Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 66 The Battle of Tanzhou (Special thanks to book friend LJC Luojiuchuan Little Monsters for fighting Ultraman monthly ticket!)
Hu Yanzan rested in Jiangling City for five days. When the first batch of officials from the imperial court to take over Nanping arrived quickly, he unified his army and continued southward.

After marching for more than eight days, on July 5, the fourth year of Kaixi, the army arrived at Yuezhou, the southernmost prefecture of Nanping, adjacent to Tanzhou of Wuqing Army.

Qianhu Hu Lian, the "Long Xiang Guard" who accompanied the army on this expedition, came to report:
A few days earlier, Zhou Baoquan, the governor of the Wuqing Army, heard that Emperor Guo Zong of the Zhou Dynasty had ordered 30,000 "Longxiang troops" to go south. After Gao Jichong of Nanping surrendered that day, he sent an order to General Yang Shifan of Zuo Qianwei who was fighting fiercely with Zhang Wenbiao, the governor of Hengzhou, at Pingjin Pavilion in Tanzhou. He led his army back to Baotanzhou City.

After Zhang Wenbiao heard the news, he sent an envoy to contact the Zhou army and expressed his willingness to help Zhou Baoquan attack Tanzhou.

At present, Zhou Baoquan has 30,000 soldiers in Tanzhou City, and Zhang Wenbiao in Hengzhou has 20,000 soldiers.

After hearing this, Hu Yanzan said to the generals:

"Zhou Xingfeng died in October last year, and his son, 11-year-old Zhou Baoquan, succeeded him, assisted by his confidant general Yang Shifan.

Zhou Xingfeng, Zhang Wenbiao and others all started out as thieves. They were extremely cruel to the people and killed many people.

Your Majesty is not happy with this, and this time he will take the territory of the Wuqing Army.

Zhou Baoquan is only twelve years old now, and he has not done any evil deeds. Your Majesty told your ministers before going on the expedition not to kill him, but to bring him back to Bianjing to face the Holy Spirit.

What strategy should our army adopt in this battle? The generals can offer their suggestions and suggestions. "

Wanhu Shi Xingkun said:

"Commander Huyan, since His Majesty has given instructions on the strategy, with the combat power of our Longxiang army, Yang Shifan and Zhang Wenbiao will be completely wiped out in this battle, and Zhou Baoquan will be captured."

Huyan Zan was noncommittal.

Wanhu Jingsheng Road:
"General Huyan, since Zhang Wenbiao contacted our army and expressed his sincerity, why not our army order him to be the vanguard in attacking Tanzhou City? With our army's divine arms and bows holding the formation, Tanzhou will be captured quickly. This will be of great benefit. Reduce the battle losses of our army.

After taking Tanzhou, the general would try to deal with Zhang Wenbiao. "

Hu Yanzan said happily:
"Jing Wanhu's plan is very good, so he will act accordingly!"

Hu Yanzan immediately ordered his troops and horses, and the whole army marched southward into the Tanzhou Prefecture. After traveling for two days, they arrived ten miles below Tanzhou City on the afternoon of July 8th, the third day.

They did not encounter any resistance from the Wuqing army along the way. It is believed that Zhou Baoquan and Yang Shifan heard about the bravery of Zhou's "Longxiang Army" and were afraid of field battles and did not dare to meet the enemy, so they adopted the strategy of holding on to Tanzhou City.

Zhang Wenbiao led 20,000 Wuqing troops under his command to personally greet Huyan Zan's army.

After receiving the ceremony in the main tent, Zhang Wen said:

"General Huyan, we the people of Hengzhou are willing to serve the Great Zhou Dynasty as our master, and I am willing to lead my subordinate sergeants to serve as the general's driving force!"

Hu Yanzan said:

"Chief Zhang understands the general situation and welcomes my master, the King of Zhou Dynasty. It's very good!

As long as Governor Zhang obeys the orders of this general and reports to Your Majesty after capturing Tanzhou, Governor Zhang will not lose his title of marquis. "

Zhang Wenbiao was overjoyed when he heard this. After the two discussed for a while, Zhang Wenbiao expressed his willingness to use his Hengzhou army as the vanguard to attack Tanzhou City together with the Zhou army.

Hu Yanzan immediately held a banquet in the camp to entertain Zhang Wenbiao and everyone. After enjoying themselves, everyone returned to their respective camps.

After a night's rest, the next day on July 9, the fourth year of Kaixi, Hu Yanzan and Zhang Wenbiao organized their armies and marched together to a point 400 meters below Tanzhou City.

Huyan Zan first sent messengers to the city to shout for surrender. Upon hearing this, Yang Shifan, the guard at the top of the city, immediately started shouting and scolding, saying angrily:

"My lord's family has been the military envoy of the Wu Qing Army for more than 40 years since the Liang Dynasty. In the past few years, I have been respectful to you, the Great Zhou Dynasty, and have continued to pay tribute. Now that the late lord has just died, the traitor Zhang Wenbiao has rebelled, and you, the Great Zhou Dynasty Not only did he not help my master to rebel, but he joined the traitor Zhang Wenbiao to attack Tanzhou, which is really unethical!"

Hu Yanzan said loudly in the middle of the army:

"General Yang, His Majesty, the Emperor of Zhou Dynasty, has said that as long as you take your young master Zhou Baoquan to Kaicheng and surrender, Your Majesty will ensure that your young master does not lose his title as a marquis, and General Yang will also be appointed."

Yang Shifan said angrily:

"I, Yang Shifan, have been following the First Master for more than twenty years. The First Master is about to entrust me with my little lord. How can I send my little lord into the trap of your great Zhou?!"

Seeing that he could not persuade Yang Shifan, Hu Yanzhan immediately sent an order to Zhang Wenbiao, ordering his sergeants to begin attacking the city, while his own "Longxiang Army" supported the city with intensive "divine arm bow" archery.

Thirty thousand sergeants of the First Army of the First Corps immediately lined up 300 meters below Tanzhou City, aimed at the defenders at the top of the city and fired a volley. After the first round of arrows, they shot down more than a thousand defenders at the top of the city.

When Yang Shifan saw that the Zhou army's bows and arrows were so sharp and far-reaching, even if his own archers fired at the top of the city, they could not reach more than 200 meters away. He was so angry that he had to order his sergeants to find a wall to take shelter.

The 20,000 sergeants of Zhang Wenbiao's army who had prepared equipment under the city immediately swarmed up and began to attack the city under the cover of arrows from the sergeants of Longxiang Army of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

After more than two hours of fierce fighting at the city head, the Tanzhou army, which was originally superior to Zhang Wenbiao's army in combat strength, suffered heavy losses due to the arrow rain attack by Longxiang army of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Zhang Wenbiao's army finally captured the city head and opened the Tanzhou army. The gate of the city.

Yang Shifan led the remnant army of more than 16,000 people and fled to the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion in the city, hoping to hold on to the mansion and fight to the death.

The "Long Xiang Army" of the Great Zhou Dynasty invaded Tanzhou City without spending a single soldier and only spent hundreds of thousands of arrows.

While Hu Yanzhan ordered Long Xiang's army and Zhang Wenbiao's army not to plunder the people, he also sent sergeants from both armies to quickly surround the Wuqing army's Jiedu envoy's mansion.

When the officers were leaving for the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion, a "Longxiang Guard" who accompanied the army came to report:
Shortly after Sergeant Zhang Wenbiao entered the city, a small group of about a thousand sergeants disobeyed Long Xiang's army's orders and broke into the residential areas of Tanzhou City, burning, killing, looting, and raping civilian women.

He Yao, the eunuch of the supervisory army, was furious when he heard this and screamed:

"General Huyan, how do you restrain your sergeants?
His Majesty once explained that for this army's expedition, the second priority is to capture the city. The most important thing is not to harm the local people!

What are the military regulations of our Longxiang Army? ! Do you want the supervisory army to capture you immediately on behalf of His Majesty? "

A group of one hundred "Longxiang Guards" soldiers beside He Yao immediately pressed their sword hilts and looked at Hu Yanzan, waiting for further orders from the eunuch He Yao.

Huyan Zan was horrified, and the generals around him were too afraid to move.

Hu Yanzan hurriedly saluted and said:
"Congratulations to your father-in-law, the general has issued an order: Do not disturb the people or harm them.

No one in our "Longxiang Army" violated military regulations. This document shows that the army has been disorganized for a long time and did not listen to the orders of the general. The general will send troops to capture them now! "

He Yao's face softened slightly and he said: "This supervisory army is waiting for General Hu Yan's report."

Hu Yanzan immediately sent an order to send two thousand-man teams to capture and deal with all the sergeants Zhang Wenbiao who had harmed the people.

In a short while, Hu Yanzan and his party had arrived in front of the gate of the Jiedushi Mansion of the Wuqing Army in Tanzhou. The Jiedushi Mansion was now completely surrounded by the first army of the "Long Xiang Army".

Zhang Wenbiao's army had killed more than 8,000 people in the siege just now, and most of them were resting not far from the Jiedushi Mansion.

Seeing Yang Shifan standing firm in the palace, Hu Yanzan knew that he was going to fight to the death. He recalled Emperor Chai Zongxun's explanation before leaving for the expedition and couldn't help but frown.

(End of this chapter)