That year, that cicada, that sword

Chapter 964

As the saying goes, the wind starts at the end of Qingping, and every time before a big battle, no matter how high the temple is or how far the rivers and lakes are, there is a premonition, and people panic.

At the end of spring on Taiping 24, the battle between Liangxiang and Xiangyang has not yet officially kicked off, but there is already an atmosphere of rain and wind in the whole city of Xiangyang. Fortunately, Liangxiang is a place of hundreds of battles after all. There are also many old people who have experienced the battle of fighting for the deer, and Yu Kuang personally sits here, so the city is still stable at this time, and there are no disturbances.

However, outside the city, there is already turmoil. Different from the previous siege that was a little tentative, although Xiao Jin did not come to the siege this time, the number of people was more than double that of last time. Standing on the top of the city, one can see The so-called ten-mile company and the sea of ​​people are nothing more than that.

According to the idea advocated by Zhang Wubing, if there is only a strong city, then it will be lost if it is defended for a long time. The difference is only the length of time. The most typical example is the offensive and defensive battle of Xiangyang in the last years of the Great Chu. The defender of the city was Lu Tingzhi, a famous general of the Great Chu. , the attacking party was Hu Yanshu, a post-construction general, and the two attacked and defended one by one. Starting from the third year of Xianchun, they experienced Lu Tingzhi's anti-siege battle, the battle of Li Wen and Li Huan's aid to Xiangfan, the battle of Longweizhou and the battle of Xiangfan. The isolated city was helpless. In the ninth year of Xianchun, Lu Tingzhi was exhausted and had to surrender. It took six years and ended with the fall of Xiangyang, the Great Chu.

Therefore, after Zhang Wubing took office as the left governor of the Northwest Left Army, he attached great importance to the cavalry army, thinking that no matter how many fortresses there are, and no matter how strong the central capital is, the cavalry army that can fight outside the city will ultimately determine the direction of the war. If the cavalry army cannot leave the city, Then the fortresses are just isolated islands in the sea, which can only be breached one by one by the grassland army. Only a powerful cavalry army that can go out of the city and fight can "thread the needle" and connect these fortresses like beads together. into a complete bead curtain.

It was also because of this that after several bloody battles with Lin Han, Lin Shu and his father, Zhang Wubing refused to retreat into the city even though he suffered heavy losses. As long as his cavalry did not retreat into the city for a day, Then this bead curtain will be complete in one day, and the prairie army will not be able to advance half a step to the northwest, but if he retreats into the city to defend, then the prairie army can completely bypass these majestic cities, move southward, and enter the Central Plains from Shanzhou In the hinterland, there is no need to worry about the northwestern army cutting off their retreat, because at this time, Xiao Jin's Wei army can respond to the south, and Mu Tangzhi's Northeast army can echo in the north. Lin Han's grassland army will not be alone. .

For this reason, the cabinet once worded an urgent message with a rather harsh tone, ordering Zhang Wubing to never let a prairie cavalry enter the Central Plains, because the imperial court was unable to deploy a second line of defense behind the Northwest Army, and the Northwest Army must fight for it. In half a year, let the court resolve the war in the south of the Yangtze River.At the same time, the cabinet also urgently handed over to Yu Kuang in Jiangnan, asking him to stabilize the situation in the southeast and wait for reinforcements from Shuzhou.

Different from Zhang Wubing's heavy burden, after Yu Kuang received this urgent delivery from the cabinet, he was more wry and speechless in his heart. His family knew his own affairs, and the Jiangnan Navy was equivalent to the Northwest Cavalry As for the left army in the northwest, after the First Battle of Dongting Lake, the Jiangnan navy was wiped out. Today's Jiangnan rear army is unable to go out of the city to fight, and can only defend the isolated city. The veteran saved a bit of face, to put it bluntly, it was just to let him guard the two sides.

The two Xiangs were facing the water. At this time, the river outside the city was full of ships of the Wei State. The Wei State Navy began to arrange wooden piles and iron locks to lock the Hengjiang River and block the river, making the two cities completely isolated.As the army of the State of Wei advanced further outside Liangxiang City, this also meant that the army was stronger than the army of the State of Wei before.

It is difficult to defend the two Xiangs, but it has to be defended, because this is a battle that is enough to affect the general situation of the world.

Whether it was Shangguan Tan, the leading general of the Wei State, or Yu Kuang, who was in charge of Liangxiang, both of them believed that this was a battle no less than the battle between Great Chu and Xiangyang, but it was beyond their expectations. Yes, the start of this battle was so hasty, even for both sides, it was so caught off guard.

Xiao Jin has an only son under his knees, and he was born with Meng Dongfei when he became Chen Gongyu. He originally followed Meng Dongfei and named him Meng Suilong. When Chen Gongyu's identity was exposed After that, Xiao Jin simply asked Meng Suilong to recognize his ancestor and return to his family, and changed his surname to Xiao.

In terms of seniority, Xiao Jin and Xiao Yu are half-brothers. His son is of the same generation as Xiao Xuan, and it should be a single character. The Dazong Ye" said, and named him Xiao Shu.

This distinguished Crown Prince, when he was still called Meng Suilong, was not a peaceful master. He once broke into Jiangdu Jianzong alone at night, but was captured by Xu Beiyou. He was rescued from Xu Beiyou's hands, but he still didn't want to repent, and provoked another quarrel in Jiuyuan City, and was almost captured by Xu Beiyou. This time Xiao Jin sent troops to the south of the Yangtze River, and he was unwilling to be half a step behind others. Meng Dongfei sneaked to the front line of Liangxiang and gathered a cavalry army of more than [-] people, and wanted to become a general who would fight thousands of miles with one cavalry.

At this time, Xiao Shu was wearing light armor and riding an extraordinary white horse. There was not a single hair on his body, and his endurance was excellent. After giving it to Xiao Jin, Xiao Jin gave it to her son.Behind him is a cavalry army of [-] troops. Not only is it not a mob, but it is the most elite cavalry. Although it may not be as good as the elite cavalry in the northwest and grasslands, it is already a place in the south of the Yangtze River where cavalry is not the main force. Waiting for the elite, there is a gentle and elegant man beside him, with three long beards and a green shirt, which is particularly eye-catching on the battlefield full of iron armor. This man is Huang Xiao, a master of the sword sect , who has been in the realm of the earth and fairy for many years, was once a disciple of the lord of the Sword Sect, Gongsun Zhongmou, but was expelled from the sect by Gongsun Zhongmou because of collusion with Taoists. Qing Ke under the door is also Xiao Shu's swordsmanship teacher.

Previously, Xiao Shu led the army to chase and kill a group of scouts from the Jiangnan Rear Army. He didn't try his best, but just played cat and mouse. He didn't draw a bow or hold a spear, but just put a sheathed long knife in front of him. When he was about ten miles away from Liangxiang, he clamped the horse's belly, and the whole person rushed out quickly. The entire cavalry behind also quickly accelerated forward, quickly surrounding these exhausted remnants.

Sitting high on the horseback, Xiao Shu sneered, holding down the long knife in front of him with one hand, and slowly raised the other hand.

All the cavalry immediately wound up their crossbows in unison, and with the sound of machine-wrapped springs, the rain of crossbows shot out.

Immediately, dozens of cavalrymen from the Jiangnan Cavalry Army fell from their horses to the ground.

Then all the cavalry troops of Wei State began to draw their knives, followed by a complete massacre, even if they resisted occasionally, it was futile.

Xiao Shu, who was honored as the "Prince" by Wei Guo, stopped his horse and looked at the faintly visible head of Xiangyang City. He pressed the long knife in front of him again, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

Who dares to go straight ahead?

(End of this chapter)