Liu Xiu rubbed his chin and his mind was racing. He pondered for a long time and then said, "Even if it is dangerous, you still have to take the risk."
He said seriously to Wang Chong: "Magistrate Wang, I will leave it to you to recruit refugees. The more people, the better."
Wang Chong nodded first, and then whispered: "But we don't have so many weapons."
Liu Xiu thought for a while and said: "If you don't have a weapon, just use a longer stick! Just make the stick into a spear shape."
Everyone looked at each other, dumbfounded. It would be too confusing to use a stick as a spear!
At present, the Zhutian Capital Department does not have uniform military uniforms. Brothers in the army are dressed in everything, and they are all messy. In terms of clothing, refugees do not need to dress up deliberately.
As for weapons, Deng County does not have that many reserves. Apart from using fake weapons to show off, it really can't think of a better way.
To make a long story short, in just two days, Wang Chong recruited nearly three thousand refugees.
The county government is in charge of food, and based on this alone, the refugees in Deng County have squeezed their heads to participate.
There are already a lot of refugees in the number of three thousand. They are equipped with spears made of wooden sticks and hoisted the banner of the Zhu Tiandu tribe. At a glance, it seems like that.
Liu Xiu left Li Tong to guard Deng County. He took Deng Yu, Yan Guang, Feng Yi, Zhu You, Gai Yan, Fu Jun, Jiu'er and others to command an army of 3,000 refugees and 300 troops from Zhu Tiandu.
People marched out of Deng County in a mighty manner and marched towards Chaoyang.
Their army seems to be quite large, but in fact, the only ones with real combat effectiveness are the three hundred men from the Zhu Tiandu Department. The other soldiers are purely decorations and can only be seen, not used.
Liu Xiu was also cautious in commanding such an army. After the army left the boundaries of Deng County and entered the boundaries of Chaoyang, its marching speed slowed down significantly. Liu Xiu sent spies such as Jiu'er to constantly inquire about the movements of Chaoyang City.
Liu Xiu did not dare to go deep into the city rashly. Once the Chaoyang County soldiers left the city to fight, he had to lead his troops to retreat immediately and return to Deng County.
The county magistrate Yi Zhen and the county lieutenant Xie Sheng of Chaoyang were both able to keep their composure. Even though they knew that the large rebel forces from Chung Ling had entered Chaoyang territory, the county seat still stood still.
However, Chaoyang City has clearly strengthened its security. There is a post every five steps and a sentry every ten steps above the city. As if facing a formidable enemy, patrols in the city are patrolling one after another, wandering throughout the city.
In addition, people must be searched when entering and exiting the city. It is almost impossible for enemy troops to disguise themselves and sneak into the city.
Fortunately, Jiu'er had many beggars under his command, so it was relatively easy for them to sneak into the city.
Through Jiu'er's investigation of Chaoyang City, it is estimated that there are no less than 3,000 county soldiers in Chaoyang City, and they are well-equipped. Most of them are transported from the county town, and there are also sophisticated crossbows.
After reading the detective report sent back by Jiu'er, Liu Xiu secretly smiled bitterly. The ragtag group he had recruited could not be a match for the three thousand well-equipped county soldiers.
However, news has come from Caiyang that the army headed by Liu Ji and Deng Feng has set off and is heading straight for Xinye. Liu Xiu and Li Yi are ordered to firmly contain the county soldiers in Chaoyang and Huyang.
The arrow was on the string and had to be fired. Liu Xiu stiffened his hair and led an army of more than 3,000 people to attack Chaoyang City.
When they arrived outside Chaoyang City, Liu Xiu did not arrange any troops at all, but directly sent Zhu You to attack the enemy in front of the city.
Refugees don't know how to put up any formations. Rather than showing off their shortcomings in public, it is better to act arrogantly and directly ask for a fight without putting up a fighting formation.
Zhu You received Liu Xiu's general order, rode a war horse, and rushed out from his own camp. When he was still a hundred steps away from Chaoyang City, an arrow flew down from the city top and nailed to the ground with a snap. Go up. Zhu You reined up his horse, raised his eyes to the top of the city, raised his hand and shouted loudly: "I am Zhu You, the captain of Zhu Tiandu. Please let Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng go out of the city to die!"
At this moment, Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng were both on top of the city. Looking at the disorderly Chung Ling Army standing in a group outside the city, with no formation at all, both of them frowned.
A military attache stepped forward, stepped in and saluted, and said: "Magistrate Yi, Lieutenant Xie, and the Chung Ling rebels have neither lined up their troops nor set up formations. They are obviously a group of amateurs. Their subordinates are willing to throw a thousand soldiers." Soldiers and horses, go out of the city and defeat the rebels!"
Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng glanced at the facial features of Qing Ying at the same time, and frowned at the same time.
The Chung Ling army does not know how to fight? How did Deng County be lost? How did Xiangxiang and Tongling disappear? Yi Zhen said: "Xie County Lieutenant, I thought that the rebels deliberately did not line up their troops or set up formations, leading to Our army goes out of the city to fight!"
Xie Sheng nodded thoughtfully, thinking that Yi Zhen's words were polite.
Before Xie Sheng could say anything, Zhu You was already in front of the city, scratching his neck and cursing.
"Yi Zhun, Xie Sheng! If you have the guts, come out of the city and fight me! Don't hide in the city and be a coward!" "When mother gave birth to you, didn't she give you courage? You are a cowardless person!" …”
The more Zhu You scolded, the uglier he got. The more Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng listened, the uglier their expressions became. The military attache who had just invited me stepped in and said, "My subordinates are willing to go out of the city to meet the enemy!"
Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng looked at each other. The former nodded and signaled to Xie Sheng with his eyes that it would be a good idea to send someone to find out the true identity of the rebels.
Xie Sheng turned back, looked at the military attache, and said seriously: "Defu, go out of the city to fight, be more careful, and fight when you can. If you can't win, you can retreat to the city immediately. I will not punish you."
"I obey my orders!" This military attaché's name is Zhang Zai, also known as Defu.
Among the county soldiers in Chaoyang County, he was considered to be outstanding in force. He stepped in, saluted, and left after receiving the order. Zhang Zai led two hundred soldiers, opened the city gate, and rushed out of the city.
Zhang Zai urged his horse and headed straight for Zhu You, who was a hundred steps away. Two hundred soldiers stayed behind to hold down the formation for him. Zhang Zai came to Zhu You, looked him up and down, and shouted in a deep voice: "Sign up, thief!"
"I am your ancestor!" Zhu You pinched the horse's belly with his feet. The horse was in pain, roared, kicked off its hooves, and ran straight towards Zhang Zai. At the same time, Zhu You stabbed out with a spear.
Zhang Zai was a relatively orthodox military attaché. Before fighting, he had to announce his name according to etiquette. Unexpectedly, the opponent didn't even report his name, but just hit him when he came up. He took a deep breath and raised the long sword in his hand outward with all his strength.
Bang!
A ball of sparks shot out between the two of them. Zhang Zai felt that his hands were swollen and painful, especially the tiger's mouth, as if it was about to burst. The two horses crossed each other, and Zhu You shot back with another shot. Take Zhang Zai’s back heart.
It was too fast! Zhang Zai realized something was wrong and leaned forward, but he still slowed down a little. On his back, a bloody gash of more than half a foot was cut by the edge of the gun tip. In an instant, blood was flowing out. The gurgling flow came out.
Zhu You turned the horse's head, shouted loudly, and rushed back with his gun in hand. Zhang Zai's face changed drastically, and he did not dare to fight the enemy. He also wanted to turn the horse and escape, but it was too late.
Zhu You rushed up to him and stabbed him straight in the side of his ribs. The head of the spear penetrated his body horizontally and the tip of the spear poked out from the other side of his side.
Zhu You held the gun in both hands, shouted loudly, and thrust upward with force, lifting Zhang Zai's body from the back of the horse into the air.
Plop!
Zhang Zai fell to the ground and expired on the spot. Scarlet blood and white intestines gurgled out along the two blood holes in his side.
In just one turn, Zhu You speared Zhang Zai. He held the spear in one hand, swung it to the side, glared at the two hundred county soldiers in front of him, and shouted: "Kill--" As he spoke, he urged his horse to charge. past.
"Roar——" The morale of the more than 3,000 Chongling troops watching the battle in the back was greatly boosted. People shouted in unison and rushed forward one after another.
When the two hundred county soldiers who left the city saw Zhang Zai being killed, they were so frightened that they dared not stay outside the city. They turned around and ran into the city.
Zhu You chased him to within a hundred steps of Chaoyang City. The arrows shot down from the top of the city were like raindrops. Zhu You waved his gun to block. He only held on for more than ten seconds before he could no longer hold on and had to turn his horse. Get out of the shooting range of the county soldiers.
Seeing the dense array of arrows shot from the top of the city, the Chung Ling army rushed up shouting and killing, and then retreated like a tide.
Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng, who were watching the battle on the top of the city, couldn't help but take a breath. Zhang Zai, who was highly skilled in martial arts, was picked to death in just one round in front of Zhu You. The strength of Chung Ling's rebels was really unbearable. Look down on!
Yi Zhen shouted to the city: "Close the city gate! Close the city gate immediately! No one is allowed to leave the city privately to fight!"
Zhu You's performance was considered to have successfully intimidated the Chaoyang County soldiers, and no matter how he yelled and cursed in front of the city, no matter how unpleasant his curses were, no one in the city came out to fight him this time.
After scolding for a long time, no one came out. Zhu You was panting from exhaustion and rode his horse back to the main formation. He urged the horse to come to Liu Xiu, frowned and said: "My lord, my subordinates only killed one enemy!" "
Liu Xiu smiled, patted Zhu You's arm and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhong! Killing one enemy is enough!"
As long as the soldiers of Chaoyang County can be frightened so that they dare not rush out of the city to fight, this is enough for Liu Xiu.
The purpose of this battle is not to annihilate the Chaoyang County soldiers, nor to occupy Chaoyang County City. As long as the Chaoyang County soldiers can be held tightly in Chaoyang City, his goal has been achieved.
Liu Xiu ordered the entire army to camp outside Chaoyang City, as if they were going to fight a protracted war with Chaoyang City.
Directing the refugees to set up camp is not an easy task. Fortunately, Feng Yi, Fu Jun, and Zhao Ying are all experts and can help Liu Xiu share a lot of the work.
Their camp was built from morning until dusk, and it was barely in shape. The outside of the camp didn't even have a complete wall.
Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng, who had been observing the movements of the Chung Ling Army, were also confused by the sight of Monk Zhang Er.
It is said that the Chongling rebels are amateurs, but the camp is well-organized and well-organized from the outside to the inside. It is said that they are experts, but the construction speed is too slow, as if they are wasting their time.
At this time, another military attache suggested to Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng that while the rebels had not yet set up camp, they could attack out of the city and win a complete victory.
Yi Zhen and Xie Sheng both shook their heads and said in unison: "There must be fraud in it!"
Xie Sheng said quietly: "The rebels are not good at attacking the city. Their purpose is to lure our army out of the city to fight. We must not fall into the enemy's tricks!"
Yi Zhun also nodded his head, agreeing very much with Xie Sheng's analysis. In the morning, the scene in which Zhu You shot Zhang Zai in front of the city impressed him deeply and made him fearful of Chung Ling's army.