Chapter 735 Beheading and Censoring

   "Your Majesty, the situation has changed." When the sun was heading towards the west, the captain of the Dark Night Battalion came to report the new situation again, "There seems to be some movement from the Cao thief?"

  Feng Yong was surprised, "Have you been discovered?"

   "No. It's a new thief army found in the west."

  Feng Yong's heart tightened, "How many people are there?

   "I don't know for the time being, but the brothers in the camp are trying to find out. But it seems that there are many carts, horses and cattle inside, and it looks like they are escorting food and grass."

  At this time, Zhang Yuan, who had been staying on the top of the mountain to observe the enemy's situation, also ran down panting, still tightly holding the binoculars that Feng Yong temporarily let him keep.

   "Shan Zhang, the Cao thief sent a batch of food and grass."

   Is this... the logistics unit?

  Feng Yong's mind immediately turned.

  Come from the west, either sent by Jincheng, or come from the other side of the Yellow River, crossing the river from Jincheng.

  Going east, there must be only one destination: Yuzhong.

  So, this small camp is a transit point, or a temporary foothold.

  From the smooth road in the mountains, to the unguarded mountain pass, to the moment when the Wei army's supply team appeared in such a big way in front of my eyes.

   Feng Yong was more certain of one thing: Jiang Wei's conjecture was probably right, and Wei Jun in Jincheng never thought that he would come over the mountain.

  Although I don't know what Liu Hun and Chen Shi did, the general Wei Jun in Hexi did not notify Jincheng.

   It may have been notified, but the guard of Jincheng didn't care at all.

   But no matter what, this is a great opportunity.

  Feng Yong thought about it, and asked Li Jian to come over again.

   "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

  The headband that Li Jian originally wore has long since disappeared, because walking in the mountains is easy to be caught by branches and weeds.

  The robe on his body was torn a few times.

   Although this family member didn't seem to have suffered too much, he was able to grit his teeth and persevere along the way, which made Feng Yonggao take a look at him.

   "Crossing the mountain from the south, how many people know this road?"

  Feng Yong asked a question.

   "It should be quite a few. After all, the caravans in the clan come out of the mountains, and they can't hide it from others."

  Li Jian didn't understand why Feng Yong asked this question, and he pointed outside.

   "On the flat land outside the valley, there used to be a small village. In fact, it was the place where the clan's caravan came out of the mountain and stayed overnight."

  Feng Yong immediately thought of the small camp, "But now there is no small village outside, only a Cao thief's camp."

  Hearing this, Li Jian smiled.

   "The good teacher learned that since the Northern Expedition of the Han Dynasty pacified Longyou, most of the people near Yuzhong and Jincheng were relocated to Hexi."

   "The ones that haven't moved out are mostly in and around the outer city. How can there be people living in other places?"

   "So when the clan's caravan came over the mountain for the last time last year, that small village was no longer there."

  Thinking of her own family, Li Jian also sighed.

   Back then, Didao was the only way to go to the Western Regions. Later, although everyone went from Jincheng, it was no problem for the family caravan to go the old way.

   Anyway, they are all going to the Western Regions!

   Unexpectedly, after more than a hundred years of Qiang rebellion, this passage was completely blocked.

  Later, the family finally opened a new road. Although it is not convenient, it is better than nothing.

  Who knew that the Han army would go to the Northern Expedition again, well, this time they would not even be able to go to Guanzhong.

   Fortunately, I was able to get some special products from the Li family in the middle of Shu, so I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

  Unexpectedly, the dispute between the Han and Wei Dynasties in Longyou stopped, and the Qiang and Hu rebelled in Longxi, and even Didao was almost occupied by the Hu people.

  So sometimes Li Jian really doubts, maybe there is something wrong with the feng shui of the Li family's ancestral tomb?

   Otherwise, why has the luck of the Li family in Longxi become weaker and weaker over the years?

  Feng Yong naturally didn't know what Li Jian was thinking. When he heard Li Jian's words, he remembered that there were no people on the official road, so he suddenly came to his senses.

  At the same time, he was even more certain in his heart that the guard of Jincheng was completely defenseless against this side road.

   "Go, call me all three generals."

  Feng Yong ordered Zhang Yuan.

  Li Jian resigned tactfully.

  After learning the real situation outside, Jiang Wei's face became agitated, and he was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, this is a great time!"

   "Food and grass are the foundation of the army. If Cao thief's food and grass appear here, then Jincheng must have sent reinforcements to Yuzhong."

   "As long as we cut off their food and grass from the back, Cao's bandits have no food in their army, and we will go to rescue Cao's bandits in Yuzhong and we will be defeated! This is much better than pinning down the Jincheng bandits!"

  Well, this statement fits Jiang Wei's historical personality very well.

  Sometimes I like to use surprise soldiers to risk my troops, either to win or lose.

  Feng Yong looked at Zhang Yi and Ju Fu, but he also looked at him eagerly.

   "Your Majesty, the enemy's food roads are mostly carefully guarded by heavy soldiers. Now such an opportunity is hard to find, so don't miss it!"

  Although Zhang Ni was a little more stable and suppressed his voice, his tone was urgent.

  Feng Yong pondered, "These are just our guesses, how sure are you?"

  Jiang Wei and Zhang Ni helped the three of them to look at each other, and finally Zhang Ni said, "Speaking less is worth seven or eight points."

   That means there is still 30% danger?

  Feng Junhou felt a little regretful in his heart. In fact, I wanted nine points...the remaining one point is for God's will.

   "Okay! Then we will rob this batch of grain and grass."

  Feng Yong nodded in agreement.

  Now I don't know anything about the situation in Jincheng and Yuzhong. If I can rob this batch of grain and grass, I can at least get some news from Cao thief, so I can deal with it.

  The captain of the Wei Army stood outside the camp, constantly yelling at the auxiliary soldiers and civilians, asking them to place the grain carts and luggage in the camp according to the rules.

   At the same time, let them place all kinds of livestock around the camp.

  Someone was in a hurry, and the grain and grass on the car were turned out all at once, causing the captain to yell at him.

   "Are you in a hurry to find death?! This is the food and grass for the army ahead. If something goes wrong, I'll see how many heads you have to chop off!"

  The military marquis guarding the camp led people out to help, and the food and grass had to be settled before the sun set.

  Business and chaos inside and out.

   "Lieutenant Yang must have been exhausted and thirsty after rushing all the way. The camp has already prepared hot soup. Why don't you go in and rest for a while. For outside matters, just leave it to the subordinate officials."

   Junhou said to the leading school lieutenant.

  The lieutenant nodded, and was about to turn around when the civilian husband who happened to pass by the two carrying grain suddenly shook his hand.

   With a sound of "Peng", the grain bag fell to the ground, the hole opened, and the yellow millet spilled out, mixing with the dust on the ground.

"you wanna die!"

  The captain was furious, strode forward, and slammed the civilian husband on the head with the handle of the knife.

  The civilian husband was knocked down to the ground, and blood soon flowed from his forehead.

  He screamed and was about to cover his wound, but suddenly his eyes showed panic, and he stretched out his finger to point behind the captain.

   At the same time, he opened his mouth and screamed, as if he wanted to speak desperately, but he couldn't utter a single word.

   "Playing dead? Hurry up and get up and work!"

  The captain raised his foot and was about to step on it when someone grabbed his arm: "Uncle...Uncle..."

   Who is your uncle?

  The captain turned his head angrily, his open mouth could no longer close.

  Under the golden light of the western sun, countless Shu troops poured out from the valley, like a surging red tide, approaching this small camp.

   "Lieutenant Yang, what should we do?"

  The Marquis who was guarding the camp with less than 200 people was the first to react, his face extremely pale.

  Before the captain could speak, the civilian husband who was already busy shouted from someone: "The Han army is here!"

  So with the small camp as the center, there was a "boom", and many civilians fled around like headless chickens.

   "Boom!"

  Huge stones hit the city wall, and even the Wei soldiers hiding inside the city gate felt the throbbing of the city wall.

   Some soldiers who couldn't stand the sound tightly covered their ears.

  If it weren't for Wei's strict military law, the parents, wives and children who were at home would be implicated. I'm afraid some people would already start fleeing.

  Before the Han army stopped throwing stones, one could hear faint shouts of killing from outside the city.

  The soldiers of the Wei army knew that the reinforcements from Jincheng were trying to break through the interception of the Han army.

   "The old man is your mother!"

  Jincheng prefect Zhang Hua watched the soldiers who were fighting on the front line being forced to retreat, and couldn't help pointing at Yuzhong City in the west, jumping and cursing.

   "The old man led the army to rescue, Wei Ping, are you dead? Don't even dare to go out of the city to respond?"

  Three months ago, Xu Miao, governor of Liangzhou, appointed Zhang Gong from the Zhang family in Dunhuang as the prefect of Jincheng, but Zhang Gong declined because of his old age.

  Xu Miao wanted to replace him with Zhang Gong's son Zhang Jiu.

   Zhang Gong had no choice but to recommend his younger brother Zhang Hua as the prefect of Jincheng.

  Xu Miao, on the grounds that Zhang's family in Dunhuang wrote in Hexi, specially allowed Zhang to take office together with his family uncle, as the chief historian of Jincheng.

  The uncle and nephew of the Zhang family had only been in office for three months, when the Han army attacked Yuzhong.

  Zhang Hua asked his nephew Zhang Jiu to guard Jincheng, and at the same time be responsible for the delivery of grain and grass, while he personally led the army to rescue Yuzhong.

   Unexpectedly, Wei Ping, the defender of Yuzhong, dared not even show his head, let alone go out of the city to respond to him.

  How could this not cause Zhang Hua to yell at him?

  It's just that Wei Ping in the city is suffering and can't tell.

  When the Han army first arrived at the city, it wasn't that he didn't try to test the depth of the opponent.

   Who would have thought that the jujube-faced general on the opposite side was really extraordinary, and he killed the soldiers he sent out in one fell swoop.

  In addition, in the past few days, countless stones have been thrown on the city continuously, and a few unlucky soldiers were smashed into meat paste under the eyes of everyone.

  It is really terrifying.

  Although the Han army did not formally attack the city, the morale in the city has begun to decline.

  The rocks flying all over the sky rumbled like thunder.

  When some boulders fell into the city, they directly smashed a big hole in the ground, sinking three feet into the ground.

   This is a siege implement that has never been seen before.

  There have even been rumors in the city that the Han army was assisted by ghosts and gods, and they were able to throw boulders on top of their heads hundreds of steps away through magic.

  Every time a huge boulder was thrown, the Wei soldiers standing under the city wall and hiding were terrified, let alone the defenders who were forced to guard the city wall.

  Everyone at the top of the city is leaning tightly behind the female wall, feeling the vibration of the city wall, always feeling that the city wall will collapse in the next moment.

  Wei Yan did not surround Yuzhong to death this time, he only surrounded the south and west.

   To the north is a big river, blocking the way.

  The only way to survive is to the east.

   But the east is not easy to go.

  Wei Ping knew that after the Shu captives took Longyou, the original Great Wei was in Hedong, but there were actually three places to guard.

  In addition to Jincheng and Yuzhong, there is also Zu Li from Wuwei County.

  But since the Shu captives imitated the Great Wei and appointed a captain who protected the Qiang, Zu Li had to give up.

  Because the pseudo-guard Qiang captain of the Shu captives was disgusting, he directly placed the government office in Pingxiang, which was like pushing Yuzhong and Zuli's throats, making people feel like they were stuck in their throats.

   What's even more disgusting is that the fake guard Qiang Xiaowei also used some method to make the Longyou Hu people so obedient.

  Because Yuzhong is close to the big river and there are Jincheng echoing each other, so there is no need to worry too much.

   But Zu Li is different, too far apart, the isolated city is difficult to defend, and is often harassed by Hu people coming from Pingxiang.

  So before the Shu captives sent troops, Wei had to take the initiative to give up Wuwei's territory in Hedong.

   Now it is already a grazing land for the Hu people, and there are even rumors that the Shu captives are dividing the grassland for the Hu people there.

  Wei Ping could have guessed that if he dared to walk from the east, those Hu people who had become the dogs of the Shu captives would definitely bite him on the road.

  So the best way is to wait for the Jincheng reinforcements to come, either to repel the Shu captives, or to echo each other with the Jincheng reinforcements and return to Jincheng together.

  Wei Yan brought more than 20,000 people over, and only surrounded two directions, and he didn't need soldiers to attack the city for the time being, so the troops were naturally quite sufficient.

  But the Jincheng reinforcements coming from the west made it impossible to concentrate on dealing with the Cao bandits in Yuzhong City, and Wei Yan's anger gradually became uncontrollable.

   "Then what happened to Feng Yong? It was agreed to contain the Jincheng Cao thief, and now the Cao thief in Jincheng has gone to Yuzhong City, what about the others?"

  When the sun went down and the two sides ceased their troops, Wei Yan was furious in the commander's tent, "Has he brought tens of thousands of soldiers and horses to play?"

  Gao Xiang, the prefect of Nan'an who was in charge of stopping Jincheng's reinforcements, heard Wei Yan's words, and could only comfort him: "Maybe Feng Junhou has something to delay."

   "Besides, the division of troops between the two armies makes it difficult to communicate, and it is normal that they cannot respond in time."

  That's what he said, but Gao Xiang was actually a little worried: Feng Junhou, something happened, right?

  Compared to Wei Yan, Gao Xiang felt closer to Feng Yong, who was young and talented, had outstanding performance in the Northern Expedition, and had excellent skills in governing Longyou.

  Of course, as a general who followed the late emperor to Shu from Jingzhou, General Gao is naturally very principled.

   Certainly not because Jingzhou faction people are willing to get close to Feng Yong because of the benefits they get from those Hanzhong manors, Nanzhong sugar cane, Longyou wool spinning workshops and so on.

  Wei Yan’s anger still persists: “I’m worried because looking at Yuzhong City, I’m afraid it won’t be able to last for two days. If the city breaks, Cao will either fight to the death, or find a way to escape.”

   "At that time, Cao's bandit reinforcements will be on the side in the west, how can we wipe out the bandits with all our strength?"

  Gao Xiang has a different opinion: "General Wei, if there is no engineering battalion of Feng Junhou, how can I break through the city so quickly? Wait a little longer."

  Wei Yan snorted and did not answer the topic.

  He turned his head and asked Huo Yi who was standing below: "According to the current situation, how many days are left before we can break the city?"

  Huo Yi is the person sent by Hu Qiang's captain's mansion to temporarily lead the engineering battalion. His most important task is to keep the engineering battalion tight and prevent others from randomly intervening in command.

  He knew that his qualifications were shallow, so he always stood on the edge and remained silent.

  At this time, seeing Wei Yan questioning himself, he stood up: "Return to the general, as long as there are enough stones, the city will be broken in two days."

  This is the literal statement of the chief engineer of the engineering battalion. Huo Yi just conveyed it, but in fact he didn't know anything about the operational terms of the engineering battalion.

   "Okay, I'll wait another three days. After three days, if there is no news from Feng Yong, then let go of the west side, and we can just take down Yuzhong City. It will be Feng Yong's fault for the Cao thief to flee!"

   Wei Yan gritted his teeth.

  Although it seems that the troops are divided into two sides, in fact, it is only necessary to block the enemy to the west.

   When the city wall of Yuzhong collapses, it will be the day of siege. If you divide the troops at that time, you will be in danger.

  Because the collapse of the city wall is only the first step in the siege.

  Soldiers invaded the city and cleared the thieves in the city before it was truly broken. So at that time, let alone trying to encircle the defeated army, I am afraid that they will be reluctant to stop the enemy from the west.

  (end of this chapter)