Great Han Empire

Chapter 632
The dense sound of horseshoes came from far and near, and a group of cavalry rushed out of the mist, passed the densely packed soldiers, and went straight to the front of the formation.

The war horse stopped abruptly, raised its hooves and neighed.Zhang Yan's face was stern, and she sat firmly and immediately looked towards the distant city tower.

The big banner fluttering in the wind stood looming in the clouds and mist, and the figures running back and forth were faintly visible, and the rapid and violent sound of war drums resounded over the sky of Yecheng.

How many times the Yellow Turban Army tried to occupy this ancient city, but failed every time.Not because the city is tall and strong, but because of its special status in Jizhou, the officers and soldiers swore to fight bloody battles to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy.Can Zhang Jiao, the great virtuous teacher, Marshal Huangjin, and Zhang Niujiao, his adoptive father, fail to realize his wish?Zhang Yan gritted her teeth and snorted coldly.

Zhang Yan has been planning the battle of Jizhou since receiving the military order from Hussar General Li Hong.If you want to win the Jizhou battlefield, you must take the initiative and take the initiative on the battlefield.But if you want to take the initiative, you must first take down Yecheng, take down Weijun, and drive Yuan Shao out to ensure that the northern army will not be attacked by the enemy.

At present, on the Jizhou battlefield, Qu Yi's army is limited in number and can only play a role in containing and luring the enemy. It is the reinforcements outside the Great Wall that really solve the problem.In order to allow the reinforcements outside the Great Wall to enter Jizhou without anyone noticing, and to achieve the effect of surprise soldiers winning, Zhang Yan arrived at the Tuntian District of Pingcheng, Yanmen County, and ordered the [-] soldiers who had just been transferred from the frontier army outside the Great Wall to the Tuntian soldiers to wear uniforms. The clothes of ordinary people, pretending to be civilian husbands, were divided into several teams, and they rushed southward with food and supplies.

After Qu Yibing retreated from Guangzong City, he immediately followed Zhang Yan's request and built a huge food and grass supply camp in Julu City, a hundred miles away from Guangzong City.These [-] reinforcements entered the Julu Camp around mid-December.Since the [-] troops came early and their whereabouts were very secretive, none of the scouts sent by Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao found them.Their attention has been focused on Huguan and Feihu Fortress, and they never thought that the reinforcements of the Northern Border Army had already entered Jizhou, and they were still very close behind the battlefield.

Julu City is nearly three hundred miles away from Ye City.Zhang Yan led an army of 120 people pretending to be civilian husbands, marching day and night, crossing the Zhangshui River in the direction of Lieren, and then sprinting [-] miles overnight, and quietly surrounded Yecheng at dawn.

=

The messengers galloped wildly and came from all over the place.

The east gate, west gate, and south gate have all been encircled, and an attack can be launched at any time.

Zhang Yan looked at the thickening fog, and ordered loudly: "Urgently order Wang Dang, Sun Qin, and Yu Digen to arrange for the soldiers to rest on the spot immediately."

Then he pointed to Li Xuan, the commander of the scout department, and asked, "Wen Lie, how is the situation at the north gate? Has Peng Lie's army arrived on time?"

Outside the north gate of Yecheng is the Zhangshui River. Zhang Yan specially arranged a large army on the other side of the river to stop and kill the enemies who tried to cross the river and escape.Li Xuan bowed and replied: "Just received the news that Master Peng Lie has led his army to the other side. But..." He said with a smile, "The Zhangshui River is melting, the ice layer is very thin, and the enemy cannot escape."

"Don't be careless." Zhang Yan said, "Yuan Shao and many of his subordinates' family members are in the city. If we can catch them, it will be of great benefit to us."

Jiang Feng's eyes showed hatred, and the whip in his hand suddenly slammed to the ground.He had just come down from Black Mountain to join Zhang Yan, and he hated Yuan Shao and a bunch of officials in Jizhou Mansion extremely.Zhang Yan glanced at him with a frown, and said loudly, "Wen Lie, I warn you, this is the Northern Frontier Army, and massacring a city without authorization is a felony. Don't make trouble for me."

"Commander, Commander Bai is dead. He died at the hands of Yuan Shao. How can we not avenge this revenge?" Li Xuan shouted excitedly.

"Taking Yecheng is revenge." Zhang Yan patted Li Xuan on the shoulder with the horsewhip in his hand, "Slaughtering the city can't actually take revenge, it will only harm the innocent. I'll say it again, if you dare to disobey military discipline, I will kill you." you."

===

Yuan Xi, who was in full armor, held the hilt of his sword in his hand, and stood on the tower in high spirits, dismissing the panicked soldiers who came and went by his side.

"Master Xu, the Northern Border Army is currently fighting fiercely with Gongsun Zan in the Jieqiao area, so why did they suddenly appear here?" Yuan Xi asked suspiciously, "Could they have misread it?"

Xu You tried to open his eyes wide, intending to see everything in the distance through the thick fog.He shook his head in doubt, but did not answer Yuan Xi.He doesn't like this handsome and pretentious second son.This second son is good at rhythm and Fu, is proud of others, and has a taste of self-admiration. Compared with the calmness and humility of the eldest son Yuan Tan, he is inferior in many aspects.

Yuan Xi glanced at him, and said with a smile: "Master Xu, what do you mean by shaking your head? Do you think there are really Northern Border Army under the city?"

Standing aside, Chen Lin said, "Maybe the Yellow Turban Army from Heishan is bluffing and deceiving with the banner of the Black Panther. But, haven't you heard of any Yellow Turban Army fighting near Yecheng recently?"

After Yuan Shao withdrew his troops from Heishan, he deployed a large number of scouts around Heishan in order to prevent the Yellow Turban Army staying in Heishan from taking the opportunity to go down the mountain and attack Weijun.As long as the Yellow Turban Army descends the mountain, the news will be sent to Yecheng immediately.Chen Lin's doubts were also the doubts of other officials standing on the tower. Everyone almost agreed that the army below the city was the Black Mountain Yellow Turban Army, and their numbers were small, so they could not pose a threat to Yecheng.

Xu You listened intently for a long time, and then a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.He looked up at the sky and said loudly, "Immediately send people out of the city from the north gate, and report to your lord urgently. The reinforcements from the Northern Xinjiang Army have arrived in Jizhou secretly, and are now attacking Yecheng. Please come back quickly, lord."

Yuan Xi and everyone's expressions changed, but no one spoke.Xu You turned to look at Yuan Xi, who was a little startled, and pointed to the depths of the thick fog, "Listen, listen carefully...there is no sound outside the city, can the Yellow Turban Army do it? If it is the Yellow Turban Army, the outside has already It's the sound of war drums and the sound of people. This is the Beijiang Army, and it is the main force of the Beijiang Army. Hurry up, what are you doing in a daze? Hurry up and give orders. If you don't come back in time, my lord, we will die here today. gone."

Xu You's words woke everyone up.We have fought against the Yellow Turban Army for several years, and we still have this common sense, but it happened suddenly, and we were panicked just now, so we forgot this detail.

Yuan Xi was flustered and ordered hastily.If the Yellow Turban Army is outside the city, Yecheng is of course impenetrable, but if it is the Northern Xinjiang Army, Yecheng is in danger.

"Ziyuan, didn't Li Hong go to Jieqiao? Or..." Chen Lin hesitated, "Is this reinforcement from outside the Great Wall?"

"Li Hong has always fought against common sense, and I don't know." Xu You waved his hands and said anxiously, "I knew him in the early years, and I knew he was very cunning, but who would have thought that in the first battle of the Jizhou War, Li Hong would choose Yecheng. Raiders? Where did this raider come from?"

"Hurry up, send the order, send the order... order all three thousand defenders to go to the city." Although Yuan Xi was terrified, he still showed a bit of elegance in his gestures, "The Jizhou government immediately recruited the people in the city to help defend the city." .”

Xu You was stunned. 3000 people? Can 3000 people defend until the army returns to help?It will take at least two or three days for the army to rush back day and night to Jieqiao for more than 400 miles. Is there still time?
Not long after, a scout who had just left the city ran back, "My lord, the north gate is blocked by the enemy, and we cannot rush out."

Yuan Xi, Xu You and the others looked at each other with cold hearts.

The scout was wet from head to toe, his back was stained red with blood, and he was in a panic, "My lord, the dozen or so brothers who went out of the city to ask for help have all been killed, and there are enemies everywhere, what should we do?"

Xu You took a few breaths violently, raised his arms and shouted: "Prepare to fight to the death..."

==
The armies outside the Great Wall were originally stationed at passes and cities. After Li Hong disarmed, these armies were led by Sima from each ministry and went south to Pingcheng in Yanmen County to garrison fields.After Zhang Yan brought them to Jizhou, he carried out an army reorganization in accordance with Li Hong's military order.

The three armies under the command of Yuan Quyi made up the number, each with 8000 soldiers.Yang Feng, Wen Chou and Xu Huang each lead an army.Xu Huang was able to lead the army alone as a general in the middle of the line, thanks to the recommendation of Qu Yi and Yang Feng.Both of them believed that Xu Huang was a man who fought with his brain and should be reused.

Zhang Yan recruited a group of young and strong men from the Heishan Yellow Turban Army who had been appeased, and gathered 5 people to form five armies, each with 1 people.He led an army alone, and Wang Dang, Sun Qin, Yu Digen, and Peng Lie each led an army.Now the [-] troops are all waiting in the line of Yecheng City, ready to launch a siege battle.

=

The golden sunlight pierced through the milky white mist and sprinkled lightly on the ground.

The fog over Yecheng is getting thinner and thinner.The big banner danced wildly in the wind, making a loud noise.The people in the city held their breath and stared intently into the distance, letting their hearts beat violently.

Suddenly, the thick fog cleared, and the majestic army phalanx suddenly jumped into everyone's eyes, shocking everyone's heart.

Yuan Xi groaned in despair, and took a step back involuntarily, his right hand holding the sword hilt trembled involuntarily.

Xu You's eyes suddenly widened, staring at the "Han" banner and the black panther battle flag flying high behind the army, his face turned pale instantly.

After a moment of silence, the exclamation and mournful cries suddenly erupted, "Leopard...Northern Frontier Army..."

"Beating the drum... beating the drum..."

"Defend Yecheng...the reinforcements will arrive soon, and will arrive soon..."

=

Zhang Yan raised her head and squinted at the delicate sun. Her whole body was bathed in the warm sunshine, and her body and mind were peaceful.

Regardless of the battle at Yanmen Pass or the battle outside the Great Wall, he did not have the comfort and warmth of this moment. This is a feeling of going home, a kind of joy of walking on the muddy land and enjoying the spring rain. This is a kind of destination.After defeating Jizhou, under the powerful force of the Northern Xinjiang Army, the land of Hebei will be able to recuperate just like Northern Xinjiang, and the suffering people will no longer need to travel far beyond the Great Wall to find survival and hope.

Master... Father... The blood of the Yellow Turban Army will not be shed in vain, and the millions of lives of the Yellow Turban Army will not die in vain. The Yellow Turban Army will fight bloody battles for their dreams until they die.

"Raise the banner..." Zhang Yan slowly closed her eyes and said with a wave.

The sound of war drums soared into the sky, shaking the heavens and the earth.

The apricot-yellow banner of the Yellow Turban Army was suddenly raised.

It leans tightly on the left side of the Han battle flag, fluttering in the wind, rebellious and unruly.

The heartstrings of tens of thousands of soldiers trembled, and the numerous blood feuds instantly ignited the anger in their hearts. Countless arms raised their weapons at the same time, shouting out the strongest desire in their hearts: "Kill...kill..."

"Order all the troops to attack with all their strength..." Zhang Yan suddenly opened his eyes, raised his hands and roared, "Take Yecheng at all costs."

==
The long arrows are like clouds, covering the sky and the sun.

People are like a frenzy, roaring like thunder.

The sky over Yecheng was covered with dark clouds, and with the thrilling piercing screams, the curtain of the bloody battle was lifted instantly.

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Yuan Xi has experienced several battles, but he has never seen such a crazy and bloody battle.He has seen dense arrow arrays before, but he never knew such powerful arrow arrays in the world.He was very frightened, curled up with his head in his arms and hid under the wall, shouting loudly, screaming at the top of his lungs.He didn't know what to call himself, but only in this way could he alleviate the extreme terror in his heart.

On the wide and deep city wall, several rows of shieldmen held up their shields and tried their best to support them. They wanted to wait until the arrow array of the Northern Xinjiang Army stopped, and then covered the archers behind them to fight back. However, the arrow array of the Northern Xinjiang Army was too dense and sharp. The powerful lethality not only tore apart the shield, but also shot through the soldiers behind the shield, and even the soldiers were unbearable to be hit repeatedly, and were knocked out of the city wall by the impact of the long arrow and fell to the ground.

The soldiers of the Northern Xinjiang Army quickly erected ladder bridges on the moat, and several assault camps that attacked the city roared past, and immediately started a bloody battle to seize the city.

After roaring wildly for a moment, the thousand ballistas lined up stopped.

Ten thousand strong archers then advanced, shooting long arrows into the city.

The people who were temporarily organized to help defend the city were caught off guard and received a head-on blow. The streets near the city gate were immediately covered with corpses.

=

Xu You's hair crown was destroyed by a long arrow, his hair was disheveled, and he was very embarrassed. He dragged his long sword backwards, and while running, he shouted: "Counterattack, counterattack... the Northern Xinjiang army is on the city..."

Seeing Xu You from a distance, Yuan Xi jumped up as if seeing a life-saving straw, "Master Xu, go, go..."

Xu You pushed him away, turned around and yelled loudly at the guards who followed: "Quickly, cover the young master and leave, quickly..."

The personal guards rushed forward, not allowing Yuan Xi to speak, half dragged and rushed towards the city like flying.Yuan Xi lost his footing in the panic and tripped over a dead body.The guards were in a hurry, grabbing hands, grabbing feet, and running away with their hands upside down.

The soldiers of the Northern Xinjiang Army rushed up the tower, unstoppable and invincible.Several Jizhou soldiers couldn't resist, so they ran away.Xu You rushed forward and stabbed one of them to death with a sword, "Go back, kill, kill them..."

=

As soon as the Jizhou army repelled the first attack of the Northern Xinjiang army, the Northern Xinjiang army launched a second round of intensive attacks with long arrows and crossbows, and then the second batch of assault camps went up again, without giving the Jizhou army any rest time at all. .

Zhang Yan ordered continuously, attack, attack, until the city was captured.

The killing sounds from top to bottom in Yecheng shook the sky, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

=

Dusk, dusk falls.

The east gate of Yecheng.

Xiaoqi Zhonglang Wang Dang walked back and forth restlessly, and the whip in his hand dropped to the ground from time to time, splashing layers of mud.If it wasn't for the blocking of his personal guards and Zhang Yan's order, he would have been unable to restrain himself and rushed forward.

The sound of the golden gong retreating again came from the front. Wang Dang couldn't bear it anymore. He kicked onto the truck beside him and cursed, "This is also the Northern Xinjiang Army? The Yellow Turban Army? I haven't fought for two years, and I won't even fight .Where did the courage to fight the barbarians go? How many people can defend Yecheng? Five or six thousand people will break the sky. A city guarded by thousands of people, 5 people can't attack it for a long time, it's a shame. No, I will take people up there myself, and I will definitely take down Ye City before dark."

The personal guards were also full of anger, and they didn't stop them at this time, each of them was eager to try.

Army Sima Li Xuan flew over, "My lord has an order to attack the city overnight." Then he looked at Wang Dang, hesitant to speak.

Wang Dang sneered and said, "What else did your lord say? Did you ask me to light a fire here?"

Li Xuan smiled awkwardly, then flew off his horse and moved closer to Wang Dang, "Brother Heizi, we have been brothers for many years, can you let me bring a group of people to kill them? I promise to open the city gate."

Wang Dang glanced at him, "Under Bai Shuai, you neither captured the flag nor beheaded the general, can you do it?"

Li Xuan was very annoyed, blushed, patted his chest, and swore again and again.

Wang Dang chuckled, "It's your own false order to go. If the Lord blames me..."

Li Xuan slapped his chest loudly, "If I die, you can throw me into any pit you want. If I'm still alive, if you don't tell me, how will your lord know?"

Wang Dang laughed, "Okay, I'll give you two villages, and take down the city gate before dark."

=

Army Sima Li Xuan took the lead and led the assault camp to run wildly, "Avenge Bai Shuai, avenge the dead brother..."

"Kill, kill Yuan Shao..."

"Take Yecheng, kill and burn and loot, kill..."

The Jizhou Army has only 3000 people. Facing the three-door simultaneous attack of the Northern Army at any cost, their strength is too weak. They cannot stop the wave after wave of attacks of the Northern Army.When Li Xuan successfully climbed up the tower, he laughed so hard that he couldn't even close his mouth, "I'm just lucky. I climbed up the tower without even touching an arrow."

When he was enjoying himself, he heard a sharp whistle, and several long arrows shot towards him.Li Xuan didn't even think about it, but with force on the soles of his feet, he yelled and fell on his back.The long arrows flew out against his cheek, and one of the sharp arrows tore through his armor, taking away a smear of flesh and blood, leaving a deep line of blood.

Li Xuan rolled several times in pain, then leaped up, like a roaring beast, leaped at the enemy with its teeth and claws, "Fight it, kill one and earn one, go..."

The Northern Xinjiang Army used two troops to attack one point, and all of them were vigorous soldiers, which made the exhausted and scarred soldiers of Jizhou unable to parry.Facing the sharp edge of the Northern Xinjiang Army, the Jizhou soldiers could not resist and retreated one after another, causing heavy casualties.

Li Xuan fought fiercely, dripping blood all over his body, as if soaked in blood, he charged in tirelessly, charged in, stepped on the corpse of the enemy, held the head of the enemy, and charged in tenaciously.

Li Xuan's eyes suddenly brightened as he bumped into the headless corpse with blood splattered wildly in front of him, "Brothers, here we are, here we are, kill the stone steps and open the city gate..."

Li Xuan's roar was like a thunderbolt on the ground, which suddenly awakened the soldiers of Beijiang, who were intoxicated with blood and killing. With an extremely excited cheer, the Beijiang army poured down like a flood that burst a bank.The Jizhou army was unstoppable and defeated, and some were even pushed down on the stone steps and trampled to death.Li Xuan couldn't help himself, and kept running along with the surging crowd, shouting hoarsely, "Open the city gate, open the city gate..."

=

Then the northern Xinjiang soldiers who rushed up the tower cut off the sling, and the suspension bridge fell with a loud bang.

Wang Dang was overjoyed, flew on his horse, raised his knife and shouted wildly: "Beat the drum... go to the city, go to the city...

Thousands of soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army shouted loudly, rushing towards the gate of the city like a tide amidst the sound of thunderous drums.

=

The gate of the city was slowly opened a crack in the fierce hand-to-hand combat between the soldiers on both sides.

The northern Xinjiang soldiers who had been waiting outside the door lifted the heavy battering wood and struck it continuously. The deafening sound of the collision spread far and far along with the thick smelly wind.

Several Jizhou soldiers who were trying to close the city gate again were knocked upside down, screamed and fell into the crowd, and then were hacked to death with random knives and guns.At the city gate, the fierce battle was unprecedentedly fierce.

The city gate was ajar, and the impatient Northern Xinjiang soldiers roared in, and the Jizhou soldiers who barely supported were completely submerged by the torrent.

=

Wang Dang tried to ride his horse up the suspension bridge several times, but was squeezed out by the roaring soldiers of Northern Xinjiang.Wang Dang screamed in anger, "Make way for me... I'm Wang Heizi, don't you know me?"

No one paid any attention to him, and the soldiers ran wildly as usual.

By the time he rode his horse into the city, the soldiers of the northern border army had already gone to kill them in the city.Long before the siege, Wang Dang said, after breaking the city, you should rush into the government office in one go, and don't fight the enemy.Whoever captures the government office first will win first.

Wang Dang sat proudly on his horse and stood under the city tower, looked around, suddenly raised his hands, and shouted wildly: "The Yellow Turban Army has taken down Yecheng..."

"Brother Heizi, what are you crying about?" Li Xuan pressed his whole body against the wall and asked feebly, "Are you also a Yellow Turban Army?"

Wang Dang looked at him, pointed at the northern Xinjiang soldiers who died in battle with the horsewhip in his hand, and said very proudly: "Everyone lying here is a member of my Yellow Turban Army. This city of Ye is my Yellow Turban Army." Those who have been defeated will bring peace to the world in the future, and my Yellow Turban Army is also the greatest contributor to stabilizing the country."

Suddenly he remembered something, and immediately stretched out his legs and kicked Li Xuan, "Didn't you shout just now to kill and burn them all, why are you still here?"

Li Xuan lay down on the ground slowly, closed his eyes and said with great enjoyment: "I'm too tired, please let me have a rest."

===

In February, Ganling Kingdom, Heilongwan.

Black Dragon Bay is located between Panhe River and Tobu Castle.

Zhao Yun led the cavalry to the south from Yingtao City in Julu County, crossed the Zhangshui River from Boluojin (one hundred miles northwest of Guangzong City), then went eastward into Ganling Kingdom, crossed the Qinghe River from the direction of Heilongwan, and prepared to raid Tobu City cut off the grain and grass transportation of the Youzhou Army.

Zhao Yun and Liu Ming led their troops across the river to the south bank.

Yiqi Juechen came, "Report to the two adults that the Yellow River has opened ahead of schedule."

Zhao Yun and Liu Ming were taken aback.

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(End of this chapter)