In terms of strength and morale, the Zhao army besieging the city was obviously several times higher than the combined army of the northern army and the army of the state and the state army defending the city. In addition, the coalition forces defending the city were already at odds with each other. Therefore, in this kind of archer shooting, it is undoubtedly the Zhao army that occupies an unparalleled advantage.

I only heard the wail of being shot by arrows on the head of the city, and on the other hand, the archers of the Zhao army outside the city, there were less than a thousand dead and wounded, although the archers were wearing light armor, but inside they were wearing silk underwear, and the officers were also protected by special plate armor in the critical places, even if the defenders' arrows could penetrate the leather armor, they would not penetrate the flesh, and at most they would be injured, so as not to cause fatal casualties.

Soon, dozens of vans of the Zhao army came under the moat under the escort of the infantry. The moat of Dingyun City is actually a river that passes in front of Dingyun City, but it is led by the defenders to the outside of Dingyun City and circulates the city. However, this was not enough to stump Sergeant Zhao.

Zhao Xun gave a very high status to the craftsmen under his rule, so under the rule of Zhao Jun, there were many craftsmen, and the spirit of craftsmen to develop various instruments was also extremely high. The van here is also different from before, except for a huge wooden shield in front of it to resist arrows, the wings of the van are open. There were several one-foot-high wooden stakes on it, and there was a three-foot-long iron cable, and when it was close to the moat, the two vans came side by side, and the soldiers hiding under the protective shield of the van quickly tied the iron cable to the wooden stakes on the other van, and the two carts merged into one, and then under the push and pull of the soldiers. It's like a big raft in a moat.

The van did not sink directly to the bottom, and the van made of more buoyant machinery and wood was suspended above the water like a raft, and behind the van there were vans one after another, connected together.

There were two more defenders of Dingyun City, Zhang Zongyuan of the Bingzhou Army and Cao Wuxin of the Northern Army of Bingzhou. Although the two are at odds on weekdays, at this meeting, they are all working together to resist the attack of the Zhao army. It's just a pity that since the two armies have never cooperated together on weekdays, the defenders of the two armies on the city wall are fighting separately and do not know how to cooperate.

"Damn! Zhao Jun broke our moat, damn it! This hard-working moat didn't work in the slightest. Zhang Zongyuan said angrily with red eyes.

Cao Wuxin on one side also had an ugly face, and the moat was broken, so it was time for the Zhao army to attack the city. And it is clear that their own moat is not working as well as it should. Looking at the unique way of crossing the river of the Zhao army at the head of the city, the archers on the head of the city were suppressed by the archers of the other side and could not fight back, only some of the archers hiding behind the female wall could shoot down continuously with the help of the lookout, but the number was much worse, and this kind of wagon covered with cowhide effectively blocked the arrows.

"Come on, let the bed crossbows in the bunkers on both sides be aimed at the vans in the moat, and shoot me hard."

Cao Wuxin's bed crossbows, which had not yet been attacked by catapults, which had been kept in the bunkers on both sides of the city wall, began to shoot deadly fangs, and the soldiers who were advancing through the guò vans below finally began to suffer casualties, and the attack power of the crossbow arrows was more than twice the maximum range at a distance of less than fifty meters. In particular, the piercing ability is stronger, and the crossbow arrow, which is like a spear, can easily shoot through ordinary large wooden shields, and then pass through the soldiers in the van, through the bottom of the van, and into the moat.

The moat was soon soaked in blood and turned blood-red, but the bed crossbows in the bunkers on both sides were originally set up to protect against catapult attacks from outside the city. Therefore, the shooting angle of the bed crossbow hidden in the bunker is limited, and the frequency of the bed crossbow is relatively low. The number was also much worse, and it was impossible to stop the advance of the several passages on the moat. Each van was more than a zhang long, and although the moat was widened, it was only less than eight zhang, and soon the van that was the first to advance crashed into the moat bank in front.

"Raise your shield, protect the front, open the wooden shield. Onward, onwards! In the van, the officer screamed bitterly. Immediately after, as the wooden shield was raised, four soldiers with large shields blocked in front of them, and several soldiers carried sledgehammers and stakes to rush to the shore. Lay the stakes. The iron set was then attached to the wooden piles, and a pontoon bridge was built.

"Lord, our soldiers have broken through the enemy's moat!" In the land of the Chinese army, Wei Zilin said with a smile.

Zhao inquired: "The morale of the enemy army is exhausted, give the order to go down and attack the city!" ”

"Siege!"

Several infantry phalanxes located in the rear, after hearing the order. Hit the round shield on his arm with the back of his knife, and quickly killed the pontoon. Thousands of soldiers roared like waves on the sea, rushing towards the pontoon. The assault on the city began, and the archers' volleys stopped, and the covered fire was replaced by free fire.

The offensive and defensive battle of Dingyun City began at this point, and then maintained a continuous siege for most of the day. And the Zhao army's brave siege, completely regardless of the loss of the siege method also made the defenders have palpitations, the Zhao army's offensive from the beginning did not try, it was completely the main force to attack the city, and this siege is all-round, no intermittent, not as good as the loss of the onslaught, in a short time, the Zhao army killed and injured the city wall, if it were not for Zhang Zongyuan and Cao Wuxin's quick response, I am afraid that the siege will be broken by Zhao Xun in less than an hour.

However, Rao was like this, and Dingyun City was also captured when the sun was in the west. After the 15,000 soldiers defending the city died more than 7,000 in battle, the rest of the advanced surrendered, and the defenders were also killed by the Zhao army. And the Zhao army paid for less than 4,000 casualties. In addition, there is the wear and tear of siege equipment.

"Wei Zilin, let people post notices to appease the people in the city and deal with the aftermath." After entering the city, Zhao Xun immediately began to appease the people.

"Report ...... Lord Qiyu, General Yang Jaguar, Dingyang City has been taken! ”

In this regard, Zhao Xun had already been mentally prepared, this Dingyang City, like Dingyun City, could not block the strong attack of his army, "Let General Yang pacify the people in the city, and send people to restore the security jurisdiction of the surrounding towns and villages." In addition, let General Yang pay attention to the situation in Dingping! ”

After a pause, Zhao Xun smiled again: "Forget it, Yuan Jing will definitely take care of these things with him." An order was given to General Yang that the army should rest for three days and stabilize the two places. Three days later, they gathered at the foot of Dingping City to deal with the enemy forces in the central part of the state. ”

"Han Meng, go and put back a part of the captured Bingzhou army, and let them tell Yang Li, the southern part of Bingzhou has been occupied by our Zhao army, and the Bingzhou army has basically surrendered. Let him consider the lives of his soldiers and surrender as soon as possible. ”

"The enemy army in this peaceful place is no longer to be feared, and the lord let the army rest for three days, but I am afraid that it is also to make the two defenders in the city start to panic. As for the release of part of the Merge State Army, it is to drive a wedge between the Merge State Northern Army and the Merge State Army. Wei Zilin said with admiration.

Zhao Xun nodded and said: "Yes, it's true, giving them time, not only will not make them work together, but will increase their pressure." If you put some of the state army back, there will definitely be problems between Cao Gang and Yang Li. In addition, when these hundreds of people go back, they can also spread our prestige to the defenders of Dingping. At that time, it is best to calm the chaos and chaos, and if the city is attacked, it will also be much more convenient because of the strength of our army. ”

"That's right, and Wei Chen is afraid that he has arrived at the Fenzhou Mansion where Situ Tai is stationed at this moment. As long as the pros and cons are known, presumably, this Situ Tai should know that evacuating and merging states is the most advantageous choice. By the way, Lord, what is the bottom line for us to evacuate Situ Tai? Wei Zilin asked with a smile.

Zhao Xun said lightly: "He can take away his personal guards, as for the rest, then it won't work." ”

Wei Zilin stroked his palms and smiled: "This will not make it too difficult for Situ Tai to choose, if he can leave with one or two hundred thousand soldiers, it can be regarded as preserving his strength, and when he returns to Yongzhou, he will not be excluded from the upper echelons." At the same time, we can also achieve the pattern of letting it fight with the rest of the Yongwang forces. Very good, very good! ”

"Hey, Situ Lei was used to controlling the court, and in the end he couldn't get out of it, and suddenly fell into the quagmire of killing the king and usurping the throne. Otherwise, he would not have divided all his sons in order to secure his rule. The places are stable, but his forces with King Yong have also begun to slowly disperse. ”

Zhao Xun nodded and said, "Drink doves to quench your thirst, you have to do it." If Situ Lei was physically strong and not very old, he could be like this. Rao is so, and his sons have begun to plan for themselves. Once Situ Lei had an accident, the Yongwang forces would be divided. Therefore, at this moment, the more people who compete for the power of King Yong, the better, and at that time, it will be easier for us to receive it. ”

Wei Zilin said: "This is also the reason for the negotiation between the lord and Situ Lei, the forces of King Yong are not afraid of threats, so Murong Chengcheng, who is young and aggressive, and has great ambitions for the emperor's position, is the biggest threat." Weakening Murong Cheng now is ultimately the most beneficial to us. ”

Zhao Xun said in a deep voice: "Yes, this Murong Cheng is much more threatening than Situ Lei, don't forget, he has royal blood." In some ways, he has an edge over us. If it weren't for the support of the people and businessmen of the world for our current new policy, I am afraid that Murong Chengqiang would not have been able to become strong. Now it is the most advantageous situation for us to fight Murong Cheng fiercely when Situ Lei can still command the army of King Yong. ”

And Situ Lei also knew what this king meant, but he couldn't have any possibility of reconciliation with Murong Cheng. If Murong Cheng wants to ascend to the throne, he must confirm that Situ Lei killed the king, the current emperor is not legitimate, he must avenge the previous emperor, and he must kill Situ Lei. And Situ Lei could only defeat Murong Cheng in order to gain a foothold among the three parties. In addition, Situ Lei also knew that the king's target was first foreign tribes, and then the Central Plains. Moreover, this king is now under the pressure of the Turks and Qianghu, so naturally he will not deliberately take the lead in making a move against him to cheapen Murong Cheng. This is also the reason why Situ Lei agreed to hand over the annexed state to me, because this annexed state is also his northern defense line of Situ Lei. ”

Wei Zilin sighed: "The lord gave up the Central Plains, attacked the north, and even gradually repelled foreign enemies and expanded his power from foreign tribes. In addition to gaining territory and prestige, it is also to let Situ Lei feel at ease to fight with Murong Cheng. ”

"And that's not all!" Zhao Xun said in a deep voice: "If our army is now involved in the central war, even if it finally wins the world, it will be exhausted, and it will be difficult to fight against the great enemy in the north. This king doesn't want to be beaten by foreigners again, and he doesn't want to be amicable. Therefore, the thieves outside the door that the king had cleaned up first were settling the dispute with them in the house. After all, it is a brotherly dispute in China, and it is not the same in foreign races. ”

Wei Zilin opened his mouth, and after a while, he sighed: "The lord has the world in his heart, and they are incomparable......

…………

At the same time that Zhao Xun attacked Dingyun and Dingyang, Situ Tai also learned of his situation. The southern prefectures of the state are still in their hands only two provinces, and they are still in danger of being invaded by the Zhao army.

"Situ Wen, how many men are there under the command of the Pontus Governor now? How many troops can be mobilized? ”

"Returning to the Metropolitan Governor, we only have one and a half areas in the southern part of the state that are still under the jurisdiction of our army, including the local garrison soldiers and horses, totaling more than 58,000 people, and only more than 30,000 people can be mobilized. In addition, if the Metropolitan Governor wants to mobilize his men and horses to withdraw to Yongzhou, I am afraid that he can only rely on the 15,000 elite men we brought from Yongzhou. Situ Wen said lightly. Regarding the situation in the state, he Situ Wen is no longer optimistic.

Situ Tai took a deep breath and said, "Situ Wen, you say, how likely is it that Yongzhou will come to help?" We ......"

Situ Wen said with a wry smile: "Governor of the capital, most of the southern parts of the state have been lost, and most of the regular soldiers have been defeated and captured. Although we have nearly 60,000 soldiers, most of them are organized by local county soldiers, and they are not of great use. Even if the prince sends reinforcements, I'm afraid it won't have any effect on us. The Zhao army gathered, and it was determined to take this place. And the east of Yongzhou is facing a coalition onslaught, how many men and horses can be sent? Will the prince start a full-scale war with Zhao Xun at this time? ”

"Governor, no matter whether the prince sends reinforcements or not, our defeat is a foregone conclusion. If it is sent, Zhao Xun will be pressed by the army, solve us first, and then deal with the reinforcements. If we don't send it, then we should be ordered to evacuate and merge the state, but I am afraid that the prince will reach some agreement with Zhao Xun. After all, Zhao Xun didn't want Murong Cheng to enter the land of Yongzhou. ”

Situ Tai's face was hideous, and he said, "So, no matter what, we have to evacuate this annexed land?" ”

Situ Wen didn't care about Situ Tai's ugly face at all, and nodded: "If the Metropolitan Governor doesn't want to die here, if the Metropolitan Governor still wants to sit on the throne of King Yong, he must evacuate here." Of course, the eldest prince and the rest of the princes, I'm afraid that at this moment, I also hope that the capital will die here. ”

Situ Tai said angrily: "This prince is the governor of the state, and if the land of the state is lost, the governor of the city will not escape the responsibility, you say, if I evacuate here and return to Yongzhou, will there be good fruits to eat?" My brothers, I'm afraid they'll just fall into the ground. ”

Situ Wen said in a deep voice: "The Grand Duke, the situation in this annexed state, everyone knows that failure is not the responsibility of the Grand Duke. How can half of the state resist Zhao Xun's all-out attack? In order to resist Murong Cheng, the land of Yongzhou gathered 300,000 elite troops, which were elite soldiers and horses in Yongzhou, Liangzhou, Yizhou, and Ningzhou, and there were dangers. What about the land that can be annexed? Half of it was occupied by Cao Gang, and it also faced oppression from the Turks. Therefore, failure is not the sin of the Grand Governor. After all, the Metropolitan Governor is also a recent arrival. ”

"As long as the Metropolitan Governor retains the strength in his hands and withdraws to Yongzhou, the prince will not blame. If the prince has the heart to fight a decisive battle with Zhao Xun, then the more soldiers and horses the Metropolitan Governor brings back, the better. If the prince and Zhao Xun negotiate peace, then, in the same way, the stronger the strength that the Metropolitan Governor brings back, the more beneficial it will be to the defense of Yongzhou. The situation in the state at this moment, I am afraid that the prince also hopes that the governor of the capital will return to Yongzhou. Moreover, the subordinates guessed that the prince and Zhao Xun were the most likely to make peace. At this moment, whether it is Wang Ye or Zhao Xun, I am afraid that they all hope to suppress Murong Cheng. If the subordinates' speculation is true, then the withdrawal order given by the prince to the governor of the capital should also be issued from Yongzhou. ”

Situ Tai's face changed constantly, and after a while, he said, "Could this be the case?" Forget it, no matter what, the most important thing is to protect yourself. Someone came, and ordered Zhang Dian, Zhang Che, Lin Kang, and Ming Jing to expand the soldiers under their command, and draw bold people from the state army, so as to stay away. Expand the Pontus Guard's army to 20,000 horses! ”

"By the way, Situ Wen, the report sent back to Luoyang by the governor of Pontus should have arrived a long time ago, but why didn't the instructions come back? As you said before, no matter what, the Father should also send back the instructions, why...... Is it ......?"

Situ Wen frowned slightly, and said with some hesitation: "Metropolitan Governor, this is also where his subordinates are a little worried. The urgent military information and requests for help that we sent back should have been replied to a long time ago. So far, there has been no response. The subordinates boldly guessed that there could only be two reasons for this situation. First, that is, the prince has determined the position of Wang Shizi, and he wants to hand over the next move of the metropolitan governor to Wang Shizi. Perhaps, the prince hopes that the power in the hands of the governor will be weakened, so as not to affect the power of the prince. ”

"Second, that is the eldest prince...... The eldest prince is the governor of Yongzhou, and he has the greatest authority in the land of Yongzhou. Although it cannot be said that it affects the judgment of the prince, it is still possible to cut off the military order issued by the prince to the governor. After all, the eldest prince has been operating in the land of Yongzhou for many years......"

Situ Tai's face changed drastically, and he said urgently: "Then what kind of situation do you mean?" ”

Situ Tai couldn't help but be surprised, according to Situ Wen's guess, then his situation was not very good, especially in the first case, he Situ Tai could say that it was basically difficult to turn over.

Situ Wen said in a deep voice: "Governor, with the intention of his subordinates, the second possibility is the greatest. If the prince had confirmed the prince, he should have ordered the governors of all states to return to Luoyang, and disperse or revoke the authority of the governors, but we have not received any scattered news. Although we did not receive a military order from the prince, we are close to Liangzhou in the west and Fengling Mansion in Yongzhou in the south, and our spies have not received any news in this regard. But the prince's military order, the eldest prince is the most clear when he comes to participate in the discussion. ”

"Damn! The order was passed down, and the departments were not allowed to take the initiative to engage the Zhao army, and the various departments of the pro-guard army accelerated their rectification and began to move south. Hearing Situ Wen's words, Situ Tai was furious.