Dusk, Baimen Ferry.
Yuan Xi's army also crossed the river and came to the north bank of Zhanghe River. Looking at the broken limbs and broken arms in the distance that were too late to be repaired, he couldn't help but sigh at the fierceness and bloodyness of this battle. In troubled times, no one can control it at all.
Han Meng, Zhang Liao, and Zhao Yun ordered their soldiers to guard the police, and then rushed to Yuan Xi's camp to meet him.
"Three generals, the preservation of the ferry depends entirely on your fighting to the death. I would like to thank you on behalf of the Yuan family." Yuan Xi bowed deeply and said.
"You're welcome, young general. This is the duty of a junior general. How can I be grateful? However, the two generals Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun are brave and extraordinary. If the two generals hadn't raided the Black Mountain bandit army at the critical moment, my men would have been driven into the water. Yes, I feel ashamed to say it." Han Meng said with emotion.
"Fortunately, the Major General asked Zilong and I to be the vanguard, so we should work hard to clear the way for the main army." Zhang Liao also said modestly.
Yuan Xi laughed, held Zhang Liao's hand, and said with a smile, "Hahaha, who dares to stand upright with a sword, only me, General Zhang."
Yuan Xi said that he should record the achievements of the three people. Then give it some more motivation and keep marching.
At Baimenpo Ferry, the Qingzhou Army that followed across the river was cleaning up the battlefield. Yuan Xi led Han Meng, Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, Guo Jia and others to inspect the surrounding terrain under the protection of Xu Chu's tiger guards.
Observing the deployment of the Black Mountain Army, Guo Jia worriedly said: "The Black Mountain bandits are already on guard. It seems that the whereabouts of our army have been exposed. There may be a large army waiting for us in Yecheng."
Han Meng shouted angrily and said: "Whatever he does, no matter what Yecheng says, this is also the territory of our Jizhou Army. The so-called sad soldiers will win!"
Yuan Xi nodded in agreement and said loudly: "This battle is a battle of revenge and shame. As long as the soldiers use their lives, our army will win without a doubt!"
Yuan Xi said that although he said this, he was speaking to inspire several generals. The purpose of the raid would not be achieved and it would probably turn into a protracted attack. The variables of the battle situation would increase. He felt a cloud in his heart. He hated this kind of attack. Feel.
The strength of the Montenegrin Army is not too weak. It does not mean that he is Yuan Xi, he is Cao Cao, or he is Liu Bei, so he can easily win. This is not the case on the battlefield. The situation is changing rapidly, so we must be cautious.
Guo Jia also knew that Yuan Xi was trying to boost morale, but they had to face many difficulties. The first was the construction of siege equipment and the subsequent supply of grain and fodder.
The most important thing is that if Zhang Yan orders the entire Black Mountain Army to return to Yecheng and defend it, then Jushou's strategy of surprise attack from behind will be deemed a failure.
"General Han Meng, we have sent people to contact the gentry and heroes near Yecheng before, but the task of raising food, fodder and military supplies from them is more important. We need to trouble you, General Han, to lead your troops to contact them personally. We must win them over." Yuan Xi said to Han Meng.
"This general knows this, Major General. I recognize all the gentry and heroes near Yecheng. I just don't know if the Black Mountain bandits harmed them after they captured Yecheng." Han Meng said worriedly.
Yuan Xi had never worried about the lives of those nobles, but at this time, he hoped for the first time that those nobles could escape the invasion of the Black Mountain Army.
"Major General, fellow generals, our army found the food piled up by the Black Mountain bandits on the right side of Baimenpo. It may be that they were defeated and had no time to transport it away." the scout reported.
"Oh!" Yuan Xi became more energetic. Then he asked, "How many Zizhongs were captured?"
"There are about 40,000 hu of various types of rice and millet."
Guo Jia calculated with his fingers and said: "Forty thousand hu of grain can feed our army for half a month. The time left for our army is neither more nor less. It depends on how to grasp it. However, the siege battle was vigorous and then declined. Three And exhausted. We can only conquer Yecheng in one go."
Han Meng cupped his fists and accepted the order: "Major General, I will try my best to raise food and baggage. After three days, the siege equipment will be completed, and we will attack the city together."
Yuan Xi explained some details to him before letting Han Meng lead his troops to leave. **** In fact, in Yuan Xi's mind, there was a method that would definitely break through Yecheng, but he didn't want to use it until the last moment. After all, it would hurt Tianhe.
On the Black Mountain Army side, after Yu Du led his troops to escape Han Meng's pursuit, they took the opportunity to recruit Zhang Baiqi's team. A total of 10,000 soldiers were obtained. So he took the opportunity to return to Yecheng with his team.
After Sui Gu heard that the ambush of the Qingzhou Army failed, he led his troops to the city gate in a hurry. Seeing Yu Du's defeat, he shouted and asked: "Yu Du, why are you back by yourself? Where is Zhang Baiqi? How could you not defeat the Qingzhou soldiers who attacked Bandu! Where are the others?"
Yu Du excused himself: "Zhang Baiqi refused to listen to my dissuasion and ambushed the Qingzhou Army at Baimenpo. He couldn't wait to attack the Qingzhou Army who came ashore. He wanted to drive them down the river. As a result, the Qingzhou Army was forced to fight back desperately. Zhang Baiqi was also killed by the enemy general."
"This Zhang Baiqi, it would be better if he died, but for the Qingzhou soldiers to cross the Zhang River, wouldn't it ruin our big event!" Sui Gu didn't understand the specific situation yet. You can only believe what Du said.
"Alas, Zhang Bai's cavalry lost more than 5,000 men and horses, and the remaining 10,000 people said they wanted to surrender to me. It was chaotic at that time, and the army had to be without a master, so I temporarily incorporated the remaining troops of Zhang Bai's cavalry." Yu Du said.
Sui Gu was furious when he heard this. He resented Yu Du for taking the opportunity to annex Zhang Bai's cavalry, but the matter was a foregone conclusion. He had no choice but to shout dissatisfiedly: "Don't say it's useless, it's not the food supplies I asked you to collect." Did you use it? How much did you get?"
Yu Du said with an annoyed look on his face: "It's not Zhang Baiqi. The food collected from those big households amounted to 70,000 to 80,000 dan. I said I would have people send it back first, but Zhang Baiqi said he couldn't spare the manpower to defeat the Qingzhou soldiers." Then they were shipped back together. As a result, they all fell into the hands of the Qingzhou Army!"
Listening to Yu Du's words, Sui Gu was very angry, but Yu Du put all the blame on the dead person. There was no evidence for this death, and Sui Gu had nothing to do with him. Sui Gu asked again: "Where are the big country gentry outside the city? Will they resist when you collect grain?"
Yu Du was born in poverty. I hate the big noble families the most. He said angrily: "Those rich families often have several or more than a dozen families gathered together. They built their houses on the mountain and were well-prepared. It was like a small city! We only expropriated a few scattered small households. As for the rest, , nothing has been found for the time being.”
When Sui Gu heard this, his expression changed and he said anxiously: "Didn't I ask Zhang Baiqi to get rid of the Yuan family's best friends? You can take your people to get rid of them, otherwise they will collude with the Qingzhou soldiers." That’s bad.”
After listening to Sui Gu's order, Boss Yu Du was not happy and attacked those powerful manors, and he would lose a lot of people. And now that he is in danger of being attacked by Qingzhou soldiers when he leaves the city, he is not stupid.
"General Suigu, Commander Yan ordered us not to touch those powerful people, nor to plunder the people of Wei County. You are disobeying Commander Yan's military orders!" advised a deputy general next to him.
Sui Gu was furious, turned around and shouted: "Tao Sheng, it's your turn to speak here. Yan Shuai said this because he wanted those powerful landlords to help us, but you see how they can't help us at all." What we want is to destroy them and wait for them to collude with the Qingzhou soldiers?"
Deputy General Tao Sheng said anxiously: "Shuai Yan said that after receiving the title of official from the imperial court, we occupied Wei County again. We are no longer grass bandits, but princes. We can no longer do those things in the past, at least we cannot rob the civilians in the city. .”
Sui Gu on the side sneered and said, "If we don't rob those guys who are ruthless for the sake of wealth, where will our expenses come from?"
"Why did we start the uprising, General, have you forgotten? It wasn't that the powerful invaded the fields and the officials exploited the family property. Now that everyone has become officials, they are bullying the common people. What's the point? Besides, Commander Yan wants us to collect taxes. , this is not a robbery of money and food." Tao Sheng argued with reason.
"Taxation and collection are not the same thing. Tao Sheng, please don't use Yan Shuai to pressure me. When our brothers defected to Yan Shuai, you hadn't joined the gang yet, so it's not your turn to dictate here!" Sui Gu said angrily.
Tao Sheng was also very angry. He had read some books, and because he couldn't stand the corruption of the government and sympathized with the sufferings of the people and villagers, he rebelled against the Black Mountain Army. But these rough guys like Suigu don't know any truth. They do things based on a gangster spirit and cannot listen to advice. Tao Sheng stopped talking and turned around to leave.
"This Tao Sheng doesn't know who he is anymore. Yan Shuai thinks that he has read a book and thinks highly of him. He really thinks that he is a person. How dare you pretend to be a master in front of this general." Sui Gu said angrily. , these few things have not gone well recently, making him irritable.
Yu Du agreed, but he refused to leave the city. In the end, Sui Gu could only ask him to help defend the east gate of Ye City.
Three days later. Yecheng.
Forty thousand Qingzhou soldiers set up camp outside Yecheng, and the craftsmen accompanying the army also built the first batch of siege equipment. Han Meng contacted several wealthy landowners and borrowed thousands of grains and other necessary supplies. Everything was ready, and although the surprise attack turned into an attack, the siege had to be carried out.
In front of the Qingzhou Military Camp, Han Meng also led his troops to assemble. Looking at the few chariots, trebuchets, and ladders, he worriedly said: "There is really a lack of equipment. The walls of Ye City are so tall and strong. I’m afraid it won’t work.”
Yuan Xi also knew that this equipment was not good, but they expected a surprise attack. They marched in a hurry and did not bring much baggage at all, and they wanted better siege equipment. It cannot be built in one or two days.
Han Meng suddenly asked: "Young General, what method did Gongsun Zan use to attack the city in Ji County that day?"
Yuan Xi thought for a while and said: "It should be a tunnel attack. They first dug the tunnel under the foundation of the city wall, and then used wooden pillars to hold it up to prevent small pieces of the city wall from collapsing. When a section of the city wall was dug out, they dug the underground wood underneath. The pillars were burned, and the city wall lost its foundation and naturally collapsed."
"What a great idea, how about we learn it too!" Han Meng suggested.
Guo Jia smiled bitterly and explained, "General Han, the terrain in Ji County is high. Naturally, we can dig tunnels. But the terrain in Yecheng is lower than the Zhang River. Once we dig deep, water will pour in. How to dig?"
Han Meng sighed and said helplessly, "Alas! Is it possible that the only solution is to attack by force?"
Just after Guo Jiaqi finished answering Han Meng's words, when he talked about digging tunnels and the Zhang River, his expression changed and he murmured: "The low terrain is also good for the attackers! Master, can we wait..."
"Wait, Fengxiao!" Yuan Xi stopped him. "I know what you want to say. But I won't use that method until the end! Don't say it again."
The two strategies of water and fire have been dangerous in ancient times and have to be used as a last resort, not because Yuan Xi is so benevolent and kind, but because once he does this, the Yuan family will merge with Cao Cao politically.
Guo Jia ignored Han Meng's doubts and nodded knowingly.
Yuan Xi pointed to the city wall of Yecheng and said: "The soil attack method mentioned by General Han may not be unworkable. Even if the tunnel is flooded, the water can infiltrate the foundation of the city wall and cause the wall to collapse."
Han Meng agreed and asked his bodyguard to call a Yamen General. The Yamen General was only thirty years old and had an ordinary appearance, but his body was lean and his eyes were dark and lively.
When Yuan Xi saw it, he immediately said, "I recognize you. Weren't you the leader of Dizi Camp outside Gaoyang City that day?"
The Yamen general cupped his fists and said, "It's rare that the young general still remembers this villain. My surname is Li Mingzhi."
Han Meng explained on the side: "Li Zhi is from my hometown. He has inherited Yi Xue from his family since he was a child. His family is a famous Feng Shui fortune teller from all over the country. *****To be honest, in a bad harvest year , their family would also lead the countryside to excavate some ancient tombs to provide a village with people to survive the famine. Later, the lord recruited capable people and strangers, so I recommended him. Last time, he was violent to Cui Yan, who was recruited by the lord, and he was punished and demoted. After receiving the military post, I figured that the attack on Yecheng would be difficult, so I brought him here to praise him for his military exploits."
Yuan Xi knew that in this era, in addition to famous physiognomists such as Guan Ren and Zhou Xuan, there were also many proficient people and strangers among the people. And people like Li Zhi who are also knowledgeable in civil engineering are even rarer talents.
"Li Zhi, you have done your best, and when you win this battle, I will personally express my merits for you." Yuan Xi encouraged him for a while, and then asked: "Look at the terrain of Ye City, can you use the method of authentic soil attack to destroy Ye?" The city walls?”
Li Zhi thought for a while and replied: "It is much more difficult to destroy the city wall of Yecheng using authentic methods than elsewhere, but it is not impossible to succeed. Major General, please send more sergeants to surround the city day and night. Near the city wall. I'll dig down there day and night, and we'll find out after digging for a few days."
Yuan Xi agreed to Li Zhi's request and immediately asked the people below to assist.
The war drums sounded three times in unison, and rows of Qingzhou soldiers slowly pressed up the southern wall of Ye City.
The ladder was in front, advancing slowly despite the rain of arrows. Before they even got close to the city wall, stones were thrown down. Fortunately, the ladders driven out by the army craftsmen were still strong and only one was damaged. The remaining ladders were deployed to the top of the city.
Yu Du, Sui Gu and other generals of the Black Mountain Army also came to the city wall to command the soldiers to defend. They usually attack the city with military commanders, and they know the methods of attack and defense, but they are not used to changing their positions to defend the city.
Sui Gu pointed at the soldiers of the Black Mountain Army and said angrily: "Why did those who threw the logs not see that the Qingzhou soldiers had not climbed up the ladder yet?"
All the generals, big and small, were scolded. They all ordered the soldiers to use bows, crossbows, logs and other equipment calmly. Although the Montenegrin army fought in a slightly panic, they took advantage of the large number of people and equipment, and quickly adapted to a defensive battle. For a while, the two sides were in a stalemate again.
On the Qingzhou Army's side, in addition to the crossbowmen behind the ladder, they carried out some precise shooting to suppress the enemy troops on the city wall. Not much movement. The soldiers hid behind ladders and shields to avoid arrows on the city wall.
After a while, three "cars" were pushed under the city wall. The car has four wheels and a roof-shaped wooden frame, which is covered with rawhide and coated with mud. Li Zhi led hundreds of digging soldiers to dig under the car.
Sui Gu spat and shouted: "Smash it!"
Rows of soldiers lifted the stones and threw them at the car. But the roof has been specially reinforced. It only shook a few times but did not damage the car. On the contrary, a lot of stone was wasted.
Sui Gu waved his hand again and shouted: "Burn!"
The soldiers were ordered to light the linen and sawdust dumplings soaked in grease and throw them down the city. But the roof of the car is protected by rawhide and mud. When the linen dumplings and oil started to burn, the diggers below just felt the heat wave. They simply went bare-chested and dug in the soil with hoes and shovels.
Sui Gu became anxious and shouted: "Get the oil on the pan!"
The Montenegrin soldiers were busy for a while. Set up a large pot to boil the fat, add manure, juice, asphalt and other materials, then scoop it up and pour it on the car.
Although the car had excellent protection, liquid grease poured through the gaps onto the diggers. Those digging soldiers were shirtless and could not withstand these hot things. Dozens of them were scalded to death and injured in one go.
The Qingzhou soldiers' crossbowmen also reacted quickly. One after another, they shot and killed the exposed Montenegrin troops with precision. The Montenegrin soldiers on the city wall saw that the situation was not good and quickly retreated to the battlements.
If the burning ground is water, it will cool down quickly within a short distance of being poured, and it will turn into warm water when it reaches the car. The effect is far less effective than grease. But oil is also limited. After pouring several large pots of oil, there will be very little oil left.
Yuan Xi was in front of the formation. Looking from a distance, the brutal siege battle came into view. But it has gone through big and small wars. These scenes can no longer affect his state of mind.
Xu Huang and Han Meng were on the left and right of Yuan Xi's army. They came to the front of the army's formation and met Yuan Xi.
"Young General. The road cannot be dug at this moment. You just stay here. Why don't you go back to the camp? It's dangerous here. It's said that a son of a rich man cannot stand in court." Han Meng suggested.
Yuan Xi looked at the soldiers who were being carried back from being burned, shook his head and said: "These soldiers are charging forward without caring about their lives. Is it tiring for me, the commander, to stay here? I want all the sergeants to know that their commander is We are watching them, so this handsome flag cannot be moved!"
Xu Huang praised: "A general is one who has faith, wisdom, benevolence, courage, and strictness. The young master sets an example for the generals of our army."
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "General Gongming is ridiculous. As long as the soldiers and generals work together, Yecheng is easily captured, so it is only a matter of time before our army wins."
Guo Jia asked: "The news of our army's raid has been leaked, and Zhang Yan is not allowed to return to the army to help. We need to be careful when sending troops to the alert area."
"Both cavalry units, Zhang Wenyuan and Zhao Zilong, have been sent out. Once the Black Mountain Army is discovered, we should be notified in advance." Xu Huang said.
"Major General, General Xu, and General Han were just at the corner in the south of the city. Someone in the east of the city each shot a silk letter." A scout reported.
Yuan Xi felt strange, took the two silk books, read them for a while and passed them to others. Said, "The first one was sent by spies in Yecheng who bribed a few Montenegrin thieves and told some of the situation in the city. The second one was a secret letter from a man who claimed to be a general of the Montenegrin Army, saying that he wanted to dedicate the city to our army. , wants me to go to the woods to the north of the city at noon tonight to discuss it in detail."
"Young General, I can't believe this!" Han Meng objected quickly: "Perhaps the Black Mountain bandits saw that we were eager to attack the city and set a trap."
Yuan Xi looked at the silk book again and said, "There is no signature on it. I just say that I don't want the people on one side to suffer tragic war disasters."
Xu Huang pondered for a while and said, "If a general can easily leave the city at night, his status among the Black Mountain thieves is not low. If it is true, Ye City cannot be broken in a day. Let Mr. Xu go there."
Yuan Xi unfolded the silk book and said, "It says that our coach is required to come in person. If I don't go, won't I be looked down upon by him? Although the forest is not small, people can be sent to investigate secretly. I don't think he can do anything. Come up with a plan."
Liu Bei dared to go alone to meet Zhou Yu, but he was no better than the big-eared thief? Besides, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty rushed to Xiang Yu’s Hongmen Banquet, and Mao Zedong rushed to Chongqing for talks. Are the mere Black Mountain bandits still afraid? It’s a joke. Isn’t that embarrassing? This is a historical responsibility.
Guo Jia also agreed: "As soon as night falls, the tiger guards will be sent to investigate the surrounding area. The young master can take General Xu Chu and the tiger guards to go with Taishi Ziyi and others, just in case."
At noon, the wind is tight and the night is dark. There are only a few stars in the sky. There are insects singing everywhere in the woods. The dim light reflects the shadows of the trees, like ghosts and ghosts.
Taishi Ci held a spear and led a horse in front, followed by a dozen tiger guards, and behind them were Yuan Xi, Xu Chu and hundreds of others.
After a while, Xu Chu quickly caught up and reported: "I sent my brothers to walk through the forest, and there was no ambush."
Yuan Xi nodded to indicate that he knew, so he asked everyone to speed up and rush to the edge of the forest approaching Yecheng.
The dim lights on the opposite side flickered in and out, and a tiger guard here also lit the lights at the joint. The two parties completed the meeting and soon saw each other. Yuan Xi and the others were slightly relieved when they saw that the generals of the Black Mountain Army who presented the city only brought two people.
"Who is the person in front of you who can speak?" Tai Shici asked aloud to the visitor.
A middle-aged man in black walked out of the three, raised his hands and replied, "I'm Tao Sheng, a yellow man. I wonder which general your commander is?"
Yuan Xi looked at Tao Sheng for a while and said, "My Excellency Yuan Xi, the second son of the Yuan family, would like to thank Mr. Tao for his righteousness."
"Yuan Xi! Second Young Master Yuan?" Tao Sheng said in surprise. Although he knew that the leader of the Qingzhou Army was Yuan Xi, he did not expect that Yuan Xi personally led his troops to attack Daoye City and came here to join him. This really surprised him. No wonder, after all, Yuan Xi has a distinguished status.
Yuan Xi smiled and said teasingly, "Mr. Tao, don't you think I can't make the decision?"
Tao Sheng quickly saluted and said, "I just didn't expect the second young master to come to the battle in person. I am a small official in the next book. During the Zhongping period, the people's livelihood was cruel and the local tyrants pressed hard, which made the people's livelihood wither. In the next moment, he joined the Black Mountain Army and wanted to fight for the people. A paradise."
"Sir, you are so righteous!" Yuan Xi praised, "During the Zhongping period, the eunuchs and eunuchs controlled the government. They exploited the people in every possible way, which really made the world angry and people resentful! I can't blame you for this, sir."
Tao Sheng sighed and said: "But after these years of confusion, I realized that the Black Mountain Army is full of thieves and selfish people. In the past, the Black Mountain Army had an unwritten rule not to rob poor people, but this time they captured Yecheng, they did not care about the rich or the poor. , robbing all civilians in Wei County has violated the original intention."
"It's not too late for you to know when you've lost your way, sir," Yuan Xi advised. "Like the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, they have all become good people under my rule. We practice benevolence and righteousness, and treat righteous heroes and heroes regardless of their origins. Sir, join us." A smart move indeed.”
Tao Sheng paused and said solemnly: "I am in Hebei, but I have heard about the young master in Qingzhou and other places. I know that the young master is a brave young man who dares to do something. I hope you will accept him."
After saying that, he bowed deeply.
"I want to thank you for your righteous deed." Yuan Xi quickly helped him up and said sincerely, "Whether we can win Yecheng depends on you, sir."
"Young Master, please be at ease. The area in the north of the city is under my jurisdiction. I have also gathered many brothers who want to join Yuan Cheqi. As long as the Young Master is willing, I can dedicate the north gate before dawn." Tao Sheng said.
Yuan Xigang wanted to say hello, but there were noisy sounds from the city wall of Yecheng, and the Montenegrin soldiers on the city wall also lit up their torches one after another!
