait for the food to be exhausted and then disarm and surrender; the second is that he went crazy in a fit of rage, directly ignited a firearm, and led people to blow himself up; The third is to take the initiative to go out of the city to fight and crack our actions before our army has completely blocked the main water and land routes. If it were you, which one would you choose? ”

Xiong Yunjie nodded: "That's true." If I were Sun Chuanshu, I would definitely fight hard. It is better to die in battle than to die in sleep. ”

Duan Jun continued: "Before the war, because Changzhou was the rebels' baggage base and the material reserves were extremely rich, neither the enemy nor us had ever considered solving the problem by besieging the city. Sun Chuanshu's borrowing of firearms, showing his vicious intentions, prompted us to temporarily abandon the plan of taking the initiative to attack, and instead put the strategy of besieging Changzhou on the table. This is probably something that Sun Chuanshu never expected. ”

"The best part is to adapt to local conditions." Du Jian said with emotion: "In other places, if you want to completely encircle a city of Changzhou's size, it is difficult to do it without more than five times the number of troops." However, the special water network topography on the periphery of Changzhou has provided us with great convenience. There is no need to rely on manpower to block, just far away, the bridge, ferry and gallop road are isolated, and Changzhou City is completely cut off from the outside world. ”

Xiong Yunjie replied with a smile: "It's not bragging, as long as the fortifications are repaired and these key nodes are guarded, the strength of two or three banners of the Fifth Army is enough." In other words, at most 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers and horses, you can see more than 40,000 rebels in Changzhou City. ”

"So, Lao Sun will definitely come out to attack." Du Jianlang said: "Either destroy our fortifications, or simply break through and flee south." ”

Li Jiangyao said at this time: "You are right, now we have to face two problems, one is to be prepared to lure the snake out of the hole and attack the enemy head-on, and the other is how to properly solve the threat of firearms in the city. ”

Faced with these two questions thrown by Dadu Hu, the three main generals frowned at the same time. Attacking the enemy head-on is nothing to them, it can solve the threat of firearms, especially Sun Chuanshu may have planted firearms everywhere in the city in advance, just wait for the Zhenjiang army to enter the city, and then the outlaws lurking in the shadows will light a fire, they really have no good way.

At this time, a person standing in the officer corps suddenly spoke: "Daduhu, I can try." ”

Li Jiangyao and the others followed the prestige, and it was Lei Yu, the second son of Perak Hall, who spoke, and only listened to him continue to speak: "Most of the firearms in Sun Chuanshu's hands are unfinished thick line materials, if you want to destroy the city, kill and injure the soldiers who are attacking the city, place it, and the method and rhythm of ignition, you must be very particular, otherwise it will not be able to cause a powerful effect at all." ”

Li Jiangyao's eyes lit up, and he humbly asked: "You mean, to control and ignite those firearms, you need special methods, and even people who are familiar with firearms?" ”

Lei Yu nodded: "When my eldest brother sent firearms out of Suzhou before, he sent a few veterans from the hall to accompany him, and I estimate that their task is to assist the rebels in planting firearms in Changzhou City. If you can give me a detailed map of the city, I can try to follow the doorway of Perak Hall and roughly mark the location of firearms in the city. When it was time to enter the city, let me lead a team of brave and careful soldiers to enter one step ahead of time, and I was sure that the threat of firearms would be removed! ”

"It would be nice to be able to do that." Li Jiangyao turned his head and ordered: "The Intelligence Department immediately provides Lei Yu with a map of Changzhou City, and in addition, select five hundred people from the white-robed army, and follow him first to learn how to disassemble and protect firearms, within two days, you must be proficient!" ”

"Yes!" Han Wenhao and the intelligence officer replied in unison.

Li Jiang looked at Du Jian and the others, and said with a loud smile: "How to welcome General Sun next depends on you." ”

-

Amid the melodious sound of the horn, fifty large infantry mixed phalanxes were steadily advancing.

The fierce flag, swaying with the wind, embroidered on the flag dragon pattern is vivid.

And in front of this majestic military array, is Yueyang City, an important town in the south of the Yangtze River.

"Fortunately, I came back in time, otherwise I would have missed the first battle of the Blue Dragon Legion crossing the river."

Under the handsome banner, two young generals wearing Mingguang armor rode side by side, it was Murong Xue, the commander of the Blue Dragon Legion, and Xu Youchang, the deputy commander of the Zhenjiang Army.

Listening to Murong Xue's words, Xu Youchang couldn't help but smile and said, "Why do you pay so much attention?" This first battle, you fight or I fight, isn't it all the same? ”

"It's different," Murong Xue glanced at him with a smile: "The chance to beat the rebels is one less time." Most of Lao Jianhua's main force has been cleaned up by you, why don't you want to leave some for me? ”

Xu Youchang looked at the head of Yueyang City in the distance and said with a smile: "It's wronged." Jiang Yao grabbed all the meat, and I just gnawed a few bones, you, just drink some soup. ”

Murong Xue shook her head helplessly: "To be honest, this time to quell the rebellion in the south, the brothers of the Zhenjiang Army have shouldered the heaviest burden, and we and the Vermilion Bird Army must be grateful to you." The imperial court should be even more grateful to you. ”

"What do you say about the family?" Xu Youchang responded: "Didn't I tell you before?" The Zhenjiang army quelled the rebellion, not for the imperial court, let alone for the emperor Li Bing. We want to seek justice for Commander He Jingming and earn a peaceful life for the people of the whole world. ”

Murong Xue nodded silently, and then said: "That's why Jiang Yao decided that after taking Hangzhou, the Zhenjiang Army will return to the western frontier." Tomoto, what about you? Not ready to stay in the imperial capital? That's where you were born and raised, and the Xu family's family business is still there. ”

Xu Youchang smiled faintly: "The Xu family is all gone, what's the point of the huge family business?" My roots are in the western frontier and in the ghost desert, and I look forward to returning early every day. And ......"

He paused slightly, and said softly, "I also want to find a chance to go to the Western Continent to have a look and appreciate a different world." ”

Murong Xue knew that Xu Youchang said that he wanted to go to the Western Continent, not just to experience the exotic world, but more importantly, there was another person there who made him worry about it.

Looking at the good brother's face full of vicissitudes and perseverance, Murong Xue's heart suddenly felt a little sour, and she couldn't help but sigh lightly: "Alas, creation makes people, and none of us can escape the mercy of fate." In the end, what is it that is struggling to pursue? And what did you get? ”

Xu Youchang turned his head, looked at him silently, and said after a long time: "Murong, I can't answer your question, but Jiang Yao has said something to me, which may inspire you." ”

Murong Xue gently retracted the reins and asked curiously, "What did Jiang Yao say?" ”

"Once, the two of us sat opposite each other and drank and gossiped about life, and Jiang Yao was a little drunk at that time." Xu You said faintly: "He told me that everything in this world is a dream for him. Friendship, grievances, hatred, gains and losses, as if they should be taken for granted, but also as if they are fleeting. He had doubts, suffered, and even thought about giving up completely, but in the end, he chose a way to face all the confusion and incomprehension. ”

"No matter how fate arranges, the ups and downs, taste carefully, and come here in vain."