Chapter 202: In early winter, Caozhou

Moreover, the documents issued by Yanzhou Fucheng are quite particular. The request for help from letters to Caozhou is that the city bureau is chaotic. If you walk twenty miles a day, you will stop staying and do not advance. The person stationed in Ma Gang's troops in Mengyin used the fast horses from various shops in Jining to speed up.

The news that Liu Zeqing, the general of Caozhou, received five days later was a message that his fellow villager who was working in Yanzhou Prefecture sent someone to tell him. Liu Zeqing has always been willing to spend money when dealing with fellow villager.

Liu Zeqing, who has always been domineering in the newly-started Jiaozhou Camp, was extremely angry about the newly-started Jiaozhou Camp, and why did he add an abnormality after the anger? That is because most domineering people often get angry when they meet characters who are more arrogant than him.

The Liu army of Caozhou immediately mobilized, and Ma Gang led 1,500 people into Yanzhou Prefecture. Liu Zeqing thought he was fighting inside, and because Dongchang Prefecture suffered a loss, he knew that the other party was not easy to get along with, so he simply sent 5,000 troops to strive for victory.

Of course, what both sides said was to suppress bandits and quell the rebellion and rushed to Sishui County. The backward communication methods of this era, plus the five-day time difference, Ma Gang led 1,500 people into Sishui City three days earlier than Liu Zeqing's troops. After coming to Sishui City, Kong Sande immediately began to transport food and grass through the relationship between the Kong Mansion and the merchants, and also helped recruit civilians and strengthen the city walls and fortifications.

Under the temptation of white cash and food, especially in such a disaster year, there are many people who want to have a full meal.

When the five thousand soldiers led by Liu Zeqing's clan brother Liu Zetao arrived at the city of Sishui, they couldn't help but open their mouths and looked at a small fortress with strong vigilance and fortifications.

The purpose of both sides' urgent marching is not for those illusory bandit rebellion, but for each other. As for how to explain to the superiors at that time, "the bandits were not killed in the line of duty" or the troops were all acceptable reasons for the top peak.

Liu Zetao has been fighting with his brother for many years, so he naturally knew that if he wanted to siege 1,500 soldiers guarding a city that was more powerful than him, and it was a city with complete defense. Not to mention the heavy casualties, he was more likely to be unable to take it down.

On weekdays, the Liu tribe obtained supplies in Yanzhou Prefecture and was recruited on the spot. The gentry and powerful men were also frightened by the fierce power of the Liu tribe, so they could only do it. However, when they came to Sishui City, the people of the Minzhuang Township who were affiliated with Yansheng Gong's Mansion would not give in. This was a big monster that could not be offended. They were insufficient supplies and morale, let alone any siege. What Liu Zetao could only do was to station troops at the city and send fast horses to Caozhou for help.

Liu Zeqing of Caozhou had gathered more than 20,000 troops due to the great disaster and famine, but most of them were hungry rogues. Since he heard that Jiaozhou camp entered Yanzhou, General Liu found that the gentry below had become a little cold to him. He knew that this was because he could not suppress the place.

If Li Meng's troops were not driven out, his business in Yanzhou Prefecture would be ruined. After receiving an urgent letter from his clan, he immediately took it seriously.

He immediately sent more than 5,000 reinforcements. These were not those hungry people who had gathered up, but the old army with combat experience under his command. He now had more than 8,000 troops who could fight, and 5,000 units were stationed in Dingtao, Shuanghekou and Cao County, and Caozhou. There were 3,000 people in his old camp. There were too many troops and the local area could not afford it.

Faced with the orders of the imperial court to allocate and go to war, Liu Zeqing's troops, who had always been delayed, had a rare high efficiency at this time. On November 20, more than 5,000 reinforcements had already set off and rushed to Sishui County.

These things were called a major disaster in southern Shandong by the scholars in Yanzhou Prefecture. It was obvious that the drought was already a waste of people. Liu Zeqing's troops passed by, and they were even more like locusts, and they were rampant and tragic along the way.

Ma Gang's 1,500 men seemed to be turtles, and they were defending the city of Sishui. Liu Zetao sent people to try and attack several times, but they were beaten to death. What made him even more angry was that the other party actually had two cannons. Although they were not the kind of heavy cannon, it was enough to make the soldiers stop.

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month of the 10th year of Chongzhen, several soldiers guarding the east gate of Caozhou City slept by the warm charcoal brazier for a night, rubbed their sleepy eyes and walked up to the city, but were surprised to find that at some point, the city gate was already covered with soldiers.

Although he didn't know whose army this was, he was sure that the people outside were definitely not friendly troops. The little leader was extremely regretful, thinking that even if he survived this time, he would be chopped off by the general. He couldn't help but cut the gentry who sent the wine and meat last night to pieces.

But it was too late. As the city gates were closed at night, I didn’t expect the other party to hit his door, so the city gate just fell off.

Even the civilians can open such defense. Listening to the creaking sound below, the little leader was very familiar with this sound. It was the friction sound of the city gate shaft turning. He used the money for oil to sell wine several times, and was really impressed.

What should I do? The little leader found that the soldiers and colleagues around him were not moving. He turned his head and looked at them. Seeing that the faces of these people were strange, he immediately understood the truth. The little leader's hand holding the weapon was relaxed and cursed with complaint:

"I treat you very well on weekdays, why not bring me such a thing!"

"Isn't this worrying that Brother Liu, you are the old man who follows Dashang..."

The soldiers on the city didn't care about anything. They just threw the weapons in their hands aside according to the requirements of one of them, sat on the city wall, and ignored nothing. The little leader breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, knowing that if he had just spoken out or did something else, the knife beside him would cut off.

However, he did not expect that the soldiers around him were relieved. Liu Zeqing's old camp soldiers were all selected from Caozhou and Cao County. These people all have families and families in the local area. Although these soldiers in the city received the benefits of silver, they also received warnings that if there was a problem with the city gate, the heads of the family would land on the ground.

God knows, how can those people know about their own family affairs? Liu Dashuai may not know about it?

Liu Zeqing treated the top tyrants with kindness, but regarded the gentry landlords below as pigs and dogs. Li Meng's private salt agents were these small and medium-sized landlords, and these lower tyrants were very familiar with everything in the local area.

Li Meng and his horse team stayed in Qufu for three days, and then led the way with an informant arranged by Kong Sande. They marched in the early morning and rested during the day. With the power of the horses, they rushed to the city of Caozhou within two days.

Seeing someone shaking lanterns on the top of the city and hiding in the darkness in the early morning, Li Meng breathed a sigh of relief and ordered the personal guards behind him to let go of the dozens of old and weak men who were accompanying the army, and answered with a torch.

In his plan, even if the insider does not open the door, the other party will not be prepared. He just sends a capable man to open the city gate and rush in during the day.

The city gate suspension bridge on the east side was lowered, the city gate was wide open, and the cavalrymen of Jiaozhou camp covered with cloth clothes were entering one after another, without any resistance here.

The residents who left the city early in the morning saw a large cavalry suddenly appearing. The only thing they could do was run home and cat, praying that the army would not notice them first.

More than 2,400 cavalrymen broke into the city. No matter how cautious they were, they were still huge. It was impossible not to be discovered by others. Moreover, Caozhou City was not big. After the east gate opened, the soldiers on the city wall discovered it immediately.

"Breaking into the Wang Yijun, breaking into the Wang Yijun, don't disturb the good people, don't disturb the good people!"

The cavalrymen of the cavalry were all shouting there, and the residents of Caozhou who were lying at the cellar at home or kneeling on the ground to beg for the blessing of gods and Buddhas were all shocked, thinking that the rioters suddenly came here from the sky.

The roaring sound of horse hooves gradually became quiet, but everywhere in Caozhou became more and more worried.

Even with the felt lining, he still felt a little cold while wearing this iron armor. Li Meng was surrounded by several guards holding large shields and rode on his horse to observe the inner city in front.

Liu Zeqing lived in Caozhou City and did many evil deeds. One of them was to demolish the houses of nearly a thousand households of civilians and drive them out of the city. He used these materials to demolish houses to build the inner city. Among the thousands of households, they were captured as slaves and servants, and were occupied by the army. There were many old and weak people who died tragically in the wilderness because they were not taken care of by anyone.

But this matter involves civilians. Liu Zeqing has always given both kindness and power to the local wealthy households and treated the fellow villagers in the court with generous gifts, but he passed by silently.

In addition to Liu Zeqing's luxurious mansion, his three thousand soldiers were also stationed here, with deep trenches and high walls, and the entire one was a military fortress.

"Sir, the fast horses from Liu's troops left the city just now, so they should have asked for help."

Tang Er whispered to the side. Li Meng was watching the gate of the inner city with a Qianli Miles in his hand, and replied with a calm expression:

"Never mind, I can't come here within a day. Are the city gates closed now?"

"The city gates in Caozhou are closed, and the south gate and the west gate are resisting, but they have been pacified and firmly controlled in the hands of our army."

"That person is Liu Zeqing?"
Chapter completed!