Since the Yuan army withdrew its troops, three days have passed without another attack.

This made the military and civilian clubs in the city breathe a sigh of relief, and after five or six brutal offensive and defensive battles in a row, the Yuan army at least filled nearly 30,000 lives under the city, and the tenacious defense estimated that the Yuan soldiers were also afraid.

While breathing a sigh of relief, the soldiers and civilians began to wonder why the long-waiting reinforcements were still missing. Was the rumor heard by Tai Shici and his entourage wrong, or was the reinforcements strongly blocked by Yuan's army and could not reach the city of Xixian in a short time? This made the military morale and public opinion in the city show signs of shaking again.

The fact that the Yuan army gave up the assault did not mean that it gave up the siege.

In the course of three days, Yuan's camp advanced sharply, forcing the fence to a place only a few dozen zhang away from the moat, that is, barely able to avoid the range of bows and arrows in the city.

In the past ten days, the water in the moat, which is more than two feet deep, has been completely drained, and the stumps and broken bodies in the silt at the bottom of the river are everywhere, and the rolling stones and logs thrown from the city are almost filling the river.

Fifty or sixty thousand Yuan soldiers continuously transported fresh soil from the camp every day, built dozens of high fortifications around the county, and saw that this posture seemed to want to exceed the height of the city wall, and then sent crossbowmen to the stage to shoot condescendingly into the city.

Wei Yan, Xu Shu, Tai Shici, Tian Zhen and other major generals walked along the city wall, inspecting the defense of the city head while figuring out the battle intentions of Yuan's army.

"Three days have passed, and the thieves have only built more than three zhang high for these earthen ramparts, and they want to exceed the height of the city. It will take at least five or six days of work, but I am afraid that by then the reinforcements from Jiangdong will have already killed the city! Let them build it. Let's rest for a few days, and when the reinforcements arrive, we should join forces with the outside world. Kill him ruthlessly, and leave no piece of armor behind! ”

After completing the inspection, Wei Yan breathed a sigh of relief. What I was most afraid of was that Yuan Jun would attack regardless of the cost, and now he had changed to the policy of protracted warfare, which was right in his own hands.

Tai Shici also said with a smile: "Yuan Jun built the earthen fortress so narrowly, it is estimated that only about a dozen people can stand on each one. Such a distance is completely within my range, and whoever dares to come to power at that time will inevitably let him go up and down! ”

Although Wei Yan and Tai Shi Ci were arrogant, Xu Shu didn't think so. After frowning and observing for a long time, he suddenly stomped his feet and said, "Not good." The thieves are treacherous! ”

Wei Yan, Tai Shici and all the generals and school clubs all cast surprised eyes: "Where did Yuan Zhi say this?" ”

Xu Shu strode to the female wall, stretched out his hand and pointed to Yuan Bing, who was digging a pit in the field: "Look over there, these Yuan soldiers who are responsible for digging are only two or three thousand people, most of them are old and weak, and the pits they dig are far less than the earth piles under the city......

"Mr. Yuan Zhi means that these old and weak soldiers are just bluffing to paralyze us, and the soil used to build the fortifications is mainly transported from the camp?" Tian Zhen asked as if he had an understanding.

Xu Shu nodded with a stern gaze: "Exactly!" With the earth pits dug by these two or three thousand old and weak, only seven or eight earthen ramparts can be built. But now that Yuan Jun has at least piled up dozens of earthen ramparts around the city, may I ask you where the soil comes from? ”

Xu Shu's words have come to this point, and it is impossible for Wei Yan and Tai Shici not to be able to react. couldn't help but change color at the same time: "Could it be that Yuan Jun is secretly digging tunnels?" ”

"Not bad! Yuan Jun is obviously digging tunnels in the Ming Dynasty, fortunately we found it early, if it is a few days late, I am afraid that Yuan Jun's tunnels will be dug into the city! Xu Shu clasped his arms to his chest. A scared look on his face.

"Yuan Tan's turtle son is really insidious, and he almost fell for his trick!" Wei Yan spat at the city and scolded fiercely.

Xu Shu said disapprerovingly: "I'm afraid that Yuan Tan doesn't have this strategy yet." This plan is not Guo Tu's offer, but Xin Ping's offer! ”

"This is the end of it. What to do? Wei Yan asked anxiously.

Xu Shu thought about it for a while, and then he had a way to deal with it: "Dig a horizontal tunnel next to the inner city wall." Cut off the tunnels of the Yuan army, and then apply a fire attack, smoke attack, or water attack, you can crack the tunnel offensive of the Yuan army! ”

The matter was urgent, and Wei Yan immediately divided half of the men and horses from the defenders at the head of the city to dig a tunnel horizontally in the city.

However, Yuan's army was strong, and dozens of earthen fortresses outside the city were piled up around the county, and it seemed that all the camps were transporting soil outside, and it was impossible to tell from which direction the soldiers had dug up. In order to be foolproof, a whole circle of trenches had to be dug next to the four inner walls in order to completely cut off the route of Yuan's army to the front.

Yuan Jun took the lead in the first move, and there was great strength in numbers. The defenders of the city also had to divide their forces to defend the city walls, so they dug all day long, and only dug a trench for the city walls.

In desperation, Wei Yan had no choice but to send someone to invite the people in the city to come out and help dig a ditch, promising to reward Yuan soldiers with food or wages after they retreated. But even then, there were very few responders. God knows if the drama county can hold on? In case it is broken by Yuan Jun, not to mention that you can't get a reward, if you don't get it right, it will be a catastrophe!

The Yuan army besieged the city for a long time, and the minds of the people in the city changed, and Wei Yan did not dare to use force to force the people to work hard. In case of a mutiny in the hearts of the people and the defection of the scholars, Yuan Jun doesn't even have to dig tunnels!

"Well, how is that good?"

Seeing the tired faces of the soldiers digging trenches with torches overnight, Wei Yan and Xu Shuju were both worried, and they couldn't find a corresponding solution for a while.

"General Qiqi, military advisor, there is a man who calls himself Wang Meng who asks to see him, I don't know what to do?" Just when Wei Yan and Xu Shu were at a loss, the soldiers came to report that someone asked to see them.

Before Wei Yan could speak, a young Confucian in coarse cloth clothes and about twenty-six or seventeen years old walked over quickly. Although the clothes are a little shabby, the heavy aura of Hongyi on his face can't be concealed.

Straight to Wei Yan and bowed his hand and said, "Wang Meng, a common man in Xixian County, has seen the general!" ”

Wei Yanzheng was anxious and irritable, and looked Wang Meng up and down impatiently: "The general is busy with defense, what are you looking for me?" ”

"It's a matter of life and death in the drama county, I don't know if the general wants to hear it?" Wang Meng asked rhetorically without humility or arrogance, "If the general doesn't want to hear it." The common people turned around and left, and they would never dare to disturb the general again! ”

Xu Shu hurriedly gave up his hand: "This gentleman walks slowly." Don't know what to advise? ”

Wang Meng stopped and saluted back: "I don't dare to give advice." But today I inadvertently got a secret, which is related to the life and death of the drama county, so I came to tell you. ”

"Come with me and General Wei for a trip to the Taishou Yamen!"

Xu Shu patted Wei Yan on the shoulder, signaling to be calm and not impatient, and it was not too late to listen to what this person said before making a decision.

Entering the lobby of the Taishou Yamen, Wang Meng directly went straight to the point: "The Zhu family, a big clan in the city, conspired to collude with Yuan Jun, trying to help Yuan Bing enter the drama county, and the villain came to tell the truth!" ”

Wei Yan and Xu Shu glanced at each other. Then he calmly asked, "How did you know that the Zhu clan colluded with Yuan Jun?" ”

"The common people are natives of Drama County, and they make a living by buying dustpans and bamboo baskets on weekdays. The day before yesterday, the Zhu clan suddenly went to the villain's house and bought all the bamboo baskets and dustpans, and the villain was very puzzled. Today, seeing that the defenders were struggling to dig trenches and defend Yuan soldiers from sneaking in through the tunnels, I realized that the Zhu clan was secretly digging tunnels and receiving Yuan soldiers into the city. For the sake of the lives of the people in the city, the common people are here to inform! Wang Meng replied unhurriedly.

Wei Yan was furious. Shoot the case: "I said how the scholar clan of the drama county can help defend the city, and the Zhu family, the number one scholar in the drama county, is obstructed from it, and it is strange that it can be smooth!" This general will point out the men and horses and exterminate the entire Zhu family. Let's see which one dares to eat inside and outside and collude with Yuan Bing? ”

Wang Meng advised again: "Yuan's army has been besieging the city for a long time, and the minds of the people in the city have changed. If the general rashly exterminated the Zhu family. I'm afraid that I can't speak clearly if I'm covered in mouth. If it is not done well, it will anger the resentment of the gentry clan in the city, and the water and fire will not be incompatible. So that the Yuan army outside the city can reap the benefits of the fisherman! ”

"The Zhu family rebelled. Couldn't Ben have destroyed them? Wei Yan asked through gritted teeth.

Wang Meng arched his hand and said: "Before the villain came to see the general, he had already secretly investigated the trenches dug by the soldiers under the city. It is not too far from the residence of the Zhu family. The general might as well send someone to dig a tunnel to the place where the Zhu clan lived overnight, and then disguise himself as Yuan Jun, climb out of the tunnel, and wipe out the Zhu clan. In the end, he blamed Yuan Jun outside the city and exaggerated the authentic danger, so that the people and scholars in the city would help defend the city! ”

Wei Yan was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately organized thousands of elite warriors to dig to the Zhu clan's habitat overnight, as long as they could crawl over. In the middle of the night, the tunnel was successfully opened.

More than 1,000 soldiers led by General Wei Yanbian all disguised themselves as Yuan soldiers and poured out of the tunnel, killing the Zhu family and bleeding like a river. All the people of the Zhu clan who were secretly digging tunnels, regardless of the old, young, women and children, were all slaughtered. Then he put some of the armor he carried with him on the bodies of the Zhu clansmen.

Wei Yan got the signal and immediately led his troops to "encircle and suppress", successfully killed the "Yuan soldiers" who infiltrated from the tunnel, and killed more than 100 "Yuan soldiers" who infiltrated. Then he sent people to summon other scholars and people in the county to watch the evil deeds of the "Yuan army".

Seeing that the Zhu clan was slaughtered, the other scholars and people suddenly realized that Yuan Jun was planning to slaughter the rhythm of the city, lest they unknowingly dig the tunnel to their doorstep, and without Wei Yan mobilizing at the moment, they brought tools to dig trenches under the four city walls.

All of a sudden, almost 70,000 or 80,000 residents in the county town went out to help dig trenches, from 60-year-old men to 8-year-old children, all holding tools and digging down. The people of the whole city worked hard for a day and a night, and used the fastest speed to create a trench nearly four zhang deep under the inner city walls of the four sides of the county, cutting off the tunnel of the Yuan army head-on.

The trench in the city had just been dug for less than half a day, and Yuan Bing's tunnel had also been dug over. Wei Yan, Tai Shici, Xu Shu, Tian Zhen and others led the elite warrior clan to guard the exits of various tunnels, and wantonly chop melons and vegetables. Then the firewood was thrown into the tunnel, and countless Yuan soldiers were burned to death, and there was a smell of burnt human flesh inside and outside the entire drama county.

"What a bunch of rubbish! Xue Li's army has already passed Ju County, I am afraid that there will be three or five days before the army will come to the city of Juxian, since it can't be taken by skill, tomorrow will attack the city with all his strength, even if all the battle is killed, not a single soldier can be retreated! ”

Yuan Tan saw that the method of infiltrating through the tunnel failed, and wasted five or six days in vain, not to mention, and was burned to death by five or six thousand elite soldiers. I couldn't help but be furious, and decided to forcibly attack the city again tomorrow. (To be continued......) R1292