It's broken, and was picked up by a femme fatale

Chapter 295 He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world

Tongguan, a natural barrier,
It is the gateway to the Guanzhong Plain, and its fortifications are extremely complete.

For thousands of years, it has always maintained the reputation of "one man guarding the pass, ten thousand men cannot break through."

Xijing Shunwang Corps, 50,000 soldiers,
There are many generals who are good at attacking, but there are only a handful of generals who are good at defending.

In order to stop the attack of the Chinese Army and the Shanxi Northern Frontier Army,
Linglei had to ask Cheng Renming, who was seventy years old and unemployed, to leave his home.

General Cheng spent his entire life in the military and fought in hundreds of battles.

He made great contributions to help Prince Shun’s palace secure the rule of Xijing and was awarded the title of a third-rank mighty general.

The most praised is that

Whether attacking or defending, his troops had the lowest casualty ratio.

In particular, we have never lost a crucial defensive battle.

He often said, "If you want to win, you must first learn to take a beating!"

Many times, the two armies met,

Cheng Renming would never "strike first" and would always set up his formation and wait for his opponent to attack.

Wait until the opponent is exhausted.

As morale was low, he ordered a shift from defense to offense.
Moreover, every time you fight back,
He always adopted the posture of "surrounding three sides and leaving one side open" to leave a way out for his opponent.
This kind of tactic can often quickly defeat the enemy and achieve great results.

Therefore, it is known as "the first key to Xijing".
Most of his opponents would lose their temper and call him a "bastard" with gnashing teeth!
However, no matter how angry or how much they cursed, no one was dissatisfied.

Once on the battlefield, heroes will be judged by their results.

The older you get, the less courageous you become.

Since the Chinese army entered Shanxi Province,
Cheng Renming put on his military uniform again and stationed himself in Tongguan, keeping his nerves tense at all times.

He knew very well that the Chinese army's heavy weapons were world-famous.
With one blast, mountains collapse and rocks crack. This should not be taken lightly.

Therefore, he checked and reinforced all the fortifications.

For some reason, he always felt a little worried in his heart.

The Chinese army was divided into three routes: Shanhaiguan in the north and Ganxiang in the south.

After breaking into Jin Province, the Suzaku Brigade is at its peak and will certainly not let Xijing go.

The upcoming war might ruin his reputation in his later years.

What you fear will come true.
The Guo Guizi invaded Hetao and marked the beginning of the war.

The delay in the arrival of reinforcements from all sides made him more and more anxious.

Early this morning, the three leaders of southern Shanxi marched westward, with their troops approaching the border.
After receiving the news, Cheng Renming quickly got dressed and went to the front line to take charge.

Through the telescope, he recognized Zhang Zongchang.
In the past, Zhang Huzi came to Xijing many times to curry favor with Prince Shun.

Among the followers of the Jinbei Frontier Army,

Only Zhang Zongchang, who was neither arrogant nor impetuous, had the aura of a great general, which made Chen Renming quite impressed.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Huzi died unexpectedly.

Zhang Xiaoliu, the prodigal son, played a good hand of cards badly...

It really fits the saying: An embroidered pillow is a bag of straw!

Just thinking about it makes me angry!
However, the Maozi who was ranked alongside Zhang Zongchang,

It should be the "Chicken Stew" of the Chinese Suzaku Brigade, right?
Hehe, it really looks like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger.
Ok!

bring it on!

I'd like to see,

Is your spear sharper or is my shield stronger?

As he watched, Cheng Renming noticed an unusual sign.

Why does “Ji Er Dun” always look up?
Hey, look, this guy is glancing at me again!

Cheng Renming used the telescope to look up into the sky, following the other party's line of sight.

Searching bit by bit,

Suddenly, a red shadow flashed across the horizon...

Ok?
The old general immediately pulled the telescope sleeve to the bottom.

In the vague sky, there is a big red bird.

There seemed to be something hanging under the belly of the big bird?

The rumor that the King of China rode the sacred bird Zhurong,

Among the people, it has become a legendary novel that is talked about with great relish.

The Zhurong bird that flew over the critical point... was undoubtedly targeting the defenders.

However, no matter how powerful a divine bird is,

The damage caused to bunkers and fortifications was also very limited.

As he watched, Cheng Renming discovered that

The Phoenix descended rapidly, and it seemed that it had landed not far behind the city wall.

Tongguan is actually a military fortress.
The east gate and the west gate are a thousand steps apart, and the inner part of the city is
The main facilities include barracks, arsenal, granary, playground and so on.

Because the war horses took up too much space, they were kept in a pen outside the west gate and were also provided with a large hay field.

Could it be that the divine bird Zhurong was going to attack the horse farm?
The Chinese Army's operations really left the old general confused and unable to understand.

But after a while, the red shadow rose into the air again and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ah, what is this flat-haired beast doing?
wrong!

It tastes so wrong!

Cheng Renming felt empty and uncomfortable in his heart.

"Quick! Prepare the horses and go to the West Gate Wall!"

The old general went down to the ground,
With the help of his personal guards, he mounted his horse and headed west.

At the eastern pass, Zhang Zongchang, under the guidance of Kilton,

The phoenix was seen flying back and forth in the air, transporting soldiers and supplies one by one.

"Great move, Commander Ji! I am convinced!"

As mentioned before, Tongguan is almost impossible to capture.

But, if the enemy attacks from the east, it will indeed cost lives.

However, due to psychological and subtle political factors,

The east wall of this city wall was built as solid as a rock, but the west wall was much worse.

On the one hand, Tongguan was mainly used to guard against the enemy from Guandong who could enter Guanzhong.
On the other hand, Xijing is often where those in power are located.
If the commander of Tongguan built the west wall stronger than the east wall,

Guess what interesting phenomenon will happen?

Even if the ruler trusts the general very much,
However, treacherous villains will never let go of this perfect opportunity to spread rumors and slander!
Many people can make a person a fool.
There are countless people in history who have left such painful lessons.

Even though Cheng Renming was loyal,

I have to follow the unspoken rules of Xijing officialdom.
After taking office, he neither reinforced the west wall nor stationed heavy troops.

He knew this might be a loophole, but he was still hoping for the best...

It was this kind of luck, or the cowardice of "succumbing to power politics", that brought devastating disaster to the entire Guancheng.

The Chinese Army used the incredible "Phoenix transport plane"
Every five minutes, 50 soldiers and corresponding supplies were delivered to the west gate of the city.

When Cheng Renming climbed up the west wall panting, he looked around.

Two hundred Chinese soldiers,

At a distance of 200 steps, they hurriedly built trenches and sandbag fortifications.
This distance is basically beyond the range of bows and crossbows.

Four heavy machine guns were mounted on the sandbags, and the remaining soldiers were equipped with "AKA 47" assault rifles.

Although there are only two hundred people, they are enough to withstand the attack of thousands of people.

The deputy general of Tongguan was dumbfounded.

When he reacted, the Phoenix landed again.

Not only did he bring 50 more fighters,

They also carried two mortars and a box of six shells.

The deputy general of Tongguan was terrified.

His lips trembled as he spoke:
"General Cheng...if we don't destroy them,
Our Tongguan is, is..."

Cheng Renming was bitter at this moment.

He underestimated the Chinese army this time.

never expected,
The attack and defense changed in an instant, and he was forced to attack...

Especially, the deputy general is a direct descendant of Prince Shun.
He opened his mouth and knew that he had no choice but to go out and fight.

"Okay! You will lead two thousand people to destroy the rebel group!"

The deputy general was shocked and looked at Cheng Renming in horror.

"Old General... I, I..."

Cheng Renming's eyes were sharp:
"Hmm? With the enemy at hand, do you still want to disobey military orders?!"

The deputy general regretted it so much that his intestines turned green.

Damn, I have nothing better to do than to eat. Why am I asking so much?
Now the old man is taking revenge.
If I don't lead the team to attack, I will definitely be subject to military law.

Gritting his teeth, he blurted out: "I will obey your orders!"

After that, accompanied by Cheng Renming's personal guards,
They gathered two thousand elite soldiers in the city and rushed out of the city fully armed.

As soon as the city gate opened, the machine gunner behind the sandbag fortification immediately pressed the fire button.

"Tu Tu Tu!"

The belt moved to the right with rapid shaking.

Bullets spun at high speed, roaring with the sound of death, and splashed towards the closed door.

"Puff puff!"

In an instant, the first dozens of people who came out of the customs,
They were beaten to pieces and fell to the ground, piling up in front of the doorway.

Such a bloody scene immediately stunned the defenders on and under the wall.

As a soldier of Shunwang Corps,
Although they heard that the Chinese army's firearms were powerful, they had seen firearms before. For example, there were five red cannons on the east wall, as well as many matchlock guns.

However, the bloody reality gave them a heavy blow.

The deputy general refused to believe it and ordered another attack.

As a result, the second group of more than a hundred people only rushed forward thirty steps.

In the face of the gap in weapons, no matter how many people there are, it will be useless.

The soldiers at the back were horrified and retreated one after another, causing congestion in the doorway and making it difficult to advance or retreat.

Cheng Renming, who was on the wall, saw it clearly and felt a chill in his heart.

Their own tactics were like paper in the face of the Chinese army's firearms.

Tongguan is finished!
At this time, the Phoenix flew over again.
The Chinese army's strength was reduced to 300, with four machine guns and four mortars.

Completely seal off the west gate of Tongguan!
When the strength of the troops reaches 500 people, the Phoenix will directly airlift a field artillery.

After unloading the artillery, he flew over the wall and issued an ultimatum to Cheng Renming:

"Give up resistance! The Chinese army treats prisoners well.
Otherwise, in half an hour, the entire Tongguan will be destroyed!"

The phoenix left some harsh words, then turned and flew away.

The rest of the work does not require His intervention.

The deputy general climbed up the wall with his head down and apologized to the commander:

"I am incompetent, and the soldiers are unwilling to leave the border..."

Cheng Renming said calmly: "Now, do you understand?"

The deputy general was so ashamed that he whispered:

"I am ashamed!"

"Alas! What's the point of saying all this? Or should we talk about what to do next?"

You look at me, I look at you.
They all pretend to be ignorant even though they know the truth.
After all, no one wants to be the first person to surrender...

Cheng Renming looked around, and all the generals avoided his gaze and did not dare to look up.

"Well, forget it, since you guys won't say it, I'll say it...

Before I say more, I believe you all understand that
Right now, we are at our wits' end...

In order to avoid unnecessary sacrifice and save the lives of our brothers,

I have decided to give up resistance and open the gate to surrender! Do you have any objections?"

Everyone felt relieved.

No one is a fool.

Just now, the deputy general was in a mess, why should I make trouble for him?
Cheng Renming returned to the East Wall.
Open the city gates and send out a messenger with a white flag.

"What? Cheng Renming wants to negotiate?"

Zhang Zongchang chuckled and said, "What are you talking about to negotiate with us?"

"Our general said,
As long as one condition is met, Tongguan can be handed over to you.

If you don't agree,

We are not sure whether there will be a flood in the city..."

"Hey! That old guy is so sinister!"

Kilton nodded and said:

"Why don't you tell me first, what does General Cheng want?"

"Our officers above the rank of flag officer are free to stay or go, and your army is not allowed to force them to stay!"

Kilton laughed and said, "That's it?"

"Yes, only this one!"

"No problem, I agree!"

Kilton sent out a messenger.

Follow the defending army's messenger into the city gate and convey the agreement between the two parties to the Chinese army in the west.

Upon learning that the Chinese Army readily agreed to the conditions,
Cheng Renming said to the generals:

"This is all I can do for you!"

The deputy general asked hesitantly, "Old General, what about you?"

Cheng Renming replied dejectedly:
"I am incompetent and cannot stop the rebels. I have no face to face His Royal Highness Prince Shun..."

Fu Jiang opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Cheng Renming shouted, "Don't hesitate. If you want to go back to Xijing, leave quickly!"

The generals, as if they had found a way out of a desperate situation, scattered like birds and beasts.

They returned to their respective camps, packed their belongings, and mounted their horses.
Following the Chinese army's messenger, they passed through the defensive positions outside the Great Wall and fled to Xijing.

Seeing all the generals go away,
Cheng Renming ordered the city gates to be opened, and the defenders laid down their weapons and went out of the city to surrender to the Chinese army.

Watching more than 10,000 defenders leave the pass, disarming and abandoning their troops,
Zhang Zongchang raised his thumbs:

"Brigade Commander Ji is a master at using troops. Zhang is convinced!"

Kilton smiled slightly and said:
"This is not my credit, but a tactic thought up by the General Staff."

"Oh, who is the senior person in the General Staff?"

"Haha! Go through it first, and then introduce it to General Zhang later."

"Yes, please!"

"You're welcome, come together!"

Kilton and Zhang Zongchang, along with the three heads of the family,

Surrounded by guards, he entered the empty Tongguan Pass.

A group of people climbed up the wall.

Cheng Renming was found sitting behind the desk, waiting for everyone to arrive.

Zhang Zongchang took the lead, bowed and saluted, and said with a smile:
"The old general is still as elegant as ever, which is cause for celebration!"

Cheng Renming laughed:
"I was right. You have really made it big!"

Zhang Zongchang said modestly: "I am just a little bit lucky!"

Cheng Renming smiled slightly and looked at Kilton.
"This must be Commander Ki of the Suzaku Brigade, right?"

Kilton folded his hands and said, "I don't deserve to be your boss. I'm just following your orders."

Cheng Renming nodded and asked meaningfully:

"I heard that China used brutal means to kill hundreds of thousands of Russians.

Don’t you have any resentment in your heart?”

Kilton shook his head and refuted decisively:

"My great king loves his people like his own children.

Wherever he went, he implemented benevolent policies, and the world could see it.

As for the battle with the Tsarist army, it was indeed very deadly.

But, the old general should not understand the principle of life and death on the battlefield, right? "

Cheng Renming was stunned and felt that Kilton did not seem like a brainless and reckless man.

He nodded and continued to ask:
"You mean, the King of China is destined by heaven?"

"On this issue, you and I have no say, only the people have the final say!
Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world!"

Cheng Renming sighed quietly,
The Chinese army is not only powerful in armaments, but also full of talented people. It is impossible not to submit.

"Okay, I've finished asking questions, you can do whatever you want with me!"

Kilton looked at the white-haired old general and asked:

"China values ​​reciprocity. May I ask you two questions?"

Cheng Renming nodded and said, "Okay!"

"Why did you let all the officers go and stay behind?"

"I am old and have had enough of life.

But they are still young and have families waiting for them.

Besides, this can also be considered as an explanation to Prince Shun."

Kilton nodded and continued to ask:
“You’ve never been to Incheon City, have you?”

Cheng Renming was stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you want to know where you failed?

Once you get to Incheon City, you will find the answer."

"You guys, won't kill me?"

Kilton laughed:
"The old general took the initiative to offer the pass to avoid more killings. He has done a great service and no fault.

Maybe, I’ll have a chance to meet the king.”

These words made Cheng Renming sigh with emotion.

I originally thought that as a surrendered general, even if he was lucky enough not to die, he would be greatly humiliated.

Unexpectedly, the Chinese army is more magnanimous than rumored.

They cannot rule the world, it is unjust.

In that case, let’s go to Incheon.

Kilton called the Phoenix to land, and when Cheng Renming climbed onto the bird's back,

He smiled and said: "If our army was in Xijing,
If the old general's men are captured again, will anyone plead for them?"

Cheng Renming was speechless. Just when there was a pause,
The phoenix soared into the sky, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a bright glow, floating towards the east.

After taking Tongguan, all the generals' eyes were on

Without any prior agreement, they all looked towards the flat Xijing.

(End of this chapter)