Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 521: Defending Bianzhou
Bianzhou.

This city has no mountains or rivers, and it is surrounded by wars on all sides. The terrain is scattered and not conducive to defense.

Amidst the heavy snow and wind, black figures appeared in the north of the city, followed by the sound of horns on the city walls.

"The rebels are coming again!"

The siege had been going on for many days. Amid the shouting, Zhang Xun, who had not rested for several days, climbed up the corner tower in the northeast direction of the city again. Looking through the telescope, he saw rebels attacking from both directions.

The enemy troops in the north were fighting under the banner of "King Huai of Great Yan". Shi Chaoyi took advantage of the ice on the Yellow River to cross to the south bank, and cooperated with Zhou Zhi who came from Huliang to form a pincer attack on Bianzhou City.

At first, Li Guangbi asked Zhang Xun to defend Bianzhou City for half a month. When the military order came, Zhang Xun's generals felt despised and asked the messenger if they knew how long Zhang Xun had been defending Yongqiu.

Zhang Xun did not dare to be arrogant. He stopped his generals and personally replied to the messenger that he would hold on.

But after the messenger returned, he still reported the words he heard in Bianzhou to Li Guangbi. Li Guangbi was facing off against Shi Siming's main force and felt too much pressure. When he learned that Zhang Xun's generals were so confident, he asked Zhang Xun to hold on and ask for help from him when he could no longer hold on.

Bianzhou City then fell into a bitter battle.

Previously, due to obstruction by Helan Jinming and others, grain from Huainan had not been delivered. Now that the grain transport had just been restored, Li He delivered the first batch of grain. As a result, Zhou Zhi arrived and led his troops southward to cut off Zhang Xun's grain route.

Zhang Xun attached great importance to logistical supplies when fighting a war. Seeing that his food supply was cut off by Zhou Zhi, he arranged all his soldiers in the south of the city, preparing to go out to support Li He.

Zhou Zhi saw this and sent half of his troops to the south of the city. Unexpectedly, Zhang Xun led his warriors to attack Zhou Zhi's camp in the east of the city at night, blew up the fence with explosives, set fire to the rebels' tents, food and firewood, and retreated to Bianzhou before the rebels in the south arrived.

In the cold winter, the rebel soldiers had no choice but to chop wood and transport supplies, because most of them were from the northern border and were more cold-resistant than the Tang army. Otherwise, their morale would have dropped even more.

Zhou Zhi suffered a small loss first, so he had to order his troops to be on guard against the Tang army leaving the city day and night. The next night, he received military intelligence again, saying that he saw Tang soldiers hanging themselves from the top of the South City wall one by one.

"How dare you come here, Zhang Xun?"

Zhou Zhi was furious. He stood up and led his troops to check. From afar, he saw black shadows jumping down from the top of the city.

Fortunately, he was prepared and ordered his soldiers to shoot arrows at the Tang soldiers on and under the city walls.

The Tang soldiers on the city wall screamed in agony.

The rebels dispatched more archers overnight, and thousands of arrows were fired at once. The screams continued all night, and it was unknown how many Tang soldiers were killed or wounded.

When daybreak came, Zhou Zhi took a closer look and found that the Tang army was pulling the ropes to drag the scarecrows up to the city. He looked up at the top of the city and saw that it was also full of scarecrows.

These scarecrows were full of rebel arrows.

From that day on, the rain of arrows from the Tang army when defending the city became much more intense than before.

Moreover, for several nights in a row, Zhang Xun tried to repeat the same trick and used a scarecrow to trick Zhou Zhi into shooting his arrows. Zhou Zhi would not be fooled again and scolded Zhang Xun for being greedy.

A few days later, when the rebels were lax in defense, Zhang Xun led a thousand men to attack the rebels' southern camp. The rebels deliberately did not shoot arrows at first, and when the Tang cavalry rushed to them, they immediately became chaotic and trampled on each other.

Seeing that the soldiers were charging indiscriminately without knowing the enemy or friend, Zhou Zhi was too panicked to fight and fled back to the east camp on his horse.

Zhang Xun not only obtained the baggage of the Southern Camp, but also contacted Li He and drove a thousand oxen and horses back to Bianzhou overnight.

This battle finally stabilized the turmoil in Henan caused by Li Zhi's defeat.

But Zhou Zhi quickly reorganized his troops, and Shi Chaoyi also arrived, surrounding Bianzhou.

Once Bianzhou fell, Luoyang would certainly not be able to be defended. Moreover, Zhang Xun knew that the soldiers and civilians in Luoyang had already become frightened birds, and their hearts must be in chaos now.

He did not dare to take any risk, so he sent people to ask Yan Gaoqing and Li Guangbi for help.

This request for help was not because he could no longer hold on, but for the sake of the overall stability. What Zhang Xun was thinking about now was not the gains and losses of a city or a place, but the progress of the Tang Dynasty's suppression of the rebellion and how to make the future more stable and less troublesome.

He clenched his teeth and looked at Shi Chaoyi's army through the wind and snow.

~~
The pure white snow was trampled into a mess, stained with blood, and turned into red broken ice. Shi Chaoyi gritted his teeth and looked at the tall and solid Bianzhou city wall with a fierce look.

He was eager to take Bianzhou, and then continue to advance eastward, and make great contributions to the capture of the Eastern Capital. This was related to whether he was the King Huai or the Crown Prince of Dayan...

"King Huai!"

Yan general Luo Yue retreated and reported loudly: "The defenders on the city are too stubborn. If we continue to attack, we will suffer heavy casualties."

Shi Chaoyi was furious and wanted to scold the general, saying something like "You must take this city even if you have to pay with your lives", but he swallowed the thought back.

If he wanted to be the crown prince, he had to gain the support of the soldiers, so he suppressed his anger, patted Luo Yue on the shoulder, and said, "Your Majesty is urging us very urgently, what can we do?"

"Forgive me for speaking frankly." Luo Yue said, "The one guarding the city is Zhang Xun. He guarded Yongqiu, and An Qingxu attacked for several months but still couldn't take it. How can we take it quickly? Your Majesty's order is too difficult for Prince Huai."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Although Shi Chaoyi stopped Luo Yue, he agreed with what he said in his heart and felt very aggrieved by Shi Siming's harsh military orders.

"Can we dig a tunnel into the city?" he asked, not realizing that his words revealed his mediocrity.

"Prince Huai, it's cold and the ground is frozen. The soil is hard and can't be dug." Luo Yue said, "In my opinion, Zhang Xun is a tough guy. It would be better for us to surround him but not attack, and directly take Luoyang."

Shi Chaoyi said: "But your majesty's military order is for us to capture Bianzhou and help him attack Li Guangbi from both sides."

"The general is outside, and military orders are not obeyed."

The reason why Luo Yue retreated from the front line was that he had something to say to Shi Chaoyi. He took two steps forward and lowered his voice.

The dead and wounded on the distant battlefield were still wailing, but the man in charge of the troops had no time to pay attention to the battlefield and was once again concerned about his personal gains and losses of power.

"If Your Majesty does not know how to adapt and fights Zhang Xun to death outside the city of Bianzhou, and fails to take the city, Your Majesty will blame you. Even if you do take it, you will lose many soldiers and generals, and those who die are those of us who are close to you. How will Your Majesty cope with the situation then?!"

Luo Yue changed the subject and continued, "On the other hand, Luoyang was originally the capital of Great Yan. An Qingxu's defeat was not long ago, the people are still undecided, and the city walls are not strong. Once the king's army arrives at the city, it will surely fall. By then, the king will have made great contributions to the recovery, occupied the Eastern Capital, and gathered momentum. Why worry about not being able to become the crown prince?"

"Your Majesty will surely be angry because I do not obey military orders. How can you still make me the emperor?" Shi Chaoyi said.

"Your Majesty, instead of hoping to gain the throne through meritorious service, you are hoping for your Majesty's love?"

Shi Chaoyi also thought it made sense, but he was still hesitant and asked, "What if Zhang Xun attacks us from behind?"

Luo Yue said: "So, we have to let Zhou Zhi continue to surround Bianzhou City."

Shi Chaoyi swept away the snow with his feet, squatted down, and knocked on the ice on the ground with the handle of his knife. It made a banging sound and was as hard as Zhang Xun's bones, which made people feel helpless.

"Then... follow the general's wishes."

~~
Two days later, when the battle horn sounded outside the city, Lei Wanchun kicked down the last rebel who had climbed up to the top of the city wall. He gasped for breath and planned to throw away the knife in his hand.

The handle of the knife had frozen to his palm along with the blood. Every time he took it off, the scabby chilblains would be torn open again, and the pus inside would flow out, causing both pain and itchiness.

Lei Wanchun seemed unaware and strode towards Zhang Xun.

"Sir! Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission and will defend the city for another day!"

He spoke very loudly, and it was he who said to Li Guangbi's messenger, "We can hold out, not to mention half a month, even for half a year," which made Li Guangbi stop coming to rescue Bianzhou.

Zhang Xun was leaning his head forward, looking outside the city through a telescope in his hand. He had been looking for a long time. A thick layer of snow had accumulated on his helmet, and his eyebrows and beard had also turned white.

"The rebels have fewer troops."

"So they retreated when they knew they couldn't capture the city guarded by the envoy?" Lei Wanchun asked, "Or did they attack Yongqiu, Ningling, Suiyang and other places?"

Zhang Xun did not answer for a long time. The wind blew his face, which became more and more dry and cracked, and more and more determined. After a long time, he confirmed it and said, "Luoyang!"

"what?"

"I can wait to save Luoyang!"

If it were someone else, they would have doubted and dissuaded Zhang Xun from going to support other places when he was trapped in an isolated city and his soldiers were exhausted. But Lei Wanchun did not hesitate at all, raised his hand full of scars and chilblains, and immediately accepted the order.

The next day, Zhang Xun called together Jia Ben, Nan Jiyun, Yao Ting and other generals, analyzed the situation, and asked them to defend Bianzhou City. He led Lei Wanchun and 500 cavalry to attack Shi Chaoyi's rear army, cut off their food and grass, and support Luoyang.

"Sir, this is too dangerous." Jia Ben hastened to persuade him.

"Can it be more dangerous than when we were in Yongqiu?"

Zhang Xun had made up his mind and refused to listen to any advice.

Jia Ben had no choice but to bid farewell to Zhang Xun in tears on the top of the city wall.

However, not long after the Bianzhou troops left the city, Zhou Zhi's cavalry soon made a move and surrounded the west of the city. It was obvious that they had calculated that Zhang Xun might send troops and had made preparations in advance.

"I want to rescue the envoy!" Yao Ting immediately became anxious.

Jia Ben was in tears, but he strictly followed Zhang Xun's orders and resolutely refused to let these generals leave the city. Instead, he continued to guard Bianzhou.

Time passed very slowly. At noon of the next day, the rebels were still attacking the city. The defenders looked to the west in between killing the enemies, but they could no longer see the figures of the five hundred cavalrymen on the snowy plain.

They could only vent their indignation on the rebels who were attacking the city.

suddenly.

"The Envoy is back!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Ben rushed to the west end of the city wall in person, and indeed saw Zhang Xun's flag, galloping back with hundreds of cavalrymen.

Yao Ting was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Quick, open the city gate and welcome the envoy into the city."

"Wait!"

Jia Ben decisively stopped them, took the telescope, and tried to observe. He was worried that the rebels had already annihilated Zhang Xun, and put on his clothes and flags to trick the gates of Bianzhou open.

However, the sky was too dark and the snow was too heavy for him to see clearly, so he could only wipe the telescope over and over again.

"Master Jia, please open the city gate quickly. I recognize the envoy."

"Don't worry, let me take a look..."

A large number of rebels have arrived. They are Shi Chaoyi's troops, and they are chasing Zhang Xun.

"Jia Changshi!"

"Don't be anxious...don't be anxious..."

Jia Ben's eyes were almost blurry, and suddenly, he heard the sound of war drums and horns, which made him very confused. He had to close his eyes tightly, rubbed them, and opened them again.

"Jia Changshi!"

"Don't bother me!"

"Prince Yong! Prince Yong is here!"

"I know it's Shi Chaoyi..."

Jia Ben thought that it was King Huai of Dayan who came. He reacted halfway through his words and quickly took a telescope to look for Xue Bai's flag in the snow.

My sight was swaying and suddenly someone took it off.

Yao Ting raised his hand and pointed, saying loudly: "It's right there, you can see it clearly without a telescope!"

Jia Ben had been bending over documents for a long time, and his eyesight was not good. He rubbed his eyes, but could only see the snow in the sky. He could not help asking, "Where is the big flag?"

Yao Ting was a sharpshooter who could shoot the enemy's throat at a distance of 100 steps. He pointed again and said, "Isn't that the flag of King Yong?!" It turned out that Shi Chaoyi was marching westward, but encountered Xue Bai's troops east of Yanshi, was ambushed, and was then attacked from both sides by Zhang Xun, and was defeated.

Zhou Zhi hurriedly led his troops to support them, but had to join forces with Shi Chaoyi and retreat back to the north of the Yellow River.

The wind blew the snow, and tens of thousands of rebel soldiers were blown away like snowflakes.

~~
"quick!"

The gates of Bianzhou city were wide open, and several soldiers carried Lei Wanchun into the city. They kicked open a house and without saying a word, carried Lei Wanchun into the house and placed him on a couch.

"doctor!"

"coming."

"Quick, he was hit by eleven arrows. Nine of them were blocked by the armor, and these two were shot deep..."

"I know, everyone, get out, get out. Quick, bring some alcohol."

The soldiers were then all driven out, and saw Zhang Xun and Xue Bai standing side by side outside.

"Don't worry, Prince Yong." Zhang Xun said, "He only has flesh wounds, nothing serious, he will recover after a few months of rest."

"He took dozens of wounds but his expression remained unchanged. What a brave general."

As Xue Bai was talking, he heard footsteps and turned around. He saw Jia Ben, Yao Ting, Nan Jiyun and others coming over. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Long time no see."

Back then, they had defended Yongqiu together, and that was the most dangerous moment. Therefore, although they had been together for a short time, their friendship was deep. After only one year of not seeing each other, Xue Bai suddenly became a prince and grandson of the emperor, and was also named the King of Yong. At first, these people thought there would be a sense of distance, and they didn't know how to meet him.

At this moment, Xue Bai's smile was like a spring breeze, dispelling the restraint in their hearts, and everyone couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahahaha, if I had known this earlier, I would have followed Prince Yong to recapture Luoyang and made a great contribution!"

"It's not too late now." Xue Bai said, "The world is not yet peaceful, there are many opportunities for men to make achievements and establish their careers."

"If Prince Yong goes north to attack Shi Siming, he must bring me with him."

The voice startled Lei Wanchun, who was still bandaging his wounds in the house. He shouted at the top of his voice, "And... I... I'll go too!"

Everyone laughed.

Only Zhang Xun's joy gradually faded when he saw this scene. He glanced at Xue Bai and worry appeared in his eyes.

The next person to react was Jia Ben. He knew what Zhang Xun was worried about. It was simply that Prince Yong had managed to turn the tide and had the potential to be a wise ruler, but unfortunately he was not the best candidate for the throne. This made people worry that the Tang Dynasty would experience another coup d'état.

As a result, Zhang Xun's attitude towards Xue Bai became less intense. It wasn't that he was disrespectful, but he kept his distance.

This change was not obvious, but everyone gradually noticed it and did not dare to get too close to Xue Bai. Zhang Xun also postponed the celebration banquet at night on the grounds that there was not enough food in the city. If it was postponed, Xue Bai would leave Bianzhou and return to Luoyang.

In this regard, Xue Bai felt that Zhang Xun was a little ruthless.

This ruthlessness is not a derogatory term, but refers to "not showing favoritism". He neither took into account the mutual gratitude and loyalty, nor considered his personal future after being attached to King Yong, and only had the interests of the country in mind.

Respectable, but lacking in humanity.

After having a simple meal in the government office, Xue Bai felt sad about Zhang Xun's cruelty. Thinking of something, he asked privately, "Is Mr. Zhang's concubine... Yingniang still alive?"

Zhang Xun was surprised, thinking that Xue Bai had taken a fancy to his concubine. He frowned slightly and replied calmly, "The dishes that Prince Yong ate tonight were cooked by me."

"delicious."

Xue Bai felt that this conversation made him feel a little horrified, and added angrily.

"I remember Yingniang is a good cook. I hope I'll have the chance to eat her cooking again in the future...eat the dishes she makes." When talking about eating her, his tone sounded a little uneasy.

Zhang Xun was somewhat puzzled. He wondered why Xue Bai, who was always calm, would swallow his words at the end? He thought again that his concubine was plain-looking and should not be remembered.

The two of them said goodbye.

Xue Bai rode his horse along the long street and saw soldiers roasting horse meat around a campfire in the distance. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, he didn't care about Zhang Xun's old-fashioned and cold attitude. He just felt that it was good enough that Zhang Xun could finally live in a world where he didn't have to eat other people.

~~
Military Supervisor Bai Zhongzhen has not had any authority since his appointment and follows Xue Bai like a close attendant.

Tonight, as Xue Bai met Zhang Xun, he finally saw an opportunity to shake Xue Bai's military power.

Late at night, he tossed and turned in the inn, and finally sat up, thinking about how to have a secret meeting with Zhang Xun.
After thinking about it, he thought of Hun Yu. Because Xue Bai liked Hun Yu very much, he brought him with him and he was also in the inn tonight.

Bai Zhongzhen didn't dare to light the lantern and tiptoed into Hun Yu's house.

Although Hun Yu was young, his snoring was very loud, like thunder. Therefore, no other soldiers were willing to share a room with him. Bai Zhongzhen covered his ears and quietly walked to Hun Yu's bed, just about to call him.

"General Xiao Hun..."

Suddenly, a hand like an iron clamp grabbed Bai Zhongzhen's neck.

"You thief, you want to harm your grandfather!" Hun Yu woke up without knowing when, and said, "We caught a rebel inside!"

"Yes... your servant..."

Fortunately, Bai Zhongzhen's voice was sharp and distinctive, and Hun Yu quickly reacted, let go of his hand, and asked, "Bai... Bai Zhongshi, what's your name?"

It was because this military supervisor had too little presence in Prince Yong's army, and he almost forgot about him.

"Ahem, ahem, General Xiaohun, you almost strangled me to death."

"General is a general, why do you call me General Xiao Hun?" Hun Yu was displeased and raised his eyebrows and asked: "Is my contribution small?!"

"Keep your voice down, keep your voice down." Bai Zhongzhen was so frightened that her soul flew out of her body. She waved her hands repeatedly and said, "I came here to give the general another great merit."

"Oh?"

"You have seen it today, General? Zhang Xun is loyal and brave, and is the pillar of the Tang Dynasty." Bai Zhongzhen said, "The sage has a secret decree for Zhang Xun. I beg you to take me to see him."

Hun Yu was very smart and asked immediately, "Are you going to do this behind Prince Yong's back?"

"This... Prince Yong is very powerful. If he has any intentions to harm the Saint and the Crown Prince, there will be loyal ministers to protect him."

Hun Yu felt that it was inappropriate to secretly contact the commander-in-chief before the battle, but he had been influenced by the fact that Prince Yong had the intention of usurping the throne. Since it was related to the Tang Dynasty, he had to be cautious, so he nodded and agreed.

"Okay, I'll take you there!"

"Little bastard...keep your voice down, General, keep your voice down."

~~
At night, Zhang Xun still couldn't sleep, still worrying about the battle with Shi Siming.

Although he managed to defend Bianzhou, this was a battle in which he was good at defending a city. To quell the rebellion, he would inevitably have to fight a decisive battle in the wild with 130,000 rebels. The soldiers of Fanyang were brave, and the cold weather was not favorable for the Tang army.

It can be imagined that Li Guangbi is now facing a lot of pressure. Zhang Xun has always known this, so he never complained that the reinforcements did not arrive earlier.

"Envoy." Suddenly, Yao Ting came in and reported, "The military supervisor is here."

"Who?"

Zhang Xun was a little confused until Bai Zhongzhen and Hun Yu came in, and then he understood.

Earlier today, he thought that this white-faced, beardless eunuch was the eunuch serving Xue Bai. He thought that although it was not against the rules for a prince to have eunuchs serve him, Prince Yong was a little arrogant.

"I have met the military supervisor."

"Empress Zhang, I finally meet your Majesty's loyal minister!" Bai Zhongzhen seemed very enthusiastic and stepped forward to hold Zhang Xun's hand. "Your Majesty often remembers your great contribution in defending Yongqiu, saying, 'If it weren't for Zhang Xun guarding the gates of Jianghuai, the country would be destroyed'!"

"I dare not. This is definitely not the work of me alone." Zhang Xun said sternly, "The first credit should go to Lord Yan."

"Yan Gaoqing is very selfish and cannot be compared with Envoy Zhang."

Bai Zhongzhen felt that this sentence of "deprecating Yan and praising Zhang" was very clever. In their group of eunuchs, what they care most about is to compare with each other, and no one wants to be suppressed by others. After all, they are in the deep palace, if not vain, what else can show the value of their lives?
If someone said, "Dou Wenyang cannot be compared with Bai Zhongshi," Bai Zhongzhen would be very pleased.

However, Zhang Xun's face turned serious when he heard this, and he said in a sonorous tone: "Mr. Yan is a man of high moral character, and Zhang Xun is incomparable to him. Please ask the envoy to take back what he said."

Bai Zhongzhen couldn't help but think that these literati just love to pretend.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He smiled awkwardly and said, "I came here to discuss important matters with Mr. Zhang."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Mr. Zhang also knows that if Prince Yong covets the throne, it will inevitably cause chaos in the country. Even Your Majesty is afraid of his power. But he still refuses to give up the power of the Grand Marshal of the Army. I'm afraid he has already had the intention of being disloyal."

As he spoke, Bai Zhongzhen stole a glance at Zhang Xun's expression, but couldn't tell anything for a moment.

So he went on to say, "Prince Yong was ordered to go to Luoyang, but after arriving in Luoyang, he immediately went to Bianzhou within two days. Why?"

"Isn't it to repel Shi Chaoyi?"

"Mr. Zhang is too straightforward. I was deceived by him." Bai Zhongzhen said, "I'm afraid that the purpose of Prince Yong's coming to the East this time is to get rid of Li Zhi, the successor of the Wu King, and Li He, the Duke of Yue. These two people have real power in the royal family and are the biggest enemies of Prince Yong's pursuit of the throne. Therefore, I say that Prince Yong has ulterior motives."

Zhang Xun said, "Don't worry, envoy. If this is true, I will definitely protect the succession of the King of Wu and the Duke of Yue."

"Good good..."

"But the facts are still unclear." Zhang Xun changed the subject and said, "Prince Yong once promised that he had no intention of seeking the throne. Now the rebellion is still unsettled and the country is in turmoil. This is definitely not the time for internal strife. I also ask the Chinese envoy to wait and see what happens and not to instigate it and disrupt the morale of the army."

These words were very serious, and Bai Zhongzhen's face changed immediately.

While Zhang Xun was speaking, he glanced at Hun Yu with a look of intimidation, which made Hun Yu feel a little uncomfortable and he wondered if he had done something wrong.

Bai Zhongzhen was very anxious and said, "How can you say that, Mr. Zhang? I heard everything tonight. Prince Yong even wanted to snatch your concubine. It shows that he is greedy. Mr. Zhang is a good man, how can you bear such humiliation?!"

Before Zhang Xun could even open his mouth, Yao Ting was already furious.

"Shut up! Your Excellency is a great man, it's not your turn as a eunuch to comment on him!"

"I was too impatient and said the wrong thing. I meant..."

"Don't talk about it." Zhang Xun waved his hand and said, "It's too early to talk about such groundless things. Please go back, envoy."

Others may not know, but at least he has thought it through very clearly. Xue Bai has no interest in his concubine at all. His concern for him shows that he cares about her more.

There is still loyalty between the two.

Bai Zhongzhen's coming made him feel the disadvantages of having eunuchs in power in the court. He thought to himself that the sage should not send a eunuch who only knew how to argue over small matters but did not understand the overall situation.

"Mr. Zhang..."

"please."

Hun Yu was also driven out along with Bai Zhongzhen, and he couldn't help feeling very upset.

He had also heard of Zhang Xun's deeds in defending Yongqiu and admired him very much. However, because he was mixed up with Bai Zhongzhen, Zhang Xun looked down on him.

Moreover, what happened tonight made him feel that the eunuchs employed by the saint were too incompetent, and he regretted it deeply.

(End of this chapter)