marquis of jingan

Chapter 990 World Changes and Big Gambles

At the beginning of July in the 13th year of Hongde, nearly 8 troops from the Northern Qi Dynasty surrounded Xuzhou City in four directions.

However, they didn't move for a short time, they just surrounded Xuzhou City, and sent people to call for Shen Yixian to surrender.

Shen Yi naturally ignored these and let them shout outside.

Because the current Xuzhou City, as long as the Huai'an Army does not open the city gates, there is basically no possibility of losing it.

You know, Xuzhou's original defenders were only 6000 people. Even if these 6000 people defended the city, Shen Yi's 5 to [-] people would not be able to attack if they wanted to attack.

Now, there are more than 4 Huai'an troops in Xuzhou City. With enough food and grass, the Northern Qi Dynasty has to rely on human lives to fill it up if they want to fight.

If more than 10 people are not killed, it is impossible to attack Xuzhou City.

But now, the Qi army outside has a total of more than 8 people. To be honest, if Shen Yi is bolder, he can even go out of the city to fight against these troops. There is no need to stick to the city.

If the Qi people want to break through the city, they must prepare a steady stream of reinforcements, and even need three or even four times the strength of the Huai'an army to break through Xuzhou City.

The current Zhengnan Army does not have this ability at all.

At this time, Zhou Yuanlang had just returned to the camp of the Southern Conscript Army located in the west of Xuzhou. After entering the commander's tent, he knelt down in front of Zhou Shizhong, bowed his head and said, "Father."

At this moment, General Zhou's white hair became more visible to the naked eye. He sat on the main seat, waved to Zhou Yuanlang, and sighed, "Get up."

Only then did Zhou Yuanlang stand up, bowed his head to his old father and said, "Father, the imperial court's [-] reinforcements have already established a firm foothold in the north of Xuzhou City, and now the entire Xuzhou has been surrounded by the imperial court's troops."

General Zhou was not overjoyed when he heard the news, he just glanced at his son quietly, and asked: "Do you think 8 troops can surround Shen Qi?"

This question made Zhou Yuanlang silent.

After a while, the major general shook his head silently and said, "I'm afraid it will be difficult."

"There is a saying in the book of war, ten is to encircle it, and five is to attack it."

"Now, our army is not even twice as strong as Shen Yi's. He can choose a direction to break out at any time."

Zhou Yuanlang sighed, and continued: "And now, the reason why he is still in Xuzhou City, allowing us to surround Xuzhou City, I am afraid that he has no intention of leaving Xuzhou from the beginning."

"It's more important."

Zhou Yuanlang looked left and right, and said in a low voice: "The Huai'an army led by Shen Yi is quite different from the Southern Dynasty army that my son knew before, and it is even different from the Huai'an army that my son heard about last year."

"A few days ago, when they left the city with thousands of people, they attacked our camp of 2 people, and they advanced and retreated in a controlled manner. When they retreated, they retreated very simply, without any delay."

"This Huai'an army is already an elite soldier!"

Zhou Shizhong took a sip of wine, did not answer Zhou Yuanlang's words, but spoke to himself, his voice a little hoarse: "The matter of Xuzhou has not yet reached Yandu, but it will only be a matter of time before it reaches Yandu."

"At that time, every time Xuzhou City is lost, His Majesty's face will be lost."

Having said that, Zhou Shizhong remained expressionless and did not continue.

But the meaning in the words is already obvious. In the holy name of the emperor, even if they know that they are going to fight Xuzhou, they will die in vain, and the people below sometimes have to fight.

Zhou Yuanlang poured a glass of wine for his old father, and said in a low voice, "My son asked the Xuzhou defenders who escaped. At that time, Pan Mao, the prefect of Xuzhou, opened the city gate privately in order to transport food into the city, so that the Huai'an army could take advantage of it!"

He clenched his fists and said angrily, "This Pan Mao deserves death!"

"Father, let's report this matter to the court."

Zhou Yuanlang gritted his teeth and said, "Let the court destroy his three clans!"

Zhou Shizhong was silent for a moment, then said: "The imperial envoy of the imperial court should arrive in the army tomorrow."

Hearing this sentence, Zhou Yuanlang was stunned.

"The court wants to dismiss you?"

"If it's really dismissal, it's easy to handle."

General Zhou closed his eyes, let out a foul breath, and said, "If you send my father to the capital, at worst, you will be reduced to a commoner, and you and my father and son will be able to return home."

"But now..."

He looked up at Zhou Yuanlang, and sighed: "But now that Xuzhou is lost, who in the court is willing to take care of this mess?"

"Who's going to deal with this mess?"

"No one will come."

Zhou Shizhong said silently: "There is no one from the imperial court, and your Majesty has no one to use, so I can only let my father and son do meritorious service. If Shen Yi can be driven out, even if he dies, His Majesty will be able to make a living, and our Zhou family will be safe and sound, but..."

"If the battle in Xuzhou gets worse, and His Majesty is furious, our Zhou family will be completely finished."

Zhou Shizhong's face was ugly: "But Shen Qi is sitting in Xuzhou, and if he wants to take it back, how easy is it?"

Zhou Yuanlang lowered his head silently and did not speak any more.

In the big tent, there was a deathly silence.

The next day, the imperial envoy of Yandu arrived in the army and announced the imperial edict.

His Majesty the Emperor was extremely dissatisfied with the loss of Xuzhou, so he demoted Zhou Shizhong to three ranks, but he still stayed in his original position, and his meritorious deeds were taken away.

Restrict Zhou Shizhong to take Xuzhou back within three months, otherwise the crime will be aggravated and escorted to Yandu for questioning.

Zhou Shizhong and his son, kneeling on the ground, respectfully accepted the edict.

After receiving the imperial edict, Zhou Yuanlang supported his old father to stand up, then pulled the eunuch who delivered the order aside, took out a piece of beautiful jade from his sleeve, handed it to the eunuch, and said with a smile, "Eunuch, the army didn't bring too much property. This piece of jade was bought in Yandu Ancient Yuzhai in the early years. It cost 6000 taels of silver. You can play with it."

This father-in-law was in his thirties, and put the jade into his sleeve calmly, looked at Zhou Yuanlang with a smile on his face: "Young master Zhou can't afford such an important gift, our family can't afford it..."

Zhou Yuanlang bowed his head with a smile on his face and said, "Eunuch, I have no other intentions, I just want to ask about the emperor's situation..."

"Yo, don't mention it."

The eunuch waved his hands again and again, and said, "Young Master Zhou doesn't know, after the matter of Xuzhou's loss was reported to the emperor, the emperor coughed angrily all night, I heard people say..."

The eunuch looked at the jade in his hand and lowered his voice: "I heard he coughed up blood."

Hearing these words, Zhou Yuanlang's expression moved slightly.

What moved him was not the emperor coughing up blood.

Rather... these palace people actually said such words!
If what the eunuch said is true, then that is to say, His Majesty the Emperor may have lost absolute control over the palace, that is to say...

"Young master Zhou's words, don't spread them out. Our family will not recognize them if they are spread out."

"Eunuch, don't worry."

Zhou Yuanlang said in a low voice: "You didn't say it, and I didn't hear it."

"In the future, if I have a chance to return to Yandu, I will visit my father-in-law again and present him with a generous gift."

The eunuch immediately smiled, turned around and went down.

After being entertained with good wine and good food, the eunuchs of Yandu were sent away. After seeing them off, Zhou Yuanlang came to his father, bowed his head slightly and said, "Father, my son wants to go back to Yandu."

Zhou Shizhong looked up at Zhou Yuanlang, frowned and said, "At this moment, you are asked to stay and help, what are you doing now when you return to Yandu?"

Zhou Yuanlang moved closer, and said in a low voice: "Father, firstly, the child wants to go back, and make proper arrangements for the family, secondly..."

"My son is going to Yandu to run away."

Zhou Shizhong frowned, and was about to speak, when Zhou Yuanlang whispered something in his ear.

Zhou Shizhong heard this, his complexion changed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Is it true?"

"do not know."

Zhou Yuanlang shook his head and said, "So my son has to go back to Yandu to inquire. If what the eunuchs say is true, then the key point after our Daqi period is not on the Huaihe River, but in Yandu city."

"Father, in order to prevent our family from being angered by the court, we have to take a gamble at this time..."

Zhou Shizhong was silent for a long time.

"You want to go to Yandu to bet?"

"Yes."

Zhou Yuanlang nodded and said, "If you don't bet at this time, our family will have no capital in the future."

Having said that, he paused.

"Father, since Shen Qi doesn't want to come out, then my army will surround you like this. You can attack Xuzhou from time to time here, just show it to the court."

Zhou Shizhong was silent for a long time before he asked, "Then who are you going to bet on when you go back to Yandu?"

"I don't know yet, I have to go back and take a look."

Zhou Yuanlang's voice was deep and low: "Shen Qi has become a climate, and it is very difficult to deal with. At this time, only Conglong's work can save the Zhou family!"

Zhou Shizhong thought for a long time, and finally heaved a long sigh: "The family business left by your grandfather is already in turmoil, that's all, you go."

He stood up, patted his son on the shoulder, and said, "No matter who you choose, the Zhou family will stand behind you."

Zhou Yuanlang knelt down, kowtowed to his father a few times, turned and left the tent, and rode northward.

And on the day Zhou Yuanlang left, Zhou Shizhong led nearly [-] soldiers and horses, and began to slowly approach Xuzhou, starting the first siege of the southern army.

At this time, the sky over Xuzhou City was covered with dark clouds and thunder bursts.

There is quite a taste of dark clouds overwhelming the city.

Under the order of General Zhou, more than 8 troops from all sides of Xuzhou City arrived at the foot of Xuzhou City almost at the same time.

Dozens of hundreds of catapults were also pushed to the city of Xuzhou.

After the routine sent people to yell and scold, General Zhou rode to the front of the formation, waved his hand, and shouted.

"Siege!"

(End of this chapter)