Yan Yan was startled and shouted: "Who is so bold and dares to be rude to me?"
The man came to the top of the city and cursed angrily: "Old thief Yan Yan, others are afraid of you, but I, Ma Han, am not afraid of you!"
Yan Yan's face darkened. This man was originally a captain patrolling the city in Chengdu. He was once punished by him for being drunk and causing trouble. Now that he has been promoted to a general, he must have a grudge and refuse to surrender.
Seeing Yan Yan lowering his head and saying nothing, Ma Han thought he had a guilty conscience and sneered: "Hey, you old thief is seeking glory, today is the day you die!"
Yan Yan was furious, and was about to call him out of the city to fight, when he saw a horse galloping past Xiezili, heading straight to the moat. The man on the horse had a bow and arrow, and his long beard was flowing. It was Huang Zhong.
Ma Han came on horseback from such a long distance. He didn't care at all. He laughed and said, "Here comes another old thief. Liu Qi's subordinates are all these bad old men...ah——"
Before he finished speaking, he heard a scream and fell on his back. The defenders on the city were shocked when they saw an arrow stuck between his eyebrows and piercing the back of his head. They all crouched behind the battlements.
"Han Sheng is indeed a great archer!" Yan Yan was stunned for a moment before clapping his hands in praise.
Although he was also a master of archery, he thought that he did not have such exquisite shooting skills. He accurately shot Mahan across the moat on a galloping horse. Huang Zhong's archery skills had reached the level of proficiency.
Huang Zhong circled his horse back, holding a long bow in his hand and coldly snorted: "Such an arrogant person, it is not a pity to die!"
The two were preparing to organize their troops to attack the city, but they saw the city gate open, and the county magistrate and officials came quickly, shouting across the moat: "General Yan, this was all done by Ma Han alone, and we have nothing to do with it."
Yan Yan appeased the officials, lowered the suspension bridge and led troops into the city. Except for Ma Han who was killed, the others did not hold anyone accountable. They sent troops to patrol the public security and report to Liu Pan.
…
Gan Ning had served as a meritorious officer in the Shu army and was very familiar with the terrain around Chengdu. He and Zhang He marched along the river, and the road was like an autumn wind sweeping leaves.
The two went straight to Qianwei County to govern Wuyang. The navy occupied the dock and became a water village. Zhang He camped outside the city and pressured the defenders to surrender.
Seeing that the situation was over, Zhang Yi, the governor of Jianwei County, planned to surrender. At this moment, Liu Wei arrived with 20,000 reinforcements to fight the enemy on the south road.
Zhang Yi said: "The army in Jingzhou is strong and they are close to Chengdu. Liu Qi is kind-hearted and treats Yizhou soldiers well. It is better to comply with the destiny and not lose the success of the Han Dynasty. Standing stubbornly and resisting will only cost the lives of the soldiers and implicate the people."
Liu Quan said angrily: "Liu Qi turned against the guest and was spying on the lord's property. Everyone in Shu wanted to protect themselves and bowed down to accept surrender. How can this be done by a loyal minister? I was ordered to resist the enemy, so I should give my allegiance to him, and I will die!"
Zhang Yi frowned and said, "Liu Qi ordered Gan Ning and Zhang He to lead the army. The two generals are brave and good at fighting. I'm afraid it will be difficult for the general to fight against him."
Liu Quan laughed and said: "Hahaha, Gan Ning was just a bandit on the river back then. Although he once changed his evil ways and returned to the right way, his true nature was hard to change and he went out to Yizhou again. Such repeated bandits will be destroyed this time. "
Zhang Yi said: "Even if Gan Ning is not afraid, Zhang He is a famous general in Hebei and should not be underestimated."
Liu Quan became more and more disdainful: "Zhang He, a general who has been defeated repeatedly, has changed hands three times. He must have gained a reputation in vain. How can it be justified?"
Zhang Yi saw that Liu Quan was trying his best to lead the battle, so he couldn't persuade him anymore. He completed the military handover in the city and was only responsible for security patrols to appease people's hearts.
Liu Guan ordered his lieutenants Fu Jin and Xiang Cun to lead the troops and go to the city to observe the enemy's situation. They saw Zhang He's camp set up in the distance, flags fluttering, and the sound of fighting could be faintly heard from the camp. It must be that they were training troops.
Fu Jun said: "If the enemy enters the country and does not attack, it will be like waiting to be killed. I am willing to capture Zhang He and help the general defeat the enemy as soon as possible and pacify the territory."
"How magnificent!" Liu Suan, who was about to test Zhang He's ability, laughed and said, "If General Fu captures Zhang He, he can also persuade him to surrender. I will order him to be your general and make him an eagle and dog. He will go forward to defeat the enemy. He will make great achievements right before his eyes."
Fu Jin was overjoyed and led his troops out of the city to fight Zhang He. Liu Guang ordered Xiang Cun to defend the city and then respond. If Fu Jin won, he would attack the enemy camp in one go and relieve the crisis.
Zhang He was training troops and waiting for news. Suddenly there was a loud beating of drums in Wuyang City. He saw an army coming out to kill generals and went straight to the camp. They hurriedly sent orders to form a formation to meet the enemy.
The two armies spread out, Zhang He stood up with his sword drawn and shouted: "Are you coming to surrender?"
Fu Jin laughed and said: "Zhang He, could it be that you have surrendered many times and then used yourself to save others? I am here to capture you this time."
Zhang He was furious and charged out with his sword. Fu Jin urged his horse to meet the enemy. Before the two of them fought, Fu Jin was killed by the angry Zhang He. He was in a hurry and was in danger.
The broadsword was flying in front of his eyes, surrounded by cold light. He knew that the famous general in Hebei Province was worthy of his reputation. He hurriedly turned his horse to escape, with Zhang He in hot pursuit.
Fu Jin fled to the main formation and broke into chaos. The Shu army was in chaos, and the Jingzhou army followed closely. These were the elite of the Hebei army, and the trained Euphorbia soldiers were like tigers among sheep, invincible.
Fu Jin heard the sound of horse hooves behind him, and Zhang He chased him closer and closer, shouting in panic: "General Liu, save me, help me quickly -"
Liu Huang saw clearly from outside the city and was about to lead his troops to rescue him when he saw Zhang He raised his sword and fell, so he killed Fu Jin under his horse and led his troops to kill him at the city gate.
"Retreat!" Seeing that the morale of the Jingzhou army was so high, Liu Quan did not dare to make a move and led his troops to retreat.
When Zhang He caught up, the defenders on the city hurriedly pulled up the drawbridge and fired arrows. They could only watch the city gates closing. They set up their formations under the city and urged their horses to call for battle. Seeing that there was no response from the defenders, they had to retreat to the main camp.
Liu Quan returned to the city in a hurry and discussed with Xiang Cun: "Liu Qi's troops entered in separate groups. The people of Yizhou are panicked and their morale is low. They helped the general to underestimate the enemy and suffered another defeat. If we don't regain the city as soon as possible, the army may be demoralized."
Xiang Cun and Fu Jin were about the same strength, and he knew he was no match for Zhang He, so he said: "Zhang He is difficult to deal with. It is better to kill Gan Ning first and defeat the Jingzhou navy. Zhang He will be unable to support himself alone. He will retreat, and then take advantage of the situation to pursue him." I can avenge General Fu."
"This plan is very good!" Liu Quan was overjoyed and ordered: "General Xiang, guard the city carefully, wait until I get rid of Gan Ning, and then defeat Zhang He."
Xiang Cun cupped his fists and said, "My lord ordered the general to lead the troops to drive away the enemy. He should sit in charge of the central army and boost morale. It's just a matter of peace and quiet. At the end of the day, the general will take action and capture this thief."
Liu Huang was also worried that the morale of the troops in the city was unstable, so he sent 3,000 troops to Cun to ask for Gan Ning, and divided his troops to use a bluff to contain Zhang He's troops.
Gan Ning was meeting with Zhang Yi at the water village to discuss taking the city. Suddenly, Zhang He sent someone to report that reinforcements had arrived in Wuyang. The defenders were unwilling to surrender and had been killed by him, so be careful.
When Gan Ning heard that the other two groups of soldiers were about to meet up, the governor of Wuyang, who had originally promised to consider it, changed his mind and cursed: "Which turtle son ruined my good deeds?"
Zhang Yizheng was about to sneak into the city to find out the news. Su Fei entered the tent and said, "A troop of troops has come from the direction of Wuyang. I'm afraid the attackers are not good-natured."
Gan Ning snorted coldly: "It must be reinforcements who are coming to attack my water stronghold. If I tell him, he will never come back."
Zhang Yi said: "Why not capture this person and persuade him to surrender? No matter how sincere he is, I can blend into the rebel army and enter the city and act according to the opportunity."
Gan Ning followed his plan and ordered Su Fei and Samoko to ambush on the river bank, and led his troops out of the stronghold to meet the enemy.
