Staring closely ahead, Wang Zheng's expression was uncertain.
It was already early in the morning, and the fighting became increasingly fierce.
At the city gate.
Chen Jiao and his soldiers were still trying to throw firewood into the door and light it on fire. However, the defenders on the city did not sit idly by and fired rockets from time to time, trying to light it in advance.
Under such a tug of war, the fire rises all the time, but it is always difficult to form a prairie fire, let alone burn the city and break the gate. At most, there are a few thin tongues of flames that roll up the sporadic fire points into the night sky, as if for the brightness of the half-circle moon.
Like setting off fireworks.
Then thin tongues of fire kept rolling up sparks into the sky, as if they were offering fireworks to the semicircle moon at the zenith.
On top of the city.
Zhang Rao's previous rampage and killing cleared a place, and then more than a dozen soldiers climbed up one after another and occupied a foothold.
But that’s where it ends.
The county lieutenant had eyes and ears in all directions, taking every aspect into consideration, and immediately commanded a group of reserve troops to open a defensive line to meet him.
Seemingly seeing Zhang Rao's outstanding performance, he sent a dubo to greet him, creating a situation where the general was facing off.
Nadu Bo seemed to be quite brave. He picked up a spear and fought with Zhang Rao for a long time, and the situation was evenly matched. The remaining defenders swarmed Zhang Rao's soldiers. If Wang Zheng hadn't specially sent some yellow scarf men to follow him tonight,
If we attack, we may not even be able to occupy this only foothold.
However, they ended up getting entangled with each other.
Zhang Rao secured a foothold, but was unable to expand his advantage.
Although Pengcheng's army could not catch them, they formed a containment and encirclement.
He glanced at Xu Fang's side again and saw that his attempt to rush the car and hit the car door seemed to have little effect. Wang Zheng frowned.
It can't go on like this...
The night wind blew slowly, its sound passed through the majestic city wall and touched Wang Zheng's body, bringing a clear and chilling sound among the vast whistling sounds.
But it couldn't blow away the anxiety in Wang Zheng's heart.
Just when he was once again considering whether to make a decision and let Xu Fang and Wu Sheng go all out, regardless of casualties, he didn't know that at this time, new changes had occurred inside Pengcheng.
...
Ruolu prison.
In the silence that could hear a needle drop, there was suddenly some movement from outside the door, as if the chain was being twitched.
Immediately afterwards, the sound of clattering footsteps was heard, but it was late at night as two people stepped through the corridor and walked towards the depths of the prison.
"I'll wait for you here." The familiar voice of the jailer sounded: "But I need to mention you again."
"It is against the rules to visit the prison late at night. If you hadn't been Mrs. Zhang personally telling my superior that it was the Guangling Prefect's letter and that there was something urgent to tell Mr. Zhang, I would never have dared to let you in."
"Even so, you only have time for a cup of tea at most!"
"Just take it easy on your own."
"I know, I know, I have a job with the Yamen." A steady voice sounded, and he sounded like he was no longer young.
"Then go ahead."
At this time, some prisoners who were awakened by these movements looked over the fence with curiosity in their eyes.
Then he saw a middle-aged man, walking back and forth. He didn't mind the looks of these criminals along the way, and just walked all the way to the deepest place.
Soon after, the middle-aged man finally stopped.
He bowed slightly and respectfully called to the scribe sitting in the cell in front of him with his eyes closed: "Master."
The scribe was not asleep at all. He just closed his eyes and meditated. After hearing a familiar voice, he slowly opened his eyes. When he saw his confidant arriving, he just nodded and asked lightly: "How is your inquiring?"
"Master." The middle-aged man lowered his voice and told the collected information one by one:
"The total number of this group is about ten thousand. They should have arrived at the outskirts of Pengcheng in the early morning of the day before yesterday. Then they arranged for hundreds of elites to disguise themselves as businessmen and enter the city in batches. They then raided at night, seized the suspension bridge and the city gate, and then cooperated with each other inside and outside. Just now
Capture the outer city in one fell swoop."
"A few hundred people?" the scribe said in surprise: "Since he is pretending to be a merchant, even if he brings weapons and armor into the city, there won't be too many. And Cao Bao is not ignorant of soldiers. Even at key points, at least a thousand people are arranged on weekdays.
People were stationed there, and bells sounded as a warning..."
"How could hundreds of people seize two key points at the Suspension Bridge and City Gate at the same time?"
"I haven't found out the details yet," the man replied, "I only heard the words of the defenders. Those hundreds of people were extremely brave, and they made another surprise attack before they succeeded."
"Well..." The scribe pondered for a moment and gestured for him to continue.
"After capturing the outer city, the army on the opposite side rested for half a day, and then launched the offensive again after dawn yesterday. In the meantime, they called for gold and retreated. Two hours later, they fought fiercely from dusk to the present. It seems that they were planning to fight at night.
"
"Have a rest for half a day?" After listening to the man's words, the scribe immediately grasped the key point: "Why?"
It's unreasonable to never make a strong effort and give up pursuing victory.
"I think it's because there are trenches in the inner city." The man thought for a moment and replied, "So they had to fill up the trenches before attacking the city."
In order to avoid suspicion, the person the man was asking about was an ordinary soldier. Moreover, he pretended to be casual and asked, so it was impossible to go into detail.
"That's why the cavalry charges!"
The scribe stood up and walked around in the cell. While sketching the scene of the confrontation between the two sides in his mind, he asked again:
"How many people can we find out?"
"It is said that there are about a thousand people." The man replied uncertainly: "Sir, the villain's briber is not a sentry rider. He is not familiar with the art of detecting horses. He may not look carefully and the number may not be correct."
"There is a fallacy, but it is not too big." The scribe clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Since Mr. Yuan sent such a number of cavalry, it can be seen that the plot is not just in Pengcheng, but that he has the intention to go north to Xuzhou."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man hesitated:
"Sir, Yuan Shu is a prince, and a thousand cavalry may not be a big deal for him, let alone..."
"You are from the north, but you take this statement for granted."
The scribe directly cut off his unfinished words. He was in a good mood and rarely explained: "You must know that people from the north are good at riding, while people from the south are good at swimming."
"And the land in Yangzhou currently occupied by Mr. Yuan is not only short of good horses, but also lacks soldiers who are good at riding."
"Of course, Yuan Gongshang is still sitting in Yuzhou. This place is suitable for livestock, but in terms of horse breeding and cavalry, it is actually inferior to the four states of Yan, Yong, You, and Bing."
"So, having a thousand cavalry is actually extremely difficult."
"Besides, you have to know that since Mr. Yuan is plotting against Xuzhou, it is most likely that he will advance in two directions, one starting from Yuzhou and the other starting from Yangzhou."
"There are so many troops in the attack on Pengcheng alone. It can be seen that Mr. Yuan wants to complete his achievements in one battle."
Seeing the man's original expression, the scribe smiled and asked, "How are the casualties of the city defense troops so far?"
"The casualties are not light." The man thought for a moment and replied: "Roughly speaking, there should be four to five hundred people."
"I remember that you also served in the army in your early years." Hearing this answer, the scribe did not comment and just asked: "What do you think of the situation at this time?"
The middle-aged man was silent for a while and said in a deep voice: "Seven or eight days at most!"
If you mention the time directly, you must first make sure that the result cannot be defended!
"So good."
The scribe nodded, finally letting go of his last worry.
He lowered his body and took out a scroll of letters, beckoned the man to come closer, and when handing it out, he said:
"Then let's proceed as agreed in advance."
"I have written a letter. Please go and deliver it to Pan, Wen and other local prominent families in the city. They will cooperate with you in taking action."
"With the number of Pengcheng defenders, it is extremely difficult to guard the four city gates at the same time. If there is chaos in the city at this time, the morale of the soldiers will be confused, and the morale will drop, and they will no longer be able to hold on!"
"Since General Yuan Jun can attack and attack the outer city, he must also be good at fighting. He should be able to seize such good opportunities."
"With the cavalry, as soon as the city gate is opened, the overall situation is decided. These wealthy families and my family's soldiers, together, can stir up the situation and influence the outcome!"
"Go ahead."
When he took the letter, the man did not move immediately. Instead, he looked at the scribe hesitantly, with a look on his face that he was hesitant to speak.
"What's going on?" The scribe looked at him in surprise: "What else is there?"
"Sir, Zhao Yu, the prefect of Guangling, sent a letter today to comfort my wife, saying that he has expressed his feelings to the governor of the state and offered you clemency. It will be effective soon."
The man finally couldn't hold it back anymore and started admonishing: "If you are out of resentment towards Zhou Mu or are eager to be released from prison, there is no need to do this."
"After all, you are also from Pengcheng."
"Even if the city cannot be defended, I can still protect the master and his wife from danger and get out of the city safely."
The middle-aged man still had unfinished words. Although he was not from Pengcheng, he had lived here for many years and had feelings for him.
Even if the city cannot be defended, he is unwilling to surrender to the enemy in his heart.
"Haha." The scribe seemed to be laughing. He wanted to laugh, but he didn't want to make too much noise and attract other people's attention. He stopped laughing twice and pointed his halberd finger at the man:
"Do you think I was motivated to do this to get revenge on Tao Qian, or just to get out of this prison?"
Isn't it?
The man was doubtful and confused when he saw the scribe smiled and said:
"Tao Qian wanted to promote me as a talented person, but I refused. He is the head of a state. Even if he hinders his majesty, he needs to punish me. Don't I know? How can I act like a woman and be resentful?"
"To others, this prison is a desperate situation with no daylight. To me, it's just a different place to study."
"I have never worried about the safety of my family!"
The scribe sneered disdainfully: "Cao Cao killed and gave way, which caused Yanzhou to rebel. Knowing what he did before, how could Tao Qian still have the guts to attack me?"
"You must know that although I am not a great Confucian like Zhang Hua Gong in China, I still have a small reputation in Xuzhou, and I have no deep grudge against Tao Qian. Even if Zhao Gulin did not write a letter, I guess it will be inconvenient.
You can get away."
"Well, sir, you are from Pengcheng..." The man became more and more confused and asked, "Why do you do this..."
Hearing this, the scribe stared at the man and said, "When I refused to let Tao Qian notice, you also asked me, do you still remember what I said that day?"
"Of course I remember." The man said, "The master said that day that he didn't want to be an official, but he really didn't want to be a mediocre official."
"good!"
The scribe laughed and said, "Tao Qian is old and dim, how can he be worthy of Zhao's gift?"
As if his ambitions were aroused by the man, the scribe's voice was not loud, but full of excitement.
"At this time, the weather has changed, the artifacts have become more convenient, and the Han Dynasty is about to be exhausted. If you meet the master of the Ming Dynasty, you can hope to achieve unparalleled achievements and be noted in history!"
"All the heroes today are gathered in the north, but Mr. Yuan is the only one who supports Yuzhou but looks southward and devours the left side of the river. This shows that he has great talents and great weapons!"
"Once the tiger devours Xu County, the three states will be connected to each other, and we can take the opportunity to occupy Jingzhou, Jiaozhou, and even Yizhou!"
"At that time, it will be a sweeping force to sweep away the entire world and sweep across all the wastelands."
"On the contrary, heroes in Hebei such as Yuan Shao, Lu Bu, Gongsun Zan and others were all outstanding figures of their time."
Having said this, the scribe paused and sighed: "But precisely because of this, we will fall into a stalemate of constant battles between dragons and tigers, and endless conquests. It will be difficult to unify the Northland in the short term."
“Not to mention external expansion?”
"This is losing time!"
In the silence, the scribe let out a low laugh, seemingly quite pleased with himself:
"Therefore, I had known that the Ming Lord I met would be heading south, not north!"
"Now, as expected, Mr. Yuan is plotting against Xuzhou. This is my chance to get involved!"
Looking at the man again, the scribe, or rather Zhang Zhao said word by word: "Dedicate the land of your family home and become my Zhang family's eagle soaring. Why not?"
...
Just when Wang Zheng was hesitating, his expression suddenly changed.
Why does it seem like there are shouts coming from the inner city?
He was about to listen carefully again, but he instinctively raised his head as if he was aware of it.
At this moment, the inner city suddenly burst into flames, thick smoke rose into the sky, and there was a loud noise, as if hundreds of people were shouting.
what's the situation?
Why is this scene so familiar? It is so similar to the situation when Wu Sheng launched civil strife in the city?
Just as he was wondering, he saw that the expression of the county lieutenant on top of the city changed drastically. Wang Zheng, who had extraordinary eyesight, could clearly see several groups of people hurriedly walking towards the bottom of the city.
Chance!
Wang Zheng, who has been tempered by war for a long time, is no longer the military novice he was at the beginning of time travel.
He made a decision in an instant. No matter what happened in the city or who was helping him, at least for now, he saw a fighter plane.
What needs to be done is to seize this fleeting opportunity!
"shooting!"
With a loud shout, Qingzhou's bows fired arrows in succession, and the arrows were like rain. Suddenly, the offensive surged, which directly caused a moment of suppression. With the number of soldiers on the tower reduced, and the people's hearts scattered, they finally had no time to shoot arrows to ignite the fire.
.
Chen Jiao also reacted immediately, roared in ecstasy, and immediately ordered all the infantry around him to press forward and divided into several groups to burn the door.
When they climbed onto the gable board again and lit the fire, the soldiers on top of the city finally couldn't help but show their heads and wanted to pour water to extinguish the fire. Wang Zheng gave another order and arrows rained out again, forcing them to shrink back.
Soon after, the fire that everyone in the Heavenly Army had been waiting for finally appeared.
As the flames shot into the sky, under the fierce fire, crackling sounds continued to be heard, which was the city gate being gradually scorched...
boom!
Finally, with a muffled sound, the gate that had been blocked for so long finally collapsed.
At this moment, calls were sent out simultaneously from outside the city and outside the city.
However, one cheered excitedly, while the other...
But it was full of despair.
The unpleasant burnt smell drifted down the city with the wind, but it made everyone in Wang Zheng's army feel happy, and they felt as charming as the smell of rice.
"Bump away!"
Xu Fang gave the order, and the chariot immediately changed direction and rushed over. In a few strokes, it smashed through the burned-out gantry board and completely shattered the overburdened city gate.
"Hahaha!"
While laughing wildly, Wu Sheng raised his arms and raised his sword, and looked around at everyone: "Who else is the first to enter the city, other than me?"
"The Tianzhu Camp will be victorious!"
"Wan Sheng!"
More than a thousand people were fighting with swords and armor, waving guns and weapons, shouting wantonly, and galloping along with Wu Sheng.
In an instant, he stepped over the destroyed deer's feet, crossed the ashes and ruins on the ground, and even caught everyone's eyes, rushing into the city with an unstoppable momentum.
At the end of the night, the sky fire finally lit up.
Pengcheng's last line of defense was completely shattered.