Li Hao led his army to hide in the mountains fifteen miles outside Fu City during the day and night. After dawn, he personally led a small team to approach the city gate to check the situation.
Sure enough, the situation here is similar to what Li Hao imagined, because it is far away from the fighting in the south, and there are Guanghan and Deyang cities in the middle as barriers.
In addition, the Han army on the northern front was blocked in front of Jianmen Pass and could not advance. The guards here probably never thought that a large number of Han troops would suddenly come here, so the guards at the city gate did not There are too many, and the city gates are opened and closed normally. Although the people have to go through inspection, they can still come and go freely after all.
This happened to be convenient for Li Hao, so Li Hao planned to select 500 elite soldiers from his command, put on Shu army clothes specially brought from Hanzhong, and pretend to be Shu army reinforcements.
Of course, Li Hao did not expect that they would be able to sneak into the city. After all, the Shu army was not a fool. Even if they were unprepared, they would not let a soldier and horse enter the city that had not been ordered to defend.
Li Hao's original intention was to let them attract the attention of the Shu army's defenders, and then let another group of ordinary people and caravans approach the city gate.
No matter which side succeeds, they will attack directly at the city gate and directly block it to prevent the Shu army from closing the city gate. As long as they can hold on until Li Hao arrives with his army, Fucheng will be broken.
For this reason, Li Hao also deliberately found a wealthy family nearby and borrowed some carriages, horses, clothes, etc. For their safety, Li Hao also deliberately left a team of people to protect them to prevent the news from spreading. Make people work against them.
Early the next morning, these two disguised troops marched towards Fucheng from both sides, and Li Hao's army also moved forward. Just in order not to attract the attention of the Shu army, they could not get too close to the city, and finally stopped. In a mountain valley eight miles away from Fucheng.
Li Hao's plan was also implemented smoothly. Although the pretended Shu army was blocked two miles away, the men and horses pretending to be common people and caravans approached the city gate.
Moreover, because they wanted to verify the identity of this group of Shu troops with unknown origins, some of the guards left the city gate, so they naturally seized this opportunity and immediately attacked the gate.
Then, when the men pretending to be Shu troops saw that things were going well, they naturally followed up and quickly dealt with the Shu guards who came to verify their identities. Then they ran forward to help guard the city gate and quickly sent a signal firework into the air to inform them. Li Hao.
Seeing this kind of fighting, the people who were still waiting at the city gate to go in and out of the city immediately divided into two groups and fled into and outside the city, trying to get away from this group of soldiers and horses of unknown origin.
The Han army did not stop him from doing this. They just stood at the city gate and blocked the Shu troops who came to seize the city gate.
However, the movements of the Shu army were indeed a bit slow. Except for the troops who were already guarding the wall and quickly rushed down to recapture the city gate, the remaining main troops only arrived half the time before Li Hao. .
With the arrival of the main force from Li Hao's side, there was no suspense in this battle. After being hit head-on, the defenders surrendered under the command of Fucheng guard Song Cang.
At this point, Li Hao has completed his major goal of entering Shu. With the stronghold of Fucheng and the nearly one million stones of grain stored in the city, Li Hao can calmly deal with the subsequent war.
However, Li Hao was quite surprised as to why there was so much food in Fucheng. After all, even if Fucheng was an important town in Yibei, there should not be so much food accumulated.
At this time, Li Hao had a guess, which might help solve one of his current problems, which was how to take down Jianmen Pass and let Lai She and them in.
After all, although he now occupies Fucheng and sandwiched Jianmen Pass with Lai She, the tens of thousands of troops at Jianmen Pass are actually not that easy to deal with.
First of all, Li Hao could not mobilize his entire army, otherwise once reinforcements from the Shu army arrived to recapture Fucheng, Li Hao's troops would be caught in the middle, and there would still be no city to rely on.
But if there are too few troops, there will be no effect. For this reason, Li Hao has been thinking about how to break this situation since he entered the city.
So after learning about the food problem, Li Hao intuitively felt that this would be a breakthrough, so he immediately called Song Cang for questioning.
Speaking of which, Songcang is also very knowledgeable. Even if Li Hao led his army into the city, there are still 7,000 Shu troops in Fucheng. Regardless of their specific strength, on paper, they may not be able to compete with the Han army. Breaking hands.
But when Li Hao's army arrived, this guy led his troops to surrender without much resistance, and also helped Li Hao surrender all the troops in the city.
Of course, Li Hao could also guess the specific reason why he did this. After all, the Song family was a big family in Sichuan, so it was natural that he had to think about his family's future.
Now the Han army was attacking cities all the way on the southern front, reaching near Chengdu, and a large army suddenly appeared on the northern front.
Although he didn't know exactly how these troops arrived, it turned out that Gongsun Shu was already on the verge of collapse. Since the family was a big family, it was natural to find another leader. After all, the continuity of the family was more important.
As a result, the people sent by Li Hao came back after a while, so Li Hao asked: "Didn't I ask you to invite Mr. Song? Why did you come back so soon?"
The visitor replied: "Reporting to the young master, I saw Mr. Song just after I left the house. He said that he wanted to see the young master for something."
"Well, that's just right. Go and invite Mr. Song in." Li Hao said after hearing this, and then Song Cang followed the visitor.
Before Li Hao could ask, Song Cang said, "Sir, I have a plan that can help you win Jianmen Pass."
Li Hao asked: "Oh, that's right. Sir Song, please tell me quickly. If this plan is feasible, we can welcome the general of Peking University to Shu. This is a great achievement. Then I will ask the general to personally Please take credit for Mr. Song."
After hearing what Li Hao said, Song Cang was naturally happy. After all, based on the reputation of the Yuan family, he still believed what Li Hao said.
"Sir, Fucheng is already responsible for supplying grain and grass to Jianmen Pass. It just so happens that a batch of grain and grass needs to be transported to Jianmen Pass recently.
Although some people and soldiers fled yesterday's battle, the battlefield was at the South City Gate. The other three city gates were closed after receiving the report. In addition, everyone knew that Jianmen Pass was being attacked by the army. Ordinary people The soldiers and soldiers will not escape that way.
I screened all the big families and generals in the city yesterday, and no one left the city, so I am confident that the news about Fucheng has not yet been known to the guard at Jianmen Gate.
If we send a troop of soldiers and horses into Jianmen Pass on the pretext of transporting military supplies, and coordinate with the general outside the pass internally and externally, we will be able to capture Jianmen Pass in one fell swoop.
But you must be quick, otherwise when Mianzhu or Commander Zitong get the news, they will definitely send someone to Jianmen Pass to inform them. "
Song Cang's words confirmed that Li Haode's guess was correct. Sure enough, the excess grain in the city was to be transported to Jianmen Pass to transport military grain. This was indeed an opportunity that could be exploited.
It's just that although Song Cang performed well in the front, Li Hao was still a little worried. If he sent troops there, he would be tricked by Song Cang.
So he tentatively asked, "This is a good idea, but I just don't know what Sir Song thinks we should do."
Li Hao was watching to see if Song Cang would offer to escort the people in person. If he did, it might be a way to break away from Li Hao's control, and Li Hao would have to be more careful.
Of course Song Cang also understood Li Hao's concerns, so he said: "According to the usual practice, this time we need to transport 100,000 stones of military rations to Jianmen Pass, and we will recruit 3,000 civilians and more than 1,000 guards.
My idea is for you to mobilize two thousand soldiers and horses to blend in, and the rest will mobilize soldiers and horses from Shu, led by my confidant Li Yuan. His family records are all in Fucheng and he is worthy of trust.
Moreover, he had been the one to deliver food in the past few times, so the guards at Jianmen Gate would not be suspicious. "
Hearing what Song Cang said, Li Hao felt relieved. After all, no matter how he looked at it, Li Hao didn't think Song Cang was the person who would die for Gongsun Shu.
Moreover, the number of soldiers and horses mobilized was in line with Li Hao's expectations, so that he would not lose control of Fucheng after sending out the troops.
"Those Shu soldiers and horses who have been mobilized can guarantee that there will be no problems. After all, once the secret is exposed in Jianmen Pass, there will be no place to escape.
And in this case, we must first reach an agreement with the general. Do you know what shortcut can bypass the sword gate? "
Hearing what Li Hao said, Song Cang immediately understood that Li Hao was going to agree, and immediately replied: "Don't worry, sir. These people are my confidants in the army. If anything goes wrong, you can take me away at any time." The head on the neck.
As for the shortcut, I know a trail that leads from Laisucun and Qingqiangdian around Jianmenguan. Although it cannot be passed by a large army, it is still easy to walk if it is just a small group of people. "
Li Hao thought for a while and then said: "Okay, then Mr. Song will arrange this matter. I will cooperate fully."
With Li Hao's permission, Song Cang immediately started to take care of the matter. First, he directed Lu De's guide, took the escort sent by Li Hao and a personal letter introducing the situation, and set off to find She.
Then he loaded the grain and grass into the carts, and divided and combined the soldiers and horses sent by Li Hao and the soldiers and horses from Shu, so that Li Hao could feel at ease.
Song Cang got everything ready in two days, and after asking Li Hao for instructions, he set out for Jianmen Pass.
At this time, Li Hao also received a reward. The family records of Li Yuan and Song Cang were still in Fucheng, and no one suddenly disappeared.
Naturally, Li Hao couldn't believe Song Cang's words, so after Song Cang left that day, he had people keep an eye on the two people's mansions to confirm the situation at their homes.
Of course, Li Hao believed that his actions could not be hidden from Song Cang, a local snake, but Li Hao had no intention of hiding it, because Song Cang would pretend not to know if he knew it.
Then Li Hao did not wait. After all, as time passed, Gongsun Shu would definitely know the news about his presence in Fucheng, and he would definitely send people to recover Fucheng, so he had to make some defensive preparations no matter what.
However, the number of soldiers and horses that finally came was more than Li Hao thought. Hou Dan led no less than 60,000 soldiers and horses.
According to Li Hao's assumption, if there were soldiers and horses from the southern front causing trouble near Chengdu, Gongsun Shu should not be able to draw so many soldiers and horses. After all, compared to the risk of Chengdu being breached, he should not be that important.
Of course, not all of these soldiers and horses came to attack Fucheng. About 40,000 of them surrounded Fucheng, and the remaining 20,000 horses did not stop at Fucheng, but went straight to Jianmen Pass.
Hou Dan also understood that since Li Hao had captured Fucheng, it was impossible to ignore Jianmen Pass, so he thought of dispatching troops and horses.
But Li Hao didn't care about this. Anyway, if the plan was successful, Jianmen Pass would have fallen into the hands of the Han army by this time.
On the other hand, if the strategy fails, the Han army will not be able to enter Jianmen Pass at all, so it doesn't matter whether these people go or not.
Before the Shu army attacked the city, Hou Dan sent people to shout in front of the city, saying that Cen Peng, the leader of the Han army on the southern route, had been killed in Guangdu, and the Han army retreated.
Then he said that Li Hao was now alone. If he knew what was going on, he would leave the city and beg for surrender as soon as possible. Gongsun Shu would definitely give Li Hao a promotion, but if he resisted, it would be a dead end.
Li Hao's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, because Li Hao really believed that Cen Peng had an accident.
Of course, Li Hao did not think that he died in battle, but was assassinated by Gongsun Shu's men. After all, if Gongsun Shu's men really had the ability to defeat Cen Peng head-on, they would not have allowed Cen Peng to fight near Chengdu.
However, in front of everyone, Li Hao would definitely not tell the truth. Instead, he would directly refute. Anyway, everyone has their own reasons for this kind of thing, and Li Hao didn't think Hou Dan could provide any ironclad evidence.
Then the two armies officially fought. In order to capture Fucheng as soon as possible, Hou Dan used all his strength from the beginning.
However, Li Hao had a strong city to rely on and took precautions in advance. Hou Dan attacked for two consecutive days without any hope of breaking the city.
Of course, although Li Hao was confident that Hou Dan could not attack in a short time, it was not a problem to keep guarding like this. Now that Cen Peng is dead, the situation of the South Route Army is unknown.
If there is no breakthrough at Jianmen Pass, Li Hao will have to find a way out for himself and cannot remain trapped in an isolated city.
After all, it's okay now. Song Cang and others in the city still maintain trust in Li Hao, but if there is no turnaround, there is no guarantee that they will not rebel again.
Just when Li Hao was worried about this, several homing pigeons flew in from outside the city and brought good news to Li Hao. That is, the main force of the Han army on the northern front had captured Jianmen Pass and was now marching straight towards Fucheng. Come.
Then Li Hao no longer worried about his own safety, but it was a pity that he had no chance to hold back Hou Dan's main force and create a chance for Lai She to gather and annihilate the Shu army.
Because the two soldiers and horses sent by Hou Dan ahead would definitely collide with the main force led by Lai She. Li Hao had no doubt that Lai She could win, but without the blessing of the terrain, Lai She might not have the ability to annihilate them all.
At that time, there will definitely be defeated troops who will flee back in advance to inform Hou Dan of the situation. When Hou Dan wants to leave, it will be difficult for Li Hao to stop him with the troops he currently has.
Of course, Li Hao didn't want to do nothing, so he came to Songcang to discuss and organize a group of elites to come out and wait until Hou Dan retreats to attack and see how many can be stopped.
Song Cang was also very happy to hear the news that the main force of the Han army had crossed Jianmen Pass. Although he didn't know how Li Hao knew it, it was impossible for Li Hao to deceive something that would become clear in a few days. he.
Originally he was worried about the news from Hou Dan, but now he immediately became energetic and selected some elite soldiers from the Shu army according to Li Hao's instructions.
After Hou Dan's troops began to retreat outside the city, Li Hao immediately realized that the news had been sent back by the collapse of the frontline troops. He immediately ordered people to open the south city gate and sent troops who were ready to leave the city directly to the direction of Hou Dan's Chinese army. Rush away.
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This caught Hou Dan completely off guard. After all, in his opinion, he had already prepared to retreat as soon as he learned the news.
As for Li Hao, who was besieged from all sides, it was impossible for him to know the situation ahead of him, so he would naturally not take the initiative to attack, so he was blinded all of a sudden. Somehow, even the Chinese army's banner fell.
At this time, Hou Dan's troops were completely in chaos. After all, the commander-in-chief was the representative. When the commander-in-chief was up, the morale of the army was gathered and it was as stable as Mount Tai; when the commander-in-chief fell, the morale of the army was scattered and vulnerable.
After Li Hao discovered this situation at the top of the city, he immediately seized the opportunity. Except for the necessary personnel to defend the city, Li Hao took all the other soldiers and horses out.
In an instant, Hou Dan's central army was defeated, and troops from three other places were also implicated. Even if Hou Dan wanted to step in to maintain the situation, it would be of no avail.
Li Hao led the pursuit until about noon before withdrawing his troops. He captured no less than 10,000 prisoners along the way, and there may be even more soldiers who escaped.
It is estimated that Hou Dan brought out 60,000 men and horses, and he would be thankful if he could bring back 10,000 men and horses.
