The soldiers of the Tang Dynasty had taken control of the city gate, and torches illuminated the north of the city as if it were daytime.
Gao Changshou rode his horse through the city cave, and he couldn't wait to summon a general and asked: "Is the Nancheng Pier under control?"
"No, the stubborn Song army in the city retreated to Nancheng Pier."
"Gao Suihe. Take your people and seize Nancheng Pier as soon as possible and seize Fancheng's ships."
"yes."
After this conversation, Gao Changshou frowned slightly and looked serious.
He was short of ships because the important town of Xiangyang stood on the south bank of the Han River, and there was a moat surrounding the city, and Xian Mountain stood to the southwest of the city, making it impossible for the Tang army to deploy its troops below the city.
Now that everything is going smoothly, he, the coach of the Song Dynasty, is stuck in Xiangyang. How can he not be in a hurry?
I was about to go to Nancheng to have a look in person, but when I turned around, I saw the streets in front of me were full of people kneeling on their knees.
"Commander, the army and people of Fancheng ask you to surrender."
When entering the city, he always wanted to say a few words to the soldiers and civilians in the city to appease people's hearts. Gao Changshou put down the anxiety in his heart and rode forward.
"Fathers and fellow villagers, don't worry. When Master Wang enters the city, Qiu will not do anything wrong!"
The shouts were carried away by the river wind, and the soldiers carried his words.
"Today, when Yang Qianpan asked me to surrender, he wrote a poem, 'Xiangfan has been engaged in warfare for four years, but there are no fishermen's songs and no woodcutter's songs. How are things going now? The gold is wasting away, and the grain is also wasting away...'"
This judge Yang Qian was one of the internal agents who contacted Gao Changshou and helped the Tang army enter the city. Of course, most of the soldiers and civilians in the city were willing to surrender.
Fanchengzhong has indeed been unable to eat for a long time.
"Xiangfan is a good place, with mountains, rivers, and natural treasures. But over the years, it is located on the border with Mongolia and Yuan Dynasty, and there have been continuous battles. Have you ever lived a stable life?"
"No!"
Some people couldn't help but responded, and then more and more people responded.
"No!"
"No!"
Gao Changshou did not expect anyone to respond. He took a few steps forward on his horse and squinted his eyes. He saw that everyone in the city was extremely thin.
Even if Fancheng has not yet reached the point of exchanging children for food, it is not far away.
He couldn't help but feel worthless and confused.
It's not worth it for these soldiers and civilians to guard Zhao and Song Dynasties to this point, and I don't understand why they can do this.
So he recruited his generals and ordered: "Cook some military rations and distribute them to the people in the city."
"Commander, if we let them eat enough, what if..."
Gao Changshou stopped the general from speaking with his eyes.
He looked at the people on the long street again and had forgotten Lu Wenhuan in Xiangyang City.
"From today on, there will no longer be a boundary between south and north. From now on, north and south will become one, and the world will be at peace. The elders of Xiangfan should live in peace, with fishermen singing late in the night and smoke lingering from the cooking pots..."
~~
A bonfire was set up at the city gate and porridge was cooked.
Later, some generals rushed over and reported a few words to Gao Changshou.
"The Song army occupied the ships and resisted tenaciously. The strange thing is that they neither wanted to counterattack Fancheng nor retreat to Xiangyang, as if they were waiting for someone."
"Commander, we have received news that Song general Niu Fu is not dead and is still facing the Xumen tower in the south. The Song army on the river must be trying to meet him, and the general has sent additional troops there."
Gao Changshou was surprised: "Niu Fu is not dead?"
"Yes, this man has always been kind to the soldiers and has great prestige in the army. Although the defenders in the city surrendered, they could not bear to kill him."
"Take me there..."
Fancheng is not a big place, passing through the city from north to south. There is no resistance everywhere except near Jiangji where killing cries can be heard.
"Where is Niu Fu!"
"Don't leave Niu Fu..."
Gao Changshou heard the shouting, ignored the dissuasion of his subordinates, and drove his horse forward in person. He rushed towards the most intense fighting point on the battlefield and hit a Song general with a big knife in his hand.
~~
Niu Fu was supported by two soldiers and was about to board the ship. Suddenly he heard a loud noise behind him. He turned around and saw Wang Fu falling to the ground and being held down by several Tang soldiers.
Afterwards, the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty rushed towards this side with Wang Fu in charge, and a gold-armored general rode behind him.
"Wang Fu!"
"General, leave quickly..."
"Niu Fu!" Gao Changshou shouted: "Aren't you going to surrender?!"
With this shout, the Song army's resistance was no longer fierce. Perhaps they were worried about hurting Wang Fu, so they did not dare to shoot arrows; perhaps they were waiting for Niu Fu to surrender.
Niu Fu stopped running away and stood there with his knife in hand.
He thought of Fan Tianshun's biography and responded: "Be born as a minister of the Song Dynasty, and die as a ghost of the Song Dynasty."
After that, he ordered no more resistance, pushed away the soldiers beside him, and prepared to die.
"Is it worth it?"
Gao Changshou drove his horse forward and asked: "Do you really want to let the people of Fancheng exchange their sons for food, just to protect the country for the Zhao family?"
Niu Fu said: "I have received a share of the salary from the Song Dynasty, and I have contributed to it. If the soldiers and the common people want to live, they can surrender if they should. I have no objection. But there cannot be no heroes in the Fancheng army. Let the word go out and call for people."
What a joke... stop talking nonsense and just kill me!"
"Who said you received a salary from the Song Dynasty?!"
Gao Changshou continued to move forward and was within the range of the Song army's crossbows.
Not afraid at all, he raised his knife and pointed it at Niu Fu.
"Your salary is your salary, and the people support the people! It is the common people who give you salary. Has Mr. Zhao ever planted a grain of rice? You work hard for him, and you pretend to be a hero?"
Niu Fu was stunned for a moment.
His mind was full of loyalty, and he had never had such a concept before.
Therefore, what seems to be commonplace to others is a revelation to him.
This is a very new concept for him.
"Niu Fu, do you know what a hero is? Mere courage is not enough." Gao Changshou said: "Only when you save the people from water and fire, and save the people from hanging upside down, can you be called a hero."
Niu Fu raised his head and was about to say something when he suddenly heard a voice coming from the north.
The sounds grew louder and louder, gathering together into a uniform cheer.
Gao Changshou looked back and said, "There are grains being put out in the north of the city."
Even Niu Fu swallowed subconsciously.
Only when you are very hungry can you realize how lucky you are to have a bite to eat, and you cannot cheer too much.
"Long live the Tang Dynasty...Long live the Tang Dynasty..."
"when."
With a sound, the knife in Niu Fu's hand fell to the ground.
Only those who save people from water and fire and save people from hanging upside down can be called heroes. This reminded him of the song he heard someone sing just now.
~~
"The country is so beautiful that it attracts countless heroes to bend over..."
In Xiangyang City, Lu Wenhuan was copying a poem from the north. When he wrote this sentence, his eyes narrowed and he stopped.
He felt excited and put down his pen, unwilling to write the next sentence.
Perhaps it's because he no longer has the energy and energy to carry the spirit of half a poem.
After all, he is already a loser.
Asking for surrender but not being able to do so makes people anxious...
"uncle."
Someone opened the door and came in, but it was Lu Shiyi.
Lu Shiyi is the tenth son of Lu Wende. Although he is a disciple of the general, he is well dressed.
"Uncle, has Li Xia agreed to our conditions? If the siege is no longer over, I have to return to Jiangzhou..."
"No."
"Then when can we let go?"
Lu Wenhuan's face sank and he said: "Li Xia did not agree to my request to surrender."
"How is it possible?" Lu Shiyi didn't believe it, "Doesn't my uncle not want to surrender? Could it be that he believed Fan Tianshun's lies..."
“See for yourself!”
Lu Wenhuan was displeased and slapped a letter on Lu Shiyi's face with his backhand.
No matter how hard he tried, what came out was just paper, and finally it landed lightly on the ground.
Lu Shiyi had no choice but to straighten his sleeves and bend over to get it. He groaned because of the hard work of bending down.
"The candlelight in my uncle's apartment is so dim."
He spread out the letter and looked at it by the candlelight, then said "Huh".
"How unreasonable?! Uncle, is this Li Xia an emperor or a robber? I regard him as the founder of the country, the Son of Heaven, and he views me as a fat sheep that is easy to slaughter, and a slave that is easy to bully. He has no respect for humanity and just takes people by force.
Cai, what a great little minister..."
Lu Shiyi visited brothels a lot, and when he cursed, he always had the tone of a prostitute, and he kept shaking the letter in his hand.
Lu Wenhuan was upset when he heard this. He turned around and yelled: "Noisy!"
"Uncle." Lu Shiyi said aggrievedly, "It's Li Xia who went too far!"
"He goes too far, what can you do to him?"
"I don't care, how can the Lu family's money be given to him?"
Lu Wenhuan raised his hand and shouted: "Let me tell you, money is not a big deal. Just by reading the word 'exam' on this letter, your past crimes and crimes will be revealed and you will be able to peel off your skin."
"
"Then I won't surrender yet!"
Master Lu became angry and simply tore the letter into pieces and threw it to the ground.
"I'm not happy guarding the Song Dynasty, so I got the bad luck from that guy for no reason."
Lu Wenhuan was agitated and turned around, too lazy to pay attention to him.
Some soldiers outside the door shouted a few more times.
"General Fan, wait a minute..."
"Fan Dutong, please wait for me to pass the message..."
The sound of footsteps was heard, and Fan Tianshun rushed in.
And people arrived before the sound came.
"I heard that Marshal Lu is going to surrender? Yes or no?!"
Lu Wenhuan turned his head, but first waved away the guards who were following him.
"You guys go down first."
When Fan Tianshun saw Lu Shiyi in the room, he immediately showed contempt and asked, "Is Lu Yanei trying to persuade the commander to treason and surrender?"
Lu Shiyi sneered.
He had always hated Fan Tianshun, but now he changed his mind and said, "General Fan guessed wrong. I'm here to persuade my uncle to stick to Xiangyang and fight to the death with the rebels."
Fan Tianshun involuntarily leaned back to avoid being exposed to Lu Shiyi's vulgarity, and only spoke to Lu Wenhuan.
"The country of Sheji is so unfortunate. Others can do it, but the commander-in-chief can't. A drop of kindness will be repaid. Mrs. Lu has been deeply grateful for the emperor's kindness for decades, how can she not be loyal?"
Lu Wenhuan was speechless and looked at the half of the poems he had copied, feeling panicked in his heart.
He considers himself to be passionate.
However, this pride seems to be suppressed by various things and cannot be released.
So I tried to speak several times, trying to say some kind words in response to Fan Tianshun, but I didn't have the confidence, so I had to say: "I didn't intend to surrender."
As soon as he finished speaking, whistles were blown loudly in the city to indicate that he was attacked by the enemy.
Lu Wenhuan strode out and shouted to the oncoming soldiers: "Which direction are the rebels attacking again?!"
"Commander, it's not good, the rebels have already invaded the Shuiguan of Xiaobei Gate!"
"How could this be so?" Lu Wenhuan didn't believe it.
"The guard of Fancheng, Niu Fu, has surrendered. He came with the navy of Fancheng..."