Chapter 492 Xu You is about to cry: It's not easy to be undercover!
Taihang Mountains.
At the end of winter, it is getting warmer.
The ice and snow melted and merged into a small stream, which gradually spread to the foot of the mountain and merged into a stream.
This means that the spring plowing season is coming. If we delay it any longer, I am afraid that this year will be wasted.
After all, the north is no better than Nanyang. Wheat is mainly grown here, and rice is rarely grown.
I’m afraid I don’t understand the rice field fish ecological breeding in Hanting, Nanyang, and there are many things that are not applicable here.
Zhang Yan was sitting on a rock on the top of the mountain, rubbing a pebble in her hand. The originally rough stone suddenly had a delicate texture.
He was always like this. As long as he had his mind on it, he would keep rubbing it with his hands. When he was in a bad mood, he would sit there all day long. Only when his stomach couldn't bear it anymore would he get up and go back to camp.
This whole winter, he came here like this.
only......
It has been more frequent these days. Almost every day, he comes back to the top of the mountain to sit for a while, as if he is escaping, but it is also a helpless move. There must be no shortage of food in the camp, otherwise he will really explode.
"General!"
"General—!"
While Zhang Yan was rubbing the pebbles.
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind.
This is Guo Daxian.
Zhang Yan judged it immediately.
He turned around and saw the other person coming with a smile. He couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion in his heart. However, all the previous regrets made him no longer interested, so he just asked casually:
"What, what's the matter?"
"kindness."
Guo Daxian nodded quickly, not bothering to talk nonsense, and said bluntly: "Someone from the imperial court is here."
Zhang Yan's eyes suddenly changed, flashing brightly, she threw away the pebbles and stood up: "But has the order to attack Jizhou arrived? When will we attack?"
"have no idea."
Guo Daxian shook his head.
"have no idea?"
Zhang Yan frowned and looked confused: "I don't know, what are you doing here?"
Although it was a reproach, Guo Daxian's face was still full of smiles: "Aren't you so impatient that you didn't bother to inquire and just came to find you? Let's go back together to save General Zhang from sending people to find you again."
"good."
Zhang Yan naturally understands.
If there is really an order from the court, Zhang Liao will definitely send someone to find him.
In this case, Guo Daxian did not do anything wrong. Asking in advance would be a waste of time: "Let's go, go quickly."
Guo Daxian nodded: "Okay."
The two of them ran all the way down the hillside, regardless of the risk of falling off the cliff.
Guo Daxian was a scholar, but he couldn't run as fast as Zhang Yan. He followed behind and kept saying, "You should wait for me."
But what responded to him was Zhang Yan's gradually shrinking figure, and the words that lingered in the air: "I'm leaving first. You should follow me quickly and let the messengers wait in advance. Don't waste time."
Chi la—!
Guo Daxian slid some distance away and shouted towards the place where Zhang Yan's figure disappeared: "Okay, I understand. I will arrange everything and wait for your news at the camp."
He was not upset at all, and immediately changed direction and headed straight for the Montenegrin Army's camp.
Not every camp is equipped with homing pigeons. Some camps in the Taihang Mountains can only rely on soldiers' two legs to convey orders, and they don't even have war horses.
Each of them is a master of mountain running, climbing over mountains and ridges, traveling across mountains and rivers. Although it is not easy for them, it is still commonplace.
Let’s say that Zhang Yan hurried to Zhang Liao’s camp.
As expected.
Before he could pass by, a messenger came on horseback to invite him, and the two of them returned to the military camp together.
Zhang Yan was in a hurry and didn't care about etiquette. She opened the curtain and stepped forward quickly: "General, has the court issued an order?"
Zhang Liao smiled faintly at him, nodded and said: "Yes, I have given the order, and I have also thought of a way to deal with Jizhou's new city gate. We will launch a strong attack early the next morning."
"the day after tomorrow?"
Zhang Yan frowned and said anxiously: "We can attack at any time and are ready."
Zhang Liao knew that he was impatient, but he was not angry at all. He just smiled and said: "I have been waiting for such a long time. Is it worse than this time and a half?"
"I......"
Zhang Yan was about to speak when she was interrupted by Dong Zhao: "We understand General Zhang's heart, and the court also understands it. However, although you are ready, this new type of thing still requires us to learn a little bit."
"If you don't know how to use it, even if it goes on the battlefield, it won't have any effect. You will suffer. Wait one more day to let the brothers rest and recuperate. Once the war starts, they will definitely capture the city as quickly as possible.
"
"yes."
Xu Huang, who was on the opposite side, followed up and said: "General, you have to give us some time to get familiar with it. Only after we master this new weapon can we solve the battle more efficiently."
"After breaking through the city gate, your people may have to fight fiercely for a long time, trying to sweep through Zhongshan, Changshan, and even Julu and other counties as quickly as possible. This will take a lot of energy."
In order to gain enough time for spring plowing, the battle in Jizhou must be resolved as quickly as possible, but Jizhou is so big that it is by no means just one city and one pond, so it requires an overwhelming momentum and constant attacks.
The Nanyang imperial court's army has sufficient combat effectiveness. The only thing that currently restricts the progress must be the energy of the soldiers. After all, this is a physically demanding job.
But......
After hearing this, Zhang Yan was full of confidence.
He patted his chest and assured Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and others: "Don't worry, generals, our Montenegrin Army has been waiting for this battle for a long time. Even if it lasts three days and three nights without sleep, no one will be tired."
"The general already understands what you mean. You can rest assured that the general will arrange the rest for our brothers and strive to regain enough energy to sweep across Jizhou in one battle."
"good."
Zhang Liao nodded, very satisfied with Zhang Yan's answer: "In that case, general, please go back for the time being. Bring someone here before noon to find Dong Chang Shi to ambush the fire and thunder bombs."
"Everyone has at least two. Whether we can sweep through Zhongshan, Changshan, and Julu as quickly as possible depends entirely on our brothers from the Black Mountain Army. As soon as we capture the city, Dong Changshi will immediately arrange spring plowing."
Zhang Yan immediately leaned forward and held up his hands: "General, don't worry, my brothers from the Black Mountain Army will live up to your high expectations."
Zhang Liaodan smiled: "This is natural. How could Liao not know the abilities of a general? Go back and prepare quickly. Don't waste time."
Zhang Yan nodded: "Here."
Immediately.
He bowed and left the tent.
The moment I walked out of the big tent, the haze that had been hovering above my head for months was swept away in an instant.
He stared at the rising sun, and his body and mind seemed to be truly full of strength at this moment.
The day is finally here!
The day for the Montenegrin Army to turn around is finally coming!
*****
Two days later.
Jizhou, Handan.
This is the current administrative seat of Yuan Shao, and it is also the core of the concentration of troops.
State Shepherd's Office.
Yuan Shao stood in front of the sand table, frowning and staring at the intertwined forces on it: "Spring is about to begin, and I think the Nanyang imperial court's attack should come soon."
"Seriously..."
Having said this, Yuan Shao glanced at all the civil servants and generals present, and said softly: "I can't wait any longer. We have taken the most complete defensive measures."
"As long as we can persevere and destroy the lurking fire and thunder in Nanyang Hanting, we will be able to defeat it and then take advantage of the situation to recover the counties and counties in Jizhou."
Now, Wei County has fallen, and Qinghe has a large number of Nanyang soldiers and horses in the country. If he did not occupy Handan, it is very likely that the strategic depth will be suppressed by the enemy.
As for the north?
It's just Gongsun Zan and Tian Chou. They have extremely limited troops. The defense may be sufficient, but the offense is slightly insufficient, and it is not within the scope of Yuan Shao's thinking.
"That's right."
Guo Tu on the side also nodded: "I am also full of hope for this battle. The myth of Nanyang Hanting being undefeated will definitely be broken by us."
"Perhaps, in this way, Liu Yao, Cai Mao and others in the south will respond to us and join the camp to resist Nanyang."
"As far as I know..."
Guo Tu then bowed and raised his hands and said: "Jingxiang, the gentry in Jiangdong, have a strong willingness to resist the Nanyang Hanting's public ownership of their private fields, but they only passively accepted it due to the strength of the Nanyang Hanting."
"If we can defeat Nanyang once, it won't take too much, and it will definitely have a certain deterrent effect on it. Then we will send people to Jiangdong to lobby Jingxiang, and it will definitely have a miraculous effect."
Shen Pei sighed: "Currently we have little information, and we don't know what the situation in Jingxiang and Jiangdong is like. Now that Nanyang has taken action, he will definitely go all out."
"If our speed is slower, maybe Nanyang Hanting has defeated Cai Mao and completely captured Jiangdong. This is really a time when we can't wait."
Xu You on the side said: "The key issue is that the current initiative is in Nanyang's hands. If they don't take the initiative to attack, it is impossible for us to take the initiative to attack."
"If Nanyang really wants to wait for Jiangdong and Jingxiang to be settled before taking action, then we will really be alone. Even if we win temporarily, we may not be able to reverse the situation in the world."
At this moment, although Xu You said this, deep down in his heart, he was praying silently, hoping that His Majesty the Emperor of Nanyang could be more conservative and not be too radical. Only by being invincible can true victory be achieved.
"That's not necessarily the case."
Yuan Shao said seriously: "If we can defeat Nanyang Hanting once, maybe there will be a breakthrough for Cao Cao, or Youzhou."
"As long as we can stabilize Jizhou's fundamentals, we may not have the strength to compete with Nanyang. They are developing too fast and must be in a mess internally. This is the possibility of us turning defeat into victory."
Guo Tu immediately flattered him and said: "My lord is wise, that's true! Nanyang Hanting seems to be strong now, but there are too many internal cracks. As long as we win, there is indeed the possibility of a comeback against the odds."
"We will fully support the Lord."
Having said this, Guo Tu bowed his head and raised his hand, solemnly expressing his stance.
"We will fully support the Lord."
Then, all the civil and military officials in the palace raised their hands and echoed Guo Tu.
Yuan Shao raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a faint smile.
but......
Today, he no longer has the blind confidence he had before.
Even though there is a possibility of a comeback against the trend, Yuan Shao still remains calm enough: "Having said that, as Zi Yuan said, the initiative is now in Nanyang's hands. If we want to make a comeback against the trend, the possibility is very small."
"unless......"
Yuan Shao's voice was drawn out.
He was thinking that if Nanyang was not so conservative and really opened the battlefield on both sides, he would have the greatest chance of winning.
However, such thoughts only lasted for a moment and disappeared immediately. How could something that even he himself did not dare to imagine actually happen in reality? This was impossible.
"Unless what?"
Guo Tu asked tentatively.
"No...nothing."
Yuan Shao waved his hand and sighed.
He didn't dare to expect such a thing to happen, so he didn't bother to talk about it.
But the next second.
"Report—!"
A long announcement sounded outside the hall.
Yuan Shao raised his eyes and looked.
However, he saw that his own bodyguard hurriedly entered the palace, leaned forward and said, "My lord, it's an emergency. A large number of Nanyang soldiers and horses were suddenly discovered outside the city, rushing towards Handan."
"What?"
Suddenly, the eyes of all the civil and military officials in the palace focused on the guards.
Even Yuan Shao himself couldn't believe his ears: "What did you say? Nanyang's troops were found outside the city, are they Zhang Liao's elite?"
The judge didn't even wait for the guard to answer, and interrupted him with a glare: "Have you investigated this news carefully? Did you make a mistake in inquiring?"
"Absolutely no mistakes."
The guard said with certainty and certainty: "There are indeed soldiers and horses from Nanyang outside the city, and judging from the banners, they must be Zhang Liao's elite, with a strength of no less than 20,000."
"Twenty thousand?"
When this number comes out.
Everyone knows that it must be the elite of Nanyang, and it must be Zhang Liao.
Xu Youmao in the palace was about to explode.
In his heart, he wanted to call out the eighteen generations of His Majesty the Nanyang Emperor's ancestors one by one. After all, he had already given the information, but they did not change their plan and still dared to attack before the beginning of spring. This was simply too arrogant.
I am an undercover agent now!
Once he is exposed, he will probably be choked to death by Yuan Shao in a manure pit.
"Damn Nanyang."
Xu You was so angry that he cursed his mother in his heart.
but......
As an undercover agent, he had no right to resist at all. He could only let the situation change and protect himself as much as possible.
However, the next moment, Yuan Shao looked up to the sky and laughed wildly: "Hahahaha! God is really helping me. I didn't expect Zhang Liao to actually come. As long as we can win, the situation will inevitably turn around."
Guo Tu, who was on the side, immediately leaned forward and raised his hands: "My lord, please give the order. We will do our best to assist you in fighting this battle and strive to defeat Zhang Liao in Nanyang."
"That's right."
Another judge nodded: "We have been preparing for such a long time just for today. Since Nanyang soldiers and horses are here today, let him have a taste of the power of our new city gate."
As a last resort, Xu You also echoed: "My lord, since Nanyang takes the initiative to think about it, we don't have to be polite. This battle will make him understand that Fuhuo Thunder is not invincible."
...
"That's right, my lord, you give the order."
"We all obey your orders."
"Strengthen Jizhou's majesty and defeat Nanyang."
"Please give the order, my lord!"
"..."
Facing the eager Jizhou Wenwu, Yuan Shao's heart burned.
His eyes swept across the palace full of civil and military officials, and he said sonorously: "Okay, that being the case, please quickly send orders to all generals to follow the original plan, stick to Handan, and severely defeat Zhang Liao. There must be no mistakes."
All the civil and military officials raised their hands and said, "Here."
Immediately.
They bowed and left the tent, each preparing their own preparations.
Yuan Shao also changed into a stomach and went straight to the city.
He had just arrived at the city gate when counselor Guo Tu hurriedly came up to him, looking slightly panicked: "My lord, something serious has happened. The smoke is rising in the direction of Changshan and Zhongshan."
Burn fire at night and raise smoke during the day.
This is a warning signal prepared by Yuan Shao in advance.
In this way, the movements of Nanyang soldiers can be grasped at the first time.
Now, there are smoke rising in the direction of Changshan and Zhongshan. This can only prove that the opponent is attacking in an all-out manner, rather than concentrating its forces and making breakthroughs one by one.
certainly!
Such strategies and tactics were within Yuan Shao's expectations.
After all, the Montenegrin Army has a lot of troops. It would be a waste of troops to concentrate on attacking at one point.
According to Nanyang Hanting's military usage habits and the current mentality of a long-term victory, it should also be an all-out attack.
However, the signal from the direction of Bohai and Anping has not yet been received, which is enough to prove that the actions of Cao Cao and Xu Rong are as strange as what he expected.
At this moment, Yuan Shao was not angry, but extremely calm. He nodded slowly: "This is normal. Our new city gates have been installed properly. They will definitely defeat the Black Mountain Army."
"For now, we still have to focus on Handan. As long as Handan can win a big victory, the Montenegro Army will naturally be defeated. Don't worry, Gongzi, everything is under control."
Guo Tu then secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "My lord is wise."
immediately.
Yuan Shao walked to the city wall and stared at the Nanyang soldiers lining up outside. He couldn't help but sigh: "I have to admit that Nanyang's soldiers and horses are indeed elite, especially the equipment. I really envy the dead."
"Lord, don't worry."
Guo Tu bowed his head and said softly: "As long as we can defeat Nanyang, we will have these equipment sooner or later. I have already arranged people to start research as soon as we obtain Nanyang's Fire and Thunder."
Yuan Shao smiled faintly at Guo Tu: "With you here, I feel relieved."
Not long after, Shen Pei walked up to the city, bowed and said, "My lord, the troops and horses have been arranged, and the javelins on the city gate are all in place. Nanyang will definitely be caught off guard."
"kindness."
Yuan Shao nodded affirmatively: "I naturally believe this. Send an order to Zhang He and Gao Lan to prepare. Once the opponent's Fire Thunder fails and they prepare to attack, they must give them a head-on blow."
The judge nodded: "Ziyuan has already arranged this matter, so don't worry, my lord."
Yuan Shao turned around and glanced, but found no trace of Xu You: "Where is Ziyuan?"
"he?"
Guo Tu and the judge were stunned, but found no trace of Xu You.
Everyone else wanted to witness this historic scene, but there was no trace of Xu You, which was indeed a bit unusual.
"Send someone to look for it."
Yuan Shao raised his hand and said, "This is all your fault. How can I not let you witness the miracle?"
Guo Tu and his wife cupped their hands and said, "Thank you, Lord."
now.
Xu You is in the city, communicating with the generals from all sides.
Of course, he was communicating on the surface, but actually delaying time.
After all, once Nanyang has a countermeasure, it will inevitably arouse the suspicion of the examiner and Yuan Shao, and the person who may leak this situation must be an insider.
Although Xu You has the trust of Yuan Shao, speaking from experience, only Xu You has ever been to Cao Cao, while Shen Pei, Guo Tu and others did not have this opportunity at all.
The possibility of exposing yourself is very high.
"You must remember to kill the enemy bravely and protect the villagers, do you understand?"
"clear!"
"Ziyuan!"
"Ziyuan—!"
While Xu You was communicating with the soldiers.
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind.
It's Xun Chen.
Xu You judged it all at once.
He thought for a moment, and immediately understood Xun Chen's purpose of coming here: "Damn it! It seems that there is really no way to escape today's disaster. Damn Nanyang Hanting, I shouldn't believe them."
But......
Although he was angry, when he turned to look at Xun Chen, his face was still expressionless: "Youruo, if you don't want to help at the top of the city, why are you here?"
"My lord asked me to come."
Xun Chen had no doubts and said directly: "My lord asked you to go to the city and witness the miracle together. This time, we will definitely defeat Nanyang."
"Okay...okay."
Xu You nodded awkwardly.
Have to admit it.
It is indeed possible that Yuan Shao defeated Nanyang, but only Xu You knew it.
Since the opponent is fighting on all fronts, it is very likely that they already have a combat method, otherwise it should be just a tentative attack. This is not to witness a miracle, it is clearly to let them be buried with them.
But......
He currently has no better reason to refuse.
I have no choice but to agree.
"how?"
Xun Chen frowned, grabbed Xu You, and looked at him carefully: "Aren't you happy anymore?"
Xu You quickly explained: "How can I be unhappy? I'm just a little worried."
Xun Chen sneered: "There is nothing to worry about. Our chances of winning this battle are relatively high."
"I'm not worried about that."
Xu You took a long breath, tried hard to hide his expression, and said softly.
"Then what are you worried about?"
Xun Chen became even more curious and asked again.
"Uh...this..."
Xu You got wise in his haste and said casually: "I'm just worried that if we defeat Nanyang and the news doesn't reach Jingxiang and Jiangdong, won't it be of little help to the war situation?"
"We are living in Jizhou, and we may not be able to fight out, but once Nanyang is frustrated, we will definitely take a defensive position. We can sustain it for one or two years, no problem, but Nanyang Hanting has a vast land, and I am afraid we can survive it for seven or eight years.
live."
"this......"
Xun Chen took a breath and nodded slowly: "It's really a problem. Ziyuan is really thoughtful and far-reaching. It's beyond my control. We should really consider the transmission of information now."
"Walk."
Xun Chen waved his hand: "Let's rush to the city now and inform the lord of this matter so that he can think of a solution in advance."
Xu You was embarrassed, and the muscles at the corners of his lips twitched subconsciously: "Uh... this... okay."
It's a blessing, not a curse, but it's a curse that cannot be avoided.
Xu You knew that he must be going through a catastrophe today!