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Chapter 154 Conquering the enemy without fighting

Prince?

Outside the emperor.

The only person Chen Sanshi could think of who could support the Cao family was the prince.

When Emperor Longqing was young, he had many princes. Prince Zhennan was a martial saint, but he was a martial arts fanatic. In order to avoid being involved in the vortex, he took the initiative to transfer to the border to guard the border.

The other princes, such as the Fourth Prince, the Eighth Prince, etc...

They also have influence in the court.

But since the Xiangshen Sect came to find Cao Fan, the meaning was very clear.

There is also Pei Tiannan, who seems to be from the prince's lineage.

The crown prince governed the country for forty years.

During these forty years, Emperor Longqing often secluded himself, sometimes for half a year. The prince's influence had long been spread all over the country, and probably half of the military forces were under his control.

It is said that since the ten days in Yunzhou, the old emperor has rarely been in seclusion. He looks like he is working hard to govern the country and rebuild it. Many officials in the court have also been transferred.

In addition, Pei Tiannan clearly did not receive the transfer order, but he followed secretly. It is hard not to make some associations for a martial saint to sneak away from his post.

But the information provided by Xunxian Tower clearly indicated that the Xianghuo Sect was taking action in the capital, so what were they doing heading east?
Chen Sanshi did not think about it any more. After practicing with the gun for a while, he returned to his own cabin. After closing the door, he took out the black bead. He simply sensed that he had collected a lot of incense this time, but it was still not enough for him to practice to a small success. At most, his proficiency could be raised to half. The power of mortals was too weak, not to mention that incense was like leeks. The Incense God Sect had been harvesting them instead of saving them.

No matter what, it was a good thing.

The Dragon King Temple was burned down, sacrifices were suspended, and he also announced the Incense God Cult to the world in the name of Baldy Head. From now on, they would definitely not dare to openly kill living people for sacrifice in Linjiang Prefecture.

anyway.

The effect of disguise is really not small.

In the future, as long as he can ensure that he can escape safely, it doesn't matter even if he uses magic. After all, he can only look for Zhang Laizi, not Chen Sanshi.

In addition, not only did the amount of incense in the black bead increase, but the white black energy also increased significantly. The reason for this is still unclear.

"What exactly is this Qi and how do we collect it?"

"It would be great if it could be used in this Eastern Expedition."

……

cabin.

Cao Fan looked at the two people dressed in coarse linen clothes who suddenly barged into the room. He quickly recognized them: "You, you two are not the new Taoist priests in Ciyun Temple?"

"Don't get excited, Your Highness."

Pei Tiannan said kindly: "One of us, one of us."

"One of our own?"

Cao Fan frowned: "Nonsense! They Ciyun Temple is suspected of colluding with the Wushen Cult, Yin Hanwen may die in their hands!"

"Your Highness, it's a misunderstanding."

Yun Xiaozi explained: "Qiu Mingzi and the other two are traitors among us, and they are indeed implicated in the Wushen Cult. They deserve to die, but our Xianghuo Cult and the Crown Prince are firm allies."

"ally?"

Cao Fan was confused at first, but soon figured it out: "You mean my father?! Eunuch Feng, didn't you know about this a long time ago?"

Eunuch Feng and others did not say anything, which was considered as their agreement.

"The Incense God Cult, Father..."

Cao Fan sorted out the clues, vaguely guessing, but he didn't dare to believe it. His face was uncertain, and after a long time he said in a deep voice: "I understand."

……

In a blink of an eye, it is the twelfth month of the year again.

The climate in the southeast of Dasheng is relatively warm, and it is not too cold even in winter.

Chen Sanshi stood on the deck, looked at the red sun rising in the east, and let out a breath.

[Kung Fu: Dragon Spear of the Nation. Open Meridians (Beginner’s Guide)]

【Progress: 418/500】

It’s not far from mastering the meridians.

Time flies so fast.

He still remembered that when he was in Poyang County, he was still worried about entering the bone training stage, but now his meridians have been opened. After entering the Xuanxiang realm, he will be able to become one of the best in the world in martial arts and stand on his own.

It's not just him.

these two months.

Five of his men actually became internal cultivators, and three of them were rising stars, namely Wu Da, Zhuang Yi and Wang Li. When they went to the battlefield, they finally had enough strength to protect themselves.

The proficiency of medical skills has also been significantly improved.

[Skills: Medical Skills. Ordinary (Minor Achievement)]

【Progress: 782/2000】

With just a small success, one can reach the level of a master of alchemy. After a great success, the effect will definitely be better.

"Coming!"

The military officer in charge of steering the ship said, "In two hours at most, we will enter the dock of Tongnan Prefecture. You gentlemen can prepare in advance."

Tongnan Prefecture is located on the eastern border, but it is not the current front line.

Because the battle line has been pushed to Laizhou.

Tongnan Prefecture was used as a granary for rest and recuperation, and also as a training ground for Chen Sanshi to receive the 3,000 Black Armor Army.

"Xu Wencai, map!"

Chen Sanshi called out subconsciously, but when no one answered, he realized belatedly that the old scholar was no longer around.

"Sir! Map!"

Bai Tingzhi came over after hearing the voice: "Sir, I'm here to help you with some advice!"

"you?"

Chen Sanshi declined politely, "We are almost there, let's pack up and get ready to disembark."

Along the way.

He never found another chance to steal incense.

Because whenever Yun Xiaozi and the other person got off the boat, Pei Tiannan would follow them, which almost confirmed that the Prince was the backer of the Xiangshen Sect.

Unexpectedly, while Emperor Longqing was practicing immortal arts, his son was also secretly participating in the Shinto religion, and there was a 90% chance that he was practicing himself, but it was unknown to what extent he had reached.

One colluded with the Wushen Cult to massacre the city.

A cult that uses incense to perform human sacrifices.

Is this the Cao family?
What a prosperous dynasty.

Before this, in fact, all the comments Chen Sanshi had heard about the prince were relatively positive. He had been diligent in government affairs and played the role of a tailor during his forty years as regent, but what he did was no different from what his father did.

this time.

The Incense God Cult harvested a large amount of incense along the way, giving people a feeling that they were impatient and wanted to uproot the leeks. No one knew what major and urgent matter they had encountered that needed to be dealt with.

The dispute of the Cao family has nothing to do with him.

I just hope it won’t affect the next battle I’m going to fight.

The ship began to slow down and finally docked at a busy pier.

A figure wearing a blue shirt and sitting in a wheelchair is particularly eye-catching.

Xu Wencai is not here, but the fourth senior brother is here.

"Brother!"

Chen Sanshi clasped his fists in greeting, then pushed the wheelchair naturally.

"Junior brother, I haven't seen you for more than a year. You have become much stronger."

Fang Qingyun chatted casually: "How is it? I heard that you have a son and a daughter now?"

"Yes, I fought in Mingzhou and got a daughter."

Chen Sanshi asked, "Where is the master? Why is there no movement?"

"They went to make follow-up preparations for the Eighth Battalion. No, I should say the Twelfth Battalion."

Fang Qingyun said impatiently: "How about it? I have prepared the map. Let's talk about the current situation first? Let me, your senior brother, also see the genius who commanded the four crossings of the Hongze River."

"Brother, you are too kind. I was just lucky."

Under the guidance of the Confucian scholar, Chen Sanshi came to a mansion in the city.

In the hall, the sand table and map had already been prepared.

The two of them didn't waste any time and got straight to the point.

“Qing country.

“When the four tribes of the grasslands did not unite, it was the strongest country except for Dasheng. There were six martial saints and a total of 600,000 soldiers and horses.

"It's just that two years ago, they had a coup d'etat, and three martial saints died overnight, which greatly reduced the number of high-level martial artists. This time, they wanted to take advantage of the civil unrest in Mingzhou, but ended up shooting themselves in the foot."

Fang Qingyun had already marked it on the map: "Two months ago, the King Tang of Dongqing led an army of 180,000 to station in Laizhou, but was defeated by Meng Quji, killing 70,000 enemies and capturing 20,000.

“Now the remaining 90,000 troops of Dongqing are fragmented on the thousands-mile battle line in Laizhou and cannot be connected together.

“Fifty thousand of the elite troops were trapped in Yongle City.

"The situation is at a stalemate for the time being."

Chen Sanshi nodded and said, "If I remember correctly, Yongle Prefecture was the capital of the Former Yan Dynasty. When the Great Sheng Dynasty was founded, it almost made Yongle the capital, but later it was changed to Chang'an for some unknown reason.

“Yongle Prefecture is also known as one of the five most fortified cities in the world.

"There are 50,000 elite soldiers inside, plus the words of the Martial Saint. If we attack them forcefully, we will surely pay a very huge price. The best way is to continue the current situation and surround them until their food and grass are cut off. How long will it take?"

"Six months."

Fang Qingyun pointed at the city and said, "Yongle Prefecture is the first granary on the border of Dongqing. It is enough to feed 50,000 elite soldiers for half a year. My junior brother and I have the same opinion. The best strategy is to surround it.

“Only after Laizhou is conquered can we enter Lingzhou and recapture Ziwei Mountain.

"The military strength at the front is still quite tight. After all, the enemy has an army of 180,000. Currently, there are still nearly 100,000 scattered troops, but they have been divided into pieces."

"Six months is not enough. It's too long."

Chen Sanshi looked at the south of the map and said, "If we continue to drag on, the situation may be unfavorable to us. We must find a way to make a quick decision. Otherwise, when the enemy reinforcements arrive, the worst case scenario is that all our efforts will be wasted. Brother, do you know the composition of the enemy's troops?"

"Of course I know."

Fang Qingyun slowly said, "The 50,000 elite soldiers trapped in Yongle Mansion have experienced hundreds of battles. The rest are mostly garrison soldiers recruited from all over Qing Kingdom, or local garrisons. I have seen with my own eyes that although there are high-ranking generals, most of the people under them are only at the level of second-rate garrison soldiers of Dasheng."

The Qing Kingdom had existed for more than 250 years, so corruption was inevitable.

The combat effectiveness and fighting will of the garrison soldiers are probably not high, otherwise they would not have been beaten like this in such a short time.

"If that's the case."

Chen Sanshi pondered, "There is a high probability that they will surrender. There must be a reason why they have resisted until now."

"It seems that Junior Brother has an idea in mind."

Fang Qingyun said: "You have one month to get used to the Xuanjia Army that His Majesty has given you. After one month, we will officially enter the Laizhou battlefield and go directly to Yongle Mansion to await deployment."

After preliminary analysis of the situation.

The two men came to the military camp of the Tongnan Prefecture Guard Command.

The rest of the subordinates are also here.

On the martial arts field, there was a sea of ​​elite soldiers in full armor.

After seeing Chen Sanshi, they all knelt down on one knee.

"Meet General Chen—"

Chen Sanshi took the roster and familiarized himself with it briefly.

The three thousand commanders are all martial artists at a high level who have perfected their Hua Jin and are close to opening their meridians.

They are worthy of being the most elite Black Armor Army.

Cao Fan and others were in another martial arts training ground.

There are five thousand Tiger Guards over there, who are the prince's personal guards, the most loyal of the loyal. Now there are two people in the Xuanxiang realm leading them, one is Cui Congyi and the other is Sha Wenlong.

In addition, there were 20,000 Tiger Guards led by the Martial Saint Fan Tianfa on the main front line, following Meng Quji to attack Yongle Prefecture, plus Pei Tiannan who came secretly.

That is to say, now in the East Territory, the prince has 20,000 elite soldiers plus two Martial Saints and a number of Mysterious Elephants. Among the other troops, there may also be the prince's men, but the specific number and number are unknown.

After the 5,000 Tiger Guards gathered, they rushed to the front line under the leadership of Cui Congyi that afternoon. The two followers of the Xianghuo Shen Sect also disappeared.

According to the known information, they first attacked Zhaotong Prefecture, the second largest city in Laizhou.

Chen Sanshi and the Xuanjia Army will need to stay in Tongnan Prefecture for some time for training and running-in.

"Junior brother."

Fang Qingyun said, "I came earlier than you. In order to help you reduce the time for training, I took the initiative to help you practice some formations in the heavenly book in advance."

"The Book of Heaven?" Chen Sanshi asked, "Could it be that Your Majesty..."

"Ah."

Fang Qingyun took out the book he had prepared long ago: "Your Majesty gave me the Heavenly Book to translate, and then I took it out and applied it in the military formation. I also tried to practice it. The formation in it is indeed very mysterious, and there is also a sense of using the power of heaven and earth. But I always feel that something is missing. Maybe only the so-called people chosen by the immortals can create the momentum of the Red Eyebrow Army's great victory."

"Brother, actually..."

As soon as Chen Sanshi opened his mouth, he was interrupted by Fang Qingyun: "Junior brother, you don't have to tell me everything. Everyone has their own secrets. It's normal. The heavenly book that His Majesty saw is real, which is enough."

"Thank you, senior brother."

Chen Sanshi and the other person were in sync, and neither of them continued the conversation: "Then I will start practicing."

He dispersed the twenty brothers he brought with him and divided them into different units of the Black Armor Army. Then he began to spend time practicing the formations in the Heavenly Book. As time was tight and three thousand people were neither too many nor too few, he mainly practiced charge formations and guerrilla formations.

One is called the Jiuxiao Heavenly Soldiers Formation, and the other is called the Luotian Ghost Fog Formation.

Among them is the Nine Heavens Heavenly Soldiers Formation.

It is the most powerful formation that was used during the great victory of the Chimei Army, and it is also the main formation they practice.

With the help of entries like [Good Training of Soldiers] and the Imperial Horse General Qianxun, in just ten days, the Nine Heavens Heavenly Soldiers Formation was trained in a compact and orderly manner on the original basis. With the colorful flags, war drums and trumpets all over the sky, and with the combination of black iron armor and top-grade war horses, from a distance it really looked like three thousand heavenly soldiers descended to the mortal world.

This was definitely a pleasant surprise for Chen Sanshi.

After the emperor took out the military tactics from the heavenly book, Xuanzhu had the opportunity to be put to use.

"Junior brother, you..."

Fang Qingyun sat on a high place, looking at the formation below, and couldn't help but lean forward slightly: "Your training methods are not inferior to mine at all, and with this white horse, I'm afraid you have surpassed me. This formation is so complicated, and you can completely digest it in such a short time, it's really..."

"Brother, you are too kind. It's mainly because Qianxun played a big role."

Chen Sanshi looked at the white swan horse running in the battle formation and felt that it saved time and effort. If Xu Wencai was not there, he could just become a hands-off boss and spend all his time on cultivation.

[Skill: Commanding Troops (Minor Achievement)]

【Progress: 1825/2000】

His military command skills were also close to a breakthrough.

The original training time was one month.

In fact, twenty days later, Chen Sanshi completely controlled the three thousand elite Black Armor Army.

Being a rookie and training after becoming famous are two different concepts.

In the past, it would have been impossible to control this group of arrogant soldiers and generals within half a year. However, after crossing the Hongze River for the fourth time, the three names of Chen Sanshi became known to everyone.

Three thousand commanders in the Black Armor Army.

They are Xia Cong, Xiao Zheng, and You Jike. Among them, Xia Cong has the body of a congenital martial saint. He has only practiced martial arts for four years, but he is about to enter the Tongmai realm. He will also be a great general in the future.

When these three people first saw Chen Sanshi's young face, they couldn't connect it with the Four Crossings of the Hongze River for the first two days, and even suspected whether it was fake. But after getting to know each other for a while, they were convinced.

The main reason is that for thousands of years, history books have never recorded such young generals. Even Sun Xiangzong was only famous for martial arts when he was young, and he only started to join the army after he was 25 years old.

After finishing the outfit.

A group of more than 10,000 people marched to the front line.

Yongle Mansion.

War is not only cruel, but also boring.

Especially when the stalemate lasts for a long time, the soldiers in charge of the siege have to endure wind, sun, rain, lightning, freezing cold or scorching heat. Just how to stabilize the military spirit and morale is a big problem. This is also the reason why many recorded surprise attack tactics are effective. People are not machines. They will feel tired and become lazy.

Facing Yongle Prefecture, one of the five strongest cities in the world, the 80,000-strong army had already cut down mountains and trees and set up camp forty miles outside the city. They had built simple cities and surrounded Yongle Prefecture. The soldiers trained day and night, and everything was in order, as if they were not attacking a city outside, but in their hometown city.

From these details, we can see that Meng Quji's level of military management is extremely high.

Fang Qingyun said, "Junior brother, do you know anything about Lord Meng?"

"Since you are coming, you must have inquired about it."

Chen Sanshi nodded: "Marshal Meng is also one of the most famous generals in the Great Sheng Dynasty. He originally joined the army from the Jinyiwei, and in just twenty years, he fought his way up to the position of Marquis.

"His strategy for deploying troops is mainly based on the word 'stable'. Throughout Lord Meng's military career, there has never been a record of 'defeating the majority with a small number' or 'winning with a surprise attack'. The results were always stable.

“However, as the saying goes, ‘A good warrior never has great achievements’, the more such a person is, the higher his level is, because he will never be badly defeated. As long as he does not suffer a big defeat, he will always have a chance to turn the tables.

"For example, in this campaign against Qing, they pushed the front line all the way to Laizhou Mansion, cut off the food supply route, and besieged Qing's 100,000-strong army. On the surface, there didn't seem to be any particularly attractive tactics, and the battle report only had two words - 'great victory'. Such people are actually much more terrifying than Dong An and his men."

"Junior brother knows the details."

Fang Qingyun's original intention in raising this topic was to see whether the other party would become proud and complacent because of his repeated military achievements. Now it seems that his worry is completely unnecessary.

"Crash!"

The sound of armor colliding with each other could be heard.

In the central army tent, several generals, surrounded by their attendants, walked up to them with steady steps.

The leader among them was none other than the commander-in-chief of the three armies that came to fight against Qing, Meng Quji!

"General Fang, how are you?"

"You're welcome and safe."

"General Chen Sanshi leads his troops to report here!" Chen Sanshi clasped his fists and saluted: "Greetings, Marshal Meng!"

"Are you Chen Sanshi?"

Meng Quji looked at the young man in front of him, not hiding his admiration, and patted his shoulder: "Finally, I have seen a genius who wrote a military book at the age of 18 for military strategists all over the world to study. You came at the right time. I will order the news of your arrival in the East to spread, and put more pressure on the Qing army trapped in Yongle Mansion."

"Yes."

Deputy Commander Zhan Taiming said: "Sirs Chen is here, so he can help us with the current situation!"

"Thank you, both Marshals."

Chen Sanshi said: "I am only a lieutenant general, and I am here to be deployed."

"There's no need to belittle yourselves, General Fang, General Chen, please come in."

Meng Quji was in a good mood: "Now that Feng Chu and Chen Sanshi are here, our chances of winning have increased by another 20%!"

Inside the Chinese army's tent.

A group of senior generals exchanged information and discussed the current situation.

Chen Sanshi was the only lieutenant general.

"Commander-in-Chief Chen!"

Meng Quji said, "The Zhaotong Prefecture sent a letter saying that they are short of manpower. I am going to send you to assist Cui Congyi, Sha Wenlong and others to continue to attack Zhaotong Prefecture. What do you think?"

Sha Wenlong?
Chen Sanshi sneered in his heart.

This one-eyed blind man probably wants me to be cannon fodder.

He is really a thief with unrepentant intentions.

If it weren't for Pei Tiannan's secret protection, they would have been killed long ago.

Moreover, putting aside personal grudges, attacking Zhaotong Prefecture by force would not work.

“Don’t be so reserved!”

Meng Quji said, "'All major wars must include Chen Sanshi's opinions'. This is the order His Majesty brought out from the palace. It is also your privilege, so feel free to say whatever you want to say."

Two Martial Saints and several Mysterious Elephants, at this moment, all cast their eyes on a lieutenant general in the Tongmai realm.

They were also very curious.

Is it true that this general from Poyang, who defeated an army of 20,000 barbarians with just a thousand remnants of his army, led the people across the river, and then crossed the Hongze River four times, deserved his reputation?

"Then I will speak frankly."

Chen Sanshi clasped his fists and said, "Not appropriate."

"Oh, what's wrong?"

Meng Quji pointed at the city on the sand table and said, "According to the previous plan, if we surround but do not attack, it will take at least half a year to use up all the food and grass in Yongle Prefecture. This is too long. Not to mention that Qing State is fully deploying troops from other prefectures, Nanxu State may have also made some moves. This half year is enough to produce too many variables. If we want to speed up, there is only one best way, that is to shorten the battle line, concentrate as many troops as possible in Yongle Prefecture, and attack and take it at all costs.

“And here lies the problem.

“Now, in order to divide the battlefield and prevent the people of Qing from connecting together, my army of more than 100,000 people has stretched out along the 900-mile battle line, besieging the city separately, and is in a stalemate.

"Among them, Zhaotong Prefecture is Laizhou's second granary and is too close to Yongle Prefecture. It cannot be released no matter what, which has attracted a large number of our troops.

“Now, Cui Congyi and Sha Wenlong, two Xuan Xiang realm masters, plus 30,000 soldiers and horses are all here.

“There were only 9,000 defenders in the city, but their commander Deng Feng was extremely brave, and with the help of more than 100,000 civilians, they were unable to capture the city after more than 40 days of siege!

"If we can't take this city, we won't be able to release 30,000 elite soldiers to attack Yongle Prefecture. If we delay any further, the situation will gradually become unfavorable to us.

"That's why I want Lieutenant General Chen to lead his troops to Zhaotong Prefecture. If we take over Zhaotong one day earlier, we can increase the power outside Yongle Prefecture by one point."

"Yes."

Fan Tianfa, the commander of the Tiger Guards, said in a deep voice: "General Chen, you'd better go there quickly. This is a matter of great importance. If you can capture Zhaotong Prefecture, it will be a great achievement for you."

"No."

Chen Sanshi retorted bluntly: "Let alone 3,000 people, even if we send another 10,000 people, it will be impossible to take over Zhaotong Prefecture in a short period of time."

He paused, then suddenly raised his voice and said, "I have a plan that can defeat the enemy without fighting. It can make all the enemies except Yongle Mansion surrender without losing a single soldier!"

Without spending a single soldier?
They all surrendered.

Meng Quji half believed and half doubted, "Tell me about it quickly."

Chen Sanshi asked, "Marshal Meng, have we massacred people in the city before?"

"Ah."

Meng Quji answered calmly: "We slaughtered seven or eight cities. When we first attacked the border, we won a tragic victory near Leishan Prefecture. The soldiers needed rewards and also needed to vent their anger, so we didn't stop them."

Massacre.

In ancient battlefields, it was a common occurrence. It was okay when facing one's own people when suppressing a rebellion, but especially when facing an enemy country, massacring a city was a means to boost morale and deter the enemy.

For the vast majority of soldiers, they fight to win battles for rewards, promotions and wealth. If they don't get enough benefits after fighting desperately, they will inevitably feel resentful and then don't understand the meaning of fighting.

"That's right. That's why hundreds of thousands of people put up a desperate resistance. They know that once the city is breached, not only the defenders will die, but also their own people."

Chen Sanshi said, "So, please tell Marshal Meng to stop the massacre. It's better for the court to pay for the soldiers' rewards. Does the Marshal have any difficulty with this?"

"No problem. We just selected a few cities that resisted stubbornly to serve as a deterrent."

Meng Quji agreed immediately: "If we can really recover the three states, these people will naturally be the people of Dasheng. If we kill them all, it will be like killing them all. I will immediately send out orders not to continue the massacre. General Chen made such an arrangement, is it to persuade the defenders in Zhaotong Prefecture to surrender?"

"Exactly."

Chen Sanshi did not deny it: "The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their troops, and the worst is to attack their cities. If we can persuade the defenders in the city to surrender, it will not only reduce Dasheng's losses, but also save time and gain precious opportunities for battle."

"Master Chen, do you think we haven't tried it?"

The leader of the Tiger Guards, the Martial Saint Fan Tianfa, said: "Early before the war began, we had repeatedly persuaded him to surrender, and even offered him the conditions of becoming an earl, but he was stubborn and stubborn. After the Qing Kingdom was defeated in the battle of Wutian Mountain, he was reduced from 30,000 people to more than 1,000 people. In the end, he broke out and entered Zhaotong City, where he has been holding on ever since.

"It can be said that Deng Feng is loyal to the Kingdom of Qing. Even if he died on the city wall, he would never surrender. Otherwise, he would not have been able to hold on until now."

"General Fan is wrong. Sometimes whether a city surrenders or not is not decided by the commander alone."

Chen Sanshi was neither anxious nor impatient, and expressed his thoughts: "As long as the people in the city lose their will to resist, it will be difficult for the 8,000 defenders to have the faith to continue to hold on."

Among the common people were the families of the local garrison troops.

Just like when we were in Poyang.

The brothers risked their lives to escort the people across the river with him, not because they were selfless, but because their families were ahead.

On the contrary, if one can ensure that his family is safe, the will to resist will be greatly weakened.

Especially now that the enemy is at the gates and there is no hope.

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy.”

Deputy General Zhan Taiming raised an objection: "Can we make them believe and surrender just by talking?"

"Of course not, so we have to show them."

Chen Sanshi said: "For example, releasing the surrendered soldiers."

"Releasing the surrendered soldiers? I'm afraid that's not appropriate."

Fan Tianfa frowned and said, "The people of Qing can be spared the death penalty, but if we release the captives, wouldn't that be like letting a tiger go back to the mountains?"

Meng Quji raised his hand to signal him to stop, and did not rush to refute. Instead, he asked patiently: "How much do you want to put in?"

Chen Sanshi spat out two words: "Release all."

"That's a bit absurd."

Meng Quji calmly refused, "These 20,000 surrendered soldiers can be absorbed into Dasheng's own forces in the future. We have paid a great price to get them. If we let them go so easily, wouldn't the previous battles be in vain?"

"Yes."

Fan Tianfa was a little disappointed. He said, "Commander Chen, your four crossings of Hongze were indeed amazing, but not all battles can be won by tricks. Sometimes, you have to fight some hard battles. In my opinion, we should not waste time discussing this. You should lead your troops to Zhaotong Prefecture as soon as possible, which can also relieve some pressure for Cui Congyi and others. Even if it costs some money, it won't be a loss as long as Zhaotong Prefecture can be captured."

The other generals also agreed.

They thought it was some earth-shattering plan.

Chen Sanshi can only serve as an advisor and does not have the power to make the final decision.

Releasing 20,000 prisoners was indeed an incredible idea.

But he thinks it's really feasible.

"I agree with Admiral Chen's opinion."

A clear voice sounded, and Fang Qingyun took over the topic: "As far as I know, these 20,000 people are not elite troops, but local garrison soldiers. They don't have much fighting spirit. After being captured, the only thing on their minds is survival. It will take two years to assimilate them into our own people. It will not help the current war situation at all, and will only increase the consumption of food and grass.

"And Admiral Chen's intention is not to really let the tiger go back to the mountains.

"To the north, there is a Ghost Gate Canyon. The terrain is dangerous and only two people can walk side by side. It is extremely narrow and cramped. There is no way back after entering, and there is no possibility of counterattack.

"After leaving the canyon, we are thousands of miles away from the rest of the main force of Qing State. It is impossible to regroup and recruit them within half a year. For us, it is no different from death, but for the other Qing soldiers defending the city, it is their only hope of survival. With hope, they will not fight desperately.

"You must understand that before any battle begins, one must be clear about one's true purpose.

“We have only one main purpose this time.

"That is to eat up the 50,000 elite troops in Yongle Prefecture and the King of Tang in the city. The rest of the people don't matter. As long as they are gone, Dongqing will be doomed on the border and will have to give up the three states.

"Commander Chen, am I right?"

Chen Sanshi agreed: "What General Fang said is exactly what I thought."

War is not fought to kill, but to achieve strategic goals.

Whether to kill or benevolent depends on the actual situation at the time. Use whichever strategy can win.

"Even General Fang thinks this is feasible?"

Meng Quji began to hesitate.

Apparently in the military, seniority is the voice that really matters.

He pondered and said, "No matter what, sending back so many surrendered soldiers is still a huge loss."

"Marshal Meng had better do so."

Fang Qingyun said firmly: "If this plan fails, it will not be too late to send the Black Armor Army to Zhaotong Prefecture. As for the loss of releasing the 20,000 surrendered soldiers, I will bear it alone. I will write a memorial to present to Your Majesty."

"Okay! General Fang has said so. If I don't try again, I will be too cautious. Then I will do as Lieutenant General Chen said!"

Meng Quji finally made the decision: "Pass on my order, keep the surrendered generals above the level of Lianzang, and send the rest into Guimen Gorge in batches, no more than 500 people at a time, and send someone else to guard the gorge! Lieutenant General Chen, do you have any other requests?"

"I want the temporary command and dispatch rights of all troops except the Yongle Palace!"

Chen Sanshi clasped his fists and said.

it's necessary.

Otherwise, if he is trying to persuade people to surrender in one place while the city is being attacked or massacred in another, it would be very easy for things to go wrong.

"Okay, I'll give you this power!"

Meng Quji readily agreed, and then emphasized: "But Lord Chen, there is no joking in the army. You should understand, right?"

"I am willing to accept the military order."

Chen Sanshi added: "But the prisoners must be released as soon as possible. If my prediction is correct, reinforcements from the Southern Xu Kingdom will arrive soon."

"Yes."

Meng Quji said: "This is what I am worried about. At present, the Great Sheng Dynasty has the upper hand, but once the reinforcements from Nanxu arrive, the situation will immediately become serious."

Nanxu sending troops was something that everyone agreed upon and was inevitable.

……

Yongle Mansion.

"Report!"

"Your Majesty, the Sheng Dynasty has received reinforcements."

"Why are you panicking?"

Tang Wang Li Gong used a dagger to cut the hot roasted lamb leg in front of him and asked slowly, "How many are there?"

"Eight thousand Tiger Soldiers, plus three thousand Black Armor Soldiers."

The deputy general said with a worried look on his face: "Among them, the Black Armor Army was brought by Chen Sanshi, who crossed the Hongze River four times."

Hearing this name, Li Gong's action of cutting meat was obviously delayed for a moment, and then he said calmly: "Don't panic, this person is most likely sent here to get merit and then be promoted to a noble title. In the current situation in Laizhou, one more and one less will not make much difference."

"Your Majesty."

The deputy general sighed and said, "His Majesty is very dissatisfied with us this time. He did not agree with us sending troops in the first place."

"It's obviously your Majesty who is too conservative."

Li Gong chewed the mutton leg and said slowly: "Don't panic, as long as we hold on for another three months, the reinforcements from Daqing will arrive one after another, and the Nanxu army will also march straight to Hulao Pass.

“By that time, Meng Quji and others will naturally retreat to the border, and then the war will truly begin.

"Find a way to notify all the defenders of the other cities to hold their ground and wait for the right time!"

"Yes!"

……

Zhaotong Prefecture.

"brothers!"

"Fellow villagers!"

"Once the soldiers of the Sheng Dynasty attack, they will massacre the city, leaving no one alive, young or old, male or female. Guihai, Lianshui, and Jinggu are examples of this. They are no different from the barbarians on the grassland! So if you want to survive, come up and help!"

"Click——"

The defending general Deng Feng swung his Qinglong Yanyue Sword down with a loud bang, cutting off half of the body of the Dasheng general who had attacked the city wall, ending a brutal attack and defense battle. The Dasheng troops outside the city retreated ten miles and no longer rashly attacked the city.

outside the city.

Cui Congyi, Sha Wenlong and others led the Huben Army to temporarily retreat to the camp twenty miles away.

"This Deng Feng is so amazing!"

Sha Wenlong thrust his broadsword upside down into the ground: "Even if we join forces, we still can't take him down."

"After all, it is the Great Perfection of Xuanxiang."

Cui Congyi said calmly: "After resting for half a day, continue the siege."

"Two generals."

Cao Fan said worriedly, "If we continue to attack, I'm afraid it will be difficult to take it down."

"We have to attack."

Cui Congyi said: "This is the death order given to me by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and it has a time limit."

"Let's wait for reinforcements."

Sha Wenlong said, "Chen Sanshi still has 3,000 Xuanjia soldiers. Let him hold the line in front, and we will charge up the city wall in one go. I don't believe we can't take it down."

"Chirp—"

The Saker Falcon brought intelligence.

"how?"

Sha Wenlong asked, "How long will it take them to arrive?"

"No need to wait."

Cui Congyi held the letter and said in a deep voice, "He's not coming."

"You still dare to disobey orders?!"

Sha Wenlong was furious: "It was probably Yu Song who took the blame for him last time. Who else can take the blame for him this time? Fang Qingyun?!"

"No, it's not disobedience. Far from disobeying orders, on the contrary... he ordered all of us not to continue attacking the city."

"General Cui, are you joking?"

Sha Wenlong was puzzled and said, "He is just a lieutenant general, how can he order you and me?!"

"See for yourself!"

Cui Congyi said angrily: "General Meng Quji has ordered that he is now the commander of all the troops except Yongle Prefecture."

"what?"

Sha Wenlong snatched the letter and sneered, "I was wondering what was going on. It turns out that they received a military order saying that within two months, Zhaotong Prefecture must surrender. What a big tone!"

Cao Fan also took it in his hands and read it himself, and said worriedly: "If this person is not sure, he will not make such a boast."

"I do not believe."

Cui Congyi pointed his blood-stained sword at the city wall: "Deng Feng is extremely brave, will he come out of the city to accept surrender?!"

"Actually, I don't believe it either."

Cao Fan smiled bitterly: "But his name is Chen Sanshi."

"This……"

Sha Wenlong was a little hesitant to make any more assertions, after all, the lesson from last time was still fresh in his mind.

"You two worry too much!"

Cui Congyi sneered, "There is a time limit on the military order. Deng Feng must open the city gates and accept surrender within two months. I want to see how he will end up if Deng Feng refuses to surrender!"

……

"Zhaotong Prefecture's garrison commander Deng Feng has reached the perfect state of Xuan Xiang."

Fang Qingyun took the latest intelligence and said, "This man was originally the governor of Laizhou. He has a very good reputation in the local area and is known as Deng Qingtian. However, he is very loyal to Qing State, so it is still difficult to get him to open the city gate and surrender. But since Junior Brother dares to say so, he must have his own plans. Just do it. I am not suitable to run around everywhere, so I will not follow you and be a burden."

"Senior Brother, goodbye!"

Chen Sanshi did not waste any time and led three thousand black armored soldiers straight into the distance.

　I finished writing this on time and haven't had time to draw the map yet.

　　Recommend a book by a good brother.

(End of this chapter)