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Youzhou, the first of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, was the most important military stronghold of the Khitan in the south.

The city wall is three zhang high, two zhang thick, and forty li in circumference.

On the city wall, the Khitan flags fluttered in the wind, and the 20,000-strong garrison was personally commanded by the famous Khitan general Xiao Siwen.

Guo Rong set up a large camp ten miles outside the city and held a meeting in his tent.

“Xiao Siwen, the Khitan prince consort, is well-versed in military strategy and uses troops with composure.” Li Chongjin pointed to the location of Youzhou on the map. “Your Majesty, this man is not easy to deal with.”

Guo Rong nodded. "They're tough to deal with, but we have to deal with them. Issue my decree: 10,000 Longjie Army troops, line up in the south of the city; the First and Third Divisions of the National Defense Army, line up in the east of the city; the Fifth and Seventh Divisions, line up in the west of the city. Leave the north of the city open for them to escape."

"Your Majesty, what is this...?"

"Surround them on three sides and leave one open," Guo Rong said. "If we leave them a way out, they won't hold out to the death."

The generals nodded and accepted their orders.

The next day, Zhou's army began its attack on the city.

The Longjie Army was the first to launch an attack.

Ten thousand men, divided into five echelons, took turns attacking the south gate.

Ladders, battering rams, and catapults were all deployed.

The Khitan defenders on the city walls put up a desperate resistance, with logs and stones raining down on them.

"kill--"

"Charge!"

The shouts of battle were deafening, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Guo Rong stood on the high slope, watching the young soldiers rushing uphill one after another, his palms sweating.

This was the first time he had ever seen the soldiers he had trained fight a battle.

Those young men who had trained outside Bianliang City for a year were now fighting a bloody battle below the city walls.

Some were hit by rolling logs and died on the spot; some were pierced by arrows and fell from the ladders; some rushed to the city wall and wrestled with the Khitan soldiers, and finally fell down together.

tragic.

But no one backed out.

The military supervisors of Long Jie Army stood behind the lines, waving flags and shouting slogans.

Upon hearing the slogan, the soldiers were energized and continued to charge forward.

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

Beneath the south gate, a thick layer of corpses lay piled up.

Xiao Siwen stood on the city wall, watching the Zhou soldiers rushing up the wall recklessly, his face solemn.

"Where did this army come from?"

The lieutenant said, "I heard that it was trained by Emperor Zhou himself and is called the Dragon Swift Army."

"You practiced it yourself?" Xiao Siwen frowned. "How long did you practice?"

"Two years."

Two years.

Xiao Siwen remained silent.

If they can train like this in just two years, how strong must Zhou Jun's National Defense Force be?
"Order five thousand cavalry to be sent up and guard the south gate. We cannot allow them to breach the city."

"Yes!"

The Khitan cavalry dismounted, climbed the city walls, and joined the defense.

The Longjie Army's offensive was temporarily suppressed.

At dusk, Guo Rong ordered the troops to retreat.

Long Jiejun withdrew to his camp and took stock of the casualties.

In one afternoon, eight hundred were killed and countless others were wounded.

Guo Rong stood among the wounded soldiers, watching them bandage their wounds and grit their teeth to endure the pain without crying out. He couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.

“Your Majesty,” Gao Huaide approached and said in a low voice, “the casualties are considerable.”

"I know," Guo Rong said, "but the casualties on the Khitan side are even greater."

"Continue the attack tomorrow?"

"No." Guo Rong shook his head. "The National Defense Army will take over tomorrow. Let Long Jie Army rest for two days."

"promise."

……

The next day, the 1st Division of the National Defense Army began its assault on the city.

Their playing style is different from Long Jiejun's.

Don't rush in, don't rush in.

First, they used catapults to smash the wall for a day and a night, creating a breach.

Then they used crossbows to shoot, so many that the defenders on the city walls couldn't even raise their heads.

Finally, the infantry charged in through the gap.

Xiao Siwen watched from the city wall, his face growing increasingly grim.

"This army is even more troublesome than the one yesterday."

The lieutenant said, "General, this is the National Defense Army, the most elite unit of the Zhou army. I heard they train once a day without fail."

"One training session a day?" Xiao Siwen gasped.

The Khitan soldiers trained every three days and were already considered elite.

What would it be like to practice once a day?
"Defend!" Xiao Siwen gritted her teeth and said, "Defend to the death!"

The third day, the fourth day, the fifth day...

Zhou's army attacked the city in shifts, day and night.

The Longjie Army and the National Defense Army took turns attacking, giving the defending troops no chance to catch their breath.

Xiao Siwen was driven to desperation and sent several letters seeking help from the capital.

Yelü Jing was hunting when he received the letter requesting help.

After reading the letter, his face darkened. "Xiao Siwen couldn't even hold on?"

"Your Majesty, the Zhou army, numbering two hundred thousand, is attacking the city day and night. Youzhou is in dire need of help."

Yelü Jing remained silent for a moment.

"Send an order to Yelü Talie to lead 30,000 cavalry south to reinforce Youzhou."

Is 30,000 enough?

"Let's give it a try first," Yelü Jing said. "If the Zhou army dares to come, I will make sure they never return."

Thirty thousand Khitan cavalrymen marched south in a grand procession.

……

When the news reached Zhou Jun's camp, Guo Rong was not surprised but delighted, "They've arrived! The Khitan reinforcements have finally come!"

"Your Majesty, 30,000 Khitan cavalry is no small number."

"I know," Guo Rong said, "but if they don't come, how can we fight in Youzhou? If we just take it one step at a time, how long will it take?"

He walked up to the map and pointed to a location north of Youzhou. "Order the Second and Fourth Divisions of the National Defense Army to march north tonight and ambush here."

"Wait until the Khitan cavalry passes by, then intercept them."

"Encircle and attack reinforcements."

"Attack the reinforcements first, then attack the city."

The generals' eyes lit up.

Encircle and ambush reinforcements – first besiege Youzhou to lure the Khitans to its aid, then ambush the reinforcements en route.

Once the reinforcements are all defeated, Youzhou will naturally fall.

This is the most classic and also the most ruthless move in military strategy.

Three days later, the Khitan reinforcements arrived thirty miles north of Youzhou.

Yelü Talie led 30,000 cavalry southwards without encountering any obstacles along the way.

"Where is Zhou Jun?" Yelü Talie asked the scout.

"Reporting to the general, the main force of Zhou's army is under the walls of Youzhou City, attacking the city day and night."

Yelü Talie sneered, "Guo Rong, you little brat, all you know how to do is stubbornly cling to the city walls. Send the order to speed up the advance and arrive in Youzhou first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, General."

So the Khitan army continued south.

At dawn the next day, they arrived at a valley.

The valley entrance is narrow, and the mountains on both sides are steep.

Yelü Jilie reined in his horse, looked around, and said, "This place..."

Before he could finish speaking, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted from both sides of the mountain.

Arrows rained down like a storm.

Logs and boulders came crashing down with a deafening roar.

"Ambush! An ambush!"

The Khitan cavalry were thrown into chaos.

The Second and Fourth Divisions of the National Defense Army charged down from both sides of the mountain, intercepted the Khitan cavalry, and engaged in a fierce battle.

Yelü Jilie desperately organized a counterattack, but the terrain was too unfavorable.

The cavalry were unable to maneuver effectively in the valley and could only passively take hits.

The battle raged from dawn to dusk, and from dusk to night.

At daybreak, the valley was filled with corpses.

Of the 30,000 Khitan cavalry, 10,000 were killed in battle, 5,000 were captured, and 15,000 fled.

Yelü Jilie led his remaining troops and fled north in panic.

The National Defense Army pursued them for thirty miles before withdrawing and returning to camp.

Inside Youzhou City, Xiao Siwen's face turned deathly pale upon hearing the news of the reinforcements' annihilation. "It's over..."

He stood on the city wall, looking at the dark mass of Zhou's army camp outside the city, his hands trembling.

"General," the lieutenant said, "what...do we do?"

Xiao Siwen remained silent for a long time, then said, "Guard."

"How long will you hold out?"

"Stay until you die."

Xiao Siwen turned around and looked at the equally pale-faced guards. "We are Khitan soldiers, His Majesty's soldiers. We will defend whether we can or cannot."

"Fight to the death."

"..." However, the guards kept their heads down and no one spoke.

Outside Youzhou City, at the Zhou army camp.

Guo Rong smiled after hearing the battle report.

"Good! Well played!"

He stood up, walked to the map, and ordered all armies to intensify their attack on the city. Once Youzhou is captured, I will personally enter the city.

“Your Majesty,” Li Chongjin said, “Xiao Siwen is still holding out, and it seems the fighting will continue for a while longer.”

“Then let’s fight,” Guo Rong said. “Fight until he can’t hold on.”

For the next two weeks, Zhou's army attacked the city day and night.

The Longjie Army and the National Defense Army took turns attacking, giving the defending troops no chance to catch their breath.

The city walls are riddled with breaches.

Beneath the city wall, corpses were piled up layer upon layer.

Xiao Siwen personally went up to the city to supervise the battle. He was hit by three arrows, but he still stood on the city wall and refused to come down.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop Zhou Jun's offensive.

On the night of the fifteenth day, the 1st Division of the National Defense Army took advantage of the darkness and broke into the city through a gap.

The defenders fought desperately, but their defensive line had already been breached.

More and more of Zhou's troops poured into the city, and the street fighting lasted all night.

At daybreak, Xiao Siwen was captured.

Soon, Xiao Siwen was brought before Guo Rong, covered in blood, but he held his head high and asked, "General Xiao, will you surrender or not?"

Xiao Siwen looked at him and sneered, "No Khitan general has ever surrendered."

Guo Rong was silent for a moment, then said, "Take him away."

Xiao Siwen was taken away.

Guo Rong stood atop the city wall of Youzhou, gazing at the city that had been occupied by the Khitans for thirty years, remaining silent for a long time. "Your Majesty," Li Chongjin said softly, "Youzhou has been taken."

Guo Rong nodded.

he knows.

But this is just the beginning.

Of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, fifteen remain.

The Khitan's counterattack will come again.

But he's not afraid now.

With the Longjie Army, the National Defense Army, and 200,000 soldiers, he feared nothing.

"Order the three armies to rest for three days, and then—continue northward."

"promise!"

……

News of the fall of Youzhou spread like wildfire throughout the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Xiao Siwen was captured, and the 30,000 reinforcements were wiped out. The dragon flag of the Great Zhou Dynasty was raised on the walls of Youzhou.

The Khitan generals who were still observing panicked overnight.

Guo Rong gave them no chance to catch their breath.

After three days of rest, the 200,000-strong army split into several routes and advanced into the heart of Yanyun.

Long Jiejun led the vanguard northward, heading straight for Jizhou and Tanzhou.

The First and Third Divisions of the National Defense Army advanced eastward and attacked and plundered Pingzhou and Luanzhou.

The Second and Fourth Divisions advanced westward and swept through Ruzhou and Guizhou.

The Fifth and Seventh Divisions provided support from the center, ready to assist all sides at any time.

In an instant, flames of war rose across the land of Yan and Yun.

The garrison commander of Jizhou City, Yelü Dilie, is Xiao Siwen's nephew.

Upon hearing that his uncle had been captured, he was so frightened that he summoned his generals for a meeting that very night.

"Zhou Jun is attacking, what should we do?"

The generals looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a sound.

Yelü Dilie waited a while, then lost his temper, "Speak up! Are you all mute?"

Finally, someone spoke up, "General, even with 30,000 troops defending Youzhou, how can we possibly defend Jizhou with only 8,000?"

"So you mean... surrender?"

The man lowered his head and remained silent.

Yelü Dilie remained silent.

drop?
He grew up in Khitan, ate Khitan food, wore Khitan clothes, and served as an official in Khitan.

What does it mean to surrender to Zhou's army?
Can we not lower the price?
How many days can Jizhou City hold out?
He thought about it all night.

……

The next morning, Long Jie's army arrived at the city gates.

Yelü Dilie stood on the city wall, looking at the dark mass of Zhou army camp outside the city, his hands trembling.

"General," a bodyguard whispered, "Should we fight or not?"

He gritted his teeth, "Fight!"

But less than two days later, the city gates were smashed open by Longjie Army's catapults.

Yelü Dilie led his remaining troops in street fighting, but on the third day, he finally could not hold out any longer.

He was brought before Gao Huaide, covered in blood, with his head bowed.

"Yelü Dilie?"

"……Yes."

"Are you satisfied?"

He remained silent for a long time, then said, "...I'm convinced! Completely convinced."

Jizhou fell.

Tanzhou, Pingzhou, Luanzhou, Ruzhou, Guizhou...

One city after another fell under the Zhou army's offensive.

Some of the defending generals fought to the bitter end and died on the city walls.

Some of the defending generals, seeing the situation was not good, opened the city gates and surrendered.

Some generals, with their remaining troops, fled north in panic, leaving the city to the people to fend for themselves.

A month later, twelve of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun had fallen into the hands of the Great Zhou.

The remaining four prefectures were also surrounded by Zhou's army.

……

When the news reached Bianliang, the court and the public were greatly encouraged.

Su Ning sat in the imperial study, looking at the battle reports sent from the front lines, a rare smile appearing on his face.

"Well done." Su Ning handed the battle report to Zhao Pu. "Your Majesty fought a brilliant battle."

Wang Pu, Li Fang, and Zhao Pu all took the document, read it once, and laughed.

"Your Highness, at this rate, it won't be long before the entire Yan-Yun region is recovered."

Suning nodded.

But he knew in his heart that fighting a war was easy, but defending a city was difficult.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were lost for thirty years.

The Khitans had been operating there for thirty years and had established deep roots there.

Even if we manage to capture it, it will take a lot of effort to stabilize the situation completely.

"How are the preparations going with Honest Merchants?"

Wang Pu said, "As Your Highness instructed, three thousand men have been dispatched north. The provisions, tools, and craftsmen are all ready."

What about Shanhaiguan?

"We are currently surveying the terrain. Construction can begin as soon as His Majesty issues his order."

Suning nodded.

Shanhaiguan, the throat of the eastern end of Yanyun.

If we capture that place, we can block the Khitans' route from the east to the south.

Only by making this place a stronghold can we let go of the Khitan army in Liaodong, and at the same time, we can assess the threat to the Khitan heartland.

……

Inside Youzhou City, Guo Rong was convening a meeting of his generals.

"Of the twelve prefectures of Yan and Yun, only four remain," Guo Rong said, pointing to the map. "Shuozhou, Yingzhou, Yunzhou, and Weizhou are all in the west. Who is willing to go?"

The generals all volunteered for battle.

Guo Rong called out Li Chongjin's name.

"General Li, take 50,000 Longjie troops, the Second Division of the National Defense Army, and the Fourth Division of the National Defense Army to take over those four prefectures in the west."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Li Chongjin led his army westward.

At the same time, Guo Rong received a report from Bianliang.

It was written by Suning.

The report detailed the events at Shanhaiguan...

How important is the location? How urgent is the construction? How much manpower and resources are needed? How long is it expected to take to complete?

The last sentence is: "With the Shanhaiguan Pass secured, the Khitans will have no worries about the east. We beseech Your Majesty to make a wise decision."

Guo Rong stared at it for a long time.

He certainly knew how important Shanhaiguan was.

The Khitans invaded from there, marching south and occupying Youzhou for thirty years.

Now that they've fought back, they need to block the door.

"Issue my decree. Order Chengxin Trading Company to immediately commence construction to expand Shanhaiguan. The necessary manpower and resources shall be requisitioned from various prefectures. Prisoners shall also be sent over to work."

"The 11th, 12th and 13th Divisions of the National Defense Army, which are classified as Class B, will be transferred north to guard the cities of Yanyun. Each city will be garrisoned with 3,000 troops, under the command of the local commander."

"There are 10,000 troops stationed at Shanhaiguan, commanded by..."

Guo Rong paused.

By whom?

Was he a general in Long Jie Army or a general in the National Defense Army?
Guo Rong thought for a long time before finally saying, "Gao Huaide will lead 10,000 Longjie troops to garrison Shanhaiguan. The 7th Division of the National Defense Army will assist in the defense."

This decree is very meaningful.

Long Jiejun is stationed at the most critical location, with the National Defense Force providing assistance.

This is telling everyone that Long Jiejun is also a capable fighter.

They are also capable of standing on their own.

When the imperial decree reached Bianliang, Su Ning read it, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded, "Your Majesty is wise."

Although Suning didn't say much else.

But Zhao Pu, Wang Pu, and the other two knew that the King of Qin was well aware that His Majesty was vying for power.

They fought for military power, for prestige, and for the position where they would be in charge in the future.

At this time, the Great Zhou court felt the pressure of an impending storm, and internal strife among brothers was a common occurrence in all dynasties.

……

The expansion of Shanhaiguan began in earnest.

The people of Chengxin Trading Company, along with three thousand craftsmen, ten thousand laborers, and fifty thousand prisoners, worked day and night to complete the project.

Shanhaiguan is strategically located, bordered by the Yanshan Mountains to the north and the Bohai Sea to the south.

The original fortress had fallen into disrepair over the years, with many sections of the city wall collapsing. It would take at least a year to rebuild it into a truly formidable fortress.

Gao Huaide led 10,000 Longjie troops to garrison next to the pass, where they trained and assisted in construction.

The prisoners worked every day until they were so tired they couldn't straighten their backs.

No one dared to slack off, because the Longjie Army's supervisors were watching closely, holding whips in their hands.

One of the prisoners muttered, "The Zhou army fought such a bad battle, we still have to repair the city for them..."

The person next to him quickly covered his mouth: "Stop talking, get to work!"

The fortress grew higher, thicker, and stronger day by day.

At the same time, three Class C divisions transferred from Bianliang also arrived in various cities of Yanyun.

The 11th Division was stationed in Youzhou, the 12th Division in Jizhou, and the 13th Division in Pingzhou.

Each city has 3,000 elite Class B divisions, plus Class C garrison divisions and auxiliary troops recruited from the local area, totaling 20,000 men.

These soldiers were all reorganized from Class B divisions of the National Defense Army, and were all elite troops who had undergone at least three years of training.

Although they are not as capable of fighting tough battles as a Class A division, they are more than capable of defending the city.

Guo Rong personally inspected several cities, and nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the neatly lined-up garrison.

"Can these soldiers hold out?"

“Your Majesty,” said the commander of the 13th Division, “this humble general dares to pledge a military oath—if the Khitans come, this humble general will ensure they never return.”

Guo Rong smiled.

"Very well! I'll wait and see."

The war in Yanyun continues.

In the west, Li Chongjin led his army to capture Shuozhou and Yingzhou in succession, and his forces were heading straight for Yunzhou.

In the east, Long Jiejun is working day and night in Shanhaiguan.

In the north, the Khitans are making increasingly frequent moves...

Yelü Jing would never be willing to watch the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun be lost like this.

But Guo Rong was not afraid.

He has an army of 200,000, including the Longjie Army and the National Defense Army.

Trustworthy merchants were there to transport grain and hay.

His third brother was there to guard the rear for him in Bianliang.

He must win this battle.

They will surely win and pave a smooth path for their son, Chai Zongxun.

...(End of this chapter)