The Twelve King Kong's raid on Liyangcang, combined with the decisive action of the Dragon Gang after the adjustment was completed, and the naturally transmitted information from Henan, produced unexpected information fluctuations in Hebei and had a negative impact on the coalition forces in Hebei. Huge psychological impact.
But things don't always go one way.
It was as if almost on the same day that the incident happened, Xue Changxiong, the commander-in-chief of the Hebei March Army, arrived here with an army of 30,000 from Hejian.
Not only that, it was probably because of the stimulation of these messages that the coalition forces quickly launched chaotic and rapid military operations in response.
First of all, they urgently but on time and in accordance with the quantity, built forts and piled trenches to physically surround Zhang Xing's more than 10,000 deposed dragon gang elites. This huge simple project started in the morning and soon started. It blocked the last external communication gap on the north side of the Meihua Camp of the Deposed Dragon Gang, completely cutting off the core of the Deposed Dragon Gang from the outside world.
The siege that started today is completely different from the previous siege. Before, Zhang Xing and others were able to exchange information with the outside world. They just needed to take a detour and needed excellent riders and practitioners. They represented Chief Zhang, plus the Chief of Military Law, The instructions from the clerical department, the military department, and the several military leaders can still be effectively conveyed, and there is no doubt about their effectiveness.
And after that?
It might still be possible to send the message, but would it be ten times more difficult? And who can guarantee the integrity, reliability and safety of the messenger sent out in this case... So from now on, people inside and outside the encirclement may really have to do their own thing.
And once you truly take matters into your own hands, many things will change... Xu Shiying's worries, Li Shu's thoughts, Bai Hengqiu's expectations, including the initial chaos and out-of-control of the Deposed Dragon Gang's large army, are not all things that arise from the ground, because In the troubled times of the past hundreds of years, this kind of thing was too common. If the leader of a military group was injured, defeated, separated from the main force, and isolated by the military, the rest of the group would immediately elect a new leader, and the original When the leaders meet again, they often have to calculate things again.
It is more appropriate for the weak to admit defeat honestly and change their identities. The so-called ability to move up or down. When the Guanlong Group, the predecessor of the Wei Dynasty, was first established, there was actually such a successful example, but there were more cases of mergers, coups, imprisonment and civil war. .
There is no way around this, and the principle is obvious: an isolated leader cannot fulfill his duties, and his political commitments to the outside world will also become illusory.
If the leader of a political group is unable to fulfill his political responsibilities and make effective political commitments, his position will naturally become precarious.
In addition to improving the encirclement, the coalition forces also divided their forces on a large scale.
After the Hejian Army took over the defense on the west and north side of Qingzhang River, Dongdu Army General Ji Zeng led his troops across the river and turned back to the other side. Then he and General Zheng Shanye divided their troops into two groups, each leading 7,000 troops into the southeast of Qingzhang River in Qinghe County. The hinterland; the Taiyuan Army also divided its troops into 9,000 troops and divided them into three teams. Under the unified command of General Bai Liben, they headed towards Wuyang and Jijun behind them, as if to guard the grain road; in the end, the besieged Dragon Gang members What is unlikely to be known is that after Xue Changxiong's troops took over the cities to the west and north of the Qingzhang River, the Cui rebels, led by Shi Huaiming, would also participate in sweeping the Qinghe hinterland on the other side of the Qingzhang River.
Not to mention this, in the afternoon of this day, everyone could see clearly that another mighty army of troops came from the northwest of the battlefield and merged into the coalition camp.
Judging from the flags, they should be the vanguard of soldiers and horses from Zhaojun, Xiangguojun, Hengshan and other counties in northwest Hebei.
In other words, Feng Wuyi is here too.
As they watched the troops arrive, the generals of the Dragon Army who were standing on the watchtower, who had just watched the other side encircle the camp together, felt embarrassed for a moment.
Only one person suddenly laughed.
The expressionless Zhang Xing turned around and laughed too: "Ma Wei, it's true that the army is short of wine, but I'm afraid Feng Wuyi won't give you wine. Why are you so happy?"
"No." Ma Wei hugged him and laughed. "I just personally feel that if Xue Changxiong arrives, it will be really helpless, but if more people come, it will be beneficial to us. I can't help but laugh."
The people around him were not fools, and even up to this point, they were considered elites who had emerged from the troubled times. However, they quickly realized that Manager Ma was not simply trying to relieve everyone's mood. This Chiping wine student was indeed better than everyone else. A little sharper.
After all, Xue Changxiong has been a general for many years. Although he failed in the battle with the Deposed Dragon Gang, he was not discouraged by the defeat. The arrangement of troops and horses and the quality of the officers and soldiers below were also good. He himself brought 30,000 troops from the Hejian Camp. , which not only enriched the strength of the coalition forces and completed the siege, but also balanced the troops and horses of Taiyuan, Dongdu, and Wu'an, allowing the army to calmly send troops everywhere in an attempt to stabilize the situation.
But what’s the use of more people coming?
Is the encirclement wrapped a little thicker?
To put it bluntly, everyone has military experience. It is good to have more people, but too many people will make it difficult to command and leave gaps for others.
More powerful?
This may have a point. By now, everyone can see that Bai Hengqiu's trip to Hebei is not only to defeat the Deposed Dragon Gang, but also to take advantage of the opportunity to form an alliance and establish his own political advantage to ensure that Hebei will not lose control. , from this point of view, the people who come are somewhat submissive and bow their heads. Of course, the more the better.
And then, what's the use?
Maybe I just need to eat more food.
"It's indeed gratifying." Xu Shiying took the lead in nodding his head to express his approval. This one who was originally the most depressed among the generals is now in a stable mood. "The people in Hebei are mixed. Even the officers and soldiers have their own needs. It is impossible for them to unite just because of one alliance. The more people come, the more flaws there will be, and we will have opportunities."
Others nodded a lot, but none of them looked as calm as Xu Dalang.
"According to my humble opinion, the biggest problem with Bai Hengqiu's trip to Hebei is that he is too greedy." Cui Suchen also spoke seriously at this time. "He not only wanted to defeat our Deposed Dragon Gang, but also wanted to establish his position among the heroes of Hebei's army. He wanted to determine the situation in Hebei in one go, but he was defeated by us in the most important place... He didn't win the battle on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, and naturally, as the chief said before, it will only get more difficult."
Everyone nodded again, but still not calm enough.
Again, the situation seems to be a little better than the battle four or five days ago, but it is still at a huge disadvantage, because after all, they are encircled, and you are surrounded after all.
Especially the huge siege project in front of us and the number of soldiers and horses from all directions are really shocking.
While the trapped core members of the Deposed Dragon Army were looking at the spectacular situation of the coalition forces, the big shots from the coalition forces, including Bai Hengqiu and below, were also climbing up to watch the encirclement fortifications and discuss the war.
"In such a situation, do you really not want to attack once?" Duan Wei's expression was obviously no longer as calm as before, let alone the sense of joking, but he was still the most energetic among the generals. "Mr. Bai took the lead, and General Xue divided his troops to attack his side. They ended it in one battle. How could there be so much trouble?!"
Bai Hengqiu did not say a word, but looked at Xue Changxiong together with many generals.
General Xue was also very straightforward, and actually replied in public: "No, the Fulong Seal is there, and Mr. Bai can't do anything about it. I'm simply afraid of death! Hejian Camp has 30,000 sons and hundreds of generals tied to me. , I still have a few stupid sons... Without me, they will probably die without a burial place in the future. I personally raised troops today to participate in the siege. I have lived up to the conscience of the world and can even be regarded as a promise! This is the book from the future. You can't even say there's anything wrong with me."
Bai Hengqiu laughed when he heard this, Duan Wei sighed slightly, and many generals behind him were also silent.
Just like that, Bai Hengqiu finished laughing and twisted his beard into silence. The situation was awkward for a moment. Dou Qi, the general of the Chinese army, looked away from the Qingzhang water and suddenly said: "I have an idea. I don't know whether it is feasible or not. I don't know. If it is beneficial, please ask Ying Gong, Xue Gong, Duan Gong, and Li Fujun to help you with the details."
The people in front turned back together.
Bai Hengqiu nodded and said, "Come on."
"I'm taking the liberty of you." Dou Qi took a few steps forward and pointed at the opponent's camp. "Guys, please take a look, now the forts are built on three sides and connected to the river embankment. Does it look like a pond? The spring rains have been heavy in the past few days. Is it feasible to dig out the Zhangshui to flood the enemy camp? After all, if the army has no intention, Isn't it appropriate to take the initiative to attack and wait until the opponent's food and supplies are exhausted, their morale is low, and the camp cannot stand?"
The generals behind him were talking a lot when they heard the words, but the commanders of the armies in front of them who were in charge were mostly silent when they heard the words.
"It's not impossible, but it has both advantages and disadvantages." After a while, Xue Changxiong frowned. "The release of the water itself should be possible with more effort, and it will definitely cause damage to the opposite side, but the amount of water in the spring is probably not enough. Once the water is released, the enemy camp and surrounding areas will be turned into mud at most, and if this happens, not only will the Dragon Army be deposed. We were so trapped that we couldn't take action when necessary, and once the Qingzhang River was released, the downstream river would also be empty... At the end of the day, they gathered their elite troops, put on straw sandals in the middle of the night, and ran away from the river in the dark. We don’t even know how to chase!”
"It's not impossible." Duan Wei retorted, touching his chin. "The worst we can do is occupy the river embankment. Just be careful about protection... Mainly because once the water is released, damage to the other party is inevitable, and our difficulties are all possible. It's not impossible to avoid it if we work harder."
Xue Changxiong shook his head repeatedly: "You underestimate Zhang Xing, you can't bet on this kind of thing."
Bai Hengqiu was about to speak, but suddenly he shut up again, and Xue Changxiong and others also shut up.
And sure enough, after a moment, everyone could see clearly that several cavalry from the vanguard of the three northwest counties that had just arrived were galloping along the road in the camp. They arrived in front of them in a moment. With the flag, it was the Xiangguo County under Li Ding's command. Duwei Gaoshi Province.
Gao Shisheng came to the front, bowed respectfully, and after completing the greetings, he took out a letter from his arms: "Feng Gong, Wang Gong, Wang and General Qi are behind. They will arrive tomorrow. Feng Gong wrote a special letter. Let me forward the letter to Mr. Bai."
Feng Gong is Feng Wuyi. The Feng family in Changle was born in the imperial court and made a fortune. He is currently the prefect of Zhao County jointly appointed by Zhang Xing and others. The prince is Wang Huaitong. Bai Hengqiu sent out to contact all parties in Hebei, including the masters and literary cultivators of Jin. All over Hebei and Jin; Wang and General Qi refer to Wang Chenkuo and Qi Ze, the captain of Zhao County, who occupied Hengshan County. Among them, Wang Chenkuo is also the clan brother of Wang Chenxing, the general under Li Ding... just like the Gaoshi Province and Gao Shitong in front of us. Gao Shizhan was just like a relative, while Qi Ze was a local tycoon who had rebelled.
This is the complicated situation in Hebei.
There is me among you, and you among me. Countless characters, based on their own positions, experiences, ambitions, likes and dislikes, are entangled with each other along the two main lines of the official army and the rebel army.
Of course, these are all idle talk, and people like Bai, Duan, Xue, and Li would not think about them at this time.
Bai Hengqiu was the first to read the letter, his expression remained unchanged, and he only handed the letter to Duan Wei. Duan Shangshu, after reading the letter, did not give it to Xue Changxiong or Li Ding at all. Instead, he tore it into pieces on the spot, threw it in the wind, and then scolded him sternly. , or complain:
"Old Feng actually persuaded us to stop the army? Is he crazy? Can't tell where he is sitting? Even someone like Cui Suan, who has not received the slightest favor from the Wei Dynasty, knows that he wants to follow us. He will make a fortune in front of the emperor. Yes, why are you so careless?!"
The generals and staff officers below were stunned for a moment, but they didn't dare to interrupt.
"Not bad." Xue Changxiong frowned and said. "It's not that we can't talk, but as the saying goes, the arrow has to be fired when it is on the string. Now the first arrow has been shot. No matter what, it is time to wait until the quiver is empty and see the results clearly before talking."
"So just ignore it." Bai Hengqiu was calm and composed. "Besides, Old Feng Jiu is a person who knows the right and wrong in front of the emperor. Such words are just his own character. To express his position, it doesn't have to be like this. Otherwise, why would it be just a letter? He might as well not come...and he There’s nothing we can do.”
At the end of the sentence, he was a bit domineering.
"Then Feng Gong can arrive with the main force early tomorrow morning. Do you want him to attach a annex camp or participate in the siege?" After listening carefully to the three words, Li Ding just raised his sword and spoke. It was also the first time he spoke actively this afternoon.
"Indeed." Xue Changxiong frowned when he heard this. "It's not just about Lao Feng's personal attitude. He and the soldiers from the three northwest counties who came this time are also from mixed sources and weak in combat strength... If you ask me, just don't let him come at all, and just let them station in the Jingcheng area. , which can be regarded as taking care of his face."
Jingcheng, not even Zongcheng, was a full forty or fifty miles away from the battlefield.
"What do Li Silang think?" Bai Hengqiu was thoughtful, but then looked at Li Ding.
"Participate in the siege, and give him a corner of the position... If he comes from the northwest, just give him the northwest side of the position." Li Ding did not hesitate, as if he had already had an idea. "It's like Duke Xue comes from the northeast, and the defense of the north and northeast belongs to Duke Xue. Don't do anything."
Not to mention others, only the few generals who boarded the civil platform to build a watchtower to observe the situation, including Dou Qi who had just come up, all woke up instantly.
"Okay." Duan Wei came back to his senses and smiled first. "Then let Lao Feng do it step by step...young people are quick to respond."
Xue Changxiong also nodded.
Bai Hengqiu glanced at Li Ding, whose expression remained unchanged, and couldn't help but laugh: "It is true that Li Silang has thought carefully, which is better than being flooded."
The reason is very simple. The first is political unity, and the second is to set a trap... The so-called knowing Feng Wuyi's political stance and knowing that this army is the weakest will make him enlightened and he can use his plan. As long as Feng Wuyi is in control. Place a pocket behind the defense area, or use the shelter of the barracks to make preparations for placing the pocket. If the Dragon Army really wants to break out and escape from here, it will be a dead end.
However, if it is designed in this way, it seems that the previous flooding strategy is no longer necessary, because flooding is really time-consuming and labor-intensive.
"Can Feng Wuyi make some arrangements?" Returning to the observation deck of the deposed dragon army's camp, Zhou Xingfan looked at the enemy camp in the distance and asked this question as expected.
"If we really need to dredge it up, it should be before he leaves. Now that he's here, what's the use of dredging it among the army?" Xu Shiying said disapprovingly.
"Xiao Zhou means that if it is cleared, it can be a place to go when necessary." Niu Da said seriously.
"Even if he agrees, will you dare to go?" Wang Shuyong also disagreed. "With so many soldiers and generals, once we have evil intentions, we will fall into a trap."
"When it's really a last resort, why not give it a try?" Xu Shiren discussed seriously.
"Instead of counting on Feng Wuyi, it is better to count on reinforcements from the north." Jia Yue rarely spoke. "Why are these people here? The original intention is to talk about the internal disputes in Hebei. They all have a real relationship with us as our enemies. Although they are not of the same mind as Bai Hengqiu, they are of the same mind as us? Only Beidi has only benefits to us. , there is no harm, you can count on..."
"Can the Northland make it in time?" Xu Shiying raised his eyebrows slightly.
"If Manager Xie is clear about it, Feng Wuyi, Luo Shu, and Xue Changxiong can just click and go to Beidi immediately, plus the people Bai Peixiong sent there before, it is almost enough." Jia Yue replied seriously.
"How many days does it take to calculate enough?" Xu Shiying asked seriously. "There are still ten days until the food is gone. Is this the date?"
"almost."
"How many soldiers can come?"
"How many soldiers can come at this time?" Jia Yue asked. "The key is to have a supporting force. The White Wolf Guard and Tieshan Guard gather their elite troops. A thousand men each will be enough..."
"If we talk about support, it's not like we don't have any. There are dozens of battalions outside! There are also many elites!" Wang Shuyong said angrily.
"But those officers and soldiers all know that, and they are keeping a close eye on them, but they don't know about Beidi's response."
"That makes some sense." Xu Shiying nodded and looked at Zhang Xing again. "Chief, when are we planning to break out?"
"Of course it depends on the situation." Zhang Xing also glanced at the other party. "When the opponent's situation is at its most difficult, or when we have good conditions, we can leave as soon as possible. For example, reinforcements from the North are coming, which is naturally a condition. It would be better if the opponent withdraws their troops... Are we really planning to starve here? Can you die?"
Xu Shiying nodded, relieved for a moment, and came back to the right answer: "They obviously want to build a strong camp and block the water. If we want to break out at any time, we don't have to hold on... Look at how hard they worked during the day, How about I lead my troops to dig camp tonight?"
Digging a camp is a very common tactic. When one party travels a long way to attack, or lacks followers and auxiliaries, or lacks time, the camp will be perfunctory, which in turn makes attacking the camp at night an advantage.
This kind of thing was particularly prominent in the previous hundreds of years of confrontation between the north and the south, because it was a rare and effective way for the south to deal with the northern cavalry attack tactics.
Of course, Xu Shiying's digging camp here is literally digging a camp, which means to interrupt the opponent's project and exhaust the opponent.
Of course there is nothing to say.
"Be careful," Zhang Xing warned. "Arrange your retreat. If you don't succeed, retreat immediately. Soldiers are precious. If your battalion is destroyed, our formation may not be able to rise."
"I know." Xu Shiying nodded immediately. "I worked so hard in the past few days just to maintain this. If I die, Wu Dalang will take my place. But if the soldiers and horses are gone, they will be gone... How about using as few practitioners as possible? Come back after digging."
"It's not impossible, but in this case, you still have to direct it yourself?" Zhang Xing continued to ask.
Xu Shiying was speechless, but after a moment, he retreated inexplicably: "How about not going? I'm afraid it would be inappropriate not to give orders."
"Why don't you go?!" At this moment, Xiong Bonan, who had not intervened to discuss the situation before, suddenly spoke. "I made it clear yesterday that we were the ones who won before, so we can't lose our momentum now. Taking the initiative to attack is a shock! Just go, I will back you up! I can bring you back no matter what!" "
"I'm going to raid the formation too." Wu Jingfeng, who was also speechless, also expressed his stance.
Xu Shiying was stunned for a moment, and forced herself not to look at Zhang Xing, but nodded immediately.
The matter was settled.
In this way, on the evening of that day, Xu Shiying carefully arranged and waited until late at night. Zhang Xing also led a group of Chinese army confidants to inspect the entire camp and returned to the Chinese army's tent... Theoretically, in order to start the battle at any time, he would not He should leave the Chinese Army.
As soon as he returned to the Chinese army's tent, he had just brought the bowls and had not eaten yet when a man came to visit him.
"What is this?" Zhang Xing looked at the things on the case in surprise.
"Is this the first time that Third Brother has seen this thing?" Zhou Xingfan was equally surprised. "I have them all, I don't believe others don't."
"That's not what I meant." Zhang Xing also laughed. "Others have it, but I didn't expect you to have it too..."
"Duan Weixin said in his letter that he was also anti-Wei, and there was no fundamental opposition between us. Even Cao Lin was dealt with by Bai Hengqiu, and we were all on the same side. Bai Hengqiu said in his letter that when Ping Chen was still with my father, We have a close relationship with Lai Gong. We all share the same palace and are ministers, so we have a close relationship and treat me as a nephew..." Xiao Zhou said thoughtfully. "The principles seem to be correct, and there is nothing to refute... But I don't know why, even if I put aside my loyalty and morality, I always feel that something is wrong."
"There could be something wrong. It's just that private grudges gradually blended into public grudges. When I looked back, I couldn't tell the difference between public and private, and I was a little confused." Zhang Xing still didn't accept the envelope, but just lowered his head to eat sorghum rice. "After all, everything starts with personal enmity from the beginning."
Under the swaying lights, Zhou Xingfan remained silent. He was only in his early twenties this year and already had several scars on his face. His skin was dark and he looked completely different from the aristocratic young man who followed Zhang Xing in Jing'an Taichung. .
After pausing for a moment, the person put aside all the extra thoughts and asked seriously: "Who else, besides me, has sent a letter of persuasion to surrender to Third Brother?"
Besides you, there are Wu Dalang, Xu Shiren, Niu Da, Wang Wulang and Cui Erlang. "Zhang Xing said one thing.
Xiao Zhou nodded: "That means King Xiongtian doesn't expect it, and Wang Xiongdan and Ma Wei don't know each other, right?"
Zhang Xing thought for a while and added: "Xu Dalang doesn't have it either, and he shouldn't expect it."
Zhou Xingfan narrowed his eyes: "Why?"
"It was only when we met that day that we realized that Xu Shiying was a talented person, but also powerful and cunning. Based on the past experience, we knew that this person was loyal and loyal. In addition, his brother-in-law Xiong Bonan was powerful and impressive. The two of them were actually Zhang Xing. I want to depose the bravery of the Dragon Gang, and I really don’t want to humiliate myself." In the Chinese army tent, the lights were brightly lit, and during the banquet, Bai Hengqiu raised his glass and explained to the generals. "Unexpectedly, these two people are nothing more than that. The other people like Wu Dalang and Zhou Xiaozi are also possessed, and they don't respond at all... Zhang Xing has the skills to control people, and he has heroes to help him. It seems that we I’ve lost my grace, but fortunately I’m completely under siege now, so it’s better to focus on things outside.”
Except for Li Ding, who looked a little strange unconsciously, the rest of the people, starting from Xue Changxiong and Duan Wei below, all nodded in disbelief.
After the banquet, more than an hour later, around midnight, Xu Shiying and Xu Dalang, wearing only leather armor and a short sword, finally walked out of the tent. He looked at the crescent moons above his head, and then looked around: "Everything is ready. ?"
The leader of the close personal guard came forward and reported: "Five hundred people, all wearing the official and military uniforms collected from the last war, and carrying hoes..."
"No need for a hoe." Xu Dalang was startled and gave the order seriously. "There must be no shortage of tools in the opponent's camp. We just pretend to be the opponent's soldiers and go there. Of course there are tools... Even if we don't, it's enough to go in and walk around and shout before leaving."
