Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 407 Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west!

Inside the commander's tent at Ziwuling.

The tallow lamp emitted a dim glow, and the flame flickered restlessly in the breeze.

Zheng Chaozong frowned, his eyes fixed on the huge military map hanging on the wall of the tent, his gaze moving back and forth between Ziwuling and Tongzhou.

His fingers tapped on the table subconsciously, making a rhythmic "dong dong" sound, and his thoughts were like a galloping horse, shuttling through the complex battle situation.

This feint attack layout is the key to breaking the impasse. If there is any mistake, not only will the previous efforts be wasted, but the entire army may also be plunged into an irretrievable situation.

Thinking of this, Zheng Chaozong felt like a mountain of pressure on his shoulders.

"Somebody come!"

Zheng Chaozong suddenly spoke.

In an instant, the curtain was suddenly opened, and a personal soldier rushed into the tent like a gust of wind, but he did not kneel down. He stood tall and bowed, saying, "General, what do you want?"

The Jingsai Army never needs to kneel.

Zheng Chaozong turned around, his eyes were as sharp as torches, and his determination shone in them: "Pass on my order and immediately dispatch 5,000 infantrymen to the northern foot of Ziwuling.

Let them cut down trees and build bridges in a big way. The louder the noise, the better. Make sure that the Song army scouts can see it all.

When night fell, he ordered the soldiers to march with torches held high, in the form of a large-scale assembly of the main force.

After receiving the order, the personal guards quickly stood up and left quickly, and the general's tent fell into silence again.

Zheng Chaozong looked at the backs of his personal soldiers leaving and thought to himself: "If the first step is successful, the rest will be easy!"

Soon, five thousand Jingsai infantrymen, led by three generals, marched towards the northern foot of Ziwuling Mountain like a long black dragon.

After arriving at their destination, the soldiers quickly dispersed, and the sound of axes chopping trees echoed throughout the valley.

They had a clear division of labor: some soldiers were responsible for cutting down trees, some were responsible for setting up tents, and some were responsible for building bridges.

As logs were cut down one by one, tents were built on the open space, and a simple bridge gradually took shape.

At the same time, in the Song army camp at Ziwuling, the atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.

A scout rushed into the tent, sweating and panting: "Report! General, traces of the Jingsai Army were found on the northern foot of Ziwu Mountain.

They were cutting down trees on a large scale to build a bridge, apparently planning to cross the river and attack.

At night, they marched with torches, and the team stretched for miles. It was huge, and it was very likely the main force of the Jingsai Army. "

Upon hearing this, Li Changzuo was startled for a moment, then a sneer appeared on his face, and he was secretly pleased with himself: "Su Ni is eager to go south and can no longer hold back."

He put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in the tent, thinking in his heart: "If I can annihilate the main force of the Jingsai Army here, not only can I resolve the crisis in Guanzhong, but I can also make great military achievements."

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly stopped and gave a decisive order: "Immediately dispatch the Fuzhou garrison to reinforce Ziwuling, and they must arrive within three days.

In addition, he ordered Zhao Meng to lead 3,000 cavalry to set out immediately, to encircle the flank and cut off the Jingsai army's retreat route.

I want to trap them all here and catch them all in one fell swoop!"

After receiving the order, the messenger quickly rushed out of the tent and conveyed the order.

Zheng Chaozong was overjoyed when he received the news that the Song army was mobilizing troops!
——The first step of the plan has been successful, and the next step is even more critical.

Then, he called over five death warriors, each of whom had a firm gaze and a stern look.

Zheng Chaozong looked at them with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was moved by their bravery, but on the other hand, he was worried about their safety.

But for the greater good, he had to let them take the risk.

Zheng Chaozong lowered his voice and gave them careful instructions: "You disguise yourself as deserters and try to sneak into the Song army camp. Then you can 'leak' the secret to Li Changzuo and tell him that the Jingsai army will attack Yingzui Cliff in three days.

Remember, everything from your words and actions to your facial expressions must be natural and lifelike, without revealing any flaws.

If this mission is successful, you and your family will be rewarded handsomely."

The five assassins looked at each other, then bowed in unison and said, "General, rest assured, we will not fail in our mission!"

After saying that, they stood up and disappeared into the night.

Zheng Chaozong looked at the direction they left, and then said to the military secretary: "Record everything, pass their information secretly to the rear, and let Shouzhen Jingning arrange for their families."

The military secretary nodded and said, "I've written it down and will send it to Yan'an Prefecture later."

Zheng Chaozong then nodded.

Three days later, just as the sky was getting light, the area around Eagle Cliff was shrouded in thick fog, like a huge white gauze curtain, making it impossible to see anything around.

Li Changzuo was wearing armor and personally commanded the battle.

He stood on a high place, looking at the foggy valley, feeling both anticipation and a little uneasiness in his heart.

Although he thought this should work, he didn't know why he always felt something was wrong.

However, the arrow was on the string and had to be shot, so he could only keep his troops in place and wait for the Jingsai army to enter the encirclement.

At this time, at the northern foot of Ziwuling Mountain, the real elite troops of the Jingsai Army had already quietly evacuated under the cover of night.

Those who were still cutting wood, building a bridge and making noise were only the 500 soldiers who stayed behind.

While pretending to be busy, they kept an eye on the movements of the Song army.

As the agreed time approached, the remaining Jingsai soldiers quickly ignited the pre-set fire mines.

In an instant, a series of deafening explosions sounded, the entire valley was shaking violently, and thick smoke covered the sky.

When Li Changzuo heard the explosion, he thought that the Jingsai Army had launched an attack, and without hesitation ordered: "Shoot!"

In an instant, tens of thousands of sharp arrows shot into the valley like locusts.

However, after a long time, there was no sign of a single soldier from the Jingsai Army in the valley except for the smoke and echoes that filled the air.

Li Changzuo felt a strong ominous premonition in his heart. He frowned and immediately sent someone to investigate.

Soon, the soldier who went to investigate returned with a pale face: "General, there are only a few Jingsai soldiers in the valley, and there is no trace of the main force. We have fallen into a trap!"

When Li Changzuo heard this, his face instantly turned livid. He punched the stone beside him heavily, and regretted it in his heart: "I actually fell into Zheng Chaozong's trap. I was really careless!"

He tightly grasped the sword at his waist, his knuckles turned white due to the force, and the veins on his forehead bulged like earthworms wriggling under his skin.

Recalling the disastrous defeat at Eagle's Beak Cliff, those scenes kept flashing through his mind like a nightmare, and the anger in his heart was like a volcano about to erupt that could erupt at any time.

At this time, scouts brought news that sporadic fleets were discovered on the west bank of the Yellow River, which was like pouring a bucket of oil into his anger, making him even more irritated.

"What a panic! What a disgrace! Tell me in detail, what is the situation of the fleet on the west bank of the Yellow River?"

Li Changzuo gritted his teeth and questioned word by word. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, with a strong smell of gunpowder.

The scout's legs went weak and his voice trembled: "General, our scouts have discovered a small fleet on the west bank of the Yellow River. It looks like a grain transport team."

The staff member standing by, who was always careful and thoughtful, looked solemn after hearing this, and hurriedly bowed and said, "General, Su Ni is cunning and scheming, and we have fallen into his trap before.

The fleet that appeared on the west bank of the Yellow River this time is probably another attempt to lure the tiger away from the mountain. General, you must be on guard!"

After hearing this, Li Changzuo was stunned at first, and then a sneer of contempt appeared on his face.

He crossed his arms, glanced at everyone in the tent, and said loudly: "The Yellow River is dangerous and the water is fast. How dare Su Ni cross the river so easily?

Besides, our army has deployed heavy troops in Ziwuling. As long as we defend this place, Su Ni will not be able to escape even if he has wings.

Zi Gu, you are too timid to be frightened by this small fleet!"

The aide wanted to persuade him further, but seeing the impatience on Li Changzuo's face, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He could only step aside helplessly and shake his head secretly.

At the same time, in a valley far away from the Song army camp, Zheng Chaozong and a group of generals were sitting around a campfire, discussing the next plan.

The firelight shone on their faces, outlining their resolute outlines.

"Tonight at midnight, we will split into two groups, with one thousand people carrying rockets to attack the Song army camp to attract their attention.

The main force will advance eastward under cover of darkness, bypassing the Ziwuling defense line."

Zheng Chaozong's eyes were sharp as a torch as he explained the plan in detail.

The generals nodded one after another, excitement gleaming in their eyes.

At midnight that night, everything was silent and the Song army camp at Ziwuling was immersed in darkness.

Some of the soldiers on duty dozed off against their tents, while others paced around bored, unaware of the approaching danger.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound broke the silence of the night, and rockets streaked across the night sky like meteors, carrying blazing flames and shooting towards the Song army camp.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

I don't know who shouted first, but in an instant, the whole camp was in chaos.

The tent caught fire, flames shot up into the sky, and shouts and alarms were intertwined.

The horses were frightened and neighed one after another. The soldiers fled in panic, some of them didn't even have time to put on their armor.

Li Changzuo woke up from his sleep with a pale face. He grabbed his sword in panic and rushed out of the tent, even putting his shoes on the wrong way.

He looked at the flames all over the sky and shouted loudly: "Calm down! Soldiers from all camps, quickly assemble and prepare to meet the enemy!"

However, strangely, even though the fire illuminated half the sky red, there was no sign of the Jingsai army charging.

It turned out that this was just a small team of a thousand people sent by Zheng Chaozong. Their purpose was not to confront the Song army head-on, but to create chaos and attract the attention of the Song army.

At the same time, the main force of the Jingsai Army, led by Zheng Chaozong, had already taken advantage of the night to advance 30 miles eastward and quietly bypassed the Song Army's defense line at Ziwuling. Li Changzuo was anxiously waiting for the enemy's attack in the camp, and every minute and every second seemed extremely long.

He paced back and forth in front of the tent, his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.

Just as he was about to send someone to investigate, a scout stumbled over and fell in front of Li Changzuo: "General, something bad has happened! The main force of the Jingsai Army has already moved eastward, and they have bypassed us!"

When Li Changzuo heard the news, he felt a black screen before his eyes and almost fell to the ground.

He stared blankly into the distance, his legs went weak, and the sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

"I was so stupid! I didn't listen to Zi Gu's advice, and I fell into Zheng Chaozong's trap!"

He muttered to himself, his voice full of regret and self-blame.

At this time, in the darkness in the distance, Zheng Chaozong rode on his warhorse, looking at the flames rising from the direction of Ziwuling, with a triumphant smile on his face: "Li Changzuo, this is just the beginning. You will suffer in the future!"

After saying this, he waved his hand, and the main force of the Jingsai Army continued to advance towards the predetermined target.

In the following days, Li Changzuo was extremely anxious and frequently deployed troops to try to save the situation.

He stayed in the tent all day, staring at the military map, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing.

Every military order issued revealed his inner anxiety and helplessness.

However, Zheng Chaozong was like a ghost. He was always able to cleverly avoid the encirclement of the Song army and continue to advance towards the heart of Guanzhong.

When Wen Yanbo learned about the situation in Ziwuling in Hezhong Prefecture, he was shocked.

The teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "bang" and broke into pieces.

"Quick, pass the order down, wherever there are troops, immediately stop Su Ni's troops in Yaozhou!"

He was so anxious that his voice was trembling.

At this time, the staff hurriedly said: "We can mobilize troops from Yuanzhou, Fengxiangfu, Danzhou and Tongzhou in Qinfeng Road and rush to Yaozhou together.

Build a defensive position in Yongshou, Chunhua, and Huayuan to hold back the Su Ni army. When General Li reacts, cut off the Su Ni's food supply. Perhaps we can annihilate the Su Ni army in Yaozhou!"

Wen Yanbo's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "Very good!"

However, he hesitated and said, "Li Changzuo has already transferred some of the troops from Tongzhou. If we transfer some more, Tongzhou will be empty.

That is our front-line food and weapons storage depot. If Tongzhou falls into Su Ni's hands, cutting off the food supply will be useless.

Moreover, Tongzhou is the eastern gate of Chang'an. If Tongzhou is lost, Chang'an will be in danger!"

The staff laughed and said, "There is the Yellow River on the side of Tongzhou and Danzhou on the north, so Su Ni can't get here.

Isn't this also the reason why we placed food, fodder and weapons in Tongzhou before? It's because it's safe enough here."

Wen Yanbo laughed when he heard this and said, "I was worrying too much. Then we will mobilize the troops from Tongzhou to Yaozhou to resist the main force of Su Ni!"

……

At this time, Su Yun was sitting upright on a fat and strong black warhorse, his armor glowing coldly under the moonlight.

His bright eyes were like a sharp dagger, scanning the rugged terrain on the west bank of the Yellow River inch by inch.

The 20,000 elite Jingsai troops followed closely behind him like a well-trained black dragon, advancing along the river bank at lightning speed.

The sounds of horse hooves and footsteps intertwined into a tense melody, startling the night birds perched in the grass, and they flapped their wings and flew into the night sky.

Along the way, whenever they encountered Song army scouts, the Jingsai army's scout team would flash swords and sabers in an instant, and those scouts were ruthlessly killed before they even had time to sound the alarm.

Corpses lay scattered on the roadside, bright red blood gushed out, winding into strange shapes on the ground, like twisted red ribbons, telling the cruelty of war.

After arriving at Longwang Ferry on the other side of Tongzhou, Su Yun dismounted from his horse, and the sand under his feet made a rustling sound.

Here the Yellow River is like an angry dragon, with turbid waves and thundering roars, as if it is going to swallow up the whole world.

The local fishermen who had been called by the Jingsai Army were trembling all over, pointing their fingers at the river: "General, there are only two watchtowers here, and no other troops are stationed. It's not that the court is negligent, but the water here is very fast, and it is difficult to cross the river."

Su Yun nodded slightly, and a cold light flashed in his deep eyes. He knew in his heart that these two watchtowers were like two nails that firmly hindered the plan to cross the river and must be removed as soon as possible.

Otherwise, once they were discovered and a beacon fire was lit here, the Song army several miles away would arrive in an instant, and they would be attacked halfway across the river, which would be disastrous.

As the night slowly fell like a huge black curtain, Longwang Ferry fell into deathly silence.

Dozens of Jingsai Army soldiers, wearing black tights and carrying sharp short blades on their backs, sneaked into the freezing water of the Yellow River silently like ghosts.

The river water was icy cold, like countless ice needles pricking their skin, but their eyes were firm and like nimble fish, they swam towards the watchtower with difficulty in the fast-flowing water, and the splashing water was instantly swallowed up by the surging waves.

At the same time, Su Yun led the rest of the soldiers, hiding in the bushes on the shore, with bows and arrows drawn. Everyone's face was full of vigilance, with arrows on the strings, ready to attack at any time.

When the assassins finally approached the watchtower, they quickly drew their daggers and cut the cables that secured the tower.

"crunch-"

A deafening roar pierced the night sky, and a watchtower began to shake. The sentries on the tower suddenly became chaotic and issued shrill alarms.

Seeing this, Su Yun immediately shouted, "Shoot!"

In an instant, the Jingsai army on the shore fired thousands of arrows. Dense and sharp arrows shot towards the watchtower like raindrops, and the unsuspecting sentry was shot into a hedgehog in an instant.

The sentry in another watchtower was so frightened that his face turned pale as paper, and he tried with trembling hands to light a beacon to sound the alarm.

But before the fire starter could get close to the beacon tower, an arrow shot out from the darkness and accurately pierced his throat. The sentry's eyes widened and he slowly fell down with endless fear.

Seeing that the two watchtowers had been successfully taken, Su Yun waved his hand and gave the order to cross the river.

A group of soldiers acted quickly and pushed thirty fishing boats that had been prepared in advance into the river.

The fishing boats were tightly connected with thick iron chains and thick wooden boards were laid on top. A simple but sturdy floating bridge slowly took shape on the Yellow River.

The soldiers of the pioneer battalion were the first to step onto the pontoon bridge and moved cautiously towards the other side.

The pontoon bridge was shaking violently in the turbulent waves. The soldiers held their weapons tightly in one hand and grasped the iron chains with the other, crossing the pontoon bridge with difficulty but quickly.

Su Yun watched the people quickly reach the other side. If they had another hour, they would all be able to cross the river by dawn.

However, things in the world are not so easy. For some unknown reason, a Song army patrolling the river suddenly appeared on the opposite side!
Seeing the movement here, the Song army immediately sounded the alarm. In an instant, the sound of trumpets and shouts of killing intertwined together, breaking the original silence.

Su Yun saw this and made a prompt decision. He shouted, "Strong attack! Build a position immediately to buy time for the brothers behind to cross the river!"

Upon hearing Su Yun's order, the Jingsai Army charged towards the Song Army like a tiger descending from the mountain.

Relying on the defensive fortifications on the river bank, the Song army frantically fired at the Jingsai army, and arrows flew as densely as raindrops.

The Jingsai army showed no fear. They raised their shields to resist while advancing bravely.

The two sides engaged in close combat, the shouts and the sounds of weapons clashing were deafening, and the blood dyed the Yellow River red.

During the fierce battle, Zheng Nian'an, a general of the Jingsai Army, had a sharp eye and keenly caught the figure of Wang Huan, the chief inspector of the Song Army.

Wang Huan was standing on a high place, commanding the Song army to resist at the top of his lungs.

Zheng Nian'an bent his bow and aimed his arrow at Wang Huan. He took a deep breath and suddenly released the bowstring.

With a "whoosh", the sharp arrow cut through the night sky like lightning and accurately pierced Wang Huan's throat.

Wang Huan opened his eyes wide, with fear and unwillingness still on his face, and slowly fell down.

When the Song army saw their commander being killed, their morale was immediately thrown into chaos and their formation began to weaken.

The Jingsai army took advantage of the situation to launch a more fierce attack, surging to the other side like a tide and quickly breaking through the Song army's defense line.

Subsequent Jingsai Army soldiers continued to cross the pontoon bridge, joined the battle, and continued to advance towards Tongzhou City.

In Tongzhou City, the defending general Zhao Cheng was sleeping soundly in his tent when suddenly a loud noise like thunder woke him up.

He was startled and quickly put on his clothes, stood up and strode out of the tent.

Before he could figure out the situation, a scout stumbled over and shouted breathlessly: "General, something bad has happened! The Jingsai Army has crossed the Yellow River and is heading towards Tongzhou!"

Zhao Cheng's face turned pale in an instant, and his hands and feet became cold!

He could never have imagined that the Jingsai Army could break through the natural barrier of the Yellow River and reach the city so quickly!

Now most of Tongzhou’s troops have been transferred away, leaving only two thousand soldiers defending the city. Tongzhou is in danger!

Zhao Cheng didn't have time to think about it and immediately ordered the alarm to be sounded.

For a moment, the alarm bells in Tongzhou City rang, and the sharp bell sounds echoed in the night sky.

The soldiers were awakened from their sleep and hurriedly put on their armor. Some even put their helmets on backwards, and then hurried to their respective posts.

However, due to the suddenness of the incident, the defenders in the city had not yet fully assembled, and the Jingsai Army had already arrived at the city like a tide.

Su Yun looked up at the tall Tongzhou city wall and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Tongzhou is an important barrier in the northern part of Guanzhong. Once it is conquered, Chang'an will be exposed to his military attack!
Su Yun decisively ordered: "Attack the city!"

The soldiers of the Jingsai Army were like tigers descending from the mountains. They carried ladders, pushed siege vehicles, and launched a fierce attack on the city gate.

On the city wall, the Song army defenders fought desperately, arrows fell like locusts, and stones hit the Jingsai army soldiers like raindrops.

But the Jingsai army did not retreat, and continued to advance, with their shouts and screams so loud that it hurt people's eardrums.

With only two thousand soldiers in such a hurry, how could they resist the attack of 20,000 elite troops of Jingsai Army? By dawn, Tongzhou had been conquered!

Li Changzuo, who was in the Ziwuling camp, learned that the Jingsai Army had crossed the Yellow River and was attacking Tongzhou. His hands and feet turned cold, and he sat on the ground, trembling, "It's over! It's over! Guanzhong is in danger! My life is over!"

Guanzhong is the core of the entire Northwest. If Chang'an is lost, the Song Dynasty will lose the entire Northwest!
With such a serious crime, Li Changzuo’s life is over!
(End of this chapter)