Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 404 Night Raid on Maijishan (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)

"Sorry..."

"be honest!"

"Remove your own nails, don't wait for me to do it!"

Outside Fuqiang County, with the arrival of An Pohu, Fuqiang County and Luoshui Village were completely surrounded by Longyou troops.

The Tianxiong Army and Shence Army on the battlefield surrendered and were captured one after another, and the number of armors captured in Longyou was countless.

Only a little over a thousand soldiers managed to escape back to Luoshui Village, so Wang Shi could only garrison Luoshui Village with a force of just over six thousand men.

He could only watch as Liu Jilong's troops surrendered the routed soldiers, and then watch as Gao Jinda led the laborers to Luoshui Village to build a camp for Longyou and surround Luoshui Village from three sides.

"How could we have lost?!"

Inside the Luoshui Village's main tent, Yang Xuanji watched Wang Shi and his men walk back into the tent and couldn't help but fly into a rage.

Wang Shi was holding his breath, while Zhao Qian was on the verge of exploding. Only Yang Gongqing knew what they had been through and was qualified to explain to Yang Xuanji.

"If it weren't for the concern that Vice Envoy Yang might be intercepted by the rebels halfway, why would Junior Protector Wang have led his troops out of the camp?"

"I just didn't expect that Vice Envoy Yang wouldn't be bringing troops to our aid, but rather fleeing here..."

"you!!"

Yang Gongqing's words made Yang Xuanji's expression somewhat embarrassed, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Now that Luoshui Village is besieged and you have suffered a great defeat, the rebel army can attack Shanggui from Maijishan at any time. What's the use of holding this place?"

Yang Xuanji was right; Luoshui Village would only be truly important if Fuqiang County and Pingchuan were not lost.

Now that Luoshui Village is besieged, and there are only four thousand Shence Army soldiers left in Fuqiang County, and Pingchuan has been defeated, Luoshui Village no longer seems so important.

"There is no time to lose. Tonight we will break camp and retreat to Luoshuidao South Village to defend it. We will then use the southern entrance of Maiji Road and Luoshuidao South Village to surround Shanggui."

"Our army still has 20,000 troops in Shanggui. If we withdraw to Shanggui, we can still hold Shanggui and the three counties of Qingshui and Qinling!"

Wang Shi's expression was not good, but he still explained the subsequent arrangements.

Having witnessed the quality of the Shence Army today, he no longer expected the Shence Army in Fuqiang County to be able to wear down the rebels.

The best course of action is to retreat to Shanggui and rely on the soldiers of various towns to resist Liu Jilong, while also requesting reinforcements from the imperial court. Alternatively, we could simply withdraw from Shanggui and return to Anrong Pass, relying on its strong defenses to hold the position.

"Withdrawing troops? What do you write on the military intelligence report then?!"

Yang Xuanji had clearly stated that he would withdraw his troops, but when Wang Shizhen actually withdrew, he showed reluctance.

However, it wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that he was worried that Wang Shi would write about his abandonment of the city and his escape.

Wang Shi knew what he was thinking, and remained silent with a dark expression.

Yang Xuanji abandoned the four thousand Shence Army soldiers without hesitation. If he had led the four thousand Shence Army soldiers to the rescue, even if Fuqiang City had been lost, he could have gathered his troops together and retreated to Shanggui, which would have given him a greater chance of holding Shanggui.

Now it seems that with less than 30,000 troops stationed in Shanggui, coupled with the city-breaking method used by Liu Jilong today, it's hard to say whether Shanggui can hold out for long.

Thinking of this, he turned and left, while Yang Xuanji pointed at his back and said to Yang Gongqing, "A defeated general, how dare he have such an attitude, you scoundrel!"

"Hmph!" Yang Gongqing didn't want to continue talking to Yang Xuanji, so he snorted coldly and walked away.

Seeing this, Yang Xuanji realized that he had probably offended all three of them.

He dared not lash out at Yang Gongqing, so he clenched his fists and prepared to write a military secret and send it to Chang'an first.

However, compared to him, Wang's movements were even faster.

He quickly wrote out the military dispatch and ordered Zhao Qian to send someone to Chang'an District.

Meanwhile, the Longyou army outside Luoshui Village successfully entered the camp before dusk, and Gao Jinda led 20,000 laborers back to help the 5,000 elite cavalry and infantry outside Fuqiang County build the camp.

"Susu..."

A chilly autumn wind blew into the boudoir, causing the candlelight to flicker.

Liu Jilong sat in the main seat, and Gao Jinda, An Pohu, Zhang Wu and several others took their seats one after another.

After they sat down, several military officers entered the tent and placed the newly compiled list of surrendered soldiers and captured soldiers on Liu Jilong's seat.

Liu Jilong opened it and slowly flipped through it, reading aloud to the others as he did so:
"Today our army broke through three enemy lines, captured Fuqiang Pass and Pingchuan, killed 4,216 government troops, captured 8,449 surrendered soldiers, seized 12,665 sets of armor, and captured 1,897 horses."

"In three battles, 782 brothers were killed, more than 1,032 were wounded, 652 horses were lost, and 975 cavalry were lost."

"Tomorrow, transfer the wounded brothers to the garrison at Fuqiang Pass, and transfer the brothers from Fuqiang Pass here."

"If I'm not mistaken, Wang Shi will likely withdraw tonight and garrison Shanggui."

"The waterway is narrow and long. If Wang Shi sets fire to the camp and retreats, our army will definitely not be able to catch up, but there is no need to chase after him."

"We only need to besiege and capture Fuqiang, then we can take the Maiji Road through Sanyangchuan to attack Shanggui."

As Liu Jilong finished speaking, everyone was still immersed in the terrifying battle casualty ratio of 1,800 to 12,000.

You should know that the more than 1,000 wounded brothers can return to the front line to fight again after resting for two or three months at most.

In reality, with fewer than 800 casualties, they broke through three enemy lines and killed or captured more than 12,600 people.

Most of the casualties were caused by the fierce attack on Fuqiang Pass and Pingchuan Village; the number of soldiers who actually died in battle was not that many.

"Don't be arrogant or complacent. You have all seen how the Shence Army has performed. Do not use the Shence Army as an example of all government troops."

"The officers and soldiers of units such as Zhongwu, Xuanwu, Yicheng, Tianxiong, Dangxiang, and Shatuo still have some merits."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jinda and the others bowed, and Gao Jinda also spoke:

"Yesterday, during the attack on Wushan, our army suffered 692 casualties and more than 800 wounded. We killed 3,466 government troops, captured 6,492, seized 10,000 armored soldiers, captured Longxi Pass and Wushan County, and obtained more than 23,000 shi of grain and more than 50,000 guan of cash."

"In addition, we also need silk, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar, etc., with a value of no less than five thousand strings of cash."

In two days and five battles, more than 20,000 government troops were defeated and died in the Wei River Valley. The armor, money and food obtained in Longyou were considerable.

Even Liu Jilong nodded after hearing this, saying, "There are only a few thousand Shence Army soldiers in Fuqiang City. If Wang Shi leads his troops to retreat tonight, Zhang Wu and An Pohu will lead the troops to attack tomorrow. We must take it before dusk."

"Your subordinates obey!" The two men quickly stood up and bowed, while Liu Jilong gestured for them to sit back down.

After they sat down, Liu Jilong continued, "After capturing the two counties, we must immediately arrange for the people to harvest the grain, so as not to delay the busy farming season."

"The grain from the two counties will be stored in the county government warehouses first. The ownership of the land will be investigated. If it belongs to the common people, it belongs to the common people. If it belongs to the military officers and officials, the grain will be confiscated and the land will be distributed equally among the people of the two counties."

"Yes!" Gao Jinda nodded in agreement, and then said:

"General, Shanggui is backed by Guanshan, Qinling, Weihe, and Qishan, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. I'm afraid it won't be easy to take it."

"There is less than a month until the start of winter and snowfall. If we linger here too long, trouble may arise in the south."

"It would be better to consolidate the territory of the two counties first, and then you can lead your troops south to defeat the three armies of Wang Duo, Li Fu, and Gao Pian."

Gao Jinda was more worried about the situation in the south, and Liu Jilong was equally worried, but he was more concerned about taking over the entire Qin Prefecture and pushing the battle line to the Longshan line.

Despite his confidence that the battles of the past two days would lead to the court's dismissal of Wang Shi, he was not at ease waiting for the court to handle the matter.

Taking Shanggui is difficult, but not impossible.

A month was enough time for him to take over the three counties of Shanggui and rush south to provide reinforcements.

During this period, even if Gutao Pass or Jiangyou County were lost, it would not matter, as he could easily retake these two cities and passes quickly.

After capturing Qin Prefecture and advancing the battle line to Longshan, the heavy snow will block the mountains for at least two months, which will surely shake the imperial court. They will be forced to build fortifications for defense and dare not advance into Qin Prefecture rashly.

Based on the speed at which the imperial court mobilizes and trains troops, I have at least four or five months to conquer the Three Rivers region.

Although Gao Pian was capable, the strategic locations in northern Xichuan had long been lost, and in open-field battles, the few elite cavalry he commanded were utterly ineffective...

Lost in thought, before Liu Jilong could speak further, footsteps sounded outside the tent.

"Fire has broken out at Jieshuai and Luoshui Village; there may be trouble among the government troops!"

A captain brought military intelligence, and Liu Jilong nodded after listening. He then smiled at everyone and said, "I was right. Wang Shi is indeed going to withdraw."

"In that case, all of you may go and rest. Tomorrow, An Pohu and Zhang Wu will lead the three armies to attack Fuqiang."

"Your subordinate obeys!!"

The three men stood up one after another to acknowledge the order, and then slowly withdrew from the tent.

While they rested, Wang Shi could only lead his remaining six thousand troops to retreat to Shanggui, a journey of at least two days along a hundred-mile mountain road.

The following day, Zhang Wu and An Pohu led their troops to besiege Fuqiang. The Shence Army in Fuqiang County held out until dusk before the city walls were breached, and most of the army surrendered and were captured. Only about 700 people were killed or wounded in Longyou.

After capturing Fuqiang, Liu Jilong dispatched 500 elite cavalry to escort the more than 17,000 officers and soldiers captured in the past two days to Weizhou for temporary resettlement, while the remaining troops advanced towards Sanyangchuan, preparing to take the Maiji Road to attack Shanggui.

Two days later, Wang Shi led his army to Shanggui, weary from their journey.

Upon learning of the fall of Wushan and Fuqiang, Li Hongfu, Wang Chongrong, and others in Shanggui were also greatly shocked.

They all thought the two counties could hold out until at least winter, or even the following spring.

As a result, the two counties together held out for only four or five days, losing more than 20,000 soldiers. Only 27,000 government troops survived, of which 6,000 were the Shence Army that had retreated.

For a moment, the atmosphere in Shanggui County became somber. Wang Shi, Yang Gongqing, Yang Xuanji, Zhao Qian, and others entered the yamen, surrounded by Li Hongfu and others.

After they sat down, Wang Shi spoke first: "The loss of these two counties is entirely my fault. I have submitted memorials to the court, requesting Your Majesty to punish me."

"At present, tens of thousands of troops have gathered in Fuqiang in Longyou. Soon they will be dispatched to attack Shanggui via Maiji Road. We in Shanggui only have 27,000 soldiers and several hundred elite cavalry available."

"Maijishan is of paramount importance for defense and must not be lost. Order the laborers to transport the grain and fodder from Shanggui to Anrong Pass and make preparations as soon as possible."

Wang Shi's words caused everyone's expression to change. The grain in Shanggui was originally collected from Guanzhong and transferred to Chengji, and then transferred to Shanggui again due to the threat of the rebels.

This batch of grain has only been in Shanggui for less than two months, but it has to be transported back to Anrong Pass in Guanzhong.

Doesn't Wang Shi's attitude indicate that Shanggui is unlikely to be able to hold out, and the final result will probably be a retreat to Anrong Pass?
The group exchanged bewildered glances, thinking that if that was the case, why bother staying here and just retreating back to Anrong Pass?

But these were just thoughts in their minds, since they all remembered that Wang Shi switched from offense to defense in order to wear down the Longyou army while defending.

Although this so-called shift from offense to defense seems like a bad move given the current situation, no one dared to say it to Wang Shi's face before he was dismissed.

"The Shence Army will escort the laborers transporting grain and fodder, with the two supervisors in charge. What do you two think?"

Wang Shi was completely disappointed with the Shence Army and did not even intend to let it participate in the next battle. Therefore, he wanted to use the pretext of transporting grain to transfer them back to Guanzhong.

Yang Xuanji was naturally willing, and Yang Gongqing also knew that the Shence Army would only be a hindrance if it stayed behind, and might even reveal the weakness of the Shence Army to the other garrisons, so he bowed and accepted the military order.

Seeing that they had accepted the military order, Wang Shi immediately gave the following command:

"Zhao Qian led the troops of Binning and Heyang to guard Mumen Pass, while Li Shijun led the troops of Jingyuan and Yicheng to guard Luoshui Pass."

"The remaining troops, except for Changshan Du, are all under the command of Wang Chongrong, the Left Military Commander, and stationed at Maiji Road."

"Before the grain is transferred back to Anrong Pass, we must keep the rebels at bay north of Maijishan!"

"Your subordinate obeys!!"

The generals rose and bowed one after another, while Wang Shi nodded and said, "You may all step down."

"Yes!" The generals all left the yamen, each mustered their troops, or went directly to their garrison locations.

Maiji Road is located on Maiji Mountain between Nanchuan and Shanggui, and is an official road that crosses the mountain ridge.

Wang Shi had sent Wang Chongrong to build fortifications on the mountaintop in advance, and also built a large number of catapults and stockpiled enough rolling stones and logs to cut down many trees on the north side of Maijishan.

However, because Anpohu frequently led his elite cavalry to harass the area, only about two hundred paces down from the summit of Maijishan were felled, leaving the rest of the mountain still covered by trees.

The entire mountain road is fourteen miles long, with increasingly steep terrain and extremely steep slopes.

After Wang Chongrong led his troops back to the Maijishan military camp, before he could even sit down to rest, a general hurriedly approached him.

"They've arrived in such a hurry, could it be that the rebels have attacked?"

Wang Chongrong spoke half-jokingly, but the man nodded and said, "Fourth Brother, the rebels have already occupied Nanchuan!"

"They've really come?!" Wang Chongrong was surprised to hear the news so soon after returning from Shanggui.

"So, the rebels must have breached Fuqiang City yesterday? It probably only took them a day."

Wang Chongrong couldn't help but say, "These Northern Division's Imperial Guards are really just for show. More than four thousand men defended a city, and it was captured in less than a day."

"Even if it's just over four thousand sheep, it'll take two or three days to catch them!"

After complaining, he couldn't help but continue to say to the general in front of him, "Wulang, you take your men and keep a close watch. If the rebels attack the mountain, wake me up immediately."

"Yes!" The only person Wang Chongrong could address as Wulang was his younger brother, Wang Chongyi.

Although Wang Chongrong was only in his early twenties, he had already obtained the official position of a general.

Most of the soldiers in the river region currently have great faith in the Wang family, and Wang Chongrong's three elder brothers are also prefects of Zhongzhou.

Wang Chongrong had hoped that after this battle, he might be able to obtain the official positions of Jiedushi and Prefect of Hezhong.

Unexpectedly, the government troops suffered such a defeat, or perhaps the rebels were simply too powerful.

Wang Shi did not explicitly state the number of rebel casualties today, which indicates that the rebel casualties were not significant; otherwise, he would not have been in such a hurry to send him to Maijishan.

Thinking of this, Wang Chongrong felt that the three counties of Shanggui were probably not going to be defended, but if he could save face for the court amidst the many defeats, he might still be able to get promoted.

Thinking of this, Wang Chongrong rubbed his temples wearily, thinking he would talk about it after he woke up.

Meanwhile, 7,000 soldiers from towns such as Hezhong and Hedong on Maijishan Mountain were on high alert, digging trenches and inspecting catapults, winches, crossbows, and other equipment.

They were on high alert, while the Longyou army, which had marched seventy li before setting up camp, was stationed in the Wei River valley north of Maijishan.

Later generations could travel along the Wei River into Shanggui territory, but the Wei River has not yet carved out the plains to the south, so the only option is to take the official road through Maijishan.

The official road, which is fourteen miles long, may not seem like much in terms of distance, but what lies before Liu Jilong and his men is the Maijishan Road, which is at least seven miles long and has an elevation difference of more than three hundred steps.

While Zhang Wu was setting up camp, Liu Jilong led An Pohu and dozens of elite cavalry to scout out the situation at Maijishan.

After a gentle uphill climb of more than three miles, the next step is a steep uphill climb of less than two miles with a drop of nearly two hundred steps.

The official road was particularly wide, about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) across, but the camp on the mountaintop and the rising smoke from its chimneys told them that capturing the camp would not be easy.

The phrase "attack mountains and seize strongholds" was placed before Liu Jilong, as this was the first time he had led his troops to attack mountains and seize strongholds.

He needs to think it over carefully before proceeding.

“General, this place is not easy to fight. They have cut down all the trees within two hundred paces of the mountain top. If we get within two hundred paces of the mountain ridge, we will be facing an unprotected battlefield.”

"The general stationed here is Wang Chongrong from Hezhong. Judging from his previous orders to cut down trees and collect stones, they are probably preparing to use stones and logs to deal with us."

"Besides, this is uphill, making it difficult to push the shield trucks and battering rams. How are we going to get up here?"

An Pohu asked Liu Jilong, who thought for a moment and then came up with the idea of ​​using earthwork to attack the camp on the mountain.

However, before that, he needs to determine the local script of Maijishan.

"Send someone to fetch shovels and pickaxes; we will wait here."

"Yes!"

Upon seeing Liu Jilong give his instructions, An Pohu carried them out without asking any questions and immediately sent someone to fetch what Liu Jilong wanted.

Fifteen minutes later, two elite riders brought pickaxes and shovels. Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong signaled them to follow, and they continued climbing towards the summit.

As the saying goes, "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," and this is indeed true.

After traveling two miles, Liu Jilong and An Pohu's horses were panting heavily, and at this point they were only about a mile away from the camp on the mountaintop.

Seeing that it was about time, Liu Jilong immediately said, "Go and dig in the woods over there and see how deep you can dig."

"Yes!" Several elite cavalrymen responded and immediately picked up picks and shovels to get to work.

Upon seeing this, An Pohu immediately asked, "General, are you planning a tunnel attack?"

"I suppose so." Liu Jilong didn't explain further, but waited quietly.

Fifteen minutes later, a skilled rider returned, covered in mud.

"General, we dug down four feet and seven inches but couldn't dig any further. This place is full of loose rocks, so it's not easy to dig."

The cavalry's answer made Liu Jilong frown slightly. After all, four feet and seven inches was not a deep depth. If they were to dig their way in, they would basically have to work while bending over.

With this in mind, Liu Jilong decided to continue observing to see if there were any better solutions.

He looked and looked, but couldn't find a good solution.

The slope here is so steep that even a person would be out of breath walking up it, let alone someone wearing armor.

If it were to move the shield cart and the supply cart, it would be very difficult to cross without two draft horses pulling it from the front.

"Let's go back first."

Liu Jilong turned his horse around, gave some instructions, and headed down the mountain.

Anpo Hu quickly followed, and the rest of the elite cavalry followed closely behind.

Three-quarters of an hour later, it was getting dark, and the army camp was set up in Nanchuan on the south bank of the Wei River.

Nanchuan is an inverted triangular plain formed by the alluvial deposits of the Wei River. It is two miles wide from east to west and one and a half miles deep from north to south. Further south is Maijishan Mountain.

The troops that led the campaign against Shanggui consisted of 2,500 elite cavalry, 6,000 infantrymen and 8,000 foot soldiers, totaling 16,500 men, plus 10,000 laborers.

The remaining laborers are currently following Gao Jinda to harvest crops in Fuqiang, Wushan, and Sanyangchuan towns.

There were also 10,000 horse-drawn wagons in the military camp, carrying provisions, supplies, and siege equipment.

In the case of Maijishan, the supplies would have to be transported to the top of the mountain in at least two batches.

Therefore, upon returning to the military camp, Liu Jilong summoned Zhang Wu and explained to him and An Pohu:

"Unload the grain and engineering equipment. Take all the gunpowder we have now." "Twenty-four thousand catties." Zhang Wu replied without hesitation. Liu Jilong nodded and then called over craftsmen to make a sand table using clay and wild grass.

After the sand table of Maijishan was made, Liu Jilong began to point out details on the clay with a brush:

"The two hundred paces before the mountaintop camp are the most difficult to advance, and the government troops are also paying attention to this area."

"I plan to have you, Zhang Wu, personally lead your troops to continuously blast along the Wei River with gunpowder, day and night, to create the illusion that our army is building an official road along the Wei River, bypassing the Maiji Pass."

"At the same time, An Po Hu, you lead your men to dig through the dense forest below Maiji Road. You only dig at night each day. Lay wooden planks and mud on the trenches. It's a distance of two hundred paces. You can reach the camp in three to five days at the fastest."

Liu Jilong didn't know if digging trenches to attack the Maijishan camp was feasible, but he had to give it a try.

If that really doesn't work, it won't be too late to build a proper official road along the Wei River to Shanggui.

In any case, the distance is only about twenty miles. With gunpowder and laborers available, and given that there are already many flat areas on the south bank of the Wei River, it is not difficult to build a small road.

Thinking this, Liu Jilong looked at the two men, who quickly bowed and replied, "Your subordinates obey!"

"Go down and rest."

Liu Jilong nodded and gave the order. Then the two men withdrew, and he himself put on his armor and went to rest.

The following morning, Zhang Wu led hundreds of firearms soldiers and tens of thousands of laborers to begin digging along the river, attempting to build an official road.

When they encountered places full of mud, they would have laborers dig with picks and shovels. When they encountered places with huge rocks, they would try to dig them out. If they could not dig them out, they would use drills to make holes, stuff them with gunpowder, and then detonate them.

For firearms soldiers, using gunpowder to build roads was already their specialty.

They created a great deal of noise, with the sound of gunpowder explosions echoing almost every quarter of an hour along both banks of the Wei River valley.

"Rumble--"

At noon, the sound of thunder continued to echo through the mountains and rivers.

Wang Chongrong led Wang Chongyi to the arrow tower of the camp, where they looked down at the valley.

The countless hills and ridges on the north bank of the Wei River evoke a sense of grandeur and magnificence, while the Wei River flowing eastward in the distance adds to its breathtaking beauty.

It's a pity that the rising dust in the distance ruined this beautiful natural scene.

"It's at least eight miles away from here, and it's still getting farther away. They're probably building a road."

As Wang Chongrong spoke, Wang Chongyi, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but say, "If this magic can be used to build roads, then can't it also be used to mine gold and silver?"

There are also many mineral deposits in the river, which is why Wang Chongyi thought in this direction, and he was not wrong.

Wang Chongrong did not respond to him, but said enviously, "If we could have this technique, how many natural barriers would still exist?"

Wang Chongyi nodded; he too found the magical arts of Longyou to be very enviable.

The two stood there for about half an hour, until they were certain that the rebels had no other means of dealing with the situation, before sending someone to investigate. They then returned to their headquarters.

Before dusk, the sent-out soldiers returned and reported the movements of the Longyou army.

"Reporting to the military commander, the rebels have been repairing the road and seem to have no intention of stopping. They have repaired more than two hundred steps today alone."

"Over two hundred paces? That's not slow..."

Upon hearing Tang Bing's words, Wang Chongrong nodded slightly and then instructed, "Send out Tang Bing every day to observe their speed at all times."

"Yes, sir!" Tang Bing bowed and accepted the order, then withdrew from the command tent.

Before long, the sun began to set, but the explosions in Longyou did not stop.

From the hour of Xu to the hour of Zi, there was a rumbling thunder every quarter of an hour, making it impossible for the seven thousand soldiers on the mountaintop to get a proper rest.

After a night, many officers and soldiers were exhausted, but some had adapted to the noise and were still able to sleep soundly, remaining energetic the next day.

"Damn it! If they keep building like this, it will take at least two months to finish this road. I'm afraid we won't get any rest during those two months!"

Inside the tent, Wang Chongrong cursed and looked at Wang Chongyi: "Was there anything else unusual about the rebels last night?"

"No." Wang Chongyi shook his head.

Seeing this, Wang Chongrong said nothing more, but ordered someone to bring some coarse cloth to plug his ears before continuing to rest.

Days passed, and Wang Shi personally visited Maijishan, but found nothing unusual.

However, due to the continuous blasting in Longyou, a two-mile-long official road appeared on the south bank of the Wei River.

Although it wasn't tamped down and was just a simple dirt road, it was enough to make Wang Shi wary.

"At this rate, they should be able to hold out for this year without any problem, but by next spring, their official road will be almost fully repaired."

Wang Shi gazed at the Wei River, assessing the current situation, and felt slightly anxious.

Seven days have passed since his defeat at Fuqiang, and the court should have already received his memorial.

I wonder how the emperor will deal with him after reading his memorial...

Wang Shi was heavy-hearted, then looked at Wang Chongrong and said, "With you two brothers here, I can rest easy."

"You flatter me, Junior Guardian." Wang Chongrong maintained basic courtesy when facing Wang Shi.

Although Wang Shi was defeated by Liu Jilong, Wang Chongrong did not think he could surpass Wang Shi.

Right now, he only has the advantage of timing and location. If it weren't for these, he probably wouldn't have fared well against Liu Jilong.

As he was thinking this, Wang Shi nodded and said, "I will return to Shanggui first. You two brothers should take good care of yourselves. I will report to the Supreme Emperor for credit on your behalf."

"Thank you very much, Junior Guardian!" Wang Chongrong continued to bow to express his gratitude, and then personally escorted Wang Shi away from Maijishan.

After Wang Shi left, he returned and observed for half an hour. After confirming that there were no problems, he and Wang Chongyi returned to the tent.

However, as they returned to their tent, Anpohu returned to the Nanchuan camp, travel-worn, and found Liu Jilong resting in a chair.

"General, our army has approached the government troops' camp by 170 paces, and there are less than 30 paces left. We can reach it as early as 1 a.m. tonight, but if there are soldiers listening inside the pass, we may be discovered before we even get close."

An Pohu expressed his concerns, and the so-called altar soldiers were the soldiers of the Longyou army who hid in large vats to listen to the sounds in the soil when they tried to dig at the base of the wall during their attack on the pass.

They are usually very sharp-eared and sharp-eyed; they only need to press their ear against the jar and hear a sound to roughly know that someone is attacking from the cave outside the city.

This is indeed a problem, but Liu Jilong has his own methods.

"Tonight I will have Zhang Wu disperse the gunpowder, and the gunpowder will keep exploding, making it impossible for the listening soldiers to find out if someone has attacked from the hole."

“Since you are confident that you can dig down to the village at midnight, then have someone cut off a few sections of tree trunks, hollow them out, wrap them in copper, stuff them with gunpowder, and detonate them when the digging reaches the bottom of the ground.”

"I will lead my troops to wait behind. If the camp walls are breached, I will immediately lead my troops to attack the camp!"

Liu Jilong gave instructions to An Pohu, who immediately bowed and said, "Rest assured, General, I will not fail in my mission!"

"Go ahead and get some rest. Tonight, it's up to you guys!"

Liu Jilong comforted him and told him to leave and rest, and then he himself ordered the soldiers to get some rest.

As Zhang Wu led his troops to repair the road, amidst the occasional explosions, the sky gradually darkened, and An Pohu and his men continued their tunnel attack.

However, they overestimated Wang Chongrong's troops. The soldiers who listened to the altar had not been able to stay in the altar for the past few days.

Because the listening chamber is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, any sound within it will be amplified.

In the past few days, Zhang Wu has been sending people to blast things in the valley. The sound made the soldiers' eardrums hurt. In addition, most soldiers in this era suffer from night blindness and would not choose to launch a night attack without torches. Therefore, at night, they usually sleep in tents on the ground and only enter the Temple of Earth during the day.

An Pohu led more than a hundred people to squat in the pit. They dared not dig trenches and lay planks anymore, but instead dug out a dirt road for people to crawl on their knees.

The people in front dug out the soil, immediately put it in bags, and handed it to the people behind them, one after another, until the soil was dumped into the woods.

Inside the woods, Liu Jilong led a thousand infantrymen, who were lying prone on the ground. Two thousand elite cavalry, five thousand cavalrymen, and six thousand infantrymen were waiting on the mountainside two miles away.

As Liu Jilong watched as soil was continuously being removed from the pit under the cover of night, he felt no anxiety, but rather an unusual calm.

Time passed slowly. The moonlight wasn't very bright tonight, but Liu Jilong still roughly judged that it was close to the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).

"Bring the tree trunk and gunpowder!"

Suddenly, a sound came from the pit. The other soldiers quickly handed over a tree trunk, about the thickness of a man's waist and wrapped in copper, about a foot long, followed by a gunpowder packet.

Section after section of tree trunk and packet after packet of gunpowder were continuously passed out. Liu Jilong roughly calculated that at least 500 jin of gunpowder was passed into the pit.

Only then did the people in the pit stop demanding gunpowder and tree trunks.

It's not hard to imagine that Anpohu must have led his men to dig a cross-section in front of the camp's wall and then piled up countless tree trunks filled with medicine.

"Pull me!"

"Damn it, my legs are about to break!"

Suddenly, news came from inside the pit again, and the soldiers guarding the left and right rushed to pull the soldiers out of the pit.

The soldiers stretched their legs as soon as they came up, which shows how harsh the environment inside the pit was.

Within a quarter of an hour, over a hundred soldiers pulled the earthen pit out one after another. Even after An Pohu and several soldiers had climbed out, he didn't rest and immediately bowed to Liu Jilong, saying:

"Commander, the fire has been lit, and it will take effect in as little as half a cup of tea's time!"

"it is good!"

Liu Jilong agreed without hesitation, feeling slightly excited. He reached out and patted the dirt off Liu Jilong's clothes, saying, "After this battle, I will remember your contribution!"

"Thank you, General!" An Pohu bowed without hesitation, while time continued to pass.

Half a cup of tea's time passed quickly, but the expected burst of flames did not materialize.

"what happened?"

"Could the fuse have gone out?"

"I'll go in and take a look..."

The group lowered their voices and voiced their concerns one after another. But before Liu Jilong could reassure them, they suddenly saw a flash of fire in the direction of the mountaintop. Then they saw the fire in the direction of the camp go out, including the fire in the arrow towers.

"boom!!"

"on!"

Without the slightest hesitation, as soon as the explosions rang out, Liu Jilong and his men got up and attacked the camp atop Maijishan Mountain.

The original pit exit had been filled in, but all the wooden planks at the top of the trench had been blown off, and the air was filled with the smell of earth.

"Um..."

"what happened?!!"

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Beep--"

"Dang-dang-dang-dang..."

The moment the Maijishan camp was attacked, countless people were awakened, but then they felt a strong wind blowing, causing the tents to shake constantly.

When the soldiers rushed out of the tent with their swords drawn, all they saw was a hazy grayness, making it impossible to see the entire camp. The visibility was only about ten feet.

With the help of their attendants, Wang Chongrong and Wang Chongyi put on their armor and then rushed out of the tent.

Faced with the scene before him, Wang Chongrong grabbed the general beside him and urged, "Send someone to Shanggui to tell Wang Shaobao that the rebels are preparing for a night attack!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" The general hurriedly agreed and then disappeared into the dim environment.

Half an incense stick later, the dust gradually dissipated, but the piercing sound of the wooden whistle did not disappear.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"

"The camp wall has been blown up!"

The sound coming from afar sent chills down Wang Chongrong's spine as he led his armored soldiers to the location, having just figured out the direction.

He quickened his pace, almost jogging towards the sound of the wooden whistle.

Wang Chongyi was restoring order to the camp when the sudden loud noise and piercing wooden whistle caused chaos among the soldiers, who were all running around in disarray.

Wang Chongyi led his men to kill dozens of running soldiers, which stabilized the situation in the camp. At this time, Wang Chongrong also led his troops to the camp wall where the wooden whistle was sounding.

The three-zhang-long (approximately 10 meters) walls on both sides of the camp had all disappeared, and debris, mud, and stones were scattered all around. Hundreds of Longyou soldiers dressed in rebel armor had already occupied the place.

"Damn it, take them down!"

"Uuuuuu——"

Wang Chongrong launched into a tirade of curses, and the flag bearers beside him immediately sounded the bugle.

The bugle sounded melodiously within the camp, while Liu Jilong had already led his troops to seize the breach.

"Form a straight line and hold the breach!"

"Beep--"

Under the cover of night, command flags are not visible; only the sound of whistles or the word of mouth can quickly command the three armies.

Hundreds of Longyou infantrymen quickly formed a battle formation to defend the breach, while hundreds of soldiers who followed were commanded by Liu Jilong to climb the stockade wall and seize the winch crossbows on the wall.

When the battle began, many soldiers couldn't see clearly at night because they lacked torches, but the soldiers in Longyou didn't have this worry; they could always see more clearly.

In addition, the comrades who were seizing the stockade walls kept firing rockets into the camp, which ignited one tent after another, gradually brightening the surrounding environment.

"kill!!"

Despite facing over a thousand government troops led by Wang Chongrong, the hundreds of soldiers from Longyou still displayed considerable fighting power.

Before the officers and soldiers could form ranks, they were drawn into the battle. Upon seeing this, Wang Chongrong quickly retreated and tried to organize the soldiers in the rear to form ranks and counterattack.

At the same time, Wang Chongying led his soldiers in armor to attack.

"A mixed group of people from the Hexi and Longxi regions!"

"You bunch of pig-dog Kwantung soldiers, shout yourselves to death!"

"Boom..."

Spears clashed, spears thrust forward, and countless soldiers fell, only to be finished off by the leaping soldiers behind the main line using blunt weapons such as maces and axes.

Several hundred soldiers stubbornly withstood the attack of more than two thousand men and held the breach firmly.

At the same time, Liu Jilong kept looking towards the official road.

In the distance, a procession carrying torches appeared, stretching for miles, like a fire dragon bursting out of the Wei River and flying along the Maiji Road towards the mountaintop.

"Form ranks quickly!"

Wang Chongrong and Wang Chongyi kept urging them on, and the flag soldiers were waving their flags, but visibility was low inside the camp that was set ablaze, and the flag soldiers who were more than fifty paces away could not see the flag signals at all.

The government troops launched a chaotic attack on the Longyou army, but the Longyou army held firm at the breach, remaining unmoved, relying on word of mouth and simple military whistles.

No matter how the government troops charged, they remained steadfast and their formation unchanged.

The soldiers wielding long weapons slashed down all the enemies in front of them, leaping and dragging them into the enemy ranks to finish them off, while the soldiers who had captured the stockade walls attacked the government troops from their elevated positions with crossbows and winches.

Wang Chongrong also spotted them and hurriedly led his men to rush up the stockade wall. The two sides then engaged in a fierce battle on the narrow horse path along the wall.

"kill!!"

The two clashed in close combat, axes and hammers striking each other, and the opponent coughed up blood and collapsed.

All the corpses were kicked off the horse track, where the government troops and the Longyou army continued to fight fiercely.

As more and more soldiers poured in through the breach, even the Longyou army's formation gradually crumbled.

Liu Jilong drew his bow and nocked an arrow. The arrows fired from the two-stone bow in his hands were like small chisel arrows fired from a crossbow. Each arrow hit the face of an enemy soldier and took a life.

"Drive! Drive! Drive..."

As Liu Jilong shot and killed the government troops, the sound of horses' hooves and whips could be heard behind him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw thousands of infantry and cavalrymen arriving first, their horses so exhausted that they were foaming at the mouth.

"General!!"

Zhang Wu led his cavalry and infantry to the scene, and immediately dismounted to lead his troops toward the breach.

Upon seeing their arrival, Liu Jilong knew that Shanggui and Maijishan had already fallen under the jurisdiction of Longyou.

"kill!!"

As a large number of cavalry and infantry charged in formation, the hundreds of soldiers who had been holding out for a long time retreated.

Several thousand cavalry and infantrymen formed ranks and charged into the breach, pushing back the government troops by several steps before entering the breach.

"It's over!"

Upon seeing the arrival of reinforcements from Longyou, Wang Chongrong had this thought in mind, and then looked around at the soldiers.

The soldiers around them were constantly driven back by the Longyou army that poured into the camp, and everyone's face was filled with confusion and fear.

Maijishan cannot be defended. Now the only option is to let the fire destroy the camp and prevent the rebels from entering Shanggui.

Even if it only delays them for an hour or two, it will buy Wang Shi enough time.

Thinking of this, Wang Chongyi gritted his teeth and gave the order:

"Don't panic, retreat to the south gate and hold the position!"

"kill--"

(End of this chapter)