Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 98 Zou Ta's Fury

At the north gate of Qiantang, the sounds of horse hooves, footsteps and the clashing of armor intertwined into one, shocking everyone.

A high-spirited army is marching.

The front team had already gone three or four miles out of the city, while the rear team had not yet completely left the city. The entire army stretched for four or five miles, like a winding snake, moving from south to north.

Zhu Zhi was wearing armor and riding on a chestnut horse, his sharp eyes fixed on the marching troops.

He had not led troops into battle in person for three or four years, but the passion in his heart had never cooled. As long as he had the sword in his hand, the familiar feeling of conquering all directions would instantly surge throughout his body.

He was a man who planned carefully before taking action. Aside from a single defeat at the hands of Xu Rong during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, he had a perfect record of victory. In the eyes of his subordinates, as long as he personally led the troops into battle, victory was almost certain.

Zhu Zhi had three choices for the attack targets of this expedition, namely Yuncheng, Rencheng and Yong'an.

There were still 4,000 defenders in Yuncheng, but he abandoned them immediately.

Between Rencheng and Yong'an, he originally chose Yong'an, intending to capture Yong'an first and join forces with Wu Jing's army, and then use the momentum to sweep across Wujun.

However, Zou Ta's sudden dependence made him change his mind temporarily, and he planned to deal with Yan Yi's tribe, which was in the limelight recently.

If Yan Yi had not withdrawn his troops before his army arrived at Rencheng, he would defeat him in one battle.

If Yan Yi had wisely withdrawn his troops, he would have achieved military prestige by starting the battle victoriously, and would have been able to bring Rencheng into his sphere of influence, making it a bridgehead for future conquests of Wucheng and Yuncheng.

In Zhu Zhi's view, he is already invincible, the only difference is the amount of gains.

In order to enhance the prestige of the Sun family, he did not conceal the fact that he was sending troops, and the entire army advanced towards Rencheng with great fanfare.

As soon as the army left the city, the spies of other forces scattered in Qiantang were like frightened birds, rushing away in all directions.

The spies sent by Yan Yi even changed three horses in one breath, galloped eighty miles in two hours, and quickly reported Zhu Zhi's military deployment.

When the military report was delivered to the commander's tent, Yan Yi was warmly receiving Sheng Shen.

As the news of Wu Jing's advance on Guangde came, Sheng Shen finally could not sit still. Wu Jing repeatedly drove the people to attack the city, and his power was so fierce that not only the people of Danyang feared him like a tiger, but the people of Wujun were also afraid of Wu Jing.

Sheng Shen was frightened by Wu Jing's bad reputation and finally decided to take the people of Rencheng to join Yan Yi.

He enjoyed a very high reputation in Rencheng. Although he was only one of the three elders of Yunchao Township, with just one call from him, the people of Rencheng seemed to have found their backbone. They flocked to him like birds returning to the forest at dusk, ready to follow him to Yuncheng.

For Yan Yi, this was a gift from heaven. He not only gained nearly two thousand households, but also a reputation that was priceless.

He led his troops to attack Rencheng. Instead of rejecting him, the people of Rencheng followed him. This was not something that could be achieved by force alone, but rather represented that a person's virtue and prestige had reached a certain level in the local area.

Once word got out, it was bound to propel his reputation to new heights. All the world saw was the people following him, but no one delved into the role Wu Jing played in this.

Thinking of this, Yan Yi's bad mood caused by the unfavorable siege was swept away. He not only received Sheng Shen, who played a key role, in person, but also treated him with humility, treated him as a junior, and kept a low profile.

He took the military report and first apologized politely to Sheng Shen before unfolding the bamboo slips and reading them carefully.

He was not surprised by Zhu Zhi's decision to send troops. He had already been prepared when he received Xie Rui's secret letter last night.

However, the detailed description of Zhu Zhijun in the military newspaper is still worth careful study.

After reading the military report, Yan Yi had an idea and took the initiative to hand the report to Sheng Shen: "Mr. Sheng, just as I expected, Zhu Zhi has already sent troops and will arrive here the day after tomorrow at the latest." Sheng Shen was shocked when he heard this. He wanted to avoid reading it, but he couldn't help but take the matter seriously in his heart, and finally reached out to take the military report.

Although he was anxious inside, he always sat upright and showed no sign of urgency when looking at the bamboo slips, which shows that etiquette was deeply rooted in his bones.

After reading the bamboo slips, Sheng Shen's last bit of hesitation disappeared, and he asked bluntly, "How many soldiers can you send to escort the people?"

Yan Yi thought for a moment and said politely, "I have already planned to withdraw my troops. I would like to ask Lord Sheng to organize the people immediately and head to Yuncheng today. I will arrange for 500 soldiers to escort us along the way, and I will personally lead the army to cover the rear to protect the people's evacuation."

Sheng Shen was very satisfied with this answer. He stood up and said, "Most of the people are ready and can set off at any time. The ox carts are too slow. Please lend me a carriage. I will return to the village immediately to organize the villagers."

Yan Yi had originally intended to arrange a more comfortable carriage for him, but he knew the old man's temper well. If he said he wanted a carriage, he would definitely want to ride in one. He quickly ordered Si Qing, "Go and prepare a carriage for Lord Sheng immediately, and put my usual mat on it."

Sheng Shen did not refuse Yan Yi's 'unnecessary' arrangement. He hurried out of the military tent. After taking a few steps, he turned back and said to Yan Yi, "Based on my understanding of Zou Ta, he might launch a surprise attack at night. Young Lord, you must not be careless."

Yan Yi bowed to him and said respectfully, "Thank you, Lord Sheng, for your reminder."

In fact, he had already made sufficient preparations in this regard.

Sheng Shen nodded slightly and followed Si Qing away.

Yan Yi immediately summoned all the generals to discuss the matter.

For this expedition, except for leaving Fan Yan and Cao Qiu in Yuncheng to continue to recruit soldiers and command the defense of the city and logistics, he brought most of the other generals with him, including more than 20 military marquises.

Half an hour later, the generals left the tent one after another and returned to their respective headquarters to pack up their equipment and supplies.

Zou Ta, along with Wei Kuan, Li Bian and others, stood on the city wall with gloomy faces.

They had arrived here an hour ago. What attracted them here was not the soldiers packing their luggage at the foot of the city, but the people rushing towards Yunchao Township.

Even a fool would know what these people are going to do.

Zou's face seemed to be covered with a layer of ice, and his whole body exuded an aura of keeping strangers away.

The bulging veins on his right hand as he gripped the hilt of the sword gave a glimpse into his current mood.

"You bastard! You've gone too far. I swear to tear you into pieces to vent my hatred!"

Zou was extremely angry. He never expected that Yan Yi would take away all the people he had governed for several years after only being here for a few days. It felt like his wife, who had been with him for many years, was abducted.

At the same time, a sense of humiliation welled up in his heart. The scene of the people leaving with their families deeply stimulated and hurt him, making him feel betrayed.

Everyone has run away. What use is there for me to have this empty city? Who will farm for me, pay taxes and grain in the future?
Zou felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

It will probably not be long before this matter spreads throughout Jiangdong, and he will become the laughing stock of the entire Jiangdong.

But Yan Yi's army was watching the city covetously, and he could only watch the people leave and could do nothing.

boom!
Zou punched the wall hard, feeling heartbroken.

(End of this chapter)