Fenghou

Chapter 367
At noon on the first day of the first lunar month, Chen Qing's army left Huxian County and continued to march westward in the hilly area between the south bank of the Weihe River and Zhongnan Mountain. Three days later, [-] cavalry arrived at Wuzhangyuan near Meixian County, which had already entered the territory of Fengxiang Prefecture. .

According to past experience, there should be Jinbing garrison in Mei County, but the number will not be too many, about a thousand people.

But Chen Qing didn't want to sneak attack on Fengxiang City, but wanted to create momentum to force Yan Wushu to withdraw his troops.

He needs to bloody kill a chicken to make this momentum come into effect.

As for this chicken, Chen Qing stared at the defenders of Mei County.

In the afternoon, Zhao Xiaoyi brought a caravan to the forest where Chen Qing's army was stationed. Chen Qing's army had moved to a pine forest about ten miles away from the county seat of Mei County.

Soon, Zhao Xiaoyi took the leader of the businessman into the forest. The businessman's surname was Wang, a native of Mei County. He was a medicine merchant. He was leaving for Bianliang to purchase medicine.

The owner Wang heard that it was the demon Chen Qing, and he was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground and couldn't speak.

Chen Qingwen smiled and said: "You don't have to be afraid. I kill the Jin soldiers and the puppet Qi soldiers. At least I have never killed innocent people. I will ask you something, and you can answer it truthfully."

"Little man. Don't dare to hide!"

Wang Dongzhu calmed down a little, and Chen Qing asked, "How many golden soldiers are there in the city?"

"Reporting to the general, there are about a thousand people."

Sure enough, as expected, there were thousands of gold soldiers in the city, Chen Qing asked again: "Are they all Jurchens?"

"They're all Jurchens!"

Chen Qing nodded and continued to ask: "Are there any restrictions on entering and leaving the city?"

"There is no control, ordinary people come and go as they please, but businessmen have to pay taxes."

"How much is the food price in the city now?"

"The cheapest wheat is about [-] cents a bucket."

"Is there a price increase?"

"Food prices are basically relatively stable."

The reason why Chen Qing asked about the price of grain was that he wanted to know about the grain storage in the city. Guanzhong was a famous granary, and there should be no shortage of grain. He could use Mei County as a place to garrison troops.

After asking about the situation in detail, Chen Qing comforted the businessman and sent him away.

Yang Zaixing smiled at Chen Qing: "It's such a cold weather, and there are only a thousand soldiers. Judging from their relaxation during the day, there should be no one on the top of the city at night. Let the humble officials seize the city!"

Liu Cui said anxiously: "You should go every time! This time it should be my turn."

Chen Qing glanced at Liu Qiong and Gao Ding next to him, both of them were eager to try, Chen Qing said with a smile: "The four of you draw lots, whoever wins will go!"

The result of the lottery came out soon, Liu Qiong won the lottery, and the three had to leave angrily.

Chen Qing said to Liu Qiong: "The moat is already frozen, don't think about it, you lead five hundred brothers to go, and bring a few special scouts up to the city on soft ladders."

"Understandable!"

"It will be easier to go to the city from the northeast corner!" Chen Qing added with a smile.

Liu Qiong nodded, "After dark, the humble job will lead people to set off, what else does the governor have to say?"

"Old rules, after capturing the East City Gate, light three torches."

Liu Qiong clasped her fists in salute, turned and left.
It gets dark early in winter, and night fell quietly in a short time. Liu Qiong led five hundred soldiers and rushed to Mei County ten miles away.
The night was not completely dark yet, Chen Qing could clearly see the outline of the county town in the distance, and hoped that Liu Qiong would not let him down.

Liu Qiong led five hundred soldiers to the northeast corner. He was not in a hurry to go to the city, but sent his men to observe the entire city wall. There were only two gates in Mei County, the east city and the west city. The west city was the main gate, facing the city. Fengxiang City also faces Dasan Pass.

Soon his subordinates came to report, "The west city and the east city are similar, and there are only two people guarding back and forth at the top of the city.

It is impossible to have only two people, at least twenty or thirty people are right, and the others should sleep in the tower.

Liu Qiong waited patiently, and finally waited until the first watch. He waved his hand and said, "The first team comes with me!"

He led a hundred soldiers wearing white cloaks to run in the snow, and ran towards the city wall from the north. The Wei River was a few miles to the north. Now the Wei River is completely frozen, and there are no ships coming. There are basically no soldiers on the head of the North City. It is estimated that It is also covered with snow.

Liu Qiong had his own plan. One hundred people would be enough to capture the city gate. If all five hundred people climbed the city, the target would be too big and would be easily discovered by the enemy. So one hundred people went up to the city, and the others entered through the city gate.

Hundreds of soldiers rushed across the moat covered with a thick layer of ice, rushed to the bottom of the city, and stood against the city wall. They were standing on the northeast corner. The army couldn't see them. The key is that there is a corridor going down to the city. They go down to the city from here, and then go up to the city from the east, so that they don't have to walk a long way on the top of the city to be discovered by the enemy.

They brought a few scout soldiers with special abilities. The so-called special abilities are climbing, diving, throwing objects, etc., and they have specialties that others don't have.

The leading scout soldier was very good at throwing the rope. He stepped back seven or eight steps, and lightly tossed the noose in his hand.

Not long after, the scout soldiers climbed to the top of the city, put the ladders on the battlements, and dropped three ladders one after another. A hundred soldiers quickly climbed up the ladders to the top of the city.
There was a thick layer of snow on the top of the city, and it was ankleless and bitterly cold. There was not a single footprint on the snow, which meant that no soldiers had patrolled the city wall for ten days, and the snow was only ten days ago.

After they went up to the city, they went down directly from the corridor on the other side, and assembled at the bottom of the city.

Below the city is the water gate, but the water gate and the Cao River are also frozen, and they are solidly frozen.

When everyone was here, Liu Qiong waved his hand and ran towards the east gate with a hundred of his men.

Each of them held a short spear, carried a bow and arrow, and had a sword in his waist, and they ran very fast.

In just a moment, they rushed to the east city.

There was silence in the city, there was no pedestrian on the street, and the sound of clappers beating the watchman was faintly heard in the distance, and it was a quarter of a watch.

There is no one inside the city gate, the weather is too cold, and it is not a strategic location. There is basically no defense in the city, and there is no need to be on duty so seriously. Only a few people are left to prevent urgent news from being sent.

Liu Qiong led his men to stick to the city wall and walked step by step towards the top of the city. When they passed the female wall, the two soldiers just now also squatted on the ground. From Liu Qiong's perspective, he only saw the back of one of them.

He asked the rest of his men not to move for the time being, and he led a few of them lightly jumping up to the top of the wall, and went around to the front. As expected, there were two soldiers squatting in front of the fire.

Liu Qiong made a gesture, and the soldiers surrounded them from both sides, almost at the same time, covering the Jurchen soldiers' mouths and stabbing them in the back of the heart.

The two Jurchen soldiers fell limply. They poked a hole in the paper and looked into the tower. Generally speaking, soldiers would hide in the tower and sleep.

But to Liu Qiong's surprise, the city tower was empty without a single defender, which surprised Liu Qiong. It is impossible that there were only two soldiers guarding the city at night. Where did the others go?

The head of the capital, Yang Qu, whispered: "General, the inside of the city tower is frozen, there is no grass, no bedding and beds, they can't sleep here, they are probably in a nearby private house."

Liu Qiong nodded, "You take more than a dozen brothers to monitor the city, and notify me immediately if there is any movement!"

Yang Qu took a dozen soldiers to the female wall to monitor the city.

The rest of the soldiers opened the city gate and lowered the drawbridge. Liu Qiong personally lit three torches and let the three men wave them into the distance.

Several miles away, Chen Qing saw the waving torches, and immediately ordered: "The army enters the city!"

The [-]-strong army slowed down their horses, the horses' hoofs were wrapped in thick cloth, and they walked on the snow without making a sound. The [-]-strong army marched towards Mei County in a mighty manner.
(End of this chapter)