Chapter 59: Attacking the City

"Commander, why are you here?"

Looking at the suddenly appearing Marquis Marquis Wuyang, Li Mu asked in surprise.

Even if it was a spot check, he should have changed the time.

At this time, the rebel army had just appeared, and even the most careless defending general had to go to the city wall to observe the enemy situation.

"A bit worried, so I came out to walk around.

Those Yangzhou soldiers, have they been peaceful these days?"

Marquis Marquis Wuyang said with a smile.

The trace of worry between his brows exposed his inner anxiety. It could be seen that he didn't like fighting.

"A few suspicious soldiers were found, but there was no time to interrogate them; I guess it has something to do with the military officers under house arrest."

Li Mu unceremoniously applied eye drops.

Official positions have always been one radish, one pit.

Everyone wants to stay in the wealthy Jiangnan to take office, and these local military officers are the biggest obstacles.

Blocking the way in officialdom is the greatest original sin.

A group of noble children with upward mobility have secretly reached a tacit understanding to kick away the stumbling blocks in front of them.

The local military officers in Yangzhou being under house arrest was strongly requested by everyone.

The imperial relative group led by Marquis Marquis Wuyang didn't want to move them at first, but couldn't stand the noble children saying that these people were colluding with the rebel army and couldn't be relied upon.

Evidence couldn't be found for a while, but it could be certain that among these military officers, there must be some who were bought by the salt merchant group.

Every year, the Lianghuai region flows out huge amounts of illicit salt to various places, which cannot be completed without the cover of local military generals.

"These bastards, their hands are really long!"

Marquis Marquis Wuyang couldn't help but curse.

Smuggling and treason are not the same concept; military officers who have participated in illicit salt trading do not mean they will follow the rebel army to rebel.

But as long as there is suspicion, one must be on guard.

It doesn't matter if it's wrong; anyway, people are just under house arrest, and after the investigation is clear, their innocence will be returned.

If a fish that slipped through the net is let go, giving the enemy an opportunity, leading to the fall of Yangzhou, that is a serious crime.

Even imperial relatives can't carry such a heavy responsibility.

"Commander, calm down!

It's not worth it to ruin your body for a few rebels.

Just now observing the enemy army, this subordinate suddenly had a strategy to break the enemy.

The enemy army is not standing firm, and tonight is the best time for a surprise attack.

Just mobilize the elites and kill out from each gate, and it will definitely make the enemy's formation chaotic!"

Li Mu suggested excitedly.

The rebel army outside the city looks like a bully, and it is the best object for practice.

Waiting until the fifth watch, the generals leading the retainers out to charge, will definitely be able to cause no small trouble for the enemy.

If they are lucky and trigger the enemy's camp roar, then they will make a big profit.

"The plan is a good plan, but unfortunately we lack cavalry!

If we had ten thousand cavalry, this general would definitely give you this opportunity."

Hearing Marquis Marquis Wuyang's words, Li Mu forcibly took back what he wanted to say.

It was simply too ridiculous; if he had ten thousand cavalry in his hands, he would have led the troops to kill in all directions, why bother staying here to defend the city.

Not needing ten thousand, even if he had one thousand cavalry, he would have gone out to suppress the rebellion.

The commander doesn't want to take risks, so saying anything is useless.

Li Mu didn't have the courage to raid the camp alone with people.

No matter how bad the rebel army's state is, there are tens of thousands of main troops, some of which are elites.

Charging the formation with a few hundred infantry, once entangled by the enemy army, it is quite possible that the whole army will be wiped out.

The episode ended, and the city wall returned to calm again.

Determining that the rebel army would not attack the city tonight, Li Mu decisively chose to go back to rest.

Intuition told him that in the coming days, it would be difficult to have a good sleep.

……

In the morning, the first ray of sunshine sprinkled on the earth.

The rebel camp, where they were cooking, suddenly became noisy.

"Mr. Zong, is this what you called a surprise attack on the city at night?"

Looking at the exhausted soldiers sitting on the ground everywhere, Huang Huang Renlong asked unhappily.

Facts proved that scholars are indeed unreliable.

Talking about it is reasonable, but in practical operation, it has become two concepts.

According to the plan formulated in advance, he should have ordered a surprise attack on Yangzhou City at this time.

But these soldiers clearly have no strength to attack the city.

The thirty thousand elite soldiers, abandoning all baggage and materials, only carrying dry rations on the road, achieved the feat of walking fifty li a day.

The price was that the number of dropouts exceeded 10%, and the soldiers who followed were also exhausted.

"General Huang, it is mainly because these soldiers are too weak.

When you were selling salt, you led the team to walk a hundred li a day without any trouble.

In order to avoid government troops, traveling at night was a common occurrence.

These soldiers only walked fifty li and became like this, which is clearly a lack of physical strength."

Zong Zong Guangtai couldn't help but defend.

He was also well-read in military books, and when he commanded the main army to fight in Taizhou, it was smooth sailing.

Never expected that the first plan after leaving Taizhou would encounter a major setback.

"Forget it, this matter cannot blame the gentleman.

Pass the order down, set up camp on the spot, and attack the city tomorrow!"

Huang Huang Renlong, who had encountered a setback, instantly realized that the troops under his command were far from reaching the elite level.

After reason regained the upper hand, the pride he had accumulated dissipated by more than half, and he became polite to Zong Zong Guangtai.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 60 =====

"General, rest assured, this student will certainly handle this matter properly!"

Kong Dou Yutang said helplessly.

From the moment the order was accepted, the primary and secondary relationship between the two sides was reversed.

Originally, Huang Huang Renlong was just tagging along with the Kong clan to make a living, but now he, a direct descendant of the Kong clan, had instead become the other party's underling.

Similar scenes were constantly being played out among the various rebel armies.

As the scope of the uprising expanded, the Seven Great Families' control over the various rebel armies plummeted.

Except for a small number of rebel armies that were still directly controlled by the Seven Great Families, most of the rebel armies and them had become cooperative relationships.

Because of the struggle for military leadership, there were also no shortage of internal skirmishes.

For a time, the Lianghuai region became a chaotic mess, and the endless streams of rebel armies began to spread outward in a disorderly fashion.

Requests for aid from prefectures and counties along the way flew toward the two capitals like snowflakes.

……

Standing atop the city gate tower, seeing that the enemy army had been slow to make a move, Li Mu's mood also became irritable.

Waiting in the unknown is the most anxiety-inducing.

The enemy army's delay in attacking the city felt as if they were brewing some major move, which put too much pressure on the new recruits.

"Adjust the cannon muzzles, aim at the enemy's banners, and send them two cannonballs first!"

While issuing the order, Li Mu decisively chose to move away from the artillery platform.

The age of these big guys was likely greater than that of his grandfather, who was already buried in the ground.

They could attack the enemy, but they could just as easily accidentally injure their own people.

In the Great Yu army, due to the quality of the cannons, barrel explosions were no longer a new occurrence.

"Boom—"

After a loud explosion, the banners in the rebel camp still stood tall and upright there.

The cannonball landed in front of the commander's tent a hundred meters away, and the fragmented shrapnel brushed past Huang Huang Renlong.

"Pass the order down, launch the attack immediately!

Tell the soldiers that whoever climbs the city wall first will be promoted five ranks and rewarded with three thousand taels of silver.

After breaking through Yangzhou, there will be no restrictions on looting for three days!"

It was truly too bullying; he had been just a hair's breadth away from meeting a tragic end along with the wailing guards on the ground.

(End of chapter)