Plan to cut off the nine states

Xu Chu took a nap and woke up with a frightened heart, more exhausted than when he was awake. When he calmed down, his energy quickly recovered. Even a light sleep was valuable.

After dinner, he sent people to summon the generals, ready to keep his promise and appoint Meng Senglun as the general of the guard.

Xue Jinyao arrived first. After entering the hall, she nodded to the King of Wu as if they were brothers. After sitting down, she said: "Spies from the officers and soldiers came several times at night, and it seems that they have no intention of attacking the city."

"Well, you have to work hard these two days, General." Xu Chu said politely.

"Speaking of hard work, I found someone to help me. I'll let King Wu know. I hope you don't mind."

"It's never too much help. Who did you find?"

"General Cao."

"Which General Cao...Cao Shenxi?"

"Yes, the old guy made a lot of sense. I kept him as a lieutenant general. I rescued him from the dead, but he disagreed and put forward many conditions."

Xu Chu was surprised for a while and smiled, "He also put forward conditions?"

"Yes, I didn't accept all of them, I only agreed to some. Overall, the more than 800 "spies" were detained separately, provided with water and food. Even if they were going to be killed today, they shouldn't suffer like that."

"You did a good job." Xu Chu nodded in agreement.

King Wu was not angry, Xue Jinyao was a little surprised, and the prepared explanations became redundant.

Generals arrived one after another. The kings guarded the city and did not come in person, so they sent envoys to participate in the meeting.

After completing normal affairs, Xu Chu announced the appointment of Meng Senglun. No one thought it was inappropriate, and they all bowed to Meng Senglun to congratulate him. They all knew that he was the confidant of the King of Wu, and it was more appropriate for him to supervise the entire army.

Meng Senglun behaved properly. Tomorrow was the day he would commit suicide, but there was no sign of abnormality on his face.

The meeting had just ended, and the generals had not yet left. A soldier hurried to report that the flag of the reinforcements outside the city had finally been revealed.

The plan to lure the righteous army out of the city for a decisive battle failed. The officers and soldiers changed their strategy, making a big show outside the city and approaching the city wall to show off their military power.

Xu Chu went to the city to watch, and there was no more complaints on the way, either openly or secretly. The soldiers he met saluted respectfully, and their awe of the King of Wu increased a lot.

The officers and soldiers were concentrated in the north. Ning Baoguan and Gan Zhao had been watching for a while. When they saw the King of Wu coming, Ning Baoguan bowed without saying a word, and Gan Zhao immediately said: "It is indeed the general, with his flag, and... a lot of soldiers."

The formation of officers and soldiers was more than three miles away from the city. It was a black mass and very neat. It seemed that they did not intend to invite the rebels out of the city for a fight. It was purely for showing off.

The people on the city could see it clearly. Xu Chu even thought that he saw the general's vehicle and the fat body on the vehicle.

Xue Jinyao whispered: "General Cao is right. The infantry is in the middle and the cavalry guards the two sides. The general's formation is different from that of the Jizhou army."

Others were not concerned about the formation, but the large number of officers and soldiers. After the last battle, Jizhou's troops dropped sharply, and it was a bit powerless to besiege the city. After receiving the support of the general, the troops increased greatly, and it seemed that there were more than before the war.

"The last victory was in vain."

"If this continues, when will it end?"

"What are you afraid of? They are all defeated by our men. If one comes, we can kill one. If two come, we can kill two. It's easy."

...

The generals talked a lot. Although they were a little worried, they were still motivated.

The soldiers suddenly sounded drums, and the soldiers on the city were startled. Some of them were about to draw their swords, and their eyes turned to the kings.

Xu Chu said: "The soldiers didn't list their weapons. The drums were not for attacking the city, but just for bluffing. You don't have to care."

Sure enough, the drums stopped outside the city, and the soldiers shouted in unison. The sound was huge, but they didn't move forward a single step.

"Luo Hanqi." Xu Chu called out his name.

"I am here."

"It is impolite not to return the favor. Go beat the drum and respond to the officers and soldiers."

"Yes." Luo Hanqi glanced at King Ning and asked King Wu, "Are there any rules?"

"The louder the better. Be careful not to break the drum skin."

"Then I have to save my strength."

Luo Hanqi walked away and soon heard the sound of drums. He didn't know the tricks and just beat them randomly. The sound was really loud, deafening, as fast as a storm, as if several people were beating drums at the same time.

The officers and soldiers did not respond with drums, and the formation changed slightly. Xu Chu ordered to stop beating the drums and smiled to the generals, "The officers and soldiers changed their formation after hearing the drums. This is really scary."

Everyone nodded and agreed with King Wu's judgment.

Xue Jinyao was moved, "In that case, let's go out of the city to fight."

Xu Chu smiled and shook his head, "Although the rebel army is large, not a single life can be wasted. The ancestor king has already collected enough soldiers in heaven, and the rest must stay in the mortal world. No matter how the enemy army attacks, our army does not need to be anxious. The more officers and soldiers there are, the faster the food and grass will be consumed. We can just wait for victory. Everyone should conserve their energy and wait to catch up with the fleeing soldiers."

Xu Chu did not watch for too long, leaving the generals behind and returning to the camp to show his calmness.

The news kept coming, and the officers and soldiers frequently mobilized their forces after showing off their strength. In the afternoon, the prototype was finally revealed.

The officers and soldiers cancelled the siege and concentrated their forces on the south and north. A small number of troops were left in the west to defend the dangerous areas. All the camps in the east were cancelled, leaving a way out for the rebels in the city.

This road is not smooth, and it has to pass through the lushly forested Wushang Garden. Xu Chu took this road to come to Dongdu to participate in the war. He knows that this road is tortuous. It is fine if there are few people, but if there are many people, it is easy to get stuck.

Xu Chu responded to the situation and redistributed the troops. The King of Shu guarded the north city, the King of Liang guarded the south city, the King of Ning stayed in the camp as a surprise force, and Xue Jinyao coordinated all military affairs.

Shortly after noon, the officers and soldiers sent envoys to see the King of Wu.

Guo Shifeng had always prided himself on his precise vision and always voted for the winner in advance. But now he had doubts for the first time, and the smile on his face seemed a little forced.

Xu Chu received the envoy in the conference hall, with guards lined up on both sides. He sat up and smiled and said, "What message does Mr. Guo bring?"

Guo Shifeng took a step forward and saw the guard holding the handle of the knife. He took another step back, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "This...Do you want me to say it now, King Wu?"

"Is it a secret message?"

Guo Shifeng nodded.

Xu Chu pointed at the guards on both sides, "These people are my confidants. If you have a secret message, you can tell it now."

Guo Shifeng laughed a few times and said, "There are two paragraphs. The King of Eastern Hunan said: The Eastern Capital is the foundation of Tiancheng. The imperial court must take it back at any cost. I hope the King of Wu will be self-aware and lead his troops to leave the city. The imperial court will not pursue you and let you leave. go."

"I want to lead troops to Yecheng, but won't the King of Eastern Hunan pursue me?"

Guo Shifeng showed even more embarrassment, "The King of Eastern Hunan didn't say anything, but I think he meant to ask the King of Wu to come out of the east gate. There are no officers and soldiers there."

"Go out of the east gate and walk east. Does King Xiangdong want me to submit to the emperor of Jiangdong?"

Knowing that King Wu was sarcastic, Guo Shifeng did not dare to point it out in public, and said with a smile: "When we arrive in Jiangdong, whether to fight or surrender, of course it will be up to King Wu to decide, and King Xiangdong will not interfere."

"Hey. Where's the other message?"

"The general said..." Guo Shifeng glanced at the guards on both sides. Seeing that King Wu had no intention of talking privately, he continued: "Seventeen children, we have made enough trouble. Immediately surrender the city, or abandon the city and flee. You must ensure that your mother Mrs. Lan’s safety, if Mrs. Lan is harmed in the slightest, you will die if you surrender, and you will die if you run away.”

Xu Chu nodded and said to the guards on both sides: "I am the seventeenth in the Lou family. The general still remembers it. He must have been reminded by someone. The general has a group of wives and concubines, enough to form an army. Last year, a new son was born. I don't know. Ranked in the hundreds. He and his wife, Mrs. Lan, had become strangers many years ago, and they did not pretend to be affectionate in front of their children and grandchildren. When the general fled westward, he did not think of protecting his wife, but now he came back with a frustrated army, but he said so. Wild words show no sincerity.”

Xu Chu's words were a little exaggerated, but he was right. The guards nodded in agreement. Guo Shifeng couldn't defend himself and just stood there smiling.

"Is the message finished?" Xu Chu asked.

"That's it."

"Okay, please Mr. Guo, please bring two messages back for me. Tell the King of Eastern Hunan that Dongdu is in my palm, Jiangdong is in my heart, and Yecheng is in my eyes. He will leave a way for me. I also gave him a message: Come home, there is still a room for him in the palace."

The guards laughed. The Fourth Prince's Mansion had become a large camp, crowded with soldiers. The so-called invitation to King Xiangdong to go home was to make him a prisoner.

Guo Shifeng also smiled, cupped his hands and said, "Okay, I will remember this message."

"Let me tell the general again that Shi Qi is not here, my son is not young, and Mrs. Lan is very good in the house. Don't worry about him. The general has tens of thousands of people. They should compete on the battlefield and stop fighting for the advantage of words. "

"I also remember this section." Guo Shifeng handed over.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Guo Shifeng glanced at the guards on both sides again, and saw that the King of Wu really had no intention of talking to him privately, so he had to say: "There are a few more words, my own words. Does the King of Wu still care about General Wang Dian and thousands of Wu soldiers?"

"What do you care about? So what if you don't care?"

"If King Wu doesn't care, I have nothing to say. I'll take my leave and go back to deliver the message. If King Wu cares - I think I have a way to get General Wang and Wu soldiers into the city."

"Tell me your way."

"Does King Wu care?"

Xu Chu said nothing. Most of the guards on both sides were Wu people. They were very concerned about the situation of their fellow villagers and stared at the envoys.

Guo Shifeng smiled and said: "It's actually simple. King Wu can exchange people from the city."

"There are many people in the city, who should I exchange for?"

"This... unless King Wu agrees to the exchange, I can't say anything else."

One of the guards was waiting impatiently. He glanced at King Wu and got tacit approval. He drew his sword and came to Guo Shifeng, "Can it pry open your mouth?"

The shining knife was right in front of him. Although Guo Shifeng knew that this was a threat and that the other party would not actually take action, he could not help but change color on his face and took half a step back. "The two countries are at war. If you don't kill the envoy..."

"Are you here as an envoy? Why do I remember that you are the envoy I sent out? Isn't it against the rules to kill your own subordinates?"

"I, I have surrendered to the officers and soldiers, not to King Wu's subordinates..."

"Then you have betrayed your trust. A disloyal person like you deserves to be killed."

The guard raised his knife. Guo Shifeng was not so convinced that the other party was just a threat, and said hurriedly: "There are many prisoners of war officers and soldiers in the city, as well as family members of various high-ranking families who have not had time to escape, such as Mrs. Lan. They can be exchanged for them."

Xu Chu stared at Guo Shifeng coldly, "Who wants to exchange? Who do you want to exchange?"

The officers and soldiers have been besieging the city for a long time, and there must be a reason why they suddenly proposed an exchange.

"It's really just my idea... The general said a few words, but he didn't say he wanted to change people. I guessed that he might have this intention. After all, most of the captured officers and soldiers were subordinates of the general. He It’s reasonable to want to rescue him.”

"General...want to return to Cao Shenxi?" Xu Chu guessed.