The army of the Northern Expedition quickly approached Jicheng.

Because the Han army came too quickly, the rebels were caught off guard, and it was impossible to retreat calmly. Rebel leaders came together to urgently discuss a response. Zhang Chunli went out of the city to face the battle.

"At this time, the army is panicked, and a hasty retreat will definitely cause chaos." Zhang Chun said excitedly, "When the leopard sees us retreating without a fight, he will definitely chase and fight fiercely, and the soldiers only care about fleeing for their lives and have no intention of resisting, the consequences will definitely collapse at the touch of a button, and there will be very few soldiers who can safely withdraw to Liaoxi." We were not defeated by leopards, but by our own cowardice. ”

"We went out of the city to fight, and even if we couldn't defeat the leopard, at least we could beat the leopard all over his body, so that he couldn't pursue it. In this way, whether it is the army or property, we can return to Liaoxi safely. After returning to Liaoxi, we had enough strength to resist the attack of the Han army. As long as we can hold out long enough in western Liaoning, when Bingzhou falls, the leopard will have to go back, and Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan will not be able to launch an attack on western Liaoxi alone because of their insufficient strength, so they can only stick to the central counties of Youzhou. When we recover next year, we can still call and occupy the entire territory of Youzhou. ”

Zhang Ju resolutely disagreed, he retorted: "The morale of the leopard's army is high, well-armed, well-trained, and there are tens of thousands of horsemen under his command, all of whom are fighting with him, we have no chance of winning, if the whole army is annihilated, we will be completely finished." ”

Zhang Chun shook his head again and again, he faced the generals and tried his best to explain: "Outside Jicheng is an open plain, and the two sides face off, relying on strength, and there is no trick. ”

"The leopard has an army of 60,000, except for the cavalry that rushed to Lucheng, the loss of attacking Changping City, the number of troops who came straight to Jicheng will not exceed 50,000, in addition, they have traveled thousands of miles to come, the soldiers are exhausted, and the grain and grass are also seriously insufficient, and especially unfavorable to them is the critical situation in the state, when the Huns are in turmoil and Xianbei invade the border pass, the leopard and his subordinates are worried, eager to return to help immediately, where can we talk about morale? The reason why the leopard came so quickly was that in addition to wanting to meet Liu Yu as soon as possible and get the grain and grass from Jizhou, more importantly, he wanted to block us in Jicheng in order to achieve a quick victory, but if it is urgent, it will be chaotic, and the leopard may not have good luck. Why can't you see these disadvantages of the leopard army? ”

"On the other hand, we have a lot of advantages. In addition to the soldiers and horses who defend Zhuocheng and Liaoxi, we currently have 60,000 foot soldiers and 40,000 Karasuma iron cavalry in Jicheng, and we have an army of 100,000 people who can fight at ease. We have plenty of food and grass, and we have the danger of a tall and sturdy Thistle. Although the morale of the army is not high at present, the mourning soldiers will win, and when facing the moment of life and death, I believe that our soldiers will fight bravely for survival. We have these advantages, why can't we fight to the death? ”

"If we win this battle, the leopard will definitely be defeated and flee to Yongguan, and Liu Yu will lose the answer, so we can only retreat to Jizhou, so that we can firmly gain a foothold in Youzhou. If we lose this battle, the leopard's loss is also quite amazing, he will definitely lose the strength to fight again, even if he gets Liu Yu's grain and grass support, he will not be able to attack Liaoxi again, and we can gather the remnants of the army, and can calmly retreat. If we end in a draw, the leopard will be damaged, and he will only watch us walk away, and there is nothing he can do about us except to lie on the side and lick his wounds. ”

Everyone felt that Zhang Chun was very reasonable, and they were powerless to refute it, but the myth of the leopard's invincibility was like a heavy boulder in their hearts, making them uneasy, without self-confidence and courage.

"We can defend Jicheng to the death." Zhang Ju said, "Why do you have to go out of the city to fight? ”

"Defend Jicheng, we are a dead end." Zhang Chun said helplessly, "After the leopard surrounds Jicheng, with the guarantee of grain and grass, he will supervise the army to attack day and night, although we can hold on to the city and keep our lives safe for the time being, but the back road has been cut off by the leopards, and the grain and grass have not been replenished, in this case, how long can we hold on?" If there are tens of thousands of reinforcements from Jizhou, we will die without a place to bury. ”

"I agree with Master Zhang's opinion, if we don't injure and maim the leopard, we will not have a good time in the future." Liu Shi said, "If you want to gain a foothold in Youzhou, you still have to occupy Jicheng, and it is the best policy to advance and retreat with evidence." Our withdrawal to Liaoxi and Liaodong is not a long-term solution after all. If we win this battle and beat the leopard back to Juyong Pass, the unfavorable situation in Youzhou will be completely reversed by us, and our life will be better in the future. ”

At this time, Qiu Liju, who had been silent, spoke. He was in his forties, not tall, as strong as a cow, with a round face and beard, and a fierce appearance.

"Let's fight. I don't believe it, we can't beat the leopard. Qiu Liju spoke out in support of Zhang Chun, which means that most of the forces of the army are on the main side.

Zhang Ju had no choice but to say to Zhang Chun: "Boyun, I'll go back to Liaoxi first, and I'll leave it to you here." ”

Seeing Zhang Ju away, Zhang Chun immediately deployed his troops and prepared to go out of the city to face the battle.

Xiong Ba also left, before leaving, he advised Zhang Chun not to fall in love with the war, not to fight to the death with the leopard, and to save the troops as much as possible to withdraw to Liaoxi in order to move later, "The leopard is a madman, in order to achieve the goal, he often takes risks, reckless of the consequences, it is better to be cautious." ”

Zhang Chun smiled and nodded: "I know, leopards have always won with odds, which makes people unguardable. However, this time I must force him to face me head-on, and I will see who will die in the end. ”

"Do you have a good chance of winning?" Xiong Ba asked worriedly.

Zhang Chun smiled and said: "It doesn't matter whether you can win or not, the important thing is to beat the leopard so that it can't move." After Hao Shuai goes back, please tell the adults on his behalf, so that the adults must send troops to Yuyang as soon as possible, thinking that they will be contained. ”

"Adults still don't have the confidence to win." Xiong Ba sighed and said, "Don't worry, my lord, we will definitely send troops to attract the leopards to the northern border, so that the adults have enough time to breathe." ”

＝＝＝

Jiting is located on the great plain ten miles away from Jicheng, a horse flat river.

The army of the Great Yan Kingdom was in the center with 60,000 foot soldiers, and 40,000 iron cavalry were separated from the two wings, waiting for a decisive battle.

Li Hong was a little surprised. Far from being frightened by his series of sorties, the rebels retreated in panic, but gathered their forces out of the city to meet them. Although he was looking forward to this decisive battle, he wanted to force the rebels into a decisive battle while the enemy was retreating. At this time, the rebels were waiting for work, there were many of them, and with the heart of death, if they rushed into battle, they might suffer huge losses and even be defeated. The rebels' intentions were obvious, and they were forced to fight to the death with the Han army. Since a hasty retreat is a dead end, it is better to have a big battle with the Han army and win in danger. Li Hong hesitated, he ordered the army to be stationed at the Fengting Pavilion thirty miles away from Jicheng, and temporarily stopped advancing.

Li Hong convened the generals of various ministries to lead the meeting. The generals' enthusiasm for fighting was very high, and everyone almost unanimously demanded that Li Hong immediately wave his army to attack.

Xian Yufu pondered for a long time, and said to the generals: "The army quickly attacked Juyong Pass, took Changping City, rushed to Lucheng, and approached Jicheng, although it gave the rebels a heavy blow and made the rebels in chaos, but at the same time, they also forced the rebels into a desperate situation. The rebels are dying and fighting back when they have no life, and their power must be amazing. There are so many of us, what should we do if we are done fighting, and we will return to the state for help? ”

"I mean a little longer, a little more to hold off, to give the rebels a little bit of life, to make them oscillate between fighting and not fighting. After a long time, the rebels' desire for death will gradually fade, and the army's spirit will surely fluctuate, and when they have no intention of fighting, we can launch a fatal blow. ”

Yan Rou added: "We can let Lord Liu Yu and Lord Liu take Zhuocheng at all costs and go north to rendezvous, so that our troops will increase and the rebels will panic even more." At the same time, let Zhao Yun attack Yongnu in advance, and the rebels will definitely be in turmoil and have no intention of fighting again when they know that their only way of retreat may be completely cut off by us. By that time, the 100,000 rebels were in danger and vulnerable. ”

Some of the generals agreed, some disagreed, and whispered.

Li Hong looked at Tian Zhong and asked in a low voice: "Uncle, how many days can the grain and grass in the army last?" ”

"Five days." Tian Zhong whispered, "If you save a little, you can support it for two more days." ”

Li Hong thought for a moment and said to Zhu Mu: "Send someone to tell Lord Liu that if he can't reach Jicheng in five days, we will run out of grain and grass, and the army can only withdraw to Juyong Pass." ”

"Order Zhao Yun to immediately attack Yongnu and burn the pontoon bridge on the Gushui River."

"Go back and hold your camp, and you are not allowed to go into battle without my orders."

He then said to Pang De: "Ling Ming, you shoot the enemy camp and say that I want to meet Master Zhang Chunzhang. ”

Xian Yufu glanced at him and asked, "At this time, you still want to persuade him to surrender?" ”

Li Hong looked lonely and smiled bitterly, "I haven't seen him for a long time, I want to see him." ”

＝＝＝

Zhang Chun saw Li Hong's letter, didn't say a word, and immediately replied to Li Hong and made an appointment to meet.

Liu Shi was shocked and hurriedly dissuaded: "My lord, this is a leopard's trick, he must want to kill you." Adults should never go. ”

Zhang Chun smiled and said, "You don't know him." He was a very good man, loyal, faithful, and studious, not as bloodthirsty and murderous as rumored. When we were in Zhongshan Country, we often drank and chatted together, which can be regarded as a New Year's friend. When I was caught in Luoyang, he also came to see me off. I haven't seen him in over two years and I want to see him. This kid is now a general, and he must be very majestic. He looked at Liu Shi and asked with a smile, "Do you want to go with me to meet him?" ”

Liu Shi's face showed fear, and he shook his hand, "In order to prevent it, the adults should bring a few thousand Karasuma Iron Horses." ”

Zhang Chunyi waved his hand and said indifferently: "No, it's enough to bring a few attendants." ”

＝＝＝

Zhang Chun's sideburns were all white, and there were many wrinkles on his face, probably because of the hard work day and night, his eyes were dark, his eyes were red, and he looked very tired. Li Hong saw it from afar, his heart was sour, and he hurriedly greeted him.

"Adult ......"

Zhang Chun saw Li Hong bowing and bowing, and his heart was excited, and his eyes suddenly turned red. He helped Li Hong up, held his hand hard, and was speechless for a while.

"Are you alright?"

Zhang Chun nodded, and shook his head again, "Have you grown a beard?" ”

Li Hong smiled.

"You're a general, don't be so unsubordinate, I can't afford your gift."

"Adults are elders, not to mention ......" Li Hong originally wanted to say that you are also my teacher, but he was so sad in his heart that he couldn't say it.

Zhang Chun and Li Hong walked side by side, telling each other about the situation after the farewell in Jizhou. Zhang Chun was full of praise for Li Hong's recruitment of the Yellow Turban Army in Bingzhou and the pacification of the displaced people in Tuntian. Li Hong said that when I was in Zhongshan, I taught me a lot of things, which benefited me a lot. This matter of Tuntian is also what the adults strongly advocated at the beginning. Now it seems that the resettlement of displaced people in Tuntian can only solve the problem of displaced people for a while, not a long-term solution. If we want to solve the problem of displacement once and for all, we must find another way.

Zhang Chun said that in order to completely solve the problem of displaced people, the key is to solve the problem of land annexation. If the issue of land annexation is not resolved, Tuntian will fail sooner or later. If you want to solve the problem of land annexation, you must pry into the foundation of the Great Han Kingdom, "Zimin, can you do it?" ”

Li Hong shook his head and looked up to the sky and sighed.

"I often think that if I were a soldier in Luronse, I wouldn't have these responsibilities, I wouldn't have these worries and pains. I sometimes miss my days in Xianbei. At that time, I followed behind Dashuai, carefree and happy, not like now, ......" He looked at Zhang Chun and said with a gloomy expression, "I am very tired, very painful, I have done many things against my conscience, I even want to leave here, what am I going to do here?" ”

"People, human beings live in the world is a kind of pain, and happiness is only the ultimate of pain, only a kind of self-absorption, not the origin of survival." Zhang Chun smiled, "After you leave here, you may be happy alone, but are you happy in your heart?" Have you given up everything here? ”

"Just like today, you and I are enemies, you want to come to see me, I also want to see you, this is the happiness in pain, the ultimate in pain, you and I can't give up the original of being a person."

Li Hong felt a pain in his heart and wanted to cry.

"People, I'm leaving." Zhang Chun smiled and said goodbye, "When you see you today, it should be goodbye, you cherish it more." ”

Zhang Chuntou didn't look back, got on the horse and left.

Li Hong had tears in his eyes, looking at Zhang Chun's passing back, his heart ached.

＝＝＝

Liu Yu was taken aback when he received Li Hong's letter, and hurriedly commanded the army to launch an attack on Zhuojun.

The rebel general Zhao Cheng also received Zhang Chun's military order. Zhang Chun asked him to defend Zhuocheng to the death and block Liu Yu's army from going north. As long as Li Hong's army can't get food and grass, he can't stay under Jicheng City, and there is no other way than to quickly fight a decisive battle with himself.

Han Qiong, the governor of Bohai County, led the Jizhou army to attack the East City Gate, Tao Yan, the governor of Dongping County, commanded the Yanzhou Army to attack the South City Gate, and Zou Jing, the captain of Qingzhou, and Gongsun Zhan, the commander of Youzhou Cavalry, commanded the troops of Youzhou and Qingzhou to attack the South City Gate. The three gates attacked at the same time, and the battle was very fierce.

The next day, Li Hong wrote again to urge. Liu Yu was anxious and personally went to the city to supervise the battle.

Captain Zou Jing and Gongsun Zan saw Liu Yu coming and hurriedly greeted him.

"How? Probably won today? ”

Gongsun Chan shook his head solemnly. Captain Zou Jing replied: "My lord, the rebels have reinforcements to support, and the number of soldiers defending the city has increased a lot, and it is difficult to fight. ”

Zou Jing is in his thirties, with fair skin, a square face and a long beard, a high nose bridge, and a pair of shrewd eyes full of embarrassment.

"I can't take it today, so I'll attack overnight." Liu Yu said anxiously, "No matter what, tomorrow we will cross the river to the north." ”

"General Zhenbei is here again?" Gongsun Chan asked, "Why did he stay under Jicheng City and not attack the rebels?" As long as he launches an offensive, the rebels will definitely be difficult to parry, I don't understand, why does he have to break through Zhuocheng and go north first? ”

Liu Yu waved his hand impatiently and said: "General Zhenbei has General Zhenbei's thoughts, when he launches an attack on Jicheng, we have no right to interfere in his affairs." We just need to take Zhuocheng and join him. If you have the ability, give me the right time to take Zhuocheng. ”

Gongsun Chan snorted dissatisfiedly and stepped aside. He will not take his cavalry to attack the city. Liu Yu was dissatisfied with him because of this incident. Yesterday Liu Yu asked him to transfer the cavalry to attack the city, Gongsun Chan not only did not agree, but also said a few words against Liu Yu, Gongsun Chan said that there is only such a little cavalry left in Youzhou, what should I do after I finish beating everyone? Are the Karasuma people in Liaodong all infantry? Liu Yu glared at him angrily, and there was nothing he could do. Liu Yu didn't dare to offend him too much, and in the future, he would have to rely on him to fight to pacify the Karasuma Iron Cavalry in the Liaodong area of Liaoxi.

"Where is Liu Bei, the soldier of Pingyuan County? Call him. ”

Zou Jing hurriedly sent people to the city to call Liu Bei, who commanded the siege. Liu Bei ran to Liu Yu panting and sweating, "What do you have to say?" ”

Liu Yu smiled all over his face, patted the dust on Liu Bei's clothes and armor affectionately, asked a few words with concern, and then asked, "Before it goes dark today, can you take down the South City Gate for me?" ”

Liu Bei gritted his teeth, bowed down resolutely and said, "The lower official obeys the order." ”

＝＝＝

Liu Bei summoned dozens of old subordinates such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. These people were all brought out from Zhuojun by himself, and he has been following him loyally, and today, he is going to take these Zhuojun children to build his old city.