The envoy sent Lu to go, but if the reinforcements arrived, it would take three days at the earliest, and in these three days, it was still unknown whether Yang Xiu could use these three thousand soldiers to defend Yangzhai City.

After all, Zhang Xiu was menacing this time, bringing an army of 30,000, which was ten times the strength of the troops in Yangzhai City.

However, Yang Xiu did not have any fear, but actively arranged it.

Yang Zhai is located on the plain, not by the mountain, but by the water, the north side of Yang Zhai City is the endless flow of Yingshui, the city is built by the water, there are only three city gates in the east, south and west, and around the Yangzhai City dug a wide moat, the Yingshui is introduced into the moat, guarding the safety of Yang Zhai City.

Yang Xiu placed 1,000 people at the east, south, and west gates, and blocked all the city gates, prohibiting everyone from entering and leaving at will. In addition, Yang Xiu also specially sent officials to clean the streets, prohibiting all commercial activities, and not allowing people to go out at will, so that they all hid in their own homes to avoid unnecessary harm.

A series of military troops, as well as the nervous expressions of the soldiers, made the people in the city feel terrified, and they didn't know what was going on. Some wealthy gentry in the city asked someone to inquire, and only then did they learn that Nanyang Taishou Zhang Xiu under the account of Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao led an army of 30,000 to capture Yangzhai City.

For a while, the news of the enemy's attack was quickly spread in the city, and the people, rich gentry, and merchants in the city almost all understood what was going on.

However, instead of causing panic in the city, the inhabitants reflexively organized themselves and went to the various gates to ask for assistance in the defense of the city.

Yang Xiu saw such a scene. I was very impressed. But he refused the help of the people of the city. They are required to go back to their respective homes and not to go out at will, even if Yangzhai City is breached, as long as the door is closed, when the enemy army enters the city, the people will not be harmed.

However, the people were reluctant to leave, and they all expressed their desire to assist the army in defending the city. He did not allow the enemy to invade the city, and vowed to live and die with it.

Yang Xiu in Yingchuan as a guard in the past few years, has always been impartial law enforcement, even if the relatives and nobles break the law, will not be soft, under his iron-fisted governance, Yingchuan has almost reached the point of not closing the door at night, the road is not left behind, and has won the love of many people. In addition, some wealthy gentry and businessmen also have a lot of trust in Yang Xiu. made Yang Xiu's reputation flourish in the Yingchuan area, and even overshadowed his father Yang Biao.

When Yang Biao was young. also used to be the Taishou of Yingchuan, but Yang Xiu's political achievements were even better than Yang Biao's.

Yang Xiu saw that the people refused to retreat, and in desperation, he had no choice but to make concessions, choose strong men, form a reserve, and issue weapons to them to assist the army in defending the city. The rest of the weaker people were unwilling to leave, arguing to assist the army in defending the city, Yang Xiu was also very helpless, so he arranged for them to carry weapons from the arsenal to the city, and was responsible for carrying the wounded soldiers into the city for treatment.

In addition, Yang Xiu also organized the doctors in the city to be on call at any time, the rich gentry and merchants all contributed money, and they were ready to be on call at any time, while the elderly, women, and children were all hiding at home and were not allowed to go out at will.

After a series of arrangements, Yang Xiu arranged the inner three floors and the outer three floors of Yang Zhai City, and he was also ready to resist to the death, just waiting for the arrival of the enemy.

……

Zhang Xiu led 5,000 cavalry, galloping non-stop, getting closer and closer to Yangzhai City, which was already less than ten miles.

However, Zhang Xiu suddenly ordered to stop the advance, and gathered the soldiers and horses in Juntai, ten miles south of Yangzhai City, and temporarily set up a simple camp here for the soldiers to rest, but he personally took ten cavalry and rode to Yangzhai City to inquire about the news.

When Zhang Xiu arrived in Yangzhai City, it was already evening, under the hazy sky, there were thick clouds, the cloud layer was very low, and the cold wind blowing from the northwest was still whistling angrily, blowing the surrounding trees crookedly, still biting cold.

At this time, the gate of Yangzhai City was closed, the city tower was crowded, the sword was rattling, and the banner of the "Han" character was swaying in the cold wind, showing a solemn atmosphere.

Zhang Xiu took his subordinates and walked around Yangzhai City for most of the circle, each city gate was well guarded, the flags fluttered on the city tower, and the defenders were very dense.

"Yang Zhai City has already been prepared, it seems that I am still one step slower, and if I want to sneak attack again, it is already impossible, and all I brought are cavalry, if I attack the city, it will not be useful at all......" Zhang Xiu saw the situation here clearly, and analyzed silently in his heart.

After a while, Zhang Xiu came to the Yingshui River and saw that Yangzhai City was backed by the flowing Yingshui River, and the river water was introduced into the moat as a barrier for its defense, which was indeed an ingenious move. But Zhang Xiu also saw a hint of hope in it, and after standing by the river and observing, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and then he left Yangzhai City with his subordinates, returned to Juntai, where the army was located, and quietly waited for the appearance of that glimmer of hope.

……

Yang Xiu led the entire city of soldiers and civilians, and they were all ready for battle, but after waiting for more than two hours, the enemy army had not yet appeared.

The enemy did not wait, but waited for the first heavy snow of the winter.

When night fell, the snow fell like goose feathers in the sky, falling one after another, and in the cold wind, it kept beating on people's bodies, so that the soldiers guarding the city tower were not light.

At this time, the rich gentry in the city sent their families to bring warm clothes to the soldiers guarding the city, and draped them on them, warm, even if the weather was cold, they were bound to be able to block it.

At the same time as the heavy snow fell, the temperature also dropped suddenly, as if it had suddenly reached the third or ninth day, although the soldiers defending the city were wearing cold clothes, but in such a cold night, and braved the snowstorm, they were all frozen to the point that their lips were purple, and their upper and lower teeth kept fighting.

Yang Xiu had to take turns to change shifts, not relaxing the night guard at all, and he actively patrolled every corner of the city, passing on the love he had to everyone and warming their hearts.

Yang Xiu was draped in a thick coat, wearing a cloak on his head, the cloak was covered with snow, his body, and his eyebrows were also white, and the sudden snowstorm was very heavy, and after a while, there was snow on the ground, more than a foot deep.

He inspected the East Gate, the South Gate, and the West Gate successively, and the entourage thought that he would go back here, but Yang Xiu still walked towards the north as always.

In the north of Yangzhai City, there is no city gate, only a small wharf, and the accompanying subordinate officials saw Yang Xiu heading towards the north, so they hurriedly said: "Lord Taishou, there is nothing in the north, it is freezing this day, it is better to go back to the house as soon as possible, the adults of the province are affected by the wind and cold." ”

"When is it, even if it is subject to some wind and cold, it is better than Yangzhai City being captured by the enemy, and there must not be a situation where there is no one thing to do." Yang Xiu continued to walk towards the north of the city, and said to the subordinate officials behind him, "If you are afraid of contracting the wind and cold, go back first, and I will go to the dock to take a look myself." ”

The subordinate officials were silent, quietly following behind Yang Xiu, all the way towards the dock in the north of the city.

After a while, Yang Xiu and the others came to the wharf in the north of the city, he stood on the wharf, looked at the wide Yingshui River in front of him, and saw that large pieces of snowflakes fell on the surface of the river, not melting, but piling up, and couldn't help frowning.

Just two hours ago, Yang Xiu ordered the dock to be blocked, and all ships were to enter the inner harbor of the dock and anchor, and they were not allowed to sail without an order. At this moment, the ships anchored in the inner harbor were all standing in the cold wind, indifferent to the wind and snow, and all the ships were shrouded in a layer of silver.

With a "swish", Yang Xiu pulled out a saber tied around his waist, the sharp saber was cold in his hand, and the hilt had been frozen with a layer of frost because it had been exposed, and after feeling Yang Xiu's warm palm, the frost on the hilt was melted, making his hand wet.

Immediately after, Yang Xiu squatted down and stabbed the water surface below the dock with his long sword, but the tip of the sword touched some hard objects, unable to pierce it, and made a crisp sound.

"Is it ice?"

Yang Xiuhu suspiciously used his long sword to clear away the snow, and he couldn't help but be a little surprised when he saw that the water surface had formed ice.

Because two hours ago, the water here had not yet frozen, the water flow was still normal, and the water in the Yingshui River was even more rushing, but after two hours, the entire surface of the Yingshui River had become frozen.

If it takes a night to cool down at such a low temperature, the ice in the Yingshui River will freeze and become more and more solid, and maybe at dawn tomorrow, you will be able to gallop on it.

Yang Xiu didn't dare to think about it anymore, this time Zhang Xiu brought all the cavalry, the siege battle was extremely unfavorable for the cavalry, if Zhang Xiu chose this place as a breakthrough, then the cavalry could easily gallop into the city from here, and all the defenses he arranged would collapse in an instant, lose the city wall, and his army would be vulnerable at all.

"Immediately dispatch three hundred soldiers from the south gate, east gate, and west gate to come over, I have an urgent need, hurry!" Yang Xiu immediately made a decision, turned around and said to the subordinate officer behind him.

After a short time, nine hundred soldiers came to the dock from three different places, and after seeing Yang Xiu, they shouted in unison: "See Lord Taishou." ”

"Don't be so polite to me, you came just in time, now is the time to use you, you are divided into three roads, and go to carry the soil here, I will build a wall here!" Yang Xiu said solemnly. (To be continued......)