Chapter 57 second quarter

"Sixty thousand people!" The teacup in Zhong Yugu's hand flicked, and some of the tea was splashed on the table.As a newly promoted general, he was awarded the responsibility of guarding Dongping City, an important town in the east of the river. This young general should have been high-spirited and arrogant, but the few battles he had experienced made this young man timid. Xiao Ziyan said: "General Zhong, although the number of enemies is heavy, their ranks are uneven. It seems that they are all newly recruited soldiers, and their combat effectiveness will not be too strong."

"But after all, there are 60,000 troops." Zhong Yugu put the teacup on the table and looked at a map on the wall thoughtfully. That is the fortification map of the Dongping area.There are many hills near Dongping City, but they are all low hills with tall trees, which are very convenient for setting up an ambush.Outside the south gate of Dongping City, there are two hills named Zuofu and Youbi. There is a stone fortress on each of them, with a force of 2,000 people stationed there. It is also one of the best among the strong cities of the empire.Zhong Yugu looked at it, and suddenly said: "When will the rebels reach the city?"

"According to their marching speed, they will arrive tomorrow." Zhong Yugu thought for a while, and said: "Send an order to let the defenders of the Prime Minister's Second Fort retreat back to the city and destroy the castle." Before Xiao Ziyan could say anything, all the generals around were startled, and one of the generals shouted: "General Zhong, this can't be done!" This man's name is Ma Yaoxian, his military rank is Dutong, second only to Zhong Yugu's subordinate general, and he is the second general in Dongping City, and he is the only one who can refute Zhong Yugu face to face.He is more than ten years older than Zhong Yugu, but now his official position is under Zhong Yugu, and he has always been unconvinced by Zhong Yugu, so he is very rude in speaking.

Zhong Yugu glanced at him and said, "General Ma, what's your opinion?" Ma Yao rolled up his sleeves first, and said: "General Zhong, the Second Fort of the Prime Minister and Dongping City are closely related. If the Second Fort is lost, the enemy can use it as a base to attack the city, and the defense of Dongping City will be even more difficult. With this Second Fort, the enemy cannot attack the city, and it is much easier to defend." Ma Yaoxian's eloquence was far less than that of Zhong Yugu, and he stumbled when he said this, but his words made a lot of sense, Xiao Ziyan couldn't help but nodded secretly.

Zhong Yugu said: "It would be good if the strength of the two armies was similar. But right now, the rebel army has three divisions of our army, and four thousand troops are needed to defend the second fort. Once the enemy surrounds the two forts, they cannot replenish supplies. General Ma thinks How many days can the two forts last?" Ma Yaoxian said: "The luggage of Zuofu Youbi Erbao can last for more than ten days, and within these ten days, sending troops from Dongping City is enough to repel the enemy. Then why not take the opportunity to replenish the luggage? If General Zhong Cowardly, the final general is willing to lead 4,000 people to defend the Second Fort."

His words were already very blunt, almost directly reprimanding Zhong Yugu for being timid.Zhong Yugu blushed slightly, stood up suddenly, and shouted: "General Ma, if you can really hold on, it will be good. But in case the Second Fort of Zuofu Youbi falls, and Dongping City's military strength is greatly damaged, you may be guilty of this crime." Responsible?" Ma Yao first said: "Of course! If the second castle falls, I will not live alone, but die." Ma Yaoxian's throat was already very loud, but when he became anxious at this moment, his blushing and thick neck seemed to be arguing, and the faces of those with lower official positions turned pale with fright.Before the enemy arrived at the city, the guard had already started internal strife, which was not a good sign.Xiao Ziyan is a guest general, so he doesn't like to interrupt, but he is a little disappointed in his heart.

The empire has really come to an end, even the generals are not united.He sighed silently, and was about to smooth things over, when suddenly someone said: "Two generals, please listen to me, I wonder if it's okay?" The man's voice was gentle, his words were correct, and his tone was unhurried.Xiao Ziyan recognized this person, his name was Xu Hanchuan, and he was the head of the marching staff in Dongping City.Although this man is a civilian, he looks gentle and gentle. It is said that he is skilled in spears and horses, even ordinary generals are not his opponents.This Xu Hanchuan is less than forty years old, quite resourceful, he can be regarded as the third person under the two generals Zhong and Ma in Dongping City.

Hearing Xu Hanchuan's voice, Ma Yaoxian calmed down a lot, and said, "Commander Xu, please tell me." "Dongping City is short of troops. If the enemy has a long-term siege, it is indeed several times more difficult to defend the second fortress than to defend the city. At the time, General Shao, the leader of the Wind Legion, built this second fort with an eye on attack. General Xiao You say yes?" When Xiao Ziyan heard him ask himself, he stood up and said: "What Staff Officer Xu said is true. But offense and defense are one, and you can't stick to one end. The Second Fort of the Prime Minister and Dongping City complement each other, so you really can't give up defense lightly."

Ma Yao first heard what Xiao Ziyan said, nodded and said: "General Xiao is right. I said..." Xu Hanchuan knew in his heart that if Ma Yao took the lead, he would have to stumble and talk about it again, so he hurriedly said: "That's the reason. But General Zhong's concerns are also reasonable. We must guard the left and right fortresses, and pay for it." The price is not small, Dongping City is short of troops, and we are putting the cart before the horse if we divide 4,000 troops to defend these two forts." Ma Yaoxian was confused when he heard this, and said: "Commander Xu, you said that you can't lose and you can't keep it, what do you mean?"

Xu Hanchuan twirled his beard and said with a smile: "I mean, if the enemy has the idea of ​​besieging the city, the gains from defending the second fort outweigh the loss. The plan to achieve the best of both worlds is to give full play to the effects of the left and right assistants and the two forts in one fell swoop. The enemy. If the enemy wants to fight a protracted war, our army will give them a disarm and annihilate them under the city." Hearing this, Ma Yao first realized that Xu Hanchuan was agreeing with him. He nodded hurriedly and said, "Exactly. The mob of the rebel army is not worth talking about. If you work hard, you will definitely be able to break them up."

He spoke with great courage, and some generals raised their heads accordingly, as if just as Ma Yaoxian said, victory is within easy reach.Although Xiao Ziyan felt that Zhong Yugu's proposal of abandoning Zuofu Youbi Erbao was too conservative, he did not agree with Ma Yaoxian's easy-going statement. He thought that Xu Hanchuan must agree with Zhong Yugu's opinion, but he did not expect Xu Hanchuan to agree Ma Yaoxian couldn't help being surprised.Xu Hanchuan in his impression was quite prudent, and he would never have imagined that he would be so aggressive.He opened his mouth, and was about to say something, when Zhong Yugu said first: "Mr. Xu, do you think it is the best strategy to rely on the Prime Minister's Second Fort to fight the rebels?" Xu Hanchuan stepped out of the queue, bowed and said, "General Zhong is well versed in the art of war, has he forgotten the principle of defeating a general after marching for hundreds of miles? According to Hanchuan, our army has three chances of victory. Come on, you must be exhausted; our army is waiting for work, and it is a new force. Second, according to General Xiao, the enemy's troops are scattered, and they must be mobs. Our army has experienced hundreds of battles and is unmatched. Third, the enemy It is difficult to replenish a small army, and there is no danger in the place where we are stationed, but our army has Gaocheng and Dazhai as a stronghold, which is enough to resist the enemy. With these three victories, Hanchuan thought that although the enemy army is numerous, it is not to be feared, and our army has a chance of victory I'm holding it." Xu Hanchuan was an official in the army, even though he was dressed in a military uniform, he was eloquent at this moment, but he still insisted on words.Although Ma Yaoxian didn't quite understand, he finally understood that Xu Hanchuan was saying that the enemy must be defeated, and shouted: "Commander Xu's words are very good, and I have exactly the same idea." Zhong Yugu didn't know what expression was on Zhong Yugu's face, he was a little embarrassed.Xiao Ziyan had not been in Dongping City for a long time, but he also knew that Xu Hanchuan was Zhong Yugu's heart-to-heart counselor, and he was much closer to Zhong Yugu in the past, but Xu Hanchuan strongly supported Ma Yaoxian in this matter, and Zhong Yugu must have betrayed his relatives in his heart feeling.For some reason, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart.Although Xu Hanchuan's words are methodical and impeccable, war cannot be explained in a few words.Although Xu Hanchuan's words are quite reasonable, the facts may be quite different.Although Zhong Yugu's proposal to withdraw defense from the Prime Minister's Second Fort seemed conservative, once it became a protracted war, this decision would be more reasonable.According to Ma Yaoxian and Xu Hanchuan's plan, they were putting all their eggs in one basket, pinning their victory or defeat on the next battle in the city.But if he was asked to come up with a perfect solution, he couldn't think of anything.Unlike Zhong Yugu and Ma Yaoxian, who came from a military academy, he had never been to a military academy, and he couldn't even memorize the art of war. He attended the pre-war meeting simply because he was a guest general sent by the Wind Corps, representing an independent team. Zhong Yugu took a deep breath, and suddenly said: "Since General Ma dares to fight, I don't want to break General Ma's spirit. But if the rebels fail to disperse with one blow, I hope General Ma can return to the city as soon as possible, sir. suffered a loss." Ma Yao first straightened his chest and said: "I obey. General Zhong, don't worry, the last general will be able to kill the general and make meritorious service, so that the rebels dare not underestimate our Dongping City." Zhong Yugu said: "It's not too late. Please, General Ma, order the soldiers and horses immediately, and the two fortresses of the left, the right, and the right are all on General Ma. The rest of the generals will go back and prepare immediately. Don't underestimate the enemy." After the generals dispersed, Zhong Yugu said to the soldiers, "I want to rest today, so you can keep watch and make no mistake." Temper attack cut several people to vent their anger.Although this General Zhong is young, he is the leader of the new generation of generals in the empire. Apart from the commander of the Four Phase Legion, he can be counted, but he must not be offended. After sending out all the people in the tent, Zhong Yugu walked into the inner room.Dongping City was listed among the Twelve Famous Cities of the Empire, and the General's Mansion was also built tall and majestic, but Zhong Yugu was so quiet that he didn't use many servants, so when the soldiers were sent out, the hall was deserted and completely silent. Zhong Yugu went into the inner room, took off the waist knife from his waist, and took out the knife to wipe it carefully.This knife was given by the current emperor when Zhong Yugu graduated. At that time, Zhong Yugu ranked first among hundreds of graduates, and ranked first among the "Ten Outstanding Golden Swords" among graduates.In the past few years, not many of the ten heroes of the golden sword at that time could really stand out, but Zhong Yugu was able to go smoothly from a centurion to a general, which is also rare in the imperial army. Just after wiping it, Zhong Yugu suddenly said softly: "Come in, there is no one else." The door opened slightly, and it was Xu Hanchuan who came in.At the meeting, Xu Hanchuan talked eloquently, but now he had a flattering smile on his face.As soon as he came in, he knelt down and said, "General Zhong has a clever plan..." "Close the door." Zhong Yugu pointed at the door with a knife, Xu Hanchuan quickly closed the door, and then said cautiously: "General Zhong, just as you expected, Ma Yaoxian jumped out all of a sudden." Zhong Yugu wiped the knife, held it in front of his eyes, looked sideways, and said, "Is everything done?" "General Fang said that he reported the matter to the commander in chief. The commander said that General Zhong understood the overall situation and made such great contributions to the republic government. He must be the founding hero of the republic." Zhong Yugu sneered, and said, "A hero? Isn't the Republican Army based on the people? Why would there be a hero?" "Of course it's just a theory, hehe." Xu Hanchuan sneered a few times, and said, "General Zhong, once Dongping City is lost, the empire's door will open wide. In the future, even if you want to rule across the river, it will be impossible. The commander-in-chief The Republican Army has won the world, and General Zhong is the Great General.” Zhong Yugu's finger slid lightly on the blade, almost cutting his finger.But his face remained calm, and said: "This is a matter of the future. How is the morale of the army?" The smile on Xu Hanchuan's face faded instantly: "It's hard to say. The humble job has also probed the hearts of the people. I didn't expect that nearly half of them still have illusions about the empire, especially Ma Yaoxian's army of 7,000 people, who can't move at all." Zhong Yugu lowered his head, just thinking.Xu Hanchuan continued: "Actually, General Zhong sent a dead soldier to assassinate Ma Yao while he was away. Wouldn't it be easy and easy? Why such a twist and turn?" He was waiting to say something when he suddenly saw Zhong Yugu's face turned livid, and he swallowed back the words in fright. Zhong Yugu let out a long breath and said, "Han Chuan, it's not that simple. I surrendered to the Republican Army to save the common people from the suffering of the soldiers. After all, Brother Ma is a fellow soldier in the army. I can't bear to do it for my own benefit. This is a bad strategy. Anyway, the Second Prime Minister will not be able to stop the iron hooves of the Republican Army, and let him die like a warrior on the battlefield, and he is worthy of him." "General Zhong is truly a benevolent person." Xu Hanchuan smiled obsequiously, and said, "It's just that the Republican Army will suffer unnecessary sacrifices in this way, I'm afraid..." "Needless to say, soldiers will always die on the battlefield." Zhong Yugu inserted the golden knife into the scabbard and hung it on his waist again. "Han Chuan, you have to pay attention to Ma Yaoxian's movements. They will definitely clamor after the Prime Minister's Second Fort is breached, so pay attention to suppressing it." Xu Hanchuan saluted and said, "Hanchuan obeys." "You go." Zhong Yugu waved his hand.This plan was too sinister, and Zhong Yugu also felt an indescribable exhaustion.But Xu Hanchuan didn't leave. Instead, he grew up, showing a secretive smile, and said, "Wait, General Zhong, I have something to say." "What?" Zhong Yugu looked at him, his heart sank.Xu Hanchuan has been his staff member for several years, but today this familiar person seems so strange. Xu Hanchuan smiled lightly and said, "General Zhong, you are still hesitating, aren't you?" As if being hit to the point, Zhong Yugu's face flashed a trace of panic, and said: "Of course not, why do you think so?" "General Zhong dedicated the city for the sake of the people of the world, please stop half-heartedly, otherwise, things will go wrong again." "Are you threatening me?" Zhong Yugu felt angry.Although Xu Hanchuan proposed this matter, he has always agreed to it, and Xu Hanchuan has always respected him, but now he seems to be confident and domineering. "I don't dare to be humble. I have no other advantages in my life, but I never regret what I do. General Zhong, there is nothing difficult in the world. The most fearful thing is to hesitate. If you shoot the bow, there will be no arrow to turn back." Zhong Yugu frowned, clenched and loosened the knife ring on his waist, and said after a while: "Okay, you can do everything cheaply." Xu Hanchuan smiled slightly, knowing that Zhong Yugu had weighed and weighed again and again, and finally dispelled his hesitation.He bowed and gave a deep salute, "Thank you General Zhong for putting righteousness first." He walked backwards out the door.As soon as the door was closed, the sound of a steel knife being drawn from its sheath came from the inner room, with a "crack", it seemed that the golden knife had penetrated deeply into the table.He smiled lightly and walked towards the back door of the General's Mansion. As soon as he walked out of the back door, two attendants who had been waiting for a long time came up to him and helped him into the carriage.The carriage was not too big, the curtains were drawn down, and it was dark inside. As soon as he entered the carriage, a person whispered, "Mr. Xu, has General Zhong made up his mind?" "Yes, he no longer hesitates." The man had a high-pitched voice, and seemed to be a teenager.Xu Hanchuan replied: "Yes, he doesn't hesitate anymore." The man in the car paused.When the car drove up, the man whispered authentically: "Have you thought about what to do with the troops loyal to the empire?" Xu Hanchuan smiled faintly, and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Hu, most of them are arranged in the two fortresses of Zuofu Youbi. Ma Yaoxian thought that these two stone fortresses were impenetrable, and even if he was killed, he would not believe that he would be attacked like this." The man also snorted, and said, "There is also a centurion of the Wind Legion in the city, how are you going to deal with it?" Xu Hanchuan said: "That's the guest army. I can't command it, and I can't send people in. But," he raised his head and smiled, "this centurion only has about ten flying planes, and there are not many mine bombers. I can take half of them away. It is natural for them to attack with the airship team of the Republican Army." The man smiled dryly and said, "Of course, Mr. Xu." At this time, a gust of dark wind suddenly blows, blowing up the curtains of the car.It wasn't very late, but the sky was already covered with clouds and it was very dark.Xu Hanchuan lifted the curtain of the car to look at the sky, and said with a smile, "Mr. Hu is really good at observing the sky. There will be a strong wind tomorrow, and the attack power of the wind army will be reduced." When he raised the curtain, some light came into the car.The man surnamed Hu was sitting upright, even though he was sitting in the car, he was wearing a big bamboo hat on his head, and tulle was hanging around it.As soon as the car curtain was opened, the tulle was blown up a bit, and the man's fair and thin face was vaguely visible.