Within Changzhou City, Ali Gua's days were also difficult.
The Fengtian Army's relentless bombardment with stones caused numerous cracks in the western section of the city wall.
Although it was reinforced with wood and stone in time, no one knows how long it can hold up.
The defenders suffered continuous casualties, and supplies such as arrows and logs were consumed in great quantities.
More importantly, morale began to decline under the continuous bloody battles and immense pressure.
Some surrendered officers have begun to discuss in private how to find a way out.
"General, when will our reinforcements arrive?"
A lieutenant, his face covered in soot, asked in a hoarse voice.
Ali glanced at the endless Fengtian army camps outside the city and shook his head:
"The King is also under great pressure. Zhao Muyun has taken Xuanzhou and his army is heading straight for Youzhou. Reinforcements... probably won't be able to arrive for a while."
"Tell the brothers, we have no way out! Defending Changzhou is defending the southern gate of Youzhou! The Eternal Heaven will protect the warriors!"
He could only maintain the crumbling defense line by relying on his faith and strict military discipline.
While the fierce battle for Changzhou was raging, Zhao Muyun in Xuanzhou City was not idle either.
Taking Xuanzhou brought not only strategic initiative, but also a large amount of spoils.
The grain and weapons in the treasury replenished the Hedong army's supplies, and some of the surrendered soldiers were selected and added to the auxiliary troops.
Zhao Muyun knew that troop strength was his weakness, and he had to maintain an absolute advantage in quality and new equipment.
He ordered the artisans accompanying the army to use the workshops in Xuanzhou to expedite the production of a batch of improved "bed crossbows".
These weapons have a long range and great power, and can also be used in the future battle of Youzhou.
At the same time, he closely monitored the battle situation in Changzhou and the movements in Youzhou.
Shen Qian's Night Watchman kept sending back intelligence.
"Grand Commander, Yang Yan has suffered heavy casualties in Changzhou and is making slow progress."
"In Youzhou, Wuzhu seems to be accelerating the integration of his forces, and some of the tribal cavalry from the Yanshan direction have already arrived on the outskirts of Youzhou."
"In addition... we intercepted a messenger who was trying to infiltrate the Fengtian Army camp. We found a secret letter on him, which was written by Wuzhu to Yang Yan."
Zhao Muyun took the secret letter and quickly browsed through it.
The contents of the letter were rather vague, mainly stating that Wuzhu "heard" that Yang Yan and Zhao Muyun were at odds, and expressed "understanding".
It also implied that if Yang Yan was willing to "do a favor" and remain neutral when the Northern Di army "taught Zhao Muyun a lesson," the Northern Di would be willing to give Yang Yan "unexpected rewards" afterward.
The letter was unsigned and used an ambiguous tone, clearly a test.
"That old dog Wuzhu has indeed started playing the divide-and-conquer trick."
Zhao Muyun sneered and handed the letter to Tang Yanhai and the others beside him for them to read.
"Grand Commander, should we send this letter to Yang Yan to expose Wuzhu's conspiracy?" Tang Yanhai asked.
Zhao Muyun shook her head, a sly glint in her eyes:
"No, why send it to him? This letter proves that Yang Yan has not yet colluded with Wuzhu, otherwise why would Wuzhu go to the trouble of sending someone to deliver it?"
"It is more useful for us to keep this letter than to send it out."
He pondered for a moment and said, "However, we can't let Wuzhu and Yang Yan live too peacefully."
"Old Tang, send a team of elite men, disguised as Northern Di cavalry, to harass the Fengtian Army's supply convoy."
"Remember, only burn the grain and fodder, kill as few people as possible, and leave some traces of the 'Northern Barbarians.' Be quick, and leave as soon as you're done."
"In addition, leak some insignificant intelligence we captured regarding the troop deployment in Youzhou to the Fengtian Army's spies. Let them know that Youzhou is not a monolithic entity."
Zhao Muyun wanted to use their own methods against them, both to create trouble for Yang Yan and delay his capture of Changzhou, and to sow more seeds of suspicion between Wuzhu and Yang Yan.
He wants to muddy the waters so he can profit from them.
The vast area between Xuanzhou and Changzhou became the battlefield where spies and scouts from both sides clashed.
On the surface, the two armies are still attacking the city according to the bet, but the competition behind the scenes has already reached a fever pitch.
Several days later, a breakthrough finally came from Changzhou.
Under the relentless bombardment of the Fengtian Army's catapults, which disregarded wear and tear, a section of the city wall at the west gate of Changzhou finally gave way and collapsed, creating a gap several meters wide!
"kill!"
The Fengtian Army's elite troops, which had been preparing for a long time, surged toward the breach like a tide under Zhang Hong's personal leadership.
Ali personally led his most loyal guards to the breach and engaged in a fierce battle with the Fengtian Army.
At the breach, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers.
Ali was unstoppable, killing several Fengtian generals in succession, but ultimately he was outnumbered and the Fengtian army, with its superior numbers, pressed inward step by step.
At a critical moment, some of the surrendered troops who had long harbored rebellious intentions suddenly turned against the city and attacked the defending forces from within.
Besieged on all sides, Ali knew that the situation was hopeless.
He roared and led his remaining troops to break out east of the city, attempting to fight his way back to Youzhou. However, he was intercepted by Li Jin's cavalry and died in battle.
After more than ten days of bloody fighting, and at a cost far exceeding that of the Hedong Army in capturing Xuanzhou, Changzhou finally fell into the hands of Yang Yan.
When the news reached the central command tent of the Fengtian Army, Yang Yan did not feel much joy.
Although the battle was won, the Fengtian Army suffered more than 20,000 casualties, which dampened morale. More importantly, the time was greatly delayed, allowing Zhao Muyun to gain a foothold in Xuanzhou and buy time for rest and replenishment.
He won the bet, but it was an incredibly difficult and humiliating victory. Meanwhile, Zhao Muyun was probably in Xuanzhou watching him make a fool of himself.
"Reorganize the troops, inventory the spoils, and appease the surrendered soldiers. Head to Baigou River in three days!"
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