In August of the seventh year of Jianxing, Feng Yong, the Han Qiang guard captain, led his army across the river to pursue the remnant enemy and reached Lingju City, but was blocked below the city.
Feng Yong then went to Wei Yan, who was guarding Jincheng, to rescue him.
Looking at the tall flag with the word "Feng" at the bottom of the city and the neat military camp under the flag, the magistrate of Ju County was very nervous.
Unexpectedly, for three whole days, the Han army made no move.
Not to mention attacking the city, they didn't even send a single person to persuade them to surrender.
If he hadn't climbed up to the top of the city every day and seen the dark Han army barracks outside the city, the magistrate of Lingju County would have felt a little peaceful in his time.
When he saw the sparse guards at the top of the city and the closed doors of every household in the city, he couldn't help but sigh.
He said to the county captain beside him: "Three days have passed and I have fulfilled my duty to defend the city. I will go to the Han camp in person. I just hope that they can treat the people in the city well."
Lingju County is a large county, and officials at all levels are still fulfilling their duties, which is very different from the previous counties that fled when they heard the Han army arrived.
When the county captain heard what the county magistrate said, he quickly advised:
"Mingting, Lingju City has been in disrepair for a long time, but it is still dangerous, not to mention that the Han people have no signs of attacking the city."
"If the Ming Dynasty surrenders the city before the battle begins, I am afraid that it will be underestimated by the Han people and ridiculed by the world."
The county magistrate pointed to the big flag under the city, "Can you see what is written on that big flag?"
"Feng?"
The county magistrate nodded, "It's Feng Zi. I heard that there is only one person in the Han army who can hold such a big banner."
The county captain is in charge of the military affairs of a county, so naturally he is not an ordinary person: "Xiao Wen and Feng Yong?"
Liangzhou has been neglected by the Guandong family for so long, and was even almost abandoned by the imperial court at one time. It is impossible to say that the people of Liangzhou do not have resentment in their hearts.
Unexpectedly, the world is full of reincarnation, but Jia Wenhe finally defeated the Guandong family and became the Taiwei of Wei.
No matter how much the Guandong family laughs at Jia Wen and Wude in private, the Liangzhou veterans will definitely support their fellow villagers: No matter how hard you push them, are we still from Liangzhou becoming Taiwei?
Nowadays, some people dare to use the name "Xiao Wenhe". Not to mention other places, but in Liangzhou, it is definitely very attractive.
"That's right, it's Feng Yong. His reputation has been known since the battle at Longyou. In the Battle of Jincheng a few days ago, it was this man who used surprise troops to destroy Jincheng's soup pool without attacking."
"Now he leads the army to the city, but there is no movement. It is very strange. I am worried that he will pull some tricks again."
"Instead of waiting for him to destroy the city and slaughter the people in the city, it is better to surrender the city and order all the lay officials."
With two to three hundred guardsmen in the city, guarding the city for three days is enough to be worthy of the imperial salary.
After hearing the county magistrate's words, the county captain's face looked a little sad and angry, but more of a look of regret:
"Both wings of the city are in danger. If half of the troops in Jincheng can cross the river and retreat, or if Governor Xu can send some troops over, it might not be possible to stop the Han army from the city."
The county magistrate did not agree with the county captain's words: "In my opinion, this is where Feng Yong is confident, because he knows that we do not have any reinforcements at all."
I think of the uncles and nephews of the Zhang family, the general of Xiping Lu Pan, and even the governor of Liangzhou, Xu Shijun, who all suffered at the hands of Xiao Wenhe under the city.
The county magistrate didn't think he could stop this person.
After the discussion was settled, the county magistrate made preparations and ordered people to open the city gate, hold the seal and ribbon, and go out to the Han camp.
It's just August in Liangzhou, and although it's not as hot as the previous days, the heat is still there.
Feng Junhou, dressed in light clothes, was sitting in the shade of a tree by the river fishing.
When Zhang Yuan heard that the magistrate of Lingju County had personally come to surrender in the camp, he was stunned: "I haven't attacked the city yet, why did he surrender?"
Where is the ambition? Where is the ambition of the heroes of Liangzhou?
Feng Junhou was dissatisfied when his interest in fishing was interrupted: "Tell him that I don't have time to accept the surrender today. Let's talk about it tomorrow!"
The army from the rear has not yet arrived. If you surrender, how do you compile the military report you asked me to send to Hanzhong and Jincheng?
Don't I want to lose face?
The magistrate of Lingju County did not see the famous Feng Wenhe, but only a man of less than a humble rank met him.
"County Magistrate Li, Feng Junhou said that today is not a good day and it is not appropriate to accept surrender."
County Magistrate Li was a little confused: These days, you are not even willing to accept the surrender of the whole city?
"May I ask this young general, when will the good days be?"
The more the Han army behaved like this, the more uncertain Magistrate Li became and his thoughts became more and more random.
"Let's go tomorrow, tomorrow is an auspicious day."
Zhang Yuan said to him seriously.
"Oh, okay, okay!"
County Magistrate Li quickly responded.
Then he was sent back.
The county lieutenant was standing behind the open city gate waiting, and saw the county magistrate coming back just like that, but there was still no movement from the Han army on the opposite side.
He couldn't help but asked curiously: "Ming Ting, what is going on?"
The county magistrate shook his head blankly: "I don't know either."
Although it is very shameful to surrender and be rejected.
But everything has one and then two.
After doing it the first time, it will be much smoother the second time.
Magistrate Li left the city on time the next day and asked the Han army to surrender again.
This time, Feng Junhou did not refuse, received him personally, and allowed him to continue to serve as a temporary commander in the county, and all officials in the county remained as they were.
At this point, Jincheng finally fell into the hands of the Han Dynasty.
The Han army was ordered to live in the county, which was equivalent to a sharp dagger being held against Liangzhou's throat.
Wei Yan was greatly encouraged by the success of this troop dispatch. He found Feng Yong again and wanted to continue to advance and capture Wuwei.
This time Feng Yong sternly rejected his proposal.
"It is better to win Xiping than to win the power of force." Feng Yong stared at Wei Yan without giving in at all: "If the remaining troops of Cao Cao's bandit in Liangzhou are still in Xiping, as long as we capture Xiping, the four counties of Liangzhou will be at peace without a fight."
As long as the last main force of the Cao thieves is eliminated, the Cao thieves in Liangzhou will no longer have anything to rely on, and their courage will disappear.
There is no need for the big man to do it himself, the Liangzhou wealthy family should know which side to choose.
What's more, he still holds many interests in his hands.
"If we take Wuwei first, the Xiping Cao thieves will have enough time to return to defense, and there is a high probability that we will not be able to easily defeat the four counties."
On the other hand, if Cao Cao's thief still had someone to rely on, how could he be willing to surrender?
What's more, the Liangzhou wealthy family and the Qiang Hu are not dead, and they will definitely fish in troubled waters at this time.
"The traitor Cao is now timid, and our military strength is at its peak. Wuwei Guzang is the largest city in Liangzhou. It is both the county government of Wuwei and the prefecture government of Liangzhou."
"As long as we follow the river and continue northward to capture this city, what's the use of the rest of Liangzhou?"
Wei Yan was a martial artist at first, so he thought that the greater the military merit, the better.
Seeing the urgency on Wei Yan's face, Feng Yong knew that he had already developed a certain contempt for the Liangzhou Cao thieves.
After all, this time the troops were dispatched, they would first capture Yuzhong and Jincheng, and then move up the Lishui River. Without losing a single soldier, they would capture the entire county.
In addition, he is bold by nature and likes to take risks, so it is reasonable to want to take advantage of the opportunity to pacify Liangzhou.
As for how to govern Liangzhou, that was not within his scope of consideration.
But the "cautious brave man" Feng Junhou didn't want to accompany him all the time.
If Liangzhou had been pacified so easily, Huo Qubing would not have achieved great fame because of the Battle of Hexi.
More importantly, Huo Qubing brought Hexi into the territory of the Han Dynasty in two decisive battles: the two battles of Hexi.
There was never a direct attack on Wuwei from Lingju.
The first time we attacked from Longxi in the south, we went through Xiping, passed through the Dadou Valley, and entered the Hexi Corridor, where there were conflicts back and forth.
The second time was a roundabout operation from the north with deep depth, and it was like having satellite positioning turned on along the way.
Crossing the Yellow River, crossing the Helan Mountains, wading through two vast deserts, and bypassing the complex terrain of Yanjuze.
Then turn to the south, follow the drowning, and then turn to the southeast.
They traveled thousands of miles to accurately locate the Huns' flanks, and then launched a surprise attack.
Feng Yong is very self-aware. He doesn't have the positioning skills of Huo Qubing, let alone being as awesome as him.
Even Huo Qubing didn't directly gain military power from Ling Ju, so why could he do it himself?
Therefore, Old Man Wei's suggestion to "swallow it all" is very courageous, but also very stupid.
"That's not what we discussed before crossing the river!"
Feng Yong looked at Wei Yan without fear, "I only promised you to take Xiping and Jincheng counties, and I never said I would go further."
Wei Yan looked calm, not feeling guilty at all about breaking his promise: "This moment, that moment..."
"You fart!" Feng Yong finally couldn't help but cursed, "Go ahead if you want! I won't go!"
He really didn't want to stay with this old man for a moment.
Just as he was about to walk out of the camp, he heard Wei Yan say loudly from behind: "Then send troops to the west to level the country!"
He strode over and said, "To pacify Xiping, I need to lead the troops myself!"
Enough!
After talking for a long time, it turns out that you want to pay back the money on arrival?
"I will go with 10,000 elite troops, and leave the rest with you. Most of them must be stationed at Lingju in order to put pressure on Wuwei."
Wei Yan seemed to have already made plans.
"In this way, Liangzhou Cao's thieves will definitely return most of their troops to defend Wuwei. Then I will lead the troops into Huangzhong, and Xiping will be within reach."
Feng Yong looked at him fiercely, gritted his teeth and said, "Okay!"
After saying this, he was too lazy to talk nonsense and walked out of the tent directly.
Feng Yong continued all the way, walked out of Wei Yan's army, and turned to his own military base to protect the Qiang captain's mansion.
Unexpectedly, before he entered the village gate, he heard someone calling him from behind: "Junhou!"
Feng Yong turned around and saw Jiang Weizheng running quickly towards him.
"It's Bo Yue," Feng Yong stopped and waited until Jiang Wei arrived in front of him, then asked, "Bo Yue came here, but for what you just did?"
This time, troops were sent to attack Yuzhong and Jincheng. They were divided into three armies: Wei Yan, Feng Yong, and Jiang Wei.
Wei Yan was the largest, followed by Feng Yong, and Jiang Wei was the last.
It's just that Feng Yong has more rights than Wei Yan. He can send troops independently in the name of protecting the Qiang Lieutenant's Mansion.
We were discussing military affairs in Wei Yan's commander's tent just now. On the surface, it looked like three people were discussing it. In fact, it was Wei Yan and Feng Yong who made the decision.
Jiang Wei's breath was a little short, he took a breath, and then nodded: "After the Lord came out, the general also came out, but I didn't expect the Lord to walk so fast."
Feng Yong looked at the gate of Wei Yanjun's camp not far away with a sarcastic look on his face, "If I don't walk faster, who knows if he will force me to continue marching into Wuwei?"
Jiang Wei's face turned pale: "General Wei...he shouldn't be like this."
Feng Yong turned around and walked towards his military camp with Jiang Wei, "I know he wouldn't be like this, I was just angry for a moment, so I just said something angry."
Of course, Wei Yan's suggestion of directly attacking Wuwei is actually feasible to a certain extent.
For a general, if this plan really succeeds, the results will be very brilliant.
This is to regain a state and double the territory of the Han Dynasty.
And even if it fails, with the big man's current strength, he can barely afford the loss.
For Wei Yan, who was eager to achieve military success, this temptation was not small.
He just made this suggestion in the account. Although it was for the purpose of bargaining later, it may not actually mean to test himself.
But for Feng Yong, this risk is too high and completely out of proportion to the benefits.
Liangzhou is now a piece of meat on the lips, but it can only be regarded as raw meat. Eating it will cause indigestion.
It's best to cook it for a while longer. When it's cooked and mashed, it will be much more delicious in your mouth.
There is absolutely no need to take this risk.
When Jiang Wei was in the tent just now, Jiang Wei had not expressed his opinion. Now Feng Yong wanted to ask him what he thought.
"Boyo, you are good at military affairs. How confident do you think we can be if we directly attack martial power?"
"At most it's 10%."
Jiang Wei said with certainty.
"Oh? Why?"
Feng Yong thought it should be 30%, but he didn't expect Jiang Wei to be even less optimistic than himself.
Jiang Wei is from Liangzhou, so he naturally knows Liangzhou better than Feng Yong and Wei Yan.
I just heard him say:
"Your Majesty, when you go to Wuwei from your home, there is a ridge in the middle, called Hongchi Ridge, which is a natural barrier. Huo Qiaoqi once built the Great Wall there to prevent the Huns from coming over the mountains."
"If we want to gain military power, we must also climb over the mountain. By then, Cao's thieves will only need three thousand troops, which will be enough to stop our more than ten thousand elite soldiers."
"If I were the guard general of Liangzhou, I would definitely give up Xiping and defend the four counties in Hexi with all my strength. Xiping is no more than Liangzhou, and the four counties are my confidants."
"If you cut off a finger, you can still live; if you lose a confidant, your life will be safe? So we go to Jincheng first, and then the army will gather at the command base. The only thing Cao Cao can do is to take Xiping's army and return to defend Wuwei."
"So at this time we only need to divide our troops to cross the river and go up the Huangshui River, and then Xiping can be settled!"
Feng Yong nodded with satisfaction. Jiang Wei's vision was indeed better than that of old man Wei, and he clearly proposed to directly attack Xiping.
There was no intention of testing Wuwei at all.
Seeing Feng Yong nodding in agreement with his words, Jiang Wei felt happy and took the opportunity to say: "Your Majesty, this time General Wei is advancing towards Xiping. The last general also wants to follow. Is it okay?"
Feng Yong turned around and saw a somewhat uneasy look on Jiang Wei's face.
"The Prime Minister asked Boyue to lead the Tiger Infantry, and he had the intention of training Boyue. Now that Boyue can take the initiative to ask for help, why should I stop him?"
Jiang Wei quickly raised his hands and saluted: "Wei thank you, sir!"
Feng Yong waved his hand, entered his handsome tent with Jiang Wei, and then said:
"Before setting off from Jincheng, I have sent someone to notify Liu Hun in the south, allowing him to attack Xiping on his own, so that he can coordinate with General Wei more easily."
"Counting the days, by the time the news is delivered, General Wei will have almost entered Huangshui. Then you can find an opportunity to join Liu Hun."
At this point, he looked at Jiang Wei and lowered his voice: "Wei Yan really has a good way of marching and fighting. I think it should be smooth sailing to Xiping."
"But there is always a contingency in everything. If things are not harmonious, don't try to be brave. Anyway, this is Xiping, it is there, and you can't escape."
"Remember one sentence: if you save the land and lose the people, everyone and the land will be lost; if you save the people and lose the land, both the people and the land will survive."
Jiang Wei's body suddenly shook: "Your Majesty's golden words are engraved in Wei's heart!"