Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 90: The Army
At noon on June 3rd, twenty miles west of Yuncheng.

The golden sunlight sprinkled on the vast wilderness, the breeze blew gently, the grass rippled, and a few hares jumped leisurely in the grass, their noses twitching slightly, and they nibbled on the tender grass leaves with their small incisors.

Suddenly, a low and orderly sound of footsteps came from afar, as if the earth was shaking slightly. The hares raised their heads alertly, their ears erect.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer, accompanied by the slight sound of metal armor rubbing against each other. An army with strict military discipline appeared in the field of vision, rolling forward like an unstoppable torrent.

A few hares were panicked and didn't even bother to eat the half-eaten tender grass. They kicked their hind legs and rushed into the depths of the grass like lightning, disappearing without a trace.

Yan Yi rode a warhorse and led the army westward under the escort of hundreds of cavalrymen.

This army was the central army led by him personally, consisting of 600 heavily armored infantry, 600 lightly armored infantry, 600 archers and 600 elite cavalry. The commanders under his command included Xu Sheng, Chen Gan, Li Chou, Fan Yi, Zhao Cuo and other brave generals.

In the four directions of the central army, east, west, south and north, about four or five miles away, there was a group of 600 troops marching simultaneously.

The entire army consisted of five divisions: front, rear, left, center, and right, with a total of 4,800 people. Including the baggage camp, there were more than 6,000 people.

This is the elite division that Yan Yi built with most of the money seized in Yuncheng and with the full support of Yan Baihu.

Just the armor, horses, swords, spears, bows and crossbows, shields and other military equipment urgently purchased from Wuxian, Yuhang, Haining, Haiyan and other places cost 80 million coins. The teams transporting military equipment shuttled back and forth between several cities in an endless stream, attracting a large number of merchant fleets to flock to Qiantang Bay, making Qiantang Port crowded.

Such a large-scale one-time purchase is one of the rare large-scale transactions in Jiangdong in recent years, making a number of arms dealers earn a lot of money.

After this arms purchase, Yan Baihu finally understood how much money Yan Yi had extorted in Yuncheng.

He thought that this son was filial and had sent him a lot of spoils, but now he realized that he was being treated like a beggar.

However, all this money was used by Yan Yi to replenish military equipment and was used for important matters. Apart from laughing and scolding a few times, he could only hold his nose and watch it happen.

Isn’t his son’s troops his troops?
Yan Baihu knows how to comfort himself.

Xu Gong, Xu Zhao, Wang Lang and others were shocked, but also very happy, because the masterminds behind most arms dealers were actually them.

Apart from them, no one else dared to sell military equipment so ostentatiously in Wujun and Kuaiji. It should be noted that in large-scale military equipment transactions, the transaction of money and goods is only the first step. The seller sometimes also needs to be responsible for transportation. Without the approval of these people, how could such a large amount of military equipment be safely delivered to Yuncheng.

Yan Yi knew this very well, but there was nothing he could do. Who made the Yan family lack their own mines to mine copper and iron? Who made the Yan family lack a large-scale weapons workshop?

Almost all of Yan's military equipment was purchased from outside, and he couldn't change this in a short period of time.

Just think of it as giving those people some sweet treats in exchange for their support in the matter of Zou He.

Yan Yi is a man who is willing to invest. When he was penniless, he dared to spend three million to bribe Wan Bing. Now that it is a critical juncture for expanding his power, he will not be stingy with that little money.

After spending such a huge amount of money, the spoils of Yuncheng were basically cleared out except for food, fodder and other supplies, and in return they received 5,000 well-equipped troops.

Except for insufficient training and lack of a leading general, these 5,000 troops are first-class in Jiangdong in every aspect.

Using such an army to conquer Zou Ta is enough to ensure invincibility. If it is a field battle, Zou Ta can be defeated in one battle.

During the march, the complacent Yan Yi began to put pressure on Zou Ta frequently.

As the saying goes, the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their troops, and the worst is to attack their cities.

Zou had 5,000 soldiers, and if he fought to the death to defend the city, even if Yan Yi captured Rencheng, he would pay a heavy price, and the loss would outweigh the gain. How to dismantle the psychological defenses of the defenders and how to find a breakthrough by alienating their internal relationships became the top priority in the early stages of this battle.

In just one day, Zou received three letters from Yuncheng.

Every time Zou unfolded the bamboo slips, his left hand would tremble convulsively.

This person has had tremors since childhood, and the symptoms become more pronounced when he is nervous.

"Qian Tong, you bastard, you've caused me so much trouble! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this desperate situation!"

Zou could still patiently read the other letters, but the letter of surrender written by Qian Tong himself made him extremely angry!

He drew his sword, and with a clang, he split the corner of the table in two, gritting his teeth in hatred.

Yes, Zou was not very angry at Yan Yi for attacking him, but he hated Qian Tong.

The strong prey on the weak, and the victors are kings and the losers are bandits. Zou has spent half his life living on the edge of a knife and has a clear understanding of this. If it were him, he would not hesitate to annex Rencheng.

However, whenever Zou thought about the fact that the current passive situation was a chain reaction caused by the collapse of Qiantong, he felt filled with resentment.

"Qian Tong is such a loser! He had five thousand soldiers and two fortresses, but they were defeated by a mere fifteen hundred. I was so crazy! How could I put my life and property on such a merchant? I should have found another way out long ago."

Zou's heart was filled with despair and regret, and beyond that, deep humiliation.

In the past few days, he had been sending envoys abroad, promising huge profits and asking for help from Xu Gong, Xu Zhao, Wang Lang and others, but all his requests fell on deaf ears. The envoy sent to Yuhang was even beheaded by Xu Zhao, and his head was sent to Yuncheng.

At this moment, he was like a dish on the table, his life and death in the hands of others.

No one cared about his thoughts, and no one was willing to look at him. In the eyes of everyone, he was already a dead man.

He glared at the generals in the hall with bloodshot eyes and hissed, "What do you think we should do now?"

There were more than ten generals in the hall, but no one spoke. The room was as silent as death, and only Zou Ta's heavy breathing could be heard.

Disaster is imminent and people are in panic!
Zou He sighed inwardly and sat down on the couch weakly.

Wei Kuan, a general he relied on deeply, showed reluctance on his face. He stepped out of the line and clasped his fists, saying, "General, in my opinion, the only way to have any hope of repelling the enemy is to continue to ask for help."

Zou Ta laughed bitterly and said, "Yan Yi's army is at its peak, and everyone is just watching from the sidelines. Who can we ask for help?"

Wei Kuan said in a deep voice: "There is only one person who is not afraid of Yan Yi. Marshal, you may as well give it a try."

"Who?" Zou asked with some energy.

Wei Kuan turned his head to glance at the generals on his left and right, a look of hesitation on his face.

"You all should withdraw first." Zou He waved his attendants away and asked urgently, "There are only two of us left here, you and me. Gongling, please speak frankly!"

Wei Kuan's expression was solemn as he spoke word by word, "The only one who can save the Marshal right now is Zhu Zhi, the Commandant of Wu Commandery!"

(End of this chapter)