Chapter 508: Swindling Jinhua
Chapter 508: Swindling Jinhua
Jinhua County was the county seat of Dongyang County and also the place where the powerful people of Dongyang County lived. They elected Lou Shigan as the leader of the powerful Shanyue people in the west.
At this time, Lou Shigan had already received the news that Lan Zhaotian's 150,000-strong army had been completely wiped out and Lan Zhaotian had fled to Yongjia County. Lou Shigan knew that something was wrong.
Previously, he had strongly advocated not rebelling openly but only rebelling secretly, and for this reason he even turned against Lan Zhaotian. However, Lou Shigan finally could not resist the temptation of establishing an independent country, which had been the century-old dream of the Shanyue people. So he sent 10,000 troops to Kuaiji to support Lan Zhaotian.
Now that the 10,000 troops he sent were also destroyed, Lou Shigan realized that the Sui army would definitely come to annihilate them next.
Lou Shigan immediately summoned six Shanyue warlords from Dongyang County, Su'an County and Xin'an County, including Shen Faxing, Yan Qiong, Wang Miao, Li Zan, Li Jinfa and Huang Kan, to discuss the matter.
Everyone unanimously decided to retreat south. The reason why there was no resistance and a unanimous consensus was because of the situation. It was no longer the tenth year of Kaihuang. They were hiding in the mountains. If it were the tenth year of Kaihuang, the people would send them food.
Now the people are eager to live and work in peace and contentment, and they hate their rebellion to the core. How could they send any food? With all kinds of informing and food cuts, the situation is turbulent, and they cannot hold out for even a month.
The first consensus was to retreat southwards, and the second consensus was to stick together. If they did not stick together as a group, once they went south alone, they would be eaten up by Lan Zhaotian and Ming Zhongtian without leaving anything behind.
Only by moving south together can they compete with the powerful Shanyue warlords in the east.
After reaching the two major consensuses, the seven Shanyue warlords began to transfer troops and wealth to Jinhua County.
According to the schedule, they need ten days to assemble. Now it is the seventh day. 20,000 troops and a large amount of wealth and food have gathered in the city, including taxes from Dongyang County and Su'an County, all of which have been plundered by them.
Six of the seven great warlords have already arrived, and the only ones left are Huang Kan, the great warlord from Xin'an County, and some smaller warlords, such as Liang Zunyi, the great warlord from Zhuji County. They will also follow south.
That afternoon, a team of 300 people came from the official road in the north, escorting nearly 200 large carts loaded with goods. The team was all wearing uniform black warrior uniforms and holding up a large flag with the word "Liang" written on it.
There was a driver on each cart, driving the mule slowly. Soon, the team arrived at the city. Jinhua County had already implemented martial law. Ordinary people could leave the city or come in if they wanted. A group of people would be allowed to leave the city at noon every day.
After being released from the city, the intelligence spy Wang Kuang rushed to Kuaiji County to report the news.
Of course, there are also those who are allowed to enter the city, that is, when a powerful Shanyue team arrives, the city will definitely be opened to welcome them.
The leader of the warriors shouted to the top of the city wall: "I am from the Liang family of Zhuji. Please open the city gate!"
This army was naturally the Liang clan army disguised as the Sui army, pretending to open the city gate. At this time, Pei Xingyan led 2,500 cavalrymen and hid in the woods several miles away. He ordered his general Wei Liangyu to lead 500 soldiers to deceive the city, including 300 warriors and 200 coachmen.
The speaker was a brigade commander of the Kuaiji County Army. He was a native of Kuaiji County and his accent would not arouse suspicion.
The commander on the top of the city was called Wang Xu, and he was Lou Shigan's confidant. He leaned over and asked, "Where is your lord?"
"He won't arrive until tomorrow, and he ordered us to bring the first batch of property?"
Wang Xu glanced at the cart and asked, "What is it, copper coins?"
"No! They're all silver."
Wei Liangyu quickly lifted the oilcloth covering the cart, revealing some white silver.
Guard General Wang Xu's eyes widened immediately, and he said quickly: "Wait a moment, I will go and report!"
He turned and ran to report to Lou Shigan. Lou Shigan heard that the Liang family's wealth had been delivered first, a full two hundred carts, and he hurriedly asked, "Did you really see that it was silver?"
"I can see clearly that it is indeed pure silver."
Lou Shigan became greedy and decided to swallow up the Liang family's wealth. If Liang Zunyi asked about it tomorrow, he would just say that the convoy did not come. Who knows if his men had embezzled the money?
"Open the city gate and let them in!" Wang Xu ran back to the top of the city wall, waved his hands and shouted, "Open the city gate!"
The drawbridge was lowered and the city gate began to open slowly. Three miles away, Pei Xingyan was also observing the city gate with a clairvoyant. He saw the drawbridge begin to be lowered.
He immediately shouted: "The whole army is ready!"
Three thousand cavalrymen were eager to try, waiting for the moment to open the city.
The city gate was opened, Wei Liangyu waved his hand, and more than a dozen carts drove into the city first. They were filled with huge stones that had been replaced several miles away. A warrior chopped at the axle of the wheel with a knife. With a loud bang, the axle of the wheel broke, and the carriage collapsed immediately. The carriage loaded with thousands of pounds of stones fell to the ground, firmly holding up the city gate.
"What happened?" Wang Xu asked loudly from the top of the city wall.
"The cart was too heavy and the axle broke."
"Asshole, why don't you just carry it away?"
Wei Liangyu saw that the time had come and ordered, "Go!"
The warriors lifted the tarpaulin covering the cart, revealing swords, spears, bows and crossbows. The soldiers rushed in with their weapons in hand.
Wang Xu was so shocked that he suddenly shouted, "Close the city gate! Close the city gate!"
But the city gate could not be closed and the drawbridge could not be pulled up. Three large carts had already landed on the beach, pressing down the drawbridge tightly.
In the woods three miles away, Pei Xingyan gave the order: "Attack!"
Two thousand five hundred cavalrymen suddenly moved forward, rushed out of the woods, and rushed towards the city gate three miles away, galloping all the way, stirring up billowing yellow dust.
There was a fierce battle at the city gate. Wei Liangyu led 500 soldiers to fight fiercely with the soldiers rushing down from the top of the city wall. At this time, Lou Shigan had received the news that something had happened in the north city. He was shocked and personally led 5,000 soldiers to rush to the north gate.
The five hundred soldiers led by Wei Liangyu were extremely brave and killed the soldiers defending the city so badly that they were terrified. They stood on the top of the city walls and shouted, but no one dared to come down to fight.
Wei Liangyu did not pursue the enemy, but guarded the city gate. At this time, Lou Shigan led 5,000 soldiers to attack. Wei Liangyu saw that the enemy had many archers and immediately shouted, "Raise your shields!"
The soldiers took out shields from the carts and immediately formed a shield formation. Unexpectedly, the defenders on the city wall shot arrows from behind, knocking down many soldiers. Wei Liangyu was furious and immediately ordered the captain He Zhen to lead a hundred soldiers to attack the top of the city wall.
Lou Shigan led the army to about a hundred steps away from the city gate. Everyone stopped and two thousand soldiers drew their bows and arrows. The arrows shot like raindrops, but were blocked by 380 soldiers using a shield formation.
Seeing that the bows and arrows were ineffective, Lou Shigan shouted, "All troops, press forward and kill them all!"
Five thousand soldiers came up like a tide. At this moment, a horn sounded outside the city, and a team of cavalry rushed into the city gate first. Wei Liangyu's army quickly split up, and the galloping cavalry appeared, waving their lances, shouting loudly, and rushing towards the five thousand soldiers like lightning.
The carts on the suspension bridge had been pushed down into the moat, and the carts at the top of the city gate had been towed away. The cavalry rushed in. At the same time, the sound of horns was heard from farther away, and Xiao Xia led 7,000 main forces to Jinhua County.
Five thousand soldiers were simply unable to withstand the charge and killing of the cavalry, and were killed in a massacre that left corpses all over the ground. Strong infantry could fight against ordinary cavalry, but strong cavalry was completely a crushing defeat against ordinary infantry. Thousands of them were killed, and the remaining Shanyue army collapsed in an instant. They shouted in fear and scrambled to escape. Fear spread throughout the city like a plague. The South Gate was opened, and the soldiers in the city fled out of the city in panic.
Pei Xingyan ignored his soldiers' escape and divided his men into thirty teams, which rushed around the city and killed all the enemy troops who dared to resist.
At this time, Xiao Xia led 7,000 infantry and cavalry to attack. They split into two groups. Xiao Xia led 5,000 infantry into the city, while Wang Junkuo led 2,000 cavalry to chase and kill the enemy. Then Xiao Xia led his troops into the city, and Pei Xingyan also quickly led his cavalry out of the city to chase the enemy.
(End of this chapter)