Chapter 294: Touching the scene with emotion
When Wu Shi said this, no one dared to respond.

In order to capture Yangqu, hundreds of thousands of Jin troops besieged it for more than half a year, which was particularly difficult.

He showed his cowardice right at the beginning of the fight. If we investigate the reason for Wuqimai's defeat later, who will be responsible for the loss of the city and territory?
Everyone thought of this and lowered their heads in silence.

Marshal Wushi was just talking for the sake of convenience and had no intention of giving up Yangqu easily. After all, defending the city always had the advantage of geographical location. As long as they could hold out until the front-line troops returned to defend, Yang Chang would be attacked from both sides.

The shells shattered several wooden barrels filled with oil. Fortunately, Yang Chang stopped throwing bombs after he blew up the catapult. Flames spread across the city wall and oil spread all over the ground, making it easy for the Jin soldiers to avoid them.

Although the scene was chaotic, it was still under control.

Seeing the generals looking at each other in bewilderment, Wu Shi frowned and instructed the South Gate commander Huang Zhuandi Guben to command the defenders to temporarily retreat to avoid the fire, but to make sure to stop the enemy from climbing over the city wall and seizing the gate.

Huang Zhudi Guben was originally a brave general under the command of Yin Shuke's maternal brother Maji. After Maji died of heavy casualties during the pacification of Liao, all his generals led their men to surrender to Yin Shuke.

Unexpectedly, Yin Shu was killed by Yang Chang. The enemy Gu Ben lost his backing before he could make any contribution to the Western Army. After that, he was like a pearl falling into the dust. He had been guarding the gate of Yangqu as a general in the Marshal's Office.

Huang Zhuandi Guben was given the task at this critical moment and promised to keep the people in the city. He immediately led the soldiers defending the city to clear the supplies on the city wall to prevent the fire from spreading disorderly.

Wu Shi's face, which had been gloomy, was slightly comforted when he saw that the enemy general Gu Ben was commanding with confidence, so he returned to the Marshal's Mansion with Xi Shi and other generals.

When the south gate of Yangqu was attacked, not all the soldiers in the city could rush to defend it. Matters such as troop rotation, replenishment of supplies, wartime maintenance, strict control of spies, and counterattacks all required someone to coordinate in an orderly manner in the rear.

Wu Shi had participated in the siege of Yangqu and was well aware of how difficult it was to capture the city from the outside when there were soldiers and food in the city. Although he saw Yang Chang throwing bombs with his own eyes, he did not think that the other side could break into the city quickly.

Unfortunately, empiricism is lethal. Wu Shi’s confidence did not last for two hours before he heard the news of the fall of the South Gate. He was so angry that he cursed Huang Zhuandi Guben as a waste.

In fact, they had tried their best. The reason they failed to hold the city was not because the enemy was incompetent, but because their opponent was not at the same level as them. Of course, his saying "as long as the man is in the city, he will be there" was true, as he was killed by Liu Tang who climbed up the city wall with all his might.

By then, the enemy had put out the fire, the river had been filled and the road had been paved under the city wall. All kinds of familiar siege equipment were pushed to the foot of the city by the tide of enemies. Liu Tang led his troops to bravely climb the city walls.

Although the Jin soldiers at the South Gate defended tenaciously, they could not withstand Yang Chang's artillery cover. He had just stopped after blowing up the catapult just to wait until this moment.

The siege weapons and the first soldiers to climb the city walls were able to approach or climb to the top of the city walls without any injuries under cover, and then the two sides engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat.

With the loss of Yangqu South Gate, the army outside the city rushed into the city frantically, making this city, which had been silent for two years, once again shrouded in noise and bloodshed.

Without the city walls as a barrier, the defenders were like soldiers in battle whose armor had been removed, and they inevitably panicked. In addition, the densely packed streets and alleys in the city were not conducive to cavalry, and the Yangqu Jin army instantly fell into a disadvantage.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Wushi could not wait for Pucha Shijianu and Yelu Yudu, so he led the main force to abandon the city and flee north to Xinzhou.

Yangqu, which the Jin army took nine months to capture, only held out for half a day in the hands of Yang Chang. Before the people in the city could even react, soldiers began to post notices on the streets to reassure the people.

At the end of the Wei hour, Yang Chang arrived at the Marshal's Mansion in a leisurely manner. Someone had already cleaned up the courtyard and the front hall in advance, and several generals who were coming to offer their tributes were waiting at the door.

"General."

"elder brother."

"General."

Yang Chang waved in response to everyone, his eyes falling on the stone lions in front of the door.

"Brother, do you find it strange too? I just noticed something wrong too. In ordinary government offices, the lions' heads are facing inwards, but these two are facing outwards. I don't know if the Jin people did it on purpose, or if they didn't know how to place them."

"hehe."

"Haha."

"Hahaha"

Yang Chang responded to Liu Tang with a smile, which attracted the brothers Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi to laugh together, and then even Xuan Zan laughed.

Liu Tang looked puzzled. He scratched his head and stared at Yang Chang, asking, "Why are you laughing? Did I say something wrong?"

"Do you know the origin of this place?"

"Predecessor?"

"Back then, Tong Guan was the envoy to Hedong and Hebei, and this was the headquarters of his envoy's office."

Although Yang Chang gave clear hints, Liu Tang still looked confused.

"Is this lion related to Tong Guan?"

"You can't imagine this? When the Grand Commandant came to the Xuanfu Envoy to rescue Tong Guan, he and Master Lu played with stone lions here, and even killed a Jin general with a stone lion."

"right here?"

After listening to Xuan Zan's reminder, Liu Tang finally realized his mistake.

He smiled innocently and explained, "I have heard about this, but I didn't react at first. Actually, it's not my fault. I was ordered to go to Pingyang to hide, so I didn't know the details."

“Who’s going to blame you?”

Yang Chang patted Liu Tang on the shoulder and murmured, "It's nothing special. I was just reminded of something emotional. In fact, only three years have passed. Not only the Xuanfu Envoy Office in front of us, but the whole world has changed a lot."

"That's nothing?"

Liu Tang didn't have as many feelings as Yang Chang. After he finished speaking, he walked to the stone lion on the left and pushed it, but it didn't move at all. Then he asked in shock, "Brother, this thing weighs more than a thousand pounds? Can you really lift it?"

"You don't believe the commander?"

"How could that be? I just didn't see it with my own eyes, so."

"The court appointed me as the governor of Hedong and Hebei, but the governor's office has never been stationed. We might as well set it up here. It's awkward to have these two stone lions upside down. It's time to set things right!"

After Yang Chang finished speaking, he clapped his hands, walked to Liu Tang with a serious face, then picked up the stone lion like a stool, and walked easily to the stone lion on the right.

Everyone was stunned, thinking that Yang Chang would just put down the stone lion. Unexpectedly, this guy suddenly showed his supernatural power. He lifted the stone lion in his hand with one hand, pulled the stone lion off the ground with his right hand, and then put the one he had lifted on the ground.

Lifting the stone lion with one hand is even more terrifying than the legend.

Everyone held their breath in concentration until Yang Chang put the stone lion back in place. Then Ruan Xiaoqi took the lead and exclaimed: "Brother, you have divine power!"

"Brother is invincible!"

"I'm afraid even Master Lu can't match the strength of the general."

"Stop it, Master Lu is pulling trees out like pulling onions, I definitely can't beat him, let's go inside and talk."

Yang Chang interrupted everyone's flattery and led everyone inside.

If compared with the Qi Refining Realm, Yang Chang's strength is indeed not as good as Lu Zhishen's, but now he has the energy in his Dantian. Both his explosive power and sustained strength are far beyond that of the man who pulled up the tree. Anyone with a discerning eye can make his own judgment.

After capturing Yangqu City today, everyone had made considerable gains. They had originally wanted to seek credit from Yang Chang, but they were shocked just now and became humble.

Yang Chang entered the front hall and sat down. Seeing that no one spoke, he took the initiative to ask about the battle situation, while Liu Tang and others responded passively.

After briefly understanding the battle losses, annihilation of enemies, and captured items, Yang Chang looked around and suddenly found that Shi Qian was not there, so he curiously asked, "Why can't I see Shi Qian?"

"Shi Qian was injured during the siege and should be receiving treatment now." "What?"

As soon as Xuan Zan finished speaking, Yang Chang slammed the table in shock and stood up, "Where is the person? Is it serious?"

"he"

"No need to say, here he comes!"

Yang Chang saw from afar that outside the hall, Shi Qian was walking in with a bandage on his right hand, and then he rushed out in a flash.

Han Tao, who had the fourth-class [Mastery of Spear and Stick], was not injured, and even the three Ruan brothers who were playing in the water were fine. I gave you [Excellent Horsemanship] and the fifth-class [Mastery of Spear and Stick], which, combined with your inherent agility attribute, how could you be injured like this?
"What happened? Is the injury serious?"

"The doctor said that you used too much force and may have injured the meridians in your hands. You need to rest for a while. But don't worry, brother. The Night Owl Army will not be affected."

"Too much force?"

Before Shi Qian could respond, Han Tao beside him suddenly took over the conversation and said quietly, "Brother, you don't know that Shi Qian fought even harder than I did just now. I didn't expect his marksmanship to be so strong. It's just that his body is not strong enough, and it's easy to lose strength in an intense battle, especially in a street fight against multiple people."

"Don't blame me, brother. I was so angry that I got carried away."

"Be careful in the future. If you get hurt, go and rest first."

Yang Chang suddenly realized that Shi Qian's body could not withstand the [Mastery of Spear and Stick]. It was like he had just acquired the [Power of a Tiger]. Not only could he not control the surging power, but he would also hurt himself if he used his fists and feet.

Tsk tsk, it seems that I can’t give skills randomly.

He also had to tell Shi Qian to be less aggressive, or stop letting him charge into battle, otherwise his ability to climb walls and run on rooftops would be wasted.

Shi Qian saw Yang Chang frowning, and quickly clasped his fists and responded: "I will go after reporting the Jin army's movements. According to the latest intelligence from the Night Owl Army, the Pucha Shi Jianu has retreated to Taigu County, and Wushi has abandoned Yangqu and headed north. I don't know where they will retreat to."

"Got it, let's go."

Yang Chang waved his hand after saying this, and at the same time looked at Xuan Zan and instructed: "The Night Owl Army is out on patrol now, take him to your camp to recuperate first."

"okay."

Xuan Zan couldn't help but look at Liu Tang, as if to say, "The commander assigned me this task, but I'm afraid I won't be able to compete with you in killing enemies in the future."

As soon as the two men left, Liu Tang couldn't wait to ask: "Brother, when will we send troops to Taigu? As long as we kill the Pucha Shijianu, we will have no problem going to Weisheng, and then we can send An Daoquan over."

"Doctor An is not in Weisheng. He went to Fengyue Pass in Luzhou."

"what?"

Yang Chang did not respond to Liu Tang's surprise, but immediately turned and looked at Han Tao in the hall.

When An Daoquan was mentioned just now, he couldn't help but think of Fengyue Pass. Although he trusted the Luzhou garrison commander very much, it was impossible for him not to be worried at all after not having any news from there for more than ten days.

After the dust settled here, Yang Chang planned to temporarily hand over the defense of Taiyuan to Han Tao, so he specifically asked for his opinion.

"Manager Han, how do you plan to deal with the Puchashi slaves who came back to help and the missing Yelu Yudu?"

"I?"

Seeing that Commander Yang was serious, Han Tao guessed what he was thinking. He stroked his beard and murmured, "Although Wushi led the main force to retreat, we cannot rule out the possibility that they will come back as soon as we move. Pucha Shijianu and Yelu Yudu have been cut off from their supply route. The longer they waste time in Taiyuan, the more disadvantageous it will be for them. I suggest that they rest in Yangqu for a while and respond to any changes with the same attitude."

Liu Tang looked puzzled and asked back, "Hey, we've been victorious in battles, why don't we retreat now? Aren't we too cowardly?"

"Uh"

"Tell Liu Tang the reason again."

"Yes."

Han Tao nodded slightly and added, "Since we left Pingbei, we have traveled hundreds of miles in the past ten days. Although the soldiers have won battle after battle, they are very tired now and need to stop and rest. It just so happens that Yangqu has just been taken and our foothold is not yet stable."

"It seems to make sense. I'll listen to my brother's arrangements."

Liu Tang did not comment, and then looked straight at Yang Chang.

After hearing this, Yang Chang was relieved. He looked at everyone and said calmly, "General Manager Han is right. We are in the upper hand now. The Jin people should be anxious. Let's take advantage of the time to let the soldiers rest."

"Yes."

"I listen to my brother."

"General Manager Han, you must take full control of Yangqu's defense. We cannot rule out the possibility that the Jin troops in the city have not completely left, and they may sabotage the city with the help of internal and external forces. From now on, the Military Commissioner's Office will be set up here. Stability in the city is more important than anything else."

"Yes"

Although they captured Yangqu and drove away Wushi, they were still a long way from completely controlling Taiyuan, and it was not yet time to reward them according to their merits. After several years of training, the soldiers under Yang Chang's command had already gotten rid of the banditry they had developed in Liangshan.

Now, once a city is captured, they will no longer rush to slaughter families, loot the rich and the treasury, nor will they insist on holding banquets to eat meat and drink wine. Instead, they have an increased sense of responsibility to protect the country and the people.

Commander Yang would not personally deploy the specific work. He just appointed Han Tao's general in front of everyone in the hall. He is also the deputy commander-in-chief of the Pingbei army, so everyone consciously followed his arrangements.

The Night Owl Army was an intelligence unit directly under Yang Chang. Usually, Shi Qian or Wu Song would report important intelligence. However, Shi Qian was staying in Xuan Zan's camp due to an injury, so the military intelligence from Wu Shi reached Xuan Zan's camp first at night.

At that time, Han Tao happened to be on patrol at Xuan Zan's place. Shi Qian then told Han Tao that the Jin army had retreated to Shiling Pass and deployed defenses, and asked him to report this to Yang Chang at night.

Shiling Pass is the northern gateway of Taiyuan. If the Yisheng Army had not abandoned this important town, Nianhan would not have been able to easily besiege Yangqu City.

Yang Chang likes to hold the pass and use the geographical advantage to wear down the opponent. Now Wu Shi is just like himself in the past, which indirectly proves that offense and defense can be changed.

The one hundred artillery shells brought by Weisheng were all used up during the attack on Yangqu, and it was obviously unrealistic to continue to attack Shiling Pass.

Taiyuan Prefecture has the largest territory in Hedong, and borders nine states, namely Liaozhou, Weisheng, Fenzhou, Shizhou, Lanzhou, Xianzhou, Xinzhou, Daizhou, and Pingding. Except for the first three states controlled by Yang Chang, the remaining six states are directly or indirectly controlled by the Jin army. Therefore, the previous strategy of using heavy troops to block the roads to protect development is no longer appropriate in Taiyuan today.

This is also the reason why he lay low and did not fight back. To use the fashionable words of Yang Changyuan's original world, the cost of holding Taiyuan was too high, but since he wanted to fight for the world, he would take this step sooner or later, so he set up the Zhizhisi in Taiyuan.

Of course, if Yang Chang's defense line moved north to Taiyuan, the troops from Weisheng and Liaozhou could be withdrawn and then stationed in the important towns of Taiyuan, using cities instead of passes to form a surface layout.

After Han Tao finished his work report at night, Yang Chang rewarded Puluhu with his [Control] attribute and [Spear and Stick Mastery] skill, and personally sent him out of the mansion.

Yang Chang looked at the starry night sky in the south with his eyes that could see at night. His thoughts glanced towards Fengyue Pass in Luzhou with the wind. At this moment, he inexplicably felt a little uneasy.

Dai Zong had brought the news about his situation in Taiyuan back to Zhending Prefecture three days ago. Upon hearing this, Marshal Erlido went to Cizhou to supervise the battle and ordered Talan to capture Fengyue Pass at all costs.

Originally, Qiu Qiongying could barely cope with the situation with her stone-slinging skills and the cooperation of defenders such as Sun Li, but the Jin army suddenly attacked day and night like crazy, making the situation serious.

At the critical moment, Zhao Fujin stood up.

She wore a mask and conjured up a golden phoenix crown and bridal robe, and like an immortal, she frequently used her phantom sword to repel the enemy, and finally curbed the crazy momentum of the Jin army.

However, the Jin army was not scared off. On the night when Yang Chang captured Yangqu City, Dai Zong rushed to Weizhou to meet Song Jiang with a mission, and Erlido specifically asked to borrow the Demon King.

(End of this chapter)