Fang Shan traveled a hundred miles to Linquan County, and according to Wang Xiaolie's normal marching speed, it took exactly two days to arrive. When Chi Yuping's troops arrived at the foot of Linjiang County, the news had just been received in the city. The person sent out to ask for help was actually captured by Chi Yuping's reconnaissance cavalry.
Seeing that the sun had set on the Western Mountain, Chi Yuping thought for a while and said: "It's a small Linquan County with only a few hundred soldiers. There's no need to wait until tomorrow! Just set up cannons outside the city, blow down the city walls, and enter the city at night." overnight!"
After that, he ordered Dai Yu to set up the cannon. On the other side, Shao Yun was still ordered to set up camp so that he wouldn't end up sleeping in the wilderness if he couldn't get into the city.
Only three cannons were fired, and before the city wall collapsed, the defenders inside opened the city and surrendered. The defenders here are local soldiers of the Jinning Army and have long wanted to surrender. It's just that Zhe Keqiu never let go and had to stay here.
In Linquan County Government Office, Chi Yuping was reading a map alone with a lamp on.
The Jinning Army is Zhe Keqiu's stronghold in the southern part of Fuzhou. There are many people stationed there, more than 4,000 people. The general is Zhe Yanruo, Zhe Keqiu's nephew, who leads an army of about a thousand people composed of Zhe family members. If possible, we can surrender to Fuzhou. The Jinning Army is Zhe Keqiu's most important stronghold.
The Jinning Army must be captured. Only when they capture it and move north will they have no worries. The other state armies are debatable.
The army of Jinning came to capture Linzhou in the north. Linzhou was built to guard against Xixia. It was not on the bank of the Yellow River, nor on Chi Yuping's march route. After thinking again and again, Chi Yuping decided to give up. On the other side of the Yellow River is Hehe County, Lanzhou. There is no army stationed there, so you can ignore it.
After several Jindu, if you ignore Linzhou and Hehe County, you can reach the foot of Fuzhou City.
After weighing it again and again, Chi Yuping let out a sigh of relief. This attack on Fuzhou mainly focused on the two cities of Jinning Army and Fuzhou. The other cities ignored them and stepped forward to fight them when they sent out troops. If they didn't send out troops, they would not mess with them.
In this case, we can reach Fuzhou City as quickly as possible.
The Jinning Army has reached Fuzhou for nearly 400 miles. If the whole army brings ten days of food, they can reach Fuzhou. It's just that when the army arrives in Fuzhou, if they can break the strong walls and clear the country, the supply of food and grass will become a problem. If grain and grass are transported from the rear, the grain road is unsafe.
Thinking of this, Chi Yuping sighed, raised his head and sat on the chair, looking at the ceiling in trance.
It is best to capture Fuzhou as quickly as possible and not fight a protracted war with Zhe Keqiu. Otherwise, it will become a problem for Zhejia to complete the mobilization. But to get to Fuzhou, four hundred miles is indeed a long way.
The entire army set out early the next morning and set off towards the Jinning Army at a rapid march. In the afternoon of the next day, the vanguard troops had arrived at the gate of Jinning Army City. The city had just received the news and had not yet had time to set up defenses.
In front of the gate of Kehu Village, Dai Yuchang held a telescope and looked at the Jinning Army across the Yellow River. I saw that the city gate was closed, no one was there, and it was a bit gloomy.
After observing for a while, Dai Yuchang said to Jia He beside him: "When we got here, we entered Kehu Village in the first battle, but the Jinning army closed the city gate instead. What does that mean?"
Jia He said: "The Jinning Army and the Kehu Village are facing each other across the Yellow River. The Kehu Village was originally built opposite the Jinning Army to prevent Xixia from occupying the Jinning Army and crossing the Yellow River. So these two The city was not built to cooperate with each other, but to guard against each other. We were able to capture Kehu Village because there were only a few troops stationed here. The Jinning Army closed the city gates and was determined to defend it."
Dai Yuchang said: "The main force should arrive tomorrow. When the cannons are set up outside the city, how long can he hold on?"
Jia He said with a smile: "Before the cannons were set up, the defenders thought they could defend the city for three to five months. Once they were set up, it would be too late to regret it. Our most important thing now is to defend against the Jinning Army. Go to Fuzhou to ask for help. There are few roads here, so we can send reconnaissance cavalry to guard the intersections, which will work wonders."
Dai Yuchang thought for a while, nodded and said: "That's right. If the Jinning Army really wants to send people to ask for help, it can't be stopped, but it should be possible to stop them for a few days. After a few days, it's not clear who is in the hands of this city. One day We will send scouts out to guard the intersection."
Zhe Yanruo was sitting in front of the table in a daze at the Jinning Army Office. On the table is a letter written by Zhe Yanzhi, urging Zhe Yanruo to surrender.
I don't know how long I sat there before Zhe Yanruo sighed heavily.
Now, it is meaningless to fight the Song army, and it is impossible to defeat them. If you don't ask for help, how can others surrender? The Zhe family is not an ordinary family. The patriarch has great power and prestige, and he has the power to keep his word. Zhe Yanzhi is a Jinshi and an official. He has worked hard on his own these years, and he doesn't have to listen to or ask for help. How can the rest of the Kezhe family do this? If Zhe Yanruo serves as an official in the Jinning Army, he has to consider Zhe Keqiu's opinion.
"If we raise our troops and resist, there is no chance of victory. I hope my brother will surrender soon——"
How to win? Even if they can withstand this attack, Wang Xiaolie will send more troops and the city will be defeated sooner or later. Unless Zhe Yanruo stayed until the Jin army moved south and drove Wang Xiaolie out of Hedong. But how could Jinning Army wait until then?
And even if the Jin army goes south, can they drive Wang Xiaolie out of Hedong? Zhe Yanruo shook his head.
Surrender now, Zhe Keqiu can't explain it. But if you want to keep it, you really can't.
Looking at recent wars, when Wang Xiaolie attacks a city, it is rare that he can defend it for four or five days. He has a cannon in his hand, which is said to be so powerful that it can knock down any city wall. The Jinning Army is a rammed earth city wall, how can it be blocked?
A soldier came in, crossed his hands and said, "I would like to inform the army that An Huguo, who was sent out to ask for help, has returned to the city."
After hearing this, Zhe Yanruo stood up suddenly. Asked: "What's going on? It's a big deal to go to Fuzhou to ask for help. How dare he return on his own?"
The soldier lowered his head after hearing this and did not answer.
Zhe Yanruo's face turned livid and he said angrily: "Let An Huguo come in and talk?"
After the soldiers went out, Zhe Yanruo sat down slowly, his eyes glowing with red threads. Seeing An Huguo come in, he said in a deep voice, "You should be on your way to Fuzhou, why are you back?"
An Huguo crossed his hands and said: "For the knowledge of the army, my subordinates originally wanted to rush to Dapingping overnight and take a rest before leaving. But two or three miles out of the city, at the intersection to Dapingping, they met the Song Dynasty cavalry. I thought it was the Song Dynasty cavalry. The army was cunning and guarded the intersection. It would be fine if they broke through. Unexpectedly, I walked forward from the mountain road and just walked not far when I met the Song Army again. The Song Army not only guarded the intersection, but also guarded all the small roads. There’s no way the Jinning Army can escape.”
Zhe Yanruo was stunned for a moment. This was not his first time fighting, and even if the enemy troops surrounded the city, they would not be able to block all the roads. It would be difficult to prevent the city from sending troops to ask for help. But the Song army held on, not only guarding the main road, but also blocking the small roads.
Wang Xiaolie's army has already formed a set of standards after many battles. There are rules to follow in how to siege a city, which intersections to guard, and how to deploy manpower. It's not like other armies at all. They send people out at will, and whether the encirclement is good or not depends on God's will.
Compared with Wang Xiaolie's army, Zhe Yanruo's defenders were basically amateurs. How could they fight against a professional army?
Looking at An Huguo, Zhe Yanruo didn't speak for a long time.
Sending people to Fuzhou to ask for help is actually to notify Zhe Ke to ask for help, saying that he is surrounded here. How could help come from four hundred miles away? It was impossible for the Song army to give Zhe Yanruo such a long time and captured the Jinning army in a few days.
Finally shaking his head helplessly, Zhe Yanruo asked An Huguo to go out.
(I have been ill for the past two days, so I can only update once. I hope readers will forgive me.)
(End of chapter)
