"Oh~ This Zang Ai really won't look back until he hits the wall!"
One mile away from Pengcheng, Jiang Gan looked back at Pengcheng.
Pengcheng has high walls and deep fortifications, and is heavily guarded.
The city wall is extremely tall and majestic, like an indestructible barrier, blocking the invasion of the outside world. The city wall is made of solid stones and rammed earth. Each stone is like the skeleton of a giant beast, embedded in the city wall like an indestructible barrier.
There are battlements on the top of the wall, and the city tower towers above it. There are also defensive facilities such as archery towers and arrow towers on the city wall, which are neatly arranged and look very powerful.
Surrounding the city wall is a wide moat, with gurgling water forming a natural trench. There are also suspension bridges and wooden fences on the river to control access to and from the city and ensure safety within the city.
The city gate is a huge iron door leaf, inlaid with heavy wood.
This is only the outer city of Pengcheng. After defeating Pengcheng's several-foot-thick outer city, there is still the defense of the inner city.
If we really wanted to attack this fortified city, how many soldiers would have to be killed or injured before we could do it?
But, does it make sense to stick to it like this?
"It's just an increase in casualties. Originally there was wealth and a glimmer of hope. Now, even this glimmer of hope is gone. There is only a dead end."
Zang Ai insists on declaring war with Wei, Xuzhou will be involved in the war again, and the people of Xuzhou will be ravaged by war again.
It's just a matter of power, who can let it go?
Who cares about the life and death of the people?
"Mr. Jiang, are we going back like this?"
I originally thought I could claim credit for surrendering Zang Ai and regaining Xuzhou, but now my credit is gone.
He, Li Xu, wanted to pay his dues and make meritorious service. He would be sorry for Cao Pi if he went back like this.
"Of course I won't go back like this."
Jiang Gan looked at Li Xu who looked anxious and asked, "Have you done what I asked you to do?"
Li Xu nodded heavily and said: "We have done everything according to Jiang Gong's arrangement, but what use can these detective reports have?"
When Jiang Gan learned that Zang Ai did not want to surrender and wanted to make a last-ditch effort, he immediately launched Wei spies in Pengcheng.
He ordered all spies to be mobilized and carry out various operations by any means necessary.
Some were sent out to spread false rumors and create chaos in the city, making it impossible for Zang Ai to stabilize his position; some were responsible for collecting intelligence and monitoring Zang Ai's movements in order to respond at any time; others were ordered to prepare for assassination Zang Ai eradicated him directly to stop his plan to declare war.
"A spy has the role of a spy. Nowadays, it is better than nothing!"
I hope these spies can really kill Zang Ai, so why not think of other ways.
"Have you sent your cronies to deliver the news to the king?"
Li Xu nodded lightly.
"Wang Wu has been sent forward."
While ordering the intelligence operation, Jiang Qian also immediately sent his cronies to convey the news of Zang Ai's declaration of war to Wei King Cao Pi in Hefei.
The king must understand this situation early so that he can make timely decisions.
Jiang Gan will report Zang Ai's attitude in detail and state his own suggestions.
"Now, go to Xiapi!"
Xiapi?
Li Xu's eyes lit up.
"What do you mean, Mr. Jiang, to say the ceremony of surrendering to Yi?"
Jiang Gan nodded slightly.
"If we can talk about surrendering Yili, then Zang Ai is a complete loner."
Regarding Zang Ai's aid Yili, Jiang Gan decided to go to Xiapi immediately to meet with him in person.
Yili is one of the four thieves in Mount Tai, and he is a brother to Zang Ba. He is well aware of Yili's influence in Xuzhou, so he will use words and methods to try to pull Yili away from Zang Ai and make him rebel completely. Give up support for Zang Ai.
He who knows the current affairs is a hero.
Presumably driven by the situation and interests, Yili will make the right decision.
Jiang Gan will make full use of his eloquence and strategy, as well as his friendship with Yi Li, to convince him that continuing to support Zang Ai will be a dead end.
His sharp tongue didn't succeed with Zang Ai, but it will definitely succeed with Yili!
"The situation is urgent. I will act quickly to prevent Zang Ai from coming back to his senses and intercepting us."
The two armies are fighting without killing the envoy?
But if he, the envoy, causes too much trouble, shouldn't he be pulled out and beheaded?
The current situation is very urgent, and he must act quickly to curb Zang Ai's plan and maintain the stability of Xuzhou.
The interests of Wei State are the interests of Jiang Gan.
To avenge past shame, today!
...
Pengcheng.
In the lobby of the government office.
In the meeting hall where Zang Ai was originally alone, another person walked into the darkness.
This man was wearing a brocade robe, his hair was tied up, and he was holding a feather fan in his hand. At first glance, he was from a noble family.
If Liu Chan was here, he would be able to recognize his identity at a glance.
Han Yao!
He was from a noble family in Nanyang. During Liu Chan's acquisition and control of Nanyang, Han Yao contributed a lot and was one of the most contributing party leaders.
At this time, he actually appeared in Pengcheng, Xuzhou!
Their eyes met and Han Yao spoke.
"Actually, I lied about some of the things I said before."
He looked at Zang Ai's expression and continued: "I don't know whether General Zhendong is alive or dead, and His Highness can't send troops to support him. To defend Xuzhou's foundation, everything depends on staying behind. Hundreds of miles away It’s far away, and I, Jingzhou, can’t do anything.”
Zang Ai's eyes were deep, staring at Liu Chan's envoy Han Yao who was slowly walking forward.
He was not surprised at all by Han Yao's words.
In fact, Zang Ai already knew it well. He was not a fool, so how could he easily believe Han Yao's words?
Han Yao has been in Xuzhou these days, as Liu Chan's envoy, coming to discuss various matters of the business alliance. If Han Yao knows, Zang Ai will definitely know, and if he doesn't know, he, Han Yao, will not know either.
"So it turns out that Liu Bei himself has a plan?"
Seeing the calm expression on Zang Ai's face, Han Yao knew that it was not because of his words that made Zang Ai declare war on Wei.
Zang Ai already had a plan in mind.
"good."
As soon as Han Yao finished speaking, Zang Ai smiled calmly, with no trace of emotion on his face.
"Surrender to the Wei State. Based on my understanding of Cao Pi, our Zang family will definitely have no way to survive. There is no difference between surrender and death. Only by rising up to resist can we have a chance of survival."
Zang Ai had been a hostage in Wei for many years, and he was well aware of Cao Pi's temperament.
This person is narrow-minded and must avenge himself.
Even if he spares the Zang family now, he will definitely find other reasons to deal with them when the limelight passes.
By then, Zang Ai will be the fish on the chopping board.
"That's it," Han Yao said softly, his voice calm.
"Is there any way to deal with the enemy if you stay behind?"
Zang Ai nodded and said, "We still need the envoy's cooperation to calm the morale of the Xuzhou army!"
Han Yao's eyes lit up, and he immediately said: "By helping you, you are helping my royal highness. Don't worry, I will do my best to help you!"
"good!"
Zang Ai suddenly stood up from his seat.
"In this case, I will summon Xuzhou officials and Xuzhou generals to discuss important matters!"
Now, he wants to unite Pengcheng from top to bottom into a rope!
"The land of Xuzhou has stood firm for hundreds of years. No matter how the situation changes, my Zang family will definitely stand firm!"
...
The atmosphere in the lobby of Xuzhou County was solemn, with many ministers and generals gathered together.
Zang Ai knelt down on the main seat, glanced at everyone, took a deep breath, and said: "Fathers and brothers, the situation is difficult now. My father defeated Feishui, and our Xuzhou is in danger of overthrowing. However, Cao Pi's intention to harm my Xuzhou will not die. I have refuted Jiang Qian's intention to recruit and surrender me."
Finished.
For a moment, discussions started to ring out in the lobby, and everyone was whispering to each other with solemn expressions. Some people are worried and some are hesitant. After all, Xuzhou is in a very difficult situation.
"This... I don't know whether the master is alive or dead. I will wait for his news before making a decision."
"Jiang Gan should not be driven away so quickly. Please stay behind and welcome him back."
"We are Wei Chen. Surrendering or not does not make any difference."
...
The reactions of the officials made Zang Ai frown.
Fortunately, he was mentally prepared.
Zang Ai continued: "We should not sit back and wait for death. We should strike first and act decisively. I have declared war on Wei!"
As soon as these words came out, a bombshell was undoubtedly dropped in the lobby.
For a time, there was a louder discussion in the hall. Some people supported, some opposed, and everyone had different opinions.
"You can't stay behind!"
"It is absolutely impossible to stay behind. Our Xuzhou side was severely defeated. How can we be the opponent of Wei's main force?"
"Please stay and take back your life!"
...
Zang Ai's eyes were deep, but he just looked at the reactions of the officials in the hall and said nothing.
While there was a lot of discussion in the hall, a scribe wearing a brocade robe came forward and stood next to Zang Ai. It was Liu Chan's envoy Han Yao.
He smiled and said: "Everyone, I forgive Han Yao for being rude. I heard about the incident in Xuzhou and came here to check it out. To be honest, Zang Ba is not dead and will return to Xuzhou in the near future."
Everyone's eyes turned to Han Yao and stared at him curiously.
"I am Han Yao of Nanyang, and I am the envoy of the Crown Prince of Hanzhong. I have come from Runan in the starry night to form an alliance with Xuzhou!"
Everyone was shocked and talked a lot.
"I have always heard of the Han family in Nanyang. It is indeed a family of classics."
"I heard that Han Yao is a popular person around the Crown Prince of Hanzhong. There is no problem with his identity."
"My lord is still alive, and the crown prince of Hanzhong has made an alliance with me, Xuzhou. It seems that the situation is not that bad?"
...
The situation in the hall gradually stabilized.
Han Yao continued: "Now that the army in Jingzhou is ready, we plan to attack Wei. The land of Runan is already in our possession in Jingzhou. After Zang Ba's defeat, he wants to use troops against us in Runan. Don't worry, the main force of the Wei army is It's difficult to reach Xuzhou. All you have to do is distract some of the Wei army's attention.
Moreover, Jiangdong Sun Quan is more likely to take the opportunity to attack Hefei. As the saying goes, our army advances and the Wei army retreats. The situation is favorable to us. "
Although he didn't understand the situation, it didn't stop Han Yao from bragging.
Actually...
Han Yao's analysis was quite correct.
Zang Ai nodded in agreement and said: "With Jingzhou's help, how can a small Wei army be our opponent?"
"good."
Han Yao nodded heavily and said: "You are all from Xuzhou. You know that Xuzhou is the Xuzhou of Xuzhou people, not the Xuzhou of Cao Wei. Have you forgotten the revenge of the massacre of the city?"
One of the big reasons why it was difficult for Cao Cao to directly control Xuzhou was that he had massacred the city in Xuzhou.
The so-called massacre of the city is temporarily satisfying, and the crematorium is appeased.
Han Yao brought up the old matter again, and all the officials and generals in the hall suddenly had murderous eyes in their eyes.
good.
Is Cao Pi considered a bird?
This Xuzhou is our Xuzhou, not Cao Wei’s Xuzhou.
If Xuzhou was handed over to the rule of Cao Wei, how would they have their current status?
"It's just that we should carefully discuss the matter of resisting Cao Cao. How will we deal with the Wei army's next offensive?"
Governor Xu stood up and asked practical questions.
Zang Ai already had an idea in mind, and he said softly: "The Wei army is attacked from three sides, and the number of troops coming to attack Xuzhou cannot be large. We don't need to go out to fight with them in the field, we only need to defend the city. There are nearly 20,000 soldiers in the city." , the food and grass can last for three to five years, and the city is strong and the walls are thick, we only need to defend Xuzhou City (Pengcheng) to wait for the Wei Kingdom to change, and wait for my father to return, and then launch a counterattack!"
Pengcheng was originally a transit point for grain and grass, but due to Yinling Wu Dun's rebellion, the grain route was interrupted. The grain and grass from the front line could not be transported, and they all piled up in Xuzhou City.
It seems that this method is good.
Everyone in the hall looked at me, and I looked at you. Finally, someone stood up and said, "If we stay behind and use this strategy, it will not be a problem to defend Xuzhou City. However, in order to make the Wei army retreat as soon as possible, we should erect walls and clear the field to cut off the Wei army's access to food." The possibility of an enemy!”
The arrival of Han Yao gave Xuzhou officials and generals hope. They no longer thought about surrender, but how to defend Xuzhou City.
The reason is naturally very simple.
Why should you be a slave when you can be a master?
Only when taxes in Xuzhou could not be paid, could they have luxurious living conditions.
After Xuzhou's taxes were paid, their original wealth and enjoyment could no longer be maintained.
They clearly understand the balance of interests involved.
"This plan is very good, General Hao will be responsible for it."
"The last general takes command!"
"Stay behind. We must defend Xuzhou. Just defending the city of Xuzhou is not enough. We should send envoys to Xiapi to explain our interests to Yili. If we can form a pattern of mutual assistance with Xiapi, then 30,000 to 40,000 Wei troops will come. We will wait for them." Not even afraid of him!"
"What Biejia said is absolutely true. Who is willing to be a messenger?"
Xuzhou Biejia immediately raised his hands and bowed to Zang Ai, saying: "Since it was proposed by me, I'll just go down with you."
Han Yao also said from the side: "I'm going with you. I think Yi Li must have made a decision in his heart after seeing me."
The more you fool, the better.
The day when Han Yao accomplished extraordinary feats is today!
"good!"
Zang Ai nodded heavily.
"I will leave it to you and the Han envoy to convince Uncle Yi!"
The trend has been established, and more and more people are beginning to stand up and offer suggestions.
One of the counselors stood up and said respectfully: "If you stay behind, the Han envoy's plan will work. Now that the situation is urgent, we should work together to do our little bit for Xuzhou."
A military general followed and said: "Since the Wei army is weak, we have nothing to fear! Please stay behind and rest assured, we will give our full support and let them have a taste of my courage in Xuzhou."
...
"Okay, okay!"
Zang Ai had a smile on his face.
"With all of you here, why are you afraid of Wei King Cao Pi?"
certainly...
While he was happy, Zang Ai did not raise his tail to the sky.
He was able to convince Xuzhou officials because of the help of Han Yao.
But most of what Han Yao said was false!
No matter whether his father is alive or dead, no matter whether the main force of the Wei army goes to Runan or Xuzhou.
In short, Zang Ai wants to use this short period of time to take Xuzhou into his hands.
Or...
The soldiers and civilians of Xuzhou were kidnapped beside Zang Ai, so that they could only follow Zang Ai.
As for surrender?
Ah!
If you want to be massacred, go ahead and do it.
Han Yao was watching Zang Ai's movements with a lot of emotion in his heart.
With Zang Ai here, even if Zang Ba dies, the Wei army will still have to knock out a few teeth if it wants to regain Xuzhou.
