On the pretext that the road between Weinan and Zhengxian was washed away by flash floods, he temporarily decided to give up the operation to return aid to Yongfengcang. Li Yuan's nonsense could only fool the powerless common people, but could not conceal the true basis of his rule.

Longmen valve, tree roots

The deep Guanlong clan has its own intelligence network and news channels. Although the speed is not as fast as that of Li Yuan's rebels, it is not much slower. In some details, the rebels' intelligence is not even as good as those of these customs.

Detailed information about Longmen Valve.

With such intelligence capabilities, the successive disastrous defeats of the rebel armies in the Tongguan battlefield soon reached the ears of the Guanlong clans. Although these Guanlong clans whose families were in Daxing or had family representatives in Daxing remained silent on the surface,

Not to tear down Li Yuan's platform and expose Li Yuan's lies, but also not to

Dare to put all the chips on Li Yuan again, more or less, leaving some back-ups. On the surface, they are still fully supporting Li Yuan's rebels, but behind the scenes, they have begun to arrange an escape route. Many dignitaries who were waiting in line to meet Li Yuan

The children of the aristocratic family also quietly withdrew from the queue.

Of course, it is absolutely impossible for the Guanlong clan to expect them to immediately draw a clear line with Li Yuan's rebels and throw themselves into the warm and broad embrace of the Sui court. The Guanlong clan headed by the Eight Great clans

The Long family were all quietly observing, observing Chen Sangliang's every move as he headed west, and analyzing and judging whether Chen Sangliang was worthy of defection.

Of course, Li Yuan was also paying close attention to Chen Sangliang's every move. In addition to the military aspect, he also paid more attention to the political aspect. Li Yuan also knew that Chen Sangliang was strict in managing the army and had always strictly prohibited his soldiers from disturbing the people. However, Li Yuan also believed that Chen Sangliang must be able to win people's hearts.

He was no match for him, but Li Yuan soon became disappointed, because Chen Sangliang's military discipline was not only better than before, he did not disturb or hurt the people, but his methods of winning people's hearts were also more clever.

Li Yuan's win over the aristocratic families was nothing more than appointing his children as officials and protecting their property and land. Chen Sangliang also did the same. All the children of the aristocratic families who joined the Sui army in the eastern capital, Chen Sangliang accepted and appointed them.

There is no crime in the manor's land. But this is not over yet. Chen Sangliang also openly promised to clearly inform the Guanzhong family that even if some of their children were forced to become thieves,

Those who served for the rebels will not be held accountable by their families. They can recall their children who were forced to become thieves and petition the court for rewards. If the family members of the traitor soldiers and soldiers who were forced to become thieves have difficulties in life, they can also report to Guanzhong.

The local government asked for subsidies. - As for how to distinguish between being forced to join a thief or actively joining a thief, Chen Sangliang did not even mention it in the list, deliberately leaving a loophole for everyone to take advantage of.

The most ruthless thing is Chen Sangliang's plea for thieves, which openly allows officials and civilian volunteers from all over Guanzhong to pretend to surrender to the enemy under forced circumstances, retain their usefulness, and wait for the time to come back anyway. No matter whether they are good or bad scholars or peasants, they will not

This sentence of "investigation" hit the key points of the rebels, and made all the officials, gentlemen and people who had surrendered to Li Yuan's rebels.

The only way to retreat is that when the rebels were gaining momentum, the rebels were very firm in their stance. But now that the rebels are in an increasingly difficult situation, these rebels naturally wanted to leave a way out for themselves.

, when working for the rebels, he was on both ends of the spectrum and did not dare to do anything wrong - Old General Yun Dingxing was one of the outstanding representatives.

Chen Sangliang's gentle methods had an immediate impact and played a huge role. After Huayin County, Zheng County and Weinan County, which were the main forces of the Sui army, surrendered. Although the county magistrates of these two places did not report to Wang

Yongnian was so ruthless that he killed the rebels who refused to surrender and presented them to Chen Sangliang as a meeting gift.

, but he had to run in front of Chen Sangliang's horse and cry loudly. He was glad that he finally survived until the king's army returned and was able to return to the Sui court. Some of the remnants of Li Jiancheng's army who had been defeated and fled in this direction fled all the way west.

, not a single soldier dared to stop and block the footsteps of the main force of the Sui army.

In addition, Xiao Zao, the prefect of Feng Yi, a relative of Uncle Xiao, also ignored the deep hatred between his relatives and Chen Sangliang and secretly sent people to contact Chen Sangliang to test whether Chen Sangliang could forgive him.

Chen Sangliang swore an oath on the Wei River in front of Xiao Zao's envoy, saying that as long as Xiao Zao returned anyway, he would not only guarantee that Xiao Zao would not die, but that Xiao Zao would also

After making some contributions to the Sui army, he had to go to the court to ask for credit for Xiao Zao. Then coupled with the fact that Li Jiancheng and Dou Cong gave up Pujin and fled to the west, Xiao Zao also made a wise choice and immediately arrested the rebels who had taken the initiative to surrender.

The family members of the rebel civil and military officials Ren Kuai, Jin Xiaomo and other Feng Yi officials of the army were executed. All the wounded rebel soldiers who were recuperating in Feng Yi City were executed. Yi Ban surrendered.

The people's hearts gradually began to return, which accelerated the advance of the main force of the Sui army. On the 200-mile journey from Tongguan to Xinfeng, the main force of the Sui army only traveled for more than three days before being stopped by Duan Lun, Li Yuan's fourth son-in-law, who defended Xinfeng City.

At the same time, the rebel branch of Dou Cong, who suffered heavy losses during the westward crossing of Luoshui, had just arrived in Wannian and was still being attacked.

Li Jing and Qu Tutong were determined not to let go. If they thought about crossing the Wei River southward and joining Duan Lun in the Guangtong Canal, they would not only be doomed to be hit hard again by the Sui army's pursuers, but they would also most likely be hit head-on by the Sui army's main force.

The army was wiped out - don't expect Duan Lun to dare to send troops across the Guangtong Canal to meet Dou Cong, Li Jiancheng, Duan Lun to dare to do so, and Chen Sangliang to smile crookedly.

Forced to have no choice, Dou Cong and Li Jiancheng could only quickly send their horses to report Li Yuan's situation, requesting to abandon their original plan of crossing the Weishui River south to join Duan Lun, and instead continue westward to Jingyang, cross the Jingshui River and return directly to Daxing.

He also asked Li Yuan to send troops to support him, so as to avoid repeating the tragic defeat of Luoshui.

Near the evening of the seventh day of October, Dou Cong, Li Jiancheng's emergency documents and Duan Lun's emergency documents were rushed to Daxing at the same time, and were delivered to Li Yuan. Li Yuan, who was talking to Xiao Zhen's envoy, looked livid, and the rebels who were accompanying him aside

After Wen and Wu learned that Dou Cong and Li Jiancheng were unable to assist Xinfeng in setting up a peripheral barrier, they also looked panicked and started talking one after another.

They all reminded: "General, we must hold off Chen Yingliang's dog thief in Xinfeng for a while. Otherwise, we will not have time to repair the city defenses, transfer food outside the city, and contact other friendly forces to come for reinforcements. Also, we have captured Daxing less than ten years ago.

Oh my God, the little thief Chen Yingliang has arrived at Daxing City, and it will definitely have a huge impact on the people of Daxing."

"Of course I know this," Li Yuan said angrily: "But now the little thief Chen Yingliang has reached Xinfeng first. Dalang and Dou Cong can't cross the Weishui River at all. How can they buy time for us in Xinfeng?"

"Father, my brother's army has been defeated in consecutive battles, and its morale has been depleted. It is impossible for them to cross the Wei River by force. The soldiers and horses under the fourth brother-in-law's command are all new soldiers he recruited in Lantian two months ago. They are weak in combat effectiveness and inexperienced.

I hope he can keep Xinfeng for a long time

It's difficult." Li Er said: "The only way to go now is to agree with my brother and uncle to withdraw directly to Daxing for rest and recuperation, preserve our combat forces, and send another army to reinforce Xinfeng to block Chen Yingliang's advance and become our main force.

Counterattack to buy time."

"That's all we have to do." Li Yuan nodded helplessly, and then said: "Who is willing to help defend Xinfeng? Anyone who is willing to go can go, I have a word first, and we must defend it for at least ten days."

Frightened by Chen Sangliang's undefeated power, none of the rebels dared to say a word. Only Li Er stepped forward and said, "Father, I am willing to lead two thousand cavalry to reinforce Xinfeng and help my brother-in-law defend against the enemy."

"Two thousand cavalry?" Li Yuan was a little angry when he heard that, and said angrily: "You want to make a surprise attack again, don't you? The Xinfeng area is bounded by the Weishui Guangtong Canal to the north and Lishan Mountain to the south. Is this where the cavalry fights?

You can go. I will give you 10,000 infantry and 500 cavalry. You are only allowed to defend the city and are not allowed to attack at will. Otherwise, don't go."

Without support, the number of Li Yuan's rebel cavalry was far less than that in history. Li Yuan insisted not to give a large number of cavalry, and Li Er had no choice but to accept the order with the thought of having no fish or shrimp, but he also asked for it by name.

Li Xiaogong, Wang Junkuo,

Fortunately, Li Yuan did not refuse this time and nodded in agreement. At the same time, Li Yuan decided to write a letter to agree with Li Jiancheng. Dou Cong directly withdrew to Daxing and sent the capable general Zheng Yuanshou to lead his army north to meet Dou Cong and Li Jiancheng.

The military situation was like a fire, and Li Er, who had received permission, immediately went to arrange the expedition team. It was at this time that Pei Ji handed over to Li Yuan and said: "General, there is something I must report to you. The local government has reported it. Our left-wing army (Li Jiancheng)

After the army) was defeated by Chen Yingliang's petty thief, some of them fled directly to the west. Some of the soldiers violated military discipline and invaded the civilian population to kill and loot, causing great resentment among the people."

"Tell Erlang to check carefully when he gets to Xinfeng to see who is in charge and find out..." Li Yuan, who was in a very bad mood, casually ordered, but before he finished speaking, Li Yuan was suddenly stunned and said in surprise: "

Are there rioters invading the people, killing people, and looting?"

"That's right." Pei Ji nodded quickly and added: "There were too many defeated soldiers at that time and they were all scattered, so we haven't been able to find out who was killed by the generals' subordinates."

"It reminded me of something important." Li Yuan suddenly smiled, beckoned Pei Ji to him, and whispered in his ear: "I asked you to secretly look for someone who looks similar to His Highness Dai Wang.

Child, have you found it?”

Pei Ji is such a smart man. Li Yuan nodded, and Pei Ji immediately woke up and whispered: "I found it. Although it is not exactly the same, it is still similar. As long as you don't speak or move, wear the clothes of His Highness the King of Dai."

, the hope of hiding it from most people is high.”

"There is no need for him to speak or act, as long as he puts on his clothes." Li Yuan smiled and whispered: "Go and make preparations. By the way, let Erlang inform me when he sets off. I will see him off. I have something important to say to you."

He explained it face to face."

Pei Jixin understood the promise of the Shenhui and immediately went down to make preparations. He first sent someone to inform Li Yuan of the order, and then arranged for reliable personnel to send Yang You's substitute, which had been prepared, together with Yang You's clothes found in the palace, to Li's second army. And when they arrived.

At the first update, when Li Er was preparing to set off

, Li Yuan also personally went outside the city to see his son off, and whispered a secret in his precious son's ear. After hearing this, Li Er nodded first, then became a little worried, and whispered: "Father, everything else is easy to say, this

What if someone recognizes the body after it is brought back?"

"Silly boy, every time those civil and military officials meet him, they are ten or twenty steps away. How can they see his appearance carefully? Everyone who is familiar with him is under our control. Whether we can see him or not is not A word?" Li Yuan smiled treacherously, and said in a low voice: "Remember, we must let a few common people see and hear it, and testify for us. As long as we can pour dirty water on the little thief Chen Yingliang, The water is completely mixed. Even if the two brats from the Yin family go to the little thief Chen Yingliang in the future, we can bite back and say that he is a lie fabricated by the little thief to get away with it."

Li Er nodded and took his father's words to heart. Li Yuan patted his son on the shoulder again and whispered: "Leave this matter to Xiao Gong. Don't let other people know about it to avoid leaks." Li Er promised, Then he led the army and marched overnight to Xinfeng battlefield to help Duan Lun.

Now it’s time to take a look at the situation on Chen Sangliang’s side. After resisting Xinfeng City, which was only more than 70 miles away from Daxing, it was discovered that there were more than 10,000 defenders in the city, and it was known that Duan Lun had already The city defenses were strengthened to a certain extent. Chen Sangliang, who did not like to fight tough battles, did not rush to order an attack. He just ordered the army to station in the south of Xinfeng, with the back of Lishan Village, build camps and prepare siege weapons, and at the same time visited the city in person. , take a peek at the Xinfeng city defense and study strategies to defeat the enemy.

Fortunately, the city defense of Xinfeng County, which has not fought a war for decades, is not too strong. The city wall made of rammed earth and bricks has weathered the weather and is quite dilapidated. Even after emergency repairs, it is still not strong enough and is no more than ten feet high. 8. The thickness of the moat is not as thick as that of the newly built Yongfengcang City. The moat that introduced the running water of Guangtong Canal is quite deep, but the width is only a few feet. The rebels were caught off guard because they lost Tongguan and Yongfengcang one after another. They were forced to build a peripheral defense line here. At the same time, Chen Sangliang also knew very well the composition of the soldiers and horses in the city. The main force was the new soldiers recruited by Li Yuan's son-in-law Duan Lun in Lantian just two months ago. They were a typical ragtag group with weak combat effectiveness. They were supplemented by some The defeated rebels who escaped from the Tongguan battlefield had already been beaten by the Sui army of the Eastern capital and were afraid that they could not show their courage. They were not difficult to deal with by the Sui army of the Eastern capital.

Keenly aware of the hasty deployment of the rebels here, Chen Sangliang immediately concluded that in order to gain time for Daxing's deployment, Li Yuan's rebels would definitely increase their troops. He immediately sent people to conduct a close reconnaissance of the incoming enemy from the east. Pointing to the city, he reminded that Duan Lun, the leader of the rebel city guard, had appeared on the city. Chen Sangliang was overjoyed when he saw that a banner with the word "Duan" appeared on the city. He immediately rode his horse to the edge of the moat. Several people rushed towards the city. Duan Lun, who was facing the enemy, shouted to surrender.

"General Duan Lun, I know the reason why you were forced to become a thief. You are the fourth son-in-law of the old thief Li Yuan. The old thief rebelled. As a son-in-law, you will be implicated. Even if you are not jailed, you will definitely be dismissed from office. You have to be deprived of your title, but have you ever thought about it. In order to avoid the crime of being sentenced to jail, you committed the crime of killing the entire clan. Is it worth it? When I was working in Daxing, you and I once We have met several times, and although we have not talked much, we have never had a dispute with you because of your father-in-law's family. Now that the old thief Li Yuan has been defeated in a row, I personally led the army here, why are you still stubbornly resisting? Are you here? Can the tens of thousands of people gathered in Lantian be a match for our army of hundreds of battles in the Sui Dynasty? Why don't you open the city and surrender as soon as possible, and come back anyway, I will report to the emperor of tomorrow, and ask for your merits and rewards. By then, not only will you have redeemed your previous sins, but you will also Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be promoted to a higher position?”

Different from Chai Shao, who was as close as brothers to Li Er, Duan Lun had the best relationship with Li Jiancheng. He was able to marry Li Yuan's fourth daughter because of Li Jiancheng's personal matchmaking. Duan Lun never interacted with Li Jiancheng.

You rarely hear good words that are beneficial to Chen Sangliang.

So after hearing Chen Sangliang's call to surrender, although Duan Lun did not accept it, he did not curse. He just shouted from Chen Sangliang: "Chen Liushou, don't waste your energy. Duan will never regret what he has done.

If you want Xinfeng County, come and get it with real swords and guns."

"Brother Duan, why am I so anxious to take advantage of Xinfeng City?" Chen Sangliang smiled and said loudly: "I want to besiege the city for reinforcements. Xinfeng is only more than seventy miles away from Daxing. The old thief Li Yuan tied his head to the city in order to make you

Buy him some time on your belt. I will definitely send you reinforcements. I will attack your reinforcements. I want to see how many reinforcements that old thief Li Yuan is willing to send to Xinfeng for your son-in-law."

Duan Lun stopped talking and just ordered the defenders to fire arrows to drive them away. Chen Sangliang smiled and led the troops to retreat. Yuan Tiangang next to him asked curiously: "Stay behind and you personally come forward to surrender. Can you pull Duan Lun over?"

"Of course not. After all, he is Li Yuan's son-in-law. How can he surrender so easily?" Chen Sangliang replied with a smile: "I personally came to surrender him because I knew very well that he would not have any extreme reaction and his attitude was weak.

, it will inevitably affect the morale of the rebels in the city, which will be beneficial to our subsequent siege.

"What about besieging the city and calling for reinforcements?" Yuan Tiangang asked curiously: "Liubei, you openly threatened to besiege the city and call for reinforcements. Do you want to paralyze the defenders in the city, or do you really want to do this?

"It's impossible to paralyze the enemy." Chen Sangliang shook his head and said: "The bandits have just suffered losses in Yongfengcang, and they won't be fooled again right away. It depends on the specific situation. If the enemy comes to scare me, of course I will first deal with the enemy's reinforcements.

Then go back and attack the city. If the enemy's reinforcements are not enough to fear, I will use the enemy's reinforcements to lure Duan Lun out of the city and defeat him outside the city."

During the conversation, a man dressed as a commoner was suddenly led in front of Chen Sangliang, saluted Chen Sangliang and said: "Reporting to Chen Liushou, General He sent a villain to report to you. Our army has made inquiries many times, but has always been

Daiwangden not found

The whereabouts of Xia and Deputy Yin Liushou and others. Our army's secret agent who sneaked into Daxing also came out of the city to report back, saying that the bandit army was still looking for the deputy Yin Liushou who had kidnapped His Highness Dai Wang and fled. There was no news that His Highness Dai Wang had been found.

information."

"It's strange. Our army is only more than seventy miles away from Daxing. Why hasn't Master Yin Shi brought Prince Dai to see me?" Chen Sangliang wondered and thought to himself: "Running in another direction? Impossible?
To be continued...