Chapter 177 The city is broken
The Han army established contact with Zhang Cong, the defender of the north gate, and successfully instigated him to rebel. Zhang Cong agreed to open the city gate at night and welcome the Han army into the city. He was also willing to recruit some generals who had also lost hope in the Xinmang Dynasty to secretly launch a rebellion.

Li Yang did not refuse these, but accepted them all, promising that as long as they were willing to give up evil and join the good, he would make proper arrangements for them.

After all, we are all Han Chinese, and it is better to be colleagues than enemies.

………

Three days later, Li Yang, who had been in a standoff with the defenders in the city for a long time, once again asked the generals to discuss matters.

It is obvious that the insider Zhang Cong has received the news. As long as everything goes well and all parties do not play Mission Impossible, then attacking Ruyin will be a natural thing!

The generals sat on both sides in order, with Li Yang in the first seat. However, there was one thing that was quite different from usual, that was Liu Xiu, the vanguard general, was actually arranged in the main seat!

This was the unanimous request of everyone. Although Liu Xiu didn’t want to do it, he had no choice.

Obviously, everyone has recognized this second-in-command of the Yuzhou camp. As long as the city is broken, he will be the governor of Runan, an absolutely powerful position, and there is a high probability that he will inherit Li Yang’s mantle.

In this era, starting from scratch has become difficult. The period of fighting for territory has passed and things are beginning to stabilize.

Every county and every state has a master. The only ones that have not yet been settled are Guanzhong, Henan and Bashu. However, it will be difficult for the imperial court to take back these places in a short period of time.

Guanzhong has already been promised to the Red Eyebrow Army. As the orthodox imperial court in the world, it would not be a good idea to break one’s promise.

The rebel army in Hanzhong has already grown in strength. Once the Xin Mang Dynasty is destroyed, they will close the gates and establish their own regime in Bashu. For the time being, we can only call for peace. The saying “The road to Shu is difficult, harder than climbing to the sky” is no joke.

A forceful attack is too difficult, so there is very little land left to fight for.

Under this situation, Li Yang, the warlord who controlled Yuzhou, became extremely important. He was close to Nanyang and was supported by the Xu family.

Leaning against the big tree is good for the coolness.

“Zhang Cong has sent us a letter saying that he will open the north gate at midnight tomorrow and join forces with Wen Qi’s troops to riot in the former general’s mansion! They will cooperate with us from inside and outside.”

“If everything goes well, then Ruyin will be within easy reach.”

Li Yang, who was sitting in the main seat, spoke up. Everything had been prepared. After the matter was accomplished, the court could give him the post of Yingchuan County Magistrate, which was already a great sincerity for a surrendered general.

Zhang Cong was also satisfied. He had never dreamed of becoming a prefect. One should not be too greedy. A decent official position would be good enough.

At this time, someone expressed his concerns, “My lord, is this a trick?”

As the saying goes, once bitten, one becomes afraid of ropes for ten years. Last time, he had been fooled and ambushed by Wang Yi. He suffered a great defeat and lost Runan, and his reputation was ruined from then on.

If it weren’t for the support of the prime minister, I’m afraid we wouldn’t exist today.

Li Yang was actually worried: “I can’t rule out this possibility, but even if it is, it’s worth the risk.”

“We completely crush the Xinmang in terms of both military strength and morale. I want to see what kind of waves we can create.”

Conspiracies and tricks are only useful when the strength is equal. If the opponent is absolutely crushed and there is no external reinforcement, any tricks will be useless!
For example, when Xiang Yu was surrounded at Gaixia by hundreds of thousands of Han soldiers, no matter how brave he was or what strategies he used, he could not change the fact that he would commit suicide by slashing his throat at the Wujiang River and be dismembered in the end!
The gap is too big, and the world is finally settled.

Seeing that his lord was confident, the general said nothing more and just nodded.

Li Yang glanced at his generals and said, “I will not participate in this night attack. You will obey Uncle Wen’s orders.”

“As ordered.” Everyone said in unison.

At this time, they no longer had any thoughts of despising him. They were convinced that this young general was too powerful. He captured thirty counties in one battle and used a trick to make Wen Qi underestimate the enemy and send troops rashly. In the end, he was defeated and the confrontation was broken.

Without the enemy’s efforts, the Han army would never have achieved such a huge victory. If they wanted to encircle Ruyin, they would have to maintain a stalemate for at least several months.

“I will definitely fulfill your mission.” Liu Xiu did not refuse any more.

He had been keeping a low profile before because he was afraid of being targeted and taken advantage of, and eventually suffering the same fate as his lord Li Yang. After all, he was not appreciated by Prime Minister Xu.

If something goes wrong, then everything will be over. Being dismissed from office is the lightest punishment. You might even be executed!

But the situation is different now. Once Ruyin is captured, he will be the governor of Runan, the second-in-command of the Yuzhou faction, and will also be protected by Li Yang who has been reinstated.

In addition, the world has been settled, so it is almost impossible for something like the defeat at Ruyin to happen.

The next night, Liu Xiu led several thousand elite Han troops to station in front of the north gate. Because their actions were covert and there were internal supporters to cover them up, the other side did not notice anything.

“Listen carefully, everyone, wrap the horse’s hooves with linen and put iron hoods on the horse’s hide. No sound can be made!” ordered Liu Xiu who was riding on a war horse.

Since it is a surprise attack, there is no more suitable type of troops than cavalry. After silencing them, they can rush into the city without anyone noticing.

Once the elite armored cavalry stepped into the open space, no infantry could resist them! Because the Xinmang lost the horse-breeding areas such as Longxi and Bingzhou, there was a severe shortage of war horses.

The number of cavalry in Ruyin City was probably less than 800, while Liu Xiu had nearly 2,000!

What’s more, it is impossible for soldiers to ride on horses at all times, and by the time they react, it is too late.

“Woo woo woo…” The cry of a night owl was heard.

This is a special code.

Liu Xiu raised his hand and said in a serious tone, “Order all the generals to prepare to enter the city.”

The ten-foot-thick door swayed slowly, and the door hinges were coated with oil, so there was not much noise.

The north gate is open!
“Enter the city!” Following Liu Xiu’s low voice, the general immediately gave a secret signal.

Two thousand well-equipped and well-trained cavalrymen advanced forward one after another, their horses’ hooves wrapped in cloth to cover up the violent sound of the hooves, and then at night, they were like ghosts demanding their lives.

“Hurry, hurry…” Zhang Cong appeared beside the door.

Under the guidance of the enemy, thousands of Han cavalry entered the city one after another, and the soldiers on this shift had all been instigated to rebel.

Liu Xiu rode a tall horse and looked down at the traitor.

Zhang Cong also recognized that this was the commander of the Han army. He bowed and saluted, then said: “General, if you follow this road, you will reach the former general’s mansion. I have drawn the routes to other city gates on this map.”

Although he knew that most of the generals attacking the city had once served in Yuzhou and were familiar with the terrain.

But it’s inevitable that he doesn’t know, so he’s better to take a risk. This time, Zhang Cong can be said to have bet his entire fortune and life on this!
There is absolutely no room for any negligence or accidents. Otherwise, the Han army can withdraw, but I will be killed without a burial place!

Liu Xiu bent down, took the map, looked at it, and put it away carefully. “Don’t worry, it is wise for you to abandon darkness and join the light.”

………

Former general’s mansion.

Wen Qi was very frightened after being ambushed and defeated. He had been unable to sleep or eat for the past half month. After all, it was because he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, and fell into the Han army’s trap.

As a result, tens of thousands of Han troops arrived at Ruyin, leaving only an isolated city.

Although the fall of the city was a matter of time, he had to hold on! Helping His Majesty on the front line to hold back the Yuzhou army was also a way to atone for his carelessness. Now that he had obtained Wen Qi, he finally understood Li Yang’s feelings back then.

“Kill!”

“kill…”

The shouts of killing suddenly rang out. As a veteran who had been on many battlefields, Wen Qi keenly caught it and immediately became alert. He got out of bed, hurriedly put on his armor, and took out the knife from under his pillow.

Looking forward to it.

Bang!

A guard rushed open the door in panic and reported: “General, something bad has happened. Zhang Jing, Luo Yuan and others have mutinied!”

Upon hearing this, Wen Qi’s face changed drastically, and his hands holding the weapon couldn’t help but tremble.

These two were former officers of the General’s Mansion, each with 800 guards, accounting for one-third of the entire mansion! If they suddenly rebelled, the others would not be able to react at all.

And this is not the most important thing. The rebel general is not a fool. What will happen if he mutinis under such circumstances even if he occupies the former general’s mansion?

The thousands of defenders outside are not vegetarians. As long as they notice any unusual movement, they can arrive in half an hour. By then, these more than a thousand guards will be completely useless!
So I’m afraid there was an accident at the city gate!

“It’s bad, pass the order immediately to block the north gate!” Wen Qi immediately identified his suspect.

Zhang Cong, the commander of the North Gate, had his entire family confiscated by His Majesty. Although he behaved well on the surface, he could not help feeling resentful in his heart. Who could let go of the revenge of having his entire family exterminated?

I’m afraid that being docile is an act of helplessness, and the Han army will certainly target him for rebellion.

Moreover, Zhang Jingluo Yuansu came to befriend Zhang Cong, which must have something to do with him! If the north gate is lost, the Han army will march straight in, and the entire Ruyin city will be in danger.

After all, the defenders in the city were not prepared at all, and Li Yang had thousands of Xiliang cavalry under his command. If they all went out together, the patrolling defenders would definitely not be able to stop them!

At that time, all two or three city gates were opened, and tens of thousands of Han troops would be able to march straight in.

“This…” The guard looked embarrassed. “The gate of the general’s mansion has been controlled by the rebels. It will be difficult for our news to reach the outside world in a short time.”

Zhang Jing and Luo Yuan planned for a long time and won over enough helpers before launching a mutiny and preparing to hold the former general Wen Qi hostage! As long as this guard is captured, the credit will undoubtedly be greater.

This will allow them to gain greater bargaining chips in the Han court.

“Attack the gate with all your strength and make sure to send the information out. My life is also ranked after this message. Just protect Ruyin.”

Wen Qi’s face was gloomy. He didn’t expect that the other party was so well prepared. It seemed that they not only wanted to capture the city gate, but also wanted to capture him.

The open rebels are not the most troublesome. You never know whether the other defenders are loyal to the New Dynasty or the Han Dynasty.

“Yes!” the guard obeyed the order.

………

Two thousand elite cavalrymen charged through the streets, killing any armored Xinmang soldiers they saw. The enemies had no power to fight back and fell in a pool of blood, their bodies trampled into a pulp by the horses’ hooves.

“Enemy attack!”

“Enemy attack!”

In this situation, the Xinmang army also sensed something was wrong and rushed to stop them.

But how could these few hundred people compete with the Xiliang cavalry? They were knocked over almost as soon as they met. The cavalry had almost absolute dominance over the infantry, and they were far inferior in terms of mobility and explosiveness.

Although the streets were narrow and the cavalry advantage was suppressed to a certain extent, the Xinmang infantry did not form a battle formation and without the support of a military formation, their only advantage was gone.

Face the cavalry charge head-on.

Liu Xiu ordered the army to be divided into three groups, one to the west gate and one to the east gate, while he himself led the troops to the former general’s mansion.

Before he came, he had already thoroughly studied the mindsets of the Xin Mang defenders in the city. Most of the generals and soldiers did not want to continue working for this corrupt dynasty.

They were eager to surrender to the Han Dynasty. This was the core reason why the Han army was so unstoppable. How could they lead the army if their morale was divided?

Of course there are loyal ministers, such as Wang Yi and Wen Qi, but they are a minority after all. Wang Mang started his career by betraying the Han emperor, so don’t expect these ministers to have strong stickiness.

The reason why they swore allegiance until death was mainly because Wang Mang won the hearts of the people and created a good saintly persona, making the subjects of the world believe that he was the savior!
But since the retro reforms, his image in the eyes of the people and the powerful ministers has collapsed.

So no one is willing to serve him anymore.

Ruyin is still holding out because General Wen Qi is playing a role. His prestige is very high and he can suppress all thoughts of betrayal and surrender.

This time, they planned to attack Huanglong directly and eliminate Wen Qi, who was resisting stubbornly. In this way, Yuzhou could be conquered without fighting!

Liu Xiu picked out the most elite 800 cavalrymen, dressed in armor and leading the charge. The small group of Xinmang troops that came to reinforce were dispersed in a moment, and the entire Ruyin City had not yet reacted to the situation.

It does not constitute effective resistance at all.

“General, the former general’s mansion is in front of us.” The surrendered general of the Xinmang Dynasty who led the way said as he approached.

“Charge in.” Liu Xiu grabbed the reins and rushed forward first.

The remaining 800 cavalrymen followed closely behind.

The Han army rushed into the palace gate and joined up with the 1,600 Xinmang soldiers who had arrived immediately. The sudden reinforcement caught the defenders of the former general’s palace off guard, and they were completely defeated, unable to even maintain their previous stalemate.

Wen Qi hid behind the shield soldiers, wearing armor and looking panic-stricken. This was the first time he had been so panicked in all his years of military service, and he was simply powerless to save the situation.

“General, let’s surrender.” A confidant thought for a moment and finally said it.

Wen Qi sternly refused: “I am receiving a new salary, how can I surrender to the enemy?”

“What’s the big deal? Didn’t Your Majesty usurp the throne of the Liu family…” He retorted in a low voice.

This sentence left Wen Qi speechless. The other party was right. Wang Mang was originally a Han minister, and the Wang family had received salaries from the court and enjoyed the emperor’s grace for generations, but he still rebelled without hesitation.

It is indeed difficult to cope with. There is nothing wrong with the saying that leaders should follow suit.

“General Wen, the three city gates of North Gate, West Gate and East Gate are now under our control. The Xin Mang Dynasty has committed atrocities and its fate has come to an end. Why should we be buried with it?”

“You want to serve the country with loyalty and leave behind a good reputation as a loyal minister, but what about the generals under your command? They were once Han ministers and their hearts are with the Han. Even if they are loyal, they are loyal to the Han!”

Liu Xiu also shouted from behind the shield formation that the opponent was at the end of the road and there was no need to fight any further.

If Wen Qi is persuaded to surrender, the other defenders of Ruyin will not continue to resist.

(End of this chapter)