Anlu City was first built in the Tang Dynasty and was renovated many times during the Song and Yuan Dynasties.
During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, Anlu County was promoted to a prefecture with its seat in Anlu.
The city wall of Anlu is three zhang high and seven li long, with towers, arrow towers and corner towers built on it. There is a moat outside the city, which is three zhang wide.
A city of this size is easy to defend but difficult to attack. What’s even more terrifying is that the walls of Anlu City are built of stone.
Not to mention ordinary artillery, even if you move the Red Cannon and keep firing it, it will take several days and nights to see any effect.
Li Dingguo had only 5,000 cavalrymen, and they were not good at attacking cities.
Capturing Anlu was almost an impossible task.
After Gao Wengui told Li Dingguo the information about Anlu City, Li Dingguo was silent for a long time.
He didn't expect Zhang Xianzhong to give him such a military order...
"General, don't hesitate. He was unkind first, and we are unjust later! Rather than die in vain, we might as well rebel now!" Gao Wengui clenched his fists, his eyes wide open.
Li Dingguo glared at Gao Wengui and said, "Shut up!"
Before Gao Wengui could refute, Li Dingguo issued a military order: "Tianwei Camp should immediately move out of camp and prepare to capture Anlu."
After a simple packing, the five thousand cavalrymen set off in a hurry.
Looking at Li Dingguo's departing back, Zhang Xianzhong frowned.
He turned around and asked Wang Zhaolin: "Military Advisor, will Li Dingguo never come back?"
Wang Zhaolin shook his head slightly: "No, the quartermaster only gave him two days' worth of food and grass. If Anlu City is not conquered in two days, Li Dingguo will retreat because of the food and grass problem."
"Well," Zhang Xianzhong nodded with confidence, but then he had some concerns: "Are we going too far?"
"Father-in-law, you are worrying too much. Those who don't want to rebel will never rebel until they die. Those who want to rebel only need an excuse!"
"Okay, let's see how he performs this time. If he doesn't rebel, I will return the military power to him. If he rebels..., I will send troops to suppress him." Zhang Xianzhong said with a frown.
Wang Zhaolin blinked and turned away.
A quarter of an hour later, Wang Zhaolin appeared in Sun Kewang's camp.
"Military advisor, is there anything I can do for you?" Sun Kewang asked expressionlessly.
Wang Zhaolin laughed: "Why, can't I come to see you if I have nothing to do?"
"Yes, of course!" Sun Kewang said with a fake smile.
After the two exchanged pleasantries, Wang Zhaolin suddenly said, "General Sun, from what I heard from the King of the Great West, as long as Li Dingguo captures Anlu, he will be given back his military power."
"What?" Sun Kewang stood up quickly. "Military Advisor, are you serious?"
Wang Zhaolin said in a serious tone, "Why would I lie to you? If General Sun doesn't believe me, you can go ask him yourself."
Sun Kewang stood there for a while and then seemed to have no strength left in his body. He collapsed into the chair.
He had just taken over 15,000 elite troops from Li Dingguo. If he returned the military power, these 15,000 people would be lost again.
Wang Zhaolin looked at the distraught Sun Kewang and smiled: "General Sun, don't you want to do something?"
Sun Kewang's eyes were dull: "What can I do? I can't do anything! Who dares not to obey my adoptive father's words?"
"Who said nothing can be done?" Wang Zhaolin pretended to be mysterious.
Sun Kewang immediately perked up when he heard this. He stood up and walked to Wang Zhaolin and asked, "Military Advisor, do you have any good ideas?"
"I guess so, but I forgot about it after I got beaten yesterday."
"This..." Sun Kewang began to analyze the meaning of Wang Zhaolin's words.
The meaning of this sentence is very clear, Wang Zhaolin is asking for benefits from him.
What does Wang Zhaolin want?
Beauty?
Even if he dared to give it, Wang Zhaolin might not dare to accept it.
What's more, he didn't dare to send it, otherwise once Zhang Xianzhong's daughter knew about it, she would order them both to be castrated.
Then the only gifts you can give are money, cultural relics, or calligraphy and paintings.
After understanding this truth, Sun Kewang turned and walked to the corner of the military tent and took out a long sandalwood box from the box.
He placed the sandalwood box on the table and said, "In the 16th year of Chongzhen's reign, when we attacked Wuchang, my soldiers found this in the Prince of Chu's mansion. Please have a look at it, military advisor."
Although Wang Zhaolin was anxious, he did not take it immediately, but pretended to be polite.
After the polite exchanges, he opened the wooden box and took out the contents.
This is a scroll.
After opening it, he found it was a painting. After seeing the content of the painting, Wang Zhaolin was shocked: "This... is this the painting of Emperor Minghuang receiving the seal by the painting saint Wu Daozi?"
Sun Kewang said with disdain: "It's just a broken painting. If you like it, please take it away. It just takes up space here."
Wang Zhaolin was not polite this time. He slowly rolled up the painting and carefully put it back into the sandalwood box.
After dealing with these, he held the wooden box in his arms: "Anlu is a stone city, easy to defend but difficult to attack. If you want to attack Anlu, you can only send spies into the city in advance, and then cooperate with the outside. If the enemy knows the plan, let alone 5,000 people, even 50,000 people will not be able to capture it in a short time."
After saying this, Wang Zhaolin left in a hurry.
Sun Kewang thought for a moment, then called in his personal soldiers outside the tent and whispered a few words to them.
After receiving the order, the bodyguard changed his clothes and left the barracks on horseback.
The next morning.
More and more people gathered outside Anlu City, carrying all kinds of crops on their backs and waiting to enter the city to trade.
Gao Wengui and more than a thousand Dashi Army soldiers also disguised themselves as civilians and scattered outside the four city gates waiting to enter the city.
With a bang, the suspension bridge was lowered.
Just as the people were about to enter the city, hundreds of fully armed Ming troops poured out of the city gate and came to the side of the suspension bridge.
The leading officer shouted, holding a bow and arrow in hand: "According to reliable information, there are bandits among you who are planning to enter the city. All those who want to enter the city must be inspected. Those who refuse to be inspected will be killed without mercy!"
Although the people had complaints, they still started queuing up obediently.
The Ming army conducted a very thorough inspection, and even clothes, luggage, and even shoulder poles had to be picked up and weighed to check their weight.
Gao Wengui touched the sword hidden in the basket and sighed to the soldiers around him: "It seems that we can't get in. Retreat."
The way they were leaving quickly attracted the attention of the Ming army generals, "All of you stop right there!"
Gao Wengui pretended not to hear and quickened his pace to leave.
"If you don't stop, we will shoot arrows!" the Ming army general continued to shout.
Gao Wengui ran away without any hesitation.
They were not wearing armor on this trip, and it was not wise to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the armored Ming army.
"Shoot!"
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