Chapter 422 Siege Arrows
The private soldiers of the Hebei noble families around Yecheng did not even have the courage to fight back under such a siege. They were either killed or fled under the threat of arrows from the enemy's front army. When the troops led by Qiao Yan arrived a few hundred steps outside of Yecheng, there was no longer any team standing between them and Yecheng.
The only two things that can still serve as barriers are the city wall of Yecheng and the armored soldiers in Yecheng.
And facing the scene of flags covering the sky on the opposite side, it seemed like a joke that could be overturned at any time!
Lu's army set out, heading straight for Yecheng. Even the dumbest person could guess what the outcome of the military operations in Qingzhou and northern Jizhou would be at this moment.
Not to mention, Qiao Yan had no intention of hiding anything from the people in Yecheng.
That was the signal shouted out by the scouts of the front army holding signal flags when they arrived at the foot of the city. It echoed with the Jizhou captives in the crowd in the distance, making people sure that this was not just a false statement intended to make the remnants of the Han Dynasty in Yecheng surrender!
Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, who were escorted to the front of the battlefield, made Yuan Shao, who already had little face left, be trampled into the mud by the mighty army.
But for the soldiers defending the city, they probably would not pay more attention to the young master of the Yuan family who was captured one after another.
They inevitably looked towards the gold-plated banner at the head. Even though they could not see the scene under the canopy clearly, they could guess that this was probably where the Emperor Dayong was!
Whenever this fierce and powerful army centered on her advanced one step toward Yecheng, there would be muffled thunderous sounds caused by the noise of armor and war horses, which made people's hearts panic with these explosions.
When the army stopped, the cessation of noise did not give people any reason to relax.
This was because the siege vehicles, lookout vehicles and the thunder chariots in the rear that had already demonstrated their power in the battle of Hanoi County were slowly appearing among the enemy's troops at this moment. One after another, crossbows were delivered to the front of the battle from the direction of Hanoi, and were assembled in place on the ground. The chariots in the rear also arrived at the front of the battle.
Obviously, there was still some distance to advance to, but this unhurried and unhurried movement almost made it difficult for people to hold their weapons.
Road Army!
When the number of soldiers and horses was not easy to estimate, even if Qiao Yan had not made false propaganda about "hundreds of thousands of troops" to her subordinates, the soldiers in Yecheng would only feel that it must be a siege formed by 100,000 people.
If there were places around Yecheng where they could provide mutual support, the despair of being trapped in an isolated city would not have reached the level it is today, but there is none.
Not anywhere!
"Why is it so fast?" Liu Bian walked back and forth in the hall.
Everyone could hear that when His Majesty spoke, there was a hint of trembling in his voice.
He also comforted himself by thinking that with Ju Su, Gao Gan, Shen Pei, Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi each stationed along the way, they could at least hold out for another month.
None of these parties would be like Yuan Shang, that unreasonable guy, who would act rashly without fully understanding the difference in strength between the enemy and us!
But so what?
They were still rational people, and in the face of the absolute threat of strength, they were unable to stop the enemy outside their defense line.
Those who are good at seeking profit and avoiding harm and protecting themselves are not only the merchants in Jizhou Zhongshan, but also the other city defenders in Jizhou.
These cities do not have any of Yuan Shao's direct troops stationed there. In the current situation, there must be very few people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the Han court in Yecheng.
Now that Qiao Yan's troops have been gradually gathered and are showing the momentum of a sweep, it is even more impossible for them to hold their ground or rise up in resistance.
It is not difficult to make such a judgment since Liu Bian never commanded the troops personally.
However, knowing is one thing, and being able to accept the current situation is another thing entirely!
Yuan Shao had just suffered such a blow that almost wiped out his entire army on the top of Yecheng. When he came to Liu Bian, he was questioned harshly, "General, didn't you say that with the troops we have raised from all sides, we can at least delay the war for more than half a month, wait until the people of Jizhou have harvested a good harvest, and then expand the army, so that we can always have more new soldiers to join the army!"
"That's what the general said. Since the Hebei noble families share the same hatred with us, they will definitely do their best to prevent Qiao Yan's troops from entering Yecheng, so that we can have a chance to strengthen the city defense and prepare for a counterattack!"
"But now?"
The opponent's advancement now made Liu Bian feel more and more that he should not have believed in the various visions given by Yuan Shao, because he simply did not have the ability to be called a great general!
Yuan Shao's face was so gloomy that it seemed as if a storm was brewing.
Liu Bian was immersed in panic and didn't care at all. At this moment, there was clearly resentment in Yuan Shao's eyes when he looked at him.
In Yuan Shao's view, Liu Bian was a typical example of someone who could talk without any hesitation.
They have been working together for seven years, but Liu Bian still seems to be the same person who was terrified when facing Dong Zhuo's invasion of Luoyang.
No, to be precise, he still has the typical He style of being fierce on the outside but weak on the inside, indecisive, and absurd, which is consistent with Emperor Ling of Han!
What qualifications does he have to criticize Yuan Shao at this time?
But at this moment, the two of them are still grasshoppers tied to the same rope. Instead of letting their hatred for Liu Bian prevail, it is better to... continue to regard him as the last benchmark of the Han Dynasty!
This is their last chance.
"Your Majesty." Yuan Shao's words made Liu Bian shudder, but when he looked at Yuan Shao's face, he felt that the other party seemed to be trying to calm him down as quickly as possible in the most calm way. "Please act according to the original plan."
Qiao Yan's army was approaching at a much faster speed and larger scale than they had imagined, making them realize more clearly that in this time of turmoil, it was no longer possible for them to defeat Qiao Yan by any ordinary means. The only way to change the defeat at this time was to use unconventional means.
Just as Yuan Shao and Liu Bian said, the Yong Dynasty had not been established for long, and the population composition of the Yong royal family was too simple. To this day, the only one who could command submission and admiration and have the confidence to sit on the throne was Qiao Yan.
As long as she died, there would always be a chance to resolve the siege of Yecheng.
Even if her subordinates really wanted to avenge their monarch, with this momentary chaos, Yuan Shao was confident that he could escape with the protection of his subordinates, and then look for an opportunity to make a comeback!
Yuan Shao believed that although Liu Bian was timid, he would not make a wrong choice in this situation that determined his life or death.
Sure enough, like a drowning man trying to hold on to a lifeline, he struggled to give an answer, "Do as the general says."
Compared to Yuan Shao's despair, Qiao Yan's gaze towards Yecheng was much calmer and composed.
She thought that when this battle, which should be called the final battle of the Jizhou conquest, came, she would be excited about the upcoming unification of the world.
That would mean that the Dayong Dynasty she founded completely ended the situation of two dynasties being divided and became a unified dynasty.
But strangely enough, what made her most excited at the moment was not that the Han Dynasty would eventually exist as a completely destroyed former dynasty, nor that Yuan Shao, who had caused trouble for her many years ago, would finally come to an end at this moment, but the performance of her subordinates in various parties who showed their magical powers before escaping the siege of Yecheng.
In the north, Lü Bu, Lü Lingju, Zhao Yun, Qu Yi and others captured Zhongshan and Changshan, and after capturing Shen Pei and Yuan Xi, they advanced into Zhaojun to the north of Weijun and captured several cities along the line. Behind this was the planning of Xi Zhicai, Sima Yi, Xun You and others.
Zhang Liao, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Ma Chao, Xu Huang and others who arrived from the east defeated the two armies of Ju Shou and Yuan Tan, cutting off the two most powerful wings under Yuan Shao. Guo Jia had also left from this army and came to meet Qiao Yan, while Jia Xu was still stationed in Qingzhou.
The southern route is the line where she, Cao Cao, Cao Ang, Wei Yan and others are located.
When her troops passed through Luoyang, she once again felt the enthusiasm of the people of Luoyang. She also saw the fighting spirit of her soldiers in Guanzhong who had been on high alert for many years along the way from Henei to Weijun.
This high and fierce fighting spirit will never disappear with the demise of Yuan Shao's forces and the Yecheng court, but will surely continue to exert its far-reaching influence in stabilizing the situation internally and striving for external expansion.
How could Yuan Shao be a target that they could focus their full efforts on?
"Record today's events truthfully so that future generations can see. This is only the first step in the true rise of our Great Yong court." Qiao Yan stood on his horse, looking at the Han flag on the top of the city wall from afar, and spoke.
After hearing her words, Ren Hong did not respond, but nodded solemnly to explain her attitude.
The battle situation today, recorded by the military historian, will be destined to become the historical evidence of the battle to unify the world that will be passed down to future generations.
Of course, she would record the glory of every citizen of Dayong in a book, so that future generations could see that this platform full of shining stars was held up in the hands of their Majesty.
And no matter how bright and shining the stars are, they can never take away even a bit of her brilliance.
This is the person who will create their future!
In the air waves formed by the shouts all around, the still tightly defended Yecheng seemed to have become a small boat in the stormy sea that could capsize at any time.
When Ren Hongfang escaped from the chaos in Luoyang several years ago and set out on the road to Bingzhou, he never thought that he would be able to see the scene today.
But when this "impossible" thing has become a fact in Qiao Yan's hands, what she wants to do is to let more people see such a scene! There are more people who could be here where she is today.
This career, which may take another five to ten years to advance, has indeed become a goal today, as Qiao Yan said, rather than becoming an end due to the destruction of Yecheng!
Just as Ren Hong was thinking of this, he suddenly saw a fast horse galloping towards the central army. The troops in front retreated for a distance because of this urgent news, allowing him to arrive nearby smoothly.
Then he quickly got off his horse, walked to her in a few quick steps, and reported on the ground, "Your Majesty, someone from Yecheng wants to see you!"
"Seeking an audience?" Qiao Yan withdrew his gaze from the visitor and looked at the distant Yecheng wall from afar, and asked, "Why? Is it that Yuan Benchu feels sorry for his son who is being held hostage at this time and wants to use himself as a substitute, or is it that Yang Wenxian wants to come to the battlefield to see his son and plead for the continuation of the Han Dynasty? Or is it that the King of Hongnong knows that he has committed a serious crime and intends to seek peace on the battlefield?"
The man replied, "Neither. It was the Yecheng garrison that escorted Chen Kongzhang to look for Your Majesty."
"What do you want to see me for?"
"It is said that the King of Hongnong does not know that the rise and fall of the Han and Yong dynasties is legitimate, and he is especially confused by the flatterers. With the anti-rebel manifesto in front of him, he has no choice but to become the enemy of Your Majesty. Today, when Yecheng is at its last moment, I beg Your Majesty to allow them to send the rebels here first, and then discuss the matter of opening the city and surrendering."
Qiao Yan was almost laughing at the rhetoric that the other party came up with.
Liu Bian was innocent. It was only because someone slandered him and persuaded him to continue to be the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and someone wrote such a manifesto to fight against the enemy that he used it as a declaration to call on the Han Dynasty to resist the invasion of the Yong Dynasty.
Now that Qiao Yan's troops were at the gates of the city, he saw the difference in strength between them. He realized that he was not qualified to be the emperor, and was anxious to find a way to escape from Qiao Yan.
It was absolutely impossible to let him leave the city and surrender on his own, but it was possible to let Chen Lin, the pen holder, be thrown out first as a gift of apology to Qiao Yan.
"I admire Chen Lin's talent for writing. If it were a different situation, I should even treat him with courtesy and untie him." Qiao Yan said with a sneer.
Guo Jia asked, "So what does your majesty think at this moment?"
"I didn't see much sincerity in begging for mercy, but I saw a lot of jokes."
Qiao Yan replied, "Since Yuan Benchu's penman has arrived, let Zhongxuan receive him. The defeated generals can now ask the winner for advice."
The next moment, she pointed the spear in her hand in the direction of the city gate and shouted, "King Hongnong is the descendant of the late emperor of the Later Han Dynasty. He did not follow his father's will and fulfill his filial piety. Instead, he established a new court in Ye. He has no talent for protecting the country and the people, and only exploits the people. Now that we, the Great Yong, are suppressing the rebellion, the people are counting on us, and we should only advance and not retreat! Let's capture this city and then we can punish him in detail!"
The murderous look between her eyebrows seemed to reach its peak at this moment.
This signal to advance instantly turned into the sound of drums for the entire army to advance.
Yuan Shao, who was on the top of Yecheng City, was originally waiting for the assassins who were escorting Chen Lin. He wanted to take advantage of Qiao Yan's "courteous and humble" behavior that he had not changed for many years, or take advantage of the other party's arrogant arrival to assassinate him in the chaos. However, he only saw heavy crossbow arrows shot from the bed crossbow rushing to the top of the city as a response to their "surrender"!
If this too-fast counterattack and the chaotic formation of the opposite side had already made Yuan Shao feel a sense of oncoming despair, then this indiscriminate bombardment was like a heavy hammer that shattered his last bit of dignity!
That is more than just the heavy crossbow that killed Pound in the past.
Among the heavy arrows that broke through the air, there was a spark that could not be ignored, indicating that several of them were unusual.
When he climbed to the top of Yecheng City, the fuse of the explosives had burned out.
Fire and thunder suddenly rang out above Yecheng!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
