Because the 5,000 Anbei troops outside the city had no intention of attacking the city and no siege equipment, the soldiers on duty in Shuiyang City in the middle of the night were not considered elite.
Tian Ming's own old base is only two thousand, and he needs to use it for daytime confrontation. At that time, he is likely to encounter a strong attack from Anbei's main force.
This kind of strategic arrangement is not only correct, it can even be said to be excellent. When the enemy's strength is very different from ours, the strongest combat power can be preserved to deal with it.
But they never expected that the first special joint operation of the Anbei Governor's Office would be used in Shuiyang City.
The avatar of the God Lord has just used thunderous means to unify the Bei'an divine world and establish the Anbei Divine Court. I don't know how many newly attached gods want to perform meritorious deeds.
They witnessed with their own eyes that the God Lord pushed the city emperor Chao Qu to take charge of Bei'an County. At the same time, he spoke of the Tianxian and decreed that Yang Wan be the emperor of Pingcang City.
In addition, there are ghosts, one ghost, two ghosts and three, who have condensed into gods and been named Shenting Yinshi. This is a serious Yin job that once appeared when the underworld was still there.
The city emperor, the earth, the wandering god and many other human gods were ecstatic. They could not reach the heaven. Now that there is a divine court to take shelter, how could they not try their best.
When Zhou Bai led his army to march into Ruinan, the avatars of the God Lord acted simultaneously, and the gods of Anbei Shenting followed the army to Ruinan County.
On the one hand, they want to expand the incense area, bring the Ruinan spirit under the jurisdiction of the divine court, and suppress dissidents; on the other hand, they want to help the Anbei army successfully capture Ruinan County.
Youye, the night traveler under Chao Qu, was the most active. She risked being suppressed by the law and sneaked into Shuiyang County to investigate intelligence.
Before Jiao Tu's night attack, he led the way for the gods of Shenting to go straight to the Emperor's Divine Domain of Shuiyang City, so that the gods of Shuiyang City could not warn Tian Ming.
Then, the night wind was summoned to make the guards sleepy, and the dark clouds obscured the moonlight...
Although these small means cannot directly affect the actual battle situation, they still play an important role that cannot be ignored.
Five hundred martial arts masters acted as night attack elites, their movements were well-trained, swift and silent.
With excellent strength and skill, he can use the hook lock to climb the county-level city wall without any pressure.
Jiao Tu took a few innate officers to climb up first, and he went up and killed all around. He went on a rampage, and the defenders who were scattered by arrows were chopped down and stunned.
Why did this powerful general suddenly appear at the top of the city, and there was a steady stream of enemies climbing up the city wall behind him.
The unexpected night attack made the fighting at the top of the city one-sided. The only thing the defenders had time to do was to issue an alarm to the entire city before Jiao Tu captured the city gate.
The rapid sound of gongs, the panicked shouts of soldiers, and the sounds of fighting...
Shuiyang City, which had never been quiet before, was completely awakened. The lights in the houses along the street were turned on and off because of the rapid passing of troops outside.
The elite county soldiers who woke up in the military camp were rushed to the city gate by officers before they even had time to pierce their armor and stomach.
Everyone knows that if the city gate is breached in the middle of the night, everything will really stop.
"Dongdong, County Lord, County Lord, something bad has happened!"
In the back house of the county government, the county magistrate Tian Ming woke up to the panicked doorbell. Without a moment's hesitation, he quickly got dressed and got up.
The Anbei Army was just outside the city. What good could happen if they were woken up at this time?
When he opened the door, he saw that the people coming were none other than a few close men, their faces full of eagerness and fear.
At this time, there were sounds of running footsteps inside and outside the county government office, and the atmosphere of war was approaching. Tian Ming's heart was actually in chaos.
But he still reprimanded without changing his expression: "Calm down! Tell me what's going on."
The confidant wiped the sweat from his forehead, forced himself to calm down and whispered: "The east city was successfully attacked by the enemy at night. The enemy climbed onto the city wall. I don't know if the city gate has been saved yet!"
Tian Ming's mind was racing, his face turned red, and he said in disbelief: "How is it possible? The Emperor of Shuiyang City promised me that he would warn me if there is an emergency.
"We don't cooperate once or twice. Could it be that the incense offerings in the past few years are in vain?!"
"Also, could Anbei's army be able to fly? How could they steal the city under the eyes of the defenders!"
After he was awakened, he thought about many situations, such as the families in the city trying to dedicate the city, or which military academy in the east city was bribed, and the inside should cooperate with the outside.
It's okay if the Shuiyang City Emperor didn't give a warning. The key point is the east city wall, which was successfully attacked by the Anbei Army in a sneak attack. It's too unreasonable.
"Your Majesty, if you hear the cry of killing, could your subordinates still lie to you?"
"You use incense to win over the gods. How can this be a solid relationship?"
"The county army camp has received the news. General Zhang is leading troops to support Dongcheng. The servants have gathered outside the Yamen. Please make a quick decision on how to proceed next."
Tian Ming can take root in Shuiyang and run it like an iron bucket, and of course a group of confidants are indispensable.
The words of his confidants made him completely awaken. Now that things have happened, is it possible that he still needs to rely on the gods to turn the tide?
Tian Ming took a deep breath and glanced in the direction of Dongcheng. The situation there was still unclear.
No longer hesitating, he pointed to the close retainers in front of him and said: "You go and collect the county seals, yellow books, and important documents, and prepare for the dedication of the city. I will take my retainers to the east city."
"grown ups!"
"We have to give it a try. Surrendering the city and offering a complete city are completely different treatments afterwards." Tian Ming waved his hands and said with a complicated mood.
His current idea is to sell Shuiyang City at a better price and surrender when Zhou Bai comes to the city in person.
Regardless of whether Jiao Tu used a "despicable" method like a night attack, it was a fact that the Shuiyang City Emperor kept silent, and it was also a fact that the Anbei Army climbed to the top of the city without the help of siege equipment.
A mere five thousand people had already pushed Shuiyang City to a desperate situation. With the arrival of the main force, it was unimaginable that Shuiyang City could survive three days.
Tian Ming has been in the officialdom for a long time, and his extraordinary characteristics have been suppressed by his official aura, but he is still halfway to the Taoist realm. Judging from the rough luck situation, it is not a problem.
】
At this time, five thousand Anbei troops launched a massive attack. At the critical moment of capturing the city gate, the military spirit was boiling, and the luck of the Anbei Governor's Mansion was also revealed.
Ruinan and Bei'an really collided for the first time, and Tian Ming, as the magistrate of Shuiyang County, was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the destiny.
In his eyes, the dark clouds in the sky were about to collapse, and the majestic mountain-like momentum in the distance was overwhelming and overwhelming, making him breathless.
Whether it was his own Ruinan Jiedu Mansion or the Dingzhou Prefecture Government Office, he kept in touch and watched, without any insights at all.
That is the rising sun, which is rising infinitely. Everything that stands in front of it will be burned to ashes.
Tian Ming made a decision and acted very quickly. He got on his horse outside the county government office, and headed straight for Dongcheng with his loyal servants and government servants.
If you can hold it, defend it first; if you can't, surrender immediately.
As Dongcheng got closer and closer, Tian Ming's heart sank. Why did some defeated soldiers retreat along the way?
He ordered his men to seize the defeated troops on the front line and angrily shouted: "Where is General Zhang? Why retreat first?!"
The face of the defeated soldier was full of horror, and he said in a crying voice: "My lord, we can't stop it. Anbei's soldiers are all defeated by a hundred people. General Zhang has been beheaded in the doorway by the enemy general. The city gate cannot be saved."
The general who controlled the county soldiers for him died? Tian Ming's body swayed and he almost fell off the horse.
However, before he could feel sad or ask questions, the battle at the east city gate in front seemed to reach its peak, and the sound of fighting filled the sky.
Tian Ming's eyes could see at night. He clearly saw a wave of fiery red retreating from the city gate. That was the color of the military uniforms of Daxu Jingzhi's soldiers!
"Failed?" Tian Ming tightened his grip on the horse's rope and still stared straight at the city gate.
Sure enough, right after, the rolling and raging black tide surged out.
They were a group of cold soldiers wearing black armor, like ghost soldiers from the underworld, they were the Anbei Army!
The black tide rushed into the red tide, and within a moment, the fiery red, which represented the soldiers of Shuiyang County, was washed away, and there were scattered soldiers everywhere.
The momentum of Anbei's army was so fierce that more and more soldiers rushed into the city gate. From the city gate to the city wall, the East City was about to be completely occupied.
Tian Ming couldn't bear it on his face, and he was also very unwilling in his heart. The old soldiers he had worked hard to cultivate for many years were so vulnerable in front of these Anbei soldiers?
It was almost a complete crushing of personal qualities, military formation coordination, and weapons.
But he also knew that now was not the time to feel sentimental, so he immediately turned his horse's head and shouted: "Retreat!"
The servants who had been favored by their master saw the retreat of the front line. At this time, they did not feel timid or gave up the idea of escape. Instead, they took up positions one after another.
Some of them followed Tian Ming and retreated to the county government office, while others consciously cut off the rear to avoid being chased after him.
During the escape, a person who had been with Tian Ming for many years stood beside him on horseback and asked in a low voice: "My lord, are you surrendering or running away from other city gates?"
Qin Sui put a hand on his waist, and his tone of voice was a little weird, something was wrong.
Of course Tian Ming knew something was wrong. He even knew that this follower had already been bribed by Ruinan Jiedu Yanluo and was a traitor.
"Oh? Marshal Yan gave you the instruction to stick to Shuiyang?"
"You're keeping me here on purpose!" As soon as Tian Ming's slightly teasing words came out, his face changed drastically, and he drew his sword and wanted to do that evil thing.
But he didn't notice that when he approached Tian Ming, he was also close to the other two riders.
Even though he was in the acquired realm and had good martial arts, he was killed off his horse after three rounds.
The last sight of the entourage was a group of county magistrate's confidants from behind, rushing over with large and small bags. Inside were official seals, yellow books, and documents, which represented the ownership of Shuiyang County's political power.
Yes, Tian Ming chose to surrender. In his opinion, continuing to resist pointlessly would only lead to further loss of points.
It was already impossible to offer the complete Shuiyang City as a gift, so he had to try his best to make up for the aftermath.
What surprised Tian Ming was that Jiao Tu, a general with a strong sense of the overall situation, did not accept his surrender and said he was waiting for the governor to arrive in person. This was rare political wisdom.
Of course, although Jiao Tu did not surrender in advance, he gave Tian Ming full power to assist the Anbei army in reassuring the people.
When Zhou Bai led his 30,000 main force to Shuiyang City on the afternoon of July 10th, what greeted him was a completely stable city.
Tian Ming went out of the city to surrender according to ancient rituals, and handed over all power. He was as obedient as he wanted.
This gave the Anbei Governor's Mansion's southern expedition strategy a very good start and boosted military morale.
Zhou Bai was very satisfied with Tian Ming's performance, because his timely surrender preserved the vitality of Shuiyang City to the maximum extent and allowed Anbei Army to gain a complete foothold in Ruinan.
But in addition to being satisfied with Tian Ming's knowledge and interest, he was even more satisfied with Jiao Tu. This "reduced general" who was not very conspicuous in the imperial system in all aspects was now showing off his talents one by one.
He is bold and careful, possesses both military and political talents, and with the accumulation of several military exploits, becoming a commander in chief will not be a problem.
However, not all opportunities for meritorious service can be given to one person. Attacking Ruinan County is the best opportunity to train generals. Some of the subordinates who are not good enough may use this battle to change their fate.
Therefore, after Zhou Bai entered Shuiyang, he ignored the 30,000 Rui Nanya Army on the way and divided two partial divisions to guard the flanks.
Zhou Ping, the official of the Fujun Wei, led his headquarters of 2,500 people, and took Yicheng County; Huang Jingtong, the official guard of the Fujun, led 2,500 people of his headquarters, and took Tianlin County.
Both of them were considered to be mid-level and senior-level officers, but they were not particularly outstanding. Instead, they relied on their seniority and merit to gain the position of Wei Zheng.
Especially Zhou Ping, who was born in the Zhou clan and was one of the few people from the clan who could make a name for himself by joining the army, so Zhou Bai actually took care of him a little bit.
The township party is usually an inevitable and important component of emerging forces, and the Anbei Governor's Office is no exception.
Zhou Bai does not intend to go against this historical norm. In the final analysis, it is always the small group of people who can really support him without making any conditions and will definitely support him to the end.
Both of them are just red lives. If they want to reach another level, they must make a breakthrough, which depends on the water of military merit and luck.
…
Shuiyang changed hands, Yicheng and Tianlin counties were threatened, and the entire northern area of Ruinan County was in crisis almost everywhere.
If represented by sand table deduction, the vast area north of Ruinan County means that the control area of Jiedu Mansion is being reduced visibly to the naked eye.
The southern expedition is currently not feeling much pressure, and there is no need for cavalry to protect the central army.
In order to train the cavalry's ability to fight alone, Zhou Bai decided to let Lou Jinpeng act independently.
On July 12, after Lou Jinpeng and other subsequent troops took over Shuiyang Ferry, they led two thousand cavalry and drove straight in. They galloped hundreds of miles a day and made a surprise attack on the Yamen's food road, winning a complete victory.
After the success of the group operation, he divided the two thousand cavalry into parts and formed a team of one hundred people to attack various checkpoints and fortresses controlled by Ruinan Jiedu.
The craziest group of cavalry even appeared ten miles away from Ruinan City. If Yan Luo didn't have some capital, Yin Jiaoqi would have stayed in his hands.
Maybe this team of cavalry really went to the city to show off their power.
But even just appearing ten miles outside the city would be a huge blow to Ruinan Jiedu's prestige. How long has it been since the war started and you are letting people fight at your doorstep? How can you continue to fight?
Seeing that the county is not very stable, the three southern counties of Ruinan County are increasingly secretly communicating with each other.
Yan Luo recalled the 30,000 yamen troops who were stopped halfway, not only to stabilize the situation, but also because he understood that once the field battle failed, the entire army might be annihilated.
On the Anbei Army side, they are still advancing steadily and gradually.
Worried about the partial division that was attacking the flank, Zhou Yuan only led his 20,000 main force to push forward 300 miles, controlling the transportation hub in the northern part of Ruinan, which could radiate to Yicheng and Tianlin.
As for Zhou Bai, in addition to stabilizing Shuiyang in the past few days, he also met with representatives of various forces in Ruinan County.
The result of the first battle has already caused many powerful men to submit letters of surrender, and they are willing to support "Master Wang".
