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Chapter 157: Warfare is about momentum
Chen Sanshi led his men away, and after walking another fifty miles, they stopped at a fork in the official road in the wilderness.

"May……"

He just said it so easily that it was hard to correct himself: "Bring me the map."

"Who has a map? Quick!"

Zhao Kang and others searched for a long time but there was no movement.

"My lord, I have it here."

Xia Cong was well prepared. He immediately took the map and respectfully said to him, "I have some humble opinions. I wonder if I should speak them out?"

Along the way, he could hear that the general clearly wanted to call Lord Xu, who was named Mr. Wolong, which meant that the general lacked a right-hand man, and he was just the right person to take his place. In the future, he could also learn more from the general and become a trusted and loyal descendant.

Chen Sanshi looked at the map and replied without looking up: "You can tell me what you want."

"Thank you, sir!"

Xia Cong bowed his hands and said, "I feel that even after releasing the surrendered soldiers, it will still be useless to persuade them to surrender directly. We must first use force and then courtesy. We must first capture a city and then set an example with action."

"Yeah, the idea is correct."

Chen Sanshi glanced at him and said, "Go on."

After getting the affirmation, Xia Cong showed a happy expression, and said all the analysis that he had thought of in his mind in one go: "There are still 8,000 defenders in Zhaotong Prefecture, of which 2,000 are local garrisons and 6,000 are elite soldiers recruited from other places. In addition, with the help of the people, it is definitely not feasible to attack Zhaotong directly.

"So, I think, how about we attack Songlin Prefecture, which is closer to Zhaotong, first? The enemy garrison there is not large in number, and it has been under siege for a long time. If we add the fierce attack of 3,000 Xuanjia troops, there is a high probability that we can storm it. After Songlin Prefecture falls, it will naturally cause a shake in Zhaotong Prefecture, and then we can persuade it to surrender to play a role."

"No, it's not enough."

Chen Sanshi denied it, "Let's not talk about how much this will cost. We can't afford to waste time on this alone. And do you know why we have to take over Zhaotong Prefecture within two months?"

"In addition to the need to concentrate more troops to attack Yongle Prefecture, I think..."

Xia Cong felt like he was taking an exam, and answered very seriously: "In two months, the reinforcements from Qing will most likely arrive, and the conservative estimate is more than 50,000. If we want to stop them, the best place is to set up camp 20 miles outside Luling Mountain, but this requires bypassing Zhaotong Prefecture. If we don't take Zhaotong Prefecture, it means that there is a knife left in our back road, and we don't know when they will appear to attack us.

"If you put it that way...

"Our situation doesn't seem as optimistic as we imagined!"

His expression became serious. "If we cannot mobilize enough troops to stop the reinforcements from Qing State outside Green Ridge Mountain, it means we may be forced to give up attacking Yongle Prefecture and choose another city to garrison.

“In this case, the situation will change from the Great Sheng Dynasty besieging the enemy to a stalemate between the two sides.

“Qing Kingdom’s originally dead chess game in Laizhou has come back to life.

"If we add the reinforcements from the Southern Xu Kingdom that may appear outside Hulao Pass, who knows when...

"Everything that the Great Sheng Dynasty has in Laizhou may be wasted, and recovering the three states will become a luxury."

side.

The other two captains of the Black Armor Army, Xiao Zheng and You Jike, also looked serious after hearing this.

"You guys are still sober."

Chen Sanshi continued, "So, what we have to do is to fight for time. Time is an opportunity. The sooner we deal with the troops in each city and gather the troops scattered around the Great Sheng Dynasty, the more prepared we will be to deal with the changes that will occur next.

“And the fastest way to attack a city is to force the enemy to surrender. If we start a battle, even if it’s a small city, it will take a lot of time and manpower. There are countless cities along the nearly 1,000-mile battle line, and we simply can’t afford the time we have to waste.

"One Songlin is not enough, and one Zhaotong is not enough either.

"What I want is for all the thirty-six prefectures in Laizhou, except Yongle Prefecture, to surrender!"

All thirty-six prefectures surrendered!

Xia Cong and the others looked at each other, obviously finding it hard to believe.

Moreover, on the military order.

We only ask them to deal with Zhaotong Prefecture. Is it really necessary to make such a big deal?
Xiao Zheng asked in confusion: "Sir, I dare to ask, is this a bit too difficult?"

"Yes, sir, I don't doubt you, it's just..."

You Jike echoed, "It is already very difficult to persuade one or two major cities to surrender. It is almost... impossible to persuade all thirty-six prefectures to surrender, right?"

"Hmph! What a fuss!"

Zhu Tong said disdainfully: "Even I understand, just do this first, then that!"

"Old Zhu, don't make trouble."

Zhuang Yi pulled him down: "Just listen to what the adults say, you know nothing!"

However, the brothers who came out of Poyang did react rather calmly, because they had no doubt that their general could achieve the strategic goals he stated.

"You Jike, there is one thing you said wrong."

Chen Sanshi did not take his eyes off the map: "Sometimes, it is much easier to get many cities in a state to surrender than to persuade one or two cities to surrender. This is momentum.

"Some people say that warfare is a matter of deception, some say that warfare is the way of the king, and some say that in warfare one must first put oneself in an invincible position and wait for the enemy's defeat. The most important thing is to seek stability. But I say—"

After this pause, every word he spoke was like the sound of a huge bell: "Warfare is about momentum!"

"Momentum?"

Xia Cong was in a trance.

They clasped their fists and said almost in unison: "Please teach me, sir!"

"Everything in the world is nothing more than a word: momentum."

Since Chen Sanshi joined the army, he has participated in many battles, big and small, and has some insights: "Attacking a city has its own momentum of fearlessness, defending a city has its own momentum of willing to die, charging into a formation has its own momentum of seeking death, and winning a battle has its own momentum of being unstoppable. Similarly, a rout has its own momentum of a thousand miles of rout, and even surrender has its own momentum of being unable to recover and surrendering at the sight of the enemy.

“Once this momentum is established, the enemy will be like a stray dog ​​or a defeated rooster, and will no longer have the slightest thought of resistance. They will only have one thought left: surrender.

"What we need to do is to create a trend of 'surrender'."

"Warfare is all about momentum!"

Xia Cong was a little confused, so he asked, "Then, sir, how should we create a great momentum next?"

“Five moves in total.

"I call this the first step that a siege master must have."

Chen Sanshi gave the order: "Pass on my order. Except for Yongle Prefecture, all generals should stop attacking the city immediately and leave a small path for their scouts to pass on information to each other.

"Xia Cong, just write down the original words and then use the Saker Falcon to convey them to the various departments."

This time he used the Saker Falcon that belonged to his fourth senior brother.

"Then comes the second step, follow me!"

"drive--

The group moved forward at full speed.

Coming soon.

The nearest city is where the surrendered soldiers are guarded.

The generals and soldiers were imprisoned separately.

Among them, most of the generals at the level of Lian Zang and above would use black iron hooks to pierce the scapula and other parts to control them and prevent any trouble.

But there is no need for this for the soldiers.

The soldiers took off their armor, laid down their weapons, and disrupted their respective organizations. Without the leadership of military generals, they were like a group of scattered sand, not much different from unarmed civilians.

Chen Sanshi reined in his horse and stopped, raised the token in his hand high, and asked loudly: "Who is the general guarding the surrendered soldiers here?"

"General Chen!"

A lieutenant general received the order early and went out of the city to greet them: "I am Zhu Qi, and I am responsible for guarding the surrendered soldiers here. Does General Chen have any instructions?"

Chen Sanshi said calmly: "Map."

Xia Cong did so immediately.

"Where's the pen and ink?"

Chen Sanshi added.

"I deserve to die. From now on, I will always have pen and ink ready!"

Xia Cong hurried to prepare, and then handed over a brush dipped in ink.

Chen Sanshi picked up a brush, drew a route on the map, and ordered: "General Zhu, when you release the surrendered soldiers, you must escort them along the route I drew and give them dry food. The bigger the noise, the better."

“These roads…”

Zhu Qi looked at the black lines and said, "Isn't this just showing off? I understand. General Chen's intention is to let them all see that we have released the surrendered soldiers and weakened the resistance of the defenders in the other cities."

"Ah."

Chen Sanshi nodded: "In addition, select 2,000 surrendered soldiers with loud voices and keep them. Do not release them for the time being and use them for other purposes."

"A loud voice?"

Zhu Qi didn't understand the significance of such an arrangement, but he still nodded and said, "I understand. General Chen, don't worry. I will execute it accurately and ensure that there will be no mistakes."

"If something goes wrong, I'll take your head!"

Chen Sanshi reminded.

"Leader!"

Zhu Qi turned around and did as he was told.

Chen Sanshi sat high on the horse's back: "Next, it's the third step!"

……

Zhaotong Prefecture.

outside the city.

Cui Congyi looked at the latest order and did not speak for a long time.

"General Cui."

Sha Wenlong asked, "Did Mr. Chen give us another order?"

They are at the rank of camp commander, but now they have to wait for orders from a lieutenant general every day to act.

"Ah."

Cui Congyi said: "After he told us to stop attacking the city, we should send someone to deliver a letter of persuasion to surrender every day, and shout at us day and night. Then the soldiers outside the city should surround the city on three sides and leave one side open, and send the spies and scouts in Zhaotong City out to gather intelligence."

"absurd!"

Sha Wenlong really couldn't understand: "A siege is all about extreme oppression, oppression that makes the enemy in the city uneasy. Cutting off their communications is the best way to create pressure. Letting them out is giving them hope, isn't it?"

The intelligence transmitted by one or two Black Hawks is ultimately limited, after all, only senior generals can be used as landing gear.

More detailed intelligence often requires scouts to gather.

Lock all the scouts inside the city.

This means that from the perspective of the defenders in the city, except for a few places such as Yongle Mansion, the rest is pitch black.

But if the scouts are released.

This means that cities can share resources and discuss strategies with each other, giving them a sense of mutual support, and naturally their confidence in persevering will increase.

"Isn't this making it more difficult for us to attack the city? What a reckless command! And aren't you afraid of letting them escape?"

At this point, Sha Wenlong's eyes lit up: "I have an idea. Why not deliberately let some people go and try to control the losses within a certain range, and then say that it was Chen's command error and chop off his head, how about that?"

"You think too much."

Cui Congyi sneered, "Chen Sanshi has ordered us to control the size of the gap and only release scouts but not the enemy troops. If anyone succeeds in breaking through, he will chop off our heads first."

"He dares!"

"Why would he be afraid? The commander-in-chief has given you a token. If you dare to disobey his orders, he can't fight back even if he cuts you."

Cui Congyi threw away the letter and said, "General Sha, this mission is now handed over to you."

"nausea!"

Sha Wenlong had to follow the order.

"No matter what Chen Sanshi is up to, as long as he can really force Deng Feng to leave the city and surrender, it will be a good thing. Not to mention what my father and the Xianghuo Shenjiao ask of us..."

Cao Fan pondered: "Even if it is extremely beneficial to the entire Laizhou, firstly, the geographical location of Zhaotong Prefecture is very critical and related to the subsequent situation. Secondly, Deng Feng is very famous. 'Deng Qingtian', 'Deng Sanye' and so on are his nicknames. If this person is willing to surrender, he will surely lead many cities to surrender.

“But the question is, how can he do it?
"In the blink of an eye, nearly seven days have passed, and there is still no sign of him. Two months may not be enough, right?"

Ever since he gave up competing for the position of chief disciple, he was surprised to find that his hatred for Chen Sanshi began to decrease rapidly, and instead he felt more admiration for him. However, given the current situation, he really couldn't figure out what this guy was planning.

"Just do what he says first."

Cui Congyi forbearedly said: "Anyway, if it doesn't work and the opportunity to fight is lost, causing serious consequences, you and I won't be responsible. It will only take less than two months."

"General Cui."

Yun Xiaozi, wearing Dasheng armor and dressed as a soldier, came out and reminded them, "It's not a good idea to drag it on like this. We must take this city!"

"Don't worry, Taoist priest."

Cui Congyi said: "Even if we can't take this city, the things that His Royal Highness has asked us to do will definitely be done properly, and we won't delay important matters."

"I am just reminding you."

Yun Xiaozi said: "And the place to determine success or failure should preferably be outside the capital."

"That's hard to say."

Cui Congyi frowned and said, "Looking at the current situation, we are not sure whether we can recover the three states. Anyway, if we can't succeed, we can choose another time and place."

"Ok."

Yun Xiaozi said nothing more and quietly retreated.

……

Zhaotong Prefecture, inside the city.

After more than forty days of brutal attack and defense, the city walls had long been devastated, with corpses piled up like mountains, and the soldiers and civilians were ragged and exhausted.

But on this day, everything came to a halt.

The enemy troops outside the city suddenly became silent, leaving only two or three people on horseback shouting and persuading the enemy to surrender under the city wall. The arrows that occasionally hit the top of the wall also carried letters of surrender.

"The Qing people and Qing troops in the city, listen up!"

"Open the city and surrender as soon as possible, and I will spare your lives!

"Otherwise, the city will be destroyed and everyone will die, leaving no one alive!"

"Why do you have to defend it so hard?"

"You won't be able to wait for reinforcements!"

"..."

On the city wall, the civilians and soldiers who were repairing the fortifications during the lull in the fighting were all skeptical.

"General!"

The general of Qing reported: "The troops of Sheng Dynasty have all retreated to the camp and stopped attacking the city. It seems that they will not continue to attack the city in the short term. Not only that, the scouts we sent out this time have finally managed to break out and will soon bring back the battle situation of other nearby cities. Does this mean that the enemy outside the city has relaxed their vigilance? Should we find an opportunity to try to break out?"

"No."

Deng Feng, the general of Zhaotong Prefecture who had reached the Perfection of Xuan Xiang Realm, was personally carrying the rolling stones at this time. He said calmly: "This tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open is most likely to lure us out. There must be an ambush outside the city. We just need to continue to defend the city!"

"Third Master, how long can we hold on?"

"Yeah, if we keep fighting like this, when will it end?"

"It is said that Yongle Prefecture has also been surrounded. Is Laizhou doomed?"

"Alas, it is already January. In the blink of an eye, we have been away from home for several months. So far, we have not been able to send even a single letter home."

"Yeah yeah."

"..."

The soldiers were talking in a flurry.

The people in the city were also suffering.

Compared with the defenders, they suffered the most casualties every day.

"grown ups……"

"Please give me a definite answer. When will it end?"

"Yes, how long will it take to repel the enemy outside the city?"

"My father's body fell from the city wall, and I haven't had a chance to collect it yet..."

"..."

"boom!"

Deng Feng suddenly threw the huge rock in his arms down with a loud noise. His voice was sonorous and powerful:

"You asked me how long we will hold out? To tell you the truth, it will take at least sixty days! If you really don't want to continue holding out, you can surrender to Kaesong. Go ahead. I won't stop you. As long as -"

He paused deliberately, then emphasized, "How dare you believe what Sheng Ren said!"

"This……"

The soldiers and civilians looked at each other in silence.

Yes.

Can you believe what Shengren says?

It is said that similar words were said when the Leishan Prefecture was attacked. However, everyone has witnessed the fate of the local people. The area of ​​five prefectures has become a purgatory on earth!

"It seems that you are not stupid enough!"

Deng Feng walked up to a higher place and asked in his powerful voice: "Also, think about it again, the Sheng people have been attacking the city for more than a month, why did they suddenly stop now?

"That's right, it's because they found that they couldn't attack and had to give up!

"The letter of persuasion should not be something that shakes us, but rather a proof that they are about to be defeated!"

"What the General said makes sense!"

Everyone suddenly realized.

"The fact that they stopped just shows that they are afraid of being beaten!"

"No wonder, he was going crazy before, but suddenly stopped."

"We can't fall for their trick. Once the city gates are opened, the dogs will surely launch a crazy revenge!"

"Yes! Even if they don't kill the civilians, they won't let us pawns go."

"If you become a surrendered soldier, the unlucky ones will be made into slaves, or simply slaughtered like animals!"

"There was a female general in the Sheng Dynasty named Rong Yanqiu. It is said that she had to kill more than a dozen people every day, otherwise she couldn't sleep!"

"Even if we are lucky enough to be recruited by them, the food, wages and medicine we get will be the worst. In the future, we must rush to the front and serve as their shield on the battlefield!"

"Besides, I have to be separated from my family!"

"..."

"Brothers, fellow villagers!"

Deng Feng's voice, strengthened by his energy and blood, resounded throughout the area for miles: "Don't panic. There is enough food and grass in the city. Our military strength is slightly inferior, but we have hundreds of thousands of civilians!
"To me, Deng, Cui Congyi and Sha Wenlong are just scumbags who are not worth mentioning!
"As long as we have 200,000 people working together, the mere 30,000 people outside the city won't matter.

“And I have some great news to tell you!
“In two months at most, His Majesty the Emperor of Daqing will personally lead the army! By then, Zhaotong Prefecture will not only survive, but also make great contributions. All the soldiers and civilians defending the city will be rewarded handsomely!

“Tax exemption for three years, no, five years!

"I, Deng Feng, hereby promise that after this battle, the entire Zhaotong will be exempt from grain taxes for five years!
"Also, pass the order down to open the granaries and release grain. For the next two months, there will be plenty of white rice and big white steamed buns!"

Five years!

What does five years of tax exemption mean?
This means that in the next five years, the people will most likely have enough to eat and may even be able to save some extra money, so they no longer have to borrow high-interest loans to buy seeds during the spring plowing season every year.

After a speech.

Hundreds of thousands of people have regained hope.

In a word, if you keep it, you can not only survive, but also enjoy tax exemption!

On the contrary, if they surrendered, they would be doomed. Their morale was unprecedentedly high, and they accelerated their efforts to consolidate their fortifications.

However, by the afternoon of that day.

On the city wall, a soldier from the Qing Kingdom narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. He pointed to the empty plain and said, "Look, the guy wearing red clothes over there looks like a brother from Daqing!"

The armor and linings of soldiers from different countries are different.

Most of the armors of Qing Kingdom are covered with bright red lining, which makes them very easy to distinguish.

"Reinforcements? Are they reinforcements?!"

Someone shouted excitedly.

"wrong!"

"Take a closer look!"

"It seems like the Sheng dogs don't intend to take care of them!"

"Besides, why aren't they wearing armor and don't they even have weapons in their hands?"

"Damn it! They are captives who surrendered to Sheng Gou!"

"Why the hell did the prisoners get here?"

"..."

Deng Feng, who heard the noise, also climbed up the city wall to check, and immediately sent people to investigate what was going on.

Coincidentally, the scouts who had been sent out earlier came back in a hurry.

"Report——"

"General! The people outside the city are indeed our brothers!"

Deng Feng suppressed his anger: "Did they commit treason?!"

"To reply to the General, no!"

The scout knelt on the ground and said, "According to the information I have obtained, the Sheng Dynasty is now releasing prisoners."

"Release the prisoners?"

Deng Feng frowned: "Where to put it?"

The scout stammered, "Release them back to Daqing."

"You fart!"

Deng Feng suspected that he had heard wrongly, so he pulled the scout up and said, "Say it again."

"General, it's absolutely true!"

The scout himself couldn't believe it. "It is said that the Sheng Dynasty will release all the 20,000 captured surrendered soldiers back to Daqing through the Ghost Gate Gorge. Not only will they release them, but they will also distribute dry food. For those with mobility problems, they will even provide donkey carts."

'absurd!'

"Wasn't it that they fought this battle in vain? There's no point in sending the enemy back!"

Deng Feng thought about it but didn't dare to speak out loud. He asked, "Who gave the order?"

The words didn't fall.

He had already noticed that there was something wrong with the looks of the soldiers around him.

What a vicious plan!
It is obvious that this method is used to shake their morale!
If it were Meng Quji, he would definitely find a way to use these 20,000 people as shields to die, rather than letting them all go. After all, there are considerable risks involved. Who would have thought of going through the Ghost Gate Canyon?

The scout said tremblingly: "I heard that it was that Chen Sanshi..."

"Chen Sanshi?"

How could Deng Feng not know this name?

They, Daqing, were badly harmed by this man.

This man had become famous all over the world for leading the people across the river two years ago. Even the people of Daqing praised him highly, saying that he was a rare hero and an honest man in the world.

Needless to say, he won the championship later.

The four crossings of the Hongze River in Mingzhou shocked the whole world and everyone knew about it. It put Daqing in a dilemma and it is now in a situation where it is almost about to lose Laizhou.

Not to mention Daqing, even Southern Xu and the northern barbarians have probably been studying the plan of crossing the Hongze River four times.

This person……

He was actually sent to Laizhou, and used such a vicious plan right from the start!

"Fake!"

Deng Feng responded quickly: "The purpose of the fraud is to disrupt our army's morale! The surrendered soldiers outside are all fakes, they are just wearing red clothes, aren't they hard to find?"

"General, you are right!"

Everyone agreed.

"The Sheng people are the most treacherous!"

"When we were doing business together, they were the ones who loved to cheat people the most!"

"But didn't you just say it was Chen San..."

"..."

"Don't just stand there!"

Deng Feng interrupted loudly, not wanting them to continue the topic: "Have you forgotten what I told you before? They are obviously panicking and even resorting to such low-level tricks. We only need to hold on for the last two months. No, less than two months!
"Send another team out to find a way to notify the other cities and tell them not to fall into the trap!"

"..."

"Yes!"

……

Yongle Mansion.

"Chirp—"

A black eagle flew from a height of ten thousand feet into the city of Yongle Prefecture.

These strange beasts that transmit intelligence can not only accurately locate the destination, but also dodge enemy arrows at high altitudes, making it basically impossible for them to be shot down by the enemy.

King Li Gong of Tang stood in front of the gate of the mansion which served as the central army command center. He stretched out his arm to let the Black Hawk land, then took down the information on it, and his face immediately showed joy.

"Your Majesty."

The deputy general knew there was good news: "Tell them quickly and let the brothers be happy."

"Your Majesty is here!"

Li Gong handed the paper to them to read. "Your Majesty will lead an army of 70,000 in person. In about 50 days, we will reach Green Ridge Mountain. In about 80 days, the 100,000 troops of Southern Xu will also reach Hulao Pass!"

"Great!"

The deputy general and several other generals were inspired: "Once the 70,000 troops arrive, Sheng's troops will be forced to abandon their deployment of encroaching everywhere and gather all the troops together. The siege of Yongle will be lifted!"

"There is still a critical node!"

Li Gong said solemnly: "Inform Deng Feng and tell him to hold on to Zhaotong Prefecture and set a good example for the other cities. As long as we have enough soldiers and horses left after your majesty arrives, we can completely deal with the Sheng people by ourselves, and there is no need to let Nanxu in!"

The Southern Xu Kingdom agreed to send troops to help.

On the one hand, the lips and teeth are interdependent, and on the other hand, they naturally want to take advantage of the opportunity to gain benefits.

"Your Majesty, don't worry!"

"Deng Feng is extremely loyal and brave, he will definitely be fine!"

"..."

"correct."

Li Gong changed the subject and asked, "Have you checked Chen Sanshi's files?"

"I have checked it out. I am here to deliver the files."

The deputy general said, handing over a piece of paper: "He has been very famous in the past two years, and his background is very easy to check, but there is nothing special about him. He is just a poor genius who came from a poor place."

Li Gong looked at the handwriting above and said, "Gu Xinlan, is this his wife?"

"The prince wants to check his family?"

"It's not me who wants to investigate, it's your majesty who wants to investigate. I don't have the time for that."

Li Gong read: "Gu Xinlan, born into a lowly family, was bought as a child bride by Chen Sanshi's father. That's it? Gone? What year, where, why was she accepted as a lowly family? Nothing is known."

"Gone."

The deputy general said awkwardly: "Your Highness, with the enemy at the gates, it is impossible to take care of every detail. These things were collected when the news of the Fourth Hongze River arrived."

"I see."

Li Gong was silent, wondering why the Emperor would be interested in other people's families.

……

"So my Lord, what exactly is the third step?"

Xia Cong caught up with difficulty.

"third step."

Chen Sanshi said word by word: "Attack the city and seize the land, ready to go!"

"Attack the city? Sir, didn't you say that we should focus on persuading people to surrender instead of attacking the city? Okay..."

Xia Cong did not dare to question it and took out the map: "We have been walking for half a month and are now in the most barren northeastern region of Laizhou. There was a severe drought last year and no crops were harvested. After the fighting this year, even the largest city here, Xinghua Prefecture, has insufficient food and grass. We need to rely on other prefectures to transfer food and grass. Even so, the food and grass are still very tight, and we can only support it for another month at most.

"I see!
"Your Excellency wants to take advantage of the shortage of food and grass to attack Xinghua Prefecture. As far as I know, the garrison commander in Xinghua City is Ma Hu, and he has only achieved a minor level of Tongmai. There are 4,000 defenders in the city, while our army has 8,000 people outside the city, plus a Tongmai Lieutenant General. Xinghua Prefecture has an average geographical location, so it won't make much sense to take it down, but it is a prefecture after all. Your Excellency mainly wants to build momentum, so it's appropriate."

"Don't attack Xinghua Prefecture."

Chen Sanshi sat on his horse and pointed his spear at a city that looked very small on the map: "Let's attack Meizi County first."

"Plum County?"

Xia Cong was even more confused: "Sir, Meizi County is a small county in the heart of Laizhou. There is no food or people. The garrison there is only a hundred people, and they are mainly used to maintain order. Their combat effectiveness is very low."

Chen Sanshi added: "So it's easy to fight, isn't it?"

"It's easy to fight, and there will be basically no casualties..." Xia Cong asked, "But what's the point of taking it down? The location of this county is completely useless."

Chen Sanshi did not explain endlessly, but just said lightly: "Let's go. I want to take Meizi County before dark."

……

Meizi County.

On the thin city wall, seven or eight skinny soldiers were looking out with rusty spears in their hands. A gust of cold wind blew past, breaking the gravel on the wall and creating a gap. The worn armor on the soldiers also made crackling sounds.

"Da da da--"

The sound of horse hooves could be heard from far away. As they got closer, they could be seen clearly that there were about a dozen cavalrymen and twenty infantrymen. They were flying the banner of the Daqing Red Armor Army, wearing exquisite armor, and each of them was tall and strong.

The first one rode forward and shouted, "What are you still standing there for? Open the city gate quickly!"

"Why are they from Xinghua Prefecture again?"

The soldier in charge of the lookout frowned and ordered someone to open the city gate while saying, "Go and call Inspector Wang!"

"Squeak-"

The city gate opens.

The Red Armored Army poured into the city.

Wang Feng, the inspector of Meizi County, hurried over to greet him: "General Du Bai, why are you here again?"

"forage!"

General Du Bai did not dismount: "Xinghua Prefecture is in urgent need of food and fodder, and I am coming to your county to requisition it."

"Come to transfer food and grass again?"

Wang Feng said with a bitter face: "General Du Bai, a few months ago, you Xinghua Prefecture took away all the food from our Meizi County granary. Where is the food now?"

"Cut the nonsense!"

General Du Bai said impatiently, "Inspector Wang! The Sheng army is at the gates of the city. Without food and fodder, how can we defend the city? If Xinghua City is breached, do you think the counties under your jurisdiction can hold out? The Sheng people are brutal! When the time comes, they will flood into the city and massacre everyone, regardless of gender or age. In comparison, what is this little bit of food?!"

"Ah~"

Wang Feng sighed, and really couldn't find a reason to refute: "Not long ago, several hundred stones of grain were forcibly requisitioned from the people. It's in the county government's granary. You can go and get it."

Mr. Du Bai asked, "Only a few hundred stones?"

"These are already the people's food rations!"

Inspector Wang said helplessly: "People are starving to death in the city every day. The martial arts hall and the gentry are unwilling to donate any more. Four hundred shi is already enough. There is no more money!"

"Ok."

Du Baizong did not continue to force the issue. He led his men to load 400 shi of grain and fodder onto the carts, and then left the city in a hurry.

"General Du Bai, can you transfer some people to Meizi County?"

Wang Feng chased after them and asked, "We have too few people. If the Sheng people come to attack us, we won't be able to resist them. There are nearly 10,000 civilians in the city!"

"Don't worry, the Sheng people are all outside Xinghua City. Besides, your Meizi County is a remote place. Are the Sheng people so bored that they would come to attack you?"

After Du Baizong finished speaking, he escorted the food and fodder away without looking back.

"Fuck your mother!"

Wang Feng cursed from behind: "They only know how to steal our food, and don't care whether we live or die!"

He came to the city wall sighing.

There was chaos and famine everywhere!
But this battle has to be fought.

The invasion of an enemy country is no different from bandits. Once the city is broken, the soldiers will die first, and then the people in the city will suffer. Even if they can't hold on, they have to hold on.

Leishan Prefecture and other places are living examples.

"Da da da--"

"Why are you back again?"

Wang Feng watched helplessly as Du Baizong and others, who had just left, fled back in panic, and the food they had just taken away disappeared.

He hurriedly asked: "Mr. Du Bai, what's going on?!"

"Open the city gate! Quick!"

General Du Bai shouted in horror, "Sheng Ren, Sheng Ren's troops are coming!"

"Didn't you just say that no one would come to attack Meizi County?"

Wang Feng's face turned pale: "How many people!"

"More than 3,000, and they are the most elite black armored cavalry of the Sheng Dynasty!"

General Du Bai's voice was trembling: "The leader is a young general holding a spear. They are holding a general flag with the word Chen. They are about to arrive in twenty miles. Open the city gate quickly and mobilize all the people in the city to go up to the city wall to help!"

"Dang Dang Dang——"

Gongs could be heard in every street and lane of Meizi County.

Due to the rush, not many people could make it over, and there was no time to prepare rolling stones and logs. They could only use kitchen knives, hoes, stones and tiles at random, which had basically no killing power.

"The Black Armor Army, three thousand men!"

Wang Feng stamped his feet anxiously: "Three thousand elite soldiers, the leader is at least a Tongmai, why, why are they coming towards us!"

"Why else?!"

Mr. Du Bai said, "Vent it off! No matter how poor the place is, there are still money and women. Isn't this what the rich people came here for?"

Wang Feng's eyes were red with anger, and he drew out the sword from his waist resolutely: "Brothers! Even if we die today, we can't let Sheng people step into the city gate!"

"Kill the thief!"

"Fight!"

"..."

The soldiers from Meizi County were all local garrisons. Even though their hands were shaking, they had to bite the bullet and raise their weapons.

The deafening sound of horse hooves could be heard in the distance.

Soon, the Black Armor Army, like a tide, arrived and lined up five hundred steps outside the city gate.

Surprisingly, they did not attack the city directly.

Instead, he sent a general to ride on horseback to the city wall and shout.

"People of Meizi County, listen up!"

"We are the Xuanjia Army under the command of General Chen Sanshi of the Huaiyuan Dynasty of the Great Sheng Dynasty. We are here to recruit you to surrender!"

"As long as you open the city and surrender honestly, our General Chen promises that not only will the people not be harmed, but we will also distribute food to you!"

"on the contrary."

"If you refuse to know what's good for you and continue to resist, after the city is captured, no one, young or old, will be left alive!"

"Which path to choose? It's up to you to choose!"

"..."

On top of the city wall.

Wang Feng and others heard it clearly.

They looked at each other.

"real or fake?"

"It's good enough that they didn't massacre the whole city, and you still say they didn't harm anyone."

"Still distributing food?"

"Impossible, it sounds like a lie!"

General Du Bai gritted his teeth and said, "Do you think Shengren is here to fight, or to do good deeds and perform meritorious deeds?!"

"Wait! What did this guy just say? Their leading general is Chen Sanshi?!"

Wang Feng bravely shouted: "Which Chen Sanshi is your leader?"

"Who else could it be, Chen Sanshi!"

Xia Cong said in a loud voice: "Of course it is General Chen Sanshi who led the people across the river and crossed the Hongze River four times!"

Chen Sanshi who led the people across the river!

The crowd on top of the city wall was suddenly in an uproar.

The story of carrying the people across the river had spread throughout the country within more than a year, and this was the favorite part of many storytellers in restaurants and teahouses.

It’s not because that battle was so difficult.

It was because there was a general who would rather risk his own death than escort the common people across the river. This was an unprecedented story.

For military strategists.

Crossing the Hongze River four times may be a feat that has never been done before or since.

But for ordinary people.

Carrying the people across the river is what they should remember more.

They don't believe what others say.

But could what a general like Chen Sanshi, who loves his people like his own children, say be true?

"Where is Chen Sanshi!"

Wang Feng shouted, "Let's meet him!"

(End of this chapter)