Qin Official

Standing on the east wall of Linyang, Heifu observed the Chu people outside. Several chariots had already arrived at the city, circling Linyang for reconnaissance. Several scouts on horseback were running back to report the military situation.

A mile away in the distance, a large army of Chu troops with clear flags were crossing the creek east of Linyang. Under the rising sun, Heifu roughly estimated their number.

"The Chu army is afraid that there are more than 2,000 people, which is three times the number of our army."

Seeing that the number of Chu troops did not reach the terrifying level of tens of thousands, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Zhai Chong smiled and said: "In this case, even if the Chu people come to attack, there is no need to be afraid. The circumference of this city is only one mile, but we are There are more than 700 people, and I just went to inspect them. After a night's rest, the soldiers are full of energy and can withstand the attack of the Chu people."

Qin Mo and Cheng Shang, who followed them to the city to watch the enemy, also interjected: "Heifu Baijiang, I have learned the art of city defense, and I can also help Baijiang defend the enemy."

However, Heifu shook his head: "This is not a question of whether it can be defended. Once the enemy finds it difficult to capture, they can stop and wait and just keep an eye on us. Just wait and see, the Chu people are coming from the east. This means that the enemy is coming from the east. Qiu has fallen. Although we can withstand the attack, if we are stranded in Linyang, we will have to face more and more Chu reinforcements, and we will be isolated and helpless."

"Therefore, the first thing to consider now is not how to defend Linyang, but how to escape smoothly. We must leave this place within today, otherwise, the situation will get worse and worse."

Xu Yang came up with an idea and said: "The enemy army just sent their chariots and cavalry to reach the city. Most of them are still crossing the Lin River. It will take a while before they can reach the city. How about ordering everyone to open the west gate and leave the city immediately?"

"You can't run far."

Tu Si shook his head worriedly: "General Xu Bai, please see, this Chu army has at least thirty chariots and nearly a hundred individual riders, but we have sent out all the horses that can run to deliver the message, and the only chariot is still there." If you get caught halfway while carrying Captain Li, you will have no way to escape."

At this time, Chu people's chariots and soldiers stopped dozens of steps outside the city in the distance. The chariot's right hand held up its long spear and shouted provocatively towards the city, saying ugly things. if.

"Jing people are so brave!"

Zhai Chong was furious. He took the horned bow of a soldier next to him, aimed at the charioteer and shot it with an arrow! He was worthy of being born in Bai Zhai, Shangjun, and he was a good arrow shooter. Unfortunately, the distance was too far, and the arrow landed a few steps in front of the chariot.

Seeing this, the three people on the chariot became even more aggressive. They yelled and cursed from afar. They were all the Qin people who had no courage and were the defeated generals.

Zhai Chong put away his horned bow and gritted his teeth and said, "Chu people are so arrogant! Why don't you rush out and fight to the death!"

In the defeat of Xiangcheng, they were attacked by multiple groups of Chu troops, including arsonists from Chen Ying. They lost inexplicably and were quite unwilling to do so. After a night's rest, morale and energy have been restored, and the will to fight has returned. After all, everyone is a relatively elite short-handed personal guard.

"That's what I meant."

Hei Fu nodded: "The Art of War says, my division leaves the country and the army is in the enemy's territory. The enemy is huge and surrounds us heavily. They want to break out and are blocked by all four obstacles. At this time, it is better to defend and die, and to escape is also death. It is not as good as Motivate the soldiers and fight them decisively! After defeating this Chu people, seize their chariots, horses, flags, and armor, so that you can retreat westward smoothly."

However, they were outnumbered and faced with the Chu army, which had just won a battle and had high morale. It was difficult to know whether they would win or lose. Even if we successfully defeat the enemy, our side will definitely suffer heavy losses, at least half...

While they were talking, the Chu troops had already arrived at the city and set up their formation. It looked like an experienced military officer was commanding them in an orderly manner.

Then, two chariots drove straight to the city. After the chariots stopped, a man dressed as a Qin military official, with the threat of a spear behind him, approached the city and shouted:

"I was ordered by General Li to guard Liao Ping, the five hundred leader of Qiu Qiu. Now Qiu Qiu has surrendered to Chu. Fortunately, Duke Hu and Qi Gong were kind, and all the generals and soldiers can survive. You don't have to kill a hundred generals. It’s better to resist and surrender quickly!”

"It's really Liao Ping who guards Qiu Qiu."

Tu Si spat and cursed: "I usually feel that although this man is old, he is greedy for life and afraid of death. As expected, he surrendered to Chu. Not only did he become a 'military thief', but he also implicated hundreds of soldiers. How pitiful Their parents, brothers, wives and children will all be taken as concubines."

In Qin's military law, the worst behavior is not losing troops and losing territory, but surrendering.

Fortunately for Nanjun, in Guanzhong where Qin law has been immersed for more than a hundred years, before a father sends his son, an elder brother sends a younger brother, and a wife sends her husband to join the army, they will all warn each other: "If you break the law and leave the order, if you die, I will die, and the township will be governed." Subtext Yes, even if it is for your family, you must abide by military orders and fight hard. You must never desert or even surrender...

Therefore, in order not to harm their families, many Qin soldiers would rather die in battle than surrender.

The same is true for Heifu. Surrender is his worst option, not to mention that he also knows that Chu will be destroyed. The surrender was temporary, but a few years later the Chu State suddenly perished, waiting to be liquidated by Qin Law, and became a subordinate to build the Great Wall for the First Emperor?

Everyone on the top of the city had the same attitude. The five hundred masters offered their sleeping mounds. This was probably because the Chu people came so quickly. Even if they resisted for an hour, they had already left safely.

This assumption was meaningless, but seeing the Five Hundred Lords wasting their words trying to persuade them to surrender, Hei Fu had an idea.

"The enemy army doesn't know that there are more than a hundred people in the city?"

Unfortunately, the 500 Lords later told Tu Si to persuade the 500 Lords who entered the city last night to surrender as well.

"It seems that the enemy generals already know about it. We must have been discovered by Chu scouts who were observing from a distance when we entered the city yesterday."

However, the Chu people's scouts only knew that hundreds of people had entered the city, and thought it was a leader or a leader of five hundred, but they did not expect that there was a big fish like Li You in the city.

Heifu was a little discouraged. He also thought that if the enemy didn't know the actual number of people in the city, they would use the "empty city strategy" to lure the Chu people to take over the city. Then they would make a sudden attack. It seemed that they would have to make another plan.

At this time, Zhai Chong began to draw his bow again, intending to shoot the traitor Liao Ping.

But Hei Fu quickly stretched out his hand to stop Zhai Chong and said to everyone: "I have made up my mind. I will gather everyone in the city later and go out to attack the enemy! But before that, maybe we can use the trick to make the Chu people relax their vigilance and let us Wait for a better chance of winning..."

Xu Yang frowned: "How to use the trick?"

But Hei Fu didn't want to say it now: "This strategy must be approved by Lieutenant Li, and it must be implemented by someone with great wisdom and courage to have a chance of success!"

Just now when the Chu people sent chariots and cavalry to scout, Heifu had already left the city battlements to prevent people outside from seeing his appearance. At this moment, he said to Tu Si:

"General Tu Bai will continue to stay here and reply to the military thief, saying that we will send someone out to discuss it soon!"

…

"General Dou, General Sun, people in the city say they will send someone to discuss it later."

"It would be good if there is a willingness in the city to surrender."

Sun Feng, the Duke of Di, breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that he didn't have to fight anymore. Although the Chu army defeated the Qin people in the final battle, Sun Feng still remembered the scene when Li Xin's army defeated the Chu people outside the city of Diqiu.

All he wants now is to complete the task as soon as possible, return to the territory, and repair the walls and houses that were damaged during the war.

"It seems that the Qin people were really frightened by General Xiang Yan. This is the third batch of guards willing to surrender."

Hu Gong Douran was sitting on the chariot. After receiving the reply from the Qin general, he smiled with satisfaction.

After being the Ruo'ao family who moved eastward, Dou Ran's family has not been comfortable in the past few decades. The good territory in Huainan and Huaibei has been occupied by Qu, Jing and Zhao. Recently, the Xiang family has risen and risen to the court. As for the Dou family, they could only become second-rate nobles like the Sun family, barely surviving in Hu County.

But this is not bad. If the Qin army destroys Chu, the Dou family and the Sun family will lose even their last territory.

Fortunately, when the Qin army pressed on, the Chu people were rarely united under the threat of national subjugation. The nobles also tried their best to send their best soldiers and handed them over to Xiang Yan's command, and defeated them with a mournful force. The arrogant Li Xin saved Chu from the fate of national subjugation.

After the decisive battle of Xiangcheng, Dou Ran, who led troops from Hu County to the north for reinforcements, was only halfway through when he received a new order: to recover the cities previously captured by Li Xin.

So Dou Ran led his army to the west, and with the help of the local Chu people, he successfully besieged Xiqiu.

The Five Hundred Lords guarding Qiu Qiu found that they not only had to face more than a thousand Chu soldiers, but also Chu people in the city who could cause trouble at any time, so they wisely chose to surrender.

Sun Feng was freed from captivity and resumed his status as benefactor. So the two of them joined forces and continued westward with two thousand people. Their ultimate goal was to follow the route Li Xin had taken and join the army besieging Pingyu.

Although the Qin people in Linyang City showed their willingness to surrender, Dou Ran was not careless. He asked his men to prepare for the attack and set up his own tent. The nobles of Chu State were very particular about etiquette, which would come in handy when they accepted the surrender.

When the big tent was set up, the Chu soldiers outside also came to report that the people sent to contact them from the city had arrived.

"Bring it in."

Dou Ran sat in the middle of the tent, Sun Feng sat beside him, and Liao Ping, the leader of the five hundred surrendered Qin people, also sat below.

But outside the tent, there were two rows of Chu people standing in red leather armor, all holding halberds in both hands, with the two halberds crossed. At this moment, the sun has poked its head out from the clouds, reflecting on the weapon, flickering and reflecting, illuminating the road ahead, and more than a dozen Chu soldiers also turned their faces to look at the people coming from the city, their eyes widened. It's full of murderous intent!

The person who came was a dark-faced man about seven and a half feet tall. He wore a right bun with a red scarf wrapped around it. From the looks of it, he should be a top-notch man. The man looked at the intersection of the two halberds and hesitated for a while, then walked slowly with his head lowered, but he could not hide the trembling in his legs.

After entering the camp, he immediately saluted Dou Ran and Sun Feng and said in the thick Nanjun Jingchu dialect: "The villain is called Zhong. He is the commander of the camp sent by the five hundred lords in the city to discuss surrender. I have met all the generals!"