History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 12 Empty City Strategy

【Empty City Strategy】

What Yuan Mi faced was not ordinary bandits. Unlike other mobs, the core of Pang Xun's bandit army was composed of 500 regular soldiers who had been through many battles, namely the 500 Xu soldiers guarding the border in Guizhou.

The soldiers of Xuzhou have always been known for their tough folk customs and bravery in combat. These 500 people have been baptized by war and have been sublimated in actual combat. They have strong military qualities and are truly an imperial field army. Moreover, these 500 people are an organized rebellion with a mature and complete structure and command system.

In contrast, Yuan Mi actually led an amateur police force whose main job was to maintain local public order and arrest bandits. His military skills were mediocre and could not be compared with Pang Xun's 500 soldiers.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Yuan Mi repeatedly failed. However, Yuan Mi did not clearly realize this, which laid the foundation for his tragic end.

Yuan Mi was not idle. He summoned generals to discuss the siege plan.

Pang Xun was not idle. He plundered Suzhou City thoroughly and filled 300 large ships with food and supplies. He also gave 1,000 pieces of silk to the eunuch Zhang Jingsi and sent troops to escort him out of the country, hoping that he would say a few good words to the court. After that, he let women hold sticks to beat the night watch, and the troops moved with the ships overnight.

The next morning, Yuan Mi's army discovered that the city was full of "female soldiers". After some questioning and on-site investigation, they learned that the enemy army had already escaped.

Yuan Mi ordered a quick pursuit, and the troops set out in a hurry without even having time to eat breakfast.

Finally, traces of the bandits were found at a riverside dock.

Yuan Mi immediately concluded from the scene that the enemy army was going to escape by water, wander around the world and escape justice. So he ordered the entire army to attack and not let any enemy go.

Yuan Mi didn't know that this was another carefully designed trap.

Pang Xun hid his elite soldiers in these seemingly messy boats, and deliberately let the old, weak and sick line up outside the river bank to lure the enemy.

The Yuan Mi army ran a marathon on an empty stomach for the whole morning, and without a break, they were ordered to sprint 100 meters. When they got close to the enemy, the enemy "fled", and the Yuan Mi army chased them closely and plunged into the swamp. At this time, the enemy ambushed everywhere.

The battle lasted from noon to dusk. Yuan Mi, his generals, and the eunuchs who supervised the army were all killed, more than a thousand soldiers were killed, and the remaining soldiers all surrendered, and none of them could return to Xuzhou City to report the news.

Pang Xun found out the strength of Xuzhou from the surrendered soldiers.

Next target: Xuzhou!

It was not until this time that Cui Yanzeng, the highest administrative officer staying in Xuzhou City, received the news that Yuan Mi had been annihilated.

The city of Xuzhou was in imminent danger, and people inside and outside the city were terrified and had no fighting spirit.

Someone advised Cui Yanzeng to escape.

Cui Yan was furious. He said, "One should be grateful to the emperor when eating his food. If unfortunately the city falls into the hands of the enemy, then it is my duty to die bravely!"
Cui Yan once beheaded those who advised him to escape, showing his determination to live and die with Xuzhou. He then recruited militia, repaired fortifications, and prepared for battle.

Soon, Pang Xun's bandit army arrived at the city.

The rebel army did not rush to attack the city, but used kind words to appease the people outside the city, reiterating that they were forced into a desperate situation and portraying themselves as the saviors of the people of Xuzhou... At the same time, they beat drums to cheer them on and create momentum.

The masses who did not know the truth and believed the rumors joined the rebel army one after another. In less than a day, the outer city of Xuzhou fell, and Cui Yanzeng was forced to retreat to the inner city.

For several days, the city of Xuzhou was shrouded in thick fog, with no sunlight visible. The fog became more severe day by day.

Perhaps because he felt that it was hopeless to defend the city, Cui Yan once ordered that all the rebels' families in the city be killed.

The fog has grown thicker.

The next day, the people in the city took the initiative to act as traitors, pushing carts piled with firewood to the city gate and setting them on fire, joining forces with the bandits outside the city. Soon, Xuzhou City was declared completely captured. Cui Yanzeng was captured alive by the bandits.

The rebel army captured Yin Kan, Du Zhang and Xu Xingjian alive. They first cut open their stomachs and dug out their hearts, then tore them apart. Their family members were also brutally killed.

Pang Xun ascended to the throne in the Xuzhou government office amid cheers. On both sides were mighty and orderly soldiers. All the civil and military officials in the city knelt down in the hall, trembling with fear, and no one dared to look up.

On the day Xuzhou fell, more than 10,000 civilians joined the rebel army.

This situation made Pang Xun so inflated that he couldn't wait to implement the next plan.

[Loyalty and goodness are revealed in times of national crisis] When everyone in the world knows that beauty is beauty, then this is ugliness; when everyone in the world knows that goodness is goodness, then this is not goodness.

In times of national crisis, loyal men are revealed; in times of poverty, one longs for a virtuous wife.

When faced with difficult choices, when faced with the test of life and death, human nature will be fully exposed and loyalty and treachery will be revealed.

It is precisely because of the servile, cowardly, and shameless people who curry favor with the powerful and live a life of shamelessness that those upright people who insist on their beliefs appear more noble. They are like monuments that stand tall and continue to inspire those who come after them. They are the backbone of the nation, and their names and deeds are like the rising sun, shining brightly.

Pang Xun found Wen Tinghao, the author of "Three Difficulties and Five Harms", expressed his appreciation for his literary talent, and asked him to draft a memorial for him to ask for the military governor's axe, and the wording should be euphemistic and pleasant enough to cover up his mistakes.

Wen Tinghao said that this memorial should not be written carelessly, and he wanted me to have a day to think it over carefully when I go home.

Pang Xun was overjoyed and sent Wen Tinghao home with courtesy.

That night, Pang Xun was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night. Countless heroes emerged in his mind: Wang Zhixing, Wang Zhixing, Wang Zhixing... Oh, and Wang Zhixing.

Pang Xun had 10,000 men under his command, sufficient food and grass, and actual control over Xuzhou, Suzhou and other places. He only needed official recognition of the title of Jiedushi or Guanchashi. "Why is it still dark? Oh, has Wen Tinghao finished writing his memorial?"

As soon as the day started, Pang Xun sent soldiers to Wen Tinghao's house to urge him.

The light of dawn illuminated the sky, making the hall particularly dim. Pang Xun wandered anxiously in this narrow darkness until Wen Tinghao appeared at the door of the hall.

Due to the backlight, Pang Xun could not see Wen Tinghao's facial expression. He could only see a tall and straight figure against the bright halo.

"Mr. Wen, has the memorial been completed?" Pang Xun tried hard to control his excitement, slowed down his speech, controlled his tone, and tried his best to make himself appear sophisticated.

"No."

Wen Tinghao answered decisively, his voice was loud and clear.

"Ah?" Pang Xun was caught off guard and was stunned for a moment. "What?"

Wen Tinghao said that the reason he did not refuse in person yesterday was because he had not had time to say goodbye to his family and arrange his funeral arrangements. Now he has nothing to worry about, so he came here to die.

Pang Xun carefully looked at the man in front of him who was wrapped in sunlight. He looked left and right, up and down, and saw that he was dignified and his every move revealed a sense of righteousness.

Righteousness is the most powerful aura and a silent force, like sunshine, which leaves darkness nowhere to hide.

As soon as Pang Xun entered the city, he used heinous and cruel means to kill dissidents. He looked at everyone in the city with murderous eyes, admiring the way they trembled in the blood and terror.

However, in front of Wen Tinghao, Pang Xun suddenly felt his own insignificance, and felt so humble and despicable.

"You... are really not afraid of death?" Pang Xun felt incredible, because he had never seen a person who was not afraid of death, he had only heard of it in operas.

Wen Tinghao stood tall and did not answer. He had already answered Pang Xun with his actions.

"Hehehe..."

Pang Xun smiled, a smile from the heart, a smile of admiration and respect, and also a sense of relief. He finally saw the loyal minister in the play with his own eyes, and personally experienced the pride of the literati. Pang Xun suddenly felt that he was very lucky.

"Forget it, forget it. Haha, now that I have taken Xuzhou, why should I worry about no one drafting a memorial for me? You can go home."

Pang Xun did not make things difficult for Wen Tinghao and released him immediately.

Throughout history, there has never been a shortage of flatterers, nor has there been a shortage of people with great ambitions but little talent. When these two qualities come together and are embellished by the times, they will create countless laughing stocks for future generations to comment on.

After learning that Pang Xun was hiring a writing expert at a high salary, a man who met the above requirements really stepped forward and volunteered to serve as Pang Xun's think tank.

Under the brilliant strategy of this think tank, Pang Xun Group finally went to its demise quickly.

(End of this chapter)