There are no dangers from mountains and rivers in this city, and it is the site of the Fourth War. The terrain is scattered and not conducive to defense.
In the sky full of wind and snow, black figures appeared in the north of the city, followed by the sound of horns on the top of the city.
"The rebels are here again!"
The siege of the city had lasted for many days. Amidst the shouts, Zhang Xun, who had not rested for several days, once again boarded the turret in the northeast of the city. He looked through his telescope and saw rebels attacking from both directions.
The enemy troops in the north were flying the banner of "King Huai of Dayan". Shi Chaoyi took advantage of the ice of the Yellow River to cross to the south bank, and cooperated with Zhou Zhi who came from Huliangdu to form a pincer attack on Bianzhou City.
At first, Li Guangbi asked Zhang Xun to guard Bianzhou City for half a month. When the military order came, Zhang Xun's generals felt that they had been slighted and asked the messenger if they knew how long Zhang Xun had been guarding Yongqiu.
Zhang Xun did not dare to entrust his superiors, so he stopped his generals and personally replied to the messenger that he would stick to it.
However, after the messenger returned, he still reported to Li Guangbi what he heard in Bianzhou. Li Guangbi faced off with Shi Siming's main force and felt that the pressure was too great. When he learned that Zhang Xun's generals were so confident, he asked Zhang Xun to hold on.
If you can no longer hold on, ask him for help.
Bianzhou City fell into a bitter battle.
Previously, due to the obstruction of Helan Jinming and others, grain from Huainan had not been delivered. Now that water transportation had just resumed, Li Xi sent the first batch of grain. As a result, Zhou Zhi arrived and sent his troops south to cut off Zhang Xun's grain route.
.
Zhang Xun paid the most attention to logistical supplies during the war. Seeing that Zhou Zhi had cut off the supply route, he arranged his soldiers in the south of the city, preparing to go out to meet Li Xi.
Seeing this, Zhou Zhi divided half of his troops to the south of the city. Unexpectedly, Zhang Xun actually led the warriors to attack Zhou Zhi's camp in the east of the city at night. He used explosives to blow open the fence, set fire to the rebels' tents, provisions, and fire
He had no desire to fight, so he retreated to Bianzhou City before the rebels from the south could reach them.
In the twelfth lunar month of winter, the rebel soldiers had no choice but to chop firewood and transport supplies. That is to say, they were mostly Northern Fortress frontier troops and could withstand the colder weather than the Tang army. Otherwise, their morale would have dropped even more.
Zhou Zhi suffered a small loss at first and had to order to guard against Tang troops leaving the city day and night. The next night, he received military information again and said that he saw Tang soldiers hanging from the top of Nancheng one by one.
"Zhang Xun, how dare you come?!"
Zhou Zhi was furious, stood up, and personally led his troops to check. In the distance, he saw black shadows leaping down from the top of the city.
Fortunately, he was prepared and ordered his soldiers to fire arrows at the Tang soldiers above and below the city.
The Tang troops on the city immediately screamed.
The rebels mobilized more archers overnight and fired thousands of arrows. The screams continued all night, and it was unknown how many Tang soldiers were killed or injured.
When it was dawn, Zhou Zhi took a closer look and found that the Tang army was pulling the ropes and dragging the scarecrows up the city one by one. He looked up at the top of the city again and saw that all the people standing on the top of the city were scarecrows.
And these scarecrows are covered with arrows from the rebels.
From this day on, the arrow rain when the Tang army defended the city became much denser than before.
Moreover, for several nights in a row, Zhang Xun tried to repeat his old plan and used a scarecrow to deceive Zhou Zhi's arrows. Zhou Zhi would not be fooled again and scolded Zhang Xun for being greedy.
And just a few days later, on a night when the rebels' defense was lax, Zhang Xun personally led a thousand men to attack the rebel south camp at night. The rebels deliberately did not fire arrows at first, but when Tang Qi rushed in, they fell into chaos and trampled on each other.
.
When Zhou Zhi saw his soldiers rushing indiscriminately without distinguishing between ourselves and the enemy, he was in a panic and did not dare to fight, so he fled back to Dongying on horseback.
Zhang Xun not only got the baggage of his southern camp, but also got in touch with Li Xun, and drove the supplies back to Bianzhou with a thousand oxen and horses overnight.
This battle finally stabilized the turmoil in Henan caused by Li Zhi's defeat.
But Zhou Zhi quickly reorganized his troops, and Shi Chaoyi also attacked and surrounded Bianzhou.
Once Bianzhou is lost, Luoyang will definitely not be able to hold it. Moreover, Zhang Xun knows that the soldiers and people of Luoyang City have been frightened for a long time, and now they must be in chaos.
He did not dare to take any unexpected risks, so he sent people to Yan Gaoqing and Li Guangbi respectively to ask for help.
This time he asked for help not because he could no longer hold on, but for the sake of the stability of the overall situation. What Zhang Xun was thinking about now was not the gains and losses of a city or a place, but the progress of the Tang Dynasty's counterinsurgency, and how to make more people in the future
Stable and less troublesome.
He gritted his teeth and looked through the snow and wind at Shi Chaoyi's army.
~~
The white snow was trampled into a mess, stained with blood, and turned into red ice. Shi Chaoyi gritted his teeth and looked at the tall and solid Bianzhou city wall with fierce eyes.
He eagerly wanted to capture Bianzhou, and then continue to advance eastward to achieve great success in capturing the eastern capital. This related to whether he was King Huai or the crown prince of Dayan...
"King Huai!"
Luo Yue, the general of the Yan army, withdrew and reported loudly: "The defenders on the city are too stubborn. If we continue to attack, we will suffer heavy casualties."
Shi Chaoyi felt angry and immediately wanted to scold the general, saying something like "I have to take this city even if I have to sacrifice lives for it", but he swallowed it back.
If he wanted to be the prince, he had to win the support of the soldiers, so he suppressed his anger and patted Luo Yue on the shoulder and said: "Your Majesty is urging you very urgently. What can you do?"
"Excuse me for speaking frankly." Luo Yue said: "The city is guarded by Zhang Xun. He is guarding Yongqiu. An Qingxu has been attacking for several months and still can't take it. How can we take it quickly? Your Majesty's order is too difficult for King Huai."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Although Shi Chaoyi stopped Luo Yue, he agreed with what he said in his heart and felt aggrieved by Shi Siming's strict military order.
"Is it possible to dig a tunnel into the city?" he asked, not realizing that his words showed his mediocrity.
"King Huai, the weather is cold and the ground is freezing, and the soil is too hard to dig." Luo Yue said, "I will see that Zhang Xun is a tough opponent. We should encircle him instead of attacking him. It would be better to go straight to Luoyang."
Shi Chaoyi said: "But His Majesty's military order is for us to capture Bianzhou and help him attack Li Guangbi from both sides."
"The general is out, and military orders are not obeyed."
The reason why Luo Yue retreated from the battle line was because he had something to say to Shi Chaoyi. He took two steps forward and lowered his voice.
The dead and wounded on the battlefield in the distance are still wailing, but the people in charge of the soldiers have no time to pay attention to the battlefield, and once again care about personal gains and losses of power.
"If your Majesty doesn't know how to adapt, and patrols under Bianzhou City, and cannot take the city, it will be your Majesty's fault. Even if he does, he will lose his troops and generals, and those of us who are close to you will die. At that time, how will your Majesty commit suicide?"
Where?!”
Luo Yue changed the subject and said: "On the other hand, Luoyang was originally the capital of Yan. The time for An Qingxu's retreat was still short, the people's hearts were still uncertain, and the city wall was not strong. It will be broken when the king's troops come to the city. By then, the king will have great achievements in regaining it.
, occupy the Eastern Capital and gather momentum, why worry about not being the crown prince?"
"Your Majesty will definitely be angry at me for not obeying military orders. Can you still appoint me?" Shi Chaoyi said.
"The king does not expect to gain the throne through meritorious service, but instead expects His Majesty's love?"
Shi Chaoyi also felt that it made sense in his heart, but he still hesitated and asked: "What if Zhang Xun attacks our rear area?"
Luo Yue said: "So, we have to let Zhou Zhi continue to surround Bianzhou City."
Shi Chaoyi swept away the snow with his feet, squatted down, and knocked the ice and soil on the ground with the handle of the knife. It made a bang bang sound, as hard as Zhang Xun's bones, which was helpless.
"Then...according to the general's wishes."
~~
Two days later, when the sound of gold rang outside the city, Lei Wanchun kicked down the last rebel who climbed to the top of the city, gasping for air, and planned to throw away the knife in his hand.
The handle of the knife had frozen to his palm along with the blood. Every time he took it off, the scabbed frostbite would reopen and the pus inside would leak out, causing pain and itching.
Lei Wanchun seemed unaware and strode towards Zhang Xun.
"Your Majesty! Fortunately, the general has lived up to his command and defended the city for another day!"
His voice was very loud, and it was he who said to Li Guangbi's messenger, "Don't say stay for half a month, even half a year, we can hold it," which made Li Guangbi stop coming to rescue Bianzhou.
Zhang Xun was looking out of the city with his telescope in his hand. He had been looking for a long time. A thick layer of snow had accumulated on his helmet, and his eyebrows and beard were also stained white.
"The rebel forces are low."
"Did you know that you couldn't attack the city you were guarding, so you retreated?" Lei Wanchun asked, "Or did you go to attack Yongqiu, Ningling, Suiyang and other places?"
Zhang Xun didn't answer for a long time. The wind blew his face more and more dry and cracked, and he became more determined. After a long time, he made a confirmation and said: "Luoyang!"
"What?"
"I can't wait to save Luoyang!"
If it had been anyone else, hearing that Zhang Xun was besieged in an isolated city and had to go to support elsewhere when his soldiers were exhausted, he would have been doubtful and dissuaded. But Lei Wanchun did not hesitate at all and raised his hand covered with scars and frostbite.
With one arch, he immediately accepted the order.
The next day, Zhang patrolled Qi Jiaben, Nan Jiyun, Yao Zhen and other generals to analyze the situation. He asked them to guard Bianzhou City while he led Lei Wanchun and led 500 cavalry to attack Shi Chaoyi's rear army and cut off its
Food and grass to support Luoyang.
"Your Majesty, this is too dangerous." Jia Bi quickly advised him.
"Can it be more dangerous than when we were in Yongqiu?"
Zhang Xun had made up his mind and refused to listen to any dissuasion.
Jia Bi had no choice but to bid farewell to Zhang Xun with tears at the top of the city.
However, the troops of Bianzhou had just left the city, and the cavalry under Zhou Zhi soon made movement. They surrounded the city to the west, apparently calculating that Zhang Xun might send troops, and they were well prepared.
"I'm going to rescue the envoy!" Yao Min was immediately anxious.
Jia Ben burst into tears, but strictly followed Zhang Xun's instructions and refused to let these generals leave the city, but still strictly guarded Bianzhou.
Time passed very slowly, and at noon the next day, the rebels were still attacking the city. While the defenders were killing the enemy, they looked to the west and saw that the five hundred horsemen could no longer be seen on the snow-covered plain.
They could only vent their righteous indignation on the rebels who were attacking the city.
suddenly.
"The envoy is back!"
After hearing this, Jia Bi rushed to the head of the west city in person. Sure enough, he saw Zhang Xun's flag and rushed back with hundreds of cavalry.
Yao Min was overjoyed and said hurriedly: "Hurry, open the city gate and welcome the envoy into the city."
"Wait!"
Jia Bi decisively stopped him, took the telescope, and tried to observe. Worried that the rebels had already annihilated Zhang Xun, he put on his clothes and flags to trick him into opening the Bianzhou city gate.
However, it was too dark and the snow was too heavy for him to see clearly, so he could only wipe the telescope over and over again.
"Jia Changshi, please open the city gate quickly. I recognize the envoy."
"Don't worry, let me take a look..."
Wuyangyang's rebels have already come over. They are Shi Chaoyi's troops and are chasing Zhang Xun.
"Jia Changshi!"
"Don't be anxious...don't be anxious..."
Jia Ben's eyes were about to blur. Suddenly, he heard war drums shaking the sky and horns blasting, which made him confused. He had to close his eyes hard, rubbed them, and opened them again.
"Jia Changshi!"
"Don't bother me!"
"King Yong! King Yong is here!"
"I know it's Shi Chaoyi..."
Jia Bi thought it was King Huai of Dayan who was coming. Halfway through his words, he realized what he was saying and quickly took his telescope to look for Xue Bai's flag in the wind and snow.
His eyes were shaking, and suddenly someone took it off.
Yao Min raised his hand and pointed, loudly saying: "It's right there, you can see it clearly without a telescope!"
Jia Ben bent over the desk and read the document for a long time. His eyes were not good. He rubbed his eyes, but he could only see the wind and snow in the sky. He couldn't help but ask: "Where is the big flag?"
??????55.??????
Yao Min was a marksman who could hit the enemy's throat with a hundred steps. He pointed again and said: "Isn't that the banner of King Yong?!"
It turned out that Shi Chaoyi was marching westward, but he encountered Xue Bai's troops east of Yanshi, was ambushed, and was attacked by Zhang Xun, and was severely defeated.
Zhou Zhi quickly led his army to respond, but had to join forces with Shi Chaoyi and retreat to the north of the Yellow River.
The wind blew the snow, and tens of thousands of rebel soldiers and horses were blown away like snowflakes.
~~
"quick!"
The city gate of Bianzhou opened wide, and several soldiers rushed into the city carrying Lei Wanchun. They kicked open a private house with a "bang", and without any explanation, they carried Lei Wanchun into the house and placed him on a couch.
"doctor!"
"Coming."
"Quick, he was hit by eleven arrows. These nine are blocked by armor, and these two shot deep..."
"I know, get out, get out. Come on, get some alcohol."
The soldiers were all driven out and saw Zhang Xun and Xue Bai standing side by side outside.
"King Yong is relieved." Zhang Xun said, "He has a flesh wound, nothing serious. He will recover after a few months of rest."
"He suffered dozens of wounds and his expression remained unchanged. He is truly a fierce general."
Xue Bai said, hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned his head and saw Jia Bi, Yao Min, Nan Jiyun and others coming over. He couldn't help but smile and said: "Long time no see."
Back then, when we all guarded Yongqiu together, it was the most critical moment. Therefore, although the time we got together was short, our friendship was very deep. After not seeing each other for a year, Xue Bai suddenly became the prince and grandson, and was also named King Yong. This
At first, several people thought there would be a sense of distance and didn't know how to meet him.
At this time, Xue Bai's smile was like spring breeze turning into rain, dispelling the restraint in their hearts, and everyone couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha, if General Mo had known earlier, he would have gone with King Yong to recover Luoyang and made a great contribution!"
"It's not too late," Xue Bai said. "The only thing in the world that is not peaceful is the opportunity for men to make contributions."
"If King Yong goes north to attack Shi Siming, he must bring his last general with him."
The sound of voices alarmed Lei Wanchun, who was still bandaging his wounds in the house. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "And... I... I'll go too!"
Everyone laughed.
Only when Zhang Xun saw this scene, the joy on his face gradually faded, and he glanced at Xue Bai, with worry in his eyes.
The person who reacted later was Jia Bi. He knew what Zhang Xun was worried about. It was simply that King Yong turned the tide and became a British ruler. Unfortunately, he was not the best candidate for the throne. People were worried that the Tang Dynasty would experience another coup.
As a result, Zhang Xun's attitude towards Xue Bai softened. It was not a sign of contempt, but a sense of keeping a distance.
This change was not obvious, but everyone gradually noticed it and did not dare to get too close to Xue Bai. Zhang Xun postponed the celebration banquet at night until later on the grounds that there was insufficient food in the city. After delaying it, Xue Bai
But he was leaving Bianzhou and returning to Luoyang.
In this regard, Xue Bai felt that Zhang Xun was a little ruthless.
This ruthlessness is not derogatory, it refers to "not showing favoritism". He does not care about the kindness between each other, nor does he consider his personal future after becoming attached to King Yong. He only thinks about the justice of the country.
Respectable, but lacking some human touch.
After having a casual meal at the government office, Xue Bai lamented Zhang Xun's coldness. He remembered something and asked privately: "Mr. Zhang's concubine... Yingniang, is she still there?"
Zhang Xun was surprised, thinking that Xue Bai was interested in his concubine, he frowned slightly and responded calmly: "The dishes that King Yong will eat tonight are cooked by this concubine."
“Very delicious.”
Xue Bai felt that this conversation made him feel a little frightened, so he added angrily.
"I remember that Ying Niang is very good at cooking. I hope that I will have the opportunity to eat her cooking...eat her cooking." When it came to eating her, his tone was a little uncomfortable.
Zhang Xun was a little confused. He wondered why Xue Bai, who had always been calm, swallowed the words at the end of his words. He thought again that his concubine was mediocre in appearance and should not be taken into consideration.
The two of them said goodbye.
Xue Bai rode his horse across the long street. He could see the soldiers in the distance roasting horse meat around a bonfire, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He actually didn't care about Zhang Xun's rigidity and coldness. He just felt that it was good that Zhang Xun could finally live in a world where he didn't have to eat people.
~~
The supervisor Bai Zhongzhen has no authority since he was appointed. He follows Xue Bai like a close servant.
Tonight, as Xue Bai met Zhang Xun, he finally saw an opportunity to shake Xue Bai's military power.
Late at night, he tossed and turned in the post house, and finally sat up, thinking about how to go to the secret meeting Zhang Xun?
After thinking about it, he thought of Hun Yao. Because Xue Bai loved Hun Yao very much, he specially brought him with him, and he was also in the post house tonight.
Bai Zhongzhen didn't dare to light a lantern and quietly entered Hun Yao's house.
Although Hun Yao was young, his snoring was loud, like thunder shaking the sky. Therefore, no other soldiers were willing to share a room with him. Bai Zhongzhen covered his ears and quietly walked to Hun Yao's bed, about to call him.
"General Xiao Hun..."
Suddenly, an iron-like hand strangled Bai Zhongzhen's neck.
"What a thief, I want to harm your grandpa!" Hun Yao woke up at some point and said, "I caught a rebel spy!"
"It's...slave..."
Fortunately, Bai Zhongzhen's voice was sharp and distinctive. Hun Yao quickly reacted, let go of his hand, and asked: "Bai... Envoy Bai, what is your name?"
It was true that this supervisor had no sense of presence in King Yong's army, and he almost forgot about him.
"Ahem, cough, cough, General Xiaohun, you almost strangled this slave to death."
"A general is a general, why do you call me General Xiao Hun?" Hun Yao was displeased and raised his eyebrows and asked, "Am I the one who deserves less credit?!"
"Keep your voice down, keep your voice down." Bai Zhongzhen was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I'm here to give the general another great achievement."
"oh?"
"Did the general also see it today? Zhang Xun is a pillar of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Xun is loyal and courageous." Bai Zhongzhen said: "The saint has a secret message for Zhang Xun. I kindly ask the general to bring your slaves to see him."
Hun Yao was very smart and asked immediately: "Are you going to carry King Yong on your back?"
"This... King Yong is strong. If he has any unfavorable intentions towards the saint and the prince, he should have loyal ministers to protect him."
Hun Yao felt that it was inappropriate to secretly join forces behind the coach's back when the war was about to begin, but the influence he had received in recent years was that King Yong was plotting to usurp the throne. It was a matter of concern for the Tang Dynasty, so he had to be cautious, so he nodded and agreed.
"Okay, I'll take you there!"
"Xiao Hun... keep your voice down, General, keep your voice down."
~~
At night, Zhang Xun still didn't sleep, still worrying about the battle with Shi Siming.
Although he defended Bianzhou, this was the city defense battle that he was good at. To suppress the rebellion, it was inevitable to have to fight 130,000 rebels in the field. Fan Yang's soldiers were brave, and the cold weather was not conducive to the Tang army.
It is conceivable that Li Guangbi is under great pressure now. Zhang Xun has always known this, so he never complained that the reinforcements did not arrive earlier.
"Envoy." Suddenly, Yao Min came in and reported: "The supervisory army is here."
"who?"
Zhang Xun was a little confused, and he didn't understand until Bai Zhongzhen and Hunyang came in.
Earlier today, he thought that the fair-faced and beardless eunuch was the eunuch beside Xue Bai. He also thought that although it was not against the rules for the prince to use eunuchs to serve him, King Yong was a bit arrogant.
"I've seen the supervisor."
"Mr. Zhang, this servant has finally met your Majesty's loyal minister!" Bai Zhongzhen looked very enthusiastic and stepped forward to grab Zhang Xun's hand. "Your Majesty often thinks of your great achievements in guarding Yongqiu and said, 'If Zhang Xun had not guarded Jianghuai alone,
The door, the country is dead!"
"I don't dare, this is definitely not the work of one person." Zhang Xun said seriously: "The first contribution should be made by Yan Gong."
"Yan Gaoqing is very selfish and should not be compared with Zhang Shijun."
Bai Zhongzhen felt that this sentence of "disparaging one's appearance and praising one's superiority" was very clever. Among their group of eunuchs, the most important thing was to compare with each other. No one wanted to be outdone by others. After all, they were in a deep palace compound. If they were not vain,
, what else can show the value of their life?
If someone says "Dou Wenyang cannot be compared with Bai Zhongshi", Bai Zhongzhen will be very helpful.
However, Zhang Xun's face became solemn when he heard this, and his tone was sonorous and authentic: "Yan Gong is so righteous that Zhang Xun cannot compare to him. Please take back this statement."
Bai Zhongzhen couldn't help but think, these literati just love to pretend.
"I made a mistake, I made a mistake." He smiled sarcastically and said, "I am here to plan something big with Mr. Zhang."
"But it doesn't matter."
"Zhang Gong also knows that if King Yong covets the throne, it will inevitably cause chaos in the country. Now even His Majesty is afraid of his power. But he still refuses to let go of his power as the commander-in-chief of the world's soldiers and horses. I'm afraid he has become disloyal.
Heart."
As he said this, Bai Zhongzhen secretly glanced at Zhang Xun's face, but didn't see anything for a moment.
So, he continued: "Prince Yong was ordered to go out to Luoyang on this trip, but as soon as he arrived in Luoyang, he immediately came to Bianzhou within two days. Why?"
"Isn't it to repel Shi Chaoyi?"
"Mr. Zhang is too upright, so I was deceived by him." Bai Zhongzhen said, "King Yong came east probably to get rid of Li Zhi, the successor king of Wu, and Li Zong, the Duke of Yue. These two people were very popular in the clan. With real power, he is the biggest enemy of King Yong in his quest for the throne. Therefore, the servant said that King Yong has ulterior motives."
Zhang Xundao: "Don't worry, envoy, if this matter is true, I will protect the heirs of the King of Wu and the Duke of Yue."
"Okay, okay..."
"But the facts are still unclear at the moment." Zhang Xun changed the subject and said: "King Yong once promised that he had no intention of seeking the throne. The rebellion is still undecided and the country is in turmoil. It is definitely not a time for internal strife. Please wait and see what happens. , no more instigating it to disrupt the morale of the army."
These words were very serious, and Bai Zhongzhen's expression immediately changed.
When Zhang Xun spoke, he glanced at Hun Yao, which was quite shocking. This made Hun Yao feel a little uncomfortable and wondered if he had done something wrong.
Bai Zhongzhen was so anxious that he jumped to his feet and said, "How can you say that, Mr. Zhang? I've listened to you tonight. King Yong even wanted to steal your concubine. It shows that he is greedy. How can Mr. Zhang, a good man, not agree to this?" So humiliated?!"
Before Zhang Xun could speak, Yao Bin was already furious.
"Shut up! You are such a good man, it is not your turn to be judged by an eunuch!"
"I was too hasty and made a mistake. I mean..."
"Stop talking about it." Zhang Xun waved his hand and said, "It's too early to talk about the matter of chasing rumors. Please come back, envoy."
Others don't know, at least he has thought very clearly that Xue Bai has no intention of his concubine at all, and if he cares more, he cares about him.
There is still a sense of loyalty between the two.
The arrival of Bai Zhongzhen made him feel the disadvantages of having eunuchs in power in the court. He secretly thought that the sage should not have sent a eunuch who only knew about the dispute over the horns but did not understand the overall situation.
"Mr. Zhang..."
"Please."
Hun Yao was also kicked out together with Bai Zhongzhen, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed.
He had also heard about Zhang Xun's deeds in guarding Yongqiu, and he admired him very much. However, because he got together with Bai Zhongzhen, Zhang Xun also looked down upon him.
And tonight's incident made him feel that the eunuch used by the saint was too unbearable, and he regretted it endlessly.