contend

Chapter 747 Zhuge
The first snow in the third year of Huangwu came later than before.

Du Yu led the army to retreat calmly.

After Sima Jun regained Xuchang, he didn't dare to pursue him, but ordered his scouts to look out.

Du Yu returned with carts and carts carrying food, money and silk.

"Your Majesty's mighty power, Hedong has won a great victory, and Sima Yan's power is over!" Zhou Zhi said excitedly.

Du Yu laughed and said, "Then take advantage of this great victory and take Nanyang!"

Zhuge Xu and Sima Liang besieged Liu Yin for many days, but they could not take it down. Instead, they lost troops and generals, and the soldiers were exhausted.

The battle in Hedong shook the world.

The morale of the Jin army plummeted.

Yang Ji was in the north, Liu Yin was under Wancheng, Li Te and Tian Zhang rode out of Wuguan with [-] steps, and Du Yu came from the west, and the whole Nanyang was surrounded by the Qin army.

"The governor's use of troops is really unpredictable. Zhuge Xu's old soldiers are exhausted and their morale is low. How can Wancheng be defended?" Zhou Zhi laughed.

Du Yu shook his head, "The way to use troops is like water controlling the flow of the land and moving with the situation. For example, Xuchang, before sending troops, did you know that the Yingchuan gentry would cooperate in this way? It's nothing more than guiding the advantage according to the situation. The same is true in Wancheng today. , if Your Majesty does not win a big victory in Hedong, and all reinforcements arrive, can this city be taken safely? The so-called timing, location, and harmony of people are all indispensable."

Zhou Zhi listened carefully like a humble disciple.

But Zhang Yan worried: "The governor rewarded the soldiers with money and silk from Xuchang privately. I'm afraid...it will be said that he bought the morale of the army and gave up the important place of Xuchang without authorization. It is inevitable that some people will make irresponsible remarks."

The tree attracts the wind, and Du Yu has to be cautious about many things in his current position.

"It's true what you said." Du Yu bowed his hands to Zhang Yan.

Zhou Zhi smiled and said, "Is my Daqin comparable to Luoyang's monarchs and ministers? Your Majesty has always been open-minded."

"It is precisely because of open-mindedness that we need to be cautious. Freezing three feet does not happen in a day. When the governor guarded Shuzhong, there were rumors." Zhang Yan said in a low voice.

"Someone has his own plan for this matter." Du Yu waved his hand, not wanting to get entangled in this issue.

If you want to do something, you have to take responsibility, and it is inevitable that you will be watched. Even a gentle person like Du Yu will not lack people who are secretly jealous.

The army rushed to Wancheng, and the bloody smell rushed to the face.

In front of Liuyin's camp, there was a dense pile of corpses.

However, the banner with the word "Qin" in the camp is still towering.

"The last general is lucky!" Liu Yin's armor was full of cuts, and was painted dark red by blood.

There are other people's and his own.

All the soldiers in the camp were wounded, and more than a thousand of the 5000 defenders died in battle, and they still did not retreat, which shows the level of Liu Yin's leadership.

It can also be seen how difficult this battle is.

Nothing in the world is easy.

"Thank you, General!" Du Yu said with emotion.

"This is the duty of the last general, how can we talk about hard work?" Liu Yin was full of energy, as if he wasn't tired at all.

"The main contribution to the south lies with the general!" Du Yu helped Liu Yin up, who looked happy.

Then Xuchang was captured and rewarded to the soldiers in the name of the emperor.

All the soldiers in the camp shouted long live.

Two days later, three generals Li Te, Tian Zhang, and Yang Ji arrived, and an army of [-] to [-] troops gathered under Wancheng.

"Listen to the garrison in the city, Sima Yan has been defeated, and the great Qin army will sweep across the Central Plains in a few days. If you don't return quickly, when will you wait?"

The Qin army approached the city wall to persuade them to surrender.

Most of these things were said in the past to scare people, but not now.

The general situation of the world has become clear, and the Sima family's defeat is almost doomed.

Moreover, Hongnong, Shangyong, and Wuguan are in the hands of the Qin army, and Nanyang has been strategically and semi-surrounded.

For so many days, Zhuge Xu's five or six times the strength could not take Liu Yin's 5000 men, and the hearts of the people in the city were even more fluctuating.

"Since we don't surrender, we will be the vanguard and break through this city!" Li Te volunteered to fight.

Several of his brothers, Li Fu, Li Liu, Li Xiang, and Li Xiang gradually emerged in the army, brave and good at fighting.

Li Te also became a rising star in the Qin army.

Yang Zheng kept him in Chang'an to prevent Li Te from advancing too quickly.

After all, Lite is less than thirty now.

Du Yu said gently: "How can you kill a chicken with a sledgehammer? Zhuge Xu has already lost his courage, and the defenders on the city are all afraid. This city will surrender without a fight!"

Nanyang is also a large county, the place where Emperor Guangwu made his fortune, and it was also the place where Yuan Shu made his fortune.

With a large population in the city, it is naturally best to surrender.

Zhou Zhi said: "I'm afraid Zhuge Xu doesn't know how to praise!"

Du Yu said: "Without reinforcements outside Wancheng, how many days can a lonely city be defended? I guess Zhuge Xu is a man of sense. He ordered the soldiers to cut down trees to build catapults, ladders and other siege tools!"

"Follow the order!" The generals bowed their hands.

Soon, outside Wancheng became a huge construction site.

Du Yu intentionally frightened the defenders of Wancheng. Wood and rocks piled up like a mountain, and the nearby people came to help them on their own initiative.

The more the siege did not attack, the more tense the city would be, and the lower the morale of the defenders.

In just two or three days, the defenders in the city defected.

Du Yu treated him well, neither besieging the city nor persuading him to surrender, but intentionally offering delicious food and drink in a conspicuous place under the city.

More and more people defected from Wancheng.

Previously, Du Yu had the reputation of being benevolent and righteous in helping the common people, and the nearby common people all came to help.

Du Yu provided meals.

Many of the defenders in Wancheng are their children, and they have no intention of fighting when they see the harmony in the city.

Seeing that the fire was almost ready, Du Yu assembled the elite of the army and lined up under the city, with drums roaring and shouts like waves.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The situation changed color.

The defenders on the city are all afraid.

Dozens of catapults and ladders moved forward slowly, and finally the city couldn't hold back anymore, creaking and creaking, the gate of the urn city was opened.

Zhuge Xu led a group of Nanyang generals out of the city, and half-kneeled in front of the two armies, "Wancheng surrenders to Qin!"

The Zhuge family blossomed everywhere in the Three Kingdoms, but in the past few decades, it has not been as good as before. Zhuge Xu is the last person in the Zhuge family who can take action. If he falls, the Zhuge family will completely decline.

Du Yu led the crowd forward, "The prefect understands the righteousness and saves the soldiers and the people from the disaster of swords and soldiers. It is a contribution to the community."

Zhuge Xu cupped his hands and said: "Don't dare to say meritorious service. There are soldiers from the Central Plains in the city who miss their homeland. I hope the governor forgives them, and I can also declare the benevolence and righteousness of the Great Qin."

This request is not excessive at all.

Du Yu agreed immediately, and prepared grain, grass, poor horses, and ox carts for the people returning to the north.

There are only 3000 people in total.

Zhuge Xu burst into tears, kowtowed three times in the direction of Luoyang "Putong, putong", cupped his hands and said, "It's not because I'm disloyal or unrighteous, it's because of the general trend that I guarded the city for a hundred days, so I had no choice but to surrender."

During the Cao Wei period, there was a military law. The city was defended for a hundred days without reinforcements, the generals surrendered, and the family did not sit together.

Those who returned to the north were all moved, and they all called Zhuge Xu loyal.

Those who stayed were also sad.

Zhuge Xu's approach is undoubtedly clever, so that Sima Yan can't catch anything.

Du Yu looked at him with admiration even more, and treated him as a guest.

"It is a great fortune for a scholar to die for his confidant. It is really a great fortune for Xu to meet Minggong. Now Wancheng has enough food and Minggong has excellent soldiers. It is time to take Xinye first. The great Qin army is mighty. Sending troops south, looking forward to Xiangyang, you can get the whole of Jingzhou!" Zhuge Xu actively made suggestions.

Du Yu raised his head and laughed loudly, "Youming is really a sergeant from Shandong!"

Immediately order all the soldiers and horses, and march southward.

There was a lot of noise along the way, and two lines of suspicious soldiers were set up, and the smoke and dust billowed to cut off Xinye's retreat to the north and east.

As expected, Sima Liang turned pale with fright. Seeing that the situation was not right, he immediately led tens of thousands of troops and retreated to Xuchang in a panic without sending a single shot.

Du Yu's troops took down the important town of Xinye without bloodshed, cutting off the connection between Xiangyang and the Central Plains.

(End of this chapter)