In the big tent, Fang Xuanling was discussing something with Ling Jing. Fang Xuanling had just returned from inspection in Yanling City. Yanling City, Jingkou, was the location of the Sui Army's naval camp. This time, Zhang Xuan will launch an unprecedented Jiangnan Battle. In order to achieve effective control of the counties in Jiangnan, Zhang Xuan transferred more than a dozen middle- and senior officials from Jiangnan from the court, including the Minister of the Secretariat Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu will be appointed as the Jiangnan Xingtai Sect, who will be fully responsible for establishing effective rule in Jiangnan.

At present, Xiao Yu and others are forming a calligraphy platform in Jiangdu, and the battle in Jiangnan is about to begin.

At this time, a soldier shouted outside the tent: "The commander is here!"

Fang Xuanling and Ling Jing quickly stood up, and when the curtain was lifted, Zhang Xuan walked in quickly. The two of them hurriedly bowed and bowed. Zhang Xuan waved his hand with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, come! Let's sit down and talk."

The three of them sat down and brought them tea. Zhang Xuan didn't care about the tea and asked Fang Xuanling first, "What's the news about Meng Haigong?"

"Mr. Meng Hai is still the same, eager to enjoy the emperor's pleasure, but one of our scouts unexpectedly got a map, which was given to the scout by Jiang Yuanchao, the former Wu County Magistrate."

Fang Xuanling took out a map and handed it to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan took it and asked, "Does Jiang Yuanchao know that the other party is our scout?"

"This scout pretended to be a peddler and met Jiang Yuanchao in the tea shed. He didn't know if Jiang Yuanchao recognized it. However, Weichen carefully studied the map and found that this map had extremely high military value. Weichen felt that Jiang Yuanchao had seen the identity of our scout."

Zhang Xuan opened the map and drew it on the jute paper, about five feet long and wide, and was densely painted. If you look closely, you will find that it is actually a waterway map of Wu County. Including Taihu Lake, it is full of rivers of all sizes. Each river has a limit of navigable ships. Zhang Xuan was overjoyed. With this map, their attack on Wu County was equivalent to having an eye.

"It seems that I need to visit this Prince Jiang Jung-chan at that time."

Zhang Xuan collected the map and asked Ling Jing again: "What is the current situation in Xiangyang County?"

Zhang Xuan had already obtained the news from the Luoyang Intelligence Agency that Wang Shichong and the Tang Dynasty exchanged land. This news made Zhang Xuan realize that the Tang army was about to send troops to Jingxiang and launch a war against Xiao Xian to destroy the country.

However, these actions of the Tang army did not affect the interests of the Sui army. It can only be said that the Tang army snatched some sporadic food beside the Sui army's tiger claws, so Zhang Xuan was not in a hurry to interfere in this matter, but only reminded Xiao Xian to prepare for combat.

Ling Jing bowed and said, "Report to Your Highness, the Tang army was entering Xiangyang very fast. In just ten days, the Tang army had already had 40,000 troops in Xiangyang County, including 20,000 Xiangyang County Rebel Army. The head general was Qu Tutong, and Wu Shiyu served as the supervisor of Xiangyang County. This is also closely related to the concerted efforts of Xiangyang County to assist the Tang army in Xiangyang County."

Speaking of this, Ling Jing sighed and said, "Your Highness, I don't know whether I should say it or not."

"you say!"

"Your Highness shouldn't have given Xiangyang County to Wang Shichong at the beginning. This decision made Xiangyang County, from the aristocrats to ordinary people, very dissatisfied with Your Highness, and it would be difficult to save it."

"Is it related to Zhu Jie?"

Ling Jing nodded, "This is the reason. Several counties in Jingbei, including Xiangyang, hated the man-eating demon king to the core. After His Highness handed over Xiangyang County to Wang Shichong, Wang Shichong considered using Zhu Jie to seize the six counties in Jingbei, which aroused a strong backlash from the people of Xiangyang and other counties. The empress went to Xiangyang and found that the people of Xiangyang had already ranked His Highness and Wang Shichong as tyrants."

Zhang Xuan felt a little bitter. Although he was far-sighted in his work, he did not expect that he only considered opening a hole for Wang Shichong to go south, but completely ignored the feelings of the people in Xiangyang, which led to the hatred of the people in Xiangyang for him, which made him unexpected.

After a while, he sighed slightly, "It seems that I have indeed made a mistake."

Fang Xuanling comforted: "The people of Xiangyang are just venting their anger on Your Highness, but your Highness can't be compared with Wang Shichong. I believe everyone has a scale in their hearts. In fact, it is easy to make up for this matter. Since the people of Xiangyang are dissatisfied with Your Highness and are dissatisfied with Zhu Jie, as long as you kill Zhu Jie to thank the people of Jingbei, the people of Xiangyang will be saved, and Your Highness does not have to worry too much."

Zhang Xuan felt a little better. He walked to the sand table, stared at the sand table for a moment, and turned around and asked the two of them, "What do you think about Tang Jun and Wang Shichong's intention to exchange land?"

"I just discussed this issue with Ling Zhanjun."

Fang Xuanling walked up and said slowly: "Actually, the purpose of the Tang army is very obvious. Their primary goal is the iron ore of Jiangxia County. Secondly, when the Tang army launched a large-scale attack on Yiling County, the Tang army in Xiangyang County then supported it from the north. It should be said that this is a very clever strategy. But we did not expect that Wang Shichong was actually a man without trust. This person was absolutely unreliable. He wanted to place bets on both ends and play a balance between the Sui and Tang dynasties."

Zhang Xuan sneered and said, "Step on two boats, sooner or later, we will lose everything. Let's go back and deal with him!"

Zhang Xuan asked Ling Jing again, "What is Xiao Xian's attitude towards this?"

"Report to Your Highness, Xiao Xian was extremely worried about this. He hoped that we could help him resist the Tang army's expedition."

Zhang Xuan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, thinking about ways to assist Xiao Xian. They could not send troops to deal with the Tang army on a large scale, but only material assistance probably would not have any effect. Xiao Xian himself was not short of materials. He had to use acupoint-pointing techniques to hit the key points of the Tang army and try to weaken the Tang army's eastern expedition. A prototype gradually appeared in his mind.

Five days later, the Sui army held a warship in the Daying of Jiangning County, offering three animals to worship the water god and horse god. Zhang Xuan personally led a 60,000 infantry and cavalry army to march southeastward, and left 20,000 troops to continue to guard Danyang County. At the same time, Zhou Meng led a 10,000 naval army to set off from Yanling, and hundreds of warships headed along the Jiangnan Canal, while the old general Huer led 20,000 naval troops and 500 warships to station in Liyang County and Dangtu County to strictly prevent Lin Shihong's navy from advancing eastward.

The Sui army advanced smoothly and arrived in Jinling County, three days later, which was the later Changzhou. In November last year, Meng Haigong's army massacred the city and demonstrated to the Jiangnan Association, and tens of thousands of people in the city were brutally killed.

At this time, Jinling County was almost an empty city, and half of the houses, including the city gate, were burned down by fire. There were only more than a hundred elderly, weak and sick people living in the city, and none of the Wu soldiers of Meng Haigong were stationed.

All the slaughtered bodies were buried in the north of the city, forming a huge hill. Zhang Xuan led hundreds of generals to worship the innocent people who died unfortunately in front of the hill. The army immediately continued to march south. At this time, the scouts heard news that Meng Dangui led a 50,000 army to garrison in Wuxi County, 80 miles ahead, becoming the first line of defense for the Wu army to block the Sui army's southward advance.

Wuxi County is located at the southernmost point of Piling County. After walking dozens of miles past Wuxi County, you will enter Wu County. It is the northern gate of the capital of Menghaigong, and its strategic position is extremely important.

Wuxi County is also a strong city. The city is tall and wide, with a moat of ten feet wide. As early as a month ago, Meng Dangui began to strengthen the walls and clear the fields. He drove all the population of Piling County into Wuxi County. All the food and property were stolen by the army, and most of the villages were burned.

At present, the population of Wuxi County is more than 200,000, which makes the county town overcrowded and the people's lives are extremely difficult. Meng Dangui took away everyone's food. In order to minimize food consumption and prevent the civilians in the city from helping the Sui army, Meng Dangui was so sad that he built a large prison in the west of the city, detaining all the young and strong men in the city, giving only a little porridge to their lives every day. If he complained, he was immediately arrested and starved to the dungeon to death.

Over the past month, people have been dying of illness and starving, or have been tortured to death, and more than 30% of the young and strong men have died.

Meng Dangui even indulged soldiers to plunder property. Women. More than 200,000 people from Piling County live in hell. Every day, countless women are dragged into the barracks and ravaged to death. The soldiers are very beastly. They no longer consider their future and just want to vent their hearts.

But what should come is still coming. That afternoon, Meng Dangui received a report from the spy that the main army of the Sui army appeared thirty miles away, which made Meng Dangui extremely nervous and ordered all 50,000 soldiers to go to the city to prepare for a fierce battle with the enemy.

The Sui army set up a camp five miles away from the county town, while Zhang Xuan surrounded more than a hundred generals to investigate the city under Wuxi City. Zhang Xuan immediately pointed at the city with a horse whip and smiled at everyone, "Unexpectedly! There is no stone catapult on the top of the city. Do they think they can defend this city with bows and arrows?"

Fang Xuanling also smiled and said, "Maybe they think we only have the siege ladder!"

"Then let them see!"
Chapter completed!