Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 473 No Way Out
Before Xiao Mohe's army approached Jiangling, they encountered the fleeing soldiers captured by scouts.

The defeated soldiers had already been frightened and could not say anything about what happened in the city. They could only say that the city had been broken.

Xiao Mohe could no longer march, so he had to stay where he was and sent more scouts. After a long time, he finally captured an officer, from whom he learned that the city had been opened by an insider and Gao Yanzong had entered the city.

Gao Yanzong acted extremely quickly. It only took eight days from the time he sent out his troops to the time they arrived in Jiangling.

Xiao Mohe was in a dilemma at the moment. Once something happened in the rear, his food and grass would be cut off. He had no choice but to retreat towards the mainland with his army. He also sent fast riders to inform them of the situation here and request the rear to come with food to support him.

If he ran out of food, Gao Yanzong could capture him with a few hundred cavalrymen.

As for the defeated soldiers here, Xiao Mohe was powerless to do anything.

At this moment, the lights in Jiangling City are bright.

Gao Yanzong sat in the upper seat and held a banquet to reward the many meritorious soldiers.

Chunyu Liang was invited to the upper seat, Gao Yanzong sat on the left, he sat on the right, and the other generals sat below them.

Chunyu Liang sat here with a smile on his face, but he was still declining.

"A defeated general should not be ranked with a general"

"Don't talk like that!"

"If it weren't for General Chunyu, how could I have entered Jiangling City?"

"If you say that Lord Chen is blind, General Chunyu gave an order and the heroes in the army responded one after another, which shows his ability to command the army and his power as a general! Everyone, please stand up with me and offer tea to General Chunyu!"

Everyone stood up and took the "tea" in their hands. Chunyu Liang hurriedly stood up, smiled and returned the greetings with everyone, and then drank it together.

Although Gao Yanzong held the highest official position at the time and could secretly drink some "tea", he also knew that the city had just been captured and there were still defeated soldiers causing chaos outside, so he could not eat too much. So he took away the tea in time and replaced it with meat, and everyone feasted.

Gao Yanzong talked to Chunyu Liang about what would happen next.

Gao Yanzong truly admired Chunyu Liang.

He had no idea of ​​Chunyu Liang's past arrangements, and only thought that Chunyu Liang was using his prestige to break through the city switches along the way.

He held Chunyu Liang's hand and said with emotion, "I heard that after Wei Xiaokuan surrendered to the Han Dynasty, he persuaded the cities in Guanzhong to surrender, but he only persuaded five or six cities to surrender. I think Chunyu Gong's prestige among Chen's soldiers is higher than Wei Xiaokuan's among Zhou's soldiers. He only showed up once and let me take Jingbei without bloodshed. Even when attacking Jiangling City, the casualties were less than 700!!"

Chunyu Liang said hurriedly: "This is because of the general's bravery. The general led thousands of soldiers and broke through eight cities and three checkpoints of the State of Chen. He also broke through the important town of Jiangling and killed Zhang Zhaoda."

Gao Yanzong in front had been nodding, but as he listened, his face suddenly changed and he shook his head.

"I can barely admit that I was responsible for the siege, but I didn't kill Zhang Zhaoda. He died of illness!"

"No, no, Zhang Zhaoda died of a heart attack after learning that the general had captured the city. How can you say he died of illness? It's the general's credit."

"I congratulate the general."

Hearing this, Gao Yanzong felt quite aggrieved.

"Yuwen Zhi was like this before, and now Zhang Zhaoda is like this again."

He looked at Chunyu Liang helplessly, "Mr. Chunyu, why am I so unlucky? When I attacked Zhou, I did nothing but got the credit of killing the Duke. Now I am fighting in Jingbei, I just took the army for a walk and got the credit of killing the general. And they also said that your surrender was my credit. Why am I so unlucky?"

Chun Yuliang's lips trembled for a moment, "This..."

"Sooner or later, I will be able to turn my luck around and accomplish great things!"

"That's nature, that's nature."

Chunyu Liang didn't want to bother with this fat man anymore.

Gao Yanzong asked again: "Mr. Chunyu, although we have captured the city this time, there are still many defeated soldiers outside the city. If these people cannot be dealt with in time, they may cause trouble to more than ten states around them. What do you think?"

"I want to send people to pursue, but my troops are too few. Xiao Mohe's army is outside, and I have already divided a lot of troops. If I send more troops to pursue, I am afraid that Xiao Mohe will defeat me."

"This guy is brave, I am not afraid of him, but I am worried that my subordinates will not be able to defeat him."

Chun Yuliang volunteered, "This matter can be handed over to me."

Xinling.

Gao Changgong's marching speed was no less than that of his younger brother. He also arrived at the battlefield and began to prepare for the siege.

The generals under his command were also rubbing their fists, ready to make achievements.

Gao Changgong put on a familiar mask, looked at the city in the distance, then looked down at the map in his hand.

In this battle, Gao Changgong felt that he might be the person who could make the greatest contribution.

Although the road on his side was the most difficult to travel, and many checkpoints were of the type where one man had to guard the pass alone, the problem was that the defenders here were much smaller than those in the north. Some checkpoints had only a hundred or so people. Moreover, the impact of this chaos was still spreading, and the chaos here was just beginning. He was convinced that he could make a great contribution.

Just as he was preparing his siege strategy, a letter arrived from the rear.

Gao Yanzong sent someone to write back, telling his brother that he no longer had to worry about the troops stationed behind him, and that he had already occupied Jiangling in order to prevent harassment and attack from the defenders of Jiangling.

When Gao Changgong saw the letter, he couldn't help laughing.

This guy is really a blessed man.

Gao Changgong no longer worried about the rear and chose to attack directly.

The main commander Gao Changgong was still very fierce. When he fought, he still used the tactics of the Xianbei people in the past. He selected a group of the most elite soldiers, put heavy armor on them, broke through one place first, and then the rest of the army would directly press forward. If he was not the main commander now, he would have to climb the city wall himself. However, with his current position, he certainly could not climb the city wall himself, and could only watch others climb the wall.

Under Gao Changgong's fierce bombardment, the more than a thousand defenders of Xinling were unable to hold off Gao Changgong for long and quickly collapsed.

Gao Changgong didn't stop and killed all the way towards Yong'an.

At this time, the three armies came into contact with the Zhou army at the same time, and the general offensive was officially launched.

The main army broke through several checkpoints in succession and surrounded Hanzhong. Fortunately, Yuwen Xian had anticipated this and transported the emperor to the rear in advance. He also retreated towards Jiange, leaving Yuchi Jiong in charge of Hanzhong and holding the position.

Liu Taozi led a large army to attack Hanzhong, and Yuchi Jiong fought to the death. The battle was extremely fierce.

Huluxian's progress was the slowest. He was blocked in Hengxiang and could not move forward.

Gao Changgong was still advancing.

Liu Taozi's army of tens of thousands surrounded Hanzhong. The army was divided into several groups, which took turns to attack the city day after day.

Liu Taozi can finally use his military advantage to bully others.

As for the Zhou army in the city, they suffered greatly.

It was impossible for Yuwen Xian to leave too many soldiers and horses to Yuchi Jiong, but he did leave a lot of food, which was the confidence for them to hold on. However, the fierce attack of the Han army was beyond the expectations of Yuchi Jiong and others.

This legion had incredible combat power and morale. Every siege was extremely fierce. The soldiers would charge with large shields in hand. If they fell from the ladders, they would continue to climb if they were not dead. Once they reached the city wall, they would fearlessly charge towards enemies that outnumbered their numbers and fight to the death.

Yuchi Jiong had never received such a heavy punch.

Before Yuwen Xian left, he gave him earnest advice, hoping that he could hold out in Hanzhong for more than half a year.

He wanted to concentrate the strength of Bashu, launch a counterattack within half a year, and repel the enemy together with him.

Yuchi Jiong felt that given the height of Hanzhong City and the abundant food and supplies in the city, it would be difficult for the enemy to break through in a short period of time even with a large army, so he agreed to his proposal.

But he didn't expect that the enemy's offensive would reach this point.

In the enemy's first siege, Yuchi Jiong almost lost and was climbed onto the city wall. If he had not fought to the death, he would have almost become a laughing stock.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deafening sound of war drums was heard again outside the city. Yuchi Jiong was panting, holding a short weapon, standing on the city wall, looking at the enemy troops gathering again in the distance.

The morale of the soldiers in the city was already low, and the departure of the emperor and Yuwen Xian made them feel abandoned, and their morale was even lower. The enemy's continuous and fierce attacks became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Yuchi Jiong stood on the city wall and could still vaguely hear the crying sounds coming from all around.

Yuchi Jiong looked bewildered. He had fought many battles in his life, many tough ones, but this time, for the first time, he felt powerless.

I had never had such a feeling when I fought against Zu Ting and Gao Changgong before.

The armies inside and outside the city confronted each other.

One side is full of vigor and vitality, at its peak, while the other side is lifeless and on the decline.

The contrast is too obvious.

Yuchi Jiong couldn't help but murmur in his heart: Could it be that the Great Zhou has run out of luck?
Just when Yuchi Jiong was at a loss, there was a sudden noise in the city.

"kill!!"

Yuchi Jiong turned around hastily, and an officer rushed over quickly, "Duke! It's bad, Duke! The troops at the East Gate are rioting, claiming that the King of Qi killed the king, and they want to open the city to welcome the Han army!"

Yuchi Jiong only felt a buzzing in his head.

Yuwen Xian asked him to guard it for 180 days.

Only twenty-three days have passed. He is not afraid of death, but at least he cannot be defeated so quickly!
"Suppress the rebellion!!"

“Let me go in person!!”

Yuchi Jiong rushed down the city wall, changed horses, and led the knights all the way towards the east gate. When he arrived, the place was already in chaos.

The troops withdrawing from the north were fighting with the local troops. Both sides gradually began to not distinguish between you and me, killing anyone they saw. The officers were unable to control them, and they didn't even know who the initiator of the rebellion was. They were simply killing indiscriminately.

This can no longer be considered a rebellion, this is a camp roar!!

Yuchi Jiong ordered his attendants to pass on the message and ask everyone to stop.

It is not easy to appease these soldiers who are deeply devastated and mentally broken.

Yuchi Jiong could only start killing indiscriminately. The cavalrymen charged several times and killed many people. Only then did the others calm down. However, they had lost all their fighting spirit. They knelt on the ground, trembling and crying bitterly.

Just as Yuchi Jiong was about to appease him, another officer came hurriedly.

This time, some soldiers went crazy and started to rob the granary and tried to set it on fire.

The army outside the city also launched a fierce attack.

Faced with internal and external troubles, Yuchi Jiong's eyes were filled with despair.

He had no choice but to send people to stop the rebel soldiers, and he hurried back to command the city defense battle.

However, rebellions and unrest continued to occur in the city, with soldiers deserting, killing officials and robbing food supplies occurring frequently.

After three days of this, the east gate of Hanzhong was finally captured by the Han army.

Yuchi Jiong fought hard several times but failed to recapture the city. The Han army continued to pour in, and the Zhou army became increasingly passive.

After entering the city, Yuchi Jiong led his personal soldiers to engage in street fighting, but the soldiers in the city no longer had the will to fight and surrendered one after another.

In the blink of an eye, all three armies rebelled, and Yuchi Jiong was almost captured by his own people and handed over to Liu Taozi.

In grief and anger, Yuchi Jiong could only lead more than 30 riders to escape from the city.

Liu Taozi's main force officially advanced into Hanzhong.

This was another huge blow to the Zhou army.

When Liu Taozi rode his warhorse into Hanzhong City in a swaggering manner, the Han army soldiers shouted loudly, and their shouts could be heard clearly even from a long distance away.

They came to the government office, which was the place where Yuwen Yun was conferred the title.

Liu Taozi rewarded the meritorious soldiers, and then ordered the army to be reorganized and prepare to continue the march.

Zu Ting stood beside Liu Taozi, took out a pile of documents from his sleeves, and almost laughed out loud.

"Your Majesty, please take a look. These are sent here by officials from all over the Zhou Kingdom, who sent their servants and trusted aides."

"Oh?"

"After Sima Xiaonan surrendered, officials from all over the Zhou Kingdom also knew that the situation was hopeless and wanted to actively surrender. I have roughly read the contents of these documents. They all hope to save their lives after the war."

"There are a few of them I can still use."

Zu Ting was quite happy. Under the general trend, anyone who dared to disobey would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!

These letters were enough to show the extent of the chaos in the Zhou State. Even officials had to write letters to secretly ask for lives, let alone the others.

Zu Ting then took out memorials from other places, even maps, etc., to analyze the current situation.

"Yan Qing is indeed difficult to deal with. Huluxian will not be able to defeat him in the short term. However, they have tied up a lot of troops, which makes it easier for us to advance."

"Yuwen Xian and Yuwen Yun fled and the situation became more chaotic. According to the letters from officials, Yuwen Xian is still fighting internally. It is said that Gao Jiong imprisoned Yang Su, but was rescued by Yang Jian. Yuwen Yun can't sit still at all. He tried every means to summon people to seize power and participate in government affairs. Yuwen Xian's attitude towards him is getting worse and worse, and the so-called assistant ministers are not loyal either."

"This Yuwen Xian is becoming more and more like Yuwen Hu."

Zu Ting waved his hand and said, "Your Majesty, this is the general trend. Things have come to this point, and the enemy is still fighting for power. How can such a country not perish?!"

"We shouldn't stay in Hanzhong for too long. We should continue our march!"

"Don't give them a chance to breathe. Keep forcing them. Just like Hanzhong, it was defeated due to internal chaos under our fierce attack. The same is true for Zhou State! The more urgently we fight, the more obvious their internal problems will be!"

Liu Taozi nodded slightly.

"Quickly collect food and fodder in the city and continue the march!!"

"only!!"

The army only rested in Hanzhong for a few days before setting out again to attack Yang'an Pass.

At this critical moment, good news finally came from the west. Huluxian broke through the cities of Hengxiang, and Yan Qing led the knights to break through and escape towards Wudu.

When Liu Taozi's army arrived, Yang'an Pass surrendered directly, opened the gate, and dared not resist.

Liu Taozi divided his troops and attacked Wudu, Jiange and other directions respectively.

When the news came out, Bashu was shocked.

The surrender faction in the country quickly rose up and wrote to Yuwen Xian, hoping that "wise men" who would lead the whole country to submit to the will of heaven began to emerge.

At this time, Yuwen Xian had just arrived in Jiange and was trying to find a way to clean up the mess.

But he had only cleaned up half of the mess before he had to face Liu Taozi's army, which was coming with the momentum of a great victory.

Yuwen Xian looked as if he had aged twenty years in an instant.

All over the front line asked for help, even Yong'an was asking for help. Gao Changgong's speed of advancement was still a bit too fast, and the troops over there were seriously insufficient. They hoped that the court could help as soon as possible. If it could not help, then they would have to surrender.

After hundreds of years of turmoil, there are still people who are willing to fight and die for their country, but not as many as in the past. The rituals and music have collapsed, and people's hearts are no longer as they used to be. These local officials have been in office for decades and may have changed three or four dynasties. For them, surrendering to the new forces is commonplace.

Yuwen Xian was sitting in the upper seat, and when he heard the old famous scholar from Shu who came to pay him a visit explaining the reason for surrender, he became furious.

He immediately ordered the killing of these celebrities and used them as sacrifices.

Then he summoned many generals under his command.

"I don't want to retreat anymore!"

"Let's fight Liu Taozi to the death in Jiange!!"

"The bandits have come from afar, and most of them are cavalry, which is not good for him!"

"This is where the bandits were buried! After the bandits are defeated, you will be the first to receive the credit! You will be called dukes when you found a country, and you will share the wealth and honor!"

(End of this chapter)