The attack was so brutal that even though Wang Zheng had made arrangements in advance, and the entire Heavenly Army was dispatched, and the three parties converged, it was only at the last moment that he used his trump card, hundreds of level three heavy-armored tiger and leopard cavalry, to be able to destroy this Yanzhou road.
The last line of defense for the northern destination.
Even so, the price paid is not light.
Not only were more than half of the new soldiers killed or wounded, the Tianjun army suffered huge losses, but the Tianzhu battalion as the vanguard was also severely injured. Even Wu Sheng was struck by a cold arrow during the fight.
The moment he learned that the arrow hit his neck, Wang Zheng's eyes immediately turned red!
At that time, his mind went blank, he just kept shouting in endless rage, and he didn't even hear what he said clearly.
When Wang Zheng finally regained his senses, he saw fireworks all over the city, and the people of Yanzhou continued to cry and groan for three days.
...
In the hot summer, mountains piled up outside the city tower, and the corpses rotted and stinked, attracting an overwhelming number of flies that buzzed endlessly.
Groups of wild dogs ate the flesh of dead people until they became red-eyed. They started eating at night, and gradually developed to the point where they were no longer afraid of people. They even dared to come out in broad daylight, dragging corpses in front of people, biting and chewing them.
. Looking far away, in the vast and empty fields, they dug up corpses in pieces, and the white bones were shocking.
Wu Sheng's serious injury had a great impact. Not only Wang Zheng, but also Xu Fang, who had always been calm, was impulsive. In addition, the front line of the charge this time was his commander's Tianzhu Battalion, and most of the main attacking forces were Qingzhou people, so the siege
In less than half a month, nearly 4,000 people were killed by the Heavenly Army. It can be said that since the Zhaoxian uprising, it has never been more tragic than this.
Coupled with the old grudges from the past, with the general's order to massacre the city for three days, the heavenly army went completely crazy. By the final count, not only were the defenders in Fenggao City nearly wiped out, but the civilians were also killed and injured.
The reason is that the Taishan Army's combat power is too strong. In addition, the city is strong and has sufficient food and equipment. Not only has it gathered about 20,000 defenders, but the prefect Liang Mao is also very resourceful and has mobilized the entire city's elite.
The total number of defense troops was no less than 50,000.
Even in the middle of the attack, Zhang Rao's troops also launched an attack in the north at the same time, but the two groups totaled only 40,000 people. Let alone ten sieges, the attacking force was not as strong as the defenders. If it weren't for the superior combat power of the heavenly army
, coupled with his bravery and unafraid of death, in the end Wang Zheng also personally charged into the battle and captured the city. If it were replaced by an ordinary army, no matter how many people died, they probably wouldn't be able to take the city.
"Raising an army out of anger will ruin a big thing!"
Standing on the city tower, the putrid smell of the corpses mixed with the smoke of the city's fireworks and drifted in the wind. It was very unpleasant and stung the nose. Wang Zheng was silent for a long time, and then suddenly slapped himself hard in the face.
Staring at everyone's astonished eyes, he sighed secretly and said: "Since I personally gave the order, I must not break my promise, sergeant. It has been three days now, and I will seal the sword after sunset!"
"After so many days of fighting, it's time for the brothers to vent their grievances and anger. The whole city will be under martial law tonight."
"Except for the headquarters of the Heavenly Army, other troops and horses are not allowed to stay in the city. The army will be rectified and disciplined, and the collection order will be implemented."
After thinking for a while, he looked at the generals again and said in a more serious tone: "After sealing the sword, if anyone disturbs the people again, behead them!"
"Here!"
Wang Zheng is worried that if the chaos continues, the situation will become uncontrollable. Since the uprising, although killings have continued, he has never been so cruel to innocent people. Even the coercion and coercion in Qingzhou back then were equally cruel. After all,
There is also a layer of false warmth.
But today...
It was the first time that Tianjun and he had broken through the bottom line. Wang Zheng was worried that his impulse would unleash a truly ferocious beast.
In fact, he himself didn't realize it. From the moment he regained his senses, from beginning to end, the starting point of his self-blame for this massacre was the army, hegemony, and he was worried about losing people's hearts and ruining major events...
The only thing is that it’s not because I feel guilty about hurting the people.
But just a year ago, when Wu Sheng killed the women and children in Zhao County, his rage was purely because innocent people were harmed.
...
Since entering Taishan, after successive battles, even though he had accumulated a large amount of experience points, Wang Zheng was still heartbroken and wanted to bleed when he saw the number of teams on the system screen decreasing.
The third-order soldiers that just appeared, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, were damaged by more than half!
Among the second-order soldiers, the number of light cavalry was reduced by 300, and the number of yellow turban strong men was reduced by 400. Even the long-range Qingzhou infantry archers suffered nearly 100 casualties!
The heavenly army has been reduced by more than 2,600!
Later, after Xu Fang completed the statistics, other figures reported were even more shocking.
Even if the local army led by Zhang Rao joined halfway, nearly one-third were killed, and more than half of the 20,000 new soldiers they brought were consumed.
Of course, after experiencing such an intense battle, the remaining recruits can be said to have rapidly evolved into veterans who can fight, but no matter what, there is still a gap.
The attack on Taishan County actually paid such a high price. Thinking of the pressure he might face from Cao Cao and Lu Bu in the future, Wang Zheng couldn't help but get angry for no reason, and suddenly regretted his original choice.
Oh shit!
If I had known earlier, I would have chosen Kong Rong, a soft persimmon!
"General." Xu Fang said at this time: "After plundering, there are still some demoted officials, demoted soldiers and young men who assisted in the defense. What should I do with them?"
Hearing this, Wang Zheng's eyes turned cold and he asked first, "Is Asheng awake?"
"The medical officer once said that he lost too much blood and is still in a coma." Xu Fang hesitated for a while and then added: "But there is no danger of his life."
"Hmm." After thinking for a long time, Chief Wang took a deep breath, and finally suppressed his murderous intention and said slowly: "In that case, if the officers are willing to surrender, they will be kept, and if they are not willing, they will be killed."
"Among the surrendered soldiers, select those who are physically fit and strong to be incorporated into the ground army first, and the others will help defend the strong ones, the militia and the like..."
He looked around the city tower and saw that it was devastated after the war. The walls on all four sides collapsed, about ten meters long. The city gates and the outer city were all full of potholes. Wang Zheng thought for a while and said: "It's hard labor."
"Chen Jiao, you are responsible for this matter. Take these people to repair the city wall."
"Here."
"And here." Pointing to the trenches several feet wide, which were built for defense when Liangmao was defending the city, there were still the corpses of fallen soldiers from both our and enemy sides inside. Wang Zheng frowned and said, "The weather is bad now.
As the weather gets hotter, wouldn't it be possible to breed diseases if we keep these things?"
"The enemy buried them outside the city, and our army searched for them, verified their origins, took care of their children, and buried them alive."
"Here!"
After everyone took orders, Wang Zheng led his people down the city tower. After walking a few steps, two fast horses galloped over from outside the city. After talking with the gatekeepers, they immediately ran towards Wang Zheng and his party.
Wang Zheng's physique was outstanding, and he could tell at a glance that he was a member of Liang Fu's garrison.
Liang Fu was located in the east of Taishan County, bordering Dongping County and Jibei County. Before attacking Fenggao, he specially left two hundred cavalrymen as sentries for security.
"General." The sentry rider came forward and reported: "Seven days ago, an army of horses and horses approached, numbering about four to five thousand people. It is suspected to be the Yanzhou Army!"
"Where are you now?" Wang Zhengjian asked, raising his eyebrows.
When the sentry rider handed over the secret report, Wang Zheng took a look and saw that it read: "When the news came that the general had broken the city, his troops retreated. However, the day before yesterday, another envoy of a hundred people came. The envoy's name was Man Chong and he called himself Yanzhou.
Mu is engaged. The general did not let him cross the border, and now he is detaining Liang Fu. Will the general see him or not?"
"If I see you, do you want to see him off immediately? Wait for the general to decide."
"In addition, Liang Mao, the prefect of Taishan, fled. The general ordered the late general and others to be on guard and intercept him, but he has not been seen yet. He may have escaped in disguise and took a trail. Although he did not capture his head, he also intercepted a Taishan military report, so he did not dare to risk his own life.
Open it and attach it to the brocade bag to show it to the general."
After receiving the bag of tips from the sentry, Wang Zheng opened it and saw that it was an urgent letter for help sent from Taishan County to Dong County before Feng Gao failed.
The eyes were filled with redness, and it was written in blood:
"The thieves besieged the city for thirteen days, and there were more than forty small and large battles. The offensive became more intense, with dozens of stone cannons, countless powerful crossbows, and rain of arrows. Our city wall collapsed again and again."
"As of yesterday, thieves and ants were on the city, and they didn't have a break from morning to night. The thieves beat Wang Zhengqin in front of the formation, and then they even ignored their own safety and charged forward. They made ten swings and ten battles, and their fierce power was overwhelming!
"
"The commander is so brave, the thieves and the three armies are energized, they are hit by arrows, and they don't care, and they are seriously injured and they don't retreat. It can be said that they are brave and fearless of death. This is terrifying!"
"Our three armies are in disgrace, their morale is depleted. There are 40,000 defenders, but so far the casualties are less than 10,000, the old soldiers are less than 3,000, and all the elites have been killed and injured." "Cities far and near are either trapped or in danger, it is difficult to protect themselves, and there is no help.
.The thieves are also so fierce. I have been guarding the city for nearly half a decade. When I come down, there are no wounded in the whole city..."
"I sent twelve urgent letters asking for help, but they all fell into the sea. I expected that the Lord would be hard to see. Fortunately, my Lord saw it. I said: My death is not a pity, but Yanzhou has suffered the same fate.
There are natural disasters and man-made disasters. In the south, there are flying generals watching, and in the east, there are packs of wolves waiting for you. Their power is at their peak. In times of internal and external difficulties, you cannot defeat them, so you can only defeat them wisely!"
"As I am in charge of the plan, I have the courage to make suggestions. It is better to hold him back with peace talks temporarily and wait until he gets careless. I am fully prepared and can do it slowly. Don't act too hastily."
"Your Majesty Liang Bofang."
"He is a talent."
After reading the entire article, Wang Zheng sighed secretly.
His troops came to the city and forced him into a desperate situation. In terms of hatred, this man already hated himself to the core, but he still did not give up his work because of personal grudges. He did his duty and was loyal to Cao Cao. He analyzed the situation for Cao Cao, explained the pros and cons, and even took the initiative to persuade him to cooperate with his family.
talk.
"It's a pity that we let this person go." Wang Zheng sighed. He knew that given his status and that the other party was obviously a loyal minister, even if he kept this person, it would be difficult to recruit him to surrender.
He also handed the two letters to Xu Fang and others to read. Some of them were illiterate, so Xu Fang read them softly to them.
After finishing reading, Xu Fang frowned and thought for a while, and said: "Since the secret letter was intercepted by our army, Yanzhou Mu will not be able to know the situation in Mount Tai from now on. Why did an envoy arrive at Liang Fu so quickly now?"
"From the general's point of view, it seems that Liang Mao has fled back to Dongjun and is facing Cao Cao, so he is favored by many."
"Bah." Zhang Rao on the side cursed and said: "General, since you have seen through this so-called negotiation is just a tactic to delay the war, Cao Cao has no sincerity, how can he see a bird messenger!"
"Just cut it down!"
"Otherwise." Wang Zheng shook his head. Cao Cao was counting on Ji Wei to avoid being attacked by him and Lu Bu from both sides. Why didn't Wang Zheng want to take the opportunity to rest?
Taishan County has not yet been completely conquered, and he has suffered heavy casualties. Even if there is a system to restore a certain strength, if there are not enough soldiers willing to be loyal to him, those who do not join the team will be like a clever woman who cannot make a living without rice.
"Since Cao Cao came to seek peace, no matter what his original intention was, it would be of no benefit to us at most. He wants to paralyze us, and we can take advantage of this to paralyze them."
After thinking about it for a while, Wang Zheng said to the sentry rider: "Now it has been elevated for the time being, but it has not yet been stabilized. Moreover, the cities to the west of Mount Tai have not yet been settled. It is not suitable to receive guests here."
"You go back and tell the superior officer to take people to escort this envoy to Kaiyang..." After thinking about it, Wang Zheng changed his words: "No, send it to Pengcheng."
Peace talks can be regarded as civil affairs. Currently, the only two subordinates under my command are Zhang Zhao and Mi Heng. However, since they are willing to talk together, Mi Heng's remarks are obviously inappropriate.
Although Zhang Zhao has not yet entered the system, according to what Xu Fang said, his current performance in Pengcheng is acceptable. Although he has not completely returned to his original intention, he should not deliberately do bad things.
And when it comes to distance, there's actually not much difference between the two sides.
...
Having raised the butcher's knife, even if he regretted it at this time, since he could not win back the hearts of the people, Wang Zheng decided to change his original plan and suppress Taishan County with domineering force, trying to make up for the damage to his own family and at the same time give some sweetness to the soldiers.
The so-called not to disturb the people, in Xuzhou meant that no one should commit any crime, but now in Taishan, in addition to not hurting people's lives, looting is allowed.
The royal government designated several areas and assigned them to the armies according to the damage done to each department, allowing them to raid the homes of prominent gentry families in the inner city and seize their property.
A few more days passed like this, and after all the power of the aristocratic families in the city was gone, Wang Zheng tried to comfort him again. Soon after, at least on the surface, Fenggao City returned to calm, but it seemed slightly lifeless.
Just as Wang Zheng and the generals were discussing how to capture the remaining cities in Mount Tai, another sentry from Kaiyang came.
When Wang Zheng presented the letter, his heart moved when he saw it.
The news was naturally sent by Mi Heng, but it contained two paragraphs. The first paragraph was of course congratulations to Wang Zheng. By the way, Yangzhou Muyi had received the news that he was actively attacking Yanzhou and had sent an envoy to Kaiyang to express his congratulations.
The second paragraph is that according to Ni Heng, the envoy also brought the emperor's edict and policy documents, waiting for Wang Zheng to return and personally sign them.
Is the edict coming?
Even if Mi Heng and Wang Zheng had never seen it, they still knew roughly that Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty must have approved Yuan Shu's recommendation to him.
In other words, as long as Wang Zheng is willing to nod, from now on, he will be cleared and become the so-called governor of Xuzhou.
It's just, it's a little weird.
When Wang Zheng was suspicious, he saw that Xu Fang was also startled: "General, is this imperial edict really issued by the emperor in Luoyang?"
"It shouldn't be. If we say it before, it was still possible, but at this time Liu Xuande has taken over from Tao Qian and became Xuzhou's state pastor."
Wang Zheng nodded, this was also where he was confused.
Even if Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty didn't mind his status as a rebel, his imperial uncle from the same clan was also in Xuzhou now. Was he not prepared to save face for Liu Bei at all?
With this righteous reputation, if I go to conquer the East China Sea now, I will be famous.
etc!
East China Sea?
An idea flashed in his mind, and Wang Zheng suddenly realized that there was a high probability that this imperial edict was not issued by Emperor Xian.
After many discussions with Mi Heng, he had a rough idea of Yuan Shu's intention.
Let’s not mention Liu Bei for the moment. After the battle at Hulao Pass, his two sworn brothers have long been famous as tiger generals. Who in the world is not afraid of them?
If Wang Zheng goes to attack the East China Sea, regardless of victory or defeat, it will first draw Liu Bei's main attention. Not only will the garrison from various counties be mobilized to gather in the west, but it is also very likely that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will be drawn to fight the enemy...
In this way, the one who got the biggest advantage was naturally Yuan Shu, who would even take the opportunity to capture Pi and Guangling counties.