The rising sun rose, and Meng Haigong and Han Yao each commanded their respective headquarters to attack Rencheng from both east and west.

After many days of fighting, the Rencheng defenders had basically figured out the strength of the rebel army. They knew that the so-called attack of the rebel army was just a bluff, and the threat to Rencheng was not great. In addition, Duan Wencao and the main force of the Lu army were outside Ningyang City dozens of miles away. If Rencheng was in danger, they could call the police, and the scout guarding the Bingshui River urgently reported Duan Wencao. After a few hours, reinforcements could reach the city. Therefore, the Rencheng defenders were very confident and did not pay attention to the attack of the rebel army, and they gradually became slackened in their psychology. Since you were bluffing, I would respond to the story and perfunctorily. Everyone was consuming each other to see who could consume whom.

Today, the rebels launched another attack as usual, and the defenders were divided into two groups, defending the city. After careful observation, they confirmed that the bandits were still bluffing, and only thundered and did not rain, so they relaxed their vigilance. It didn't matter if this relaxation was not important. The two rebels suddenly advanced under the moat and built a ladder. Then, assault squads carried the ladder, quickly crossed the moat, rushed under the city wall, erected the ladder and launched a fierce attack.

The defenders then realized that they had fallen into the trap. The "bluffing" of the rebels before was obviously a numbing technique. When the defenders in the city were lazy, the rebels suddenly launched an attack and caught them off guard. The defenders in the city were panicked, fussed and messy. Fortunately, the rebels' strength was limited, and the methods of siege were very monotonous. In a hurry, the two sides fought equally.

Just when the two cities in the east and west were fighting fiercely, Li Fengyun commanded the Cangtou army to suddenly kill outside the Nancheng City.

The number of defenders in Nancheng was very small. Seeing the rebels coming overwhelmingly, they were so scared that they all broke their hearts. Ten thousand people rushed to the regiment commander and asked for help from Rencheng County Government. At this moment, the regiment commander of the regiment guarding Rencheng was commanding the army in Dongcheng to fight against Han Yao's troops, Rencheng County Magistrate, and County Magistrate commanded the soldiers of the village regiment to fight bloody battles with Meng Haigong's Jiyin Rebel Army in Xicheng. Both sides had neither troops nor time to support Nancheng. In addition, after this period of time, they had the rebel army with the rebel army.

During the fight, they basically had some understanding of the strength of the rebels outside the city. They took it for granted that the army attacking the Nancheng was fake, and it was temporarily pieced together by the elderly, weak, sick and disabled who followed the rebels. It was a trick to induce the defenders in the city to divide their troops to support. There were fewer defenders in the city, and they were divided in three directions, and the defensive power in any direction was too weak. At this time, as long as the rebels concentrated their main force to attack one place, they would be able to seize the opportunity to capture the city.

The Cangtou Army had very complete siege equipment, and the soldiers had very rich experience in siege. With the drums and the horns sounded, eight regiments of soldiers rushed up, and the archers covered the city wall with arrow formations. The commando built a ladder bridge on the moat. Then, teams of soldiers crossed the moat and set up a ladder. With the deafening sound of killing, they rushed up the city wall like a stunning wave, and in an instant, they destroyed the defense of the government army and entered the city.

Rencheng fell.

The defenders in the city were in chaos, and they rushed to escape.

The beacon tower on the Xicheng Tower was burning, and thick smoke rose into the sky. The scouts on the Tangshui River were shocked and quickly called Duan Wencao.

Duan Wencao received the alarm and disagreed. The thieves were at the end of their journey and had to struggle a few times. But soon, the Rencheng County Magistrate and the leader of the township group rushed over with more than a dozen defeated generals. Duan Wencao was very shocked. Rencheng was actually lost and was captured by the thieves. More than 600 soldiers of the township group were killed and injured. The changes in the battle situation brought about were even more unfavorable to the official army. How could this happen? How could the good situation be reversed instantly?

Duan Wencao was so calm that he stood in front of the map and said nothing for a long time.

Niu Jinda was embarrassed and angry. He was caught, and everyone was trapped. Who would have thought that the target of the white-haired thief was Rencheng, which was close to him. Rencheng was lost and the battle situation was reversed. Now the official army was very passive. If the troops were divided to attack Rencheng, they would hit the thief and the thief would wait for the official army to divide the troops so that they could defeat them. Without division of troops, all the main forces were concentrated to attack Rencheng, and then they would have to abandon Ningyang City. In this way, the thief troops in Ningyang City could escape the difficulties. After the escape, Han Jinluo and the bandits would inevitably cooperate with the main force of the bandit army in Rencheng, and attack the official army from front to back, and the official army would be in danger of defeat. Once the official army was defeated and had to retreat to Xiaqiu, the bandits would inevitably sweep across most of the Lu County. By then, the entire situation in Qilu would undergo drastic changes, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

How should we fight the next battle?

Duan Wencao carried his hands on his back and walked slowly in the tent. The first thing he thought of Xu Shiren. Did Xu Shiren betray him, got along with the thieves, or was he seen through and used skillfully by the thieves? Or did Xu Shiren not betray him, nor was he seen through by the thieves, but was it just a coincidence? The evidence that really prompted him to be convinced that the white-haired thief retreated to Mengshan came from Kong Zhongqing of Xiaqiu. In fact, even without the news of Kong Zhongqing, he would not have thought that the white-haired thief would quietly kill to Rencheng. How did the white-haired thief hide his traces and kill to Rencheng?

?Duan Wencao thought of Zhang Xutuo. At that time, Zhang Xutuo was crossing the Wenshui River and surrounded the yellow flood area northeast of Juyeze, quietly hiding in Maodudian. It is estimated that the white-haired thief was walking this way. Inferring this way, Xu Shiren is still reliable, and Shuai Rentai's surrender is also credible. However, a considerable number of people within the thief army insisted on fighting with them to the end. Surrendering in the city is not a simple and easy task. It requires careful planning and appropriate time. These all require time, but what they lack is time.

He never found the best time to forcibly attack the city. Before, the white-haired thief stationed his troops in Gangcheng, which was only a few dozen miles away from him. Now he has captured Rencheng, grabbed food, stabilized the morale of the army, and posed a greater threat to him. Duan Wencao couldn't help but sigh. Since Zhang Xutuo left, the trap of Ningyang City has not trapped the rebels, but has trapped himself, so he is now at a loss and can't do anything.

"Tell Xu Shiren secretly and ordered him to try every means to convince Shuai Rentai and strive to open the city gate in the shortest time." Duan Wencao turned around and looked at Niu Jinda and waved his hand hard. "Now, only by conquering Ningyang can we reverse the situation, but the white-haired thief is eyeing Rencheng. If we forcefully attack the city, he will definitely attack our backs, so now we can only count on Xu Shiren and Shuai Rentai."

Niu Jinda hesitated and said nothing. Is Xu Shiren reliable? Did Shuai Rentai really surrender? If Xu Shiren has been exposed and Shuai Rentai fake surrender, then when the city gates open, that is, when the Lu army falls into the abyss of death, it is too dangerous.

However, when Rencheng fell, the main force of the white-haired thieves and Cangtou Army not only continued to threaten the government troops outside Ningyang City, but also began to threaten the security of Xiaqiu, the capital. In this case, if the two sides continue to stalemate, the situation will only become more and more beneficial to the thieves army. Now the official army is still restrained by Ningyang and cannot move, while the white-haired thieves can free up their hands and launch a fierce attack on Zoucheng and Pingyang lines on the battlefield of the southern line of Lujun. Once Xiao She cannot support it and retreats to Pengcheng, the north and south lines of Lujun will be lost. The bandit army not only robs food, alleviates the food crisis, but also occupies a large amount of territory and can develop and grow rapidly. The development and growth of the thieves army has a fatal impact on the situation in Qi and Lu. Not to mention that Duan Wencao cannot bear this responsibility, Zhou Fashang, the Qiaogong of the Right Guard, also cannot bear this responsibility. You can imagine how bad the future situation will be.

Duan Wencao was forced to the edge of the cliff by his narrow selfish interests and arrogance. A further step was the abyss. At this moment, he had no way back. Even if Ningyang City was a death trap, he could only sacrifice himself.

Niu Jinda looked heavy and nodded slowly, "What if Shuai Rentai drags on and on? The news that the white-haired thief captured Rencheng will soon reach Ningyang City, and the thieves' morale will be greatly boosted. Shuai Rentai will definitely hesitate and look back. Envoy, the battle situation is not good for me, and we cannot stand it. Once Xiao She retreats to Pengcheng, all the cities on the southern front will be lost, and the situation will be difficult to save."

Duan Wencao thought for a long time and asked, "Where will the plan come out?"

"Attack, attack resolutely, attack crazily at all costs." Niu Jinda's eyes showed murderous aura and fierce momentum. "At this time of passiveness, only by attacking the rebels in the city, beating them to death and losing the power of movement can we catch a trace of initiative from the passiveness. By then, if the white-haired thieves lead the army to Ningyang, our army will take advantage of the plan. When the thieves in the city have lost the power of counterattack, they will do their best to fight the white-haired thieves and decide the outcome with them."

This is a fighting method of fighting with one's life and burning both jade and stone. Duan Wencao must take into account all kinds of interests and will not take any risk. Only Niu Jinda, the head of Yingyang Mansion, dares to be so decisive from a purely military perspective.

Duan Wencao smiled bitterly. I have to say that under the current circumstances, this method is only simple and effective. With one force, I will defeat you with absolute strength. Any conspiracy and tricks will be wiped out in the face of absolute strength.

"Empress, if you want Shuai Rentai to surrender in the city, you can only destroy all his hopes." Niu Jinda saw Duan Wencao pondering and continued to speak, "If you want to destroy all the hopes of the thieves in the city, you can only attack and attack fiercely, suffocate them, make them despair, let them collapse, let them lose their minds in blood and death, and have to kneel down and beg for life in order to survive."

"Our troops have no absolute advantage compared to the thief army in the city. In this case, we must kill 800 enemies, lose 1,000 of them, and burn them all." Duan Wencao sighed, "If we suffer too much, are scarred and exhausted, what can we use to defeat the white-haired thief who is waiting to work hard?"

Duan Wencao's stubborn idea of ​​preserving his strength made Niu Jinda angry. "Encourt, once the stalemate is too long, all the cities on the southern front will be lost, and the strength of the white-haired thief will expand rapidly, and the final situation will still be out of control."

Duan Wencao waved at Niu Jinda, signaling him not to say anything else and let him think carefully.

After a long period of repeated weighing, Duan Wencao decided to adopt some of Niu Jinda's suggestions, attack first, put heavy pressure on the thieves in the city, and force Shuai Rentai to make up his mind to surrender. As long as the city gate is opened, the official army will be able to capture the city. This will not only achieve twice the result with half the effort, but also reverse the situation of the battle. Why not do it?

=

=
Chapter completed!