Koto.
In March of the fifth year of Chuping (194), Sun Jian's army successively attacked Yan Baihu's garrison areas, Shicheng Mountain and Baihu Mountain, and then directly attacked Wucheng County.
Yan Baihu lost to Sun Jian's Jiangdong Army and was defeated. His general Zhang Yan was killed by Sun Jian after the battle was broken. The Yan Baihu brothers led only more than a thousand die-hard soldiers to escape from Wucheng County. Head south and rest in Yuhang County.
Wucheng was conquered, and Yan Baihu fled in panic. With almost no food and grass in his hands, Yan Baihu became cruel. He burned, killed and looted along the way. When he stationed troops in Yuhang, he also began to forcibly recruit young people in the local area. , replenish the team, and make the people of Yuhang miserable.
There was a young knight in Yuhang County, his surname was Ling, his given name was Cao, and his courtesy name was Kuntao. He was chivalrous and courageous, and had extraordinary martial arts skills. When he saw Yan Baihu causing trouble for Wucheng, he became furious. With his reputation, within a few days, , recruiting hundreds of people from Hangzhou.
On a dark night, he led hundreds of villagers and took advantage of the darkness to sneak attack Yan Baihu's military camp and personally killed Yan Baihu on his horse. However, Yan Baihu's younger brother Yan Xing was nowhere to be found. .
On March 10, Sun Jian received the news and immediately led his army south. Ling Cao led hundreds of soldiers to greet Sun Jian at the gate of Yuhang City and offered Yan Baihu's head.
Sun Jian was overjoyed and presented the Yuhang people under his command as a military prince, and appointed him as the vanguard to march south to Qiantang County.
On March 15, Ling Cao's 500 vanguard Jiangdong Army occupied Qiantang. The county magistrate of Qiantang hurriedly escaped from Qiantang. At this point, the battle of Wujun ended, and all thirteen counties of Wujun fell into the hands of the Sun family.
On the 32nd, Sun Jian appointed Ling Cao as the magistrate of Qiantang County and Zhu Zhi as the captain of the bandit-breaking school. He led 10,000 troops to garrison Qiantang to prevent Guo Yi's troops from Kuaiji, and he led his troops back to Wu County.
Sun Jian wiped out Wu County with a thunderous force, shocking the princes in the east of the Yangtze River and the powerful families of Wu County. Now he was about to return to Wu County, but an accident happened. It turned out that Sun Jian's wife and children were assassinated outside Wu County. His second son, Sun Quan, was also assassinated. It is unclear whether life or death is unknown.
Before Sun Jian returned, Cheng Pu, the captain of Wu County and the acting governor of the county, had already mobilized five thousand elite soldiers outside the city and closed the four gates of Wu County. No entry or exit was allowed.
As soon as this news came out, it immediately detonated countless families in Wu County, and countless people panicked. Even the Gu Lu family, the leaders of the Jiangdong noble clan, could not sit still.
In a courtyard of the Gu family's mansion, the head of the family, Gu Hong, felt slightly uneasy after receiving the news. His face was gloomy, and a cold light flashed across his deep eyes.
"Old Mo, go check and see if anyone in the family has contacted Xu Gong recently." Gu Hong squinted his eyes and said coldly to his confidant, a lean old man.
"Master, do you think Xu Gong did this?" Lao Mo asked doubtfully with his back hunched and his face cold.
"It was him who succeeded. He assassinated his family members. This is a big taboo. Even if ordinary people are against Sun Jian, they would not dare to do it. This is definitely a feud to the death. He is the only one who has formed such a big relationship with Sun Jian in Jiangdong. Xu Gong Well, after Xu Gong was defeated and escaped from Youquan, there has been no news at all. Unexpectedly, he actually returned to Wu County!" Gu Hong sighed.
"Even if it's him, what does he have to do with our Gu family?" Lao Mo was confused.
"With just a promise of tribute, such a big thing cannot be accomplished. There must be someone in Wu County to support him. I'm afraid that we, the Gu family, will get involved."
Gu Hong knew that there were many people in the Gu family who were dissatisfied with Sun Jian's move to Wu County.
"Now that Sun Jian has returned with great momentum, he has encountered something like this. This Wu County may be in great shock. We, the Gu family, cannot be the first to take the lead."
In troubled times, soldiers are king. If it were normal, Sun Jian would still be a little afraid of the Gu family, but if the Gu family was involved in this assassination, he would face the Jiangdong Tiger who fell into rage and lost his mind.
At that time, even if the Gu family has a great business, it will not be able to escape the crisis of destruction.
"Old slave, go check it out right away." Old Mo couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart when he heard this, and said respectfully with a hint of fear in his eyes.
At the same time, in the Lu family mansion, the head of the Lu family, an old man in his twilight years, was keenly aware of the impending turmoil in Wu County after receiving the news that the Sun family's wife and son had been assassinated.
"Xu Gong, Xu Gong, you are so brave."
The head of the Lu family held a cane and looked up at the sky. He let out a long sigh and said helplessly: "It seems that this time the tiger will raise the butcher's knife brazenly, and Wu County will draw blood."
The next day, the heads of the Gu and Lu families began to entertain guests behind closed doors.
Seeing Jiang Dongjun's posture, many aristocratic and powerful families in Wuxian County originally wanted to unite to fight against Sun Jian. However, due to the attitude of the two giant families, they all began to panic, like ants on a hot pot.
———
Langya counties.
After breakfast, Yuan Xi's army of more than 20,000 people came out of the camp and formed a formation.
Yuan Xi commanded 2,000 garrison infantry in the center, Zhao Yun's 2,000 garrison cavalry, and Zhang Liao also led 2,000 cavalry in the rear to suppress the formation. The remaining soldiers were divided into five phalanxes of 3,000 men.
Guo Jia mounted his horse and followed Yuan Xi, saying, "I think the defenders are exhausted, and the city will be broken today."
Yuan Xi waved his hand and ordered, "Get ready to attack the city!"
The flag signaling the order was waved, and the first war drum sounded. A group of sergeants began to put away their armor and weapons.
Another war drum sounded, and five catapult carts were pushed up. The lever was pulled and the stone was pushed up to the gun emplacement.
"Wow!" "Buzz!" The city wall shook, and the Xuzhou soldiers near the battlements who were hit by stones were also shaken to the point of blood boiling.
A stone cannon hit just behind the battlement, and the smelly blood splashed everywhere. A Xuzhou soldier who was only 14 or 15 years old had his comrade's brains splashed all over his face. He trembled in fear and dropped the spear in his hand. This is A strong man of this era.
A chief quickly pulled him aside and said with concern, "Kaizi, be careful, you will be behind me later, don't move!"
The young soldier who called Kaizi, his words mixed with trembling, nodded and said, "I understand, Third Uncle."
Gu Yong rode his horse to Yuan Xi's side and said, "Major General, can these artillery carriages be put to great use?"
"Yuantan, why didn't such a good thing be built earlier?" Guo Jia complained.
"You don't know Fengxiao, but Mr. Yuan Hao and the others have recently recruited craftsmen to make it."
Gu Yong didn't care either.
Yuan Xi knew this. He had specifically ordered to recruit all kinds of skilled craftsmen in Qingzhou, and also assigned some soldiers in the army to learn to be full-time craftsmen in the army.
"Pass an order that those who can improve and create all kinds of ordnance will be rewarded with large sums of money and given official positions." Yuan Xi said. He did not understand how to make these things, but heavy rewards can still stimulate those craftsmen. Money can Pushing the odds is not.
The flag was waved again and the artillery carriage stopped firing. Twenty ladders were lined up and then slowly pushed forward by the soldiers.
Bian Gong, the captain of Zhuxian County, was a middle-aged man in his forties. He was one of the local heroes and had received great favor from Tao Qian, so he devoted all his efforts to defending the city.
In the past two days, Bian Gong had an ominous premonition in his heart. He knew that the counties and areas could only resist the Qingzhou Army for a while. He organized the soldiers and civilians to prepare to retreat, but the Qingzhou Army attacked the city in a hurry and gave him no time to prepare.
"Fire, wood, rolling stones!" Bian Gong shouted.
Generally, crossbows cannot pose a threat to the soldiers hiding under the ladder. They can only set fire to them, or hit them with rolling stones. Or, when the enemy soldiers climb up the ladder, they can shoot them with arrows and smash them with wood.
One by one, the Xuzhou soldiers picked up the remaining stones and threw them down towards the ladder.
How could the Qingzhou soldiers wait to be smashed? The archers ducked behind the ladder and fired arrows at the city wall.
"Whoosh!" The Xuzhou soldier who was hit by the arrow lost his center of gravity because he was holding the stone and fell to the bottom of the city, where he fell into a pile of flesh and blood.
Soldiers from both sides kept attacking each other to protect their comrades.
Behind the ladder, Guan Hai, a middle-aged general with a dark face and short beard and only one ear, personally wore armor and held a sword to urge the soldiers to attack the city.
"Come on, everyone, the young general said, whoever climbs the city wall first will be rewarded with ten gold coins!" Guan Hai yelled.
The Qingzhou soldiers had long been informed that brave men would be rewarded, and that those who broke the city would be able to share goods from the government treasury. This mobilization made the Qingzhou soldiers work hard. Although their companions in front fell, the excitement of blood and the temptation of money and silk , allowing them to climb without fear.
A Qingzhou soldier jumped up to the top of the city, and immediately five Xuzhou soldiers holding halberds worked together to stab him down the city.
The Xuzhou soldier named Kaizi was panting. This was his first time killing someone. The soldiers from the same village around him had been taking care of him a few days ago, but in the past three days, the number of them had been decreasing day by day.
The chief quickly pulled the nephew back behind him, and the Qingzhou soldiers fired another crossbow arrow.
Xu Chu could see the fire and asked for orders, "Lord, let me lead people up. I guarantee that we can capture the city in one battle."
Yuan Xi was really unwilling, so his general took the risk to climb the city in person. Although there were records in history of Xu Chu and others personally leading troops to the city, climbing ladders to attack the city was really dangerous and highly variable.
Taishi Ci, who was standing by, also asked for orders after hearing this: "Young General, let me cover you!"
Yuan Xi knew that Taishi Ci was skilled in bow and horse, and having him cooperate with him made him feel more at ease, so he said, "Be careful!"
Xu Chu and Tai Shici followed the order and came to the city wall.
Xu Chu was wearing fine armor with fish scales, holding a shield in his left hand and a knife in his right hand, and rushed towards the enemy wall quickly.
Several tiger guards changed their arms and readied their crossbows, and accurately suppressed the Xuzhou soldiers on the city wall. Xu Chu led the team and quickly climbed up the ladder at this moment.
Guan Hai on the other side saw Xu Chu's Tiger Guards attacking the city. He was stimulated and couldn't help shouting: "Cheer up, don't let those Jizhou soldiers take the lead!"
A bearded toothkeeper came up from behind, carrying a long knife, grabbed a shield and climbed up the ladder without saying a word.
Guan Hai immediately stopped him and said, "Zhou Cang! Be careful and don't die on top."
The bearded Tooth Gate General was none other than Zhou Cang who was captured when Qin Yuan and others rebelled against the Yellow Turban Army. After Guan Hai surrendered to Yuan Xi, he heard that there were imprisoned Yellow Turban die-hards, so he went to persuade him to surrender. He did not expect that it was his former subordinate Zhou Cang.
Zhou Cang groaned, and under the cover of the archers, he quickly climbed up the ladder.
When an archer from the Xuzhou Army saw Xu Chusheng climbing up, he quickly drew his bow and shot. Xu Chu saw accurately and blocked the arrow with his shield.
Taishi Ci, who was following behind, released his right hand, and a cold light shot out. The Xuzhou soldier archer was shot between the eyebrows and died.
There were two more spearmen holding spears and stabbing them downwards. Taishi Ci shot two arrows in succession without thinking. Both spearmen were killed by the arrows in their eyebrows.
The nearby Qingzhou soldiers were all excited, they were really sharpshooters! I am afraid that only Zhao Yun in the army can surpass his archery skills.
Xu Chu climbed up the city wall with a leap, blocked several spears with his shield, moved forward, and cut off the lives of Xuzhou soldiers with the knife in his right hand. The shadow guards behind him also jumped onto the wall and cooperated to clear the way for the following soldiers.
Several feather arrows were shot down, and Zhou Cang used his shield to swing them away, but one still hit him in the chest. Fortunately, with excellent armor protection, Zhou Cang endured the pain and climbed up the wall at high speed.
Zhou Cang roared again and again, leading his soldiers to kill and clear a bloody path.
A follow-up Qingzhou soldier thrust out his sword and stabbed a Shi Chang to death. The young man who was following Shi Chang and calling him Kaizi was stunned for a moment, then burst into a roar of pain and hatred.
The spear thrust out and penetrated the Qingzhou soldier until he was pressed to the edge of the battlement.
The next moment, the young man groaned, blood spilled from his mouth, and the tips of two ring-headed knives pierced his body.
The young man was in a trance under the severe pain, with deep unwillingness in his eyes and a desire for life...
■■■
On Chenliu City, Lu Qian was commanding his soldiers to make final arrangements for defense. Soldiers from Yuan Shu's army under the city came one after another. The camp surrounded Chenliu City. From a distance, Yuan Shu's military camp had clear flags and soldiers patrolling in an orderly manner.
While Lu Qian was inspecting, two armored generals also came to the tower.
Li Dian, who was in his thirties and had a complexion as fair as a scribe, asked: "Zike, is it possible to make a surprise attack while they are still on a weak footing?"
Lu Qian shook his head and said with a smile: "When my lord leads the army and cuts off Yuan Shu's path, we will fight if there are any who are worthy of him. Mancheng, just wait and see."
"What a shame that vanguard of Yuan Shu's army killed all of Yongqiu County!" Li Tong said angrily.
Thinking of the fall of Yongqiu, Lu Qian couldn't help but turn cold and said bitterly, "I will definitely get this debt back from Yuan Shu."
"It's ridiculous that Yuan Gongli thought he had succeeded in a sneak attack. I didn't know that my lord had already anticipated his trick." Li Dian said.
While he was talking, a horseman passed through Yuan Shu's northern camp and went straight to the city gate.
"Emergency report from East County!" the knight below shouted loudly.
Without any instructions, the soldiers of the Yanzhou Army put down a large basket and hoisted up the messenger.
The messenger looked haggard and pale. He handed over the document and reported back, "Dongjun is urgently reporting that the Black Mountain bandits colluded with the remaining Huns and crossed the river to invade Dongjun!"
Lu Qian and the others looked ugly. They thought they could achieve a complete victory by cooperating with Cao Cao's army to attack Yuan Shu, but they didn't want the Black Mountain bandits and the rest of the Xiongnu to join in.
After a while, Li Dian said loudly: "Don't worry. Xun Wenruo is in charge of Dongjun. As long as we can't hold out, there's nothing we can do about the bandits. As long as we defeat Yuan Shu and then lead the army, we will be able to expel them in one fell swoop."
Lu Qian also agreed: "Xun Wenruo only sent people to report the news and did not ask for help. Therefore, although the rebels have reached Dongjun, there is no shortage there."
The three of them, Lu Qian, are all courageous people, so they will naturally not mess up their positions, but the situation facing Cao Cao's army has become very critical.
This year was indeed a difficult year for Cao Cao's army. Faced with such uncertainty, Cao Cao considered sending his family to his old friend Yuan Shao, but he was persuaded by his adviser Cheng Yu.
