Chapter 240: Attacking the City
As the armored warriors finished donning their armor, Pan Zhang personally led them to join the battle line and charged directly from the right wing. The Three Rivers Knights also began to press forward with all their strength, squeezing the opponent's cavalry.
Both sides are not at the same level in terms of riding skills, riding shooting, martial arts, and the quality of the horses, not to mention that Liu Feng's cavalry has a numerical advantage.
In just half a quarter of an hour, the opponent's cavalry could no longer hold on, and there were faint signs of retreating.
At the same time, the flanks of the infantry line were exposed.
The armored soldiers led by Pan Zhang were rushed to pieces. The Yellow Turban infantry, which was struggling to hold on, collapsed immediately. Even Liu Feng's Sanhe knights did not have time to launch a side attack.
Chaos and collapse quickly spread among the Yellow Turban Army. The entire front collapsed, and nearly ten thousand people rolled back toward the rear.
Liu Feng showed a satisfied look and ordered a full-scale pursuit. At the same time, he asked Jia Kui to release the cavalry who had changed into yellow scarf costumes, crossed the flanks of the rebels in the middle, and went to seize the city gate with the Three Rivers Knights.
The Yangguanju battlefield was handed over to Jia Kui for unified command, and the formation began to pursue the defeated Yellow Turban army.
At the same time, Pan Zhang's armored soldiers were ordered to stop the pursuit and serve as reserves. The other troops launched an all-out attack to pursue the Yellow Turbans and look for opportunities to seize the city.
After receiving the order, Pan Zhang stopped and the soldiers around him were panting.
For these armored warriors, pursuit consumes more energy than fighting.
So, Pan Zhang directly asked the two hundred auxiliary soldiers behind to help the armored soldiers remove their armor, and at the same time replenish water and food, so as to prevent the armored soldiers from not having enough physical strength when they really needed to use them again. There's big trouble.
Liu Feng's formation moved two miles forward, found a small hill, stood on it, and raised a big flag.
There were all kinds of surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers along the way. They were either injured or overtaken. They threw away their weapons and knelt down to beg for mercy.
Liu Feng just took a cursory glance and calculated that there were more than two to three thousand prisoners, and at the same time, there were still people surrendering continuously.
Half an hour later, the Yellow Turban flag on Yangdi City was replaced by the Xuzhou Army flag. All the fleeing Yellow Turban troops were captured. Bo Xing was caught up and killed by Jia Bin, and Ma Zhong died in the rebellion. among.
At the same time, less than a stick of incense (five minutes) after Liu Feng left, Yangguan Ju's army collapsed and surrendered to Jia Kui.
Liu Feng did not gather troops at Yangguan. It was already dilapidated and the place was too small to contain the passage to the north.
The large army marches and only needs to detour a certain distance to the plain next to it. The garrison here can only be dumbfounded. At most, it serves as an early warning to Yangzhai.
Liu Feng didn't need early warning from the north, so the value of Yangguanju was quite low.
By the time Liu Feng entered the city, the entire Yangzhai had been occupied by the Xuzhou Army. Except for a few people who circled the city or scattered in all directions, there were more than 10,000 Yellow Turban troops and more than 20,000 Yellow Turban women and children in Yangdi. , more than 20,000 civilians were all captured by the Xuzhou army.
"What, the Yellow Turbans from Yanzhou came to persuade them to surrender?"
After Liu Feng entered the city, Pan Zhang suddenly brought people over to report, saying that the Yellow Turbans from Yanzhou came to report the news before, and not only did they The news that the Xuzhou Army was about to move south had even leaked the number of troops.
Liu Feng looked at Pan Zhang and asked seriously: "Has he been caught?"
Anger flashed across Pan Zhang's face, and he said bitterly: "This guy is too cunning. He previously dissuaded Bo Xing and Ma Zhong from leaving the city to fight. After they were refused, he led his men to prepare the horses early. As soon as he saw that we were broken City, they ran directly from the south gate."
Liu Feng nodded, with a sneer on his lips.
In fact, whether he catches the other party or not does not affect Liu Feng's knowledge of who is behind the scenes.
Yanzhou, Huangjin, and Bo Xing persuaded Bo Xing to go to Chenliu. There were so many bright clues. If Liu Fengzhen couldn't figure it out anymore, he could just go to sleep.
It seems that Cao Cao is still obsessed with the population of Yingchuan. He can't join in to get a share of the pie, so he wants to grab the food directly from the plate.
There was nothing that could be done about it. Who asked Liu Feng to guard Cao Cao all the time? Even the West Route Army that divided Chenliu and Yingchuan had 14,000 people, the largest number among the three armies.
Liu Feng thought, Cao Cao would send people to Yangdi, so there was no reason why he wouldn't go to Yingyin, Yingyang, Xu County and other places.
However, Yangzhai's Yellow Turbans are actually the least able to escape. Guan Yu's West Route Army may have captured Changshe by this time. Bo Xing wanted to run away with tens of thousands of civilians, but he would probably be surrounded by Xuzhou on the way.
But Yingyin actually has a good chance. As long as he goes a few dozen miles east, he can meet up with the Yellow Turbans in Xu County, and then go southeast, passing through Xinji, he can choose to go to Yanzhou Chenliu at will. , or maybe Chen Guo in Yuzhou.
Liu Feng's Yangzhai is some distance away from Yingyin, and the most troublesome thing is that it is also separated by two rivers, Yingshui and Lishui.
As for the Eastern Route Army, it was beyond reach. Even if there were more cavalry, it would be too late.
Only when Guan Yu's West Route Army can capture Xu County is the key to full success in Yingchuan.
“Immediately send out reconnaissance cavalry. I want to know the movements of the enemies in Yingyin. At the same time, I will quickly contact the East and West Route Army to inform them that our army has occupied Yangdi, and report back to them on their progress.”
Liu Feng arranged the tasks one by one, and finally remembered: "By the way, let me find out how many smart people there are in the Yellow Turbans in the city. Place them separately and treat them well. Don't be rude. Wait until I am free." After that, summon them again.”
“Yes, young master!”
Liu Feng already had a formal official position at this time and was worshiped by the imperial court as General Jianzhong.
However, people who are close to him still call him Young Master, especially Pan Zhang, who likes to rely on favors and is arrogant, so he is even more honored to be called Young Master.
According to Liu Feng's order, all matters were carried out in an orderly manner. The weapons and armor discarded by the Yellow Turban Army outside the city were also picked up and sent to the arsenal for collection.
The goods, food and other materials in the city were also counted one by one for preparation.
On the third day, all the news came back.
Guan Yu had occupied Changshe four days ago, and now Yanling, and was dividing his troops to occupy Xinji, completely blocking the eastward escape route of Yingyin Yellow Turban and Xu County Yellow Turban.
The progress of the East Route Army was also quite smooth. It first occupied Jiaxian County and then Xiangcheng.
Three thousand Yellow Turbans in Xiangcheng surrendered in one battle. After regaining the city, the Yingchuan celebrities in Xiangcheng ranked first among the "Eight Talents". Li Ying's son Li Ying, who was known as the "model in the world" Zan actually took his sons Li Xuan, Li Li and others to Xiangcheng to work in the army.
After Liu Feng saw it, he was very shocked.
He didn't expect that Li Zan was still alive. He didn't know whether it was caused by his butterfly wings or whether he didn't die so early in the first place.
This Li Zan himself is a famous scholar in Yingchuan, his father is even more famous, and both father and son are very talented.
Li Ying was recommended as the governor of Qingzhou at that time. He was strict in his administration, just like Jia Cong. Corrupt officials did not dare to stay in office, so they abandoned their official positions and fled. Qingzhou officialdom was purged.
Later he became the captain of the Sili school, and the officials were frightened. This was impossible without any strength.
But the most powerful thing about Li Ying is that he was deeply involved in the execution of Chen Fan and Dou Wu. After the operation failed, Chen Fan was imprisoned and died, and Dou Wu committed suicide in the army.
But Li Ying actually got away with a pat on his butt, but was dismissed from his official position.
It was not until the second party imprisonment that Li Yingcai died, but he left a great reputation and connections to his son.
Li Zan was also a very powerful person with a vicious eye. He took a liking to Cao Cao early on and publicly praised Cao Cao many times, forming a deep relationship with him.
It is a pity that the third generation of the Li family was unsatisfactory and lacked ability, so that Li Zan had no suitable candidate if he wanted to place a bet.
But even so, before Li Zan died, he strictly ordered his sons not to seek refuge with his friend Zhang Miao and his in-law Yuan Shao. He also said that the only hero in the world was Cao Cao. Although his sons had no talent, they were very obedient and later got a good fortune in Cao Wei.
Historically, the date of Li Zan’s birth and death is unclear. Liu Feng judged that he should be dead because of these last words.
But the problem is that Zhang Miao also has two records in history. One is that he was killed by his own tribe when he went south to seek help from Yuan Shu. The second one was to successfully escape to Yuan Shu and even dissuade Yuan Shu from proclaiming himself emperor.
But no matter which conclusion is drawn, Li Zan will go to Xiangcheng to labor for the Xuzhou Army. This is a very good signal.
Li Zan's own reputation and ability are quite good. If he can be conquered and conquered Xuzhou, it will definitely lead a large number of scholars from Yingchuan and Runan to defect to Xuzhou.
At the same time, it also greatly contributes to stabilizing the overall situation of Yuzhou.
Li Zan himself is still an in-law of the Yuan family, and he can dominate the Yuan family in Runan. This is simply a golden sign.
After Liu Feng got the news, he got up and walked around the room.
After thinking for a moment, he said: "Go and invite Junjun and his younger brother to come."
Liu Ye followed Guan Yu, Jia Xi was sent to Taishi Ci, and Dong Zhao followed Staying in Luoyang, Liu Feng was only accompanied by Jia Kui and Zhuge brothers.
Soon, the Zhuge brothers responded to the call.
“Tzuyu, take a look at this news.”
As soon as the Zhuge brothers arrived, Liu Feng first handed the news about Li Zan to Zhuge Jin.
Zhuge Jin hurriedly read through it. After reading it, he looked at Liu Feng, but Liu Feng motioned to the other party to hand the silk book to Zhuge Liang. After Zhuge Liang also finished reading, the silk book returned to Liu Feng's hands.
Liu Feng folded the silk book and put it on the table. He looked at Zhuge Jin and said, "Tzuyu, I have an important task that I want to entrust to you. I wonder if you can Are you willing to take on this responsibility for me?"
Zhuge Jin was surprised, but his expression remained calm. After a moment, he bowed his head respectfully and said, "Sincerely, I am so trusted by the young master. Entrusted with important responsibilities, I am willing to go through fire and water without hesitation. ”
"Good!"
Liu Feng was overjoyed, and then handed out his wish on a tray, hoping that Zhuge Jin could go to Xiangcheng on his behalf and convince Li Zan to join Xuzhou.
Whether it is the post of county governor of Xuzhou, or Liu Bei and his own shogunate, as long as Li Zan is willing, Liu Feng will allow him to do anything.
Liu Feng's attitude is very obvious. He only wants Li Zan to side with Xuzhou. This will be a great prestige bonus for Liu Bei's immediate entry into Yuzhou.
Just imagine, among the celebrities in Yuzhou, Yingchuan can get Chen Ji, Li Ying, and Xun You, Runan can get Xu Shao and Yuan Huan, Liang has Huang Jiu, Lu has Chen Yi, and Pei has Huan Shao. et al.
With the help of these people, Liu Bei will soon take control of Yuzhou and gain the support of the local nobles and powerful people in Yuzhou. Even if Yuan Shao wants to incite a rebellion in Yuzhou, I am afraid he will never be as unpopular as Cao Cao in history. .
After listening to Liu Feng's request, Zhuge Jin was immediately ordered to leave for Xiangcheng the next day.
Liu Feng specially arranged for twenty cavalry to protect Zhuge Jin's safety, and asked Zhuge Liang if there was anything he needed to add.
After thinking for a while, Zhuge Liang said: "Liang doesn't know anything about Mr. Li, so he can't have any specific plans. It's just that when Liang heard the courtesy and bowed down to others, the best person would be to surrender to him." So, maybe we can start from here."
Liu Feng's eyes suddenly lit up, he put his hands together and said, "A Liang's words are very reasonable."
Later, Liu Feng told Zhuge Jin: "Ziyu, you can tell Mr. Li all about the great scribes in Xuzhou, and ask him to take his son to Xuzhou."
Just look at Li Zan before he died. He did not leave behind his children and grandchildren, and worked hard to figure out a way out for them. It can be seen that Li Zan's feelings for his children and grandchildren are very important.
If we can start from this point, we will get twice the result with half the effort.
As long as Li Xuan and others are tied up in Xuzhou, are you still afraid that Li Zan can escape alone?
"Especially the news about Mr. Zijiang, we must let Mr. Li know. Besides, with my father's face in front of Mr. Zijiang, it is not difficult to comment on my brother."
Liu Feng remembered that Xu Zijiang was still recovering in Xuzhou.
Can we just take advantage of it?
This is the most prestigious private ability certification expert in the whole late Han Dynasty. If you can get a good comment from him, you will not worry about status for the rest of your life.
Zhuge Jin just nodded and remembered Liu Feng's words seriously, showing an extraordinary loyalty.
This is what Liu Feng admires most about him.
Later, Liu Feng handed other military reports to Zhuge brothers.
After the Zhuge brothers finished reading, Liu Feng took the initiative to ask for their opinions.
Zhuge Jin was still cautious, lost in thought and did not speak.
Zhuge Liang still spoke before his brother: "Young Master, at this time, you can order Colonel Jia Kui to guard Yangzhai, personally lead an army south, join the East Route Army, and capture Yingyang."
The middle army had a total of 7,000 men, but there were 10,000 prisoners, and twice as many women and children, so Yangdi had to retain enough manpower.
But no matter how many troops Yangzhai sends, the pressure on Yingyang is real, and it is also a huge morale bonus for the East Route Army.
The successful merger of the two armies will inevitably boost morale.
This is also the main reason why Zhuge Liang persuaded Liu Feng to send troops from Yangzhai.
Liu Feng happily followed it, feeling that Zhuge Liang's suggestion spoke to his heart.
So, Liu Feng revealed his plan: "I plan to leave four thousand people for Liang Dao, and I will personally command the remaining three thousand. Maybe I can choose four or five more from the Yellow Turban prisoners. Thousands of people go out with the army to serve as auxiliary troops. What does A Liang think? "
In this way, Liu Feng can have four to five thousand more civilians with his army, and at the same time it can reduce the pressure on Jia Kui in Yangzhai City, and he can also bring more men and strengthen the momentum of the middle army. It can be said that he kills three birds with one stone.
Zhuge Liang smiled and nodded: "This is a great plan."
Zhuge Jin also thought about it at this time, raised his head and said: "Young Master, if this is the case, why not divide Jia Bin into We will use a thousand cavalry to escort three thousand Yellow Turbans to the East Route Army. In this way, all the Yellow Turbans in the city can be taken to Yingyang City." When Liu Feng heard this, he immediately felt that this suggestion was good.
The cavalry is fast, so they first escorted three thousand people to serve as civilian husbands for Tai Shici's Eastern Route Army.
As a result, there were three thousand fewer Yellow Turbans in Yangzhai, and Liu Feng could bring more troops with him when he sent out troops. More troops meant that he could bring more Yellow Turbans with him.
Perfect.
In this way, Jia Kui only needs to leave two thousand soldiers, and he can take four thousand people with him. It will not be a problem to take all the remaining seven or eight thousand yellow turban civilians. And Jia Kui's two thousand men guarded the old, weak, women and children in the city without any pressure.
In fact, during this raid on Yingchuan, Liu Feng's logistics could not rely on waterways, so he relied on the young men captured in Gong County and the young men in Yin, Henan.
Although most areas in Henan Yin have been turned into flat ground, the forward bases of the East Route Army and the West Route Army are still well preserved.
Because Xinzheng County and Liang County deviated from the Sanguan Avenue and were not the main roads chosen by the Xiliang Army when they raided Yingchuan, tens of thousands of people still remained and lived separately in the two places.
In addition, Yang Feng and Zhang Yang were asked to send some troops to help escort the food, thus ensuring the logistics of the Xuzhou Army.
Now the Central Route Army has successfully captured Yangdi, and a large amount of grain has been stored in the city, allowing the advance base to jump directly from Yinyi, Henan to Yangdi City. Coupled with the strategies offered by the Zhuge brothers, this undoubtedly greatly reduced the logistical pressure.
"Shan, that's it, let's set off tomorrow."
Liu Feng praised: "Xian Kunzhong is really my confidant."
Early the next morning, Liu Feng issued an order. With Jia Bin as the chief general and Liu Fu as the deputy general, he supervised more than a thousand Sanhe knights in his headquarters and escorted three thousand Yellow Turbans to Xiangcheng.
Originally Liu Feng wanted to send some food there, but he was worried that Yingyang's Yellow Turban Army would come out of the city to attack, so he gave up temporarily.
There is no need to take risks now. At most, we can wait until we meet up with Taishi Ci's troops at the foot of Yingyang City, and all the logistics Zizhong can be shipped from Yangzhai.
After Jia Bin and the others set off, Zhuge Liang came again with a silk book to ask for an audience.
“Young Master, this is the storage in Yangzhai City. It has been sorted out.”
Liu Feng's eyes suddenly lit up and he quickly took the silk book. At the same time, he invited Zhuge Liang to take a seat and ordered his attendants to serve tea.
Then I opened the silk book and started reading.
You don’t know this by looking at it. I was really overjoyed when I saw it, and I also understood where Cao Cao would get the capital to farm in Yingchuan in the future.
The feelings are all funded by the local Yellow Turban Army in Yingchuan.
Yangzhai’s Yellow Turban Army has been in Yangzhai City for two years and has been stationed in the fields for two years.
The land in Yingchuan County is extremely fertile, and there are five parallel rivers within the territory. The natural water conservancy resources are so abundant that people can envy them.
It’s no wonder why Yingchuan’s territory is less than half the size of Guangling County in Xuzhou, but its population is one high digit more than Guangling.
The population of Guangling is 410,000, but the population of Yingchuan is 1.43 million.
Other places have been experiencing severe droughts in the past two years, but Yingchuan has not felt it at all because its water conservancy resources are so generous. Even if there is insufficient rainfall, it can still be supplemented by water from the river.
Therefore, the Yellow Turban Army in Yingchuan actually had a good harvest.
Most of the Yellow Turbans came from hungry people, and they had hostile relations with the surrounding princes and lacked trade contacts.
Generally, after a good harvest, part of the grain will be sold. Even if the upper-level leaders are relatively clean, they will be replaced with cloth, goods, medicinal materials, ordnance, tools and other materials to supplement production.
After all, food cannot be stored for a long time.
But the problem is that the Yellow Turban Army has no channel to sell large quantities of grain in exchange for various goods and luxury goods. They can only store the large amounts of grain from the harvest, just like squirrels.
As a result, everything is now cheaper for Liu Feng.
(End of this chapter)