Do you know: I have a different surname: Wang, uncle Minglan.

Chapter 319 Zhou Tong, Wei Yuan intends to accept a disciple

Abandoning all baggage and engaging in a decisive battle with the Liao army would mean that if defeated, the entire army would be in an irretrievable situation.

Therefore, Liang Da had no choice but to win this battle, not lose!
Wei Yuan was using himself as bait. After all, once Yelu Renxian knew that the siege force outside Xiangzhou City was weak, what would be waiting for Wei Yuan would be the full-scale attack from the Xiangzhou Liao army.

At that time, if something happens to Wei Yuan, the commander-in-chief of the three armies, the entire situation will be in danger of collapse at any time.

Therefore, Liang Da must complete Wei Yuan's instructions before Yelu Ren discovers Wei Yuan's trick.

May 22, the eighth year of Jiayou.

On top of Xiangzhou City.

Yelu Renxiang had just defeated Wei Yuan's siege army and was checking on the wounded.

At this time, a general following behind him suddenly said: "General, when the Zhou army retreated just now, I noticed some clues, but I don't know if my guess is correct."

A clue?
Yelu Renxian asked curiously, "What's the clue? The Zhou army's siege today is no different from the past."

The Liao general said solemnly: "Compared to our army, the Zhou army has the advantage in numbers. Wei Yuan is said to have 600,000 strong troops. They will attack the city in turns, so as not to send injured soldiers into battle."

Wounded soldiers?

Yelu Renxian's pupils shrank. "You mean, the Zhou army sent wounded soldiers to attack the city this time?"

The Liao general nodded and said, "I noticed that many Zhou soldiers were wearing gauze to stop bleeding, and there were also several one-armed soldiers."

"Wei Yuan has always loved his soldiers like his own sons. With such an absolute advantage in manpower, it is impossible for him to send a wounded soldier into battle."

Yelu Renxian paused.

If what the Liao army soldiers said was true, it would mean that there must have been a division of troops in the Zhou army camp.

Where will Wei Yuan divide his troops to attack?

The results are obvious!
"Quickly send out scouts to find out the situation of Yelu Xinxian's army!"

"At all costs, tell Yelu Xinxian to move north!"

Yelu Renxian's eyes turned cold.

To be honest, Yelu Xin came to Xiangzhou first, firstly to support Xiangzhou, and secondly because he did not have much food left.

Because the Liao army stretched the battle line too long, supplies could not arrive in the first place.

Therefore, for a long period of time, the Liao army was in a state of fighting to support the war.

That is, every time they captured a town, they would plunder all the supplies in the city.

Although it can effectively replenish the insufficient food and grass, it also has a great disadvantage, which is that it will make the people living in the north want to resist the Liao army.

If Yelu Xinxian's army was completely wiped out by the Zhou army, the consequences for the Liao army would be disastrous.

Therefore, letting Yelu Xin go north first to replenish supplies and food and preserve manpower is the top priority at the moment.

"General, I think that if the Zhou army camp is empty at this moment, our army can take advantage of the opportunity to enter and annihilate the Zhou army!"

"After all, Wei Yuan is in the Zhou camp. If we capture him alive, we can take the opportunity to negotiate with the Zhou Kingdom."

Yelu Guozhen spoke with some excitement.

Wei Yuan has become his nightmare.

As long as Wei Yuan lived, he would sometimes be awakened by nightmares when he slept at night.

If he could take this opportunity to make Wei Yuan a prisoner, he would be able to avenge his previous humiliation.

only·
Yelu Renxian did not dare to gamble. "Wei Yuan has always been steady and stable in his military operations. He is difficult to shake. Besides, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, how can he allow himself to be imprisoned?"

Yelu Guozhen said: "General, have you forgotten that Wei Yuan once led thousands of people to guard Yanmen, and he was also imprisoned at that time?"

Another general echoed: "Rather than saying that Wei Yuan is as cautious as a mountain in commanding his troops, it would be better to say that the soldiers under his command are as cautious as a mountain."

"Wei Yuan's ability to train soldiers is unmatched in the world. It is said that the soldiers he trains are as strong as a mountain and cannot be shaken. This humble general agrees!"

"But now, Wei Yuan doesn't have many troops at his disposal!"

Yelu Guozhen added: "Marshal, such a great opportunity doesn't come often!"

He must also avenge Xiao Yan.
"If the commander-in-chief is hesitant, you might as well give me 30,000 soldiers and horses to break into the enemy camp at night to test their strength."

Yelu Renxian took a deep breath and shook his head, saying, "No, if Wei Yuan deliberately sets up a confusing formation, 30,000 soldiers will be defeated."

"Send scouts to find out the situation first. If there is anything wrong, just attack with the whole army."

"If we are ambushed, our army will take the opportunity to move north!"

If the battle outside the city fails, Yelu Renxian will not be able to continue to defend Xiangzhou.

At this moment, in the Zhou army camp.

Wei Yuan was inspecting the wounded.

After several days of fighting, the army of more than 100,000 left by Wei Yuan was reduced to less than 100,000 soldiers able to participate in the battle.

Although Wei Yuan's rear base was Bian Jing, both medical and food resources were sufficient.

However, considering that some soldiers might be seriously injured and unable to receive timely treatment, Wei Yuan thought again and again and decided to separate the seriously injured from the lightly injured.

Soldiers with more serious injuries had blue cloth strips tied on their shoulders or foreheads, allowing doctors to identify them immediately and provide timely treatment.

As for those with less serious injuries, they were tied up with green strips.

Some wounded soldiers who had just come back from the battlefield, were missing limbs and needed emergency treatment, and were covered with red cloth strips.

Today, the wounded soldiers that Wei Yuan inspected were those with blue or red cloth strips tied around their necks.

In a larger tent, there were twenty or thirty wounded soldiers lying, and Wei Yuan and Xiao Yuming were walking inside.

As it was late, Wei Yuan and Xiao Yuming walked very lightly.

Just then, he saw a doctor stopping the bleeding of a soldier.

This soldier was hit by six arrows all over his body, and it is said that he bled to the point of bleeding, but he managed to walk out of the gates of hell.

Wei Yuan walked forward. When the soldier saw him coming, he immediately stood up and clasped his fists, but was stopped by Wei Yuan.

"There is no custom in the army, so you should have a good rest."

After that, he looked at the doctor again and asked in a low voice: "How is his injury?"

The doctor exclaimed, "General Wei, I have been in the army for more than ten years and have treated countless men, but this soldier alone has made me amazed."

Have to marvel?
Wei Yuan asked curiously: "What do you mean?"

The doctor said bluntly: "General Wei, the blood and qi in this soldier are extremely strong, which is extremely rare. Moreover, his bones are different from those of ordinary people. According to the people in General Wei's army, this soldier is a natural martial arts genius."

A martial arts prodigy?

Before Wei Yuan could say anything, he heard the soldier weakly say, "Sir, please don't flatter me. I practiced farming for a few years when I was young, but my martial arts skills were mediocre."

Wei Yuan saw that the soldier was not very old, so he sat aside and reached out to feel the soldier's pulse.

It would not matter if he did not explore, but this exploration really shocked Wei Yuan.

"Your injury is so serious and you're bleeding so much, but your pulse is full of vitality and your blood is really strong. Have you ever practiced hardiness?" The soldier shook his head.

Wei Yuan said, "When we attacked the city today, I saw that you were extremely brave. You shot arrows at the enemy and hit the target every time. I wonder what your name is? Where are you from? How old are you this year?"

The soldier did not dare to hide anything and said truthfully: "General, my name is Zhou Tong, I am from Tangyin, and I am just thirteen years old."

Thirteen?

Xiao Yuming's eyes widened immediately, and he asked in astonishment, "You're joining the army at the age of thirteen?"

Wei Yuan also asked curiously: "You are only thirteen years old, why did you join the army?"

The normal age for recruiting soldiers in the Great Zhou Dynasty was fifteen years old. However, in wartime, the age limit was ignored. As long as the height and strength reached a certain level, anyone, young or old, could join the army.

Zhou Tong lowered his head and said with a little sadness: "To reply to the commander, I was born in Shaanxi, but grew up in Tangyin. Tangyin is my hometown. Since the Liao army marched south, my hometown has been brutally oppressed by the Liao army. Although I am young, I also have the ambition to serve my country. I only hope to recover my hometown."

Hearing this, Wei Yuan was slightly surprised and asked, "You speak very well, it seems you have read a lot?"

Zhou Tong shook his head and said, "No, I just learned some skills from a teacher two years ago and I know a few words."

Wei Yuan asked again, "Who is your mentor?"

The soldier said truthfully: "I don't know his name, but I heard him talk about the past and he said he followed Bao Qingtian to solve cases."

Bao Xiaosu?
Wei Yuan frowned slightly.

Xiao Yuming said: "Before Lord Bao passed away, there were several martial arts masters who followed Lord Bao."

Wei Yuan asked: "Who are these experts?"

Xiao Yuming said: "Zhan Zhao, the imperial guard, and Xu Liang, who is known as the White Eyebrowed Hero in the martial arts world, these two have retired to the mountains and forests after Mr. Bao passed away."

Wei Yuan said thoughtfully: "It should be so. After all, Lord Bao offended many people during his lifetime. Now even Lord Bao's descendants are not living a happy life, not to mention the chivalrous men who followed Lord Bao."

After a pause, he gently patted Zhou Tong's shoulder and said earnestly: "After your injury is healed, you will be my personal guard."

Zhou Tong's face lit up with joy.

Who doesn't know that the now famous Eight Tigers of Daizhou were originally Wei Yuan's personal guards?
How could he miss such an opportunity?

"Thank you Wei Shuai!"

Zhou Tong was so excited that his injury almost broke.

Seeing this, the doctor quickly said, "General Wei, he needs to rest now."

Wei Yuan nodded, stopped asking questions, and simply left.

As soon as he and Xiao Yuming left the tent, he heard the latter ask:

"General Wei, during the siege today, I have one question that I don't understand."

"Although our army has suffered heavy casualties in the past few days, we can still gather tens of thousands of uninjured soldiers."

"Why did you send the wounded soldiers to attack the city today? Once the enemy knew about this, wouldn't they be able to guess that something had happened in my camp in an instant?"

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "After this discussion, as long as the Liao army is not stupid, I believe they will attack our camp soon."

Xiao Yuming's face changed, "What should I do?"

At this moment, Shen Qing came over in a hurry, clasped his fists towards Wei Yuan and said:

"General Wei, Ye Bu Shou discovered a number of enemy scouts near our camp. Should we capture them all?"

Wei Yuan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, smiled and said: "No, not only can we not catch them all in one fell swoop, but we must find ways to let them know that at this moment, our army is empty inside."

Hearing this, Xiao Yuming and Shen Qing were both confused.

Why is this?
Suddenly, Wei Yuan said solemnly, "Pass the order. There is no need to attack the city tomorrow. Order the whole army to prepare for an ambush."

"Later, let Chen Daniu come to see me."

At this point, he suddenly thought of Zhou Tong in the seriously injured tent, and muttered to himself: "Why does the word Zhou Tong make me feel so familiar?"

Wei Yuan seemed to have seen this name somewhere before, but with the passage of time, his memory had become too vague.

After a pause, he suddenly turned around and looked at Xiao and Shen, and asked with a smile:

"What do you think? Should I take in a disciple?"

Ok?
Xiao Yuming asked curiously, "Jiang Xun is a good guy. Has Commander Wei thought about accepting Jiang Xun as his disciple?"

Wei Yuan shook his head and said, "Jiang Xun and Liang Da have similar personalities. He can learn more by following Liang Da."

Shen Qing asked: "Among the soldiers coming out of Daizhou, apart from Jiang Xun, Jiang Suiyun, Zhao Xiongzhou and a few others, there doesn't seem to be any talent worthy of Wei Shuai's attention, right?"

Daizhou was certainly full of talented people, but he felt that to be the disciple of General Wei, one must be outstanding among so many talents.

Wei Yuan shook his head and smiled: "The world is so big, it's not just Daizhou."

Shen Qing was surprised and asked, "General Wei means to recruit disciples from places other than Daizhou?"

He believed that it would be best if the person who could become Wei Yuan's disciple came from Daizhou.

Otherwise, if people from outside Daizhou were to be accepted as disciples, I am afraid that the second or third generation of soldiers and generals in Daizhou would be dissatisfied.

The Eight Tigers of Daizhou, including Wei Yuan, were all the first generation of talents in Daizhou.

The second generation of generals were Jiang Xun, Jiang Suiyun and others.

In the past two years, Jiang Xun discovered another talent and originally planned to send him to the Danglu Army for special training, but he encountered the Liao Army marching south.

And that person was Zhao Xiongzhou.

He had no relationship with the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The only reason why he was valued by Jiang Xun was because he had excellent horizontal training kung fu.

He is a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple and is proficient in all eighteen martial arts.

Jiang Xun even told Liang Da that in terms of martial arts, Zhao Xiongzhou, who was only sixteen years old, was no less capable than Chen Daniu.

Liang Da also tested Zhao Xiongzhou's martial arts and came to the conclusion that he was indeed a promising talent. However, he had only been in Shaolin Temple for more than ten years and had learned too many things. It would take some time for him to achieve success.

Wei Yuan looked at the two of them seriously and asked, "What do you think of Zhou Tong?"

Zhou Tong?

"General Wei wants to accept Zhou Tong as his disciple?"

"Is that the young general who shot and killed several Liao soldiers today?"

Xiao Yuming and Shen Qing spoke one after another.

In their view, Wei Yuan's taking in disciples was not just Wei Yuan's personal matter.

It’s still the matter of the entire Daizhou Group.

If the apprentice he accepted was not from Daizhou, then should the resources of Daizhou Group be given to Zhou Tong? How should they be given?
Brothers from Daizhou, can you accept this?
Xiao Yuming said in a deep voice: "General Wei, should we consider Zhou Tong? For example, his character and personality."

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "I know what you are thinking. I accepted Zhou Tong as my disciple to tell the generals from Daizhou to broaden their horizons and not be confined to one state or one place."

"We must have the courage and determination to bring all the talents in the world to our Daizhou."

(End of this chapter)