Chapter 1012
How to Defend Xihe County
Chapter 1012 How to Defend Xihe County
Xihe County,
Inside the county governor's mansion, there was already a guard every three steps and a sentry every five steps. It was surrounded by the imperial guards and no one could get out.
In the main hall,
A group of people were kneeling tremblingly, led by Jiao Ke, the Major General of the Jiangnan Camp, followed by the camp commanders, a group of officials from the Yangping government office, and Wei Xiangping, the governor of Runan, who had a pale face and a brocade cloth wrapped around his arm. He was the only one who did not kneel there, but leaned on the chair at the west end, not saying a word.
East side,
The King of Wei had a gloomy face. How could the situation become so urgent overnight? Especially since Xihe County was short of troops, how could they defend the city? Looking at the officers kneeling on the ground, he had no place to vent his anger.
On the main position,
A trace of doubt flashed across Beijing Prince Shui Rong's gloomy face. How come the White Lotus Sect came at such a coincidence and surrounded Yangping City? Didn't Governor Wei claim that he would fight to the death in Shizhou City and not retreat a single step?
Now, after the defeat in Runan, Shizhou, and Yangping, he was only slightly injured. Perhaps, the injury was all fake. This old fox glanced at Wei Xiangping. Regardless of whether it was fake or not, the court was concerned about him, and his sister was in the harem. There were many people involved, so it was not appropriate to pursue it. However,
The tiger opened his eyes and looked at the person kneeling on the ground. He should have severely punished him, but unfortunately, he was from the East Palace and the Jiangnan camp was a foreign army.
"Get up, Jiao Ke. Since you are the commander-in-chief, why did you lead the army back to the county town after landing in Yangping?"
This was also what King Beijing had not figured out. Even if the White Lotus Sect moved quickly, they could not siege the city with just a few soldiers. At present, the 30,000 elite soldiers in the Jiangnan camp had lost thousands of people. In addition, the soldiers recruited in Yangping and the defenders of Shizhou City who fled had already lost most of their lives.
It seems that the White Lotus Sect is not an easy target. He was able to kill some of them even though he was scheming. Was he too stupid, or did the White Lotus Sect have an ambush?
Little did he know that these words made Jiao Ke blush. Fortunately, most of the silver in Yangping's treasury had been sent back to Suzhou in the south of the Yangtze River by boat to ease his uncle's military pay difficulties. However, the loss of 4,000 soldiers out of his 30,000-man army was unacceptable.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I arrived at Yangping two days ago. After the army disembarked, there was no food supply, so I went to the government office to discuss replenishing supplies. Unexpectedly, the White Lotus bandits came too fast, and the vanguard army had already arrived at the city. I had no choice but to order the defense of the city. This can be confirmed by the adults and Governor Wei."
After Jiao Ke stood up, he recounted what happened that day. As for why he didn't bring food and supplies, everyone knew it. Yangping was very rich, and Jiao Ke was leading a reinforcement force, so why would he use his own money to make up for it?
The officials behind him all nodded, and the prefect Li Ran even stood up and bowed.
"Your Highness, General Jiao is right. That afternoon, the guards at the dock reported that a troop transport ship was approaching on the canal. After receiving the report, I immediately led my troops to clear the dock. I then learned that it was General Jiao's Jiangnan camp soldiers. At that time, Lord Wei hurried to Yangping. Not long after, the White Lotus bandit army followed closely behind. I could only order the city gates to be closed to prevent any accidents!"
The rest was to use more than a day to evacuate the families and civilians. Fortunately, the action was fast enough.
"Oh, so that means those evil people from the White Lotus Sect did not gain any advantage in Yangping."
The King of Wei suddenly asked absentmindedly, "What a smooth talker! There are so many food and supplies in Yangping, and we don't know whether these things have been transported out. If they fall into the hands of the White Lotus Sect, wouldn't it make the rebel army more powerful?"
Unexpectedly, these words made everyone in the hall sweat profusely. The gold and silver that Yangping could take away had already been divided up by them. As for those that could not be taken away, the wealthy merchants and sects had already taken a lot when they evacuated through the north city gate, or the common people had cleaned up the place before leaving. Only the grain in the government warehouse could not be taken away and had to be left behind.
Jiao Ke swallowed his saliva. He could only deny it and replied with a stiff upper lip.
"Your Highness, I left in a hurry and only took a portion of the baggage with me. The rest was distributed to the people so that they could flee. Before I left, I did not dare to burn the food and grass for fear that the enemy army would kill me and hurt the people. I should have fallen into the hands of the enemy."
Jiao Ke agreed to this matter hesitantly, and several officials behind him nodded in agreement.
"Your Highness, because the enemy army came in a hurry and Yangping was not prepared, I ordered to open the granaries and release the food, so that the people could escape on their own. General Jiao had no choice but to hold back. If it weren't for General Jiao guarding the city, Yangping would have fallen that day, and we would be useless."
Changyangchang, the co-magistrate of Yangping, covered his face in shame, with tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. Many officials behind him also learned from him, and their eyes turned red, they cried slightly, and acted like little girls.
The King of Wei felt uncomfortable, but he couldn't continue to scold them. They were all a bunch of mediocre officials. They didn't even burn such important things as food and fodder. Isn't this helping the enemy?
"You gentlemen are kind-hearted and care about the people, but why don't you think about the court? So much food and grass fell into the hands of the enemy army. You all,
He wanted to say more words of rebuke, but was stopped by Beijing Prince Shui Rong.
"Your Highness, don't be anxious. General Jiao is new to the battlefield and his response is OK. Don't blame him too much. Since he has brought back most of the army, it is also a great achievement. The others have been with him through thick and thin and have no responsibility to escape. This is rare and precious. Now that we have arrived in the county city, let's settle down for the time being. I would like to ask General Jiao about the strength of the enemy army."
It was almost a quick move to cut the Gordian knot. If the King of Wei continued to ask questions like this, the morale that had been retained with great difficulty would be gone. The most important thing now was to defend the city. The White Lotus troops arrived too quickly, so Qi Yun's army arrived first and was still on the canal. Without the Yangping Wharf, Qi Yun's troops didn't know where to disembark, and they only had these people to rely on.
The King of Wei was a little confused, so he turned to look at the King of Beijing, and saw that he had secretly winked at him. Although he didn't understand, he knew that what he had just said was inappropriate, so he had to give up.
Jiao Ke stood among the generals and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the prince had given in. Thinking back to the day when they broke out, it was considered smooth. However, at the last moment, the enemy army gathered their troops and followed them. In the darkness, they lost these people in a panic. Of course, the enemy army also suffered heavy losses. It can be said that they were equally matched.
"Your Highness, the White Lotus Sect came with great momentum this time. I am not exaggerating. The bandit army has at least 300,000 bandits, many of whom are elite soldiers wearing armor. The rest are mostly civilians, called slave troops. Whenever there is a major battle, they will be forced to attack the city, depleting the defenders' strength, and finally use their elite troops to break through the city in one fell swoop. Your troops are not strong enough and cannot stop them."
The words were simple, but everyone knew clearly that the reason why the Taiping Sect and the White Lotus Sect were so rampant was that they used this method to crush the counties. The reason why the garrisons were not strong was because the officials were corrupt and the soldiers were scarce. In fact, some cities did not even have a government army. It was okay in peacetime, but if it was a disaster, they would be defenseless.
This was also the reason why the King of Wei was angry. Of course, the King of Beijing Shui Rong did not blame them. Without them, how could he lead the army again? As long as he could defend the county city, it would be a great achievement.
"It's not your fault. The number of soldiers in various prefectures has almost become a fig leaf. Now the county government has already started recruiting soldiers. So far, about 40,000 new soldiers have been recruited. Together with the soldiers you brought, the total number is more than 100,000. It will not be a problem to defend the county. The enemy soldiers are not supernatural beings. Their flesh and blood bodies cannot withstand the power of armor."
Shui Rong stood up, pointed to the shadow on the wall behind him, and asked the chief guard Sang Shouyi to hang up the geomancy map of Xihe County, and then continued;
"If the White Lotus Sect really wants to take over the county town in one fell swoop, it won't be that easy. The county town has already penetrated deep into the inland of Xihe County. There are valleys and high peaks on both sides. The only high place is the county town, and there is a moat blocking the way. It is a pipe dream for the White Lotus Sect to capture the city in a short time.
Furthermore, there are many sects around here, most of which have steep mountains as their main gates. The affairs of the martial arts world can also distract the White Lotus Sect and buy a lot of time. As long as we can delay the main force of the White Lotus Sect, that is our goal."
Prince Beijing was very proud and did not show any anxiety on his face. He had already asked those people from the Imperial City Bureau to start contacting those sects. Perhaps there would be unexpected results.
The eyes of the King of Wei flickered. He already knew something about the affairs of the martial arts world. In the capital, who didn't know about the martial arts disciples that Uncle Zhongshun had raised? Perhaps they could also be used as a help. He could only bury this thought in his heart.
Looking at the atmosphere in the hall, it was not as tense as before. Perhaps guessing the intention of King Beijing, he was indeed feared by the court. Looking to the west, the Wei Taishou, who was originally half dead, now sat up straight and did not look like a wounded person. This injury was really fake.
"Your Majesty, I have a question. If the White Lotus rebels are trapped in the county city and no reinforcements are coming in a short time, wouldn't they be trapped in a dead end? Why don't you concentrate your troops and kill them in battle with your weapons and armor?"
After all, Yun Guang and the soldiers led by Jiao Ke are the elite of the government army. The greatest killing power is naturally the advantage of the battle formation. With the county city behind them, they should be able to fight. However, as soon as he said this, the generals in the hall immediately turned pale.
Especially Yun Guang, seeing that the King of Wei did not understand military affairs, it was not easy to explain too much this time, so he could only clasp his fists and explain.
"Second Prince, although our army has the advantage of battle formation, the number gap is too great. If we lose our troops under the city, the county city will be lost. You should know that Wang Jie led more than 100,000 troops, which is a lesson for us."
Seeing that Prince Beijing winked at him from the main seat, Yun Guang had no choice but to stand up and explain the matter. The disparity in military strength and the fact that they could defeat the enemy with a small force was just a rumor. Seeing Yun Guang's embarrassed look, King Wei Zhou Chong also knew that his idea was too rash, so he did not hesitate.
"I was not thoughtful enough. Wang Ziteng's defeat is a lesson for us. In this case, we should focus on defending the city. Your Majesty, now that Yangping has fallen into the hands of the enemy, how can Qi Yun's troops on the canal come to the county city?"
Since the battle cannot be fought, it is most important to gather troops to defend the city. The Northern Palace's once world-famous vanguard army is still floating on the river.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. If we can't go to Yangping, we can get off the ship in Fuling County and go south through Jinzhou. If we move fast, we can reach the county city within three days. Qi Yun is a veteran on the battlefield, and he will coordinate the troops. If the enemy army reveals any flaws, he will not hold back."
Shui Rong gave everyone a reassurance. The only ones who knew military skills here were Xue Shou and Yun Guang under his command. However, these two combined were no match for Qi Yun. Therefore, the specific way to defend the city still required the generals to brainstorm.
"That's good. If General Qi can arrive in time, we won't be afraid. For now, do we need to evacuate the people in the city, or continue to recruit soldiers? Can we borrow the garrisons of the various sects? Can we borrow the disciples of the sects?"
The King of Wei immediately spoke up and said that since Jiao Ke's reinforcements had arrived, arrangements had to be made to defend the city, as the enemy army would probably not give them time.
"Your Highness, do not be anxious. The people in the city cannot be evacuated. Instead, they must be calmed down. To defend the city, all the generals must work together. In this case, I will order General Yun to lead 50,000 troops to guard the South Gate, 30,000 of which are newly recruited soldiers. You are the main force."
"Yes, my lord, I will obey your orders,"
Yun Guang sighed in his heart. He couldn't escape after all. The South Gate would definitely be the main attack site of the White Lotus Sect. Those newly recruited soldiers were just some young and strong laborers. The main force defending the city was still the soldiers he brought with him. But if they were consumed here, wouldn't he have to look at the He family's face when he returned to Chang'an County? He glanced at the rest of the people, all of whom had a look of relief on their faces. The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. He could only keep it to himself.
"Okay, the South Gate is the most important, and the West Gate is guarded by General Jiao's 30,000 soldiers. After all, the terrain outside the West Gate is open and very suitable for deploying troops. The enemy army will definitely not give up."
Shui Rong looked at Jiao Ke again. After replenishing the 30,000 troops, it should not be difficult to defend the west gate.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take your order."
Jiao Ke quickly clasped his fists to accept the order. He had no choice but to accept it. The King of Wei was always staring at him. He was late in dispatching troops in response to the King of Beijing's previous order, which would inevitably make the King of Wei and the King of Bei unhappy. If he did not obey the call, he was afraid that the prince would use him as a scapegoat. Thinking of this, how could he not answer quickly? Sure enough, after hearing General Jiao's answer, Shui Rong and the King of Wei's faces softened instantly.
"Okay, General Duan will lead 10,000 soldiers to guard the East Gate, General Song will lead 10,000 soldiers to guard the North Gate, and Xue Shou will lead 10,000 soldiers to wait in the inner city."
Since the most difficult to defend West Gate and South Gate have been arranged, several defeated garrison generals, who are also taller among the short men, were selected to guard the city temporarily.
"Yes, I will obey the order."
Duan Kaiyuan and others also hurriedly accepted the order. Although he was defeated again and again, at least he was able to move in and out of the sea of blood and corpses. Only Song Kai, the garrison commander of Yangping, secretly swallowed his saliva. This was really a case of being forced to do something against his will. But seeing that the others had already accepted the order, he did not dare to be the first to take action, and had to respond with the crowd.
Seeing that the defense of the city had been arranged, the King of Wei could not sit still, he stood up, lifted up his skirt, and said;
"Now that the arrangements have been made, all generals should do their best. I have seen it all. I am going back now."
He waved his hand and went straight back to the East Garden.
"Farewell, Your Highness."
Beijing,
After daybreak, the imperial guards began to post notices of victory all over the capital. The Golden Sun Bell also rang three times slowly, echoing over the capital.
After a while, after finishing their meal, the people of the capital city would go to the street corners to see what notices had been posted by the government.
All I heard was that the scholars who had read books, crowded in the front, gasped after reading the notice, especially the students from the academy, who gathered together, covered their mouths with their sleeves, and whispered;
"My dear friends, what is written on the notice is true. Did Marquis Luo Yun actually massacre the city?"
A student wearing the Confucian uniform of Qinglian Academy was smacking his lips. The term "massacre of the city" was only recorded in history books. The Dawu Dynasty had been established for nearly a hundred years, but he had never heard of it. It was against the way of the saints.
"I don't know if it's true or not, but I heard that the imperial army marched south and won three battles in a row, but I heard that many soldiers died. The massacre of the city might be a helpless act."
Another student from Qiu Shui Academy shook his head, but disagreed with the others' idea. The rebel army had been rebelling till now, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of atrocities. It was unknown how many civilians were left in the county city.
"My dear brother, this is wrong. The way of a saint is to educate all people. Marquis Luo Yun, out of selfishness, wantonly slaughtered people and massacred the city. This is against the harmony of heaven. The Taiping Sect rebels will definitely not surrender after seeing this, and will have to fight to the death. At that time, the court will have to die in suppressing the rebellion."
The words were spoken firmly. Everyone turned around and saw that it was a disciple from Yunshan Academy. Everyone hesitated. They were all here for an audience. The words were a bit too much. The people around did not dare to interrupt. Only the disciple from Qiushui Academy shook his head.
"Brother, you have gone too far. Since the Taiping Sect is a rebel, why keep them? When the White Lotus Sect started the uprising, they killed so many civilians and soldiers. In the end, it was the imperial court that sent troops, and the two Dukes Ning and Rong gathered all the troops in the capital and fought desperately to kill the rebels. Only then did the world achieve peace. If so."
The disciples of Qiushui Academy looked at each other with a playful look. The two academies were not far from each other, but they had always been at odds with each other. How could they let go of the opportunity to fight?
"If the rebel army had rebelled and surrendered to the imperial court, do you think the imperial court would dare to recruit them? You should know that the White Lotus Sect's military strength at that time was almost twice that of the imperial court's army. Who would dare to accept their surrender if they occupied the imperial court's nest?"
Although these words made sense, they seemed a bit outrageous. The students from the surrounding academies and the scholars who came to join in the fun almost lost their words when they heard them. They all kept silent, leaving the senior brother from Yunshan Academy with a red face and hesitant words, but he could not refute.
"You, you, the way of a saint is to educate all living beings, so that all living beings have a heart of repentance. In Linshan County, there are not only bandits, but also many civilians, or court officials, etc. If you massacre the city, wouldn't you have to kill all these people too? What crime have you committed? What crime have you committed!"
It was almost a shout, the face of this senior brother from Yunshan Academy was flushed, and his momentum was not weakened at all.
(End of this chapter)