Yang Gong picked up the tea cup, took a sip of the hot tea, and said slowly:

"It's not difficult to deal with the flying beast army. Just let Zhang Shen cooperate with the masters in the army and defeat them one by one."

Ordinary soldiers and low-level warriors cannot defeat the flying beast army, but fourth-level masters who can control the wind and fly will have no difficulty in dealing with the flying beast army.

Li Mubai glanced sideways at his friend and reminded:

"There are also experts in the Flying Beast Army. Besides, we can think of such a simple countermeasure, but the rebels wouldn't think of it? Maybe it's another trick to invite you into a trap."

A fourth-level master leaves the base camp and fights the enemy in the air alone. The danger is too great, and he will never return if he is not sure.

"It would be great if we had an army of flying beasts."

Some staff members lamented.

"Perhaps, we can ask for help from the demon barbarians and ask the feather spiders from the Kaneki tribe to go south to help."

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was interested. A staff member on the left was moved in his heart, but this idea was quickly rejected:

"What's the difference between your idea and asking the imperial court to recruit red-tailed eagles? Moreover, the northern border is one hundred thousand miles away from Qingzhou, how can we get here?"

"How about asking Sun Xuanji to help. He is a third-level warlock. If he can be responsible for the "transportation", it may not be impossible..."

"If Sun Xuanji leaves, who will contain Ji Xuan? Alas, I didn't expect that there is also a young third-grade martial artist among the Yunzhou rebels."

"However, the strategy of asking for help from the demon barbarians is indeed feasible. However, according to the process, you must first write to the imperial court, and then the imperial court will send an envoy to the north. Even if the demon barbarians readily agree, it will only be after the beginning of spring when the flying beast army of the Kaneki tribe goes south to join the battle.

Already."

"Water from afar cannot quench the thirst of the nearer."

"You are too short-sighted. You dismissed the Flying Beast Army back then because there was no use for military force in the peaceful and prosperous times. But after the Battle of Jingshan City, you should be wary."

"If Duke Wei was still here, he would have started cultivating the flying beast army long ago."

"It would be great if we had an army of flying beasts."

Li Mubai knocked on the table, interrupted this helpless topic, and said in a deep voice:

"Donngling has been destroyed. The defenders, under the leadership of Sun Xuanji, have turned to field battles with the rebels, confronting each other from north to south. Wan County is besieged. The rebels plan to use the reconnaissance power of the Flying Beast Army to encircle the point for reinforcements. This is a war of attrition.

, there will be no changes in the short term.

"But if we ignore it for a long time, Wan County will run out of ammunition and food sooner or later."

He paused, looked around at the frowning staff, and said:

"If we can't find a way to solve Wan County's dilemma, we must find a way to save Songshan County."

The staff around him were startled for a moment, then reacted and looked sideways at Yang Gong:

"My boss, if I remember correctly, so far, there has been no good news from Songshan County, let alone a letter asking for help."

Yang Gong nodded:

"Compared to Dongling and Wanjun, Songshan County is of secondary importance. The Yunzhou rebels will definitely attack the first two places first."

Li Mubai said "hmm":

"Songshan County occupies the terrain, has sufficient food and grass, and Zhujun and Erlang are in charge, so it can be defended. However, according to the current situation, Dongling has been destroyed and Wan County is besieged.

"The next step for the Yunzhou rebels is Songshan County."

Just as he was talking, an official came in hurriedly, holding a secret letter in his hand, and said loudly:

"Your Majesty the Chief Envoy, there is an urgent report from Songshan County."

Yang Gong said hurriedly: "Send it up."

The official handed over the secret letter.

Yang Gong opened it and took a look, and his face instantly darkened.

When Li Mubai and others saw this, their hearts trembled: "What does the letter say?"

Yang Gong said word for word:

"The flying beast army suddenly attacked Songshan County, and Erlang asked for help."

After a pause, his face suddenly turned ugly:

"This is a letter from three days ago."

It would take three days to get from Songshan County to Qingzhou City even if we work hard.

...........

Songshan County.

The sun was high, but it did not bring any heat. Xu Erlang stood at the top of the city and grabbed a handful of gravel mixed with the blood and gunpowder smoke of the defenders.

He looked around expressionlessly. The city was full of craters, dilapidated and mottled, and almost no one was intact.

The soldiers, wrapped in linen and fine cloth, were scattered in twos and threes, with no intact person in sight.

Those who remained at the top of the city were the least injured among the Songshan County defenders.

The original two thousand defenders in Songshan County were now reduced to only five hundred, and the others died in the brutal offensive and defensive battles.

Three days have passed since the surprise attack by the flying beast army.

The attack method of the Flying Beast Army is very simple, which is to drop artillery shells and fire oil cans at the top of the city. How the defenders treat the enemy attacking the city, the Flying Beast Army will deal with the defenders.

It's simple, but it's deadly.

The defenders directly sacrificed nearly a thousand people on the first day. The city wall was blasted with thousands of holes by cannonballs, and the masonry was burned with scorch marks all over it.

At dusk, the enemy retreated.

After experiencing such a desperate day, the morale of the defenders was shattered, thinking that the city would be defeated tomorrow, and their hearts were floating.

Xu Erlang sent people to collect bronze mirrors from house to house in the city overnight, and summoned craftsmen to improve the bed crossbows, and transformed them into bed crossbows that could be fired into the air.

On the second day, the flying beast army attacked again. The bronze mirrors placed all over the city reflected the sunlight, almost blinding the eyes of the cavalry and flying beasts.

The defenders took the opportunity to fire crossbows, shot down twelve flying beasts, and drove back the flying beast army. The results were gratifying, and the morale of the defenders was greatly boosted.

But Xu Erlang knew that this move could only catch the opponent by surprise. After dusk, the bronze mirror would no longer be effective.

So, after the enemy troops withdrew, he asked the defenders to insult Zhuo Haoran at the top of the city, specifically insulting the female relatives of the opponent's family. They cursed for an hour, and then provoked Zhuo Haoran to lead his troops to attack the city. The two sides fought again, and both sides suffered losses.

Zhuo Haoran returned home defeated. After dusk, because the enemy infantry suffered heavy losses, the Flying Beast Army withdrew after a hasty bombardment.

After nightfall, Xu Erlang forcibly recruited the militia and gathered more than a thousand people. He ordered Zhujun and Miao Youfang to lead their troops to charge into the camp. In the end, only more than 300 people escaped.

At this point, the elite forces on both sides were almost completely destroyed.

"I have sent people to ask for reinforcements from Qingzhou City. Next, it depends on whose reinforcements arrive first."

Xu Erlang whispered.

Next to him, Miao Youfang had not smiled for three days. He was carrying a bow and said in a low voice, "Hmm." Then he felt something was wrong and frowned:

"Although Zhuo Haoran's army has been completely destroyed, with only a few hundred men left, the flying beast army's lineup is intact. If they attack every night, we will still be beaten. I'm afraid we won't be able to withstand the arrival of reinforcements...

..”

He suddenly opened his eyes wide and seemed to understand something.

Xu Erlang smiled and said: "If our reinforcements come first, then even if Zhuo Haoran captures Songshan County, he will be forced to evacuate due to lack of manpower. Songshan County is still ours."

But the defenders here and the people in the city have become abandoned... Miao Youfang moved his lips, "If it really comes to that, I will take you to retreat first."

Xu Erlang said softly:

"How embarrassing! My eldest brother is guarding Yuyang Pass alone, but I can only run away with my tail between my legs."

Miao Youfang frowned and said in his heart that this is not up to you. If you don't leave then, I will knock you out.

Then I heard Xu Erlang smile bitterly:

"I'm just expressing my feelings. I won't offend. Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. When Emperor Gaozu was in rebellion, there were times when he suffered repeated defeats in battles.

"If he really violated the law, there would be no Dafeng today. A man can bend and stretch.

"But I can also understand those heroes in the history books who would rather die than retreat. The soldiers who fought with me are all here, so how can I live in shame?"

Just as he was talking, a large flock of birds appeared in the distant sky.

The flock of birds approached quickly, followed by the roar of Shen Xiong, which was noisy and loud.

Miao Youfang and Xu Erlang's expressions changed drastically. The sick and wounded people sitting at the top of the city resting also noticed the movement on the horizon and stood up in horror.

One by one, they looked at the dark group of flying beasts with despairing eyes and pale faces.

"Here we go again, here we go again..."

"There are so many of them, how can we defend them?"

Desperation spread among the defenders.

"Sir Xu, another group of flying beast troops has arrived. Songshan County cannot hold it any longer. Let's withdraw."

A centurion rushed over in panic.
To be continued...