Chapter 223

In the original Chongcheng.

Two months ago, the soldiers in the city were like birds startled by the twang of a bow, filled with panic.

After all, that person had come again, and the people of the Northern Wind began to sigh.

Lu Chen crossed the Yellow River again and began to climb the northern mountains.

Every piece of news stimulated the already shaky minds of the Northern Wind's generals and soldiers.

In twenty years, the rise of the Northern Wind nation has been witnessed by the world.

But!

Because it is adjacent to the Yan region, they know deeply that the Yan State is becoming increasingly powerful, showing a posture of "settling the world," which makes people feel afraid.

Merchants and commoners of the Northern Wind who have had the good fortune to set foot in the Yan region are all deeply shocked and desperate.

Shocked by the prosperity of the Yan State today, and desperate that the Northern Wind is an enemy of the Yan region.

After two northern expeditions, the Northern Wind had long since become timid!

This time, abandoning the fertile Bozhou and Xuzhou, the court and the people were tacitly silent, without any disagreement.

Throughout the country, they only wish to "defend the original Chongcheng to the death."

A month ago, even the emperor of the northern lands, Tuoba Shuyi, personally came to the city to supervise the battle.

The city walls are high and thick, with 300,000 troops stationed, and the world-famous general Zhou Tiancheng in command.

There is no shortage of newly promoted young soldiers in the army who have not personally experienced the fires of war in the past.

Under the "soldier family system" of the Northern Wind, the soldiers' fathers participated in the wars of that year.

Their descendants are soldiers for generations!

But those old soldiers who walked out of the battlefield had long since passed down that history by word of mouth.

Last month, on the city walls, when the soldiers looked at the banner of the "Yanbei Army," they already felt timid.

Fortunately!

After several mobilizations by Zhou Tiancheng, there were military gatherings.

"If the Yanbei Army crosses the original Chongcheng, then we will face the disaster of extermination."

He reformed the military merit system and made heavy promises:

Anyone who kills one enemy can get rid of the status of "military household" and regain freedom; if one can behead an enemy deputy general, one can even be enfeoffed as a marquis and bring glory to their hometown.

"Men, the opportunity to make contributions has arrived."

This caused a great shock in the hearts of the army.

The Yanbei Army attacked the city three times.

The Northern Wind had a strong city to rely on, and their defense was active and brave, which made them return in failure.

Thus!

The army in the city was even more excited, holding high their sharp swords on the city walls.

The Yanbei Army retreated.

This news spread back to the Northern Wind like a beating drum; for a time, the people and the court were agitated.

It turns out that the Yanbei Army is not invincible, and Lu Chen is not a god.

Two months passed in a flash, and the Yanbei Army repeatedly encountered resistance outside the original Chongcheng, unable to move forward a single step.

Today, they even retreated sixty miles, as if they were helpless against this strong city.

Seeing this, the atmosphere in the city was enthusiastic, as if they had already won.

At noon!

A young eunuch walked hurriedly, shuttling between the major camps, panting as he conveyed the news:

"Commander Zhou urgently summons all generals!"

For a time, the high-level generals in the city gathered in the city government office.

The crowd was divided into two rows, sitting down in order; there were many young deputy generals, and very few old generals.

Among those sitting, the two in the front on the right were Zhou Tiancheng's confidants.

The first was Zhou Tiancheng's nephew, Zhou Yong.

He looked medium-built, wearing a moon-white Confucian robe; his left hand seemed to be ailing, always curled up and held in front of his chest, trembling slightly.

There was no flesh on his face, his cheeks were sunken, and a cold intent showed between his brows.

Although Zhou Yong did not wear official robes, the surrounding generals were clearly in awe of him.

It is said that he was the one who presided over the "human meat shops" in the city and made "white meat" back then.

Zhou Yong was deeply valued by Zhou Tiancheng; although he was a nephew, he was actually a strategist and advisor.

Behind Zhou Yong sat a middle-aged general in a green robe.

He was tall, had a handlebar mustache, his face was as red as a date, and his eyes revealed a sense of arrogance.

This person was Zhou Tiancheng's fellow villager and childhood friend; they grew up together and were also one of the few people left in the city back then.

His name was He Sheng.

He and Zhou Tiancheng were like brothers, and for many years he had followed Zhou Tiancheng in battles south and north, making great contributions.

That famous defensive battle in the Northern Wind was discussed together by Zhou Tiancheng and the two of them.

Since then!

Zhou Tiancheng stood out in the army and stepped up to his current position step by step.

At this moment, although the crowd did not speak, the joy on their faces could not be hidden.

After all!

They had successfully blocked the Yanbei Army for two months, and today they even forced the enemy army to retreat sixty miles, which was undoubtedly a huge boost to their morale.

The young generals were even more high-spirited.

On the left side of the two rows of seats sat a middle-aged man; he closed his eyes in thought, his demeanor steady, as if all the noise outside could not disturb him.

A bright red python robe made him particularly eye-catching.

The Prince of the Northern Wind, Tuoba Shuchao.

Tuoba Shuchao is Tuoba Shuyi's younger brother, ranked eighteenth among the brothers in the family; since childhood, he had been taken by his elder brother, and after growing up, he was entrusted with important tasks.

He had participated in the war between the Northern Wind and the Lu family army, and both in the army and in the court, his prestige was quite high.

As a key place for the Northern Wind, the life and death of the original Chongcheng directly concerned the fate of the entire Northern Wind.

Tuoba Shuyi naturally would not take it lightly; he established the position of "Inspector" to monitor the actions of generals like Zhou Tiancheng, which was held by this prince, Tuoba Shuchao.

Tuoba Shuchao had great power in the city; except for Zhou Tiancheng, the dismissal of all generals and their military merits were reported by him.

Everyone, regardless of status, position, or duty, was respectful to him.

One side was Zhou Tiancheng's confidant generals, and the other side was the court officials.

It seemed quiet.

Not long after!

Zhou Tiancheng walked slowly into the meeting room; before he arrived, his old and vigorous voice had already preempted the others:

"Sorry, I'm a bit late!"

The generals led by Zhou Yong had already stood up in unison, waiting for this military commander.

Tuoba Shuchao was also a moment late; after his eyes swept across the row of generals opposite, he also stood up to welcome him, and the four people beside him followed suit, standing up to pay their respects.

Tuoba Shuchao showed a warm smile on his face and said: "Old Master Zhou, no rush!"

An old general with a somewhat hunched and thin figure, looking to be sixty years old, with a slightly hunched back, walked slowly from the back hall.

He wore the blue court dress of the Northern Wind and a official hat on his head.

Although the skin on his face was sagging and wrinkled, his eyes were surprisingly flashing with essence, revealing a temperament that was not angry but majestic.

"Prince Qi!"

Zhou Tiancheng saluted Tuoba Shuchao.

After some polite exchanges between the two, the crowd slowly paid their respects, and the atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became solemn and grave.

Zhou Tiancheng sat in the main seat, scanning the crowd.

Zhou Yong had already stood up and reported respectfully:

"Commander Zhou, scouts have reported that Lu Chen has led 100,000 troops to the side of the Zhi River."

"Moreover, there are frequent gatherings in the army, singing and dancing; according to news brought by several post-station marquises, the guards at the camp are quite loose, and many people are even drunk and out of control, and many have even fallen into the river by accident."

The young generals in the hall could not help but show smiles when they heard this.

Lu Chen, who is famous in the world, is nothing more than this.

However, some older people, such as Tuoba Shuchao and Zhou Tiancheng, had solemn expressions.

An old general who had participated in the northward war asked uncertainly:

"Commander, is the military situation true? The Lu family army has always been disciplined; it should... not happen."

Zhou Yong's position in the army is Military Commander, holding military power, capable of leading troops alone, different from military advisors like wine-drinking scribes.

Tuoba Shuchao also nodded in agreement:

"With Lu Chen's strict governance, it is indeed impossible for this situation to occur."

"Something is wrong!"

Zhou Yong laughed: "Prince Qi is right, so we sent a second batch of scouts to investigate again."

"Wait a moment, and new news will come."

Zhou Tiancheng nodded with satisfaction at Zhou Yong's performance, and the hall fell into silence again.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the military situation at the front; this matter was of great importance and could not be taken lightly.

In less than half an incense stick of time!

A soldier came hurriedly to report:

"By the Zhi River, gatherings are indeed being held; there are discarded wine bottles everywhere in the military camp, many soldiers are washing horses by the river, and the camp is full of the sounds of drinking and gambling."

As soon as these words were spoken!

Zhou Yong seemed to have expected it; after all, the first wave of scouts were all reliable people he personally selected, and there would be no major mistakes.

He Sheng, with a face as red as a date, as Zhou Tiancheng's beloved general, had already laughed out loud.

"Drinking in the army, Lu Chen really has a big show."

The young generals in the hall also laughed.

Zhou Tiancheng stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then said in a deep voice:

"Bring the map!"

Immediately!

A topographic map of Yuezhou was slowly lifted and unfolded before everyone's eyes.

Zhou Tiancheng's gaze wandered over the map, and finally, he fixed his eyes on both sides of the Zhi River; he pointed his rough finger at the route from the original Chongcheng to the Zhi River on the map, carefully examining it.

He looked at it again a few times, but still asked with an uncertain tone:

"Zhou Yong, come and see, are all 200,000 troops of the Lu family army deployed on the west bank of the Zhi River?"

Zhou Tiancheng was still used to calling that army the Lu family army, although they had changed their flags and banners.

Zhou Yong walked up quickly, studied the map carefully a few times, and confirmed: "Back to Commander Zhou, it is indeed on the west bank of the Zhi River."

Tuoba Shuchao had long experience in military affairs, and upon hearing this, he also understood the deep meaning, pondering:

"The sixty-mile west bank cannot deploy 200,000 troops at all, unless..."

Zhou Tiancheng took over his words in a deep voice: "Unless they divide their troops into two routes and cross the river on both sides."

Tuoba Shuchao also leaned forward to look at the terrain of the Zhi River, his eyes lighting up, as if he saw some possibility.

The scouts in the hall also reported: "The Yanbei Army has indeed deployed troops on both banks."

At this time!

He Sheng stood out and asked for battle loudly: "Commander Zhou, this general is willing to lead troops out of the city to launch a surprise attack on the Yanbei Army and seize the initiative for our army!"

Zhou Tiancheng did not immediately agree but walked back to the main seat, his gaze deep, as if thinking about something.

Tuoba Shuchao continued to look at the map, pondering slightly.

Zhou Tiancheng raised his eyes to look at Zhou Yong and asked in a deep voice: "Zhou Yong, what is your opinion on this?"

Zhou Yong said calmly:

"If a surprise attack is launched at this time, sixty miles can be reached in an instant by fast horses, and the Yanbei Army is currently gathering, so their defense must be lax."

"The west bank of the Zhi River is low-lying, and our army occupies the high ground, taking advantage of the terrain. As long as we pursue them, the 200,000-strong army will surely be routed and flee across the river before they can deploy their formations."

Zhou Tiancheng nodded silently when he heard this.

At this time, other young generals in the hall stood out and asked for battle.

The two months of defending the city had greatly reduced their fear of the Yanbei Army.

In their view, the Yanbei Army was not as invincible as rumored.

Zhou Tiancheng did not immediately give the order but intentionally or unintentionally waited for Tuoba Shuchao's opinion.

He naturally understood that asking for the opinion of this prince on this occasion was undoubtedly strengthening the other side's "momentum."

If one side's momentum is weak, it is folding one's own prestige and cannot be spoken of casually.

Especially with this kind of decision now.

He sat in the main seat without making a sound.

Tuoba Shuchao, as the "Inspector" in the court, was also the spokesperson of the emperor's elder brother in the army.

When he set off from the capital of the Northern Wind, his elder brother personally sent him off for thirty miles, repeatedly holding his sleeve along the way, and said earnestly:

"Brother, this battle concerns the 600-year foundation of the Northern Wind and depends entirely on you alone."

"Just hold the original Chongcheng, and Lu Chen will surely be defeated."

His elder brother chose Zhou Tiancheng as commander precisely because he valued his rich experience in defending cities, not because he was a brave and good fighter.

Zhou Tiancheng would never rashly leave the city to meet the enemy; this was his elder brother's trust in him and his expectation of him.

At this moment, Tuoba Shuchao had to stand up and reiterate the Northern Wind's decision regarding the Yan State from beginning to end.

He turned around and said in a firm voice:

"This is definitely not the time to attack."

"With Lu Chen's wisdom, how could he make such a mistake? If we leave the city, we might fall right into the enemy's trap."

"His Majesty has foresight; five years ago, he built solid fortifications here precisely to deal with today's battle."

"We only need to hold the original Chongcheng and not let it fall, and the Yanbei Army will naturally collapse without attacking due to lack of grain and low morale."

He Sheng frowned slightly when he heard this.

Zhou Yong smiled after hearing this and agreed:

"Prince Qi is right; Lu Chen is cunning, and we really have to be on guard."

Zhou Tiancheng then spoke slowly: "Defending the city and not attacking is the best policy."

"His Majesty's clear order to me is to hold the original Chongcheng; anyone who leaves the city without authorization will be dealt with according to military law, without exception."

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison, and the atmosphere became solemn for a time.

Zhou Tiancheng laughed again: "Today the Yanbei Army has retreated, and His Majesty has specially ordered to reward the three armies to show commendation. But the guards in the city must not be slack; they need to take turns on duty to ensure nothing goes wrong."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone showed joy, and their morale was boosted.

Tuoba Shuchao said: "With Old Master Zhou here, the original Chongcheng is as solid as a rock."

Zhou Yong also smiled slightly when he saw this scene; this prince, who was known for his iron-bloodedness in the army, gave enough face today.

The maids in the back hall presented good wine and food.

The crowd started the banquet!

By the afternoon.

At this time, scouts suddenly came to report hurriedly.

"Report to all lords, the Yanbei Army has crossed the Zhi River and is retreating."

"There is even news that Lu Chen is preparing to farm in Bozhou and Xuzhou and organize agricultural activities."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall was in an uproar.

"What!"

Zhou Tiancheng's tone changed suddenly, clearly surprised by this news.

Tuoba Shuchao also did not expect that Lu Chen would make such a decision.

The Yanbei Army going to Bozhou and Xuzhou to farm was something they had discussed before, and it was an impossible decision.

But no one expected Lu Chen to really do it.

Zhou Yong pondered slightly, his brows locked, as if thinking about Lu Chen's intention.

He Sheng's voice sounded at this time, with a bit of disdain:

"Lu Chen is really a fool!"

There was a commotion in the hall, and everyone looked at each other, discussing.

It seems to be a "heaven-sent opportunity"!

However!

Zhou Tiancheng appeared unusually steady, and he said slowly:

"Let's wait and see!"

(End of chapter)