The cavalry advanced under the walls and then retreated, handing over the battlefield to the infantry. The footmen climbed the walls, and the cavalry fired at the defenders on the walls not far away, and the wails almost lit up half of the night sky. Chu Zhixia looked up at the sky in the north, as if he was waiting for something.

The general of Yangzhou couldn't stand it anymore, so he came back in a circle, and suppressed his anger to persuade Chu Zhixia: "General, withdraw the troops!" Transfer the baggage battalion in the rear! ”

Chu Zhixia ignored him.

The Yangzhou general glanced at the Binzhou general, and the Binzhou general pretended to be deaf and dumb. The lord of Yangzhou hated that iron could not become steel, and he scolded this soft bone in his heart, and turned to stare at the chief general of Yuezhou.

The lord of Yuezhou was stared at by him so that his scalp was numb, so he had to bow his hand to Chu Zhixia and said, "General, the defenders are prepared, and they can't win the battle." Why don't you bring up the baggage battalion and attack the city with trebuchets! ”

Chu Zhixia still didn't speak.

Until more than a hundred and ten sky lanterns rose in the sky in the north, like floating fireflies, igniting Chu Zhixia's pupils. A slightly satisfied smile appeared on Chu Zhixia's lips, and everyone looked inexplicable, following her line of sight.

Tonight is a southwesterly wind.

Those sky lanterns rising from the north of Tengcheng floated in the direction of the wind, Chu Zhixia took off the longbow on the side of the saddle, aimed at the sky lantern and fired arrows.

A sky lantern was falling on the city wall, smashing on the head of a defender.

"Mingjin retreats." Chu Zhixia returned to the camp.

Just as the coalition forces withdrew their troops from the city, a monstrous fire burned from the northeast corner of Teng City, and swept unstoppably with the help of the wind.

——

The next day, early in the morning.

"What was burned in Tengcheng last night?" Bai Ziche didn't sleep all night and asked sleepily.

"Granary." Chu Zhixia nibbled on the rice soup and replied calmly.

"That's what the Binzhou Army is going to do?" Bai Ziche suddenly realized.

"Last night we suddenly attacked the city, and the Changzhou army did not move for a long time, and the defenders of Tengcheng were frightened, so they transferred their troops to the south gate. More than 100 people from the Binzhou army happened to sneak into Tengcheng and burned the granary with a fire. Chu Zhixia explained to him slowly.

"Why don't you let the Changzhou army attack the city together?"

"There are still people behind the ass of the Changzhou army, as soon as the Changzhou army moves, the defenders of Bicheng will be aware of it, and the Tengcheng army will not be easy to fool." Chu Zhixia ate seven points full, drank the rice soup cleanly, and asked Bai Ziche again, "Has Your Highness had breakfast?" ”

Bai Ziche nodded.

Chu Zhixia glanced at him again, "Why is Your Highness so worried?" ”

"The baggage battalion has trebuchets and rhino horns that hit the city gates, why don't you attack the city directly, but choose to burn their granaries instead?" Bai Ziche asked sincerely.

Chu Zhixia was silent for a moment and said, "There are too many people who died because of the plague in Binzhou. ”

Chu Zhixia slowly removed his hand armor, revealing his palms that had been worn out of the skin. The sunlight from the window shone in, and each of her eyelashes was like a gilded feather of a black bird. Chu Zhixia lowered his head and wrapped a bandage around his palm.

"The people are the foundation of the country, and I don't want to see so many casualties. The first battle of Tengseong, I hope, is the last battle of Gyeongju to counter the rebellion. If I want to die, I want to die only Wu Guang alone. ”

Chu Zhixia held a hand of sweat with relish, looked at Bai Ziche and said, "The Changzhou army has blocked the retreat of the Tengcheng defenders, and in less than three months, the Tengcheng defenders will surrender." Wu Guang will not support them, and there is no way to support them, so it is logical that he will lose the support of the people. ”

At that time, someone will bring Wu Guang's head to negotiate peace with the coalition forces.

Bai Ziche dragged his cheeks and stared at Chu Zhixia's side face, thoughtful. Chu Zhixia raised his eyes and looked at him, with an inquiring look in his eyes.

"Turns out you don't like to fight."

"Nobody likes to fight," Chu said, "we just have to fight." ”

"What do you want to do if you don't become a general?"

Chu Shixia recalled seriously for a while and said, "When I was a child, I told my eldest brother that I wanted to be a ranger. drunk lying on the pine branches under the moon, waking up to the morning dew boat; Untied boats, floating on the river, drifting with the tide. One person and one sword, picking up the lamp and walking at night, cut off all the injustices in the world. ”

Bai Ziche smiled slightly when she heard this, and urged her to go down and say, "And then? ”

"Then my second brother told me that chivalry is forbidden by force. If I dare to do anything in the name of the Chu clan in the clouds, he will cross my name off the family tree. Chu Zhixia said angrily, "He also led me to the prison to see the dignity of several 'heroes'." How can there be so many heroes on the rivers and lakes, but there are many bastards who are abducted and deceived. ”

Bai Ziche smiled dumbly.

——

The defenders of Bicheng tried several times to break through the Changzhou army's blockade to transport military rations, but they all ended in vain. As long as the defenders of Bicheng move, the coalition forces will immediately attack the south gate of Tengcheng, no matter which side Tengcheng supports, they will tear down the east wall and make up the west wall.

The fire of the Binzhou army burned vigorously, and even the ashes were not left for the Tengcheng defenders. In less than two months, the defenders of Tengcheng surrendered.

"After entering the city, the defenders will disarm, and the lord will be captured alive." Chu Shixia arranged one by one, "Soldiers are not allowed to plunder the people, and they are not allowed to kill people and set fires." If anyone violates the military order, he will be beheaded in front of the battle, and he will be killed, regardless of which state the defender is. ”

Cheng Yuan recorded them one by one, meticulously.

The lord of Yangzhou had a toothache when he heard this, and asked tentatively: "Forget about the rest, should the lord behead the public to set an example?" ”

"This person is kept, I am useful." Chu Zhixia said without raising his head.

The chief general of Yuezhou was already accustomed to Chu Zhixia's speaking style, and they each had calculations in their hearts, so why didn't Chu Zhixia have his own considerations? In the battle of Tengcheng, the coalition army lost a few people, most of whom fell from their horses and climbed the city wall. Although the general of Yuezhou was not convinced, he had nothing to say.

He exchanged a look with the Yangzhou general, and only retreated.

"General, do you want peace talks?" Cheng Yuan recorded all the military orders dictated by Chu Zhixia, and realized it later.

"Hmm." Chu Zhixia nodded.

The clauses in the military order, which are not allowed to trample on food and disturb the people, are like a disciplined and righteous army—as if they are boasted in the book. Throughout the ages, it has not been uncommon for victorious teams to burn and loot in the cities they have conquered, both to deter the enemy and to reward the soldiers.

Such restraint must have been to spread the name of "benevolence" of the coalition forces, incite the panicked people of Gyeongju to defect, and force Wu Guang's subordinates to breed dissent.

"If you want to fight city by city, hit Gyeongju City, I don't know how many people will die. If it is best to negotiate peace, it is better to die one person than to die tens of thousands. Chu Shixia sighed.

Wu Guang is also a typical example of the government's coercion and civil rebellion, but now, he has to die.

Chu Zhixia felt sorry and regretful, but he had to do it as a last resort. Chu Zhixia walked to the window and looked at Xue Cong, who was drinking outside the tent. The setting sun sprinkled on the snow-sprinkled mane like a river of gold.

Mo Yuan lost her mother and father because of the distorted New Deal; Wu Guanganti is also because of the distorted New Deal.

Chu Zhixia asked himself, and he was really ashamed in his heart.

If you knew...... Will you blame me? Chu Zhixia looked at Xue Cheng's plain white fur, as if he had seen the clouds and mist lingering on the Heavenly Haze Mountain.