After so many years of operation. Yuan Xidi's intelligence network has long been based in major cities and counties in Yanzhou. Therefore, he decided to launch a surprise attack on Xu County because he knew the situation here and it was not some random conspiracy he had made on a whim. He, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, and Sima Yi had deduced it countless times in private.
Zhu Aoshen is also very skilled. They vaguely protected Zhu Ao, the shadow guards sent by Yuan Xi.
In the streets and alleys. Zhu Ao finally found a contact, a middle-aged man in his forties. The middle-aged man wore a long sword at his waist. He was plain and unremarkable, but there was a faint sparkle in his eyes. He was the great swordsman Wang Yue. Later, Wang Yue's son Wang Dun became the son-in-law of Emperor Taizong Xuanwu. .
"Mr. Wang, I believe you have received the letter from my young master. How is the situation at the palace?" Zhu Ao asked.
Wang Yue shook his head and said helplessly, "The palace is surrounded by Yanzhou soldiers. Your Majesty and your lords cannot be seen at all."
"Hey, it turns out that they have been on guard against this move for a long time. Without the Tiger Guards, we can only open the city gate, which is not enough." Zhu Ao said worriedly.
"How many of you are there?" Wang Yue asked.
"There have been over a hundred lurkers in the past few months, not too many, but they are all young master's elite soldiers." Zhu Ao answered truthfully.
Wang Yue nodded and said, "I have a hundred disciples that I can summon. As long as we plan more carefully, it will not be difficult to open the city gate."
Outside the city, the infantry of the Jizhou Army have arrived. More than ten thousand soldiers gathered in the north of the city waiting for Yuan Xi's military orders. The parts of the ladder have also been transported, and the soldiers are assembling them. The attack on the city is about to begin.
Yan Liang and Wen Chou commanded the crossbowmen to line up, and the strong bows and crossbows were loaded with arrows.
"Shoot!" "Whoosh! Whoosh!" The arrows rained over the city, making the Yanzhou soldiers retreat.
"Fight back, fight back!" Meng Tan shouted loudly.
"Whoosh whoosh!" The Yanzhou soldiers on the city wall also fired back intensively. The siege battle was imminent, and both sides were ready for close hand-to-hand combat.
South of the city.
The soldiers and civilians transported the rolling logs and oil to the bottom of the city wall, and then moved them to the top of the city. Xun Yu was indeed a talented man. Because he had won the hearts of the people, he recruited more than 2,000 strong men, which greatly helped the defenders.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!" "Don't hit the car!" Soldiers and civilians were all rushing to deliver supplies.
"Noise!" Suddenly, more than a dozen wheelbarrows caught fire at the same time. The "Yanzhou soldiers" pushing the carts quickly pushed the carts to the city gate. "Stop!" "Fire!" The soldiers near the city gate shouted.
"Grumpy!" The wheelbarrow was getting faster and faster, and finally it was pushed behind the city gate. The firewood and oil on the cart ignited a fire, and even hit the Yanzhou soldiers guarding the gate.
"It's enemy soldiers!" "Stop them!" The city gate captain finally came to his senses and shouted for the soldiers to stop them.
However, more than a dozen burning vehicles blocked the nearby Yanzhou soldiers. More than two hundred warriors in armor rushed behind the city gate.
"Kill!" The cry of killing spread instantly, and a fierce fight broke out behind the city gate.
Wang Yue wielded a long sword superbly, and his steps were even faster. Not only could the Yanzhou soldiers not hurt him, he rushed to the city gate with a few quick advances. In terms of foot combat, he was ranked high in the late Han Dynasty.
Xu Yi followed Wang Yue with more than a hundred lurking tiger guards. They blocked and killed the Yanzhou soldiers next to him.
"Creak!" The city gate was opened, and then more than 20 wheelbarrows were pushed in. The Tiger Guards poured oil on the suspension bridge and the city gate, and then pushed the wheelbarrow behind the suspension bridge.
"Light the fire!" Xu Yi shouted loudly.
"Coax!" A raging fire ignited, and Xu Yi, Wang Yue and others quickly retreated. After they fought their way out of the city gate, they held on for a while, and then they withdrew when the fire had almost burned the suspension bridge to the ground.
Yuan Xi led nearly ten thousand others to guard the south of the city.
When Yuan Xi saw the city gate suspension bridge on fire, he quickly had two assembled "Thunderbolt Cars" pushed on.
"Buzz!" "Boom!" The stone hit the suspension bridge, which was almost burned to the ground.
"Boom!" The suspension bridge could not withstand the burning and stone bombardment, and finally fell.
"If you go deep into the enemy's territory, you can advance but not retreat. Break the city and make a contribution in one fell swoop. Attack the city!" Yuan Xi shouted loudly.
"If you advance, never retreat!" the soldiers shouted one after another!
A scull shield pressed up, followed by two wooden ditch-filling bridges, "bang!" The ditch-filling bridge crossed the ditch.
, the road to the city was finally open.
"Charge!" Xu Chu led the sword and shield men of the Guards Battalion to rush to the front.
"Whoosh!" More than 800 Yanzhou soldiers gathered behind the city gate. The archers lined up and fired randomly at the city gate.
"Thump thump thump!" Arrows continued to hit the oar shield, and the infantry of the Guards Battalion moved forward with difficulty. Finally a way opened up.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock!" The sound of iron hoofs sounded. The knights of the Guards crossed the ditch-filling bridge and rushed into the city gate first. The horse in front of them was as red as charcoal fire. It was the divine horse Chi Tu. Immediately there was a general holding a long sword, wasn't it? Who else is Zhang Liao?
It turned out that after Lu Bu's defeat, Yuan Xi thought over and over again and rewarded Zhang Liao with the red rabbit horse, which was also considered as avenging Ding Yuan for Zhang Liao.
Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, Cheng Lian, and Song Xian also became Zhang Liao's lieutenants. This cavalry configuration shows that Yuan Xi attaches great importance to Zhang Liao.
Zhang Liao's cavalry camp was also named "Iron Buddha" by Yuan Xi.
Immediately afterwards, another white horse rushed forward, and Zhao Yun, who turned out to be holding a spear, also arrived immediately. The two generals led their cavalry units to charge left and right, attacking the infantry of the Yanzhou Army.
"Hurry up, spearmen. Don't let them in!" Meng Tan shouted loudly while waving his swords.
"Dang!" Chitu flew past. Meng Tan hurriedly raised his swords to block the long sword.
The twin swords are short-handled swords, although they can attack from both sides.
But the attack range was not as good as the long sword, so Meng Tan blocked the long sword with his two swords. But his arm couldn't bear it anymore, and he immediately turned sideways to release Zhang Liao's force, but this was not the end.
"Cang!" Zhang Liao swept back with his hand, flicked the knife away, and attacked again with all his strength, the tip of the knife slashing straight towards Meng Tan's neck.
"Gulu!" The head rolled down, startling the Yanzhou soldiers.
"Kill!" The heroic cavalry rushed from both sides, breaking up the formation of the Yanzhou soldiers, and they rushed straight into the city.
Subsequently, Jizhou cavalry rushed in, and the Yanzhou soldiers behind the city gate were attacked one after another, and finally collapsed.
Then, a large number of Danyang soldiers braved the arrows on the city wall and advanced with their shields raised. One of them ran behind the city gate. The Guards Battalion and the Danyang Soldiers are both elite infantrymen of the Qingzhou Army of the Jizhou Army. Among them, the Guards Battalion also includes some of Zhang He's "Euphorbia Soldiers". They all have experience in sieges many times and are good at street fighting. They don't need to give orders. They cooperated to seize the city wall, and the other unit quickly advanced behind the cavalry.
In the siege of the Qingzhou Army, the cavalry was not the main force, but it was the vanguard. They quickly weaved through the streets and alleys, not giving the enemy infantry time to gather, and clearing the way for the following infantry. The dull sound of iron hoofs could still be heard. Act as a deterrent.
"Kill!" "Dong dong!" War drums and shouts of killing rang out from all over the city, causing the people and soldiers in the city to panic.
Xun Yu, Mao Jie, and Qin Qi led more than a thousand elite soldiers to the southern city gate where the fighting was most intensive.
But once they reached the south, the three of them were at a loss.
Not to mention that all the southern city walls were lost, the Yanzhou soldiers were forced back step by step. What was even more serious was that the Jizhou cavalry attacked everywhere, making it difficult for the Yanzhou soldiers to assemble.
"Wen Ruo, the situation is not good. I will lead the soldiers to defend the city. You can protect His Majesty and retreat first!" Mao Jie said anxiously.
Xun Yu gritted his teeth and said decisively, "You lead His Majesty to retreat, and I will resist the traitors! My identity can stabilize the overall situation!"
Just as the two were trying to give way, a cavalry messenger came and reported, "Report! Jizhou cavalry is attacking His Majesty's palace!"
"Ah! They attacked so quickly!" Mao Jie said in surprise.
"No wonder, from the moment we captured the city gate, we knew they had internal support! The Yuan family's power is indeed huge!" Xun Yu said in a deep voice.
"The Tiger Guards came out from inside. Huang Duwei couldn't resist and was driven to the East Street!" the messenger said.
"Oh, I had known that the Yuan family had many party members in the court! I didn't expect it to be so terrifying!" Mao Jie sighed.
Xun Yu felt even more uncomfortable. He wanted to help the Han Dynasty, but the tiger guard Lin Wei cooperated with the enemy soldiers to attack his own soldiers. This must be said to be a great irony.
This is the foundation of the Yuan family for a year, the most powerful family in the world, the leader in the world.
"Report! The Prime Minister's Mansion is under siege!" Another messenger reported.
"Report!" The camp in the east of the city is surrounded! "
Continuous news came that the Jizhou soldiers entering the city seemed to be in full swing to capture key points in the city. Although Yanzhou soldiers still existed, it was difficult to effectively defeat them.
They gathered together.
"Let the second battalion in the north of the city seize back the Prime Minister's Mansion and Dongying!" Qin Qi ordered loudly.
Yan Liang and Wen Chou's troops had already been transferred back to the south from the north of the city. With subsequent reinforcements, the Jizhou Army firmly occupied the key points in the city, and then relied on its superior strength to launch a brutal encirclement against the Yanzhou Army.
The sound of fighting in the city continued from morning to night. After the Jizhou army captured the four city walls, they swept away the Yanzhou soldiers one by one.
First, the sudden attack of the Jizhou army caused great panic to the Yanzhou defenders. Then, the instantaneous city gate fell, which was an even greater blow to the Yanzhou soldiers. At this time, the people in the city were panicked, and the Yanzhou army's will to resist had been weakened. When they entered the city, the Jizhou army's momentum was high, and the Yanzhou army was at an absolute disadvantage.
The various units of the Jizhou Army took turns fighting, and the fighting continued from nightfall to dawn. Although the soldiers were tired, most of Xuchang City was already in the hands of the Jizhou Army, so their morale was high.
At dawn, a large number of Yanzhou soldiers returned and surrendered.
"Report, Han Fu led his troops to surrender to the Jizhou Army." The messenger reported.
Mao Jie, who was standing guard in the north of the city, staggered. Xun Yu was also extremely anxious and did not expect this. . . . . . .
"Brothers, surrender to the general!"
"Distributing food here, the general treats us preferentially!"
"You can go home after surrender!" The people in the south kept shouting surrender, which disturbed the defenders in the north of the city.
Xun Yu knew that he was defeated and his morale was low. Even if he still had more than 3,000 soldiers, he could not withstand the Jizhou army's tidal offensive. The situation was over. Prime Minister Wen Ruo tried his best.
"Tick-tock!" A group of cavalry drove out from the Jizhou Army on the opposite side, and a burst of shouting came: "Wen Ruo, in order for the people in the city to avoid being killed by the soldiers, you should let the soldiers abandon their weapons!"
Seeing Yuan Xi surrounded by people outside the city trying to persuade him to surrender, Xun Yu felt indescribably sad and unwilling.
Then, a Huangmen official came out, holding an imperial edict and reading: "Order Xun Wenruo to gather his troops and return them to the command of General Yuan Xi, otherwise he will be punished for treason!"
Xun Yu was touched in his heart. He hadn't heard the previous voice for a long time, but he remembered that it was the voice of a classmate and friend, and the edict was too cruel. The last thing Xun Yu wanted to do was to bear such a crime. He smiled bitterly, stood up without fear, and walked out of the street regardless of the soldiers' obstruction.
"Fengxiao, is the general here?" Xun Yu asked.
"Brother Wen Ruo, I am Yuan Xianyi!" Another voice slowly came out.
Xun Yu smiled bitterly and shook his head and said, "I hope that the general will put the people of the country first, treat them kindly, and assist His Majesty in supporting the country!"
"Haha!" A burst of hearty laughter came out, "Of course this is what I have to do, but I also need Brother Wenruo to restrain your troops. Also, this is my guarantee with Brother Wenruo, if Wenruo If brother is no longer here, this promise will not count."
These words hit Xun Yu in his heart. He originally wanted his soldiers to commit suicide after surrendering to report Cao Cao's kindness.
Xun Yu had no choice but to turn around and let someone give him the order to surrender. The infantry of the Jizhou Army slowly moved out to deal with the surrender matters.
Mao Jie came to Xun Yu's side and looked at Yuan Xi and others who were riding out with complex eyes.
"Wen Ruo! What should I call this gentleman?" Yuan Xi pointed at Mao Jie and asked Xun Yu.
"Chen Liu is from Mao Jie, Mao Xiaoxian." Mao Jie replied.
"Oh, it turns out to be Mr. Mao, a famous person whom I have admired for a long time. Although it is our first time meeting you, I think Mr. Mao is indeed as elegant as the rumors. He is truly an outstanding celebrity." Yuan Xi said with a faint smile.
Mao Jie sighed. Asked: "I don't understand. Duke Cao wrote a letter saying that General Wuchao's rations were burned, and Yecheng was occupied by Yuan Shang. But instead of returning to the army to quell the rebellion, the General used such a move to attack. Really good Vigor.”
"Go where you don't want to go, go where you don't expect. Sir, you should understand the truth of this." Yuan Xi said with a smile and continued, "Moreover, Yuan Shang's rebellion and Wuchao's grain harvesting were just a trap set up by me. For It’s just to lure Cao Cao into the urn!”
Xun Yu was shocked and said, "Is this your design?"
Guo Jia waved his fan and said with a smile, "Yuan Shang thinks he is smart and tolerant, but he doesn't know that he has been under the surveillance of the young master's secret guards, and even some of his servants were arranged by the young master. And do you think why his old subordinates are so lucky?" Staying in Yecheng was something we had arranged in advance.
, setting up such a sweet potato, are you still afraid that Yuan Shang won't take the bait? How stupid! "
Xun Yu's heart trembled. This was really a good plan, and it not only made Cao Cao think that Ye City had fallen. He also lured out Yuan Shang's uneasy factor and solved it together without leaving any further trouble.
"Then the Wuchao incident was also planned by you?" Mao Jie asked aloud.
"Well, in order to annihilate Lu Bu and Cao Cao's cavalry, of course, the most important thing is to make Cao Cao think that our army is trapped front and rear and does not have much food. Only in this way can we lure him away from Guandu." Guo Jia explained.
"What a courage and skill!" Mao Jie sighed.
"Actually, it's not all military rations. It's only one-third of the food outside. The inside is all sawdust. Of course, Cao Chun and Lu Bu couldn't open the packages and check them, so they took it for granted!" Guo Jia used a fan. Cover your mouth and laugh.
Xun Yu couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Hebei has many soldiers and enough food. It has been cultivated for nearly three years. Moreover, your resourcefulness is better than mine. We did not lose unjustly!"
"Actually, the Jizhou Army is continuing the stalemate in Guandu. As time goes by, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to resist. The general took the initiative from the beginning." Mao Jie said. t.
"That's not the case!" Yuan Xi denied. "Yanzhou has few soldiers, but with the ingenuity of Cao Cao and others, it is possible to retreat to Xu County and Chenliu and hold on. If we don't use surprise troops, we will have to pay more soldiers, money and food to win, and I can't afford to wait!"
"The general is anxious?" Xun Yu asked.
"Yes!" Yuan Xi pointed to the sky and said slowly, "Now, except for the powerful enemy Cao Cao, there are Ma family in Guanzhong, Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, Liu Zhang in Shu, Sun family in Jiangdong, and Liu Biao in Jingzhou. If the war continues, Year by year, if it goes on, how many people will die in the war, and how many villagers and people will be unable to settle their family property and property. I can't afford to wait, and neither can the world."
"Back then, I saw that Xianyi had great ambitions in you. I never expected that you are really a hero, and you still have Fengxiao's unique vision." Xun Yu sighed, seeming to reminisce, but also regretting.
"Wen Ruo, now that the young master occupies Hebei, the Central Plains is also within easy reach. We need the help of a person with the ability to govern the world, why not." Guo Jia advised.
"As a filial piety!" Xun Yu interrupted Guo Jia's persuasion, "You know what kind of person I am. A loyal minister has nothing to do with the two masters. It doesn't matter if the general wants to kill or detain me, but I will never betray Duke Cao."
"Sir, please take care of Wen Ruo and Mr. Mao first." Guo Jia persuaded.
"I just hope that the general will not embarrass Duke Cao and his family members in Xu County for the sake of their old friendship," Xun Yu said.
Yuan Xi nodded and asked the soldiers to take them down.
