"Master, when will we attack the city?" Chen Xunping asked, "I am worried that if the delay is too long, the defenders in the city will repair the watchtower on the top of the city again, which will be detrimental to our subsequent siege."
Liu Heng rubbed his chin with his fingers and looked at the sand table in front of him.
Attention was focused on Datong North City and Wengcheng.
"When will the heavy artillery arrive?" Liu Heng turned to look at his guard Zhao Wu.
Zhao Wu said: "I just received news that the team transporting heavy artillery will not arrive until noon tomorrow at the earliest."
"Without heavy artillery, my subordinates can capture Wengcheng in the north." Chen Xunping looked at Liu Heng and said.
Liu Heng thought for a while and said: "Let the team have a truce today and tomorrow morning, wait for the heavy artillery to arrive, and then launch a general attack on Datong City."
"yes."
The three divisions in the tent were agreeing in unison.
As night falls, piles of bonfires outside Datong City are glowing brightly, surrounding Datong City.
Liu Heng held a big tea vat in his hand and walked around the sand table in the tent.
"Have you had a rest, proprietor?"
Outside the tent, a familiar voice sounded to Liu Heng.
"No rest, still studying the sand table." Zhao Wu's voice came into the tent.
Liu Heng in the tent heard the voice outside the tent and said outside: "It's Yang Yuan who's here! Let him in!"
After the words fell, the curtain of the big tent was opened, and Zhao Wu and Yang Yuan walked in from the outside.
"See the proprietor." Yang Yuan bowed towards Liu Heng and clasped his fists.
Liu Heng stared at the sand table, raised his right hand and waved to Yang Yuan, saying: "Tell me about the situation in Ming Ting. We made such a big fuss in Datong. It is impossible for Ming Ting not to receive the news."
"Yes." Yang Yuan agreed, and then said, "I received news that there are troops in Taiyuan, Baoding, Zhending, and Yulin Town. They are heading towards Datong. Among them, Taiyuan has a troop of 20,000 soldiers. An army of many people is expected to arrive in three days."
Liu Heng straightened up, looked away from the sand table, and said: "I thought the Ming court would use the soldiers and horses of Liaodong, but now it seems that in the eyes of Emperor Tianqi, our tiger-character flag is not as big a threat as the slave thieves of Liaodong. , but that's right, we didn't even capture Datong, but the slave thieves drove the Ming army from Liaodong to Jinzhou and Shanhaiguan."
"The slave thieves really scared the princes in the capital. Since Yang Hao defeated Sarhu, except for Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town who could threaten the slave thieves, the Ming army has been defeated again and again at the hands of the slave thieves." Yang Yuan said.
Liu Heng took a sip of water from the tea vat and said: "The Ming army was completely defeated in Liaodong by its own people, otherwise it would not have been the turn of the slave thieves to be arrogant in Liaodong."
"By the way, the secret spies in Liaodong sent news that the slave thieves were making moves in Liaodong and seemed to be launching a war on the Jinzhou front line." Yang Yuan said.
Liu Heng snorted and said: "It seems that the slave thieves knew what we were doing in Datong from other channels and wanted to take advantage of Liaodong. Unfortunately, Sun Chengzong was still in command in Liaodong, and none of the troops in Liaodong were moved. They It won’t take any advantage.”
"My subordinates think so, but the soldiers and horses sent by Taiyuan to Datong are somewhat of a threat to us. Once we cannot capture Datong City quickly, reinforcements from other Ming courts will continue to arrive. By then we will It is difficult to gain an advantage in terms of military strength," Yang Yuan said.
Liu Heng nodded.
Taiyuan sent troops to help. Although it was expected, it still had an impact on the attack on Datong City.
The curtain of the big tent was suddenly opened, and Zhang Hong walked in quickly from the outside.
"Proprietor, the soldiers patrolling just now captured a commoner who escaped from Datong City. According to the other party, he is a servant of the Cao family in the city. On the order of their master, he came out of the city to see you, proprietor." Zhang Hong Tell me why you are here.
Yang Yuan, who was standing nearby, said: "The Cao family in Datong City used to have a lot of business dealings with our Tiger Flag. Later, we heard that the imperial court sent troops to encircle and suppress us, so we cut off contact."
"It turns out there is someone I have cooperated with before, so I need to meet him. Maybe he will bring some good news." Liu Heng said with a smile.
Yang Yuan said: "My subordinates feel that the Cao family is most likely worried that Datong City cannot be defended, so they came to sell it in advance to keep their family safe."
"My subordinates feel the same way." Zhang Hong said in agreement.
Liu Heng said with a smile: "No matter what, you have to meet people when they come. Maybe there will be some unexpected surprises."
Zhang Hong arranged for a soldier to take the servants sent by the Cao family.
Not long after, two soldiers escorted a not too old man in from the outside.
"Are you the person sent by the Cao family?" Liu Heng looked at the man in front of him.
The other party was thin and wearing a short jacket. He had his head lowered since he came in.
"Little, little Cao Daxi, kowtow to the king." The servant of the Cao family trembled and knelt on the ground, with his head between his legs, not daring to raise his head.
Liu Heng said: "Does your master have anything to say to you?"
"Yes, yes, yes, our master gave me a letter, and told me to hand it over to the king with my own hands." The servant of the Cao family trembled and took out a letter from his arms, and raised it tremblingly. Overhead.
Zhao Wu came over, took the letter with both hands, checked it over, and after finding that it was OK, handed it to Liu Heng.
After reading the contents of the letter, Liu Heng said to the servants of the Cao family who were kneeling below: "Go back and tell your master that I have received the letter and send him away."
He waved and signaled the soldiers in the tent to take the Cao family's servants away.
"Ah!" The servants of the Cao family saw that they were going to let him go. They were stunned for a moment, and then said hurriedly, "Our master said that the younger one should go back with a message."
Liu Heng said with a smile: "Go back and tell your master, just say that I know what he means."
"You must bring the message here, young one." The servant of the Cao family kowtowed, then stood up and left the tent with the two soldiers who had brought him.
Zhang Hong, who was in the tent, saw people leaving and asked curiously: "Proprietor, what did the Cao family write in the letter? Is it related to Datong City?"
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, you can read it yourself!" Liu Heng casually handed the letter to Zhang Hong.
Zhang Hong took it in his hand and looked through it hurriedly.
The letter contained a lot of flattering nonsense, and only in the last few lines was the purpose of the letter stated.
"Well, these squires are really capable. We haven't entered the city yet, so we are thinking of showing our kindness first." Zhang Hong said with disdain, and at the same time gave the letter to Yang Yuan.
Chen Xunping said: "The city wall of Datong City is more difficult to attack than imagined. Hundreds of cannons fired for so long, and only the control towers on both sides were captured. The Qian Tower was too strong and could not be completely destroyed. The corner tower Over there, I'm afraid it won't be usable in the short term, and the cannons installed by the army on the north wall should have been blown up by our cannons. As for the casualties of the defenders on the city, we can't be sure yet."
