Chapter 3: The Tempest, Section 5

The sound of horses' hooves came from far and near, and a group of iron horsemen rushed out of the mist, past the dense soldiers, and went straight to the front of the formation.

The horse slammed to a halt and stood neighing with its hooves raised. Zhang Yan's face was grim, and he sat firmly and immediately looked at the city tower in the distance.

The big drums fluttering in the wind loomed in the clouds and mist, the figures running back and forth were faintly visible, and the rapid and fierce war drums resounded over Yecheng.

How many times did the Yellow Turban Army try to occupy this ancient city, but each time it was in vain. Not because this city is tall and strong, but because of its special status in Jizhou, the officials and soldiers swore to fight to the death and resolutely did not let it fall into the hands of the enemy. The great virtuous teacher Zhang Jiao, the Yellow Turban Marshal, and his father-in-law Zhang Niujiao have all failed to realize their wishes, can they realize it? Zhang Yan gritted her teeth and snorted coldly.

From the moment he received the military order from the hussar general Li Hong, Zhang Yan was planning the Jizhou war. If we want to win the Jizhou battlefield, we must take the lead and get the initiative on the battlefield. And if you want to take the lead, you must first take Yecheng, take Wei County, and drive Yuan Shao out to ensure that the Northern Xinjiang Army will not suffer from the enemy.

At present, on the battlefield of Jizhou, the number of troops in Jizhou is limited, and it can only play the role of containing and luring the enemy, and it is the foreign reinforcements that really solve the problem. In order to let the reinforcements from outside the Saiwai enter Jizhou unknowingly and achieve the effect of winning the victory of the surprise army, after Zhang Yan arrived in the Pingcheng Tuntian District of Yanmen County, he ordered the 50,000 soldiers who had just been transferred from the border army outside the Saiwai to the Tuntian soldiers, all dressed in the clothes of ordinary people, pretending to be people's husbands, divided into several teams, carrying grain and grass, and hurriedly headed south.

After the retiring soldiers of Guangzong City, they immediately built a huge grain and grass camp in Julu City, which was a hundred miles away from Guangzong City, according to Zhang Yan's request. These 50,000 reinforcements were stationed in the Julu camp around mid-December. Because the 50,000-strong army came early and its whereabouts were very hidden, the scouts sent by Gongsun Zhan and Yuan Shao did not find it. Their attention had been focused on Huguan and Flying Fox Fortress, and they didn't expect that the reinforcements of the Northern Xinjiang Army had already entered Jizhou, and they were very close to the rear of the battlefield.

Julu City is nearly three hundred miles away from Yecheng. Zhang Yan led an army of 50,000 people pretending to be a man, marched day and night, crossed the Zhangshui River in the direction of the people, and then galloped for 120 miles overnight, quietly surrounding Yecheng at dawn.

The heralds galloped from all directions.

The east, west, and south gates have all been encircled and ready to attack at any time.

Zhang Yan looked at the fog that was getting thicker and thicker, and ordered loudly: "Urgently order the three adults, Wang Dang, Sun Qin, and Yu Yigen, to immediately rest on the spot according to the platoon. ”

Then he pointed to Li Xuan, the military commander of the scout department, and asked, "Wen Lie, how is the situation at the North Gate?" Has Peng Lie's army arrived on time? ”

Outside the north gate of Yecheng is the Zhangshui River, and Zhang Yan deliberately arranged a large army on the other side of the river to block and kill the enemy who tried to cross the river in vain. Li Xuan bowed and replied, "I just received the news that Lord Peng Lie has led the army to the other side. But......" he said with a smile, "the Zhangshui River is thawing, and the ice is so thin that the enemy can't escape." ”

"Don't be careless." Zhang Yan said, "Yuan Shao and many of his subordinates' families are in the city, and if we can catch them, it will be of great benefit to us." ”

Li Xuan's eyes showed hatred, and the horsewhip in his hand suddenly slammed to the ground. He had just come down from Montenegro to join Zhang Yan, and he hated Yuan Shao and a group of officials in Jizhou Mansion very much. Zhang Yan frowned and glanced at him, and said loudly: "Wen Lie, I warn you, this is the Northern Frontier Army, and it is a felony to slaughter the city without authorization, don't make trouble for me." ”

"Dashuai, Bai Shuai is dead, he died at the hands of Yuan Shao, how can this revenge not be avenged?" Li Xuan shouted excitedly.

"Taking Yecheng is revenge." Zhang Yan patted Li Xuan's shoulder with the horsewhip in his hand, "Slaughtering the city can't actually take revenge, it will only harm the innocent." I repeat, if you dare to disobey military discipline, I will kill you. ”

Yuan Xi, who was fully armored, held the hilt of his sword in his hand, and stood on the city tower with high spirits, disdainful of the frightened soldiers who came and went beside him.

"Lord Xu, the Northern Frontier Army is now fighting fiercely with Gongsun Zan in the area of Jieqiao, why did it suddenly appear here?" Yuan Xi said very suspiciously, "Did they read it wrong?" ”

Xu Yu tried to keep his eyes open, trying to see through the dense fog to see everything in the distance. He shook his head suspiciously and did not answer Yuan Xi. He didn't like this handsome and pretentious second son. This second son is good at music and rhetoric, proud, and has a bit of a taste of solitary self-appreciation, compared with the calmness and humility of the eldest prince Yuan Tan, he is much inferior in many aspects.

Yuan Xi glanced at him and said with a smile: "Lord Xu, what do you mean by shaking your head?" Do you think that the city is really the Northern Frontier Army? ”

Chen Lin, who was standing on the side, said: "Maybe the Yellow Turban Army of Montenegro is swaggering and deceiving under the Black Panther battle flag. However, I haven't heard of the Yellow Turban Army hitting near Yecheng recently? ”

After Yuan Shao withdrew his troops from Montenegro, in order to prevent the Yellow Turban Army remaining in Montenegro from taking the opportunity to go down the mountain to attack Wei County, he set up a large number of scouts in the Montenegrin area. As long as the Yellow Turban Army descends the mountain, the news will be sent to Yecheng immediately. Chen Lin's doubts were also the doubts of other officials standing on the city tower, and everyone almost unanimously agreed that the army under the city was the Black Mountain Yellow Turban Army, and there were not many of them, so they could not pose a threat to Yecheng.

Xu You listened attentively for a long time, and then a hint of mockery appeared on the corner of his mouth. He looked up at the sky and said loudly: "Immediately send someone out of the city from the north gate, and report urgently, the northern Xinjiang army has secretly rushed to Jizhou, and is now attacking Yecheng, please return to help quickly." ”

Yuan Xi and the others' faces changed, and no one spoke. Xu You turned his face to look at Yuan Xi, who was slightly stunned, and pointed deep in the thick fog, "Listen, listen carefully...... There is no sound outside the city, can the Yellow Turban Army do it? If it was the Yellow Turban Army, there would already be war drums and voices outside. This is the Northern Xinjiang Army, and it is the main force of the Northern Xinjiang Army. Come on, what are you doing in a daze? Hurry up and give the order. If you don't come back in time, we'll die here today. ”

Xu You's words suddenly woke everyone up. Everyone has been fighting with the Yellow Turban Army for several years, and this common sense is still there. It's just that it happened suddenly, and I was in a panic just now, and I forgot all this detail.

Yuan Xi was flustered and hurriedly ordered. If there is a Yellow Turban Army outside the city, Yecheng is of course impregnable, but if it is the Northern Xinjiang Army, Yecheng is dangerous.

"Ziyuan, didn't Li Hong go to the boundary bridge? Or ......" Chen Lin hesitated: "This is reinforcements from outside Cyprus?" ”

"Li Hong has always been unreasonable in fighting, and I don't know either." Xu You waved his hand and said anxiously, "I have known him since my early years, and I know that he is very cunning. But who would have thought that in the first battle of the Jizhou War, Li Hong actually chose Yecheng. Odd Soldiers? Where did this wonder come from? ”

"Quick, herald, herald...... Ordered all three thousand defenders to go up to the city. Although Yuan Xi was very frightened, he still had a bit of elegance in his gestures, "The Jizhou Mansion immediately recruited the people in the city to help defend the city. ”

Xu You was stunned. Three thousand? Can 3,000 men defend the return of the army? This is more than 400 miles to the boundary bridge. It will take at least two or three days for the army to rush back day and night, is it still too late?

After a short time, a scout who had just left the city ran back, "My lord, the north gate is blocked by the enemy, and we can't rush out. ”

Yuan Xi, Xu You and the others looked at each other, and their hearts were cold.

The scout was drenched all over his body, his back was red with blood, and he was embarrassed, "My lord, more than a dozen brothers who went out of the city to ask for help have been killed, and there are enemies everywhere, what should I do?" ”

Xu You gasped violently for a few breaths, raised his arms and shouted: "Prepare to fight to the death......"

After Li Hong's disarmament, these armies were led by the military commanders of each department to Pingcheng Tuntian in Yanmen County. After Zhang Yan brought them to Jizhou, he carried out a reorganization of the army in accordance with Li Hong's military order.

The three armies under the command of the former Koji Yi made up the numbers, each with 8,000 men. Yang Feng, Wen Chou and Xu Huang each led an army. Xu Huang was able to lead an army alone as a general in the middle of the line, thanks to the recommendation of Liyi and Yang Feng. Both of them believe that Xu Huang is a person who fights with his brain and should be reused.

Zhang Yan recruited a group of young and strong men from the Yellow Turban Army of Montenegro, gathered 50,000 people, and formed five armies, each with 10,000 people. He led an army alone, and sent Wang Dang, Sun Qin, Yu Yigen and Peng Lie to lead an army each. Now these 50,000 troops are waiting under Yecheng City, preparing to launch a siege battle.

The golden sunlight pierced through the milky white mist and gently sprinkled on the earth.

The fog over Yecheng is getting lighter and lighter. Daxu danced wildly in the wind, making a loud noise. The people of the city held their breath and looked into the distance, letting their hearts beat violently, the fog dissipated, and the majestic military array suddenly jumped into everyone's eyes, shocking everyone's heart.

Yuan Xi groaned in despair, involuntarily took a step back, and his right hand holding the hilt of the sword couldn't help but tremble.

Xu You's eyes widened, staring at the "Han" character Daxu and the black panther battle flag fluttering high in the rear of the army, and his face turned pale for a moment.

After a moment of silence, the screams and screams suddenly erupted, "Leopard...... Northern Xinjiang Army ......"

"Drumming...... Drumming ......"

"Defend Yecheng...... Reinforcements will be there soon, ...... will be there soon"

Zhang Yan raised her head, squinted her eyes at the delicate sun, her whole body was bathed in the warm sun, and her body and mind were peaceful.

Regardless of the battle of Yanmen Pass or the battle outside the Saiwai, he did not have the comfort and warmth of this moment, this is a kind of homecoming mood, a kind of joy of walking on the muddy land and enjoying the fine spring rain, this is a kind of homecoming. After conquering Jizhou, under the strong force of the Northern Xinjiang Army, the land of Hebei will be the same as the Northern Xinjiang, and the suffering people will no longer need to trek through mountains and rivers to find hope for survival.

Guru...... Father...... The blood of the Yellow Turban Army will not be shed in vain, the millions of lives of the Yellow Turban Army will not die in vain, and the Yellow Turban Army will fight bloodily for their dreams until the death.

"Raise the banner......" Zhang Yan slowly closed her eyes and waved her hand.

The drums of war rose to the sky, shaking the earth.

The apricot yellow banner of the Yellow Turban Army was suddenly erected.

It leaned closely on the left side of the Han battle flag, hunting in the wind, unruly and uninhibited.

The heartstrings of tens of thousands of soldiers trembled, and the blood feud ignited the anger in their hearts in an instant, and countless pairs of arms raised their weapons at the same time, shouting out the strongest desire in their hearts: "Kill ......"

"Order all armies, attack with all your might, storm ......" Zhang Yan opened his eyes suddenly, raised his hand and roared, "At all costs, take Yecheng." ”

Long arrows are like clouds, covering the sky and the sun.

People are like a frenzy, and the roar is like thunder.

Dark clouds were over Yecheng. With a thrilling and piercing roar, the curtain of the bloody battle was opened in an instant.

Yuan Xi has experienced several battle formations, but he has never seen such a crazy bloody battle. He had seen dense arrow formations, but he had never known such powerful arrow formations in the world. He was so frightened that he curled up his head and hid under the wall, shouting and screaming hoarsely. He didn't know what he was calling or shouting, but only in this way could he alleviate the extreme horror in his heart.

On the wide and deep city wall, several rows of shield bearers held their shields high and struggled to support them, they wanted to wait until the arrow array of the Northern Frontier Army stopped, and the archers behind them launched a counterattack. However, the arrow array of the Northern Xinjiang Army was too dense and sharp, and its strong lethality not only tore open the shield, but also shot through the soldiers behind the shield, and even more soldiers were overwhelmed by the heavy blows, and were knocked out of the city wall by the impact of the long arrows and fell to the ground.

The soldiers of the Northern Xinjiang Army quickly erected a ladder bridge over the moat, and several assault camps besieging the city roared past, and immediately launched a bloody battle to seize the city.

A thousand ballistae lined up stopped after a moment of frenzied roaring.

Ten thousand strong archers then advanced, and their arrows extended into the city.

The people who had been improvised to help defend the city were caught off guard and were met with head-on blows, and the streets near the city gates were immediately covered with corpses.

Xu You's hair crown was destroyed by a long arrow, and his cloak was scattered, very embarrassed. He dragged his sword upside down and shouted as he ran: "Fight back, fight back...... The Northern Xinjiang Army has gone to the city......"

Yuan Xi saw Xu Yu from afar, as if he saw a life-saving straw, he flew up and jumped up, "Lord Xu, go, go quickly......"

Xu You pushed him away, turned around and yelled at the few guards who were following behind: "Quick, cover the child's departure, ...... quickly"

The guards rushed up, not allowing Yuan Xi to speak, half dragging them, and rushed towards the city like a fly. Yuan Xi lost his footing in a panic and tripped over a corpse. The guards were in a hurry, grasping the grippers, grabbing the feet, and running upside down.

The soldiers of the Northern Xinjiang Army rushed to the city tower, unstoppable and invincible. A few Jizhou sergeants couldn't resist it, so they ran away. Xu You rushed up and stabbed one to death with a sword, "Get back for me, kill, kill them......"

As soon as the Jizhou Army repelled the first attack of the Northern Xinjiang Army, the Long Arrows and Ballista of the Northern Xinjiang Army launched a second round of intensive attacks, and then the second batch of assault camps went up again, not giving the Jizhou Army any time to rest at all.

Zhang Yan successively ordered, attack, attack, and capture the city.

The sound of killing up and down Yecheng shook the sky, and flesh and blood flew sideways.

Dusk, twilight falls.

The east gate of Yecheng.

Xiao rode Zhonglang Wang Dang restlessly walked around, the whip in his hand from time to time to the ground, splashing layers of dirt. If it weren't for the obstruction of his guards and Zhang Yan's order, he would have been unable to hold back and rush forward in person.

The sound of the retreating golden gong came from the front again, Wang Dang really couldn't help it, kicked on the baggage cart beside him, and scolded, "This is also the Northern Frontier Army?" Yellow Turbans? I haven't fought for two years, and I won't even fight. Where is the courage of the Hu people back then? How many people can Yecheng defend? Five or six thousand will break through the sky. A city guarded by thousands of people, 50,000 people could not attack it for a long time, and they were lost to their homes. No, I'll personally take people up, and before it gets dark, I will definitely take Yecheng. ”

The guards were also on fire, and they didn't stop it at this time, and they were eager to try it one by one.

Li Xuan, the military horse, came on a flying horse, "Your Excellency has an order, attack the city overnight." Then he looked at Wang Dang, and stopped talking.

Wang Dang sneered: "What else did the adults say? Is it for me to light a fire here? ”

Li Xuan smiled awkwardly, then flew off his horse and came to Wang Dang's side, "Brother Heizi, we have been brothers for many years, can you let me bring a tun of people to kill?" I promise to open the gates. ”

Wang Dang glanced at him, "Back then, under Bai Shuai, you neither captured the flag nor beheaded the general, can you?" ”

Li Xuan was greatly annoyed, blushing and thick-necked, patting his chest, and swearing again and again.

Wang Dang smiled, "This is your own false order to go." If the adults blame ......"

Li Xuan slapped his chest loudly, "If I die, you can just throw me into any pit." If I'm still alive and you don't tell me, how will adults know? ”

Wang Dang laughed, "Okay, give you two tuns, and take the city gate before dark." ”

Li Xuan, the military commander, took the lead and led the assault to run wildly. "Avenge Bai Shuai, avenge the dead brother......"

"Kill...... Kill Yuan Shao......"

"Take Yecheng, kill it all, burn it all and rob it all, kill it......"

The Jizhou army only had 3,000 people, and in the face of the three simultaneous attacks of the Northern Xinjiang Army at any cost, the strength was too thin. They simply could not stop the Northern Frontier Army's wave after wave of attacks. When Li Xuan successfully climbed the city tower, he couldn't even close his mouth with a smile. "Lao Tzu's luck is good, he climbed the city tower, but he didn't even touch an arrow."

When he was in his prime, he heard a loud roar, and several long arrows came at him. Li Xuan didn't think about it, the soles of his feet were forced, he yelled, and fell on his back. The arrow grazed his cheek and flew out. One of the sharp arrows tore through his armor, taking away a trail of flesh and leaving a deep groove of blood.

Li Xuan rolled a few times in pain, and then jumped up, like a roaring beast, and pounced on the enemy with his teeth and claws, "Fight, kill one and earn one, go on, ......"

The Northern Xinjiang Army attacked a little with the strength of the two tuns, and all of them were fierce soldiers, which made the exhausted and scarred Jizhou soldiers unable to parry. In the face of the sharp sharpness of the Northern Xinjiang Army, the Jizhou soldiers could not resist it, and retreated one after another, with extremely heavy casualties.

Li Xuan fought fiercely, and his body was dripping with blood, as if he was soaked in blood. He tirelessly killed, killed, trampled on the corpses of the enemy, carried the enemy's head, and fought tenaciously.

Crashing headlong into the blood-spattered headless corpse in front of him, Li Xuan's eyes suddenly brightened, "Brothers, here, here, kill the stone steps, open the city gate......"

Li Xuan's roar was like a thunderbolt on the ground, suddenly waking up the soldiers of Northern Xinjiang who were intoxicated with blood and killing. With an excited cheer, the Northern Frontier Army poured down like a flood that burst its embankment. The Jizhou army was unstoppable, and the army could not be defeated, and some were even pushed down on the stone steps and trampled to death. Li Xuan couldn't help himself, running non-stop with the surging flow of people, shouting hoarsely and roaring, "Open the city gate, open the city gate......"

Then the northern sergeants who rushed up to the city tower cut the sling, and the suspension bridge fell with a loud bang.

The king was overjoyed, flew on his horse, raised his sword and shouted: "Beat the drum...... Kill into the city, kill into ......"

Thousands of soldiers of the Northern Xinjiang Army shouted with the sound of thunderous war drums, rushing towards the city gate like a tide.

In the fierce hand-to-hand combat between the soldiers on both sides, the city gate opened a crack in the reinforcements.

The soldiers of the Northern Frontier, who had been waiting outside the door for a long time, lifted the heavy crashing wood and hit it continuously, and the deafening sound of the impact spread far and wide with the thick fishy wind.

Several Jizhou soldiers who tried to reclose the city gate were knocked upside down and flew up, screaming and falling into the crowd, and then they were hacked to death with knives and stabbed to death. At the city gate, the fierce battle was unprecedentedly fierce.

The city gate was ajar, and the impatient northern Xinjiang soldiers roared in, and the barely supported Jizhou soldiers were immediately completely submerged by the rolling torrent.

Wang Dang tried to ride his horse and rush to the drawbridge several times, but was squeezed out by the roaring Northern Xinjiang soldiers. Wang Dang was so angry that he screamed, "Make way for me...... I'm Wang Heizi, don't you know each other? ”

No one paid attention to him, and the soldiers ran wildly.

By the time he entered the city, the soldiers of the Northern Xinjiang Army had already gone to the city to kill. Long before the siege of the city, Wang Dang said that after the city is broken, you will enter the palace in one go, and do not fight with the enemy. Whoever captures the government first will be the first to take credit.

Wang Dang stood proudly under the city tower, looked around, suddenly raised his hands, and shouted: "The Yellow Turban Army has defeated Yecheng......"

"Brother Kuroko, what are you howling?" Li Xuan leaned his whole body against the wall, and asked weakly, "Are you also a Yellow Turban Army?" ”

Wang Dang looked at him, pointed at the Northern Xinjiang soldiers who had died everywhere with the horsewhip in his hand, and said very proudly: "Everyone who lies down here is a member of my Yellow Turban Army. This Yecheng was defeated by my Yellow Turban Army, and the world will be determined in the future, and my Yellow Turban Army is also the greatest contributor to the stability of the society. ”

Suddenly, he remembered something, and stretched out his leg and kicked Li Xuan on the horse, "Didn't you shout just now that you wanted to kill and burn all of them, why are you still here?" ”

Li Xuan slowly lay down on the ground, closed his eyes and said very enjoyably: "I'm too tired, you let me rest." ”

In February, Ganling Country, Heilong Bay.

Black Dragon Bay is located between the Iwa River and Tobu Castle.

Zhao Yun led the iron cavalry from the gall Tao City of Julu County to the south, crossed the Zhangshui River from Boluojin (a hundred miles northwest of Guangzong City), and then entered the Ganling Kingdom to the east, and crossed the Qing River from the direction of Heilong Bay, preparing to raid Dongwu City and cut off the grain and grass transportation of the Youzhou army.

Zhao Yun and Liu Ming led their troops to cross the river first and reached the south bank.

Riding in the dust, "Report to the two adults, the Yellow River has opened ahead of schedule." ”

Zhao Yun and Liu Ming were taken aback. Jump to