Li Yan was right, it was not them but the thieves in the city who should be anxious. The generals were worried that they would not succeed, but the thieves in the city found that the situation was becoming more and more unfavorable to them.
In particular, the thief general Cheng Niandong has become an ant on the hot pot and is on the verge of collapse.
His recent premonitions were very good. For example, the first wave of attacks launched by the officers and soldiers last night was something he expected, but it was unexpectedly ferocious. He thought it was just a test move, but he did not expect that the officers and soldiers actually surrounded the city and attacked from all four gates. He was unable to determine where the main attack point was for the moment, so he was in a hurry and almost collapsed. If it weren't for An Qingcheng's high walls and the blessing of Wengcheng, last night's battle would have been really doomed. It seems that he was still a little too confident. At this time Cheng Niandong suddenly realized that he did not have much experience in defending the city. What he was best at was guerrilla warfare in the mountains and forests!
After a night of fierce fighting, the officers and soldiers were finally repulsed, but it was better to say that they evacuated on their own initiative. Although Cheng Niandong worked hard to boost morale, he could also see that both morale and the people's hearts were in danger. The offensive propaganda tactics of the officers and soldiers in the past two days had worked. , coupled with the siege formation last night, completely defeated some people's inner defenses.
Cheng Niandong began to be afraid. What he was afraid of was not that the officers and soldiers would attack the city, but that he would be in civil unrest. What he was afraid of was that his head would be chopped off by someone he never dreamed of.
He didn't dare to go down to the city at first. He ate and slept in the city, and no one was allowed to come near him while sleeping... Even so, he was still uneasy. He didn't know how long he could hold on. What he was looking forward to most now was the news about Bai Wang and his defeat. Are the officers and soldiers on the other side gone, or are they really defeated by the officers and soldiers on the other side...
If he defeated the officers and soldiers on the other side, why didn't there be any movement in the besieged city below... Cheng Niandong had a very bad feeling in his heart, but he didn't want to think about it because he didn't dare to face that reality. If Bai Wang really Where should he go if he is defeated...
But just when he didn't know where to go, a new situation emerged. The rebels watching at the south city noticed something strange. Ever since Anqing was besieged, there were always people on the other side of the river snooping, and the rebels all knew it was him. The people were sent by Bai Wang to inquire about the news. However, the river was blocked by officers and soldiers and they could not get through or did not dare to come.
But just this evening, during their routine observation, they discovered that there was a fight on the other side... or a one-sided massacre, with a group of cavalry chasing those people around.
Cheng Niandong hurried over and observed for a long time with a telescope but couldn't determine what was going on. Although the city looked far away from the sky and was less than two miles away, it was a rainy day and the visibility was not good. He could only take a rough look and couldn't see clearly. .
But soon he saw a fishing boat coming from the other side. As expected, four people on the boat were tied up by the officers and soldiers ambushing the river and taken to the camp in the east of the city. Cheng Niandong turned to the east city head to wait and see. When it was almost dark, those people took the boat back to the other side.
Cheng Niandong's legs suddenly softened and he sat on the ground.
It’s over!
The soldiers on the left and right were puzzled and quickly asked him what was wrong, but Cheng Niandong sat on the ground with his eyes in trance and shook his head silently. At this moment, they suddenly heard the noise below the city. Everyone looked up in shock and saw hundreds of cavalry officers and soldiers rushing to the city and shouting. : Chizhou has been defeated, Bai Wang has been captured, and if you don’t surrender, there will be no chance... Hundreds of knights circled the city and shouted, and the bandits on the city turned pale at each other. The officers and soldiers had said these words a few days ago, and they were half-believed at that time. But at this time, it seems that the loud shouting is probably true...
Cheng Niandong didn't get up, he covered his face with his hands and trembled slightly: "It's over, it's over..."
"General, maybe the officers and soldiers deliberately deceived us..." A confidant comforted him, but Cheng Niandong just shook his head and said nothing.
"Bai Wang has been beheaded. Cheng Niandong, please surrender as soon as possible. Stop dreaming..." The officers and soldiers outside the city were still shouting: "Bai Wang's head will be delivered tomorrow. I will wait with you for three days. If you don't surrender after three days, The city must be destroyed..."
At dusk, the rain suddenly started to fall heavily again. Chang Yu looked at the fishing boats coming from the river under the awning at the ferry. He looked around and sighed: "It's getting dark earlier and earlier."
"Superintendent, it will be the beginning of autumn tomorrow," Li Muxian said softly from behind. Chang Yu was startled: "It's the beginning of autumn? So soon!"
"No, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival in one month." Li Muxian smacked her lips and said, "You can eat moon cakes."
Mid-Autumn Festival... Chang Yu watched the fishing boat on the river getting closer and closer. Chen Suole on the bow was soaked but happily waved his hands to say hello. The guards on the shore cheered and responded like a warrior returning home in triumph. General.
"It's raining heavily and it's getting dark. Are you going tonight?" Li Muchian asked. Chang Yu turned to look at the dark and empty village on the roadside.
"Let's have dinner first. If the rain stops, we'll leave. If it doesn't stop, let's stay here for the night." As soon as Chang Yu finished his words, he heard scolding in the distance. Soon, several guards pressed a middle-aged man away. He came over and said, "Duke, this man is said to be a farmer nearby." Chang Yu took a quick look and concluded that this man was not a rebel. The villagers with an honest look and temperament asked him: "Which village are you from? It's already dark. Why are you running away looking at me?"
"I am from Dadukou Village." The man suddenly asked with fear on his face: "Master, are you officers and soldiers?"
Hey, Chang Yu chuckled: "How could you tell that we are officers and soldiers..." Before he finished speaking, the man cheered: "Hey, we are indeed officers and soldiers. Someone saw you killing those thieves earlier and said that officers and soldiers are coming. ...They were timid and asked me to take a peek. Unexpectedly, they were caught by the military master as soon as they arrived." The fear on the man's face was gone.
This man was still a talker, chattering non-stop, and everyone understood that he was originally a villager in Dadu Village. Later, when Bai Wang and his troops passed by the village, people heard about it and fled to the mountains to the south to hide. At first, they heard about the thieves The army did not disturb the people very much, and they returned to continue their lives, and it was indeed peaceful for a while, but the good times did not last long. After Chang Yu led his troops to advance along the west of the Yangtze River, Bai Wang started to support cannon fodder from Anqing, and there were not many people in the village. Either walk or run to death.
During this period of time, the outside of the mountain became peaceful again. It was rumored that the officers and soldiers from the other side of the river had surrounded Anqing City. The people hiding in the mountains were hoping that the officers and soldiers would drive away the rebels as soon as possible. Every day they would send people out to the mountain to inquire about the news. It happened to be that there were several people there today. When people were fishing on the lake, they saw Chang Yu's personal guards killing the rebels. When the news came to the mountains, the refugees were in panic. They were not sure whether the officers and soldiers were coming or they were fighting among themselves, so they sent this bold guy out. Peeping, but little did he know that those in Dongchang were not comparable to those thieves. It was related to Chang Yu's safety. Everywhere they set up camp, they would set up light and dark sentries several miles away, and they would immediately capture this guy.
"Fishing on the lake? Where did the lake come from?" Chang Yu was startled. The man stretched out his hand and pointed towards the south: "The area under our feet belongs to the river beach. Behind the village, there is a lake six or seven miles south. Shengjin Lake is very big. Further south of the lake is the mountain, and we are hiding in the mountain..."
"You are very familiar with the terrain in this area." Chang Yu was happy to see that this guy looked like a fool and had an inexplicable fondness for the officers and soldiers. When he was first captured, his face was so frightened that he turned green, but now he is chatting without fear.
"I used to be a salesman, and I have been to all the towns and villages around here." He pointed to the distance again: "Go west for seven or eight miles from here, and the Yangtze River turns south... The road there is very difficult. Let’s go, there is the Yangtze River on one side and Shengjin Lake on the other. The area in the middle is still full of mountains, and it is difficult to walk on all mountain roads... But there are many villages over there, but I guess there are no people there now..."
This guy couldn't stop talking, but he pointed out the nearby terrain. Everyone looked at each other and smiled, and Chang Yu asked again: "Have you been to Dongliu County (today's Dongliu Town)?"
"Of course I have been there. I walked along the river. After passing the mountain road, I came to Dongliu County. I not only went to Dongliu County but also to Zhide County (after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Dongliu County and Zhide County were merged into today's Dongliu County. Zhi County)...in the southeast of Dongliu County...I went there with my father when I was a child...).
The sky is getting darker and darker, and the rain is getting heavier and heavier. Tie Hanhan is chatting more and more enthusiastically. It doesn't matter if you don't ask or listen to whatever you ask. Chang Yu has never seen such a chatty person in all his travels. What the hell. He can tell you a few words. If you ask him how he can knock down Anqing City, he will say that if he surrounds it with hundreds of cannons and blasts it, he will definitely succeed...
Chang Yu gave him some broken silver and told him to go back early, so that his family would be worried, but the guy said it was raining heavily and it would be difficult to leave. He wanted to talk for a while. Chang Yu had nothing to talk to him anymore, so he went to the side to talk to Li Muchian. Scratching the map on the ground, this guy actually took a look at it and understood clearly: "Your drawing is wrong. Pengze County is southwest of Dongliu County, not due west..." As he said this, he took the wooden stick from Chang Yu's hand. Pulling up on the ground, Chang Yu was horrified: "You actually know about Hukou County?"
Tie Hanhan curled his lips: "I have been to Jiujiang. When I was young, I drove a cart with someone, and I have traveled all the land and waterways..."
Oh, let me go, a living map! Chang Yu immediately became interested in this guy: "How about you be our guide, you can get some money!" Tie Hanhan shook his head: "Those counties to the west have been occupied by bandits and are very dangerous. I won't go, how much money can I give you? Neither will go."
What a good guy, he still cherishes his life so much.
"Then I'll draw a map carefully. I'll give you a reward if you finish the drawing." Li Muxian interjected. Tie Hanhan curled his lips and said, "What's there to draw here? Just walk a few miles west along the Yangtze River from here." Then turn around and go south along the Yangtze River for another thirty or forty miles to Dongliu County. Then go straight along the river to the southwest and go down to Pengze County. On the other side is Wangjiang County, and then to the southwest is Hukou County... and then to It’s Jiujiang. These counties are all close to the river. What kind of map do you need? Just walk along the river..."
Uh... Chang Yu and Li Muxian looked at each other and suddenly felt that they were completely stupid.
