I was living in the Five Dynasties period, just after crossing the Zhongdu Bridge.

North of Xinzhou, on the upper reaches of the Hutuo River.

An army of several thousand men, like a long black serpent, meandered northward along the Fen River valley.

Shen Lie sat on his horse, wearing a fairly thick suit of iron armor, holding a riding whip in his hand, his gaze somewhat casually falling on a broken monument by the roadside.

It was a relic from the Tang Dynasty, but the inscriptions have long since weathered away and are no longer verifiable.

Just like the current state of the world, even though it is already the new Han Dynasty, Emperor Liu Zhiyuan, who has just ascended the throne in Taiyuan, refuses to issue an order to change the era name.

Even the previous auspicious reign title was abolished, and it was said that the reign title of Emperor Gaozu Shi Jingtang, Tianfu, would be used instead, and the current year would be called the twelfth year of Tianfu.

The abolition of Kaiyun was intended to deny the legitimacy of Shi Zhonggui's exile.

The continued use of the name Tianfu was intended to demonstrate this to the people of the world, especially to the Khitans who were then occupying Bianliang.

I, Liu Zhiyuan, inherited the legitimacy of Shi Jingtang. We are all from the lineage of puppet emperors, so we can discuss things amicably.

The current situation is getting interesting.

Just three days after Liu Zhiyuan declared himself emperor, Yelü Deguang, far away in Bianliang, made his move.

That Khitan emperor was clearly not a barbarian who only knew how to raid; his methods were shrewd and precise.

Since you, Liu Zhiyuan, have declared yourself emperor in Hedong, then I will lock you up and keep you trapped in Hedong.

According to reports from scouts, Yelü Deguang issued three edicts almost immediately upon receiving the news:

Geng Chongmei, an interpreter, was appointed as the military governor of Zhaoyi Army, stationed in Luzhou, to lock down the most important southward passages among the eight passes of Taihang. Gao Tangying was appointed as the military governor of Zhangde Army, stationed in Xiangzhou, to guard the throat of the Hebei Plain. Cui Tingxun was appointed as the military governor of Heyang Army, stationed in Mengzhou, to block the Yellow River crossing.

With these three nails driven in, Luzhou, Xiangzhou, and Mengzhou formed an iron gate to the south and east of Hedong.

If Liu Zhiyuan wants to march south and seize the Central Plains, he will have to ram his head into this defense line that is not yet fully formed.

Of course I won't crash into it!

Just then, Wang Hui, the governor of Daizhou, seeing the growing power of the Khitan, secretly contacted Yelü Deguang, intending to surrender Yanmen Pass and lead the Khitan army south to attack Taiyuan from both sides.

Therefore, Liu Zhiyuan's response was also very direct.

Avoid the strong and attack the weak, head north to Daizhou.

I'm not going to fight those tough dogs of yours to the death. I'll chop off that hand of yours that's reaching down my back first.

If Daizhou falls, we can control Yanmen Pass to the north and Jingxing Pass to the east, greatly expanding our strategic maneuvering in Hedong.

And so, this whole thing happened.

Commander Shi Hongzhao, the commander of the Wujie Army, led more than 10,000 troops in what was called a northern expedition, but in reality, he came to remove this thorn in their side.

As for Fuwei Capital, where Shen Lie was stationed, it was naturally also pulled out to train soldiers as a newly established military force.

"Daizhou City is just ahead."

Li Congxi rode back from the front, his face grave.

The commander of Fuweidu glanced at Shen Lie, pointed his riding whip forward, and said, "The commander-in-chief has ordered that the main army set up camp five miles south of the city. Fuweidu will serve as the reserve force to protect the flanks of the central army."

"Wang Hui didn't surrender?" Shen Lie asked knowingly.

"Surrender my ass." Li Congxi spat. "This guy has blocked all the city gates, and the city walls are covered with Khitan flags. It seems he's determined to be a dutiful son and grandson of Yelü Deguang."

Shen Lie nodded, not surprised.

"Commander of the Capital Garrison".

Liu Qing, who had been leading the horse, suddenly pointed into the distance and asked, "Are those our men? Why are their heads hanging on the flagpole?"

Shen Lie looked in that direction.

Among the soldiers ahead, several wooden poles had been erected at some point, with several bloody human heads hanging from them.

"Those are the rules that will be established."

Li Congxi's voice was somewhat cold.

"Yesterday during the march, several soldiers trampled on the wheat seedlings by the roadside and were personally beheaded. Serving under Shi Hongzhao, those who are not afraid of death may not live, but those who disobey will definitely die."

Shen Lie remained silent.

Shi Hongzhao.

This name is also a prominent one in the history of the Five Dynasties.

This man was so strict with his troops that he was almost perverse, and he killed people like flies, but he was indeed capable of fighting tough battles.

Liu Zhiyuan's ability to solidify the emperor's title was largely due to this man's contributions.

Just as he was pondering this, dust rose ahead, and a messenger on horseback galloped towards him.

"Orders are hereby given! The army shall set up camp on the spot, and all commanders and officers of the rank of captain and above shall immediately proceed to the central command tent for a meeting!"

Shen Lie felt a chill run down his spine.

It seems that Shi Hongzhao is about to make his move.

······

The central command tent was set up on a high slope, heavily guarded on all sides, with the black banner bearing the character "史" (historical figure) fluttering in the cold wind.

When Shen Lie lifted the curtain and entered, the tent was already full of people.

Li Congxi, the commander of the Fuwei Commandery, was standing on the left. When he saw Shen Lie enter, he nodded slightly in greeting.

Shen Lie quickly walked up behind Li Congxi and stood still, his gaze not wandering, but focused on his nose and mind.

In the center of the tent sat a great general.

This man was as tall as a tower and had a face as black as iron; he was none other than Shi Hongzhao, the commander-in-chief of this Northern Expedition.

"I sent someone to persuade Wang Hui to surrender." Shi Hongzhao didn't waste any words and went straight to the point. "This fellow is ungrateful. He said he was appointed by the Khitan emperor and had to defend the territory of the Liao Dynasty."

A burst of snickering laughter rang out from inside the tent.

The joke of a Han Chinese man in a Han city saying he would defend the Khitan territory is indeed quite lame.

"Since they don't know what's good for them, then let's fight."

"Order! Prepare food at dawn tomorrow, and attack the city at morning! Wu Jie will attack the south gate, and Zhang Sheng will attack the east gate..."

At this point, Shi Hongzhao's gaze swept around the tent and finally landed on Li Congxi.

"Li Congxi".

"Your subordinate is here!" Li Congxi stepped forward.

"You, the Fuwei Army, are all newly recruited soldiers, and you're also the commander-in-chief's personal guards." Shi Hongzhao narrowed his eyes.

"We forbid you from filling in the moats or climbing the ladders. Go to the north gate."

North Gate?

Shen Lie's heart stirred slightly.

Daizhou is located north of Yanmen Pass, which is the direction from which the Khitans might come to its aid.

"If Wang Hui wants to escape, he will surely go through the North Gate to join the Khitan. If the Khitan sends reinforcements, they will also enter through the North Gate," Shi Hongzhao said coldly. "I have only one task for you: to set up camp five li outside the North Gate and intercept all those entering and leaving. Let one escape, and you will be brought back to me with your head!"

This mission may seem to require no siege, but it is actually extremely dangerous.

This means that everyone who helps others should be like a nail driven into the enemy's throat, guarding against both desperate measures and the wolves coming from outside.

"Understood!" Li Congxi replied calmly, clasping his hands in acceptance.

After the generals dispersed, Li Congxi led Shen Lie out of the main tent.

The sky was nearing dusk, and the setting sun was like blood.

"How's it going?" Li Congxi asked casually as they walked, "Are you scared?"

Shen Lie followed half a step behind, and smiled upon hearing this: "Commander is joking. If you're afraid of death, you shouldn't be a soldier. But I'm just thinking that since Wang Hui dared to refuse to surrender, he probably has some kind of trump card."

"Rely on?" Li Congxi sneered. "They're just relying on the high walls and deep moats, plus the fact that their Khitan masters are nearby."

"Go back and tell the brothers to prepare more dry rations and sharpen their knives." Li Congxi patted Shen Lie on the shoulder. "In tomorrow's battle, we, Fuwei, will either make a name for ourselves or... be buried outside Daizhou City."

"Understood."

Shen Lie nodded, his tone calm, "I dare not dream of making a name for myself, but as long as we hold the North Gate, not a single fly in this Daizhou City will be able to escape."

Li Congxi glanced at him and suddenly smiled.

"You have an interesting way of talking. Alright, go ahead."

Shen Lie bowed and took his leave.

Back at the camp, Yang Ting and Liu Qing were already waiting for them.

"Commander, what do you mean?" Yang Ting asked impatiently.

"The siege will begin tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

As Shen Lie took off his cloak, he walked towards the campfire. "We're not going to climb the wall; we're going to block the entrance at the north gate."

"Block the breach?" Yang Ting was taken aback for a moment, then slapped his thigh. "Great job! No need to climb up in a hail of arrows!"

"A good job?"

Shen Lie sat down, took the bowl of hot soup that Liu Qing handed him, and blew on it. "That's a plan to wipe out our entire family. If Wang Hui wants to run away, he'll fight to the death to break through our lines. If the Khitans come to our rescue, we'll be the first obstacle they'll encounter."

Yang Ting's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his nonchalant demeanor: "What's there to be afraid of! Anyway, following you is always the right thing to do."

Shen Lie took a sip of the hot soup, and the warmth slid down his throat into his stomach, dispelling the chill from his body.

The Battle of Daizhou was Liu Zhiyuan's first battle after he became emperor, and it was also the first battle in which Shen Lie truly established himself in this chaotic world.

Whether a mere magistrate who follows the crowd can transform into a true player who can influence the course of events depends on how much blood will be shed outside the North Gate tomorrow.

"Liu Qing," Shen Lie suddenly called out.

"Here!" The silly boy who was eating a pancake quickly stood up.

"Sharpen my knife again tonight." Shen Lie took off the sword from his waist and threw it over.

"I'm afraid I'll have to cut until the blade is worn out tomorrow."