Chapter 193: Attacking the heart is the best strategy on the battlefield

Luo Feng definitely wouldn't take the initiative to attack, and was now ordering everyone to dig trenches.

Several hundred-person squads spread out, starting to dig a shallow trench along the periphery of the city, and built earth mounds, completely cutting off the city's land connection with the outside world.

They didn't get close to the city wall's arrow range, just drew a circle from afar.

This was a tactic Luo Feng had formulated from the beginning, and he had also instructed the squad leaders in advance, so now they were moving with high efficiency.

On the city wall, Zhang Chengze stood with his hand on his sword. He could see that this group of bandits was not simple.

"Want to fight a war of attrition? Hmph, Panjiang City has enough grain for three months. Pass the order, double the guards at each gate, closely monitor the movements of the bandit army, especially at night, to prevent them from sneaking an attack."

Zhang Chengze's idea was very simple. He had a great advantage here. With these numbers, it was not enough to pose a threat to Panjiang City. He just needed to prevent the other side from sneaking an attack.

"Build a watchtower!"

Luo Feng didn't pay attention to the other side's movements, even if there were dense figures on the city wall, looking like they had entered a state of combat.

He still did his own things in an orderly manner. Anyway, he was also very clear in his heart that it was impossible for the other side to open the city gate and fight him.

So the first day began in this strange calm. Panjiang City didn't come out of the city, and Menghuzhai didn't attack the city. After digging the trenches, the sky gradually darkened, and they began to light fires to cook.

Smoke curled up from the bandit camp, and the garrison on the city wall could vaguely smell the meat.

The garrison soldiers subconsciously swallowed their saliva when smelling the scent, but still didn't dare to have the slightest slack.

Even Zhang Chengze was the same. He determined that this group of bandits would launch a surprise attack at night, so he also stood on the city wall to defend.

Until the dead of night, there was no sound in the bandit camp, only sparse firelight reflected in the pupils of the garrison.

This strange scene made Zhang Chengze have to think more, and he summoned someone to ask: "How is the situation at the other three city gates?"

"Same as the East Gate, no movement at all!"

"Strange! This matter is a bit wrong!" Zhang Chengze muttered to himself, but decided to wait and see what kind of tricks this group of bandits were going to play.

At this moment in the camp, the bandits were all sleeping soundly, leaving only those on night patrol.

After all, they had dug trenches for a day, and they slept more soundly when they were tired.

Zhang Chengze waited until a quarter of an hour before dawn to leave. When descending the city wall, he was still cursing, this group of bandits truly couldn't be judged according to common sense, as if they were sick.

Running to the city gate to block it, and digging trenches, but there was no movement at all.

Just before dawn, some unusual movements began to appear under the city. Some arrows with arrowheads removed, tied with letters, were shot onto the city wall.

After dawn, Luo Feng came to the center of the camp after breakfast: "Bring a few brothers with loud voices!"

"Great Squad Leader! I'm coming!"

"Me, me, me, I was born with a loud voice!"

Subsequently, several bandits approached within arrow range under the cover of shields, shouting with all their might:

"Brothers in the city, listen! Stop guarding, just come and work with our Menghuzhai! Eat well and drink well, it's beautiful!"

"How long has it been since you were paid? What are you playing with your lives for?"

"The Imperial Court doesn't pay, starving and heart-panicking. The stronghold has wine and meat, brothers taste it together! Being a soldier is like grass, the bandit official steps on the head. Join the stronghold to be brothers, enjoy blessings together!"

The garrison soldiers sneered and were about to shoot arrows to respond, but suddenly remembered that Zhang Chengze said to inform him in time if there was a situation.

So they hurriedly went to wake up Zhang Chengze, who was sleeping soundly, "The bandits are here, shouting under the city wall!"

Zhang Chengze, who was very sleepy, hurriedly got up and walked toward the city wall, but only saw a few bandits shouting and yelling under the city wall.

Zhang Chengze immediately darkened his face, "Just this? I thought all the bandits were here. You guys just shoot arrows to drive people away! Why call me? A bunch of pig brains!"

The garrison soldiers who were scolded didn't dare to speak, raised their bows and arrows, and prepared to vent their anger on these bandits.

Several people talked and laughed, and seeing the arrows flying out from the city wall, they held shields and slowly retreated backward.

"Great Squad Leader, is this really useful?"

Luo Feng stared at the city wall of Panjiang City without turning his head: "Whether it's useful or not depends on how Colonel Zhang does it!"

"Then... should we continue later?"

Luo Feng nodded, "Yes! Change a few people to continue later, anyway, just shout when the sky is bright, shout with tricks!"

"What about the other city gates?"

"The same!"

After the garrison soldiers go down the city wall to rest, they will definitely say what these bandits did. No matter if their purpose is chatting or teasing, such words definitely won't be shouted in vain.

As long as it can spread, there must be dissenters among so many people who are dissatisfied with the Imperial Court, and Luo Feng wants this opportunity.

And these voices ring out day after day, like dripping water wearing through stone, inevitably causing ripples in the hearts of some new recruits and those with weak will.

Moving the enemy's heart before the war, this is Luo Feng's first strategy!

In order to prevent the first strategy from being ineffective, Luo Feng also carried out the second strategy at the same time.

"That section of the city wall in the north, the terrain there is slightly higher, and the soil is relatively loose. Let the brothers digging tunnels work hard, day and night, and be sure to be secret." Luo Feng instructed the Small Squad Leader below.

"Good! We can start digging tonight!"

This is for future plans. Luo Feng couldn't really surround Panjiang City for months. The Governor would receive the news sooner or later. If the other side had reinforcements, they would be in trouble.

That night, under the cover of the camp and earth mounds, a team of bandits started secret digging behind a small slope one mile away from the North City Wall.

The entrance was camouflaged with grass and trees, and the excavated soil was transported away at night.

The progress of the excavation was not fast, but it steadily extended toward the foundation of the city wall.

Zhang Chengze soon noticed the wavering of hearts. What these bandits said was very tempting. Some garrison soldiers were already dissatisfied with the Imperial Court not paying military pay, so their emotions found a vent.

So Zhang Chengze ordered to strictly prohibit reading and discussing the rumors of the bandits, and those who violated the order would be beheaded, but the oppressive atmosphere had already begun to permeate.

On the surface, you forbade us to chat, but can you stop us when we go home to rest?

What's more, some of these garrison soldiers had family members in Panjiang City, and they told their family members about this.

And these people discussed it among the commoners, and slowly the news spread.

Even if everyone didn't discuss it when there were many people, they were all dissatisfied in private.

There was no other reason, Menghuzhai's treatment was truly too fragrant!

It didn't necessarily mean they had to join Menghuzhai, but as long as the city was occupied by Menghuzhai, the grain price was an incomparably tempting existence. The commoners couldn't refuse this point alone!

In a small teahouse in the city, several young people were discussing.

"This Zhang Chengze is somewhat ungrateful!"

"Exactly, I've been coveting it since Menghuzhai occupied Qing City. It wasn't easy to wait for them to come to Panjiang City, but Zhang Chengze closed the city gate!"

"They are officials, who cares about the lives of us commoners?" ===== CHAPTER 194 =====