First Minister of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 176 Seeing the Potential of Fighting the Horn Again
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Hearing Zheng Yuanxuan's words, all the generals were silent. They didn't understand the temperament of this Taichangqing, but they were not good at expressing their opinions.

Gao Chong thought for a while and said: "Defending Yingcheng is an invincible position, but the Zhu thief is cruel and ruthless. He is afraid of harming the people outside the city. At the end of the day, the general suggested to strengthen the walls and clear the wilderness, and move the people near Xichuan to the city. It can protect the common people, and it can also stop the Zhu thief from plundering supplies."

Zheng Yuanxuan also nodded when he heard the words, "General Gao's words are very true. This official has sent an order to Xizhou to move the people near the city into the city for resettlement."

Right now, it is the turn of summer and autumn, neither hot nor cold, and the climate is suitable. It is not very troublesome to temporarily move the people into the city for resettlement. It is better than being looted by Zhu Can outside the city.

When the order to fortify the wall and clear the country was handed down, it went smoothly, especially the people of Xizhou, after learning that the ogre Zhu Can was about to attack, they ran into the city with their children and their daughters. The local government was not allowed to mobilize, all because of Zhu Can's notoriety of cruelty.

Xizhou is close to Dengzhou. According to the word of mouth of merchants and pawns, the people of Dengzhou are miserable. Not only are they often robbed, but what’s more, the girls and children with thin skin and tender flesh are captured and eaten by Zhu Can. In the name of Zhu Can, it has reached the point where children can stop crying at night.

At the head of Xichuan City, seeing the people pouring into the city actively, Gao Chong was full of confidence, and said bluntly: "The people's hearts are in my Tang Dynasty, and the Zhu thief will undoubtedly be defeated."

Seeing this, Rong Zheng shook his head and sighed, "Zhu Can is notorious, but he is so stupid to want to fight for world hegemony."

Gao Chong continued to walk, patrolling the top of the city, until he reached the southeast corner of Xichuan City. Gao Chong looked at the thin mountain not far from the city, and couldn't help but pause.

"General, what's the matter?" Seeing this, Rong Zheng stepped forward and asked.

Gao Chong summoned a local Xichuan guard, "Where is that?"

"Return to General, that mountain is shaped like an ox's tail, and our locals call it Oxtail Mountain," the soldier replied.

"How far is it?" Even though he saw that the mountain was not far away, Gao Chong knew that Wangshan was a dead horse.

"About five or six miles."

Gao Chong nodded, let the soldiers retreat, and then said to Rong Zheng: "I will lead Qingqi to investigate."

"No, general," Rong Zheng became anxious when he heard that, "Zhu's bandit troops have already arrived in Xizhou, the general is going out of the city at this time, and it is very likely that he will encounter the enemy."

Gao Chong paused after hearing the words, then summoned scouts and ordered them to investigate Niuwei Mountain, and the scouts led out of the city.

Seeing Rong Zheng's puzzled face, Gao Chong said straightly: "It is possible for Yingcheng to defend itself, but blindly defending is too passive. If Niuwei Mountain is suitable for stationing, I would like to lead the army to station on Niuwei Mountain, and Xichuan City will be at the crossroads of each other. If the bandits attack the city, I will harass them, and if they attack the mountains, I will go out of the city to harass them."

Rong Zheng was excited when he heard this, "The general's plan is feasible, and it happens that the bandit army is large, so it can also restrain the bandit army's strength."

Gao Chong looked at Niuwei Mountain in the distance with his hands behind his back, and his chest was agitated. This may mean adapting to local conditions and adapting to changes. Soldiers are impermanent. Strategies, so as to defeat the enemy step by step, the kind of battles that are determined in one battle are rare after all.

In the evening, a team of scouts sent by Gao Chong returned to the city. There were no bandits in Niuwei Mountain, and the main peak of Niuwei Mountain was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Before Gao Chong asked, the scout team said: "There are more than ten springs in the mountain. There is no shortage of water."

Hearing this, Gao Chong was overjoyed, and immediately led the scouts to see Zheng Yuanxuan.

After Gao Chong finished explaining his intentions in detail, Zheng Yuanxuan spread out the map and asked the scouts in detail, with a happy expression on his face, "You Zhiguo is really resourceful. If that is the case, I will send you 5000 soldiers, a total of [-] troops with your headquarters." People, with a month's worth of food, stationed troops on Niuwei Mountain, where they formed a corner with Xichuan City, and together they defeated the Zhu bandits."

Hearing this, Gao Chong cheered up and took the order.

The next day, Gao Chong ordered Qi soldiers, a group of 5000 people, carrying dozens of carts and luggage, left the east gate of Xichuan and went straight to Niuwei Mountain.

It wasn't until Gao Chong was stationed at Niuwei Mountain for three full days that Zhu Can's army arrived at the foot of Xichuan City. Gao Chong led his scouts along the Niuwei Mountain to watch, and immediately felt contemptuous.

It can be seen that although Zhu Can's army has a large number of people, the tents stationed there are not organized at all, and a simple camp fence is erected hastily around the periphery. They are all different, Gao Chong only has four words to describe this: mob.

At the head of Xichuan City, Zheng Yuanxuan also disdained when he saw this: "If such a bandit soldier fails to win, I will call him a soldier in vain."

Thinking of Zheng Yuanxuan, he grew up in the military camp with his father Pei Guogong Zheng Yi since he was a child. He has seen Southern Chen soldiers, Tubo soldiers, Turkic soldiers and other soldiers. Zhu Can's army is the worst.

The next day, Zhu Can was dressed in golden armor, holding a big knife, riding on a tall horse, very majestic, and went straight to the city.

After several battles, Zheng Yuanxuan ignored him, and Zhu Can yelled so angry that he immediately ordered to attack the city. Tens of thousands of rebels rushed straight to the city wall with simple long ladders.

Although Zheng Yuanxuan only had 7000 people guarding the city, and the bandits outside the city were the enemy several times, both Zheng Yuanxuan and the generals of the various military offices were fighting with high spirits, because behind them were the support of tens of thousands of people in Xizhou.

As early as when Zhu Can's soldiers were approaching the city, the magistrate of Xichuan County mobilized the people to prepare rolling stones, wood, gold juice and other things to defend the city.

"Move quickly, or the Zhu Demon King will eat people when he enters the city."

"You can't let Demon King Zhu enter the city."

The people rushed to tell each other and actively prepared for the battle. This scene made Zheng Yuanxuan and others more confident.

Zhu Can stormed for a day, and at the peak, he only touched the top of the city, so he had to retreat angrily. After two consecutive days of attacking the city, Xichuan City was as solid as gold.

And Gao Chong and Rong Zheng of Niuwei Mountain also looked at each other in dismay, "Tell me, Zhu Can doesn't know that I'm stationed in Niuwei Mountain, right?"

Rong Zheng scratched his head, still in disbelief, "Anyway, I haven't seen the scouts from the bandit army come."

Gao Chong's thoughts changed sharply, "Zhu Can's marching and fighting all depended on the bravery of the soldiers, and their courage and lack of strategy. Maybe they didn't investigate in advance. If this is the case, then we will be a surprise army."

"Surprise soldiers?" Rong Zheng's eyes lit up, "Then according to the general, is it possible to attack at night? The thieves will only guard against Xichuan City, but I didn't expect that we would send troops out of Niuwei Mountain to attack at night. It should be a meritorious service."

Gao Chong rubbed his chin, thought for a while, then shook his head and said: "Night attack is not possible. Even if we have only 5000 people, even if the night attack is successful, we will not wipe out many enemies. It will not help the battle situation, and it will expose the existence of our army."

(End of this chapter)