While waiting for the infantry to catch up with the cavalry and all the troops and horses gathered in formation, Lu Bu gathered around him several similarly strong generals, all dressed in silver armor, with ribbons on their foreheads to prevent the commander's hair from hanging down on both sides.
The troops of Xiliang Tiger Wolf were supposed to disperse when the city of Chang'an was broken and defeated by the rebels of Li Jue, Guo Si and others. However, as Lu Bu ran around, they were able to survive again. He even attracted many newcomers to follow him by virtue of his status and privileges such as "General Fenwei of the Han Dynasty", "Jijie", and "Marquis Wen".
Moreover, except for Dong Zhuo, the leader of the thieves, it was Lu Bu who made the greatest contribution, and it was a matter of righteousness to kill relatives, so he was saved.
With a loud shout, the cavalry rolled away, the flags gradually rolled up, and as the torches were lit, the noisy shouts were deafening.
They had been looking outside the city for a long time, but they did not see a strong formation at the city gate. Several patrols of soldiers were walking back and forth. There was a person holding a gun standing on every few doors of the city wall. Roughly speaking, there were only a few hundred people on duty.
"It's really no different from ordinary people. If you don't take precautions, it's your chance to win!"
Lu Bu was secretly happy. At this time, the sky was thick with clouds, and it was almost overwhelming, as if it was about to pour heavy rain. With the cool spring breeze, it was a refreshing time.
"All the generals will follow me into the city and seize the foundation of our great cause! A place to stay!"
"I will obey your order!"
"I would like to follow the general!"
"Wait for me to board first! Take the enemy general's head!!"
While shouting and cursing, the infantry rushed towards the city like a tide. The cavalry were like flying geese side by side, riding in the wind. The soldiers were carrying wood and heavy weapons at the back, and were surrounded by soldiers holding shields.
In an instant, they rushed to the city gate. Because Chen Gong had pointed it out beforehand, it was easy to dig a relatively narrow place and cross the pit. The war horses could even jump directly.
The first few dozen riders jumped to the suspension bridge with great ease, cut off the ropes and lowered the suspension bridge. At this moment, drums, gongs, and horns sounded from the city gate, and it finally became noisy.
The bright lights were lit, and many shouts echoed in the air. Some people shouted, "Inform the general", "Look for the prefect", etc. Lu Bu had a cold look on his face. Although he couldn't hear clearly, he knew that the prefect Xiahou Dun might not be there, and he was about to explode at this moment. , can’t wait.
"March!"
Lu Bu immediately waved his halberd, and the army behind him rushed across the bridge. His generals galloped straight to the city. After a while, they had taken the military building outside the city, but at this time, the city suddenly fell silent. Following the orderly orders, a dense row of people The archer stood up, only to hear a uniform "bang" sound, and arrows rained down.
"Suffer!"
Countless people were secretly thinking something bad. Lu Bu and Chen Gong, who had not charged in the distance, suddenly looked at each other. The latter shook his head and said, "I don't know! He was actually prepared!"
Lu Bu did not give the order immediately, his eyes seemed to be filled with fire, and he stared at the city. At this time, the infantry had broken through the rain of arrows, killing half of them, but they could only stop in front of the city gate.
The city gate was high and tightly closed, and the ladders and wooden blocks were all still trying to catch their luck, but they were blocked by the continuous rain of arrows, and there were many infantry ambushes on the city. Lu Bu glanced at the top of the city tower and was immediately shocked.
Rolling stones and boiling water were alternately thrown down by the dense crowd of people.
Boom, boom, boom!
The soldiers at the front wailed and shouted for death, but were soon drowned in the dull impact of rolling boulders. People fell one by one. The Chinese army's siege equipment tilted and was blocked, making it impossible to hit them. .
"The cavalry cannot go any further!"
A general shouted an order, and Jingqi immediately stopped and did not dare to move forward. However, his advance was blocked and he could not retreat.
"This Puyang City is at least seven feet long. It has a thick horse face, several turrets, and overhanging eaves. It can ambush thousands of troops and is invincible!"
Although Lu Bu's mind was shaken, he calmed down at this time. He had experienced many battles in his life. He was happy to defeat the enemy every time he won a battle, but there were also countless defeats. He had long been accustomed to winning and losing. However, this kind of thing that was easy to win could be ambushed in the blink of an eye, causing losses. So tragic.
"Withdraw troops! Withdraw from the mountains and forests!"
Lu Bu remembered that Zhang Yang had ignored the matter when he came out. Perhaps he did not want to share the food and did not want to offend Cao Cao.
If he went back after the defeat, he would inevitably be ridiculed, but at least he would still have a place to go.
Just after giving the order, the sound of water flowing in the distance came. The moat outside Puyang was a reconstruction of a natural river. Xiahou Dun had ordered people to collect water from the upper reaches very early. Tonight, when he heard the cry of killing, he immediately released the water.
The moat happened to be full at this time, and there was only a small path for the suspension bridge. When the water surged, many soldiers were crossing the river. They were washed away by the rising water and their bodies were tilted and difficult to walk.
Arrows rained down from the city, and shouts of "kill" shook the sky below. You could see how many soldiers and horses were waiting inside the city gate.
In less than half an hour, Lu Bu's back was already wet with sweat. His war horse Xiongjun could gallop through the city defense because it was neither wide nor deep. However, those soldiers without horses could You have to take off your armor to cross the river.
"withdraw!"
"Get out quickly!"
"Run! The city gate is about to open, and the pursuers are coming out!"
"We've fallen into a trap, we've fallen into a trap!"
"Just leave, don't fall for the trap!"
Amidst the chaos of footsteps, a general on a black horse suddenly looked back and shouted angrily to see who had fallen into the trap. At this time, fearful shouting and spreading the trap would only make the army more disorganized. Attacking the city and chasing people would not be afraid of chaos. , only retreating troops are most afraid of chaos!
"Wenyuan!"
In the distance, Lu Bu shouted loudly, waking him up. When he looked up, Marquis Wen was already waving and making a gesture in the distance.
Zhang Liao looked stern, knowing that this was the general's order to ignore the rebel soldiers who had lost their fighting spirit, and to gather up his troops and cross the river first, allowing them to rear up with their bodies.
Then the elite gathered together to retreat first, ready to counterattack the pursuers at any time, so they immediately shouted "obey orders" and drew their swords to kill several infantrymen who were blocking the front and running around randomly.
As they moved further back, they left behind thousands of insurgent soldiers who had lost their position and their fighting spirit was completely gone.
Xiahou Dun watched this scene from the city tower and sighed deeply behind his back, saying: "Order Captain Han to lead two thousand troops out of the city, take in these prisoners of war, and give them some bread and water to fill their bellies."
"Lü Bu's army has nowhere to go, and will definitely return to Hebei. We ordered all ministries to fortify the crossings tightly and not allow Lü Bu's army to pass."
"Inform the people that the bandits have retreated."
"Flying on Xuzhou to report to the lord, you can return to Yanzhou to suppress the rebellion and kill Zhang Miao!"
…
Chen Liu, Zhang Miao, Wang Kai, and their younger brother Zhang Chao sent various solicitation orders to officials in various places, recruiting Chen and Liu counties and Dongjun counties.
The news came back in response. Currently, there are as many as ten counties who have surrendered, not to mention those who have verbally agreed but have not yet taken action.
Zhang Miao thought about it roughly and estimated that only Juancheng, Dong'a, and Fan counties would not receive a reply. As for the news from Puyang, it would probably not be long before the news came back.
Juancheng was Cao Cao's fundamental stronghold. To the south of Juancheng was a dangerous mountainous area for defense, to the northwest was Puyang, and to the northeast were Fan County and Dong'a.
These three cities surrounded Juancheng and acted as a barrier. Now Chen Gong and Lu Bu captured Puyang.
After reuniting, we can go to capture Fan County, and great things can be done. Even if Cao Cao comes back, it will be useless. The city is closed and the food roads are cut off. No matter how he uses his troops like a god, he will not be able to fight for a long time, but we can continue to collect food and grass. ,never fail.
"That's all, without waiting for Chen Gongtai, I will send troops, contact the officials in various counties, gather the troops in one place, and follow me to attack Juancheng."
"If Juancheng is in trouble, Xiahou Yuanrang will definitely send troops to help. His family is also in Juancheng! Only in this way, the weaker Puyang is, the more likely things will be. Even if they encounter any obstacles, they can be relieved."
"only!"
Wang Kai and Zhang Chao were ordered to leave. They had been stationed in Chenliu Jiwu for several days, and it was time to move out.
…
A few days later, two cavalry groups appeared in Shouzhang.
Shouzhang, a place that has been devastated by wars for many times, originally had a hard time for the people and was completely destroyed with ruins everywhere.
However, whenever Cao Cao used troops, he would use this as a place to transfer troops and work hard to gather grain.
Therefore, although there are no solid walls and thick houses to show prosperity, there are also many people's houses, markets and traffic, and the traces of rolling carriages are intricate and lively.
News of the civil strife in Puyang and Chenliu also reached here. Most of the people who brought the news were people fleeing from the villages in the suburbs of the two places.
After encountering soldiers and horses coming from the east, they found out that Zhang Bochang, who had solved the military garrison strategy, led a group of soldiers and horses.
People said that Mr. Zhang was handsome, informal, and well-spoken, so he called his friends to inquire.
"Master Zhang, where is Mr. Cao now! We are going to war in Yanzhou again, what should we do with these farmlands!"
"Sir, sir! My wife is separated and I don't know where she is. Please go find her for me!"
"Will Yanzhou be captured by others? I heard that the ones who came to cause trouble are Bingzhou Tiger and Wolf!"
"Sir, I am literate, can write, and dare to kill with a sword. Can you take me forward to suppress the rebellion?"
"Master Chief, we are here to escape. When things calm down, can we get farmland to compensate?"
Many people gathered in front of Zhang Han. Although there were guards to stop him, the crowd was passionate and each had its own attitude.
Zhang Han came out with his hands behind his back and said: "Chaos is a thief! How can a common man not be angry?! Duke Cao killed Tao Qian, a thief in Xuzhou! But there are thieves who start from behind! I suddenly heard that they are all famous scholars!"
"Destroy the fields and drive out the people! Human life is insignificant!"
"He pays his salary, and the people support the people! The people are easy to bully, but God is hard to bully!"
"The farmland policy that I worked so hard for has only been in place for a year and is waiting to be implemented. These gangsters have no regard for the livelihood of the people and are treacherous! They should be punished! The strong men will follow me! I have two thousand armaments here, which I got from Xuzhou .”
"I, Zhang Han, rose up from the common people and fought numerous bloody battles with meritorious deeds. I have to be the master to plead for the people! But there are so many thieves! Only by killing the thieves can we find peace!"
"I don't know what you think, but these officials who bully the people and have no regard for life or death will eventually squeeze me dry! Since they are all dead, how about dying to take back the land that I have worked so hard to cultivate?!"
The more Zhang Han talked, the more excited he became, and he even said it again in plain words. Those people's salaries were scraped from the blood and sweat of the people. Now it was difficult to keep full from farming, but in the end, the fields in the territory were destroyed and war started.
Isn’t this forcing people to become thieves? ?
Well, now Zhang Han gives them the opportunity to be "official thieves" in troubled times, kill the rebellious officials, and spread their anger back, without having to run away as refugees.
What he brought with him were all the armor and weapons captured from the war. They were rough in texture but had good protective capabilities.
After Zhang Han finished speaking, the crowd became excited. He pointed to the few people who volunteered to say they were literate and said: "Guys, follow me into the tent."
The few people dressed as Confucian swordsmen followed Zhang Han in. They were originally impassioned by the sentence "People are easy to abuse, but God is hard to bully". Their hearts were rippling, and they couldn't help but be dazzled by Zhang Han.
But as soon as he came in, he saw Zhang Han kicking a strong man, cursing in his mouth, "It's useless, it's useless! You usually blow the whistle and say you are a hero, a fierce man descended from the sky, let you go out and yell I don’t even dare to raise my voice! My head is so loud.”
Dian Wei scratched his head, looked at Zhang Han's feet suspiciously, and said, "I don't have the eloquence, why are my legs still shaking?"
You must feel nervous in front of so many people.
"I just stamped my feet, and you're numb if you stamp them!" Zhang Han glared at him angrily.
"Master Zhang, why did you call us in..." The Confucian scholars looked at each other, and their enthusiasm subsided a lot, but the words they just said were indeed impassioned.
"Every literate person, please be sure to spread my experience, those words just now, and my experience from being a commoner to being a master, as soon as possible." Zhang Han handed over his hand and said, these walking white men can read and write, and they also use swords to save the people. Spreading the news is the fastest.
"Okay, since it's the registrar's request, we will definitely help." The man in the middle thought for a while and immediately figured it out.
Zhang Han wanted to recruit soldiers in Shouzhang, and he probably only had a day or two, so he was so eager!
What he brought were fine cavalry, which could be used very well with infantry in a big battle. As for Cao Gong's army, it was very likely that they had not yet been able to escape Xuzhou.
"Thank you very much. Mr. Cao will definitely thank you very much when the time comes." Zhang Han handed him over, his expression as usual.
Zhang Han stayed in Shouzhang for several days, replenishing food and grass, and recruiting strong men and brave men from all over the country. There were many people who fled because they were fleeing. After hearing the sentence "It is easy for the people to be abused, but it is difficult for God to bully", they all felt a little infected.
These words are simple and easy to understand, and one who understands the truth deeply reveals all the grudges and conflicts between the people and officials over the years. There is naturally anger underneath the wounds.
In addition, Zhang Han's status and reputation, which he used to be the chief official of the common people, are now being reused by Duke Cao. Who doesn't have the desire to stand out in troubled times?
As a result, more than a thousand villagers were recruited, put on their armor and marched with the army. Thousands of villagers followed and went straight to Chenliu.
Cheng Yu, who was in Dong'e at that time, had received accurate military reports that Chen Liu's army had invaded Dongjun. County officials from several counties had directly fled to the city and took control of the local people.
He immediately made a decision and sent troops directly towards Chenliu. On the map given by Zhang Han, there was a road that went south from Dong'a and went around the mountain and forest road to Shouzhang.
Zhang Miao is attacking Juan City, and the eldest son Cao Ang is guarding it. The territory of Chenliu will be empty. If the army marches around quickly, they can take this opportunity to cut off Zhang Miao's food road and force him to retreat. Therefore, he can try to lure Chenliu out. 's defenders.
Waiting for the opportunity.
Cheng Yu discussed the situation with many friends at home, and finally decided that this method was the best. It could not only disrupt Zhang Miao's army, but also cut off his way back to the army. At the same time, once Chen Liu's garrison came to rescue him, he could take the opportunity to go there. Occupy Jiwu!
What a feat this is!
"Bo Chang has given me such a great gift. I am truly grateful! If he comes back, I will drink with him for three days and nights, and I will remember it in my heart."
Cheng Yu secretly clenched his fists, his heart filled with excitement. Who would have thought that at the age of over forty, he could still be so happy on the battlefield and make a name for himself!
Wonderful!
