Chapter 310: Success in Liaodong

The word "again" was used so directly that Gongsun Du's expression froze on the spot.

But he couldn't make any rebuttal to Lu Lingju.

If the previous battle in the East China Sea was caused by his own carelessness, then what should this time be considered?

Maybe he was thinking of fighting a good counterattack, but he kept hitting his face into the opponent's hard fist.

Even his retreat route towards Xiangping was anticipated by Qiao Yan's people long ago, so that he was ambushed while he was still halfway on the road.

Can this be said to be a lack of martial ethics on the other side? In fact, it may not be possible.

If you want to blame someone, blame him for not finding out the other party's origins first. He was still relying on his growing dominance in Liaodong, thinking that these people were definitely foreign guests and would eventually be taken down by him.

As a result, now he may have to pay a ransom again.

But obviously this time, his treatment would not be as comfortable as before.

Lu Lingju stabbed the halberd in his hand into the ground and asked, "Gongsun Taishou, you haven't paid off your previous debts yet, but you're already thinking about counterattacking. It's no wonder we didn't give you face. How much do you think you are worth now? Let's discuss releasing you after you've paid off your debts."

Gongsun Du frowned, and instead of answering the question about how much he was worth, he asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"

This is really not a question of whether you are afraid of death or not.

He really didn't understand why these young people would spend their time and energy on such a thing.

After he found out the other person's identity, this question became even more confusing to him.

If Liaodong had the abundant grain production like Shuzhong, the overseas trade area like Liangzhou, or the outstanding people and beautiful scenery like Yingchuan, their repeated attempts to capture him and demand compensation could be explained.

But obviously it's not here.

It is particularly intriguing that they would choose to test Liaodong during this natural disaster.

If Qiao Yan wanted to seize land and demand people, there were many more suitable options than Liaodong.

It's impossible that this border area of ​​Liaodong is used as a place for these young people to practice.

If this is true, this action is too insulting!

Although Lu Lingju mocked him, he knew that if he really responded like that, Gongsun Du would probably refuse to cooperate with their plan to attack Liaodong even if he died.

She replied, "Your Excellency intends to recruit Governor Gongsun, but he is too arrogant and wants to be independent, so we have to come up with a solution."

"That's right," Zhuge Liang replied, "Your Excellency admires the talents of Yu Gongsun, but you are also worried that he will not be able to serve you sincerely, so you asked me to come and fight with you."

"Talent?" Gongsun Du asked sarcastically, "What talent? Talent that you can easily manipulate?"

"Gongsun Taishou is wrong," Zhuge Liang replied. "I've heard that the people of Liaodong are fierce and aggressive. Goguryeo is rising from Xuantu County, Buyeo is lurking outside, and Wuhuan is attacking Youzhou. Since Gongsun Taishou took office, although he has implemented harsh laws and there seems to be resentment among the local people, Liaodong has become a place where people from Qingzhou take refuge. Although you may not be a wise man, you can be called an able official. Now is not a time of great peace, and the more talents like Gongsun Taishou, the better for the Grand Marshal."

Gongsun Du was captured by Zhuge Liang this time. These words of praise, which sounded somewhat sincere, were much more effective coming from Zhuge Liang's mouth than from anyone else.

He then continued, "Besides, how can Governor Gongsun know that the Grand Marshal is not preparing to capture the Governor just because we are still young? This little General Lu is the only daughter of General Lu Bu, the General of the Central Army of Pingbei. She has inherited her father's martial arts skills and studied at the Leping Academy founded by the Grand Marshal. Your Majesty once said that he hopes she will surpass her father. In the past, General Lu Fengxian followed your Majesty to fight against Dong Zhuo and killed him in Chang'an. Now, if General Lu can defeat Governor Gongsun, it will be a great success."

Gongsun Du: "...There's no need to raise my status."

Just compare him to Dong Zhuo.

No matter how much he felt that the Han Dynasty was in decline, he never thought that he had the ability to compete with people like Dong Zhuo who had usurped power from the Han Dynasty.

Zhuge Liang did not respond to this, but smiled and said: "Speaking of this young general Guo, his father was the governor of Yanmen in Bingzhou. For many years, his family fought against the Xianbei in the north. This young man Lu, his great-grandfather was the governor of Lujiang, and he once confronted Yuan Gonglu in Yangzhou."

The corners of Gongsun Du's mouth twitched as he realized that these young men fighting with him were all second-generation officials under Qiao Yan. Each of them had an unusual identity. It was also obvious that they not only got status, opportunities to go to school and vision from their fathers, but also real abilities.

Zhuge Liang did not mention anything to him, but turned to Gan Ning and Taishi Ci who were traveling with him. "If Governor Gongsun thinks that we young people are the ones competing with you, then it is really unfair to the Grand Marshal."

"The warships we used on this trip to Liaodong were built by experts from Yangzhou. The slap poles, rams, and bows were all made by Mr. Ma Deheng, and the navigation compass was made by Leping Academy of Sciences. In addition, this General Gan originally served under Liu Yizhou, and was specially recruited by the Lord for his ability to sail and swim. As for this General Taishi, I think Governor Gongsun knows a thing or two. He was originally an official in Qingzhou, and then he switched to my court in Chang'an."

"So, this time we crossed the sea to fight, and we actually mobilized the forces of several states to defeat one person, Gongsun Taishou. Who can say that this is a humiliation to you?"

Gongsun Du wondered if he had been accidentally hit on the head when he was captured. After Zhuge Liang said this, the more he listened, the more he felt that this was the case.

If that is true, Qiao Yan really values ​​Gongsun Du very much.

But just as he was beginning to feel a little fond of Qiao Yan because of this, he suddenly realized that it was completely meaningless for him to care about this.

Is it still necessary for him to express his gratitude to these young people in his current state as a prisoner?

He asked, "What happens after you defeat me and make me surrender?"

"Of course, we should ask Governor Gongsun to help us suppress the bandits." Lu Yi said from the side and casually glanced at Guo Huai on the other end.

Guo Huai was the youngest among these people, but he had been bold and clever since his youth. He joined Leping Academy very early, and because he cooperated with Lu Yi and Lu Lingju to complete the Liaodong composition, he accurately received the signal given by Lu Yi.

He continued with Lu Yi's words: "Gongsun Taishou has good eyesight. I think he can guess who the thief we are talking about is."

Gongsun Du's eyes moved slightly.

If we consider the location of Liaodong, the thief they are talking about can only be Gongsun Zan.

But what really made him curious was that more than two years ago, when Qiao Yan brought Liu Yu from Youzhou to Chang'an to ascend the throne, Shanggu County Prefect Zhang Liao and Gongsun Zan had been confronting each other there. If they wanted to send troops, the timing last year would have been more appropriate than this year. Why did they choose this time?

However, it is undeniable that if Gongsun Du could attack from behind while Zhang Liao was sending troops towards Gongsun Zan, the effect would be much better than the original one-way attack.

Before Gongsun Du could figure out what was going on, Guo Huai suddenly said, "I also know why you are reluctant to make a statement. It's because we feel that if we want to persuade you to join us in an expedition by land, how can we defeat you in a naval battle?"

Gongsun Du looked at the other party and was slightly stunned.

Normally he should be a prisoner now, but why is it that this kid's face is full of unwillingness to admit defeat, as if he wants to prove to him that water fighting is just the least noteworthy strength of these people.

But... this seems to be good news for him?

Because the next moment he heard Guo Huai say: "At most, we will compete with you for the third time. If we win the land battle this time, how about you obey the orders of Grand Marshal Yu?"

Gongsun Du asked: "How are you going to compete with me in this land battle? Don't forget, since you came here by ship, you don't have the hard conditions to fight on land."

"That's not difficult." Guo Huai replied without thinking: "We will send you back to Xiangping. You will defend the city while we attack it from outside. We don't need cavalry to help. If you can stop our attack, you will win. Otherwise, it will be..."

"Bo Ji!" Before Guo Huai could finish his words, he heard Zhuge Liang interrupt him with a short call.

He seemed to realize at this moment that what he said was inappropriate in giving Gongsun Du too much advantage, so he quickly covered his mouth, with a look of regret in his eyes.

But Gongsun Du felt that this way of competing while sitting firmly in the city would only lead to victory for him, and it was the most advantageous way to compete, so he quickly replied, "Okay, it's a deal. I'll wait for you at the foot of Xiangping City."

They were the ones who first proposed this condition, and Gongsun Du was just going along with it, feeling that he was not bullying the young people.

He tried hard not to show any gloating expression on his face. As he was untied, Lu Lingju knocked Guo Huai on the head with a blaming look.

But the words have been said, and if they take them back now, it would make them seem ungenerous, so they have no choice but to go ahead with it.

When Gongsun Du left this place and returned to Xiangping, his mind was full of thoughts. He must let these young people know that attacking and defending a city is not as simple as the games they usually play.

Although Gongsun Dushi could not go too far when defending the city because of their background, he still had to give them a beating to save his face.

"My Lord, have you made up your mind whether to accept the recruitment from Chang'an?" asked Liu Yi, who was released with him.

Gongsun Du waved his hand, not intending to answer the question at this time, but said: "Let's wait until we win this battle."

It's impossible that they are just being beaten unilaterally by the enemy here. That can't be called recruiting at all, it can only be called taming.

It is almost impossible to ask for any treatment conditions from Chang'an.

Although Gongsun Du knew very well that if he had to choose between Qiao Yan and Gongsun Zan to be an enemy and a friend, it was easy to decide who would be the enemy and who would be the friend, but he had previously wanted to become king, and now he had to transition to being a vassal so quickly, and he really couldn't save face for that.

It’s better to defeat those young people with powerful backgrounds first!

However, to Gongsun Du's surprise, when Zhuge Liang, Lu Lingju and others brought their troops to the foot of Xiangping City, no one appeared within the shooting range of the city wall.

They formed a team of nearly 7,000 people, including the people plundered from Zhangzidao and other islands, the soldiers robbed from Gongsun Du, the people from Liaodong recruited by looting the Da clan and the Xi'anping treasury, and the more than 2,000 people who originally came with the fleet, and surrounded the county of Xiangping.

Gongsun Du looked towards the city in a daze, totally not understanding what these people were up to.

"With just such a small number of people, you want to try to besiege the city?" He sneered and looked at the young generals who could be vaguely seen in the distance. He felt that these people were still too young.

With such a thin defense, he could just gather a team from the city and break out.

But Liu Yi on the side was not as optimistic as Gongsun Du.

He carefully observed the distribution of the divine arm bow team under the city and found that these sharpshooters had already provided all-round coverage of each city gate.

Regardless of whether these people can stop the team from leaving the city, at least they can cause considerable casualties to them.

Then, he saw a crossbow being dragged out from the team on the other side, and without any greeting, it fired a heavy arrow towards the top of the city wall on their side.

Gongsun Du's originally smug expression suddenly froze on the spot, because the arrow shot from the crossbow came at him with lightning speed and hit the center of the city wall right on the spot!

That thing could be shot at the city wall with such accuracy, who knows if it would have the same effect if used to shoot at him.

He pointed at the arrow with a trembling finger and said, "Go, bring me the document on the arrow."

The sight of the white cloth hanging on the arrows made him vaguely feel that he had heard of it in some rumor, but in the sudden shock of facing it, he had no time to think about it in detail whether these young people who rushed to Liaodong had imitated their lord's various behaviors to about 80%.

After Liu Yi handed the white cloth to him, Gongsun Du quickly spread it out in front of him. The first line on it read: "Gongsun Taishou, you have been imprisoned."

"Prison cell..." Gongsun Du murmured, frowning slightly.

What prison?

The meaning of the following few lines can be simply explained as saying that Gongsun Du's choice to take on this so-called third decisive battle in order to save face was actually a very stupid decision on his part.

It would not be a problem if Xiangping City was besieged for one or two days.

But after being besieged for three days, some changes could no longer be guaranteed.

Since Xiangping is located in the north of Liaodong County, it is very close to Xuantu County, Liaodong vassal states, Goguryeo and Buyeo. How can he ensure that these parties will not decide to attack him after hearing the news that he is besieged here?

Goguryeo was once threatened by him and had to be driven by him when he sent troops to fight the enemy. Now they no longer have to be constrained by him.

Although Yuchoutai, the king of Buyeo, married a daughter of the same clan as him and was related to him, who knew whether Yuchoutai sincerely cooperated with his actions.

Both of these foreign forces needed Gongsun Du to always maintain sufficient prestige to ensure that they would submit to him out of awe.

Besides, as for the local forces in Liaodong, taking the situation in Xiangping County as an example, is it true that Gongsun Zhao, Tian Shao and others who were killed by him in his early years have no relatives or friends still alive?

If Gongsun Du could no longer exert his power within the country, he would also face tremendous pressure.

Then there is the Liaodong vassal state and even the Liaoxi County in the west.

While facing the threat from Zhang Liao, Gongsun Zan and Tadun always paid some attention to Liaodong.

People like Zhuge Liang who came from afar can evacuate here at any time. Anyway, they have already confirmed the feasibility of sailing to Youzhou. Whether there is a lack of external aid from Gongsun Du or not will not have much impact on them.

But Gongsun Du is different. If he reveals any weakness, he will face fatal danger.

How could it not be asking for capture if he locked himself up in Xiangping City like he is doing now?

"Asshole, can't I mobilize the people in the city to fight their way out now?" Gongsun Du resisted the urge to pick up a knife and kill people after being trapped in this position, and read to the end the letter that was shot onto the top of the city wall.

But when his troops really left the city as he had ordered, he saw a scene that he would never forget.

In the hands of the archers standing ready at the four corners of the city gate, the long-range bows they originally held were suddenly replaced with crossbows hanging on the waist gates, which they pulled with the help of waist strength.

As the city gate opened, the action of stringing the bows and crossbows was completed in unison.

Gongsun Du was originally going to laugh at these people for using bows and crossbows, which were so complicated to load. However, because there were enough people leaving the city this time, the powerful bows and crossbows became useless.

The slow reloading speed of crossbows means that they are mostly used as tools for defending cities rather than siege weapons.

However, at the moment when the cavalry under his command rushed into the range of the bows and crossbows, the crossbows used by every soldier in the Divine Arm Archery Camp were firing crossbow arrows with enough power to penetrate armor at an unstoppable speed.

The hissing sound of crossbow arrows breaking through the air filled the buffer zone outside the city for a moment.

Only after more than ten arrows had been shot out of the crossbow did these people stop shooting and start reloading.

More than ten!

Gongsun Du couldn't help but gasp when he saw this scene.

In such an offensive scenario, he would not be mistaken. That was not a waist-loaded crossbow that could only fire one arrow, but a repeating crossbow!

But even though the repeating crossbow had existed in the early years, there had never been a terrifying existence like one crossbow with ten arrows.

Now...now he has indeed seen this new type of weapon that has suddenly appeared, but unfortunately he is the one who has been proven to have its power!

After this fierce series of shootings, all of Gongsun Du's cavalrymen who tried to break out were shot down a hundred steps out of the city.

Those who luckily survived this round of shooting were intercepted on the spot by the cavalry led by Lu Lingju and Guo Huai patrolling outside the city.

When the last cavalryman fell, Gongsun Du saw from afar that General Xiao Lu raised the blood-stained halberd in his hand towards him.

This action seemed to be silently announcing a meaning -

Do you still think that this is not called "capturing"?

Gongsun Du took a step back dejectedly.

In this self-imprisoned situation, he suddenly realized that the difference between him and these evil guests who came from afar was not just a crossbow, a baton, or a divine arm bow.

The difference is that his mind is fixed on the land of Liaodong County, while the thoughts of these young people are alive!

Perhaps, even if this battle did not take place here, but somewhere else, they could still trap him with their own intelligence.

At this moment he is still in the city and is temporarily safe. He is still a leader respected by his subordinates.

But after being captured these three times, he knew very well that he no longer needed to struggle.

A piece of news arrived in Donglai via an ordinary sea vessel along the Changshan Islands, and was then quickly sent to Chang'an by intelligence personnel in Qingzhou using a raised carrier pigeon.

It’s a pity that Qiao Yan was not in Chang’an at that time but in Luoyang, so after some twists and turns, it finally fell into her hands.

Qiao Yan unfolded the translated letter in his hand and saw eight words written on it:

Liaodong was captured and the mission was accomplished.