Fu Shanhe

Chapter 59 Siege
"Commander, why are you here?"

Looking at the suddenly appearing Marquis Wuyang, Li Mu asked in surprise.

Even if you want to check on me, you should come at another time.

The rebels had just appeared at this time, and even the most careless defenders had to go to the top of the city wall to observe the enemy situation.

“I was a little worried, so I went out for a walk.

Are those Yangzhou soldiers behaving well these days?"

Marquis Wuyang said with a smile.

The worry between his brows revealed his inner anxiety. It was obvious that he did not like fighting.

"We found several soldiers with suspicious behavior. We haven't had time to interrogate them yet. We estimate that they are related to the officers under house arrest."

Li Mu put on the eye drops without any hesitation.

Official positions are always one person at a time.

If everyone wants to stay in the prosperous Jiangnan region to work, these local officers are the biggest obstacle.

Blocking the way in officialdom is the greatest sin.

A group of ambitious sons of noble families have secretly reached a tacit understanding to kick away the stumbling blocks in their way.

The local military officers in Yangzhou were placed under house arrest, which was what everyone strongly demanded.

The foreign relatives group headed by Marquis Wuyang did not want to take action against them at first, but the children of nobles said that these people were in collusion with the rebels and could not be trusted.

It is difficult to find evidence at the moment, but it is certain that some of these officers were bribed by the salt merchant group.

Every year, a huge amount of illegal salt flows out of the Lianghuai region to various places, which would be impossible without the cover of local military generals.

"These bastards have really long arms!"

Marquis Wuyang couldn't help but curse.

Smuggling and treason are not the same concept. An officer who has participated in the private salt trade does not necessarily join the rebels in rebellion.

But as long as there is suspicion, we must be on guard.

It doesn't matter if there is a mistake. The person is just put under house arrest. After the incident is investigated thoroughly, the person can be cleared of all charges.

If we let the fish slip through the net and give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage, resulting in the loss of Yangzhou, it would be a serious crime.

Even relatives by marriage cannot bear such a heavy responsibility.

"Master Commander, calm down!
It's not worth getting hurt just for a few traitors.

While observing the enemy army just now, I suddenly had an idea to defeat them.

The enemy has not yet established a firm foothold, so tonight is a good time to launch a surprise attack.

We only need to mobilize our elite troops and charge out from all gates together, and the enemy's formation will surely be thrown into disarray!"

Li Mu encouraged enthusiastically.

The rebels outside the city looked easy to bully and were the perfect targets for training.

At five o'clock in the morning, the generals will lead their servants to charge out and cause a lot of trouble to the enemy.

If you are lucky enough and cause the enemy camp to roar, you will make a fortune.

"It's a good plan, but unfortunately we lack cavalry!
If we had 10,000 cavalry, I would definitely give you this opportunity."

After hearing what Marquis Wuyang said, Li Mu forced himself to take back what he was about to say.

This is really nonsense. If he had 10,000 cavalrymen, he would have led his troops to kill people everywhere. Why would he stay here to defend the city?

He doesn't need ten thousand cavalry, even if he has a thousand cavalry, he will go out to quell the rebellion.

The coach doesn't want to take any risks, so there's no point in saying anything.

Li Mu is not brave enough to lead people to attack the camp alone.

No matter how bad the rebels' condition is, they still have tens of thousands of troops, most of whom are elite.

If we charge into the battle line with a few hundred infantrymen and get entangled by the enemy, we might even be wiped out.

The episode ended and peace returned to the city.

After confirming that the rebels would not attack the city tonight, Li Mu decisively chose to go back and rest.

His intuition told him that it would be difficult to get a good night's sleep in the next few days.

……

In the early morning, the first ray of sunshine shines on the earth.

The rebel camp, where people were cooking, suddenly became noisy.

"General Huang, the walls of Yangzhou are strong and cannot be climbed directly. While the rebel armies are on their way, let's arrange for people to build siege equipment first!"

Zong Guangtai, with dark circles under his eyes, stepped forward eagerly and made a suggestion.

He stayed awake all night last night thinking about a way out for the rebels.

After much effort, he finally came to the conclusion that the rebels' fighting capacity was too poor to allow him to fully display his intelligence and talents.

Obviously, the best strategies can be executed terribly in the hands of these people.

No matter what, since we have embarked on this road of no return, we must work hard to keep going.

The bigger the mess you make and the longer it lasts, the safer your home will be.

Taking advantage of the rebellion, most of the younger generation of the clan had been secretly transferred.

Some people chose to go to sea to avoid disaster.

Some people forged new identities and went to other provinces to live in hiding.

Another group of people went into the mountains and became bandits.

The main point is not to put all your eggs in one basket.

As long as one person survives, the clan bloodline will continue.

Those who choose to stay in the rebel army are unwilling to give in and are trying to make a last stand.

"Mr. Zong is right. I'll leave this matter to you."

After hearing Huang Renlong's words, Zong Guangtai stood there in a daze.

How could a scholar like him master such strange and powerful skills as building siege weapons?

But since he was the one who made the suggestion, it's embarrassing to say that he couldn't complete it.

There are so many people in the army, maybe there are a few who understand technology.

"General, rest assured, I will take care of this matter!"

Zong Guangtai said helplessly.

From the moment the order was received, the relationship between the two parties was reversed.

Originally Huang Renlong followed the Zong family for a living, but now he, a direct descendant of the Zong family, has become the other party's younger brother.

Similar scenes continued to be played out among various rebel armies.

As the scope of the uprising expanded, the seven major families' control over the various rebel forces plummeted.

Except for a few rebel forces that were still directly controlled by the seven major families, most of the rebel forces had established cooperative relationships with them.

There have been many internal conflicts due to the struggle for dominance in the military.

For a time, the Huai River and Huai River regions were in chaos, and various rebel forces emerged one after another and began to spread in all directions in an disorderly manner.

Letters for help from prefectures along the way flew to the two capitals like snowflakes.

……

Standing on the city gate tower, Li Mu became irritated when he saw that the enemy army had not made any move.

Waiting in the unknown is the most anxious thing.

The enemy was slow to attack the city, as if they were planning some big move, which was too stressful for the new recruits.

"Adjust the muzzle of the gun, aim at the enemy's flag, and send them two shells first!"

While giving the order, Li Mu decisively chose to move away from the artillery position.

These big guys were probably older than his deceased grandfather.

It can attack the enemy, but it can also accidentally hurt its own people.

In the Dayu army, it was not uncommon for artillery barrels to explode due to quality problems.

"Rumble..."

After a loud bang, the flag of the rebel camp still stood there tall.

The shell landed in front of the commander-in-chief's tent a hundred meters away, and the shattered shrapnel passed by Huang Renlong.

"Pass the order and launch an attack immediately!

Tell the soldiers that whoever climbs the city wall first will be promoted five levels and rewarded with three thousand taels of silver.

After conquering Yangzhou, I will not put down my sword for three days!"

It was really too much. If he had just gone a little bit further, he would have ended up in tragedy along with the guards wailing on the ground.

(End of this chapter)