Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 393: Plan Failed

Hanoi.

Dugu Yongye sat in the upper seat with a solemn expression, and the generals stood on both sides.

This time, Yang Su did not sit so close to the front, he sat slightly further back.

The lobby was extremely luxurious, with sculptures of dragons on several wooden pillars, the ground paved with bricks and stones, and candlesticks every few steps, sparkling with golden light.

Dugu Yongye lowered his voice and said, "The previous attack failed because the enemy was too cunning and deceived the people."

"The two enemy armies are almost outside the city."

"However, the situation is still in our favor. The Zhou people sent troops to Lingzhou to fight against the rebels with a large army. Gao Changgong has been defeated repeatedly and can no longer defend the city. In the north, the Turkic army is chasing Hulugu outside Hengzhou! Hulugu dare not defend the Great Wall and can only wander outside!"

Dugu Yongye cleared his throat. What he said was true anyway.

He said seriously: "This time the enemy is advancing very fast. We must find a way to stop them and wait for good news from the north."

The generals looked at each other and then began to discuss in low voices.

Let them sit in the city and curse Liu Taozi, they are not afraid.

But forget it if they were asked to leave the city to stop Liu Taozi.

This is a deadly job!

Liu Taozi, even Duan Shao was killed by him, who can stop him? ?

Dugu Yongye continued: "Now is the best time to defeat Liu Taozi!"

"Liu Taozi's army is divided into two, and he is stationed in the rear. We only need to defeat the generals under his command."

When the generals heard that they were not going to target Liu Taozi directly, they regained some courage.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

Unknowingly, Liu Taozi's reputation for being a good fighter had spread everywhere, and many famous generals died at his hands, including generals from Zhou, Chen, and Qi.

Since their debut, they have been victorious in every battle. The only few defeats were caused by Yang Zhong and Huang Fachi who relied on their large numbers.

When these generals faced him, they were already three points inferior in momentum.

Dugu Yongye asked someone to take out the map, and then explained his strategy.

He wanted to organize a strong army and defeat the enemy before they could officially reach the outside of the main city.

And what he wanted to attack was the army of the bandits.

One reason is that the Jizhou soldiers are weak and not as elite as the Shuozhou soldiers.

Secondly, Kou Liu is not as famous as Yao Xiong. Yao Xiong is not a top general, but in the eyes of Dugu Yongye and others, he is also the top combat force under Liu Taozi, second only to the top few people, and higher than the rest.

Apart from other things, Dugu Yongye is quite good at making promises.

All kinds of words come out of his mouth.

The generals once again mustered their courage and prepared to fight the bandits to the death.

Only after the negotiations were over did Dugu Yongye let the generals leave, leaving only Yang Su.

Yang Su watched everyone leave, then walked to Dugu Yongye's side.

"Lord."

Dugu Yongye narrowed his eyes, "Your trick is really not very clever. Will the enemy really fall for it?"

"I think that even if we don't stage this, gathering the troops and attacking the enemy directly will have the same effect."

Yang Su shook his head, "Different, different."

"I have sent people to investigate, and it is true that Zu Ting is accompanying the army and offering advice."

"Zu Ting likes to take risks, is greedy by nature, and is never satisfied. If he knew that we were going to attack his army, he would not think about how to defend ourselves first, but how to annihilate us completely."

"Yao Xiong and Kou Liu will each lead an army, and Liu Taozi will lead the rest of the generals to stay in the rear. We plan to set out tomorrow. Within a day, unless Liu Taozi's army in the rear marches, it will be difficult to meet up with Kou Liu. However, Yao Xiong's army, which is close to Kou Liu, can arrive within half a day."

"And to annihilate us completely, we must prepare in advance and ambush us with a large army!"

"Or simply abandon the bandits and send troops to the rear to capture our city."

"However, that bandit has followed Liu Taozi for many years. Liu Taozi is known for his benevolence and righteousness, and he will not allow Zu Ting to give up his own general."

"Therefore, Yao Xiong will definitely divide his troops to set up an ambush. We will directly attack Yao Xiong's camp. His camp will definitely be empty, so we can defeat him in one battle!"

Yang Su spoke of his ideas slowly and confidently.

Dugu Yongye looked at him with a slightly complicated look. This young man was indeed amazing. He could do everything and knew everything.

However, he seems to be somewhat lacking in experience.

He always talked to himself about things in military strategies and history books. Dugu Yongye joined the army and fought in wars in his early years. He had read books, but not much. He did not know much about the history books and military strategies that Yang Su talked about. However, he was sure that many of the things Yang Su talked about were rather empty. They seemed to make sense, but were actually very empty.

In the past he always thought that this man should be made prime minister, but now he felt that perhaps he should be allowed to hone his skills for a few more years.

He is still too immature.

As for this attack, Dugu Yongye was a little worried, but he had to do it.

The defense he was so proud of was now being damaged very quickly.

The troops stationed in various villages and towns either surrendered or were quickly pacified. As for the gullies and fortifications, they were constantly filled in.

Those intruders took several months to dig, so why are they so active in filling it up now?
Dugu Yongye couldn't figure it out and couldn't understand it.

But he knew that if he allowed the enemy to continue pushing forward like this, he would be surrounded in the city before the end of the month.

As for whether he could beat Liu Taozi.
Dugu Yongye still had an idea in his mind.

Recently he has been drinking less and less, and his manic heart has begun to calm down. He suddenly felt a little regretful. Perhaps he should not have forced Duan Shao to death. If the person in Hanoi at this moment was Duan Shao, Liu Taozi would never dare to push the front line like this.

But things have come to this point, regret is of no use anymore.

As for the war in the north, Dugu Yongye also heard about it. Yuchi Jiong and others gathered around Gao Changgong, but they dared not take action. The Turkic Khan was chased and beaten by Hulugu again as usual. Every time he could turn from an attacker to a fugitive. Last time he was chased to the royal court, and it was unknown where he could be chased to this time.
I hope Hulugu can make a mistake, advance alone and get severely wounded. I hope the Zhou people can be more powerful and kill Gao Changgong.
There are so many things to hope for.

It was obvious that the Three Kingdoms were attacking Liu Taozi from both sides, but no matter how you looked at it now, it seemed that Liu Taozi was beating the Three Kingdoms.

Dugu Yongye began to prepare for tomorrow's battle.

The generals in the country had been preparing all the time. On the next day, the soldiers gathered quietly outside the city. Dugu Yongye selected the most elite troops and brought many veteran generals with him.

That's right, this time he's going to do it himself.

It was not until they set out on the journey that the generals under Dugu Yongye received orders to change their strategy, with the target of attack changing from Bandits to Yao Xiong.

Everyone was extremely surprised by this and some asked the reason.

All we got was an explanation that Liu Taozi had temporarily sent people to reinforce the bandits, so the target had to be changed.

People are not so convinced by this explanation.

Dugu Yongye led the army, followed the map to avoid the fortifications he had set up, and rushed towards Yao Xiong's camp.

The camp of the general of Shuozhou.

There were many soldiers patrolling back and forth outside the account office. Yao Xiong was sitting inside the room with two young men sitting in front of him.

That’s right, Shi Wansui and Gao Yanzong.

The two of them behaved particularly well-behaved at this moment, blinking their eyes and staring straight at Yao Xiong.

"General, you don't need to say more. We all know everything."

"Forcing your way across the Dragon Gate is extremely dangerous. If you are not careful, there will be no return."

Gao Yanzong said, and suddenly looked at Shi Wansui who was standing beside him, "Wansui is still young, and he has elders at home to take care of, so let him stay with Your Majesty!"

"let me!!"

"I'm willing to follow you!"

In order for Yao Xiong to force his way across the Dragon Gate this time, he needs a strong man to break the formation.

Although Yao Xiong could barely be considered a tough guy, this time they were going deep into enemy territory, and he couldn't stand in the front and break the enemy's formation while commanding the entire army at the same time.

Zu Ting suggested that he choose one of the two tough guys, Gao and Shi, to pave the way for him.

With such a strong man in heavy armor rushing in the front, the difficulty of crossing the dragon gate is greatly reduced.

Listening to Gao Yanzong's words, Shi Wansui became a little anxious.

"Brother, General, how can we distinguish between the two based on age?" "Speaking of which, brother is big, and it would be inconvenient to cross the river with a small boat or armor. I am light and agile."

"How many layers of armor can you wear?"

Gao Yanzong interrupted him directly, and said bluntly: "Do you know that there are powerful crossbows around the Dragon Gate? There is also Duke of Zheng Da Xiwu sitting next to it. If you accidentally alarm him, Da Xiwu will kill you immediately!!"

"You are so small and wearing light armor. You will be shot through with just one encounter. You will die miserably in the river and your body will not be found. What will happen to your grandfather? What will happen to your mother?"

Gao Yanzong's words were mostly threats.

Shi Wansui frowned and hesitated to speak.

He himself was not such an arrogant person and was young, so he really couldn't win an argument with the unreasonable Gao Yanzong.

Yao Xiong made a decision quickly.

He raised his head and laughed, "Okay, then let Yanzong follow me to kill the enemy!"

"The weather is getting colder, and the enemy is preparing to break the ice. My grandfather told me that at least 30% of the defenders of Longmen Ferry have left. Yuchi Jiong and others have already started fighting with Gao Changgong, and they will not be able to return in a short time."

“We just need.”

"kill!!!"

Suddenly, they heard a noise outside. The three of them stood up at the same time, their faces alert. A soldier rushed in quickly, "General!! The enemy is attacking at night!!"

Yao Xiong's face was full of anger.

"You bastard! Do you really think I'm easy to bully?!"

"Order the entire army to fight!"

"You two, follow me!!"

Dugu Yongye led the army to launch a fierce attack. The two sides began to shoot at each other along the ravine. The cavalry tried to break through the enemy's fence and rush into their camp.

The armies of both sides started a disorganized fight. It was difficult to command during the attack and everyone could only focus on killing indiscriminately.

Yang Su followed Dugu Yongye and fought together.

But the moment the two sides met, Yang Su's expression changed.

Because at this moment, Yao Xiong's army was not as depleted as he had expected. The elite troops had been withdrawn and the main general was not there.

The security here is strict, the army is complete and the command is orderly.

Dugu Yongye had never thought that he would encounter such a good thing as an empty tent. He did not feel depressed, but just wanted to continue to achieve his goal.

Sure enough, after being suddenly attacked, the Shuozhou soldiers fell into a certain degree of chaos. Dugu Yongye led the most elite cavalry and rushed into the enemy's camp and began to burn the enemy's tents.

But soon after, the organized Shuozhou soldiers began to line up in two directions, intending to wipe them out directly.

Dugu Yongye didn't dare to go forward and quickly slowed down.

Right here, a cavalry rushed towards them.

The brave generals beside Dugu Yongye rushed forward on horseback.

"Pfft~~"

Gao Yanzong pierced the man with his spear, lifted him up, and threw him into the cavalry.

Then, they collided directly with the oncoming knights, like a sickle cutting wheat, and the knights fell down in large numbers. In the narrow terrain of the garrison, Gao Yanzong's talent was infinitely enhanced. Dugu Yongye looked at the enemy killing him like chopping melons and vegetables, his face turned pale with fright, and he quickly ordered a retreat.

The Shuozhou soldiers advanced from both wings, forming a huge pocket formation, and then with the help of the cavalry, the pocket began to gradually close.

In this formation, Yao Xiong was not worried about the impact of the weather and directly let the archers attack the middle.

Here were all the Lone Yongye troops trying to break out. Under the cover of night, all that could be heard were screams and the sounds of corpses falling to the ground.

Dugu Yongye's eyes were full of fear.

He not only looked down on Liu Taozi, but also looked down on Liu Taozi's subordinates.

Just because Duan Shao could beat these people, it didn't mean he could do the same! !

Dugu Yongye ordered his most elite guards to lead the way, and they forcibly opened a gap in the enemy's weakest point. Then, the army began to flee.

Yao Xiong did not hold back this time. I didn't dare to chase Duan Shao, so why should I not dare to chase you?
The Shuozhou soldiers followed them with torches in their hands, chasing them all the way. The soldiers fell into their own ditches and died.

Dugu Yongye ran all the way without looking back.

After running for an unknown amount of time, Dugu Yongye looked around again and found that there were less than a thousand people following him.

Dugu Yongye's hands trembled for a moment, and then he said in a low voice: "Let's go back to the city first, the rest of us will come back naturally after daybreak."

They fled all the way back to the city, and sure enough, many people followed them and arrived in the city one after another.

Dugu Yongye ordered his men to resettle the wounded and sent all his doctors out to look after them.

Yang Su, who was covered in dust and looked disheveled, was also among them.

Looking at Dugu Yongye busying around, he wanted to speak several times, but he didn't know what to say.

Dugu Yongye was busy for a long time. When he finished, he saw Yang Su standing not far away.

"busy?"

Hearing the question, Yang Su lowered his head hastily, his face full of regret, "My Lord, this is all my fault. Perhaps I was wrong from the beginning. I was too conceited."

Dugu Yongye shook his head, "It was me who failed to defeat Yao Xiong. From the beginning, I never thought that your strategy would have any effect."

"Chu Dao, you are amazing and very talented in many things."

"But having talent is having talent, and doing things is doing things. Many things are not as easy as described in books. What you hear or read is different from what you do yourself."

"You are still young. Don't waste your talent. Learn more."

Dugu Yongye didn't say anything else and turned and left.

Yang Su stood there in a daze. Since the first day he came here, he had never looked directly at Dugu Yongye in front of him. He always thought that Dugu Yongye was stupid, vulgar, and ignorant, and he always treated him as a chess piece that was easy to control.

He never thought that one day he would be lectured by Dugu Yongye. In fact, what he said was right.

Yang Su's eyes gradually became brighter and he was no longer impatient.

He no longer stood there in a daze, but hurriedly began to help his subordinates to accommodate the wounded soldiers, check the injuries of the officers, and became busy with everyone else.

The sky is getting brighter.

Gao Yanzong and Shi Wansui looked at the piles of prisoners of war in front of them with smiles in their eyes.

This is great!
I have always been worried about not having any credit, but whenever I come to discuss something with Yao Xiong, I can always get some credit.

No wonder people always say that General Yao Xiong is a lucky general. He is so lucky. How can this be possible? ?
They were very happy, but Yao Xiong was very unhappy.

Even from a distance, one could hear Yao Xiong's curses.

"How dare you look down on me like this?"

"I am here with a large army in formation, and Dugu Yongye dares to attack me with such a small group of people?"

"He didn't attack Kouliu, but attacked me?"

"Do you think I'm not even as good as Kouru?!"

Looking at the furious Yao Xiong, Gao Yanzong also hurriedly comforted him, "General, if the enemy had not despised you, how could you have achieved such a great achievement?"

"Credit?"

"burn"

Yao Xiong closed his mouth in time. He looked at the two men and motioned them to come forward.

"I will soon be handing over to Zhang Heizu. It's just right. I can use this battle as an excuse to go back and accept the reward, and then leave secretly. After I and Yanzong leave, you must keep this matter in your heart and never tell anyone!"

"These bastards despise me to such an extent that they even dare to rob my camp. This time we will charge to Chang'an and set a big fire, so that the people of Zhou will remember my name, Yao Xiong, and they will not dare to look up at me in the future!!"

"Get ready, take the captives and other spoils with you. We will return to the rear today and report to His Majesty for the credit!!"

Gao Yanzong and Shi Wansui lowered their heads in a hurry.

"only!!!"

ps: More updates will be released tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)