Yansui Town is Yulin. At this time, it was one of Daming's nine important towns and the most important military town for Daming to guard against Tatar Mongolia in the northwest.
Although Zhu Youjian eliminated the "Four Kings", Gao Yingxiang, who occupied Yansui, was the strongest among the bandits. Gao Yingxiang has concentrated the bandits in Yansui area, there are more than 60,000 bandits in total.
Zhu Youjian didn't dare to underestimate the enemy. He also gathered the four military camps. Except for Li Hongjun stationed in Tongguan and connected to Liangdao, the remaining 35,000 soldiers joined together and set up camp 20 miles southwest of Yansui.
"Yansui is a military town. The city walls are tall and thick. Even artillery may not be able to destroy the city walls. Generals, what good strategies do you have to break the city?" Zhu Youjian is presiding over the military meeting in the Great Account of the Chinese Army.
"Now there is only one place for the bandits in Yansui. We have no worries. We can break through Yansui even if we attack by force. Besides, we still have grenade." Man Gui hopes to entrust the task of siege to him. He not only hopes to make meritorious deeds. , I prefer the feeling, the feeling of rushing on the battlefield and killing with a knife.
"Although our army has fewer numbers than the bandit army, its combat power and morale are superior to the bandit army. The supply is sufficient. The Shanxi soldiers in Datong may also attack and threaten the east of the bandit army from time to time. Now Yansuizhi is an isolated city. Xiayansui is only a matter of time." Zu Dashou's analysis is much more comprehensive, and the advantages of the Siwuying have been put on the table.
An unsmiling Yang Du stood up at this time: "His Royal Highness, he will eventually be willing to lead his troops as the siege vanguard." He does not have the strategy of Yuan Chonghuan and Zu Dashou, nor the domineering style of Man Gui, but he hopes very much. Prove yourself on the battlefield and prove the strength of the martial arts camp.
"Generals, the self-confidence you displayed reflects the appearance of the Siwuying and represents the invincible spirit of the Siwuying. However, we still don't understand the situation of the bandits," Zhu Youjian paused a bit. There is no good plan to break the city. He has to wait and say, "We know that there are 60,000 bandits, but what is their morale? What is the command of the officers? Is there the determination and courage to fight us? Tomorrow, we will go to the city to see Look at our opponents."
Just after the hour, Zhu Youzhen led the soldiers from the Siwuying camp to push into the southern city gate, and the defenders on the city gate immediately left.
After a while, the South City Gate opened unexpectedly, and a large number of bandits came out from the South City Gate. Although they have different equipment and different clothes, their military looks are neat and their steps are the same. There is no fear on the faces of the soldiers, which is obviously different from the soldiers of the "four kings".
Zhu Youjian made a visual inspection and found that about 50,000 soldiers had left the city.
This is to make it clear that a battle will determine the universe.
"Why did Gao Yingxiang do this?" Zhu Youjian kept asking himself. Although the bandits are neatly organized, their combat effectiveness will not exceed the Siwuying.
In a non-dominant battlefield, Gao Yingxiang is ready to determine the outcome of a battle
This is not the final battle. If Gao Yingxiang wins, the court will send troops to encircle and suppress; if Zhu Youjian wins, Gao Yingxiang will lose even his pants.
Could it be that Gao Yingxiang... Zhu Youzhen's heart throbbed suddenly.
"General Yuan, hold me in position. I want to meet Gao Yingxiang." Zhu Youjian didn't finish speaking, and slowly moved towards the front of the formation on horseback.
"His Royal Highness, no." Yuan Chonghuan chased after him. "The Lord shall not commit danger."
"It's okay. With Gao Yingxiang's current situation, he won't attack me rashly without knowing our intentions. You can hold me back and the army should not be chaotic." Zhu Youjian was determined.
Zhu Youzhen kept persuading him, and Yuan Chonghuan had no choice. He had to return to his headquarters, restrain the soldiers, and be ready to attack at any time. At the same time, he reminded the archers in the army to open a good bow and set up an arrow. Once Zhu Youzhen appeared In case of accident, help immediately.
"On the opposite side is General Gao Yingxiang?" Zhu Youjian rode out and bowed his hands to the opposite side. Although he had a helmet and armor, his double knives were inserted in the scabbards.
A stone's throw between the two sides, Zhu Youjian's words could be heard clearly on the other side.
An officer on the opposite side kept staring at Zhu Youjian. At this time, Zhu Youjian asked. He also rode out alone, "It is Gao Yingxiang underneath, but the one who came is His Royal Highness?"
"Haha, General Gao's subordinates, although the equipment and armor are not neat, but the army is neat and well advanced, it seems that General Gao is not a mortal!" Zhu Youzhen has already walked to a place only ten steps away from Gao Yingxiang, sitting down and sitting down. Look at the legendary celebrity.
"His Royal Highness the King, marching thousands of miles from the capital, first grabbed Tongguan, killed General Wang Er in the first battle, and then destroyed Wang Zuoguai, Wang Jiayin, and Wang Daliang. Regardless of personal vision or army combat power, I am worthy of my strong opponent "Gao Yingxiang is also looking at Zhu Youzhen carefully, secretly surprised, Zhu Youzhen is too young, although his stature is comparable to an ordinary person, the tenderness on his face cannot be concealed by armor.
"General Gao, the two armies are currently facing each other. How sure do you think you are to win?" Zhu Youjian judged from the morale of the other party. Gao Yingxiang is a smart man, and he doesn't need to be circumspect when talking to smart people.
"The elite of Yixin King's army is really not very sure of winning in Xia." In front of Zhu Youjian, Gao Yingxiang believed that there was really no need to conceal it.
"Since the general knows that he is not an opponent of the imperial army, why don't the general surrender early? To avoid the suffering of his soldiers." Zhu Youjian didn't expect a few words to persuade Gao Yingxiang, he just wanted to touch Gao Yingxiang's hole card.
"The imperial court is innocent. There was a severe drought in Shaanxi. There was no harvest of crops. The people didn’t live a life. They were hungry everywhere. They ate up the leaves and grass, and even the red mud that the spring swallows ate on the mountain. Undiminished, it is forcing the people to sell their children and sell their daughters and change their children for food. You, let me surrender to such a court?" Gao Yingxiang's complexion flushed, apparently recalling the anger that touched him.
"The court is ashamed of Shaanxi!" Zhu Youzhen knew that Gao Yingxiang was right.
The peasant uprising in Shaanxi was due to the severe drought, and grain production was severely reduced. In some places, there was no harvest. The court refused to reduce taxes in Shaanxi because of the large amount of materials and silver on the front lines of Liaodong.
Shaanxi officials had no choice but to force taxes locally in order to keep their black yarn. As long as they get the support of the imperial court, they have the opportunity to get promoted and make money, and they don't care about the lives of the people.
The earliest uprising was Zhang Douyao, the county magistrate of Mizhi, who, knowing that the people had no overnight food, still forced taxes on the food. Under the leadership of King Orion, the angry people killed Zhang Douyao and opened the county granary, thus kicking off the prelude to the uprising.
"Hundreds of thousands of people in Shaanxi who starved to death can be wiped out by your Highness?" Gao Yingxiang stared at Zhu Youzhen closely. It seemed that the suffering of the people in Shaanxi was the fault of Zhu Youzhen.
"General Gao, it's a long story. You and I, just use tea instead of wine in front of the army and learn from Cao Mengde. How about?"
"This... OK." Gao Yingxiang is barefoot and not afraid to wear shoes. Besides, he is ready to die.
Soon, the soldiers on both sides presented a square stool, two low chairs, and teapots and cups. Zhu Youjian and Gao Yingxiang sat opposite each other in front of the square stool.
"General Gao, although the imperial court is ashamed of the people of Shaanxi, he is still unavoidably annihilated by the imperial army." Zhu Youjian picked up the teapot and filled Gao Yingxiang's teacup.
"Rather than starve to death, it is better to die in battle."
Zhu Youzhen could not see any fear in his eyes. Instead, an unyielding flame appeared, his face flushed with anger. "Then what about their family? There is no way for men to survive, and can old and weak women and children still have a way to survive?"
"..." Gao Yingxiang was startled, he couldn't say a solution, and if he had a solution, he would not choose to rebel.
"If the general fights again, with the combat power of the general's subordinates, it is not suitable for our army to win. Once the officers and soldiers have too many casualties and arouse the bloody nature of the soldiers, the general's subordinates may not even have the opportunity to surrender-change In other words, if the general defeats me, Zhu Youjian, the court will send a large army to Shaanxi. How long does the general think it can be supported?"
"His Royal Highness, you..." Gao Yingxiang glared at Zhu Youjian. If the two armies are facing each other on the battlefield, or for the two sides to drink in front of one hundred thousand soldiers, Gao Yingxiang is ready to fight Zhu Youjian.
"You did not consider your subordinates, did not give your subordinates a chance to survive, and I, now is here to give them a chance to survive." Zhu Youjian picked up the tea cup and drank the tea by himself without looking at Gao Yingxiang.
"You... I... If His Royal Highness can spare my subordinates and give them a chance to survive, I am willing to bear the crime of treason alone." Gao Yingxiang finally made up his mind. He knew that he was by no means an opponent of the military, at least not the Siwuying camp. Opponent, "But how does your Highness guarantee the safety of my subordinates?"
Zhu Youjian stared at Gao Yingxiang's eyes and found that his eyes suddenly became unfamiliar, looking empty, like despair before death.
"General Gao, I have eliminated the four bandits, a total of more than 130,000 people, of which more than 100,000 have been captured, and less than 10% of the dead, except for those who fled sporadically, do you know why?" Zhu Youjian suddenly looked at Gao Yingxiang.
"..." Gao Yingxiang wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words for a while.
"Because they are all of Daming's citizens, I want to leave them a way to survive." Gao Yingxiang wouldn't say it, and Zhu Youjian had to say it for him.
"His Royal Highness is going to let them go?" Gao Yingxiang knew that Zhu Youjian had not lied. He didn't know why Zhu Youjian wanted so many prisoners at first, but now he finally understands that if the king believes what he said is true, it is to wait for the end of the rebellion. Let them go home.
"Release? Of course you can’t let it go for nothing. I’ll talk about it later. I’ll ask the general again, Shaanxi has no livelihood for the people, how can you let your subordinates and all the people in Shaanxi have food?" People have food to eat and can live on. No matter how difficult life is, Zhu Youjian believes that with the character of the people of Daming, they will never rebel.
"The imperial court reduces taxes in Shaanxi, and then ships the food for disaster relief." Gao Yingxiang is not a politician, he can't control military affairs. He just hopes that his subordinates and neighbors will have food to eat and live until tomorrow morning. Dew on the wild grass.
"Now that taxes are reduced or exempted, the people still have no food to eat--to be honest, the court has no food for disaster relief." Zhu Youjian made Gao Yingxiang desperate before he could agree to his plan.