Seeing that General Zhou Yu had been defeated again, Yang Yichen was even more furious. He thrust the flag into Hou Qiao's hand and wanted to lead the dead soldiers to the city in person. How could the guerrilla general Hou Qiao let his commander take the risk himself? He hugged the old man in panic.
The general's waist begged loudly: "Let the general attack again. If it still fails, the commander-in-chief can order troops to avenge me!"
"You're already injured, how can you fight again? I'll try it. If you don't believe that Gao Shida has three heads and six arms!" Yang Yichen struggled to break away from Hou Qiao's arm and responded with a livid face.
When the two were arguing, Dingyuan General Deng Youjian, who had just bandaged his wounds, stumbled forward and suggested with a pale face, "Commander, the thieves are in full arrogance. If our army just attacks by force, even if it breaks.
The city suffered heavy casualties. There may not be much food stored in this small land, and Gao Shida and other thieves always eat wherever they go. The commander might as well starve them first, since they are everywhere anyway.
Officials and soldiers, he has no way to escape after all!"
"General Deng's words make sense. In such a tired small town, the food and grass will be exhausted within ten days. At that time, the thieves are so hungry that they can't even lift their swords. Let's see what they can do with their brothers to fight to the death!" Before Yang Yichen could speak,
Hou Qiao was the first to agree.
"What do you two know? How can we waste so much time here!" Yang Yichen glared at the two of them and said loudly, "We have been delayed in Wulu for a long time, and the two thieves Ge Qian and Yang Gongqing will definitely escape. These
They are all the leaders of the thieves in Hebei. Only by annihilating them all in one battle can the entire Hebei be pacified! If one of them sneaks back, he will lead a large group in the blink of an eye!"
"Kill Gao Shida, and Dou Jiande. Kill Ge Qian, and Gao Kaidao. There are so many thieves, how can we kill them all in one battle..." Hou Qiao did not dare to confront the coach, lowered his head, and whispered.
Seeing that the two close generals were not very motivated to fight, Yang Yichen softened his tone and explained with a sigh: "The world has been in chaos for two or three years. We generals can't just watch it continue to be chaotic, right?
If we can pacify Hebei earlier, we can move south earlier. Seeing that rebellion has become the norm in various places, the court is helpless. Once these mountains and rivers change hands, won't you and I feel guilty?"
Hou and Deng were speechless when they heard Yang Yichen mention the responsibilities of a general. After pondering for a while, they responded in a low voice: "The commander-in-chief is right. If Hebei is pacified one day earlier, we will be able to rescue Dongdu earlier. You can
Supervising the battle here, General Hou and I will lead the men to charge again. Even if we die on the city wall, we will never take another half step back!"
"You two better not go!" After arguing with his generals for such a long time, Yang Yichen slowly regained his composure. "I originally wanted to buy a favor for our soldiers and horses, so that we can interact with the Boling Army in the future.
They will also get along better with each other. Hey! Who would have thought that thieves would be so difficult to bite! If you see me, you go down to heal your wounds first. Zitong, take my name card to see General Li and ask him to prepare for a strong attack on Xicheng at this time. I'll go again
Here, use bows and arrows to fight Gao Shida, first suppress his arrogance, and then cooperate with the Boling Army to attack him in the east and west!"
"No!" Deng Youjian and Hou Qiao knew that the old general would not go to the city in person, so they quickly agreed. After fighting side by side with the Boling Army for so long, they both believed in each other's combat effectiveness. As for whether to send him away or not, it would be a favor to the other party.
, anyway, the two families are currently in Hebei, and there will be a long time to get along with each other in the future, so we don’t want to spend this moment.
At that moment, Deng Youjian was helped away by his own soldiers. Hou Qiao took Yang Yichen's name card and went directly to the west side of Wulu City to ask for Li Xu. Along the way, he saw the Boling Army camp was heavily fortified, and the faces of the patrolling soldiers were vaguely...
With a violent temper, he secretly thought: "No wonder the commander-in-chief said that the man named Li is the soul of the Boling Army. It seems that this statement is indeed true. He had the murderous intention alone, and he actually made tens of thousands of soldiers and horses become like this.
Bloodthirsty! It’s no wonder that the bandits in the city are so powerful. After the city is broken, they fall into the hands of General Yang, so they will not be able to escape. If they fall into the hands of the Boling Army, they may be lucky to only receive one stab!"
Thinking of the changes in Boling's army in just a few days, he felt that the news of Zhang Xutuo's death in battle came at the wrong time. "The imperial messenger is also a coward. There are wars everywhere. Those merchants who travel north and south dare not cross the Yellow River. You
Are officials so timid? Even if you are afraid of being robbed and killed on the way, it would take a lot of effort to spread the news through the mouths of the refugees, so why waste so much effort!"
He did not want his troops and the Boling Army to move hundreds of miles for more than a month and have no fixed place at all. Even if local officials heard some rumors in the market, they did not dare to report them to the army easily, so as not to affect the two generals.
He just blamed the courier for being timid and should not have taken the route to Hedong first, and then all the way around to Hebei. "I didn't arrive early, I didn't arrive late, but I killed General Zhang at the most critical moment of the battle."
When the news came, the man named Li suddenly lost his position. It didn't matter that the man named Li lost his position, but Old General Yang had to take care of him again. As a result, all the work that should have been done by the two families was done by one soldier and horse.
Sorry, so many brothers died in vain!"
Thinking of the unjust death of General Xuanwei Zhou Yu, and recalling what Yang Yichen had just said about leading his troops south as soon as possible, his resentment became heavier, "Damn Wagang bandits. We are fighting from both sides, so you planned to kill Zhang Xutuo."
Killing, whether it is a conspiracy or a scheming, is a skill. Why bother showing off the old general's head! After forging this hatred, I am afraid that not only the man named Li will lead his troops to retaliate, but also which Sui army will fight against him in the future.
If we encounter the Wagang bandits, they will probably be killed to death..."
The radius of Wulu City is only six or seven miles. Hou Qiao complained as he walked, and in a blink of an eye he arrived at the west of the city. Zhou Daniu, who was on duty outside the Chinese army tent, had met Hou Qiao several times before, and was surprised when he saw him coming.
He asked: "Aren't you fighting fiercely in the east of the city? Why does General Hou have time to come to us?"
"Hey, Xiuti. That Gao Shida is like an anxious rabbit, biting people hard!" Hou Qiao sighed and said angrily. "Is the champion general in there? My commander-in-chief has something to ask of him.
!”
"Keep your voice down!" Zhou Daniu put his index finger to his lips and made a solemn gesture. "My general didn't sleep a wink last night. He finished discussing the matter this morning and just lay down on the table to rest. Is the matter very urgent? Can you please wait a moment?
Wait half an hour?"
"I'm afraid we can't delay it!" Hou Qiao wanted to ask for something at this moment, so he tried his best to lower his voice, "It's about two families working together to attack the city! The champion general is still sad about Senior Zhang? Alas! Senior Zhang
If you see the general feeling so sad for him, you should be satisfied even under the drinking fountain!"
"Senior is the mentor of the great general!" Zhou Daniu also sighed and shook his head in response. "There are also General Zhang, Lieutenant Wu, and General Han Lang. They were all led by senior Zhang. Everyone has been working hard these days.
They are clamoring to go south to find the Wagang Army and fight from morning to night. Alas, the general has been very tired these days!"
"When this city is captured, all those thieves will be killed to commemorate the spirit of the old general in heaven!" Hou Qiao said smoothly, "They are all bandits anyway, just like Henan and Hebei. Brother Zhou, can you do something convenient..."
The two of them thought they spoke in a low voice, and someone in the Chinese military tent had long heard them. "Who is outside, Daniel, please come in!" Li Xu, who had not fallen asleep at all, rubbed his face and forced himself to order.
"It's Hou Qiao who was the guerrilla under Yang Shuai's tent and was ordered to send a message!" Hearing Li Xu's voice, Hou Qiao responded quickly. Zhou Daniu was so angry that he rolled his eyes at him several times, but had no choice but to open the curtain and invite him in.
Got in.
"The general is so haggard!" Hou Qiao couldn't help but feel nervous when he saw Li Xu's appearance at first glance, and said to himself. Compared with the Li Xu who fought alongside him a few days ago, the general Li in front of him seemed to have just experienced a big accident.
He looked as if he was suffering from an acute illness, his face was sallow, and he was so thin that even his eye sockets were sunken. His once clear eyes had become dim, and there was still a hint of sadness and confusion that could not be wiped away.
"Have you encountered any trouble in attacking the city? Gao Shida is desperate and will definitely hold on to the end!" Before Hou Qiao could speak, Li Xu had already guessed his intention, "Originally, I was ready to take action here, but the city gates were blocked by high thieves.
It was blocked with sandbags. The insider in the city asked everyone to wait for another moment and a half so that he could find a safe way! But now that General Hou is here, how does Yang Shuai want me to cooperate? Even though I know it.
!”
"I don't dare. In fact, I came to ask for help from General Li!" Hou Qiao couldn't help but feel a little hot when he heard the other party's direct question, "Wulu City is a small place, and I shouldn't bother your army to take action anymore. But today
Our army's attack on the city was not going well..." As he spoke, he lowered his head and only dared to look at the tips of his boots.
Dealing with a group of desperate thieves, he paid the price of two generals being injured and one general killed in battle. Since following Yang Yichen, Hou Qiao has never seen his own troops suffer such a setback. It just so happened that the Boling Army's recent attack
Comparing the results next to them makes people feel even more shameless.
"The rebel army has a city wall to hold on to, so it's not surprising that we occasionally suffer setbacks!" Li Xu knew that Hou Qiao felt embarrassed and smiled to comfort him, "Back then, the Goguryeo people's Liaodong City was not very big, but they defended it well. As a result,
The hundreds of thousands of troops of this dynasty are helpless."
"So, my Yang Shuai would like to ask General Li to launch a strong attack on the west side from now on. Our army has attracted the attention of the thieves to the east of the city!" Hou Qiao heard that there was no mockery in Li Xu's words, so he quickly followed the trend and said
serve your own purpose.
Li Xu nodded and responded with a "hmm". He did not directly agree to the other party's request. The Boling Army's training usually focuses on field battles and rarely practices siege tactics. A rash attack may not be able to achieve better results than the soldiers under Yang Yichen's command.
The results of the battle were great. But the internal forces in the city obviously could not be counted on. This method of blocking four gates and being unable to get out was used by the Goguryeo people in Liaodong, and he himself also used it in Liyang. It was the best way to deal with enemy troops coming from afar.
is valid.
"After the city is broken, let's use the blood of the bandits in the city to sacrifice the soul of General Zhang in heaven!" Seeing that Li Xu was reluctant to take action, Hou Qiao tried to find a common goal for both parties.
"Yes!" Li Xu agreed again dully, with the expression on his face still decadent. Hou Qiao's proposal did not cheer him up. In the past few days, nearly 30,000 bandits had died under the fury of the Boling Army officers.
.But the killing did not bring any good mood to everyone. On the contrary, every time his hands were stained with the blood of some prisoners, Li Xu felt more upset and angry. He felt as if he had returned to the grassland again, completely transformed into
A barbarian. In the past, Su Chuofu Li sacrificed the flesh and blood of the elders of the rival tribe to heaven. Now he not only killed the captured bandit leader, but also spared the little minions. The level of cruelty has exceeded that of the herdsmen of Su Chuo tribe.
Far too far.
No matter how many reasons there are for killing, no matter how many cheers can be heard when killing, they can't cover up the strong smell of blood. But if the green forest heroes from far and near know the word "fear", Li Xu is afraid that when he is not in Boling in the future, he will inevitably
Other bandits came to take advantage of the situation. If the blood of the bandits was not shed, he felt that he would not be able to comfort the eternal head of the old general Zhang Xutuo that hung high in Wagang Village.
"Is the General in trouble?" Seeing that Li Xu remained silent for a long time, Hou Qiao felt a little disappointed and raised his voice a little higher to ask.
"I was thinking, if we don't attack, how many days will the people inside be able to hold on!" Li Xu took his mind back from the distant Wagang Mountain, smiled tiredly, and responded with half-squinted eyes.
He was really tired. For several days in a row, whenever he closed his eyes, he would definitely see the figure of Zhang Xutuo. The old general taught him how to use troops, how to convince the crowd, how to deal with famous local civil servants, and how to
How to deal with the arrogant court dignitaries. How to declare your trust in him without hesitation when rumors spread. How to recognize Zhen'er as his adopted daughter and preside over their marriage in front of the entire army... It can be said that,
Without the help of the old general's original teachings, he would not be where he is today. But just when he was about to pay off, the old general was killed by someone's trick.
The person who made the plan was undoubtedly his good brother, Xu Maogong, who had been with him through life and death.
What should I do to be worthy of General Zhang? What should I do to achieve the revenge that the old general hopes for most? In the past few days, Xuzi felt as if there was a thick fog in front of her eyes. She could not see clearly and had nowhere to go.
.
"My commander-in-chief said that he hopes to resolve the battle here as soon as possible!" Hou Qiao felt a little angry when he saw that Li Xu was always in low spirits, and his voice suddenly became louder. "My commander-in-chief said that being a military general is as good as being a military commander.
His responsibilities. He needs to end the war in Hebei as soon as possible, so that he can go south and wipe out Wagang!"
"Old General Yang really said that?" As if he suddenly caught something, Li Xu's dry eyelids jumped away instantly, and his eyes suddenly took on life again like a spring stream. He felt that he had seen the answer, but he didn't
I was sure where the answer was. Looking at the frightened Hou Qiao, his face was full of expectation.
"My commander-in-chief, my commander-in-chief did say that if Hebei is pacified as soon as possible, he will be able to lead his army southward as soon as possible!" Hou Qiao thought that Li Xu was going to ask Yang Yichen to attack Wagang together, so he answered with some hesitation. Yang Yichen had said to go south, but
He didn't say he would definitely go to Wagang Mountain. He didn't want Li Xu to think he was lying, but he had to brush off the other party's question, "My commander-in-chief said that a military general has a duty as a military general. You can't just watch.
The world is getting more and more chaotic. Seeing that rebellion has become the norm everywhere, he is very anxious!"
"I understand!" In an instant, it was as if another ray of sunlight shone on Li Xu's face. He smiled and grinned. The expression on his face was still mournful, but he no longer looked as confused as before. "Please tell me.
General Yang, at this hour, the Boling Army will attack the city with all its strength!"
"Thank you, General!" Hou Qiao was not sure what Li Xu understood, but was unknowingly infected by his emotions. He stood in awe with his hands raised and said loudly.
"You should thank your Yang Shuai!" Li Xu returned the gift with a smile, stood up, and sent Hou Qiao out of the tent. Watching the other man's back go away, he turned around and told Zhou Daniu decisively: "Daniu, pass on
My general order is given to General Zhang, asking him to evacuate the brothers from Nancheng and leave a way out for the bandits!"
"Hey, hey!" Zhou Daniu didn't react for a moment and agreed repeatedly. Surrounding three buildings was indeed a good way to break the enemy's will to resist. Based on past experience, Zhou Daniu believed that the bandits who saw a way out would not insist on holding on.
.And once they abandon the city and flee, the cavalry of the Boling Army will cover them up from behind.
As if to confirm his judgment, Li Xu quickly grabbed the second command arrow, "After passing the order to General Zhang, you go and pass the order to Lu Qin and Wang Junkuo, order them to rectify the light cavalry and be ready to chase and kill the escaped soldiers at any time.
enemy!"
"Yes, the general will obey your order!" Realizing that the general had finally regained his sanity, Zhou Daniu puffed up his chest happily, "The general will definitely tell General Lu Qin and ask him to do his best to eradicate evil!"
"Forget it, they are just a group of desperate thieves, they cannot be considered a great evil." Li Xu smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Tell Lu Qin and Wang Junkuo not to kill indiscriminately, but to take the surrendered people to the coolie camp and follow Sun Xuanya's command.
Those people are imprisoned in one place. After defeating Ge Qian and Yang Gongqing, we will take all the prisoners to Zhuojun to reclaim the wasteland and atone for their sins!"
"General, are you going to let them go just like this?" Zhou Daniu scratched his scalp and asked suspiciously. He was happy to see the smile on Li Xu's face again, but at the same time he didn't understand why his general's temperament had become kind again.
It was different from the previous General Li, and different from the General Li these days, but Zhou Daniu couldn't tell what the difference was. He only felt that this change was like the first sharpening of a sword, radiant, sharp and light.
"It's not about letting them go, it's about not letting them die!" Li Xu let out a long breath, as if he had been entrusted with a big burden. He stretched out his hand and patted Zhou Daniu's shoulder hard, "General Zhang is right, the general's
Our duty is to protect, not to kill and destroy!" (To be continued)
