In the evening, a group of crows rose from the battlefield and headed north together, causing a group of sergeants of the Deposed Dragon Army who were cleaning the battlefield and repairing fortifications to look up in surprise. However, the crows disappeared into the night sky in a moment, and some of their crows gradually disappeared. The sergeants finally gathered their minds and focused on their work again.
Before dark, after Chief Zhang led almost all the highly cultivated leaders to fight hard and fell into a confrontation, Xu Shiying took over the Niuda camp in time, and Ma Wei organized Wang Xiongdan and Zhou Xingfan to lead troops to attack the camp. On the east side of the river, we recaptured the main camp and squeezed Bai Liben and his two battalions of the Taiyuan Army. In the end, the enemy army was unable to advance further and had no choice but to retreat after dark, thus bringing today's battle to a temporary end.
After this battle, the morale in the camp seemed to be slightly improved, but at night, it seemed a little low again.
This is something that can't be helped... For the middle and lower-level soldiers in the army, this battle is too hasty. Their reference position is still the large-scale march into the prosperous land in southwest Hebei a month ago. At most, it is a counterattack by the Dongdu army. , even though it was specially explained before the war, this turn is relatively slow, so facing today's hard battle to defend, I can't help but feel a little frustrated; and for the middle and upper levels of the army, they know the situation better, so Many people were feeling despair and uneasiness before, but today they were excited to see the great formation taking effect. Chief Zhang held the treasure in his hand and was evenly matched with King Xiongtian and others. However, by the same token, they soon saw that A new question has arrived.
"Can we take the opportunity to escape tonight?" Xu Shiying asked seriously, surrounded by a brazier in the Chinese army's tent.
At this time, the leader of the Deposed Dragon Gang was holding one of Xiong Bonan's hands in his own, using the immortal energy to warm it.
"No." It was King Xiongtian who answered Xu Dalang. The highest combat power of the Deposed Dragon Gang took his hand back and raised it high, then looked around and said seriously. "You all saw it today. Without this formation, we might not even be able to stop the Taiyuan Army, let alone Bai Hengqiu, who can lose four pieces in a row. And this formation is set up based on this camp. , so once he sets off, he will catch up with him..."
"He was the only one to catch up, so we just scattered and ran away." Xu Shiying followed quickly, as if he had other considerations. "It can be seen from today's battle that the Guanlong disciples from Bai Hengqiu to the army are not willing to fight with us at all. Their minds are still in Guanxi, and they just want to give us a hard blow. Now we By stopping them and showing our strength, everyone here in Hebei will know what they are doing. Once they leave, we will just clean up the situation."
"If that's the case, it would be better to escape before, but why didn't you escape before?" Some unshaven Zhou Xingfan asked seriously. In three and a half years, he was completely different from the aristocratic disciple who followed Zhang Baishou.
"The reason we didn't escape before was because we didn't prove our ability before, or we didn't know whether we could stop the other party." Xu Shiying blurted out. "Now it seems that I have this ability. That's enough. You can leave. If you don't leave..."
"What will happen if you don't leave?" Niuda, with bloodstains on his face, interrupted him coldly.
"You will be beaten to death!" Xu Shiying said sternly. "The King of Heaven made it clear that if we don't leave and can only guard this formation, then I'm afraid the chief will not be able to leave even the central army, and the others will also have to stay in place... Don't look at the other party's retreat today, then Bai Hengqiu We can’t get in, but as long as the other side traps us, let alone the rebellion between Xue Changxiong’s soldiers and the Cui family, as long as they can withstand the reinforcements and logistics, I’m afraid we will be eaten alive.”
"What you said is inconsistent." Niu Da still retorted coldly. "You just said that the old thieves are in Kansai and they want to leave, so why can't we defeat them?"
Xu Shiying opened his mouth silently.
Wang Shuyong also frowned at this time: "Xu Dalang, what you said is indeed a bit unclear, and if you don't explain things clearly, you won't be able to convince people..."
"If you ask me, there is no need to say what happened in the past. Anyway, it has passed and it has been defended. This shows that it was right to stay at that time." Xu Shiren also said beside him. "Let's just say now, now is to defend or leave... The disadvantages of keeping have been made clear by Chief Xu. If you are surrounded and bet, you are likely to be consumed to death. What about the disadvantages of leaving?"
As Xu Shiren spoke, he actually looked at Ma Wei, who was a little sluggish. The latter was assigned to the Jia Yue camp at the rear early because of his low cultivation level, but he still participated in the command and dispatch of the war in the end. More vocal.
Ma Wei also saw Xu Shiren's gaze. He hesitated for a moment and was about to speak, but unexpectedly someone took over directly.
"The bad thing about leaving is that the entire army will be wiped out!" Cui Suchen said astonishingly, leaning on a pillar in the Chinese army's tent. "At least the whole army is annihilated now."
Everyone was surprised, but unlike the previous arguments and discussions, no one spoke to each other at this time... First, they had just learned that Cui Erlang returned due to the rebellion of the Cui family in Qinghe, and that he had risked his life this afternoon. Yes, I really admire him; secondly, this man is usually taciturn and seldom speaks, but when he spoke at this moment, everyone present was very thoughtful. They instantly remembered that he was the supervisor of the Xuzhou camp, Sima. , is someone who understands military matters.
"What did Manager Cui say?" After a while, Xiong Bonan came to ask again.
"It's very simple. At this time, the enemy army, mainly the Taiyuan Army, has no reason to be completely discouraged and no longer obey the command because of the setback in the first battle. Moreover, it is several miles away. There is also the Dongdu Army. At that time, there is no reason. I will stand by and watch while they get closer." Cui Suchen said seriously. "So, the previous predicament is still there. As soon as we make a move, Bai Hengqiu will be pursued not just by Bai Hengqiu alone, but by an army several times our size. On the contrary, we are the ones who fled in all directions. The seven battalions of What will happen to the troops and all the preparations of the army?"
At this point, Cui Suchen looked at Zhou Xingfan: "Brother Zhou, we were unwilling to leave before because we were afraid that we would collapse as soon as we left... Everyone said that we could wait until Bai Hengqiu left before sorting out the situation and people's hearts, but people's hearts and the situation are... It changes according to how we respond. The better we do, the easier it will be to deal with the situation. If we don't do well, it will be out of control... That's why Leader Xu has this idea. He is I want to say that we have done well enough and there is no need to continue taking risks!”
"And your Excellency means that we can continue to defend?" Xu Shiying said impatiently. "Then I will only say two points... First, keep on guarding. We have managed to hold on ourselves, but people outside don't know how hard we have worked. When Xue Changxiong and those people come, they will surround us. If the water is blocked, outsiders will only think that we are locked up and cut off from news, and then people's hearts will grow and we will not be able to control it. Secondly, we only had a few days to transport food, and there is not enough food here, that is, half a month's worth of food. It can only take half a month if you want to..."
"I understand." Zhou Xingfan suddenly interrupted Xu Shiying. "It's just a decision... It's the lesser of two harms. If you stay, there will be a lot of things that are even more difficult. But if you leave, it means only a few people in this room leave, these seven battalions and hundreds of preparations I’m afraid there will be no results…is this what you mean?”
Xu Shiying said nothing.
"If this is the case, I won't leave." Zhou Xingfan sighed. "It's not that I'm afraid of death, but that although I don't have the ability to condense the essence and leap, my family background is there. There is still my uncle over there in Huangzhou, but he is completely defeated. Those acquaintances across the street will always spare my life, but Where are my subordinates? I just took over this armored cavalry battalion, and I suffered so many chess pieces in today's battle, with so many casualties..."
"Then I won't leave either." Wu Jingfeng also said while holding his chin.
"But if we run out of food, don't we have to do this again?" Xu Shiying tried his best to remind.
"What nonsense is Xu Dalang talking about?" Wang Shuyong finally hugged him and scolded him. Under the firelight, everyone had relatively high cultivation. They had already seen that the fingers of his right hand were shaking, and knew that he was hugging him to cover up. "No matter what happens in the future, will it be as difficult as today? Today has passed, can't I endure it in the future? Even if I break out later, it won't be as difficult as escaping now, right? Why can't we wait for half a month to run out of food or ten or eight days? Will you leave again tomorrow?"
Xu Shiying hesitated to speak, then glanced at the people present, then suddenly sighed, but then stopped at Zhang Xing.
"Within the gang, it's inappropriate to call me brother or address you by your position." Zhang Xing, who had been checking the list of dead members, raised his head, but did not directly ask the most important question. Instead, he seriously reminded him of the title issue. .
Many people were a little confused, but Xu Shiying himself said that "Your Excellency" was originally angry, but he suddenly realized that he had no choice but to nod and admit his mistake: "I was negligent."
"This is where Xu Dalang raised the issue of whether to leave or defend. Should we raise our hands or should I directly make the decision on military affairs as the military commander?" Zhang Xing then looked around and asked.
Xu Shiying had already come to a conclusion and did not want to argue, so she immediately replied: "Chief, let's make the decision!"
Wang Shuyong, Niu Da, Jia Yue, and Zhou Xingfan immediately nodded, and Zhang Xing was not polite: "Shou!"
Everyone was relieved, and Xu Shiying didn't say anything anymore. He had seen clearly just now that Wang Shuyong and Niu Da had decided to stay and continue wrestling with each other. Xiong Bonan also had a vague feeling; Wu Jingfeng and Zhou Xingfan might not continue. Although he was willing to fight, he was unwilling to retreat for some reasons; Cui Suchen was completely opposed to him... and these people basically defended that side.
Among the remaining people, Jia Yue, Wang Xiongdan, and Jia Runshi did not express their opinions and followed Zhang Xing. Ma Wei and Xu Shiren may be hesitant, but in fact they will follow the coach's decision.
Therefore, when Zhang Xingyi said he would keep it, he would naturally keep it.
"I still have to say a few words to explain." Zhang Xing glanced at the only person who strongly requested to retreat, and turned to speak seriously.
"First, Bai Hengqiu used the Guanlong disciples to control the Taiyuan army and brought other soldiers and horses hostage. The most powerful thing is the tyranny of force. We have overcome this. Compared with politics, Bai Hengqiu does not have an advantage here in Hebei. Nothing could be worse than today, or even something to look forward to;
"Secondly, escaping and cleaning up the situation behind is indeed one way. We will leave when we have to, but staying here is also a way to calm people's hearts. The more soldiers and horses come to surround us, the more attention everyone will pay. The more we do, the more we can persist and show off our abilities;
"Thirdly, the seven battalions of elites and hundreds of ready generals are the foundation and core of our Deposed Dragon Army. If they are broken up, it means that their skills are inferior to others, but they cannot give up voluntarily! If you hold on, you may not be able to find someone who can escape unscathed. Way!"
"Finally." Zhang Xing finally looked back at Xu Shiying. "I know what all the people who are unwilling to defend are most worried about... Aren't they worried that if we people are gone, the people outside will fall apart? Will they rebel, surrender, or separate themselves to protect themselves? Isn't that right?"
No one said anything, but more than one person looked serious.
"Then let me tell you the last thing. I don't have much ability. I can't be good at anything. I have been rebelling for three and a half years. The only thing I have done is to bring everyone together in the gang. In fact, deposing the dragon There is so much help, and we are trapped here. There must be people outside who surrender, have other thoughts, and disobey orders... But I believe those are just a few. We have to believe in our peers and believe that there are people in the same column who are like us. There are more people with ambitions and ideas, and they can stabilize the situation." Zhang Xing said slowly. "That's the same thing. I believe they can withstand the test."
Everyone was silent.
"Now everyone returns to their respective camps." Zhang Xing urged. "Defend carefully to prepare for night attacks, and get enough rest."
Several generals and the big leaders who had arranged their places stood up one after another.
"The King of Heaven will stay here, and I will recuperate with you." Zhang Xing stretched out his hand and waved out the rich vitality of immortality.
Most people only heard about it, but most of them just glanced at it and left each other. Even Ma Wei and Cui Suchen also went to rest in the side tent. Only Xiong Bonan, Jia Runshi and other guards stayed.
Zhang Xing held down the opponent's arm and wrapped it with Changsheng Qi. He vaguely noticed the direction of the opponent's broken forearm bones and moved carefully.
After a pause, Xiong Bonan saw that there were not many people coming and going, and finally took the initiative to say: "Chief, so Xu Dalang actually knows everything, but he has determined that those outside can't stand the test and will fall apart. Do you want to get out first?"
"That's what he meant. To put it mildly, at least he thought that Hebei would be in chaos, and Henan would take the opportunity to establish its own entity, and then he would have to make a choice." Zhang Xing answered casually. "To put it more seriously, he might think that if he continues to hold on, even these ten or so people will fall apart."
"Chief, what you said is very good. I also want to keep my intention, and I believe you. It's just one thing..." King Xiongtian thought for a while and sighed. "What if, I mean what if, what if, as Xu Dalang fears, the outside really falls apart and cannot withstand the test?"
"It sounds like a broken jar, but in fact, if the whole Deposed Dragon Gang fell apart after we were surrounded for a while, then this gang wouldn't be worth what we do." Zhang Xing understated.
"What if it falls apart here too?"
"Then it's the same here, it's not worth mentioning."
"What happens after it's no longer worth mentioning? What happens after it falls apart?" Xiong Bonan couldn't rush him enough. "You have to do something, right?"
"After that, those of us who have not fallen apart, whether we are one person or two people, will start over again!" Zhang Xing still understated. "If the world is just like Bai Hengqiu, Cao Che, Xue Changxiong, and Luo Shu, then we should sort out the world and add some righteousness to it... In the final analysis, they are no match for us."
Xiong Bonan couldn't help but laugh.
At the same time, ten miles away, at the central military office of the Taiyuan-Wu'an camp, beside the brazier and in front of the chessboard, Bai Hengqiu put his palms in his hands and laughed: "Duke Duan lost!"
Duan Wei looked down for a long time, and then violently flipped the chessboard off, causing an uproar, but Bai Hengqiu, who was in the realm of a grand master, did not stop him.
"Mr. Bai lost today!" After overturning the chessboard, Duan Wei came forward confidently.
In the open space in front of the chessboard, the seven or eight dignitaries who had come to watch looked at each other in confusion. Even Li Ding couldn't help but raise his eyebrows... Without him, Duan Wei had something in his words.
"Mr. Duan is in trouble." Bai Hengqiu's expression remained unchanged and he smiled calmly. "The most taboo thing in Go is to focus on the corners of the moment and ignore the overall situation. The victory or defeat depends on the overall situation and the final count."
"That's right, that's right." Duan Wei also smiled. "Well said, well said... If you lose here in Hebei, you will lose. Guanxi is still stable. With Guanxi, you can retreat from the Wu clan, capture Bashu, and occupy the eastern capital. Hebei will be just a piece of meat by then. .”
"That's not what you said." Bai Hengqiu still smiled. "Here in Hebei, at least I am not prepared to let go of the enemy in person, and the chance of victory is certain."
"Are you sure about today's battle?" Duan Wei also calmed down slightly, but his joking attitude remained unchanged.
"Yes..." Bai Hengqiu did not hesitate. "The main thing today is that I didn't expect that Zhang San got the Fulong Seal, and he had some support from the local atmosphere in Hebei, so he naturally restrained me. There is nothing I can do about it. It was my mistake. But that's it, this kind of thing It is unlikely to happen again and again... The current situation is that once they try to escape or break out, they will not be able to form a large formation. Without a large formation, even if they have the Fulong Seal in their hands, they will not be able to fight against me, which means they will be completely defeated. ”
"At that time, the soldiers and horses of Dongdu will definitely not sit across the river and watch them escape. They will definitely resist them across the river." Duan Wei said sternly. "But what if they stand firm and hold on to the end?"
Bai Hengqiu laughed and turned to look at Li Ding: "Li Silang, tell me."
Li Ding stood with his hands tied and was extremely respectful to his benefactor: "Reporting to Duke Duan, the Deposed Dragon Gang probably got information during the march, and then suddenly decided to stop here and resist on the spot, so they only had two or three days to transfer supplies... I estimate that the camp’s rations are less than half a month.”
"Tsk!" Duan Wei immediately woke up. "Then we just need to keep an eye on them, wait for General Xue to arrive, and then wait for them to break out and annihilate them in one fell swoop?"
"Logically speaking, this should be the case, but Zhang San cannot be treated with common sense." Bai Hengqiu shook his head. "Mr. Duan, we can't hold back anymore!"
"oh?"
"I hope that the troops of the Eastern Capital can be divided into groups to sweep away the core territory of the Deposed Dragon Army. It is best to cut off the route of their reinforcements from the plains." Bai Hengqiu said sincerely. "We only need to leave four or five thousand people here to act as a police post and hold up across the river... Next, I will also build the camp forward. When General Xue and the troops from the northwest road arrive, we can really It’s completely blocked.”
"How many more days does Mr. Xue have?" Duan Wei asked seriously.
"Look at his speed. He's three days too fast, but four or five days too slow, right?"
"What kind of soldiers are there on the northwest road?"
"The three counties of Zhao, Xiangguo, and Changshan have more than 20,000 troops together. Feng Wuyi and Old Feng are the leaders."
"I see."
"It's not just that Dongdu's soldiers and horses are divided up. When they arrive, everyone surrounds them and then divides their forces uniformly. On the one hand, they go to capture the city and seize the territory, and on the other hand, they destroy the military forces outside the deposed dragon thief, and suppress it internally and externally. I believe that Zhang San and Xu Shiying are the Only one hero in ten thousand can persevere, but I don’t believe that the whole group of deposed dragon thieves can survive! But if the deposed dragon thieves are to disintegrate and divide, they will eventually be in trouble and leave in a hurry. It can be regarded as achieving their goal and the trip is worthwhile. "Bai Hengqiu's words became more sincere.
Duan Wei nodded repeatedly and shook his head again: "Mr. Bai, Mr. Bai, if you had arranged everyone well like this from the beginning and said nothing else, just to fight together today, how could you be forced to retreat? ?”
"Even if you come to fight today, you won't be able to survive. There is Xiong Bonan, Wu Jingfeng, Xu Shiren, and Xu Shiying are also very powerful." Bai Hengqiu said seriously.
"Then we have to wait until Mr. Xue arrives?"
"Yes, once Duke Xue arrives, we will also have Duke Huai Tong to attack together." Bai Hengqiu seemed to have already planned. "It's not just about military affairs, it's also about recruiting, alienating, and scheming... No matter who the deposed dragon thieves from outside surrender, they can be accepted as long as they raise the city and the troops. It's here, for example, Xu Shiren once served as Duan Gong's old subordinates and several generals. Colleagues, why can't we recruit them? There are also Wu Jingfeng and Zhou Xingfan. These two people only have enmity with the Cao family and are not the same as the deposed dragon thief. They can also give it a try. As long as these people come over and bring more troops, they can form a large formation. I can’t stand up if I can’t say it.”
Duan Wei nodded again and again, but this time he did not shake his head: "In this way, it can be considered that he has tried his best... Bai Gong is right, the biggest problem with the deposed dragon thief is that there are many good and bad ones. There are talented people like Zhang San, Xiong Bonan, and Xu Shiying. There are also many bandits, farmers, merchants, and powerful men who are easily swayed.”
Seeing that the other party finally agreed, Bai Hengqiu nodded: "Yes, Chen Bin is narrow-minded, Wei Xuanding is cynical, Dou Lide is reckless and ignorant, Li Shu is self-righteous, and the rest are ridiculous... none of them can be compared."
To be honest, even though Bai Hengqiu was so calm and unfazed by victory and defeat, tonight he invited Duan Wei over and allowed him to drop the chessboard, while he still had to explain his follow-up plan with a shy face. Asking the other party to cooperate is actually asking for help in a cowardly way.
I just lost the battle and am here to ask for help!
It's weird if it's not terrible.
Duan Wei on the other side finished thinking and finally felt that he had nothing to say. He glanced and saw someone. He couldn't help but feel a little moved in his heart and took the initiative to ask: "Li Silang!"
"Mr. Duan." Li Ding remained humble when facing his old boss and benefactor.
"You are a great talent in military affairs. Do you have anything to add?" Duan Wei asked seriously.
"Yes." Li Ding thought for a moment and immediately looked at Bai Hengqiu. "Mr. Bai, Zhang San only has half a month's food supply, but we have so many soldiers. It is estimated that there will be more than 100,000 soldiers together in the end. What will happen to the logistics and food supplies?"
Bai Hengqiu was stunned for a moment by the question, and then laughed: "Didn't Liyang Granary just open, and there were grains everywhere around it?"
Li Ding also smiled: "Duke Bai, you mean to send troops to plunder?"
Bai Hengqiu wanted to nod, but suddenly he realized: "Li Silang is worried that we will leave, can't you hold him back?"
"If I lose people's hearts, I will definitely be no match for Zhang San." Li Ding nodded immediately. "But with all due respect, I'm more worried that before I can take over, we will be manipulated by Zhang San because we have lost our hearts, and we will suffer big losses on the spot."
Bai Hengqiu disagreed: "According to your opinion, it is to be transferred from the remaining grain in Liyang warehouse? But for the transfer, the civilians must be recruited on the spot, right?"
Li Ding remained silent, but his attitude was already obvious.
If Bai Liben, Sun Shunde and others hadn't suffered so much today, they would have started laughing at him.
Dou Qi, on the other hand, said seriously: "We have to be careful, the people in Hebei are still suspicious of us, otherwise Zhang Xing would not have developed so fast in Hebei."
"I have an idea." Duan Wei suddenly said. "Just let Wuyang County transfer the grain. Let Yuan Baocun do it. Isn't he a court official? I am the Minister of the Ministry of War. I will give him the next official document and let him transfer it. We don't care!"
Anyway, someone from Hebei has to do this job, or come up with this thing... Not only Bai Hengqiu, Li Ding, and Dou Qi thought so, but facing Duan Wei, Bai Hengqiu wanted something from him, and Li Ding was Who would speak out about what others have promoted?
For a moment, everyone laughed.
(End of chapter)
