Zhao Yun followed Zhang Yi to seize...or rather persuade other city gates to surrender.
Yueqi was sent to the north of Gu'an City to cut off the path to Qiu State. All soldiers and civilians who fled towards Qiu State had to be intercepted.
Liu Xiang knew that if the cavalry chased to the west, they would surely intercept a large amount of money. He hesitated for a moment and sent his men to the northeast.
Those who really want to escape will have run far away long ago. Those who have families to support and are reluctant to part with money cannot run fast, so let them run a mile first.
Liu Xiang checked the grain and grass in the treasury. When the officials in Gu'an fled, they did not burn the grain and grass. They were probably afraid that Liu Xiang would become angry and pursue them, right?
The funniest thing is that he saw a letter in the grain depot, left by the county magistrate, which said: The grain was given to Liu Xiang, and he was asked not to kill people or anything like that.
His words were sharp, he quoted from classics, and his words were so righteous. If he didn't run away, Liu Xiang would really believe him.
Another trickster, he was so scared that he ran away and resorted to such clumsy tactics.
Leave a letter asking the rebels to treat the people well, and then they brag about it among the scholars. In the end, it becomes the county magistrate's benevolence and righteousness. For the sake of the people, he will not burn grain and grass, and he also leaves a letter to advise the rebels. The rebels are moved by it and
Sure enough, it did no harm to the people.
Therefore, the magistrate of County An is so-and-so, benevolent, righteous and moral, with an awe-inspiring character.
Does this story sound familiar?
This is some beautiful saying in history, how ironic.
It's like being a certain kind of person and building a certain kind of building. It's so impressive.
But in some circles, this is the routine, and they have a lot of fun playing it.
Liu Xiang threw it aside with disdain.
There was basically nothing left in the treasury that was valuable and easy to carry. It was probably due to the rush to move it, so some worthless charcoal, linen, silk, and grain were scattered all over the floor.
"When the gentlemen leave, the ground will be in a mess, and we have to clean up the mess." Liu Xiang complained to Shi A.
Shi A also read the letter and was very moved at first. Liu Xiang told him a few key points of the matter and the ways in which scholars brag to each other. He was extremely shocked and felt that his outlook on life and values had all been overturned.
Once the matter passed through Liu Xiang's mouth, it was no longer the same as it was before. He actually understood it, which was amazing.
"Lord, do you want me to catch up and kill them?"
"The number of people is unknown. There is no need to take risks. There are more important things now." Liu Xiang did have something more important to ask Shi A.
He considered his words and asked, "Have you ever been to the city of Zhuo County? How is the city defense there?"
Shi A replied shamefully: "My lord, I don't understand military strategy or city defense layout. I just saw that there are many defenders. There are many people on the wall and even more inside the city."
"There are more people in the city? How many people are there?"
"There are dedicated personnel stationed at each section above and below the city wall. The number of tents they set up nearby must be 20,000. Every street in the city is patrolled, barracks are set up at the street entrances, watchtowers are built on many roofs, and archers are stationed.
, I can’t count how many people there are, it looks like there are more people there than on the other side of the city wall.”
Liu Xiang frowned and felt heavy. This was a lot more people than he expected. Even in a war of attrition, he might not be able to defeat them.
Wen Shu was determined to defend and even made arrangements for street battles. Because Zou Jing sent troops to fight against the thieves, Zhuoxian County hoarded a large amount of grain and grass for military needs.
Especially since Zou Jing died not long after the autumn harvest, the grain was stored in the county. Zhuo County was not worried about food shortage. When Liu Xiang sent out troops, many powerful people from aristocratic families fled into the city. The private troops they led
There are many songs.
After listening to Shi'a's description, Wen Shu organized them all.
Winter will begin in another month, and the weather and the impending march of the Imperial Army to the north are both threats.
The Anping Army cannot afford to delay it.
Liu Xiang's breathing was a little messy. He took a deep breath, stabilized his mind, and continued to ask: "There are so many defenders. I'm afraid there are no blind spots for defense. How did you get in and out? But is there a secret passage?"
"There is no secret passage." Shi A shook his head and said proudly: "With a rope and a wooden stick, I can climb over the city and enter."
The Zhuoxian city wall is three feet high, which is seven meters in modern terms. The height is not a big obstacle, but can the city wall be climbed casually?
Liu Xiang asked doubtfully: "Isn't there anyone patrolling the city?"
Shi A said disdainfully: "It's all just a pretense. It's a bunch of private soldiers and civilians with no military discipline. I heard that those who could lead troops and fight were all destroyed by the lord in Jixian."
Liu Xiang couldn't believe it, Zhuoxian was treated like a sieve by Shi A.
"Is it that easy?"
Shi Ageng answered bluntly: "It doesn't work during the day. It's easy to be shot to death. It's easy at night. Most of those people are blindfolded. They can't see anything outside the range of the fire. Someone discovered a hill in the southwest corner of Zhuo County. I heard that
It's the Ma family's private residence, and the patrol there is not strict. Someone could go in and out there without anyone noticing."
Liu Xiang reviewed the situation mentioned by Shi A. The lack of manpower to lead the troops, loose military discipline, night blindness, and lax inspections in the southwestern corner of the city wall were all Zhuoxian's weaknesses.
Wen Shu was able to organize so many people, which shows that his ability and reputation are good. But he did not make up for it, or in other words, he did not realize the weak links in Zhuoxian city defense. It seems that he is not a good leader, and his staff do not understand the military.
slightly.
His defense strategy is very simple, which is to rely on a strong city and large manpower to fight a war of attrition.
Liu Xiang made a key point in his mind. This gentleness and forgiveness was a key node in Zhuoxian's city defense, and it was also one of the flaws.
He pondered for a moment and asked Shi A: "Is it difficult to learn how to climb a city?"
"Climbing is not difficult, but being silent is difficult. I learned to climb in three days, and it took me six years to hide my breath and eliminate the sound."
The tactic of sending a small team to surprise the enemy is no longer possible.
Liu Xiang was thinking, how can he let Shi A assassinate Wen Shu? Assassination is a narrow escape, and assassins never come back.
Shi Acai defected to him, how could he talk about such a thing?
He pondered for a moment and asked: "If I come out of Xuanhong, do you know a ranger who dares to pick me up?"
The assassins in the Han Dynasty were different from those in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In the past, assassins valued justice over life and death, but in the Han Dynasty, they valued profits over justice.
The meaning of hanging red in the Han Dynasty was different from that in later generations. Hanging red meant buying the life of an assassin.
Pay an assassin to kill people, and most of them kill people of high status. As soon as the assassin takes action, he is basically dead. As long as the assassin takes action, regardless of whether it succeeds or not, his head will be chopped off and hung up in public, and you have to pay him.
This is called Xuanhong.
This money did not fall into the hands of the assassins; it was the rangers who supported the assassins who collected the money.
In the Han Dynasty, a ranger was a ranger and an assassin was an assassin.
Those who are raised by wealthy families and work for them to kill people are called death warriors, not assassins, and they do not do business with outsiders.
Professionals who kill people for money are called assassins. This kind of professional assassins began to flourish in the Han Dynasty.
This is thanks to those Confucian scholars of the Gongyang School who pay attention to the "Great Revenge Theory". They have contributed to the Assassin's cause and provided a theoretical fig leaf.
Shi A thought for a while and replied: "I don't know a hero from Youzhou. I heard that there is a man named Liu Bei in Zhuo County. I want to go find him and ask him?"