Chapter 557: Dengfeng City Falls

Chapter 557: Dengfeng City Falls

Chapter 557: Dengfeng City Falls
In the afternoon, the sky was covered with dark clouds.

Thanks to the announcement of the Censor, the people of Dongyang City basically knew that the Northern Wei army was about to attack the city. However, before the chaotic looting broke out, the royal palace had already stepped in, led by the Chief Secretary, to buy up all the food and ironware on the market and requisition all the horses, but the latter was actually robbery to be more precise.

"Forty thousand dan of grain, the cavalry is still being recruited, and there are only three hundred horses available. Dongyang Sect contributed half of them..."

On the city wall of Dongyang, Wuhe reported the general situation.

Outside the city, the plain is flat. The Bian River, a branch of the Yangtze River, flows from the west and then turns a corner and goes straight to the coast.

Jiang He sat on the battlement and listened quietly to the report. The mellow and rich epic dragon blood wine in his hand was almost finished.

"A soldier consumes one dan of grain per month on average," Wuhe said. "This includes salt, wine, cotton clothes, money for archers to repair their bow strings, money for night sentries, etc. The monthly military pay is one tael of silver, which is equivalent to one dan of grain."

"If you behead an enemy soldier, you should be rewarded with five taels of silver, and the court will be responsible for your promotion. If you die in battle, you should be given three years' full military pay, which is thirty-six taels."

Wuhe carefully calculated and wanted to convert current consumption into modern concepts. The process was actually somewhat complicated. The fastest way was to use food prices as a transit point, but considering the price drop caused by the increase in modern food production, the result was very inaccurate.

"Boss, 40,000 dan of grain can only sustain the monthly consumption of 20,000 infantrymen if we are to support the army. Each cavalryman needs at least one dan of fodder and beans per month."

"Looking at Dongyang County, the total grain output last year was about four million shi, and ordinary people consume 2.5 shi per year. With the commission from the noble families and the taxes from the imperial court, I think Dongyang County as a whole is in a sub-healthy state."

Wuhe felt a little pressure. The royal palace had an annual income of 20,000 taels of silver, which was roughly equivalent to 20,000 shi of grain. It was very difficult to maintain the ceremonial guards and the guard command department. Fortunately, these people were supported by the court, and the income was actually pocket money for the princes.

"Thanks a lot."

Jiang He handed over a piece of fresh fish sashimi to go with the wine, and Wuhe put it into his mouth happily.

After killing Zuo Canzheng, Wuhe took away all the household registration, tax books, geomancy maps and other things, and his understanding of Qingzhou improved significantly. It is worth mentioning that the Pei family actually concealed the fact that they occupied more than 30% of the arable land, and this is just the part that revealed clues.

"What is Aya doing?"

"She is studying in a private school, and my concubines are following her."

Jiang He laughed dumbly and asked, "How many cavalry can the city gather now?"

Wuhe thought for a moment and replied, "Eight hundred and seventy."

At this moment, all the thousand-household teams have been in place. Two are stationed near the north of Dengfeng City, one each in the east, west and south, and another led by Lao Hei serves as a reserve team. The rest are cavalry.

"Prepare a few torches, let the birds follow, and go out of the city for a walk."

"clear."

Prince Yong gave the order, and thanks to Pei's cooperation, Cavalry Captain Gui Man, despite being reluctant, finally led his men to the north city gate.

It’s a pity that the person who was most opposed to leaving the city was not this captain, but Pei Yuwu.

"Your Highness Prince Yong, why are you so impulsive!"

Pei Yu stopped the red-robed King Yong at the door and said with great sorrow, "Haven't you heard that the son of a rich man doesn't sit in the hall?"

He really didn't want the other party to leave the city, otherwise if King Yong died, the supreme command would fall on him.

Jiang He did not comment, but just said: "You have to pay the price for your choice. Now I am the one who controls the Dongyang troops."

Pei Yuwu was so frustrated that his eyes went dark. He kept pointing fingers but couldn't bring himself to curse. This prince was too lazy to argue about right or wrong. If the will of the supreme commander was not implemented, he would just replace the person at will.

"Gui Man, the life and death of King Yong is more important to you and me." Pei Yu could only say fiercely: "What kind of person I am, you should judge for yourself."

Gui Man was startled when he heard this. Thinking of his wife and children, he could only smile and clasp his fists, and said sincerely: "Master Pei's teachings will never be forgotten until death. If the prince makes a mistake, Gui Man will never come back alive."

This is a heartless beast who only lives for his family.

boom!
The city gate opened, and Pei Yu watched the cavalry rushing out. The worry on his face gradually subsided, and he showed a calmness.

"The ending is the same after all."

"No matter how early or late it is, I have tried my best."

……

Wuyang County.

This place is less than forty miles away from Dongyang City.

The Tiange Army had wasted quite a bit of time up to this point, but this time the massacre in the city seemed very hasty.

The whole city was on fire, with wailing and screaming heard one after another.

On one side of the main street, the Dengfeng general looked at the family of three in front of him, his eyes fixed on the young child who was protected in the middle by his parents.

After a while, a knife cut down
Three heads fell to the ground.

The Dengfeng general put away his sword silently, his eyes dim.

"The bottom line is something that will be completely changed once it is retreated." The man in golden armor said with a smile, "I will only return your military power to you if you slaughter Wuyang. This is a very simple truth. There is no place for you in Nanliang anymore. Go ahead and take revenge on the Pei family."

Dengfeng General clasped his fists with difficulty and said, "I obey your orders."

The man in golden armor asked the tiger-faced captain to fetch a map and said bluntly: "We will first take Dongyang and then attack Gaomi. Gaomi is the throat of Qingzhou leading to the hinterland of Southern Liang. Once we occupy the two cities, we can close the door and beat the Pei family."

"As long as we close the door and fight the dog, then the pillars of our Northern Wei will march south to confront the Ruyang King of Xuzhou, and the troops of Southern Liang supporting Qingzhou will also have elite troops that can leap forward to intercept."

"When a full-scale war breaks out, the Tiange Army will bypass the pass, and someone will pick them up and head straight for the capital, Jiankang, causing the surrounding armies to rush over. Then they will turn north to Xuzhou, and the three armies will join together to attack the King of Ruyang."

General Hou's eyes were firm, and he clenched his fists and said, "In this way, the Southern Liang Dynasty had no choice but to move its capital southward. With the situation changing drastically, the relationship between the King of Pingxi and the court was exposed."

Dengfeng's general couldn't help but interrupt, "General, this is certainly a grand strategy, but it is also... too idealistic."

General Hou laughed and said, "If you seek the best, you will get the middle. If you seek the middle, you will get the worst. If you want to win, you must know what to do and when to do it."

"He Dengfeng, listen to my orders!"

"The end will be here."

"Lead your own troops and escort the refugees here to advance and knock on the gate of Dongyang City. I heard that there is an uncrowned prince in charge there, not Pei Wuxing, so it's worth playing a trick."

The Dengfeng general's face turned pale. He looked up suddenly and could only see the other party's playful eyes under the golden mask.

"I've said it before." General Hou said with a smile, "The bottom line is something that will be completely changed once you retreat."

The golden-armored figure went away. The Dengfeng general looked at the three headless corpses for a long time, and finally took a step forward.

Half an hour later, looking down from the sky, the Northern Wei army began to advance, with 20,000 defeated soldiers driving thousands of refugees in front, 20,000 Northern Wei headquarters infantry watching both sides, and countless cavalry teams of hundreds of people patrolling in all directions.

……

On the other side of the Xiabian River.

Guiman sat on the horse, confused.

After leaving the city, they did not head north to fight the enemy, but went west horizontally and crossed the Xiabian River. The battlefield north of the city could no longer be seen from here.

"I knock, Your Majesty, you are not going to run away, are you?"

In the team, Captain Pei looked around. If Prince Yong really wanted to run away, he would go back to report it even if it cost him his life.

"Dengfeng City." Jiang He answered calmly.

Gui Man was shocked when he heard this.

"Ah this..."

The cavalry officers on both sides were equally shocked, but Prince Yong did not say a word after he finished speaking, and his silence was so frightening that it was almost frightening.

The eight hundred riders marched quickly from the river bank. The sun was setting in the west, and by the time night fell, sweat had already formed on the horses' bodies.

Dengfeng City fell last night, and at dawn the Northern Wei cavalry arrived at the city. It only takes half a day for the cavalry to march from Dengfeng to Dongyang.

The hour of Hai has just arrived.

Guiman vaguely saw the outline of a huge city among the dense forest.

The Dengfeng city wall is tall and thick. It is built of huge stones and rammed earth, and the interior is filled with Yanggang for reinforcement. It is like a towering mountain dominating the earth. The stones on the surface are mottled, but still closely connected. The heavy Yanggang doors are covered with sharp nails, and the city towers are towering.

Jiang He rarely took the initiative to speak and calm people down.

"When the city was breached last night, the enemy army showed up with 100 iron cavalrymen, and a member of the Northern Wei royal family was present at the front line, but no one was seen."

"At this moment, all the Tian Ge troops are heading towards Dongyang."

"If this member of the royal family was brave and good at fighting, the Baibao Iron Cavalry would not have fallen into the hands of General Hou. I believe he is still in Licheng. The Dengfeng City in front of us is not empty because it is a strategic location, but the garrison is definitely not more than 10,000 people, and it is only a small part of the Licheng troops."

"I share the credit for taking back the city and recovering the land with you all."

Jiang He's face was calm. This was where the war was unpredictable. Before the final conclusion, everything was in the fog. How to judge and how to choose depended entirely on the commander.

But in fact he is different.

Guiman's forehead was covered with sweat, and he whispered, "How did the prince know that the Baibao Iron Cavalry appeared? We didn't see any enemy scouts along the way, so it's very likely that something has changed here."

"It's not that we didn't meet, but we avoided it."

Jiang He waved his hand, and a gray eagle descended from the sky, with a look of honesty that only an honest man could have.

"Pei's eagle breeding house!?"

"Master Pei and I have conspired. There is a spy in Dongyang City. Do not make it public."

Gui Man wiped the sweat off his forehead and said excitedly, "Your Majesty, we only have 800 people. How can we break into the city?"

Jiang He did not answer, but ordered the torches to be brought out.

Half a quarter of an hour later, six hundred cavalrymen rushed past the side of Dengfeng City at a quick speed. The torches in the night were like a river of stars, attracting the attention of the defenders. The sound of drums suddenly rang out, and a rain of arrows fell, but they were always just a hair's breadth away.

Before leaving the city, Wuhe prepared plenty of torches, with four torches per person, and in the dark they looked like more than two thousand riders.

These cavalrymen rushed straight towards Licheng.

In less than half a quarter of an hour, the gate of Dengfeng City was raised, and five scouts, all riding two horses, were ready to leave the city.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves rang out unobstructed in the dense forest.

"The enemy is attacking, close the city gate!"

Two hundred riders rushed out, with a group in red robes leading the way.

Guiman's eyes were burning.

The Northern Wei royal family had not arrived yet, and Dengfeng City was a vital place, so the generals sent there must have been trusted generals. Even if such trusted generals knew that there might be something fishy, ​​they would never confirm that the Northern Wei royal family was ambushed by thousands of cavalry.

Prince Yong chose to gamble on the Northern Wei royal family's vision in selecting people, while at the same time he saw through the inequality in risks faced by superiors and subordinates.

The opening of the city gate at this moment is inevitable.

"Your Highness, wait a moment. I will come to break through the enemy lines!"

The words have not yet fallen.

On the warhorse, a bright red longbow appeared in Jiang He's hand.

The string is like a full moon, and the force is concentrated into an arrow.

The arrow filled with dark erosion power burst out, and the special effect of the Giant King Bow was running to the extreme. The stirred up strong wind was like a blunt knife, causing pain on the cheeks of the cavalry on both sides.

boom!
The arrow traveled a long distance and hit the centurion guarding the gate, causing him to explode violently. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and the broken arrow fell to the ground, sounding like a strong man beating a drum, with bursts of loud sounds.

"What a dragon-like strength!"

Gui Man was stunned, and the two hundred riders immediately shouted and killed.

A hail of arrows came from the top of the city, and nearly fifty of the two hundred riders fell off their horses. At this speed, anyone who fell off their horses would undoubtedly die.

The wind howled in my ears.

Jiang He fired nine bows in a row. The strings trembled like shadows, and the arrows were like cannons. The light flew away, and more than a dozen soldiers exploded like fireworks. One of the arrows smashed the rotating mechanism at the city gate, but the energy value dropped by thousands, and the consumption was unprecedented.

"Stop!" A man like an iron tower jumped down from the top of the city wall, and the secret technique of the Nine-Layered Pagoda was activated. The extremely solid and life-size tower shadow wrapped him, like the best armor, with amazing defense.

The man rushed towards the enemy commander, smashing him with the hammer in both hands.

"humor."

Jiang He drew his sword and slashed upwards. The bright energy mixed with Dan Jin on the pitch-black blade was extremely dazzling. An extremely thin long line shot up into the sky, swept across the man's body, and cut off the shadow of the secret tower and the peak gold body at the same time, without any obstruction.

The two halves of the body fell to the ground, trampled into mud by the horses' hooves.

"Prevent the enemy from entering the city, and those who retreat will be killed!"

Five thousand captains went into battle at the same time. The Northern Wei governor had a gloomy look on his face. The enemy troops dismounted and fought on foot in the city gate corridor. The defenders on the top of the city had their vision blocked, so they came down one after another to join the army.

Kukukuku!
A group of fierce defenders pushed four two-person-high gate-blocking knife carts and attacked. The surface of these carts was inlaid with a large number of poisoned blades, which could effectively force the enemy as they were pushed.

Swish!
Jiang He wiped the blade with his two fingers, and the black flame of the end suddenly jumped up. He slashed forward, and a rolling heat wave erupted.

——Dragon Spear Technique·Splendid Gray.

The wave of black flames engulfed the enemy in front, the sword carts melted in an instant, and a large number of soldiers disappeared before they could even wail, and a large area was cleared.

Deathly silence fell on the battlefield.

Not only the enemy officers, but also Guiman and the Dongyang cavalry stayed where they were. This sword killed at least two hundred elite infantrymen at the forefront. The power was too violent.

"This move will cost a lot of energy, come on!" The governor roared, "Men of the Northern Wei, don't abandon your families!"

Although the results were huge, Jiang He showed no expression.

A Jinxiuhui attack with a power of 3000 points, not to mention the destructive power, the energy consumption alone reached points. He used to attack without restraint and didn't feel the loss at all.

The Northern Wei soldiers rushed forward frantically, with more than 5,000 of them forming a battle formation. The military strategists tried their best to curb the killing speed of the enemy commander. A third-level profound archer general secretly shot an arrow, but the arrow, which was packed with huge force and strong military aura, just barely pierced the target's chest.

"Come and save me!"

A cold gaze was cast upon him, and the sharpshooter general shouted in fear.

Jiang He's eyes were calm. He held the sword in front of him and slowly pushed it out.

Ten thousand points of golden energy were consumed in an instant, but at the same time, a thousand tiny rays of light rose up, as bright as the stars in the night sky, illuminating the area in front of him.

It was so close that Guiman’s heart and liver were about to burst.

——Immortal Dragon Spear Technique·Thousand Mountains of Snow.

Whoosh whoosh!
Thousands of swords burst forth, sharp and unmatched.

The sword light rushed out like a storm, and the heads of thousands of soldiers exploded and blood gushed out like streams of fountains. The weird and terrifying scene made everyone freeze in place. The two centurions reacted and turned around to run, but the blood on their necks had already spread.

With one sword, there is no difference between the top and the ordinary.

Da da da!
The six hundred riders circled around and rushed back. The thundering hooves of their horses startled the soldiers guarding the city. They looked at the red-robed figure as if they had seen an evil ghost, and immediately collapsed and scattered.

The pursuit began and the cavalry fully demonstrated its advantages.

The Northern Wei governor took advantage of the chaos to roll in a pool of blood, hiding among the corpses with his heart pounding like a drum.

"Do not!!"

Jiang He walked over and kicked the man in the chest. He had used this trick when he first became a player.

……

An hour passed.

Two hundred cavalrymen were divided into teams to patrol the city gate, and the rest hunted down the fleeing soldiers. The sword like a star completely crushed the resistance of these defenders. Countless people surrendered after the cavalry entered the city.

At the reservoir in the city, cavalrymen escorted more than 2,000 prisoners, looking extremely excited.

"Destroyed the city, killed the general, and defeated five thousand households." Captain Pei said respectfully: "For the low-level officers, they should be promoted seven levels in a row. According to the intention of the family master, Your Highness should not be in charge of the army, but you can be awarded the credit."

Jiang He nodded. In this case, Asan could be promoted to the rank of a fifth-rank captain. If it weren't for the Minister of War Pei Ge Lao, accumulating military merits in a complete and fair manner, it would actually be an extremely difficult thing in today's Southern Liang.

"Dongyang cavalry, listen to my order, get out of the way."

The cavalrymen didn't understand what was going on and had to retreat to the side as ordered.

The next moment, the knife flashed again.

After several consecutive Thousand Mountains Snow strikes, the strands of sword light gathered into a river and drowned the Northern Wei captives.

Gui Man's pupils were shaking. Killing prisoners was an ominous sign, but he really didn't dare to open his mouth to dissuade them. After all, Prince Yong was a fierce man who could fight the enemy alone.

"Find the other bodies and push them in."

The soldiers silently pushed the bodies into the pool, and the huge pool turned dark red in the blink of an eye.

"Within one hour, you can take all the property in the city."

"If anyone in the same group comes to blows, regardless of whether they are right or wrong, I will kill them all without mercy."

"The pension and reward will continue as before when we return."

As soon as the words fell, the depressing atmosphere was swept away, and the soldiers immediately forgot about the killing of prisoners. Although King Yong was a bit cruel, as long as he could feed his subordinates, everything else was trivial.

"Brothers, our flag is on Zhenbing Street!"

"Hurry up and go, I know the rich man's house!"

"Each team should keep one person on guard. No chaos allowed!"

The soldiers dispersed.

Jiang He stood by the pool and killed more than 624 people, giving birth to silkworm patterns.

A silkworm pattern symbolizes the power of one person.

Jiang He practiced the Divine Silkworm Sutra, and the silkworm patterns on his body began to condense, becoming 125 lines, but the color became deeper.

"The strength of one bull is equal to the strength of five men."

"The strength of one tiger is equal to that of five oxen."

"The strength of one elephant is equal to that of five tigers."

"The power of one dragon is equal to that of five elephants."

As the silkworm patterns continued to gather, dragon-shaped patterns appeared on Jiang He's right arm. The Divine Silkworm Sutra thus endowed him with the power of a whole dragon.

"My original normal strength is roughly one dragon and one elephant, and the power of the dragon and elephant should be at the level of an ordinary hero who has practiced strength."

Jiang He clenched his fists, and a surge of power emerged, with a significant improvement, but at the same time, absorbing the evil spirit of soldiers also caused a heroic-level mental shock, which was the price that could kill a normal sub-hero.

God Moves with the Sky is activated, and enemies of the Seven Sins are directly exempted from 75%.

"It doesn't seem serious."

Jiang He pondered. He had improved his skills before and gained immunity, so the cost was almost nothing now.

"The power of two dragons and one elephant."

Jiang He began to make evil soldiers.

During this siege, the Dongyang cavalry suffered nearly two hundred casualties, mainly during the rain of arrows and when they dismounted to fight on foot.

In less than a quarter of an hour, six hundred evil soldiers walked out of the blood pool. All of them were ordinary gold level. Without giving these guys the chance to say something shocking, someone opened the door to the domain and took them all away.

[Hint: You have completed the main task ①——Recapture Dengfeng City]
[Hint: You get 1 Immortal Level Skill Upgrade Scroll]
Jiang He took the scroll to improve his self-control.

At the moment of complete improvement, his body suddenly made continuous explosion sounds, and the originally extremely concentrated strength quickly split apart. Strands of strong energy lingered around his body, and his bones seemed to be reshaped, showing a light golden color. His five internal organs seemed to have turned into a furnace, and the strong energy was randomly mixed and shaped, making it indistinguishable from the real thing.

In an instant, one hundred powerful spears appeared.

No energy is required, this is pure physical strength.

[Hint: You have awakened Gangjin]
[Tip: The effective range of your passive spearmanship "Watching the Sea and Listening to the Waves" is increased to a radius of 25 meters]
[Hint: You have obtained the immortal-level passive · Tiangang Five Internal Organs, which can repair body damage by weaving Gangjin, and the lethality of vital parts is reduced by 30%]
Jiang He lowered his eyes and glanced at his left chest which had stopped bleeding. The wound left by the Archer General quickly disappeared as the needle-like energy went back and forth. It was somewhat like an enhanced version of the Heart of Gold.

Half an hour passed.

A gray eagle called Guiman back.

When he reached the top of the city wall, he saw the red-robed figure and heard only orders.

"Later, you will gather 600 cavalrymen, withdraw from Dengfeng City, enter the plains and approach the Dongyang battlefield, and wait for orders."

Jiang He held the top of the city wall with one hand, and thorns pierced into the wall one by one. The process was a bit slow. The Yang Steel in the world of Zhulu was divided into four grades, A, B, C, and D. Each grade contained different amounts of solar power. The dungeon in the palace was made entirely of Grade A Yang Steel.

Gui Man was somewhat puzzled, and even found it hard to accept. He bravely asked, "Your Majesty, Dengfeng City is dangerous. If the enemy is well prepared, it will be difficult for us to get in."

The art of war is treacherous and will not always succeed.

Jiang He stopped stabbing the thorns, his expression calm.

"It's just a death row. If you don't get out, how can the prey get in?"

Gui Man looked at the strange thing hidden in the battlements in astonishment, but when he looked up again, King Yong was gone.

His face changed and he lost his voice.

"Daode Sect, shrinking the earth into an inch!?"

……

The night is like water.

Outside Dongyang City, 50,000 troops gathered and set up camp.

The Southern Liang craftsmen who were plundered from the three counties along the way were working with military craftsmen to quickly build siege equipment and expand logistical reserves under the supervision of Northern Wei soldiers.

On the top of the city wall, Pei Yu was pacing back and forth with an anxious look on his face. Prince Yong had been out for a while and had not returned yet. If the other side died and their morale collapsed, there would be no need to defend this city.

He quickly called over a Pei family member and instructed:
"There is no time to lose. You must lead a hundred cavalrymen from our clan out of the city through the south gate to look for King Yong. I must find him alive or dead. I shouldn't let him mess around!"

"Uncle...uncle."

"What are you waiting for!"

Suddenly, a big hand pressed Pei Yufan's shoulder.

Pei Yu turned around and saw only a bloody head.

Jiang He asked, "What level is the Northern Wei Governor?"

Pei Yu was silent for a moment, then said woodenly, "He is in charge of 30,000 soldiers in a town, and all military affairs, big or small, can be decided by his words."

"Recognize it?"

"He's a well-known figure, how could I not recognize him?"

"Dengfeng City has been destroyed."

"I believe it. I will ask my father for the credit for the head of the second-rank general on behalf of the prince."

"Please ask the court for credit."

"My Lord, there is really no difference."

"I am the Zong Wang."

Pei Amateur: "..."

Yes, it’s the Liang royal family’s world after all.

(End of this chapter)