About half an hour later, Zhao Hongrun quietly listened to the description of the battle of Xiangcheng by three captain-level Green Crows, Duan Qi, Duan Jiu, and Duan Fifteen, in the courtyard of the City Guards Mansion in Xiangcheng.
These three men, Xiang Li, Zhang Ming, and Ran Teng, who had supported the Shang Shui Army, led their respective thousands-man troops to attack Longji Mountain at night. Although they had not come into contact with the Chu army, they also successfully set a fire in Longji Mountain.
, which made the Chu army on Longji Mountain very anxious.
After that, these three people led the Qingya people in the team to assist Xiang Li, Zhang Ming, and Ran Teng in a sneak attack on Xiangcheng by three thousand-man teams: while the Chu army in Xiangcheng was attracted by the Yan Mo Division of the Yanling Army,
, quietly climbed up the east wall of Xiangcheng, assassinated the guards on the wall, and then opened the city gate to let Xiang Li, Zhang Ming, and Ran Teng into the three thousand-man team.
It can be said that these three captains of the Blue Crows witnessed the fall of Xiangcheng.
Therefore, Zhao Hongrun noticed that Wu Ji and his three thousand-man generals Xiang Li, Zhang Ming, and Ran Teng looked bad when they entered the city, so he summoned these three people to ask what happened, and then he understood what was going on.
the causes and consequences of.
It turned out that it was Yan Mo who cleverly took away the victory over the city that should have belonged to the Shang Shui Army: According to the original plan, the three thousand-man troops of Xiang Li, Zhang Ming, and Ran Teng should be responsible for the main attack. Yan Mo's troops just launched a feint attack.
The role of attracting the attention of the defenders in Xiangcheng City. However, Yan Mo was not satisfied, so he cleverly used the established fact that Xiang Li, Zhang Ming, and Ran Teng's three thousand-man troops invaded Xiangcheng from the east city gate, and successfully persuaded
Feeling that he could no longer defend Xiangcheng, Nanmen Chi surrendered the city and surrendered to the Yanling army with 20,000 troops.
And in this way, Yan Mo and the Yanling Army to which he belonged naturally took the lead.
"This Yan Mo!"
Zhao Hongrun was quite dumbfounded.
To be fair, even if he was a little partial to Shang Shuijun in his heart, he couldn't blame Yan Mo for this, because Yan Mo did a better job.
You should know that Zhao Hongrun had already made psychological preparations that "the attack on Xiangcheng will make the Shangshui Army and Yanling Army pay a certain price." However, Yan Mo actually convinced Xiangcheng guard Nanmen Chi to make the surrender in a real sense.
The Yanling army captured Xiangcheng without bloodshed.
Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Yan Mo did better than Zhao Hongrun expected. What is there to blame?
It's just that Yan Mo's approach will obviously offend Shang Shuijun.
"Although I call you each other's competitors, I don't want you to be on the same page in the future..."
Reaching out and rubbing his brow bones, Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but feel a slight headache.
After thinking for a while, he said: "Okay, I understand. You three can retreat and rest for now."
"Yes!" Duan Qi, Duan Jiu and Duan Fifteen, the three captains of the Blue Crows, left immediately.
"This is a big deal..."
Zhao Hongrun looked at each other and Wei Jiao, the Zongwei Chief next to him, and found that the latter also had a wry smile on his face. Apparently, he did not expect such a thing to happen.
"Go in first."
Shaking his head, Zhao Hongrun walked into the dead silent hall.
Don't think that there is no one in the hall just because the hall is completely silent. In fact, the place is full of people.
On one side are Wu Ji, Zhang Ming, Xiang Li, Ran Teng and other generals of the Shang Navy, on the other side are the generals of the Yanling Army led by Yan Mo, plus Nanmen Chi, Nanmen Jue, Nanmen Huai and other three main generals of Xiangcheng.
.
But even though the hall was full of people, it was unusually quiet, and you could hear a pin drop.
The solemn atmosphere made Zhao Hongrun smile bitterly and shake his head.
It wasn't until Zhao Hongrun stepped into the hall that all the generals stood up neatly and said "Your Highness, King Su" in unison, breaking the dead silence and depressing atmosphere in the hall.
Stepping up to the main seat, Zhao Hongrun saw that Wu Ji was still looking down, Xiang Li, Zhang Ming, and Ran Teng were still glaring angrily at Yan Mo, so he couldn't help but said: "Okay, okay.
Well, the Yanling Army and the Shangshui Army should be logically brother armies, so why are they acting like enemies?... This battle has just begun, and there are times when meritorious deeds are being established. Don't let the three Nanmen generals laugh at you.
!”
In the sound of Nanmen Chi, Nanmen Jue and Nanmen Huai saying "How dare you", Wu Ji and other Shang Shui army generals finally put away their hostile eyes, but there was still a heavy look on their faces.
dissatisfied.
This made Zhao Hongrun secretly sigh in his heart, things in this world are really unpredictable.
I think when he founded the Yanling Army and the Shangshui Army, he considered that both armies were composed of Chu people and did not want them to unite to become bigger, so he acquiesced to Gu Liangwei and Wuma Jiao's attack on Qu Cheng.
The hostility also acquiesced in the gap between the Shangshui Army and the Yanling Army.
Unexpectedly, times have changed, and now he has to try his best to make up for the growing conflict between the Yanling Army and the Shangshui Army. This makes Zhao Hongrun feel speechless.
"In short, the first contribution to winning Xiangcheng this time belongs to Yan Mo and the Yanling Army!" At this point, he turned to look at Yan Mo and praised him generously: "Yan Mo, you did a great job, you did a great job.
Even more beautiful than I expected!"
Hearing this, Yan Mo was flattered and hurriedly thanked you: "Thank you so much, Your Highness King Su! ... Yan can achieve such feats entirely because of your strategic planning. In Yan's opinion, the first credit should go to Your Highness."
"
"You should thank Shang Shuijun..."
Zhao Hongrun muttered to himself, but did not show any expression on his face. He said with a smile: "I have always made clear rewards and punishments, so don't be too humble. By the way, I will tally up these military achievements after the war and report them to the court."
, I hope you will continue to work hard and make more meritorious deeds... I am thinking that after this battle, you should be able to obtain the qualifications for a noble honor."
Noble honor, that is, a nobleman. After hearing these words, even Yan Mo couldn't help but tighten his face and breathe a little quickly.
After all, he was born as a commoner, and it was almost impossible to obtain aristocratic status in Chu State. However, in Wei State, His Royal Highness Prince Su reminded him that he could enjoy aristocratic status based on military merit. How could this not make him moved?
After all, Wei is a country with a very strict hierarchical system, and the treatment of nobles and commoners is completely different.
After listening to Zhao Hongrun's words, the expressions of the generals in the hall varied: the generals of the Yanling Army were certainly happy for their deputy generals and looked proud of themselves; while the generals of the Shang Shui Army had even more unhappy expressions.
On the contrary, Nanmen Chi, Nanmen Jue and Nanmen Huai, the three newly surrendered Chu generals, widened their eyes in disbelief.
In response to this, Zhao Hongrun smiled secretly in his heart.
Because his words were mainly meant for the three newly surrendered Chu generals Nanmen Chi, Nanmen Jue, and Nanmen Huai, implying to them that as long as you can make meritorious deeds, you can also receive corresponding awards.
After clarifying the matter, Zhao Hongrun quickly changed the topic to the current battle situation. After all, Wu Ji and other generals of the Shang Shui Army were present, and praising Yan Mo or the Yanling Army too much seemed to sow discord between the two armies.
, Zhao Hongrun, who had changed his mind at this moment and was working to make up for the increasingly bad relationship between the two armies, would naturally not make such a mistake.
"Although our army has captured Xiangcheng with the assistance of three Nanmen generals, the situation is still not great... In the northwest of Xiangcheng, there is still Doulian leading nearly ten thousand Chu troops to defend Mengshan. Furthermore, in our
On the way of our army's retreat, there was also a Chu army from Longji Mountain that blocked our army's return route..."
Just when he said this, Zhao Hongrun saw Nanmen Chi raise his hand hesitantly, as if he had something to say, so he asked kindly: "Does General Nanmen have any suggestions?"
Because he had interrupted the words of His Highness Prince Su in front of him, Nanmen Chi couldn't help but feel a little nervous and restrained. However, seeing Zhao Hongrun looking so kind and cheerful, the uneasiness in his heart gradually receded.
He stood up, clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness King Su, I wonder who led the army from Longji Mountain... Well, the Chu army?"
The Green Crows had already reported this matter to Zhao Hongrun, so he said without hesitation: "It's a man named Nanmen Yang... hmm?"
Having said this, Zhao Hongrun was slightly stunned and asked in surprise: "Could this person be..."
"It turns out to be brothers from the Yang clan." Nanmen Jue and Nanmen Huai said with relief after hearing this.
At this time, Nanmen Chi also said: "Your Highness King Su, Nanmen Yang is the younger brother of the general. If your highness can trust the general, the general will go there in person, and the soldiers and horses on this road will disappear immediately."
"This is really a good thing..."
Zhao Hongrun felt happy when he heard this. He nodded and said, "Okay! I'll leave this matter to General Nanmen."
"General, I will obey your orders!" Nanmen Chi responded with clasped fists.
However, he did not sit down, but had a hesitant expression on his face.
Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun said with a smile: "General Nanmen seems to have something to say? You don't have to be restrained, but it doesn't hurt to say it."
After Nanmen Chi hesitated for a moment, he clasped his fists and said in a low voice: "If the army passes by the Hui River, there is a city named "Qi" on the downstream side of "Zi" and on the southeast side of Fuli Fortress.
Most of the clan members live here..."
Zhao Hongrun understood what Nanmen Chi meant and said with a chuckle: "General Nanmen wants our army to move south immediately?"
Nanmen Chi lowered his head and said bitterly: "If I knew that several of my brothers had taken refuge with you, His Highness Prince Su, I feared that our Nanmen clan would have been massacred in Qi County..."
After hearing this, Zhao Hongrun closed his eyes and thought for a moment.
It must be said that sending troops south to attack Qixian at this moment is extremely dangerous.
First of all, the recruitment of the more than 20,000 Chu troops outside the city and the 20,000 Chu troops inside Xiangcheng City has not yet been completed. Furthermore, the loyalty of these soldiers is also a problem.
Secondly, Qixian County is located southeast of Fulisai. If one thing goes wrong, Fulisei will be surrounded by hundreds of thousands of troops. That is no joke.
Suddenly, Zhao Hongrun's heart moved slightly, and he said deliberately: "Qixian, if I remember correctly, the Eastern Route Army of the coalition should be responsible for this time... I don't have a close relationship with General Tian Dan of Qi State, so I want to grab it."
With his meritorious deeds, I'm afraid he will turn against this person."
"Tian Dan?!"
After hearing this, Nanmen Chi, Nanmen Jue, and Nanmen Huai suddenly changed their expressions, and their three faces suddenly turned pale.
Nanmen Chi, in particular, asked anxiously with cold sweat on his face: "Your Highness, King Su, is this serious?...Tian Dan is attacking Qi County?"
"That's right." Zhao Hongrun said, pretending not to know what was going on.
Nanmen Chi, Nanmen Jue, Nanmen Huai looked at each other, with cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
The three of them hurriedly left their seats, came to the center of the hall, knelt down on the ground, and said in a hurry: "Your Highness, the three of us are willing to help you capture Qixian County, and hope that your Highness will save the lives of my Nanmen clan, young and old!"
"This reaction..."
Zhao Hongrun looked at the three people whose expressions suddenly changed with some surprise, feeling that their reactions were stronger than he expected.
"What's going on? Could it be that Tian Dan is also a general like Sima An?"
Zhao Hongrun was a little puzzled
However, later facts proved that his guess was indeed correct.
Although Tian Dan of Qi State did not hate foreigners as much as Sima An of Wei State, his massacre of the nobles of Chu State was far greater than Sima An's.
The difference is that Sima An is used to killing, while Tian Dan likes to kill.