People are in high spirits during happy events, marrying a wife and celebrating the New Year.
The spring of the thirteenth year of Jian'an was the real spring for Liu Qi, with the intoxicating spring breeze and boundless spring scenery.
In addition to practicing swordsmanship every day, he went out and planted flowers with his three wives, and his life was full of joy.
Jiangdong's initiative to form a marriage also made Jingzhou feel proud and proud. In recent years, life has been really suffocating. This also shows how incompetent Cai Mao is in commanding the army.
On this day of traveling on the river, Du Ling'er was cooking wine in the cabin, while Liu Qi and Xu Shu were fishing at the stern of the boat. The vast expanse of blue waves was filled with merchant ships coming and going.
Liu Qi asked: "Xiangyang worked carefully, but have everything been found out?"
Xu Shu smiled and said: "Except for those who should stay, the rest have been eliminated."
Since the assassination of Wu Ling, while strengthening his bodyguards, Liu Qi also realized that Xiangyang was rampant and they knew his whereabouts well.
This period of time seems to be doing nothing, but in fact it is attracting those who are careful to make their own bait, and Xu Shu is the fisherman, catching them all in one catch.
Liu Qi said: "Cao Cao was defeated last year. He has a grudge. He has been working hard for several months. He will definitely start fighting again. Only by removing the informants in the city can he calmly face the enemy."
Although Nanyang was victorious, Cao's army was still the most powerful and could not be competed by Jingzhou, so it should not be taken lightly.
Xu Shu said: "Cao Cao's army has recently mobilized to Runan. I believe that Cao Cao wants to send troops to Huainan to intimidate Jiangdong. If there is another chaos in Guanzhong and there is no time to go south, the general should take the opportunity to plan a plan to enter Sichuan."
"Into Sichuan?" Liu Qi frowned and said: "Yizhou is dangerous and solid, and the soldiers are well-prepared. Although Liu Zhang is weak, the Shu people cannot be underestimated. What's more, Liu Zhang and I are kin. If we launch an army for no reason, brothers and sisters will kill each other, fearing that the people will not be happy." Shun, it’s hard to move even an inch after entering Sichuan.”
Xu Shu said: "General, do you still remember Yuan Shao's capture of Jizhou? Now Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang are at odds with each other and have been fighting for several years. Why not secretly contact him and divide Yizhou together. Zhang Lu was frightened by Ma Teng and kept his mind right. If there is unrest, we will gladly send troops. If Liu Zhang comes to ask for help, he can take advantage of the opportunity to enter."
"This plan is feasible..." Liu Qi pondered for a moment, "but we have no contact with Zhang Lusu, so I'm afraid he may not believe it."
Xu Shu smiled and said: "Zhang Lu has a counselor named Yang Song. He is very greedy for money and forgets his integrity when he sees profit. He is despised by the Hanzhong people. Just because he is the leader of the Yang family, he dares to be angry and dare not speak out. If you can bribe this person, It will definitely happen.”
"Great idea!" Liu Qi slapped his thigh, causing ripples to appear on the water's surface, and the fish that had just gathered disappeared instantly.
Xu Shu shook his head and sighed: "The fish slipped away."
Liu Qi laughed and said: "Although I lost a small fish, I gained a big fish. If I get help from this person, I might as well plot Hanzhong."
"Hanzhong?" Xu Shu was surprised. He twisted his beard and thought: "If we win Hanzhong, we can level Longdong in the north and Xichuan in the south. When there is chaos in Guanzhong, we may not be able to get a share of the pie..."
"Let's go back and discuss with Kong Ming immediately!"
Suddenly thinking, Liu Qi couldn't sit still anymore, threw down the fishing rod and ran to the bow of the boat.
This Yang Song is a real villain. He alienated two tiger generals, Ma Chao and Pang De, and surrendered to Cao Liu. Later, he betrayed his master to seek glory. He really wanted money rather than his life.
If such a character is not utilized, it is simply a waste of talent.
…
When the glacier thawed, Cao Jun in Wuguan couldn't wait to send troops to clear the obstacles on the road.
Xu Huang once again led his troops, well prepared, and set up three large camps outside the pass. He ordered the three armies not to stop and captured Wuguan in one go.
Above Wuguan, Wei Yan has not been idle this winter. He has stepped up training of men and horses, and also mobilized defensive equipment from Nanyang to make sufficient preparations.
The Jingzhou army was in a tight formation, densely packed with bows and crossbows, and the defenders were stationed at critical moments. There were piles of rolling stones, ash bottles, and wooden blocks, and boiling oil and boiling water were burning at the foot of the wall.
As the drums in Cao Jun's camp shook the sky, flags fluttered in each camp, and people shouted and horses neighed, Cao Jun set up ladders, rushed chariots, and began to attack the city.
Xu Huang personally supervised the formation, using cavalry to guard the two wings, infantry to suppress the formation, and archers to suppress the defenders on the city.
At the same time, dozens of tall wells and catapults also moved forward slowly, and the rams formed a long queue and moved forward one by one.
Cao Jun had been fighting Yuan Jun in Guandu for many years. He was experienced in offensive and defensive warfare and ranked first among the princes in terms of improvements in equipment. Xu Huang had experienced the battle himself and had experience.
More than two thousand Cao's troops carried the ladders forward and gradually pressed in along with the well gates and catapults.
Amid the thundering drums, flags were waving, the archers on the well gate suppressed the city defenders, and the catapults began to creak.
In the blink of an eye, stones the size of washbasins flew up to the top of the city with a roaring sound. Some smashed on the city wall, and some fell into the city. A round of stone rain fell from the sky.
Although adequate preparations were made and barriers were set up with wooden boards, cooked cowhide, linen, etc., some soldiers were still hit by falling rocks, some were killed on the spot, and the injured screamed in agony.
Wei Yan watched the battle indifferently with his sword in hand, indifferent to the screams around him. Cao's army had enough weapons and equipment, and it was indeed extraordinary.
However, the catapult was only to disrupt the defenders' formation. Once Cao Jun charged, the catapult would be useless, and Jinglan would be the real threat.
Sure enough, the stones were used up after two rounds of attacks. Cao Jun was busy with stones in the rear. The siege soldiers carrying the ladders began to sprint, and the archers on the well railing also began to release arrows.
"Fire the arrows!" Wei Yan looked sternly, and when he saw that Cao Jun was twenty or thirty steps away from the city wall, he gave the order in a deep voice.
The arrows in the sky were like spring rain about to fall, and Cao's troops fell down one after another. In the first round of charge, only a few people rushed to the bottom of the city, and not a single ladder was put up on the city wall.
But Cao Jun did not flinch, and the rear troops who had already arranged their order immediately followed up, rushing over in wave after wave, trampling on the corpses of their companions, and rushing towards the bottom of the city.
In the blink of an eye, a river of blood had formed under Wuguan. It was scarlet and pungent. The blood flowed along the cliff to Juejian. Looking from a distance, the cliff was a bright red, like hell.
Amidst the sound of drums and horns, screams were heard endlessly, and many defenders fell on the city. Cao Jun's archers pressed against the city wall, and the soldiers on the well fence were the greatest threat.
Wei Yan was targeted and fired several arrows, but was blocked by his own soldiers with shields. Wei Yan was furious, took his bow and arrows and shot at the soldiers on the well railing, but one man's power was limited after all, and the effect was very little.
After several rounds of charges, Cao's troops in the rear fought one after another. Finally, someone rushed under the city wall and stood on the ladder, but no one could climb up.
The selected Cao soldiers could only grit their teeth and charge forward. Behind them stood a row of warlords holding steel knives. Anyone who dared to hesitate or retreat would be beheaded immediately.
If you fight to the death and get to the city first, you will be able to make meritorious deeds. You may be promoted with one meritorious service, and you will never have to charge into battle again.
If unfortunately he died in battle, the court would also provide a pension to ensure that his family would have enough food and clothing.
If you dare to retreat, even if you are lucky enough to survive, you will be punished, and the same crime is beheading.
Rumble——
Under the cover of the archers, while the infantry charged, Cao Jun's charge slowly moved forward, like a moving fortress, reaching the gate.
The ram was huge and heavy, its wings were protected by steel plates, and soldiers could be hidden underneath. They pushed the ram towards the city gate.
boom--
The car slammed into the city gate so hard that the entire city wall trembled, but the door was made of pig iron and did not move at all.
Xu Huang gritted his teeth with hatred. This gate was the same iron gate that Cao Cao replaced when he built Tongguan. Today, it was a trap for him.
