Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 92 Asking for a Fight
"If we can use people's hearts, we can let the young and strong men charge in front, and our army will supervise the battle from behind!" Liu Guangzhi suggested.

Under normal circumstances, this is indeed what should be done. Let others rush to the front while you hide behind, and preserve your own strength as much as possible so that you can get the greatest benefits after the war.

But Liu Daogui thought further and believed that people’s hearts should not be let down.

This war is just an opportunity to enhance prestige and win over the hearts of the people.

"God is watching what we do, and the people of the city are watching too. I have the support of the people, so I cannot let them down. We must lead the charge in this battle!"

Liu Daogui's other consideration was that if the young and strong men confronted the bandits head-on, there would inevitably be heavy casualties.

If the situation is unfavorable and the enemy army is defeated, it will collide with our own troops.

If you want to do great things, you cannot cherish your life.

In this kind of situation, only by going ahead and using the elite troops of the Northern Palace Army to tear open a gap in the enemy army can the morale of others be boosted.

"Agui is a man who can accomplish great things." Liu Guangzhi praised.

Liu Daogui laughed heartily, "We brothers are doing great things together!"

"Report, the enemy army has reached Qinghe Beach, thirty miles away!" The scout shouted in front of the outer city gate.

Liu Daogui looked at the sky. The enemy army arrived at dusk. The sun had set, the weather was not so hot, and the sky was dark, which was more suitable for a melee.

"The whole army is ready for war!"

At Liu Daogui's command, all the noise inside and outside the city disappeared.

The soldiers checked their bows, crossbows, swords and spears, while the young and strong men were all busy making fires and cooking to fill their stomachs.

Although these people lived in the city, they could hardly have a full meal throughout the year. When they received the food, they couldn't wait to eat it.

These days, except for the noble families, people from other classes generally had unhappy lives, and eight out of ten were poor and destitute.

Poverty is the root of all conflicts in the world, but it is also the source of motivation for people at the bottom to move forward.

If everyone lived well and had enough to eat, Liu Daogui might not be able to mobilize their enthusiasm to kill the enemy.

Time passed quickly, the red sun in the sky slowly set in the west, and the huge shadow of the mountain covered the whole area.

The wind blew, the flags fluttered, and blew away the heat of the day.

As the war approached, the young and strong men in the city were not afraid, but were eager to fight.

They gathered in groups of three or five, according to their household and neighborhood.

Liu Daogui was surprised to find that the configuration of these people was very reasonable. There were wooden shields made of two wooden boards, with three or four long spears on the back, and several archers surrounded in the middle.

In every team, there must be a strong man wearing armor.

It is obvious that these armors are made of bamboo and wood pieces, and only the front is shown, with no back.

Sure enough, the master is in the folk.

Liu Daogui's mind suddenly opened up. His own soldiers could follow suit. Although the bamboo armor's protection was limited, it was better than nothing...

At this time, another scout came running to report, "Report, the enemy troops are holding their ground at Ran's Fort."

"Damn, these thieves are so damn cunning. I've made all the preparations, but they won't take the bait." Liu Zun had been basking in the sun on the city wall for most of the day and was already getting impatient.

The Ran family fort was located thirteen miles west of the city, with one side close to the Yi River and the other overlooking the city from a high vantage point.

Zhang Fonu chose this place as his garrison, which shows that he knew military skills.

These days, even monks don’t recite Buddhist scriptures properly, but instead run out to kill people and burn things, doing all kinds of evil.

"Could it be that Zhang Fonuo heard the news?" Cao Ji became worried again.

The Cao family has placed all their hopes on Liu Daogui. If he loses, the entire Cao family will be buried with him.

Liu Daogui rubbed his forehead. This was the first time he encountered such a cunning opponent since his debut. He had thought of what he had thought of.

However, the city fell into his hands first and he had already won the game.

Just like Chupu, one step ahead, always ahead.

Looking back at the young and strong men in the city and the Cao family's troops, in the twilight, their sharp eyes were like knives.

"The first attack is strong, the second is weak, and the third is exhausted. Now the arrow is on the string and must be shot. Since Zhang Fonuo doesn't come to find us, we will kill him!" Liu Daogui slapped the battlement.

The journey of thirteen miles took just over an hour. The Cao family's control over the surrounding terrain was definitely better than that of the thieves.

The most crucial point is that the rebel army does not know that the owner of the city has changed!
No matter what happens today, it's either you or I. With the six or seven thousand troops at hand, we can definitely have a decisive battle.

Only if you dare to charge and fight, you will have a chance of winning!

"I am willing to lead eight groups of troops as the vanguard." Mao Dezuo bowed and walked out.

Liu Zun was very dissatisfied, "How did you take my job?"

"Eight buildings?" Liu Daogui didn't expect Mao Dezuo to be so enthusiastic.

"It takes a thousand days to raise an army, but only one day to use it. The soldiers are originally brave and powerful men from the northern states. They join the army and gather together to form an army. They are given land, bound by military law, and established with gratitude and loyalty. All the men and women in the eight columns are willing to die for their service!"

Mao Dezuo looked determined.

Liu Zun immediately interrupted, "It's just to exchange a thief for three liters of grain..."

"Mao Dezuo, listen to my orders. All the war horses are under your command. Eight groups of troops will be the vanguard and go straight for the bandit chief!" Liu Daogui agreed without waiting for Liu Zun to finish complaining.

What we need is the spirit of a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger.

We'll know whether it's a mule or a horse only after we take it out for a walk. If we can't even deal with this group of bandits, there's no point in ever thinking about returning to our homeland.

The biggest difference between the Eight Buildings and the Northern Palace Army is that Liu Daogui instilled ideals into them from the very beginning.

War is the test of all things...

To the west of the city is the Ran family’s fortress.

This place was once the place where Wudao Heavenly King Ran Min gathered his troops, and it was also the only high ground around the city.

"Pass the order down, rest here for three hours!" Zhang Fonuo felt that occupying the Ran family's camp made them invincible.

"Aren't we going to attack the city tonight?" Bai Longzi looked confused.

"The city of Qi is fortified. Cao Tengyun must have been prepared to defend us when he saw us coming. Our army has come a long way, so we might as well rest for a few hours and confuse the Cao family."

What Zhang Fonu was most worried about was Lushuibi.

Up to now, none of the scouts sent there have returned, which made him feel something was wrong, so he decided to station his troops here and wait and see.

"Well, I'll listen to Brother Zhang." Bai Longzi always follows Zhang Fonuo's lead.

However, the other bandit chiefs were somewhat dissatisfied. There was a piece of fat meat right in front of them, but they couldn't pounce on it and take a bite. It really made them puzzled.

They were noisy and cursing, almost pointing directly at Zhang Fonu's face...

Zhang Fonu didn't care. As long as he could win the battle and get revenge, he would accept it even if the bandits rode on his head and urinated on him.

It took a lot of effort and persuasion to finally appease the other bandit chiefs.

The night gradually deepened and the wilderness was dead silent.

The bandits were exhausted after marching for several days and fell asleep on the ground.

"What's that noise?" Zhang Fonuo heard a faint roar and looked up at the sky. The sky was full of stars and it didn't sound like it was going to thunder or rain.

"There's no noise at all. Did you hear it wrong, Brother Zhang?" Bai Longzi chewed a few pieces of dried meat.

Boom, boom, boom...

The roar came from far away and became clearer and clearer.

"Get up, it's the cavalry, the cavalry is coming!" Zhang Fonu roared, his hair standing on end. The shadow of the Qingguang Village massacre reappeared in his mind.

"Cao Tengyun is so brave!" Bai Longzi jumped up.

"Cao Tengyun doesn't have the guts to do that. It must be Liu Daogui. Oh no, we've fallen into a trap. Cao Tengyun must have teamed up with Liu Daogui. The city might have already fallen into his hands!"

Zhang Fonu reacted very quickly and instantly connected the cause and effect.

But it was too late, the sound of horse hooves like a rainstorm had already reached the base.

(End of this chapter)