In early July of the thirteenth year of Hongde's reign, nearly 80,000 troops from the Northern Qi Dynasty surrounded Xuzhou City on four sides.
However, they did not move in a short period of time. They only surrounded Xuzhou City and sent people to shout for Shen Yi to surrender.
Shen Yi naturally ignored these and let them shout outside.
Because the current Xuzhou City, as long as the Huai'an Army does not open the city gates, there is basically no possibility of being lost.
You must know that the original garrison of Xuzhou was only 6,000 people. Even if these 6,000 people were defending the city, Shen Yi's 40,000 to 50,000 people would be unlikely to be able to attack by force.
Now, the Huai'an army in Xuzhou City has more than 40,000 people. With sufficient food and grass, if Northern Qi wants to fight, it will have to rely on human lives to fill the gap.
Unless more than 100,000 people are killed, there is no way we can attack the city of Xuzhou.
Now, the Qi army outside totals only more than 80,000 people. To be honest, with these troops, if Shen Yi was bolder, he could even go out of the city to fight. There is no need to stick to the city.
If the Qi people want to break the city, they must prepare a steady stream of reinforcements. They may even need three or even four times the strength of the Huai'an Army to be able to break the Xuzhou City.
The current Conquest Army does not have this capability at all.
At this time, Zhou Yuanlang had just returned to the Southern Conquest Army camp in the west of Xuzhou. After entering the commander's tent, he knelt in front of Zhou Shizhong, lowered his head and said, "Father."
General Zhou now had more white hair visible to the naked eye. He sat on the main seat, waved to Zhou Yuanlang, sighed and said, "Get up."
Zhou Yuanlang then stood up, bowed his head to his old father and said, "Dad, the imperial court's 20,000 reinforcements have established a foothold in the north of Xuzhou City. Now the entire Xuzhou has been surrounded by the imperial court's troops."
General Zhou was not very happy when he heard the news. He just glanced at his son quietly and asked, "Do you think more than 80,000 troops can surround Shen Qi?"
This question made Zhou Yuanlang silent.
After a while, the major general shook his head silently and said, "I'm afraid it will be difficult."
"It is said in the art of war: if you are ten, besiege it, and if you are five, attack it."
"Now, our army does not even have twice the strength of Shen Yi. He can choose a direction to break out at any time."
Zhou Yuanlang sighed and continued: "And the reason why he is still in Xuzhou City and allows us to surround Xuzhou City is that he probably has no intention of leaving Xuzhou from the beginning."
"More importantly."
Zhou Yuanlang looked around and whispered: "The Huai'an Army led by Shen Yi is very different from the Southern Dynasty army that my son knew before. It is even different from the Huai'an Army that my son heard about last year."
"A few days ago, they came out of the city with thousands of people and attacked our camp of 20,000 people. They advanced and retreated in a controlled manner. When they retreated, they were very clean and tidy, without any sloppiness."
"This Huai'an army is already an elite soldier!"
Zhou Shizhong took a sip of wine and did not answer Zhou Yuanlang's words. Instead, he spoke to himself, his voice was a little hoarse: "What happened in Xuzhou has not spread to Yandu yet, but it will only happen sooner or later."
"At that time, every day Xuzhou City is lost, His Majesty will lose a point of face."
Having said this, Zhou Shizhong had no expression on his face and did not continue talking.
But the meaning behind the words is already obvious. For the sake of the emperor's holy name, even if you know that if you go to attack Xuzhou, you will risk your life in vain.
Zhou Yuanlang poured a glass of wine for his old father and said in a low voice: "My son asked the Xuzhou defenders who escaped. At that time, Pan Mao, the magistrate of Xuzhou, opened the city gate privately in order to transport food into the city, which gave the Huai'an army an opportunity."
!”
He clenched his fist fiercely and said angrily: "This Pan Mao deserves death!"
"Dad, let's report this to the court."
Zhou Yuanlang gritted his teeth and said: "Let the imperial court wipe out his three clans!"
Zhou Shizhong was silent for a moment and then said: "The imperial envoy should arrive in the army tomorrow."
Hearing these words, Zhou Yuanlang was stunned.
"The imperial court wants to remove you from your position?"
"It would be easy to handle it if we were really dismissed."
General Zhou closed his eyes, exhaled a filthy breath, and said: "Sending my father-in-law to the capital will, at worst, be demoted to common people. You and I, father and son, can still return home."
"But now..."
He looked up at Zhou Yuanlang and sighed: "But now that Xuzhou is lost, who in the court is willing to take over this mess?"
"Who can handle this mess?"
"No one will come."
Zhou Shizhong said silently: "No one from the court comes, and your Majesty has no one to use, so we can only let my father and son perform meritorious service. If Shen Yi can be driven out, even if he kills some people, your Majesty will
"If the war in Xuzhou gets worse and His Majesty becomes furious, our Zhou family will be completely ruined."
Zhou Shizhong looked ugly: "But Shen Qi is sitting in Xuzhou, how easy is it to take it back?"
Zhou Yuanlang lowered his head silently and said no more.
The big tent fell into a deathly silence.
The next day, the imperial envoy from Yandu arrived in the army and announced the imperial edict.
His Majesty the Emperor was extremely dissatisfied with the loss of Xuzhou and demoted Zhou Shizhong to a third rank, but still kept him in his original post.
Zhou Shizhong was given a deadline to recapture Xuzhou within three months, otherwise the crime would be increased to a higher level and he would be escorted to Yandu for questioning.
Zhou Shizhong and his son knelt on the ground and received the edict respectfully.
After receiving the imperial edict, Zhou Yuanlang helped his old father stand up, then pulled aside the eunuch who was delivering the order, took out a piece of beautiful jade from his sleeve, handed it to the eunuch's hand, and said with a smile: "Father, there is no one in the army.
Too many possessions. This piece of jade was bought at Yandu Ancient Yuzhai in the early years and cost five to six thousand taels of silver. You can play with it."
The father-in-law, who was in his thirties, calmly put the jade into his sleeve, looked at Zhou Yuanlang, with a smile on his face: "My family cannot afford such a heavy gift from Mr. Zhou..."
Zhou Yuanlang smiled with his face, lowered his head and said: "Father, I have no other intention, I just want to ask about the emperor's situation..."
"Oh, don't mention it."
The eunuch waved his hands repeatedly and said: "Young master Zhou doesn't know that after the news about Xuzhou's loss was reported to the emperor, the emperor was so angry that he coughed all night. I heard what others said..."
The eunuch looked at the jade in his hand and lowered his voice: "I heard he was coughing up blood."
After hearing these words, Zhou Yuanlang's expression moved slightly.
What moved him was not the emperor coughing up blood.
But...these palace people actually said such things!
If what this eunuch said is true, then it means that His Majesty the Emperor has probably lost absolute control over the palace, which means...
"Don't spread the word of Mr. Zhou. If it is spread, our family will not recognize it."
"Grandpa, don't worry."
Zhou Yuanlang whispered: "You didn't say it, and I didn't hear it either."
"When I have the opportunity to return to Yandu in the future, I will visit my father-in-law again and give you generous gifts."
The eunuch suddenly smiled and turned around and went down.
After a good reception with good wine and delicious food, these eunuchs from Yandu were sent away. After sending them away, Zhou Yuanlang came to his father, lowered his head slightly and said, "Dad, my son wants to go back to Yandu."
Zhou Shizhong raised his head and looked at Zhou Yuanlang, frowning and said: "At this time, I am asking you to stay and help. What are you going to do now when you return to Yandu?"
Zhou Yuanlang came closer and said in a low voice: "Dad, first of all, the child has to go back and arrange the house properly, and secondly..."
"My son is going to Yandu for a run."
Zhou Shizhong frowned and was about to speak when Zhou Yuanlang whispered something in his ear.
After hearing this, Zhou Shizhong's face changed slightly and he whispered: "Is it true?"
"have no idea."
Zhou Yuanlang shook his head and said: "So my son has to go back to Yandu to inquire. If what those eunuchs said is true, then for a while after our Qi Dynasty, the key will not be on the bank of the Huaihe River, but in the city of Yandu."
"Dad, in order to prevent our family from being angered by the court, we have to take a gamble at this time..."
Zhou Shizhong was silent for a long time.
"You want to go to Yandu to place bets?"
"yes."
Zhou Yuanlang nodded and said: "If we don't bet at this time, our family will not even have capital in the future."
Having said this, he paused.
"Dad, since Shen Qi doesn't want to come out, my army will just surround you like this. You can attack Xuzhou from time to time here and show it to the court."
Zhou Shizhong was silent for a long time before he asked: "Then when you return to Yandu, who are you going to bet on?"
"I don't know yet. I have to go back and take a look first."
Zhou Yuanlang's voice was low: "Shen Qi has become a climate and is difficult to deal with. At this time, only the power of Conglong can save the Zhou family!"
Zhou Shizhong thought for a long time, and finally sighed: "The family business left by your grandfather is now in turmoil, that's it, you can go on your own."
He stood up, patted his son on the shoulder, and said, "No matter who you choose, the Zhou family will stand behind you."
Zhou Yuanlang knelt down, kowtowed to his father a few times, turned around, left the commander's tent, and rode north.
On the day Zhou Yuanlang left, Zhou Shizhong led nearly 80,000 troops and began to slowly approach Xuzhou and began the first siege of the Southern Army.
At this time, the sky above Xuzhou City was covered with dark clouds and bursts of thunder.
It feels like dark clouds are threatening to overwhelm the city.
Under the order of General Zhou, more than 80,000 troops from all sides of Xuzhou City arrived at Xuzhou City almost at the same time.
Dozens and hundreds of catapults were also pushed to the bottom of Xuzhou City.
After the usual shouting and scolding, General Zhou rode up to the front of the formation, waved his hand and shouted loudly.