Birds of a feather flock together.
As Ran Min's confidant, Su Yan is naturally not an ordinary person.
In Changshan, the walls were strong and the wilderness was clear, and the other seven counties were abandoned, retreating to Zhending.
Murong Chui didn't even look at the other cities. The army went straight to Zhending, with deep trenches and high fortresses, and they were tightly besieged.
Su Yan was not without reinforcements. Three thousand of Xu Cheng's elite Black Cloud Army were stationed in Changshan, and two thousand more troops were later added.
Gao Yun and Feng Ang of the Shangdang passed through Fukouxing and pretended to attack Handan, Xiangguo and other places. Although the three armies did not have many troops, they were all elite. Gao Yun and Xu Cheng were both generals valued by Li Yue. Murong Chui's 130,000-strong army was his opponent, but he could still contain and harass him from the side.
Murong Chui, on the other hand, was not in a hurry to attack Zhending, and kept besieging him without attacking, just dragging his feet.
He was not in a hurry, and Li Yue was even less anxious. Let's see who can last.
If the Murong clan only has this ability, then they are destined to fail in this battle.
Once Murong Chui, Mu Yugen and Yue Wan are exhausted, Yecheng's army will come out in full force.
War clouds are gathering in Hebei, but there is already hope in the south of the river.
The spring plowing had begun in full swing without any impact, and the only impact was the scouts and messengers coming and going.
The people have long been accustomed to cultivating the fields with peace of mind.
The first one to launch the attack was Jiangdong. Xun Xian and Yuan Zhen stormed Hefei, while Liang Xiao and Jia Jian defended to the death. The Jin army did not take advantage for a moment.
After Yao Yisheng entered Liang County, Zhu Xu returned to Wancheng, and the crisis in Yuzhou was resolved.
Yao Xiang sent Yao Chang's eight thousand elite cavalry north to Yecheng to assist in the battle.
"By order of my brother, I'm at the disposal of His Highness!" Yao Chang knelt down on one knee as soon as they met, and he was very respectful.
However, his pair of long slanted eyes always made people a little uncomfortable, and it always felt like he was plotting something.
"I have been fighting in the south and in the north, and now I know the loyalty of the Yao family!" Li Yue looked at Yao Xiang with admiration.
This man is really loyal. Everyone else is watching, but he is the only one who actually comes to support with a knife.
No wonder after entering Luozhou, Xia and Yi people from far and near came together with their young and old.
"Brother often said that when my family was desperate, it was His Royal Highness the Prince of Liang who gave my family a place to live, regardless of past grudges. Now that the Yan thieves are attacking, how can the Yao family stand idly by?"
"General Yao is interested. He can enter the city to talk about it."
Although Yao Xiang supported him out of political needs, Li Yue still felt his heart.
"I'm about to go to war. I should rush to Changshan. After defeating the Yan thieves, I will have a drink with His Highness." Yao Chang said impassionedly.
After saying that, he held his hands to Li Yue, got on his horse, and headed north without looking back.
Eight thousand Qiang riding dragons and leaping tigers followed closely behind.
"The Yao brothers are quite like Yao Yizhong. If they have a son like this, they will surely rise in the future." Liu Qun said with emotion.
He and Yao Yizhong were ministers in the same palace, and they were also old friends with the Yao family.
Li Yue looked at Yao Chang's retreating back thoughtfully...
With Yao Chang joining the battle, Changshan's overall situation was in a stalemate.
During this period, Murong Chui launched three fierce attacks on Zhending. Su Yan's son Su Quan took the lead and fought hard to repel Murong Chui's fierce attacks.
The Yan army was tyrannical in field battles, but its siege ability was not outstanding.
After repelling three fierce attacks by the Yan army, those who were originally wavering became firm. Coupled with the harassment of Xu Cheng and Yao Chang, the defenders saw the arrival of reinforcements and their morale was greatly boosted.
However, when the Yan army attacked Changshanshan, Zhang Ping of Bingzhou finally couldn't sit still. Thirty thousand troops came out of Jingxing, occupied Luquan, and watched the Zhending battle at close range.
When they came, Murong Chui did not dare to take it lightly, and wanted to detach an army to guard Zhang Ping.
Murong Chui's strategy of siege and reinforcements was a failure.
Li Yue was determined and huddled in Yecheng, watching the situation in Hebei.
"If Murong doesn't invest new troops, he is afraid that this time it will be in vain." Cui Hong's tone became more relaxed.
However, Li Yue was not as optimistic as he was. Another general of the Yan Kingdom had not yet taken action, so it was too early to talk about the outcome.
"What is real is false, what is false is real. Murong Ke's 20,000 troops are stationed in Shuzhou. What is his intention?" Li Yue saw through Murong Chui's strategy of siege and reinforcements, but could not see through Murong Ke's plot.
It stands to reason that the threat of the 20,000 troops to Lukou is really limited.
Qin Biao and Mi went north to attack, but Murong Ke couldn't get out.
Yang Lue came to report that Lu Hu had been flirting with Yan Guo recently.
"I don't know what Murong Ke is planning." Cui Hong stared at the map carefully for a long time, feeling frustrated.
"Murong Ke has been famous for ten or twenty years. If you can see it, he will be a famous general of his generation."
"What His Highness said is true." Cui Hong touched his nose habitually, but there was a young man's unconvinced look in his eyes.
For Li Yue, as long as the status quo is maintained, it is a huge victory. Blocking the Murong family from the north is tantamount to gaining development opportunities for the Central Plains.
Now, it depends on who can keep his composure.
The Hebei War naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the world.
After almost a month of stalemate, another group of troops joined the battle.
Tuoba Shiyijian sent his younger brother Tuoba Gu to lead an army of 20,000 people southward to support Murong Chui on the Zhending battlefield.
Tuoba and Murong had just gotten married. They slept on the same bed and naturally wore a pair of trousers.
In addition to Tuoba Gu, Tuoba Shi Yijian led an army of 60,000 into Dai County, eyeing Hebei.
Liu Qun said: "Back then, Tuoba Shi Yijian was held as a hostage in Jie Zhao. Tuoba Gu went to Yecheng alone and asked to replace Tuoba Shi Yijian as a hostage. Shi Hu obeyed and kept him as a hostage in Yecheng for thirteen years. He was very happy. If you read military books and have courage and strategy, you will actually be a danger to our army!"
"Could it be that Murong's plan is really in Changshan?" Cui Hong began to doubt his previous judgment.
Murong Ke never came to an end, which indeed made people suspect that he was just a suspicious soldier.
As for Tuoba Gu's troops, there were many descendants of Liu Kun's men who were very good at attacking and defending the city. Their addition turned the battlefield situation in favor of the Yan army.
Su Yan asked for help more and more, and his words became more tragic each time.
"Zhending alone has resisted nearly 200,000 thieves and bandits. The city has run out of oil and lamps, and there are almost no casualties. Within ten days, it will be captured..."
"Thieves besieged from all sides, with arrows raining down, the city wall collapsed, and I had no choice but to fill it with flesh and blood..."
"Since we are surrounded from all sides, how can we let the letter for help be sent out? Murong Chui will definitely lure me north!" Li Yue threw the letter for help on the ground, becoming more confident in his judgment.
Murong Chui and Tuoba Gu were mostly cavalry, so how could they let the letter for help be sent out so easily?
Either they released it deliberately, or the letter was not written by Su Yan at all.
From another perspective, if Changshan is lost, it is lost, and it is not fatal to Liang Guo.
If Li Yue's army goes north, if it cannot quickly defeat Murong Chui, Mu Yugen, Yue Wan, Tuoba Gu and other forces, who can resist Murong Ke?
By then Murong Ke would be alive and could attack Lukou or rush to Changshan to surround him like Ran Min.
Li Yue not only refused to rescue Chang Shan, but also ordered Xu Cheng, Gao Yun, Feng An, and Yao Chang to retreat quickly when they saw that the situation was not good.
In a war, someone must make sacrifices, and there cannot be no losses.
Li Yue could afford this price.
(End of chapter)
