The rise of the prince

Chapter 293
Five days later, in the early morning, the rebels outside the city had already built more than a dozen pairs of siege ladders and began to smoke them, and the smoke and dust could be clearly seen from the top of the city.

The four siege towers are still under construction and look like they will be days away.

In recent days, the rebels often lined up, approaching the city wall about [-] steps, and then shouted "Kill, kill, kill" in unison. With the sound of the big drums marching, there were so many people, and the sound was loud, which had a great impact on the morale of the city. The soldiers started to get scared.

Fortunately, this kind of frightening posture seems to indicate that the rebels are not planning to attack the city in a short time, and their siege towers have not yet been built.

But early this morning, Di Zhi approached Li Xingzhou with a serious face. He speculated that the rebels would start attacking the city tomorrow and would not wait for the siege tower to be built.

His basis was that the rebel army had begun to transfer a large amount of supplies to the Chinese army under the cover of night.

Although they couldn't see clearly at night, the torches they lit couldn't fool anyone. Di Zhi almost stood on the top of the city day and night, so he saw that for several consecutive nights, there were many sparse fires lit up in the camps on the east and west sides at night, and finally gathered in the camp of the Chinese army. It is very likely that the objects carried are bow and crossbow arrows.

The second is that the fence at the main entrance of the rebel camp has been widened, although the distance is too far and it seems that it basically does not change.

As an officer of the Forbidden Army, Di Zhi has a lot of experience. He knows that attacking a city requires all-in-one attack.

Therefore, if you are a general who knows the soldiers, in order to attack the city by surprise, the gate of the camp will be widened before the siege, so that the sergeant can suddenly rush out when the defenders are most relaxed, and swarm up.

Therefore, he paid close attention to the width of the camp of the rebel army with his fingers every day, and found that the rebel army has been widening the camp gate every day for a few days, but the range is very small, and no change can be seen from a long distance , but after a few days, the main gate of the camp has been widened by more than two feet.

After hearing what he said, Li Xingzhou immediately paid attention to it, and gave him full authority to direct and prepare for the battle.

The atmosphere in the city is dignified, and there are few pedestrians on the streets.

At noon, Li Xingzhou met his sister-in-law at the Princess Mansion. The sister-in-law prepared dishes and cakes for him. Li Xingzhou was worried about the city defense, so he had no appetite, but he couldn't shirk what the sister-in-law did.

While eating my sister-in-law, I also talked about the rebels, "Now that soldiers are approaching the city, my sister-in-law can't help you, Xingzhou is already a big shot, and everything is up to you.

There are still [-] dead soldiers in my mansion, all of whom were carefully trained by Instructor Jiao. Without their protection, the entire mansion would have been brutally murdered long ago.Now that the city is safe, leave them to you and help Luzhou. "

Li Xingzhou thought for a while, nodded and did not refuse. Now is not the time to be hypocritical. If Luzhou City is broken, it will not be good for everyone.

After a while, there was the sound of horseshoes outside the courtyard, and Qi Fang, who was dressed beautifully and armed, said excitedly: "My lord, there are a large number of people gathered in the north of the city, and they want to see the lord."

Li Xingzhou was puzzled, seeing him at this time?
After that, he didn't care about eating, bid farewell to sister-in-law, rode on Meixue and headed north of the city.

"What's the matter?" Li Xingzhou asked while walking to the north of the city. Meixue has been running around every day recently, and has suffered a lot, and has lost a lot of weight.

Qi Fang gave a rare smile: "Your Highness will know when you go to see it."

Seeing her smile, Li Xingzhou knew it wasn't a bad thing. There were too many things going on recently, so he patted his chest, "I thought something happened again."

"It's not necessarily a good thing. A woman like me with a strong desire for power might be happy to see King Pingnan make a fool of herself." Qi Fang said, she didn't know when she also learned to make jokes, probably to make Li Xingzhou bad. .

"Hahaha, your joke is three points as good as mine, but you still have to work hard, young man." After Li Xingzhou clamped the horse's belly, Meixue speeded up instantly, leaving Qifang behind, how could an ordinary horse run faster Meixue.

Qifang had no choice but to follow quickly.

When he arrived in the north of the city, Li Xingzhou finally understood what was going on.

Going north of the city is the junction of Jiannan Road and Huaihua Mansion, which is blocked by a vast and lush mountain. This is not a small mountain range like Mishan, but a mountain stretching for hundreds of miles. It is this mountain that blocks Luzhou. Access to Jiannan Road.

Many people gathered at the north gate, mostly old and weak, women and children, densely packed, carrying fried rice, vegetables, and meat in their hands. They wanted to give these things to King Pingnan.

Seeing Li Xingzhou's arrival, the people knelt down. He asked them to stand up, and then the defenders who maintained order explained the situation to him.

A 50-year-old mother-in-law at the front was holding a bamboo basket with rice and eggs in it. When she saw Li Xingzhou, she stepped forward and said, "My lord, I'm an old woman with only one grandson. I can't eat so much rice. There is going to be a war in the city, and the old woman is old and weak, so she can't do much, but it is still possible to save rice, so please be sure to accept it."

After a while, the people joined in one after another.

Li Xingzhou looked at the grandson she was leading, who was already as thin as a monkey, and knew what she was telling was a lie.

"My lord, this is the deer that our village hunted last night. The people in the village are just doing their jobs. They don't need to eat precious things. The brothers in the city are desperately trying to let them eat."

"Yes, yes, the lord gave each of us a stone of rice. How can we eat so much? There is going to be a war in the city, so let the fighting boys eat their fill first."

"."

The common people spoke one after another, most of them spoke plain words, some had limited expressive ability, and couldn't tell what was going on, but Li Xingzhou had already fully understood.

To tell the truth, although he loves to joke, he is a ruthless person at heart.

The more knowledge reserves, the easier it is for people to be ruthless, because the truth is ruthless, it exists objectively, cold, unchangeable, and unquestionable.

But people are so strange, trying to pursue the truth, but will violate the truth, he can rationally analyze the purpose, rationality, and conformity of social laws of the people's actions from a psychological point of view, but he can't restrain the emotion and trembling in his heart.

After all, he was born as a human being with flesh and blood.

Li Xingzhou doesn't even know how to reject the simplicity of many people. They may be ignorant, ignorant, easy to be used and dominated by instinct, but when they live and die, they shine with the brilliance of humanity.The more difficult and difficult we are, the more precious this kind of brilliance of humanity becomes.

Even from the beginning to the end, he has been clamoring to control the people and take advantage of the people's enthusiasm. At this moment, he couldn't help pouting and said: "Hmph, a bunch of unscrupulous people. They are the traitors who love you. I didn't see them loving themselves so much back then." Parents Officer."

Li Xingzhou smiled, how could he not know that she was jealous: "You are sour."

He thought for a while: "Soldier, take my order flag, and gather the guards at the four gates, the Xiang army, the horse army, the Shenji battalion, and the dead soldiers from the Princess Mansion to the south gate."

The orderly, who had been riding beside him all this time, took the order and left.

"Aren't you afraid of the rebels attacking the city?" Qi Fang frowned, gathering all the defenders to the south gate, what about the remaining gates?
Li Xingzhou smiled and said, "Di Zhi said that within five days, the rebels will not attack the city."

"Just believe what he says. This is a major matter that concerns the survival of Luzhou." Qifang still has hostility towards Di Zhi, because Di Zhi took away her control of the entire Luzhou City, and now she has to obey Di Zhi's orders.

"Don't be suspicious of employing people, don't be suspicious of people, he is my subordinate, so I can trust him." Li Xingzhou said while organizing the people to go south of the city.

After hearing this, Qi Fang was stunned in place, unable to speak for a long time.

When the sun was setting to the west, the soldiers of the fifth battalion of the four gate guards led by Di Zhi, the horse army led by Qi Rui, the Shenji Battalion led by Yan Shen, and the dead soldiers of the princess mansion led by Jiao Shan, the head of the guardian of the princess mansion, had already arrived. Gather at the South Gate.

Jiao Shan is also an acquaintance, and he was the one who was in charge of traveling thousands of miles north to deliver things to the palace for my sister-in-law.It was exactly what he and Li Xingzhou were talking about about the situation in Luzhou at the beginning. He was a well-informed and capable person who had traveled all over the country.

In fact, after so many days in the Princess Mansion, Li Xingzhou could vaguely see that Jiao Shan had admiration for his sister-in-law.However, no matter how knowledgeable and capable he is, he is only the head of the courtyard guard. The sister-in-law is the emperor's beloved daughter, Princess Qing'an who is born of the empress, and there is a son-in-law in the mansion.

After all the soldiers and horses in the city had assembled, Li Xingzhou rode to the front, faced many curious soldiers, and said loudly: "We gathered you here today, not for fighting or giving lectures, but for good deed!"

After finishing speaking, he reined in his horse and moved slowly, then turned around and pointed to the many old and weak women and children behind him: "They said that they have something to give to this king, but a gentleman does not take away people's love, and this king knows that it is you who they want to send.

They are rich people in Luzhou, rich people who are about to die of starvation. They say that they can't finish the rice, vegetables, and too much meat at home, so they insist on giving it to you. "

"Hahaha, but if you don't talk about you, I don't believe it. Look at them all as thin as monkeys. Which one seems to have surplus food at home." Li Xingzhou's voice was loud, echoing around the city wall. He said, tens of thousands The defenders fell silent.

"But I don't want to disappoint their good intentions. After all, if you wear this skin, you will die for the country. I just want to tell you sooner, because there may be a war tomorrow, and I and you are afraid of dying quickly. You died without knowing why, your death is valuable, unlike the rebels outside the city who only know how to burn, kill and loot!"

Li Xingzhou pointed to those old and weak women and children: "Remember, if you die, you will die for Luzhou! Die for your homeland! Die for them! After death, some people will miss you, some people will remember, and next year Qingming, someone will silently recite your name, Burning incense and paper for you, lamenting and sighing for you, there are no lonely souls and wild ghosts in my city of Luzhou!"

"."

"There are no lonely ghosts in Luzhou City!"

"There are no lonely ghosts in Luzhou City!"

The morale of many soldiers was boosted, and they shouted.The people were infected, and they shed tears one after another. Life and death depended on fate. At this time, who would not be afraid of the eternal loneliness, but if someone could remember, maybe death would not be so terrible.

Afterwards, Li Xingzhou arrogantly ordered to start a gang on the spot, and all the things sent by the common people were combined with the army rations in the mansion, and the pot was cooked on the spot, and the army and the people shared food, regardless of the beating of war drums outside the city, and the sound of killing was loud.

Drinking too much in the dangerous city, drunk and listening to the sound of evil drums, with a heroic spirit in your chest, you will be loyal to your soul even if you die. Fear is contagious, and so is love and hope. If you want soldiers to fight to the death, at least let them know why they are fighting. Why die.

In this way, even in the face of tomorrow's brutal battle, no one is afraid to fight.

Facing the defenders with high morale, Li Xingzhou suddenly felt that even if the rebels had twice as many troops, they would not be able to attack.
(End of this chapter)