Under the city of Xiangguo, the Wei army used ladders, loading carts, rams and other equipment to launch a tidal wave of offensive against Xiangguo.
Xu Shi killed the envoy that night, and the defenders fought bravely. Liu Xian, the defender of Xiang Kingdom, kept patrolling on the city wall, and the long sword of the supervising team was only placed behind the defenders. Not only that, Liu Xian also kept his big tent.
Standing on the city tower, the defenders of Xiangguo were determined to die.
After more than a month, Xiangguo still did not retreat.
On this day, Ran Min only patrolled in front of the battle. The anxious battle situation in front of him only made his heart heavy. The army was good at fighting in the field, but this siege battle was not his specialty.
Looking at the city wall still standing in Xiangguo, Ran Min remained silent.
"Your Majesty, if our army has been trapped under the fortified city for a long time, things will change later." Sun Wei said on the side.
"Your Majesty, how could you not know." At this time, Zhang Ai added, "Although our Yan army is attacking the city, the Yan army is watching from the side. How can our army be negligent?"
"It's a pity that a lot of troops were diverted, which made the siege unfavorable." Zhang Ai then added.
"Since ancient times, the army has been advanced to attack the enemy, followed by the army to attack the city. The large army is trapped in the fortified city..." Dong Run also said.
"I know what General Dong said." Ran Min looked at the fortified city of Xiang State. This was the last fortified city of Shi Zhao. If it were destroyed, the Shi family would no longer exist.
Seeing that everyone was at a loss what to do, Zhang Wen next to him said: "Your Majesty, the country of Xiang has not been conquered yet, foreign aid has gathered, and it is not good to attack the city. Our army has divided its troops to guard, lest we be attacked from the front and rear. If we attack the country of Xiang without attacking it, its water source will be cut off.
Maintain the fortress along the food road. If the enemy attacks, our army will attack them and the enemy will surely defeat them."
"General Zhang, the plan is very good, and I agree with it." Dong Run was the first to say, and the others all agreed.
Ran Min only looked at the fortified city, seemingly unwilling to accept it. Then he calmed down and shouted: "Where is the chief in charge of our army's food and fodder?"
After a while, a man who looked like a scholar came to the center with bamboo slips. Ran Min just said: "Master, how much food does our army have?"
The chief bookkeeper only looked at the account books and said to General Ran Min: "The grain reserves are less than 20,000 dan, which is not enough for our army for ten days."
When the soldiers heard that the situation was serious, they stopped talking.
"Generals, why don't I want to besiege Xiangguo in order to reduce the bloodshed of our Yan army officers and soldiers. However, we have been attacking every day this year, the government is in chaos, and the countryside is deserted. Although I am the leader of the dynasty, the situation in Wei State is...
Symbols of the end of the world.”
"Your Majesty." The person next to him was about to dissuade him when he heard Ran Min wave his hand and said, "Now we are inviting all the refugees into our city of Ye and providing them with food and fodder for rescue. Now we can gather enough for an army of 300,000 men for one month."
The food is barely enough."
Looking at the Xiang Kingdom that had been under siege for a long time, Ran Min could only think: "Maybe I am too worried about killing Hu Ling."
Dong Run advised His Majesty: "Your Majesty, there is no need to blame yourself. Times have changed, how can we stop the losses of the past because of today's difficulties. In this case, our army should return to Yecheng and capture this city again next year.
It’s not too late.”
Zhang Wen only said anxiously: "No, now that the Xiang Kingdom has not yet been conquered, the forces are riding on tigers, and the Yan army has turned sideways again. If the army moves lightly, it may lead to collapse."
Ran Min nodded and said yes, "What General Zhang said is true. I want someone to quickly send an order to Yecheng to send all 50,000 of Yecheng's defenders to attack. If we can't do this, we will not be able to conquer the country."
Zhang Wen suddenly panicked and said, "Your Majesty, Yecheng is the capital of the Wei Kingdom. Don't touch it lightly. I'm afraid 50,000 will be taken."
"Now that the scouts have found out, the Jin Dynasty and the court are in turmoil, and the Northern Expedition has not yet taken place." Ran Min pretended to be relaxed and said with a smile, "Besides, I have obtained a hexagram before setting off for the expedition."
Dong Run hurriedly asked: "Your Majesty, how do you explain this hexagram?"
"Fa Rao, please give me a hexagram, which is a sign of good fortune. The hexagram says: Taibai enters the Pleiades and will defeat King Hu. This is a sign of good fortune. Don't worry, all the officers and men. If there are fifty thousand troops on the side, we will decide this."
city."
At this point, Ran Min said that although the generals wanted to give advice, they were not good at speaking and could only act according to orders.
Ran Min only ordered the scouts to quickly take his handwritten message and send it to Wang Tai in Yecheng.
When the generals wanted to return to camp, Sun Wei grabbed Zhang Aiyan and said, "General Zhang, your Majesty has never believed in prophecies, but now he listens to the Taoist priest's words."
Zhang Ai sighed and said, "General Sun also feels the same way?"
Sun Wei only said: "It's not me who doesn't believe those barbarians. There are so many barbarians in Yecheng now, and the army is so light that there will be chaos." Sun Wei only said in a sharp voice, "For example, I don't believe that Li Tekang can forget.
Revenge for killing my father. General Zhang, you were there that night, did anything strange happen to Li Tekang?"
"Li Tekang was accompanied by His Majesty's beloved Shi Xi. Although it was a chaotic day, if it weren't for Li Tekang, His Majesty would have been attacked by his enemies. For this reason, Your Majesty believed in him. It is a big deal to capture the country of Xiang. You must not cause any trouble."
.”
"It doesn't matter, if Li Tekang is loyal, he will be willing to stand on a bush to plead guilty." After saying this, Sun Wei just slapped his horse and headed towards his tent.
On the official road leading to Yecheng, the scouts galloped on their horses, and only rushed into Yecheng at the last moment when the sunset dipped into the horizon.
"Report to the army of the state of Xiang, report to the army of the state of Xiang." The scout quickly dismounted from his horse and entered Wang Tai's mansion.
Wang Tai only knelt down to receive the letter from His Majesty, and hurriedly called to the people around him: "Quickly order someone, please come and have a rest."
I heard that the visitor only said: "General Wang, now that the war is urgent, your Majesty just orders me to go north together with the army. I hope that the general will quickly order 50,000 troops to go north within two days."
Wang Tai asked cautiously: "Do you know, your Majesty? Your Majesty has ordered me to guard Yecheng. Yecheng is tied to the Wei State's national line and cannot be moved lightly."
"Of course your Majesty knows that the Jin Dynasty has not yet taken action. However, the Yan Kingdom has crossed the Yin Mountain and is watching from behind the Xiang Kingdom. This 50,000-strong army is the elite division of our Wei Kingdom. It will surely be like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Our Wei army will
Conquer the Xiang Kingdom in one fell swoop."
"Let your envoy wait for a while, and I will summon the defenders to discuss it together." After saying this, he asked the envoy to go to a side room to wait.
In the starry night, the lights in the middle hall of Wangtai's mansion were brightly lit, and one of his generals could be seen saying: "General, now it's time to go to Xiangguo. Don't miss this opportunity."
Wang Tai looked at the generals and picked up the teacups by himself, and said, "The people I'm worried about are the barbarians in the city."
A soldier who joined the army said carelessly: "Now the Hu people are afraid of being killed by us, so what are we afraid of?"
Wang Tai yelled: "Be presumptuous."
Seeing that Wang Tai was so angry, everyone kept silent. For a long time, Wang Tai said: "Don't talk too much. I have my own arrangements. Each of us will go back to the camp and pick up our troops. We will set off soon to help my lord."
Everyone bowed their hands and said yes.
After the generals left, Wang Tai only said to his close attendants: "Please Li Tekang."
After a while, Li Tekang came to the hall and said: "I'm here to see General Wang."
Wang Tai fiddled with the bamboo slips on the case and asked: "Now that Xiangguo is about to fall, Shi Zhao is not far away from being destroyed. There will no longer be the name of Youjier in this world. Do you feel this in your heart?"
Li Tekang only looked directly at Wang Tai, "Now we, the Jie people, are all citizens of our Wei State. How can we be destroyed? Your Majesty accepts us kindly and will definitely repay us with Kesi Tu."
Wang Tai suddenly threw the bamboo slips to the ground and shouted: "If it hadn't been for your Majesty's obstruction, I would have sent you to Xiangguo to be used as stones to fill the moat. Your Majesty actually favors you so much."
Wang Tai pointed to the bamboo slips on the ground and said, "Take a look for yourself. His Majesty has written to you and asked us to unite and guard this city sincerely." When he came, Wang Tai smiled bitterly and said, "I have been warned that the front line is dangerous.
If something unexpected happens, I will leave you in Yecheng."
Li Tekang didn't even look at it. He just closed the bamboo slip and carefully presented it to Wang Tai. He said: "I am wrongly loved by your majesty. I am very grateful. However, the general will not accept the military orders abroad. In this Ye city, I will be the king's general."
The general has no need to show this letter to the villain."
Wang Tai smiled sinisterly and said: "Now that the war is in chaos, it is inevitable if there is a gap in the communication." Wang Tai just stared at him for a long time, and saw that his expression did not change after all. Wang Tai changed his expression, "But I, Wang Tai, have been following Your Majesty for many years.
, How can I deceive you? Since Your Majesty has decreed that I will take good care of you, it doesn’t matter, you can rest in peace in Ye City."
After saying that, he just waved his hand and asked him to go back.
Two days later, all the 50,000 troops in Yecheng were assembled and rushed north to aid Ran Min. They would reach the front line of Xiangguo in a few days.
At this time, Ran Min had received his reward, and he was overjoyed. He raised his tent to summon the generals, and declared: "Now that our army has gained another 50,000 elite troops, I intend to launch a general attack on Xiangguo in two days."
When everyone in the tent heard this, they whispered to each other and were overjoyed. At this time, Dong Run took the lead and said: "Your Majesty, now that our country of Yan has gained 50,000 new soldiers, our morale is booming, and our last general is willing to be the vanguard."
"General Dong is really good at choosing the right time," Zhang Wen said with a smile beside him, "In this case, General Dong should take the lead. Haha."
At this time, Ran Min only stretched out his hand to greet the enemy and said: "Hey, all the soldiers, please don't make fun of us. General Dong is so brave, which is really a great blessing for our country of Wei. If everyone can kill the enemy so bravely, why worry about the injustice in the world."
Everyone said: "Your Majesty is wise."
Ran Min only said to everyone, "In two days, you will select two thousand strong troops from each camp to fight with chariots, day and night, and we must conquer this city in one fell swoop."
"As commanded."
Two days later, the first ray of dawn appeared in the wilderness of Jizhou. Wei soldiers lined up in front of Xiangguo City. The iron pieces on the siege equipment and the soldiers' swords were particularly dazzling in the sunlight.
Ran Min just stood on his horse in front of the military formation, raised his saber, and shouted: "Attack the city."
The sound of war drums sounded, and the whole army rushed towards Xiangguo like an overwhelming mountain.
Under the city gate, shields protected the charging chariots as they desperately hit the gate of Xiangguo. On top of the city wall, dozens of ladders were attached to the wall. The soldiers of the Wei army only climbed with their swords in hand, not avoiding the stone arrows.
The soldiers of the Zhao army on Xiangguo City also knew that at the last moment, the guard Liu Xian was the most serious. They saw him go to the front line in person and start a bloody battle with the Wei army. He led his own followers to patrol the city wall. There was no danger anywhere.
, where to support. Both armies know that they have reached the final moment of victory.
The battle was stalemate in front of us. After about an hour, Ran Min said: "Change camp and attack again."
At this time, Dong Run was covered in blood. He leaned over and said, "Your Majesty, if you give me just one more moment, I will definitely be able to defeat this city."
Ran Min only said: "Help General Dong go down and rest."
Then he preached: "Zhang Ai."
"The end will be here"
"Siege the city."
"Take orders."
At this time, in the palace of Xiangguo, Zhao Wang Shi Zhi heard the shouts of killing outside and the sound of rolling stones and falling trees. He was just pacing in the palace. When he saw Shi Zhi coming, he hurriedly pulled him and said
He said: "Prime Minister, how is the war going now?"
"The city of Xiangguo is strong and Liu Xian personally supervises the battle. Now the enemy's first wave of offensive has gradually subsided."
"Okay, okay," Shi Zhi calmed down a little, "It takes a day to delay this."
While he was talking, he heard shouts of killing coming from outside again. Shi Zhi was frightened. He saw the palace servants entering the palace to report: "Wei army has started to attack again."
Shi Zhi just sighed, "Now it seems that Ran Min will definitely break my city today."
Shi Kun hurriedly added: "Your Majesty, this is a place of life and death. As long as we can delay today, everything can be turned around. Your Majesty, I sincerely request your Majesty to come to the city wall to boost the morale of the army."
"How do you say that?" Shi Zhi was doubtful.
"I have obtained Yao Xiang's letter. There will be turmoil in Yecheng tonight. If it is delayed until today, Ran Min will be defeated." After saying this, he handed the letter to Shi Zhi.
Shi Zhi only glanced at it, his face was overjoyed, and then he said darkly: "Yao Xiang is coming, which is great. But what will happen today?"
"Your Majesty, at this time, Your Majesty should come to the city in person to boost morale. If we can survive today, this Ye City will definitely change."
"Come to the city in person?" Shi Zhi was a little scared after all.
"Your Majesty, now we are two tigers fighting each other, fighting to the last breath. Your Majesty's presence in person is like adding a hundred thousand troops. Now Liu Xian and other soldiers are fighting bravely to kill the enemy. The city is still in my hands, but the situation is critical, Your Majesty.
"
While Shi Zhi was still hesitating, Yao Xiang had already entered the palace and knelt down and said: "Father sent me here just to repay Zhao Guo Sheji. Now Your Majesty shows your love. We, the talented men of the Qiang nationality, want to lead the army to attack Ran."
Min.”
Shi Zhi heard this and stood up excitedly, saying: "Yao Xiang, you are indeed brave, even so..."
Shi Kun just grabbed the topic and said: "Your Majesty, I sincerely request your Majesty to come to the city in person to comfort the soldiers."
Shi Kun continued, "Yao Xiang's cavalry are elite and cannot be used lightly unless absolutely necessary. I assert that Ran Min will be defeated tomorrow. If we invest in Yao Xiang's cavalry at this time, it will only be a drop in the bucket and will not help the matter."
Hearing this, Yao Xiang added: "I have learned that my two younger brothers will take action tonight."
Shi Kun said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, victory or defeat can be determined by a single thought. I hope your Majesty will make a decision soon."
Shi Zhi looked at Shi Kun and Yao Xiang. He felt proud in his heart. He patted the armrest and stood up, saying: "This Ran Min is not just a man with three heads and six arms. This Shi family's disciple is betraying his master. I want to look at him."
