At daybreak, the officers and soldiers had burst the embankment and collapsed. Thousands of people abandoned their helmets and armor, fled from the camp, and hurriedly walked eastward along the way they came yesterday.
And this caught everyone off guard.
It goes without saying that Zhao Xingmi could still maintain his position with the officers and soldiers, but the army below collapsed inexplicably, and he was immediately chased and beaten by Wu Changzai. How could Wu Changzai spare him the temperament of Wu Changzai, a crazy martial artist? And the enemy had just broken into the enemy.
The military cavalry of the battalion were even trapped in the camp and had no time to gather their troops to pursue them from the open areas outside.
This made Liu Heicheng, who entered the camp the fastest and most deeply, cursed his mother angrily.
At the same time, Zhang Xing and others on the north bank of Bian River were dumbfounded and at a loss when they heard the news from the front.
Even Xu Shiying, who had previously mentioned several victories and several defeats, and pointed out that the grassroots soldiers of the Jiangdu-Xuzhou army were more likely to collapse in such extreme weather, was a little panicked at this time.
How could he, Xu Dalang, know that those masters of condensation who had escaped the influence of the weather were the first to retreat?
After regaining consciousness, Xu Shiying came to find Zhang Xing, who was sitting on the bank and blowing the river breeze, and said sincerely: "Chief! Don't underestimate the heroes of the world just because you won the battle! They were crushed by the weather.
, it’s not our ability!”
"I know." Zhang Xing came back to his senses and sat there to answer seriously. "I know."
Xu Dalang relaxed a little.
Then Zhang Xing came and asked, "What should we do next?"
He really didn't know what to do.
Xu Shiying was also speechless for a moment.
"Let the troops on the south bank wear armor and attack, immediately intercept and outflank the enemy, and help pursue the enemy. Then we will not cross the river here, and go directly to the Xiaoxian city along the river!" At this time, it turned out to be someone who usually seemed to be lacking in military affairs.
Wu Jingfeng gave an answer from afar. "It's already dawn, and Xiaoxian County is close to the river. By then, the city will definitely be able to see the situation on the south bank. If we press forward, we may not be able to make the city bold and drive them out directly.
!”
Zhang Xing's heart moved slightly, but he did not respond directly.
Xu Shiying did not respond directly to Wu Dalang, but spoke to Zhang Xing: "The county seat of Xiao County is too close to Pengcheng, and there are also four thousand soldiers and two generals, one of whom is Ningdan..."
"Of course, Fan Chao, and Wei Zhongze, who has a poor cultivation level." Wu Jingfeng walked up to him as he spoke. He obviously couldn't suppress his excitement, but he seemed to be talking only to Zhang Xing. "But then
So what? Haven’t Zhang Sanlang seen it yet? Not only the soldiers below, but also these Guanlong disciples have no hope, and their minds have been worn out by that emperor!"
Xu Shiying was about to speak but stopped.
Zhang Xing thought for a moment and replied: "You can indeed try to go to Xiao County, but you can't want everything. You must leave military room. Sima Zheng may not have received the message at this time."
Xu Shiying nodded immediately.
Wu Dalang thought for a moment, suppressed his emotions, and continued to ask: "Then what should the chief do?"
"It's very simple. First, you can chase, but the pursuit must be limited. Xiao County is the boundary. Once you get to Xiao County, the infantry is not allowed to pursue. The first wave of soldiers and horses led by Shan Tonghai must stop.
Rest on the ground, only allow the cavalry to continue to expand the results, and the third wave of troops on the other side should not attack without authorization; secondly, you can try Xiao County, but the troop input must be limited. Unless Sima Zheng moves, otherwise our last wave
The soldiers of the third battalion must not be moved. Just let Jia Yue and the others, the third wave of soldiers, come back and take charge of attacking Xiao County..." Zhang Xing gave his own plan. "Are there any questions?
No problem, I’ll give the order.”
Although Wu Jingfeng was a little dissatisfied with the opponent's conservatism, he was helpless at this moment and could only nod his head and said, "Just go and fight if you can."
Zhang Xing nodded.
The military order was issued, and the troops on both sides of the Bian River began to take advantage of the short and comfortable environment in the early morning to move. Seeing Wu Dalang going to the other side to conduct reconnaissance in person, Xu Shiying caught up with him and couldn't help but take the opportunity to whisper on his horse: "Chief
, don’t listen to Wu Jingfeng, he only sees revenge, which is not the same as ours, our gang is just a borrowed sword in their eyes..."
Zhang Xing was helpless and immediately responded to Huang Piao in a low voice: "Don't say such disunity... Besides, the battle is going so smoothly. If we stop our actions at this time, Sima Zheng will definitely notice our weakness."
Fortunately, going to Xiao County is always closer to the direction of Daying, which is better than tossing around in other places."
When Xu Shiying saw that the other party was clear, he felt relieved and just shut up and went to the rear.
Bai Yousi stood aside, watching the other party leave, and was puzzled for a moment: "He said this, but he didn't avoid me?"
"If there is anything to avoid, he just talks about it and expresses his attitude." Zhang Xing explained in a low voice. "Similarly, if Wu Dalang is close, he can also talk about it. It's just a person like Xu Dalang who insists on keeping the household."
Dog, you only joined the gang to protect yourself, you can't risk your life to do big things, especially after you have just dealt with this guy so seriously, you must have resentment in your heart, so don't listen to Xu Dalang..."
Bai Yousi was stunned for a moment and sighed rarely, because she understood her husband's subtext or what he didn't say.
That is, these two people have problems, even big ones, but they also have strengths - Wu Jingfeng's cultivation is top-notch below that of a grandmaster, not to mention Xu Dalang, who was severely beaten by the powerful and powerful faction.
Even once, it doesn't matter that he is one of the top talents in the gang.
As for my husband, the chief executive, even when he was the leader, he actually did one thing, which was to take these strange people, whether they were a mob or heroes, to draw on their strong points, compensate for their shortcomings, coerce and induce them, and win them over.
, use various methods to bring them together into one, and use force in one direction.
To put it nicely, this is called gathering the power of heroes to accomplish great things.
To put it bluntly, it's like trying to repair a broken donkey cart so that it doesn't fall apart, and then helping the donkey to move forward on the muddy road, staring at the scorching sun, wind and frost.
As soon as the thought came to this point, Bai Yousi couldn't help but start thinking.
Besides, since she came to the Gang, experienced the Battle of Lishan, realized that this was Zhang Xing's home field, coupled with her cultivation needs and the serious study of civil affairs and military affairs in Dengzhou, she has rarely expressed her initiative.
situation.
At least this is the case regarding personnel and organizational issues within the gang.
But having said that, no matter how talented she is, given her age and having put so much effort into other areas, she naturally has her own weaknesses, otherwise why would she hide her skills here?
Therefore, even though they get together less and apart more often, the two of them often talk more when they are together. Many times it is about communication on personnel and political strategies, or in other words, observing and learning from Zhang Xing.
To be honest, in the past, Bai Sanniang could have ignored these trivial matters, but if she really had to deal with them, according to her sharp temperament, she would often cut them off with a sword (literally).
After the Dusanzheng, she saw that the world was in chaos, especially after experiencing the Northern Shanxi Incident, but she knew to some extent that she would not be able to escape these things.
I just never thought at the time that it would be so difficult.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sanlang." Bai Yousi said inexplicably.
Zhang Sanlang was slightly startled but didn't say much.
When the time came in the morning, six battalions with nearly 10,000 troops on both sides of the Bianshui River slowly marched eastward. On the way, they watched the imperial troops and horses rushing from the side and rear, and then roared again when they saw the soldiers and horses here.
He walked south, but was chased back from the south by the cavalry who were overtaking him, so he could only run straight east.
This process seems absurd and ridiculous, but in fact it is bloody and terrifying.
Although there was no problem with the scorching heat in the early morning, it was true that he abandoned his armor and fled for his life in a panic, especially with the army hot on his heels. There was no telling how many lives were behind the words "expanding the results of the battle."
It was only a few miles away from Xiao County, and across the semi-dry crop fields, the city head could be seen in the distance. Zhang Xing took his eyes away from a Wei County soldier who fled into Bianshui in a panic, and looked ahead:
"Who is the guard of Xiao County? Are they still the same people?"
"It should not have moved, Fan Chao, Wei Zhongze, the son of two ministers, General Ying Yanglang, Fan Chao is a Ning Dan, and Wei Zhongze is just an ordinary Qijing practitioner." Xu Shiying said many family treasures. "Just look at Chief Jia.
Can they succeed this time? If they can't be scared away... Sima Zheng must have received the message at this moment, and Pengcheng is only thirty or forty miles away from Xiao County. If he wants to come to support, he will arrive soon."
Zhang Xing nodded and looked at Bianshui beside him again.
It turned out that in just a moment, as Jia Yue, Wang Xiongdan, and Tang Bairen majestically crossed the Bianshui River full of shoals, and then pointed at the county seat of Xiao County, more and more fleeing officers and soldiers on the other side of the river were supposed to go to the river.
He came over and was forced into Bianshui by the light cavalry of Liu Heifan, Fan Bao and others.
However, the shoal, which is easily passable for organized troops, is a death place for these officers and soldiers who fled until they were out of breath. Many people plunged in with armor and could not get up.
Some people happened to step into the shoal. There were troops on both sides of the bank, and there was deep water in front and behind. They could not move forward or retreat, but they knelt down and cried hoarsely in the shallow water. When the defeated soldiers saw this scene, they took off their clothes from a distance, but fell.
He went into deep water, spun around, and still floated up and down with the waves, wailing and asking for help.
Zhang Xing watched for a while and then suddenly gave an order: "Immediately wait until the large pursuing troops on the other side pass by, then gather up the officers and soldiers and rescue those who fell into the water."
"Chief, you can't see this place from the city. If you hope to use this to attack your heart, I'm afraid it's useless." Xu Shiying was confused. "Besides, this is a battlefield. If you die, you will die..."
"We've already reached this point, and if we wait for the cavalry to leave immediately, what kind of battlefield is it?" Zhang Xing said disapprovingly. "Besides, I'm not just out of kindness. I rescue when I need to, and kill when I need to kill after the war. I resist.
Kill them on the spot..."
"Isn't that more important?" Xu Shiying was speechless.
"One code, one code. Don't develop the habit of killing indiscriminately and brutally in the troops. You must behave like a person, and you must kill according to the rules." Zhang Xing became more and more impatient. "It is said that you drink from a golden cup together, and you can add it with a bare blade. If you don't
That's why you died in Dong County last month!"
Xu Shiying shivered...I don't know if he was pretending...but he turned around and gave the order.
Next to him, Wu Jingfeng wanted to come and ask for a fight, and went to Xiao County to participate in the destruction of the city. When he saw this scene, he did not dare to say anything.
Zhang Xing, on the other hand, finally turned around and continued to look at the county seat of Xiao County. Then he asked Bai Yousi and Wu Jingfeng seriously: "Fan Chao and Wei Zhongze are both the sons of the minister, why don't I remember them?"
"They are all dead." Wu Jingfeng answered quickly, acting as if nothing happened. "Shang Shu Fan died of illness, and Shangshu Wei died at the hands of the Wu clan during the siege of Yun Nei..."
Zhang Xing suddenly realized that Wei Zhongze's father was in charge of the city defense during the siege of Yunnei. Afterwards, he committed suicide to pursue Wei Chi, the minister who died for his country as a remonstrance.
"The thieves' army is strong, let's retreat too!" Just three or four miles east of Zhang Xingzheng, in the west gate building of Xiaoxian County, Fan Chao, the only master of Dan Ning and above and the actual commander, looked away from the spy window and turned around.
He sat down and then spoke to a person in the room who was dressed similarly to himself. "We just went to see the south of the city together. If it fails like that, Sima Shida must have run away. Sima Zheng can't deal with his third uncle, so why should he deal with us?"
Standing in the shadow diagonally across from Fan Chao is Wei Zhongze. This man is already in his mid-thirties, the golden age for a general. However, he is not very advanced in cultivation. He only heard this from the shadows.
He walked out and argued seriously: "We are here because we are here, so why should we care about what others do?"
"How could you ignore it? One of them can form elixirs and two can condense elixirs, but we are the only one." Fan Chao sat there and laughed. "They can't hold it, let alone us?"
"If they were to take charge, they were Muzha and we were the city wall. They should have been suddenly attacked in the middle of the night. We had not yet engaged in the battle in the morning. They were fifty or sixty miles away from Pengcheng, and we were thirty or forty miles away from Pengcheng. They only fought after
In a hurry to ask for help, we can rely on the help message they sent from the south bank of Bianshui River in the middle of the night."
Wei Zhong came to speak sincerely.
"General Fan, now the two of us are only wearing the armor of the generals, and we are carefully setting up the city defense in the city, asking the generals to divide the areas to guard, allowing them to stand for a quarter of an hour and then retreat, and then send the confidants to serve as supervisors, while the other side
If a great master breaks the city gate, let him do it and just continue to defend the Cangcheng and the streets... It will only take an hour for the reinforcements to arrive. By then, the city will be broken and it can be recaptured. The master will spend his real money indiscriminately.
Qi can also seize the opportunity to capture, and the soldiers who enter the city are our victory. How can they escape without fighting? Especially when the weather gets hot soon, our soldiers have the city defense and shade to rely on, but they have no cover.
, how can a few masters who have been tired for half the night capture the city?"
"I know everything you said." Fan Chao listened for a long time and became more and more speechless. "But the key point is, why can Sima Shida and the others run away, but we have to risk our lives to guard them?"
Wei Zhong was silent for a moment, then asked on the spot: "General Fan just doesn't want to fulfill his duties anyway?"
Fan Chao glanced at the other party and sneered: "If you perform your duties to the best of your ability, will there be any good consequences?"
After saying that, he stood up and walked out.
Seeing this, Wei Zhong immediately shouted from behind the opponent: "General Fan, if you are going to lay out the city defense... I will also treat you as you are going to lay out the city defense... That is naturally good, but if you want to escape,
Yes, I tell you clearly, as long as I can survive, I will truthfully report what happened today in front of General Sima and the saint!"
When Fan Chao heard this, he remained silent. He only held the straight knife in his waist and turned his head. Then he returned to the opponent and stared at him.
"In other words." Wei Zhong, who was also dressed in the same clothes, just glanced at the opponent's waist, and then looked at him with a knife on his waist, but he was not afraid at all, and his voice was even louder. "The city can be abandoned, but you must kill me first.
, your force is far superior to mine, this matter is easy."
Fan Chao was silent for a while and then spoke again: "If Sima Shida was in this position and wanted to leave, would you do the same?"
"I will kill him directly." Wei Zhong replied simply. "Because that guy's cultivation level is about the same as mine. It's just a matter of one blow. Unlike you, if I strike with one blow, I will most likely bring about self-humiliation."
While saying insulting words, the man slowly pulled out the knife.
Fan Chao laughed in anger, but he could only shake his head: "Put it away!"
With that said, he turned around and left again. He only walked to the door, but turned back and smiled at Wei Zhongze who breathed a sigh of relief: "General Wei, don't think that you are a hero, a loyal minister and a filial son, like your father.
So, does it really have any effect? Loyal ministers and filial sons are just a joke in front of our saint. What you do is actually being kidnapped by your father. Where are your true thoughts?"
"I have been nothing more than a loser for half my life, and my fame and position all depended on my father's influence. When the world is in chaos, and I receive such an important military and national responsibility, instead of relying on my own cowardice, how can I rely on my father's spirit in heaven?" Wei Zhongze seemed to have an answer in his heart.
"What's more, my father's spirit is still in my body, what about your father?"
Fan Chao's expression suddenly changed, he seemed ashamed and angry, but he gritted his teeth and left.
A quarter of an hour later, the heads of the envoys who persuaded people to surrender were thrown out of the city in Xiaoxian City, and the battle immediately broke out.
At almost the same moment, Sima Zheng received the second wave of military reports, which made him, who had already ordered Pengcheng's army to leave the city and sent several masters to support in advance, fell into silence and thinking.
The first wave of requests for help came from Zhao Xingmi's military orders, serious requests for help in case of an attack, and the information was constantly updated.
The second wave of military reports was not a request for help, but a summary of a large number of defeat witnesses and fleeing sentries, as well as indirect reports from some fleeing officers.
Sima Zheng now clearly knew that the troops coming from Si River to Huaikou were besieged by the main force of the army when they extended their defense area outwards, and it was very likely that the entire army collapsed inexplicably upon their arrival.
"The reason why the gang was able to succeed must be because of the water conditions. There are more shoals." Sima Zheng, who was on a high platform on the east side of He River, pointed to the He River in front of him. "A simple lure to counterattack, just because I followed Zhao Xingmi
Their original plan was completely consistent, so they were easily succeeded...right?"
"Yes." A man with bright pheasant feathers beside him blurted out.
"They were defeated when they came up. They must have lost control of their own, and there are also reports that the soldiers marched in the hot weather for days. But according to what they said is correct, Zhang Xing, Bai Yousi, Wu Jingfeng, Zhou Xingfan, Shan Tonghai, Fan Bao, Liu...
…Liu Heifu…Liang Jiading, Meng Zhigui, Chang Fu? Are they all gone?” Sima Zheng was also familiar with the treasures of his family.
"That's what he said, and more than one person reported it like this." The subordinate said from behind.
"Then Jia Yue and Wang Xiongdan should have gone too. Wu Changzai's temper can't be controlled even if his brother is not here..." Sima Zheng suddenly laughed, and then pointed across the river to a huge camp on the other side. "Then there are still people on the other side.
Anyone?"
"There are just two or three people, Xiong Bonan and Xu Shiying." The subordinate suddenly became energetic. "I understand what the general means."
"Of course!" Sima Zheng suddenly sighed. "It's not that I don't want to save them, but they were defeated too quickly. It's useless to go there. It's better to go to the closer Liuxian camp... General Wang, you
Go personally to Pengcheng, lead the army across the river, and attack the enemy's camp in Liu County. Then send people to Xiao County and tell them that if they can defend, they will defend, and if they can't, they will leave. I will go to Liu County myself.
, lead the troops to attack! At this point, the whole army is mobilized, just to gain the victory, no need to care about the gains and losses of one city or one place!"
The subordinate raised his hand, used his true energy on the spot, and almost ran away in vain.
As soon as the people left, Sima Zheng looked to the west for a moment, and then looked at the sun that was getting hotter above his head. Then he sighed, reined up his horse and went down the river, heading west.
Behind him were only dozens of riders, all following him.
As the attack on the city began, Zhang Xing also glanced at the sun above his head, and then told the two generals in a serious tone: "The matter has come to this, we can't expect the enemy to make mistakes, now we must make a decision, or guess...
…Do you think the main force of the enemy forces in Pengcheng will continue to come here for reinforcements after knowing that the flanks are defeated, or will they concentrate their troops, including those in Liu County, to attack our camp in Liu County?"
Wu Jingfeng and Xu Shiying were both silent because they didn't know either.
After a while, Bai Yousi finally spoke: "If there is no special reason, based on our current intelligence, we can only guess...it's all just guessing. We don't even know whether Sima is in Pengcheng or not."
"A blind man rides a blind horse and rides under the scorching sun at noon. I thought he would struggle over there, but he ended up struggling in front of this city." Zhang Xing raised his head and glanced at the sun above his head, and no longer hesitated. "Forget it! Let Jia Yue, Wang
Xiongdan, Tang Bairen attacked the city from three sides, Xu Shiying went to the front to take command, Wu Jingfeng entered the city to guerrilla, Sisiqi went to gather the Dantonghai troops and turned to come here to regroup and rest. The remaining three battalions rested by the river, and there was no need to find shelter to escape the heat.
Because after half an hour, if there is no obvious progress in the siege, we will directly return to the main camp. If we have a city wall in hand, we will directly join the siege... In any case, go to this city first, and then worry about it! Jia Run
Sir, you lead your troops to supervise the battle."
Wu Jingfeng and Xu Shiying were both awe-inspiring.
The battle that truly tests your patience is coming.
Half an hour later, Sima Zheng led his light cavalry to the Junliu County camp, then reined in his horse outside the camp and stared at one thing - the face that blocked his blow in Lishan, letting him know that Zhang Xing would never
The irresistible flag with the word "deposed" on the red background was flying high on the simple rammed earth platform of the camp.
But the entire camp fell into an unusual silence.
"General." The accompanying county guard was obviously a little uneasy. "Are we really not going to the west to rescue people? Will Zhang San take advantage of the situation to take Xiao County, or even take Pengcheng directly from the south bank of Bian River?!"
Sima was silent. After a moment, he suddenly rose into the air. The three colors of light behind him merged into one. A spear in his hand came out first, and he rushed towards the military camp like a dark golden dragon.
Come.
The golden dragon swept across the camp, causing countless exclamations. All the sergeants lurking inside were exposed, and then rushed directly towards the big flag.
But just when the golden dragon reached the banner dozens of steps, suddenly, the purple air around the banner overflowed, as if it had grown dozens of times out of thin air, and rolled towards the golden dragon.
The purple flag and golden dragon made a stroke in the air, like some kind of battle between gods and gods, causing the wind and clouds to change, shaking the surrounding areas, and even the sun above the head lost its luster.
However, the golden dragon was not eager to fight, and turned back directly, flying out of the camp.
This scene caused the soldiers in the camp to cheer and cheer, as if they had won a battle.
On the other side, Jinlong returned to the front of the formation and disappeared. Sima Zheng just turned around and ordered: "Except for leaving the necessary garrison in Pengcheng to hand over to General Chen, urge the entire army to come here! It is necessary that Zhang Xing will be killed here in Liu County today.
I have lost my arrogance in the past three years!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden dragon rose into the sky again and rushed into the village again.
At the same time, Xu Shiying, who was sweating profusely despite using his body-protecting energy, came to report to Zhang Xing: "Third brother, we are all on the west city wall, but there are still Cangcheng and Gangwei in the city!"
Zhang Xing stood up directly and turned to Bai Yousi, who had just rested for a moment. Shan Tonghai and others ordered: "The whole army marches on and sweeps this city! This battle will require Sima Zheng to not be able to gain a long-term foothold in Xuzhou to solve this serious problem."
!”
Everyone turned pale in surprise.
Is this strategic goal completely different from before?