When the battle started under the city of Huzhou, Fengxiang Mansion was not idle either. In Wuzhangyuan on the south bank of the Wei River, there were camps stretching all over the sky, and the Western Shu army was ready to cross the river at any time.

As for the Song Dynasty, Cui Yan, the deputy capital commander, took over as the commander-in-chief and led an army of 50,000 to prepare for the attack in Qishan County on the north bank of the Weishui River.

Wang Zhaoyuan, the privy envoy of the Western Shu Kingdom, was observing carefully by the Weishui River. This place is very close to Qishan County, and he was afraid that the opponent would attack him halfway across the river, so he had to make careful preparations.

"Sir, the Song Army has watchtowers every one mile. If we want to get past, I'm afraid we have to attack by force." The person who spoke was Wang Zhaoyuan's confidant Sheng Mingtai. After last year's confrontation, the Song Army had clearly arranged

Be more careful.

"Whether we attack by force or not is a matter for later. Let's cross the river again when the news of the war from the Northern Han Dynasty comes." It's not that Wang Zhaoyuan thinks of a strong attack, but that he doesn't have the guts to go to war with the Song Dynasty alone. He has to wait for the first time.

It would be better to start fighting on the Beihan side first.

"According to the agreement, the fight should start two days ago. The news must be coming soon." Sheng Mingtai thought about it in his heart and said, he has always been responsible for the contact with Beihan. This matter must not be let go, otherwise Wang Zhaoyuan

Maybe I'll have to take him on a mission.

"The water level of the Wei River has become shallower now, and the current has also slowed down a lot. If you build a pontoon bridge, it will be very fast. This time, I will definitely capture Qishan County and use it as a stronghold for the army." Last year's anticlimactic end made the Emperor of Shu very happy.

Meng Chang criticized him quite a bit, thinking that he had not shown the momentum of the Shu Kingdom, so he must break the city this time and shock the world. Although Qishan is only a county town, it is also a city where the Song Army is stationed. How many people dare to do this?

"Sir, I heard that in the Quanzhou area, cement can be used to build a strong bridge with a span of tens of feet, which is enough to accommodate four-wheeled carriages. I think that after we capture Qishan County, we should contact the current King Zhongyong

, once the bridge is erected, the natural chasm will become a thoroughfare, and the food, grass and baggage of our Shu army will be unobstructed, so we can advance and attack, and retreat and defend." Shengmingtai has many connections with Jianzhou merchants, and some of his subordinates have personally gone to Quanzhou to see such things.

The bridge is truly a miracle.

"Cement is extremely expensive. It's painful for me to build a house. How much does it cost to build a bridge like this?" Wang Zhaoyuan was noncommittal. The pontoon bridge was of similar use. He was not here to build bridges or roads, he was here to fight.

.

Tai Moran is famous, but he doesn’t know why so many cement bridges can be built in Quanzhou. It’s really incredible.

That night, news came that the Northern Han Dynasty had once again raised troops to attack Jinzhou, and this time, there were Khitan cavalry accompanying them. Although there were only more than a thousand cavalry, it made the Song Dynasty extremely vigilant.

On the second day, the Shu army mobilized all its elite troops and built a pontoon bridge on the Wei River. To Wang Zhaoyuan's expectation, the Song army only came close and fired a few waves of arrows, harassed them briefly, and then retreated.

Wang Zhaoyuan found it difficult to understand Song Jun's behavior. He gave up such a good opportunity like this.

"Sheng Sheng, I will cross the river first, and I will leave the two sides of the Wei River under your care." Wang Zhaoyuan still felt uneasy, so he simply left more manpower on the south bank and let his confidant Sheng Mingtai watch here. Even if something went wrong, he could withdraw at any time.

Come.

"Don't worry, sir. Your subordinates will definitely guard this place and reinforce the pontoon bridge day and night to ensure the supply of supplies." Sheng Mingtai was overjoyed. This was his first independent command of the army.

It is said that Meng Chang, the Emperor of Shu, was also afraid that his generals would be able to support their own troops, so he used to use civilian officials to lead the troops. He was well-known as a civilian official, and with such qualifications, it would be much easier for him to be promoted in the future.

Cui Yanjin, the commander-in-chief of the Song Army, stood at the head of Qishan County, looking at the Shu army that had crossed the Weishui River, feeling depressed. Originally, his plan was to have a battle on the banks of the Weishui River, and then make arrangements based on the outcome.

But just yesterday, he received a letter signed by the commander of the capital, Wang Quanbin, and the governor of the capital, Wang Renzhan, asking them to let the Shu army cross the Wei River. The specific reason was not mentioned in the letter, but it stated that this was the official intention, and Cui Yanjin thought about it again and again.

, finally gave up on Wei

The idea of ​​a battle by the water.

"General, there is someone outside the city asking to see you!" Just when Cui Yanjin was puzzled, a soldier next to him came over to report.

"Who is that?" Today's Qishan County has strict regulations on entry and exit, and you must have his order before you can be let in.

"He said he was a Forbidden Army general from Kaifeng!"

"Bring it here!"

Cui Yanjin nodded. I was afraid that this man was the key to letting the Shu army cross the Wei River. He wanted to see how successful it was.

The person who came was none other than Zhao Chongyan. He received the imperial edict and marched in a hurry. He first rushed to Fengxiang Camp to see Wang Quanbin, and then hurriedly came to Qishan County on the Weishui River. It was a coincidence.

In Zhao Chongyan's original estimate, he would launch an attack on the Shu army on the north bank of the Weishui River.

Because it is blocked by the Wei River, it becomes more difficult for the Shu army to escape in panic, which can eliminate the opponent's combat power to the maximum extent.

"The last general Zhao Chongyan has met the great general!" Zhao Chongyan came to Cui Yanjin and bowed his hands in salute. From this position, he could barely see the flag of the Shu army.

"Zhao Chongyan? I am ignorant and have never heard of you. Who do you serve under?" Cui Yanjin frowned. If you don't explain your background clearly, how can I know who you are?

There must be hundreds of ordinary generals like Zhao Chongyan in the Song Dynasty. It is normal for him not to recognize him. But at Zhao Chongyan's age, there is always a way to get into the guerrilla generals, so he should find out clearly.

good.

"To be honest, General, I was born in the Shu Kingdom. Later, due to chance encounters, I was recommended by the King of Jin and joined the Forbidden Army. Now I can be regarded as leading a single battalion and directly obey the orders of the officials." Now the battalion led by Zhao Chongyan can be regarded as

Independent from Tongguan, according to his guess, if this battle is completed, the battalion under his command will be given an independent title, and then he will be the general leading the entire army.

"Oh, it's really rare for Brother Zhao to have such an opportunity. I will go with you to the city to talk about it." Cui Yanjin's serious face suddenly softened like snow melting.

The main reason is that Zhao Chongyan's foundation is too solid. Although he is still an inconspicuous ordinary general, he can rise to the top once he encounters a storm.

"But according to the orders of the general!" Zhao Chongyan was very sensible. It was true that he had a background, but in the Song Dynasty military, he was still a newcomer. If he could make more friends with the generals, it would be more convenient in the future.

.

Unlike the troops at the top of the city who were preparing for war, things were much more casual below the city. Cui Yanjin took Zhao Chongyan directly to the tea shop next to the city gate, ordered some tea and snacks, and planned to have a good relationship with him.

"General Zhao is here, do you have something important to do?" Cui Yanjin sent the store owner away, and his soldiers were scattered around, acting with caution.

"To be honest, General, I have brought something special with me to use on the Shu army outside." Zhao Chongyan came here to communicate with Cui Yanjin about this matter. Of course, he wanted to make it clear.

He has a total of 5,000 men. Even if the rockets are extremely powerful and the opponent's camp is in chaos, he will not dare to charge into the camp with just a few men. If he wants to expand the victory, Cui Yan will have to get in and out of the horse.

"What is it?" A trace of curiosity flashed in Cui Yanjin's eyes. He had also heard that the Zhongyong Army seemed to have incredible siege equipment. Did they get it so quickly?

"General, it's hard to say at the moment. It's not that I can't trust the general, but the officials have issued a hush-hush order on this matter. The most important thing is that it's unclear, but tonight the general will see this.

The power of things." Zhao Chongyan had a flash of hesitation in his heart, but finally decided to keep it secret.

"What General Zhao said is true. When you and I run errands for the officials, we should put loyalty first." When Cui Yanjin heard that it was the officials, he gave up his intention to inquire, but this curiosity

But my heart was lifted up, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened in the evening.

"General, this is an autographed letter from an official. General Wang Quanbin has read it before." Zhao Chongyan took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Cui Yanjin. Without this thing, Zhao Chongyan's speech would be like farting.

There is no difference.

Cui Yanjin wiped his hands on his sleeves as a sign of respect.

The meaning of the letter is very simple. The army led by Zhao Chongyan will launch a night attack on the Shu army. The troops stationed in Fengxiang Mansion must provide convenient cooperation, with the emphasis on killing and injuring the Shu army.

"Are you sure, General Zhao?" Cui Yanjin took a deep breath. The meaning of this letter seemed to be completely sure. How could a night attack be so simple?

"The general has full confidence. Please ask the general to prepare his army and horses so that he can leave the city and launch an attack at any time." Zhao Chongyan was now ready to attack and he had to do it with full confidence.

"When will the attack be launched?" Cui Yanjin was very careful. Even with official handwriting, there were many examples of night attacks being counterattacked.

"Tonight, we will launch an attack. If the general can break into the enemy camp within a quarter of an hour, we will win." Zhao Chongyan calculated that there would be a total of five waves of their attacks. After five waves, they would face the Shu army.

The camp launched a charge. From the first wave of rockets to rushing to the Shu army's camp, it took them less than a quarter of an hour. If Cui Yanjin could kill them at that time, they would have a great victory against the panicked Shu army with their superior strength.

.

"General Zhao, do you want me to wait outside the city with my people?" Cui Yanjin frowned. His original intention was to send people to investigate outside the city. After confirmation, he would lead his people to fight out of the city. Based on the current distance,

Look, it takes two-quarters of an hour no matter what. Tens of thousands of troops can't pass through the narrow city gate quickly.

If you directly take people to wait outside the city, there will be certain risks. If Zhao Chongyan's method is not reliable and they are discovered by the Shu army, they will be in danger of being killed.

Cui Yanjin was not so optimistic and could not mobilize his entire army. He had at least 20,000 of his 50,000 troops to defend the city and 30,000 to go out to fight. The Shu army was no less than 60,000. Even the elite Song army would not be able to defeat the Shu army that was twice as large as his own.

Don't dare to say victory or defeat lightly.

"General, this opportunity must not be missed. If the last general dares to pledge his neck and head, this battle will be won." Zhao Chongyan promised that although there was a letter from Zhao Kuangyin, if the other party was unwilling to cooperate, no one could do anything.

"I'll think about it again." Cui Yanjin was thinking about how reliable this thing was. After pondering for a long time, he got nothing. Because he really couldn't figure out what kind of means Zhao Chongyan had in his hands.

How much power it creates.

"General, the general and the brothers under his command have all risked their lives. How could it be like this if we were not sure?" Zhao Chongyan advised, although it is not too long before we leave the city, but it is often at that little time that we can

Decide victory or defeat.

"General, when you win this battle, it will be a great achievement." Zhao Chongyan continued to advise, annihilating tens of thousands of Shu troops and solving the troubles in the northwest of the Song Dynasty is a great achievement.

Cui Yanjin was moved. He was now only one step away from being the top general of the Song Dynasty. If he fought well in this battle, he would definitely be able to overcome it and have no regrets in his life.

"Okay, tonight, I will personally lead 30,000 elites and wait for orders outside the city. Once the signal comes, they will immediately attack the Shu army camp." Cui Yanjin finally made up his mind. This was an official order, and he was just following orders.

Just be careful when doing things.

"General, there will be a lot of noise and fire all over the sky. That's the signal." Zhao Chongyan didn't let out a word until now.

The sky is filled with fire? Cui Yanjin always wondered why this sounded like a method only found in storybooks, but thinking that Zhao Chongyan had an autographed letter from an official, he finally resisted the urge to find out.
Chapter completed!