Chapter 280 The Big Fish Bites the Hook
Hou Jian was confused by what he heard. Captain Yang was busy patrolling the border and did not explain. Zhao Fujin just listened quietly without asking any questions.

In the remaining ten days, the two men first went to Liaozhou and then to Pingbei to inspect the border defense and strategic reserves.

After Yang Chang separated from Song Jiang, he never gave up his material reserves, but the surrounding wars never stopped in the past few years, so he could only fight while consuming supplies and accepting refugees.

It was not until Luzhou and Liaozhou were taken over and a relatively stable base was established that the official granaries in various prefectures and counties gradually began to have surpluses.

In addition to food, weapons, armor, arrows, ships, artillery and other supplies are all key factors in defeating the enemy, and they are also slowly being stockpiled to varying degrees depending on the actual conditions of each state.

Although Yang Chang has the ability to fight against a thousand people alone, there is an essential difference between conquering the world and playing games. A person can be invincible in a region but cannot crush the entire world.

Just like a football World Cup match, a Chinese national football team with relatively weak overall strength, even if it arranges the world's top coach, or naturalizes a top-notch superstar, it will still be in vain to achieve results. Not to mention competing for the World Cup, even appearing in Asia will become a problem.

No matter how capable an individual is, he will be like a trapped beast, with no one to cooperate, no one to receive the pass, and no one to keep up with the rhythm.

Yang Chang now has a certain territory and has the support of passes and mountains. If he can train a few capable generals, it will be of great benefit to the future expansion. If he does everything by himself, he will end up in the same predicament as Zhuge Liang, with no one to use.

This is the reason why we did not send more troops and generals to Luzhou to give Sun Li a chance to show his abilities.

February 16th was the day when Zhao Fujin's mourning period ended, and Yang Chang and Zhao Fujin returned to Weisheng.

The results of this inspection on the northern front were quite unexpected. Whether it was the Pingcheng border defense in Liaozhou, the imprisoned scouts in Yangliang, or the valleys in the north of Weisheng, there was no information about the Jin army from Taiyuan moving south.

Zezhou and Luzhou sent people to report the news every day. So far, no enemy in the two states has taken the initiative to block the pass. The situation was so strange that Yang Chang couldn't figure it out.

He originally planned to hold the wedding at the end of the month, but the prerequisite was to receive the imperial edict granting the marriage and gifts, so that both Wu Song and Zhao Fujin would be proud.

Unfortunately, Song Jiang occupied Huai, Wei and Xiang states, and the imperial edicts could not be passed normally. The messengers from Zezhou who came to Weisheng during this period did not mention Su Yuanjing or the emissaries, so the imperial edict granting marriage became unknown.

Zhao Fujin never interfered in military and political affairs, but he was concerned about his sister's remarriage.

When Yang Chang finished his work and returned to the back house, she immediately went forward to greet him and asked in a low voice: "Yang Lang, the emperor's decree has not arrived yet, it must be because the bandits are blocking the road. From the inspection, at least the Jin people in Taiyuan are not ready. Anyway, the fighting has not started in other places yet, should we keep the wedding date as usual?"

"I can't see why."

Yang Chang held Zhao Fujin's hand and said meaningfully, "If we follow the rules of Jianghu, it would be very easy to hold a wedding, but I'm afraid that my little sister will be wronged. Song Jiang's occupation of Huaizhou and other places is also a big threat to Tokyo. The court will not remain indifferent. We should be patient and wait. If we still use Su Yuanjing as the envoy, Song Jiang might give him some face."

"I'll listen to you." Zhao Fujin nodded slightly, then held the man's big hand and asked gently, "Why is Commander Yang so worried? Hasn't the war started in other places yet?"

"If the war has already started, I won't worry about it. I can just fight it directly."

Yang Chang frowned and muttered to himself, "Song Jiang is keeping his troops in place, the Jin army in Cizhou continues to gather, but the Jin army in Taiyuan is making no move. I really don't know what they want to do."

"Oh"

Zhao Fujin didn't know how to respond, so she smiled and comforted him, "The worst situation we are facing now is nothing more than a simultaneous attack from several directions. The garrisons of various states are actively preparing for war, and they even recruited new soldiers last year. Even I feel relieved, so why should Yang Lang be so worried?"

"That's true, but the Jin army has experienced many sieges and learned a lot about how to use weapons. I'm afraid that if we start a full-scale war, we will lose sight of the big picture."

"hehe."

Yang Chang was still thinking with his chin pinched, but was interrupted by Zhao Fujin's laughter, which reminded him meaningfully: "What weapons can the Jin people use to stop our artillery?"

Following Zhao Fujin's gaze, Yang Chang saw Qiu Qiongying supervising Yang Huang standing in a stance under the eaves of the east wing diagonally opposite.

Well, she was reminding us that we can throw bombs with our bare hands.

If there were enough gunpowder raw materials and each point was equipped with homemade grenades, why would they be afraid of the Jin army's attack? However, Xiao Rang had just connected with Jiezhou, and saltpeter had not entered the workshop so quickly, so it could not become the main weapon in a short time.

"By the way, Yang Lang, do you still remember the court's rescue of Taiyuan?"

"Of course I remember what the princess meant."

"It is difficult to coordinate the joint operations of several armies. At that time, we were defeated one by one by the Jin army. Now the situation is so similar. I believe you can do it too."

"Uh-huh"

Yang Chang's hum gradually became low and high, and he was actually thinking the same thing in his heart, but the movements of the Jin people were unclear now, and he didn't know where to allocate strategic resources, so he had no way to defeat them one by one.

"It's only been a short while. Stand firm and don't shake. Stay calm."

"Playing around is fine, but Third Sister is strict in teaching martial arts, Huang'er will definitely become a talent."

Qiu Qiongying's teaching voice came from the other side, Zhao Fujin talked to himself with emotion, but Yang Chang had different insights.

Yes, this is just the beginning, I was too impatient.

Questions that can be solved at a glance are prepared for children. This time the questions seem to be a little more difficult, so look for the flaws slowly.

Thinking of this, Yang Chang asked Wu Song to call Shi Qian, and then sent out all the Night Owl Army to go deep into Taiyuan to gather intelligence and provide ideas for Yang Chang to "solve the problem".

The Night Owl Army is the solution to the unknown.

Zhao Fujin's previous analogy was correct. The imperial court had sent heavy troops to rescue Taiyuan twice, but the routes of the troops were different, and the core area was controlled by the Jin army. They could not communicate effectively with each other, which led to them being defeated one by one by the Jin army in the end.

But at this time the situation has changed. Yang Chang's territory is like an irregular circle. The distance between the various Jin army units is so far that it is almost impossible for them to coordinate their operations. But this time they have a helper, Song Jiang.

If Dai Zong were to deliver messages for the Jin army, the various fronts would be able to communicate effectively. This was Yang Chang's biggest concern.

He believed that Song Jiang's previous collusion with the Jin people was because he was forced to act under the orders of Zhao Gou. At least he did it relatively secretively from the outside world and it was unlikely that he would openly collude with the Jin people. However, Yang Chang still underestimated Song Jiang's bottom line.

On February 13, while Yang Chang was inspecting Pingbei, Kong Ming came to the Weizhou camp from Xiangzhou. He brought a few guests for Song Jiang, led by a slave named Xiao Sanbao.

This man was originally a surrendered minister of the Liao Kingdom. He was highly valued under the command of Olib Bu and once served as an ambassador of the Jin Kingdom to Bian Jing. He was very good at talking.

Before Song Jiang went on the expedition, Zhao Gou summoned him to the palace to give him instructions in person, and told him to preserve his strength but not to anger or disobey the Jin people, and to cooperate when necessary.

The Jin envoy suddenly came to his door, and Heisablang was mentally prepared. After he captured Xiangzhou, he appointed Hua Rong as the main general, and Kong Ming and Yan Shun as deputy generals to stay behind, just to prevent this day.

Song Jiang could not guarantee that all of his old brothers from Liangshan would be of the same mind as him, nor would everyone agree to join forces with the Jin army, so he had to do the superficial work of covering up his mistakes.

Kong Ming sent someone to pass the message in advance, and Song Jiang dismissed the generals in the tent early, leaving only the military advisor Wu Yong to wait together.

As soon as Xiao Sanbao and a few of his followers entered the tent, Lu Fang and Guo Sheng immediately blocked the entrance.

Although Song Jiang was in the military camp at this time, he usually liked to wear purple court robes, and he also wore court robes when meeting guests.

Xiao Sanbao was quite surprised when he first saw him. He thought that this fat black-faced man was the real boss. He thought he was an official sent by Zhao Gou to supervise the army. When the two sides met and exchanged greetings, Song Jiang kept pretending to be confused.

Xiao Sanbao's slave got straight to the point and asked in a serious tone, "General Song, I heard that your army has taken Huai and Wei for more than ten days. When do you plan to go north to attack Zezhou?"

"It's still chilly in spring, the ice and snow haven't melted yet, the road is difficult to travel, and we are still preparing."

"Our army is still heading to Cizhou, and has almost assembled. We are ready to start the battle in ten days. How long will it take you to prepare?"

"this."

Song Jiang smiled and pondered. After turning to look at Wu Yong, he replied, "The situation here is rather special. The distance between the two roads is too long. It is very difficult to supply the troops. Please ask Envoy Xiao to report to the Marshal. Song Jiang cannot guarantee that he can send troops within ten days, but he will try to make a noise when the time comes."

"If General Song says so, how can I report to the Marshal when I return? Your emperor has promised it himself. If we just do it perfunctorily, the consequences will be very serious!"

"Envoy Xiao, please don't be angry. This is the actual situation on my side. Your army also passed through Baixing last year. You should understand Song's difficulties."

"I just can't understand it."

Xiao Sanbaonu gently waved his hand and said solemnly: "It was the Western Route Army that attacked Zezhou last year. Marshal Nianhan has returned to the country and resigned from the military. He is now the prime minister of the Great Jin Dynasty. The Western Route soldiers have also returned to Taiyuan and Yunzhong, so..."

"Ah this."

Song Jiang was stunned on the spot, thinking that this surrendered minister of Liao was so aggressive, would he force me to send troops before he would stop?
Wu Yong took over the conversation and said with a smile: "As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Since Envoy Xiao has come to Weizhou, why don't you go to Xingdao to see it yourself? We are really not shirking our responsibilities."

"Do you think I have a lot of free time?"

Xiao Sanbao looked at Wu Yong with a sneer, then turned his gaze to Song Jiang and said meaningfully: "The Marshal is still waiting for my news, how can he stay in Weizhou for long? I believe that the general will not lie, but your answer makes me fail to complete my mission."

"This is me."

"We originally agreed to attack Yang Chang together. We cannot break our promise because the road is difficult to pass. I am not an unreasonable person. So, the commander can lend me a man to take back. Let him help the marshal first, and we can give him an explanation."

"Borrowing someone?"

Song Jiang stared at Wu Yong, as if saying, this guy has been laying the groundwork for so long, could it be that he is waiting for us here?

"Well, borrow someone."

Xiao Sanbao's slave was exposed and said bluntly: "Dai Zong, the commander under the Grand Marshal, is said to be able to travel a thousand miles a day. I have heard the Marshal praise his miraculous skills many times."

"This"

Song Jiang was embarrassed and politely declined, saying, "Dai Zong has to go to various armies to spread secrets, and Song cannot do without him here. Please forgive me, Envoy Xiao."

"Hasn't the war started here? If General Song had started the fight right away, Xiao would not have thought of this compromise. Besides, Dai Zong has supernatural powers, so we can't keep him even if we want to. Can't we even go with him to help?"

"Dai Zong is fine."

Seeing Wu Yong nod slightly, Song Jiang pretended to be embarrassed and agreed.

There were too many people in the army to entertain the Jin army with a grand banquet, so Song Jiang asked Xiao Sanbao to leave first and promised Dai Zong to chase them with his magical powers.

How could Xiao Sanbao be willing to leave first?

Song Jiang had no choice but to summon Dai Zong, and after giving him some instructions, he ordered him to follow the Jin people on horseback, and also asked Shi Xiu to go with them.

Dai Zong and Shi Xiu followed them on horseback heading north. After a few days, they arrived at Wu'an, Cizhou to rest. They saw a large number of Jin troops gathered there. Outside the city were piles of siege equipment such as catapults, goose carts, ladders, and fire ladders. These were the experience accumulated from conquering Yanjing, Taiyuan, Zhending and other places.

The Jin army in Cizhou was led by Talai (Wanyan Chang), and the Marshal of the Eastern Army Erlido was still in Zhending, so Dai Zong and Shi Xiu followed Xiao Sanbaonu and continued to march north.

On February 23, Talai led 20,000 Jin troops out of Wu'an and set up camp five miles away from Fengyue Pass, officially starting the battle against Yang Chang.

Yang Chang's long-range shooting skills were well-known among the Jin army because he shot and killed Huo Nu and Sheyema. Talai was unwilling to let his generals be targets, so he simply gave up the part of challenging the generals to a duel and launched a strong attack with siege equipment.

Sun Li had been training his troops in She County for a long time, but he did not expect that the first battle in Shanxi would be a tough one. He personally stayed in Guanshang to command and boost morale.

The generals of Fengyue Pass at that time were Sun Li, Le He, Zou Run, Sun Xin and Gu Dasao from Dengzhou.

Although they repelled the Jin army on the first day, because Talan brought sufficient siege equipment, five to six hundred of the five thousand soldiers guarding the pass suffered casualties, which immediately made everyone feel the pressure.

In addition to sending regular battle reports to Shangdang and Weisheng, Gu Dasao also persuaded the hesitant commander Sun Li to ask Yang Chang for help in the name of the commander of the Sparrow Army.

Two days later, Yang Chang, Qiu Qiongying and Lu Junyi arrived at Fengyue Pass with hundreds of light cavalry.

At that time, the Jin army was changing its troops and it was a rare moment of rest for the defenders. Someone shouted "The general has arrived", and the originally tired soldiers became refreshed.

Yang Chang and Sun Li nodded, then came to the city wall to observe the situation. The scene in front of him amused him and he couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Who said that the Jin people are not afraid of death? It seems that every general is covered with armor, including the face and neck."

"The Taiwei's magic arrow is specially used to kill the commander. If he hits the commander, he will die. How can you not be afraid?"

As soon as Lu Junyi complimented him, Sun Li clasped his fists and added: "The Jin army is well prepared this time. The problem is the siege equipment. The goose carts are taller than the city walls, making it difficult for us to defend."

"Not afraid."

Yang Changping said these two words calmly, then turned to Qiu Qiongying and instructed: "We brought hundreds of shells and explosives, and you will be the one to throw them when the time comes, but you must aim at the wheels under the vehicles, otherwise they will collapse. Also, remember to use them sparingly, and mainly pick the big ones to blow up."

"Oh," Qiu Qiongying nodded seriously, and then asked again: "What about you, sir?"

"I?"

Yang Chang pointed at the pile of rocks nearby and said with a meaningful smile: "Of course I will throw stones. Although the armor can block arrows, it can't block objects thrown from high altitudes. We can also kill people from a distance."

"When all the shells and explosives are gone, I'll throw stones too."

"Ah."

With the participation of Yang Chang and Qiu Qiongying in the battle, the Jin army suffered heavy losses that day. More than a dozen generals on the front line were crushed to death, dozens of large siege equipment were destroyed, and countless people died or were injured from falling from heights.

After the battle with Talan, he analyzed the intelligence and immediately guessed that the big boss Yang Chang had arrived.

"Commander Dai, please return to Zhending and report to the Marshal as soon as possible. Tell him that a big fish has taken the bait at Fengyue Pass and that we can take the next step."

(End of this chapter)