The highest military order clearly ordered Hengyang to be the last place of defense.
Sun Qi was still more than two hundred miles away from Hengyang Pass. Of course, he couldn't just give up the two hundred miles to Huang Zu. Instead, he asked Nie Xing to prepare defensive fortifications first, while he himself led other soldiers. The horse once again dealt with the spirit army.
This fight was fought on multiple fronts again. Huang Zu formulated encirclement and suppression tactics several times, but before they were completely closed, Sun Qi cleverly broke through and avoided them.
And this process lasted for nearly two months.
On this day, in the temporary camp of the Spiritual Army.
Huang Zu couldn't help but lamented the Qin Army's infantry's flexible transition and multi-line mobilization: "Sun Qi's ability to command troops is indeed excellent. Although he is not as cunning and unpredictable as Su Yi, his tactics are too flexible. There’s a lot to like about it.”
Hearing this, Ye Gui couldn't help but sneer and said: "Humph, so what if you are a famous general? We haven't captured a large city spanning hundreds of miles."
"But we also suffered heavy losses and were delayed for half a year, weren't we?" Huang Zu asked back, and then said sincerely: "To be honest, if the enemy and our forces are equal in strength, the outcome of this battle is uncertain. "
Ye Gui curled his lips, but said nothing more.
Cheng Ping said: "Sun Qi's tactics successfully prolonged the war in Xuandi. According to the current intelligence, the Qin army may defend Hengyang Pass next, because that is the gateway to Xuanzhou."
"Then what are you waiting for? Just attack Hengyang and march to Xuanzhou! Destroy the Lu family's ancestral temple. By then, Queen Qin will be depressed and vomiting blood!?" Yin Dian immediately answered.
But Cheng Ping shook his head: "You also said that that is where the Lu family's royal ancestral temple is. King Qin will not let us attack Xuanzhou no matter what. Therefore, if we attack Hengyang, it will be a battle that lasts for several years." It will be a difficult and bloody battle for the moon, and it will never be won."
"What do you mean, sir?" Yin Dian asked.
Cheng Ping said: "Instead of losing soldiers in front of the pass in vain, it is better to wipe out the cities outside Hengyang first and stabilize the occupied territory. This is the kingly way."
"Well..." Without waiting for the other generals to answer, Huang Zu nodded slowly, obviously very much in agreement with his proposal.
By this time, the siege of Xiangyang had lasted seven months.
What is the concept of Besieging the City in July?
Block all traffic and all supplies.
Previously, based on the intelligence of the Qin army, it was calculated that Xiangyang could last for five months, but that was based on data. You must know that people will be so hungry without food that they will eat bark and weeds, so they will insist on these two more months. moon.
This was exactly the case in Xiangyang at this time. Everything edible in the entire city had been eaten up, not to mention bark and weeds, and now it was just a piece of leather, which were all excellent things.
More than half of the more than 100,000 Chu troops in the city were holding long halberds and lying in every corner of the camp. As far as I could see, no one moved for a long time, and everything was dead.
Of course, during this period, Hanzhou also organized several breakouts, but the results were predictable.
Although there are still a large number of Chu troops standing guard on the west gate city defense, they are still holding on. From time to time, some soldiers are exhausted and faint from hunger.
In the city, the streets and alleys were filled with people, wailing.
The army had no food to eat. As you can imagine, every household among the civilians had been looted, and civil riots had been triggered several times.
Xiangyang Mansion, in the hall.
After Shuai's case, Han Zhou's face was also sallow and his whole body was weak.
The deputy general walked in, weakly held his fists, and said: "Han Shuai, we have been searched carefully. There is nothing left to eat in the city..."
Hearing this, Hanzhou suddenly showed grief, "Heaven wants to kill me, God wants to kill me..."
He had been guarding Xiangyang for so long and had no information. He had no idea what was going on outside. It could be said that he was looking forward to the arrival of reinforcements every day and every night.
But now it seems that there is no hope.
The deputy general moved his lips and said tentatively: "Han Shuai, the people in the city are wailing and the soldiers are powerless. If the Qin army launches an attack on the city, I am afraid... I may not be able to defend it anymore..."
Everyone understands this truth. The army has been hungry for a long time. Someone will fall down while standing guard. If there is a real battle, how can one have the strength to hold a weapon? I am afraid that at this time, there will be few soldiers who can shoot a bow.
There is no doubt that in this situation, the Qin army is recharging its strength, and Xiangyang will be defeated in just one round of fierce attack!
Han Zhou was silent. After a long silence, he looked at the deputy general and said, "The war is now irreversible. You go ahead."
"What does Han Shuai mean..." the deputy general asked cautiously.
"What else can we do? Are the people and soldiers in the city really going to starve to death?" Hanzhou smiled desolately.
"This...is." The deputy general understood what he meant, and he also understood that now he had no choice but to surrender and retreat silently.
After he left, Han Zhou picked up the sword on the commander's desk, observed it carefully, and then pulled out the sword.
"In the battle against Qin, I have been a prisoner once. If I am captured twice, how can I see the people of the world, and how can I see my ancestors..."
After muttering this sentence, he slowly placed the sword on his neck.
At this time, the Qin army was indeed preparing to attack the city.
At this point, Xiangyang no longer has any fighting power. Since there is no surrender yet, Xiao Yuan will definitely not continue to waste it like this.
Outside the west gate, the Qin army soldiers with black armor and red tassels formed several square formations.
Under the shouts of General Qin, the sound of neat armor scraping was heard. Countless soldiers bent their bows and arrows in unison, drew them to full length, and pointed diagonally upward.
Xiao Yuan was sitting in the high chariot. He was about to draw his sword and give the order to attack, but a white flag suddenly stood up on the top of the city and began to wave left and right.
Wang Su next to him had sharp eyes and immediately pointed his finger and said: "Look, my king, the Chu army has surrendered!"
"Oh?" Xiao Yuan followed his instructions. After seeing this, he released the hilt of his sword and waved his hand back.
Following his action, the flag began to signal, and some Qin generals immediately shouted:
"receive--"
Wow! Wow!
In a uniform movement, the soldiers of the Qin army drew back their bows and returned their arrows.
Not long after, the tall and heavy city gate slowly opened.
Xiao Yuan also got off the chariot, got on his horse, followed by Xu Hu and other protective generals, and moved forward slowly with the army behind him.
The black phalanx gradually pressed forward and stopped at the foot of the city.
Led by the deputy general of the Chu army, a dozen generals walked out of the city gate and then knelt down in unison.
"The general of the defeated army meets His Highness the King of Qin..."
As all the Chu generals knelt down, all the Chu soldiers inside the city gate and on the city defense also threw away their weapons and knelt down on the ground.
Xiao Yuan took a deep breath, stretched out his hands and said, "Please get up."
"Thank you, Your Highness..." The generals stood up and then consciously stepped aside.
The Chu army's deputy general bowed helplessly and said: "Your Highness, please enter the city."
At this point, after seven months of siege, Xiangyang was finally pacified.
