Time passed quickly and the sun had already set.
The Imperial Guards woke up one after another, washed their faces with Anfengtang water, and checked their equipment in high spirits.
This trip is not a trivial fight, it is a real deep dive into the enemy's territory. There is no room for carelessness. If you are not careful, you will lose your life!
Ying Xuan also checked himself, and after confirming that everything was correct, he led everyone along the bank of the Huai River and all the way north.
Traveling to a forest ten miles away from Shouchun, he abandoned his horse and went into the surrounding bushes with the refugees.
Zhang Han glanced at the moon.
"It's approaching August now, and with the moon in this position, it should already be Haishi!"
Ying Xuan looked at it from a distance. In the last ten miles from Shouchun, there were too few places to hide.
If the Huaiyang Army can't contain the opponent well and attract all their energy, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me and others to get close!
Ying Xuan frowned. He was not sure whether the Huaiyang military camp would obey the order and attack with all its strength.
It was impossible for him to risk his life, so he thought about it and summoned Zhang Wangcai.
"How many messengers do you have in total?"
Zhang Wangcai lay on the ground, not daring to raise his head.
"Back to the censor! There are dozens of us. We usually gather near the big rock in front and swim across the moat together into the tunnel!"
Ying Xuan glanced at where Zhang Wangcai was pointing, but there was nothing there.
"We all gathered around the stone after midnight, and only after midnight will the tunnel be opened!"
Ying Xuan nodded and turned around to explain to Zhang Han.
"With that big rock as the center, touch all the obstacles within a three-mile radius and kill anyone you encounter!"
Ying Xuan's words made Zhang Wangcai shudder severely.
After a while, he saw shadows quickly spreading out and surrounding the big rock.
Then start searching inward one by one.
He couldn't see clearly under the moonlight, but he could clearly see that some shadows would be delayed for a while.
This moment is a life.
Zhang Wangcai swallowed. He was very glad that Chang Lin brought these people to arrest him.
Otherwise, I don’t even know how I died tonight.
After the cleanup was completed, dozens of Imperial Guards took the place of the messengers and lay on the ground waiting quietly.
Occasionally, one or two late-arriving shadows can be seen, but they disappear as soon as they approach the big rock.
At this time, the Forbidden Army will rush over and two more people will take their place.
As the moonlight gets higher and higher, the southwest corner of Shouchun City is the far right side of Ying Xuan's sight.
The fire suddenly brightened.
Then a lot of rushing and killing sounds can be heard here.
Ying Xuan clenched his fists subconsciously.
Those Huaiyang troops did not resist the order, they were really trying their best to attack the city.
…
South of Shouchun City.
Thirty thousand troops came out in full force.
The fire lit up the entire sky.
The county captain divided the thousands of people into dozens of square formations.
With the siege vehicle as the center, three thousand-man formations were set up on each side to attack the entire southern city wall.
Except for the siege engine in the middle, which only attacks the city gate.
The rest of the battle formations took turns attacking without stopping!
The Sheriff stood in the back with a serious face.
He didn't want to be able to capture the city wall, he just wanted these soldiers to die less, or to die more slowly, and to survive until two hours later.
But he also knew that the censor had already touched the location of Shouchun City.
If he relaxes a little bit, he may be discovered by the enemy and surrounded in the city, and his success will be defeated.
The inner struggle kept him from making up his mind.
At this time, the county lieutenant on the side took a step forward.
"No! Even the attack of six phalanxes couldn't get the opponent to draw out all its troops!"
"If this continues, the censor will have no chance of entering safely!"
"Captain, obey the order!"
The captain on the side suddenly stood up.
"The general is here!"
"Lead five thousand troops! Attack the southeast corner and open up a battlefield! No matter what method you use, lure out all the regular troops in Shouchun City!"
The captain did not hesitate.
"The general will definitely live up to his mission!"
The Sheriff's eyes widened and he wanted to say something.
Opening up another battlefield is equivalent to increasing the death rate of soldiers again!
If this continues for two hours, it is very likely that we will not be able to arrive, and all 30,000 soldiers will be killed or injured!
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, but couldn't say anything.
…
The hour has come.
The number of guards on the west and north walls of Shouchun City has been reduced by 90%, and most of them went to the south wall to provide support.
The Huaiyang army's offensive was more fierce than Ying Xuan expected.
He also knew that this was time that the soldiers had fought for with their lives.
Seeing that the time had come, and was about to give the order to enter the city, Ying Xuan suddenly discovered it.
Some of the guards on the two city walls had withdrawn, and there were almost no people left.
Ying Xuan frowned, is the Huaiyang army crazy? With such an offensive pressure, Shouchun City has almost abandoned several other sides. Is it really filling the moat with its life?
But there was no time for him to hesitate at this moment.
Ying Xuan gave an order.
"Change our strategy. Fifty people will follow me into the city through the tunnel from the north."
"All the refugees and the rest are going to take down the west city wall and gate, leaving two people to deliver a message to lure the Huaiyang army to attack the west city!"
Zhang Han was also sent to the west city wall by Ying Xuan.
"Censor can't! If I'm not around, who will protect you!"
Ying Xuan turned around, slapped Zhang Han hard on the shoulder, and said to him seriously.
"Remember you are a general! Not a guard! Now is your chance to show off!"
"This is your first battle. Lead these people to capture Shouchun City for me! Let the world see who my Ying Xuan's staff are!"
Zhang Han clenched his fists. This was an opportunity for him, but at this moment, he valued Ying Xuan's safety more.
Ying Xuan smiled.
"Don't worry, the person in this world who can kill me hasn't even been born yet!"
Then he said with a serious expression.
"Zhang Han obeys the order!"
Following Ying Xuan's formal order, Zhang Han could only turn around and lead one hundred and fifty forbidden troops and hundreds of refugees towards the west wall.
And Ying Xuan took the remaining fifty forbidden troops along the Huaihe River embankment to a few dozen meters outside Shouchun City.
The north side of Shouchun City is close to the Huaihe River.
Under the guidance of Zhang Wangcai, everyone crossed tens of meters of flat ground at extremely fast speeds and arrived at the inner bank of the moat.
During the process, the few remaining guards on the city wall saw these figures, but did not make any movement.
I just thought it was the messengers who came over again.
Ying Xuan looked at the tunnel on the slope of the river bank, which was not much higher than the water level, and frowned slightly.
It was indeed the work of those Yue people.
I still like drilling holes!
Zhang Wangcai had already said before coming that there were dozens of soldiers guarding the tunnel exit.
I'm afraid it won't be easy to live in peace.
But now, with such a shortage of manpower outside, they should have fewer people to defend.
After all, a one-meter-high tunnel could not hold up as many people as it could enter. If there were too many people, the guards on the city wall would have noticed it long ago.
Ying Xuan waved his hand, and Zhang Wangcai led the team followed by ten forbidden troops who had changed into refugee clothes.
Use them as the vanguard and wait for the opponent to relax before attacking.
…
At this moment, the siege battle on the south city wall has entered a fever pitch.
The county guard felt heartbroken as he looked at the soldiers falling from the siege ladder one by one.
The county lieutenant never let go of his clenched palms.
The soldiers relied on their blood and rushed to the city wall several times, but they were still suppressed by the opponent regardless of their own safety.
Seeing that the six battle formations in the first round were almost completely dead and wounded, the county lieutenant could only grit his teeth with red eyes.
"Second round, come on me!"
