Chapter 159

  At this time, Yang Long's army had already killed its way to Heishi City and was camping ten miles away from the city.

  Divide the troops into four routes.

  The army was led by Li Shanyan, with a force of 10,000 men, besieging the East Gate.

  The Second Route Army was led by Qi De Long, with a force of 10,000 men, and besieged the Western Gate.

  Three routes of troops were led by Qi Dezhong, with a total of 10,000 soldiers, surrounding the North Gate.

  The Chinese army of 20,000 men led by Yang Longyan attacked the south gate.

  It's said that a besieged city must have its weaknesses, and Yang Long is an old hand at fighting battles on the sand field, so he wouldn't not understand this principle. Knowing this clearly, he still set up such a formation, obviously not even giving Xue Ban Chuan a chance to escape.

  Fifty thousand people eat horse food every day, it's an astronomical figure. As the saying goes, "The three armies are not moving, and the grain and grass are going first." Every day, there is a continuous supply of materials arriving.

  Yang Longting was well aware that war is not just about military might, but also about economy, politics and people's hearts. If logistics can be done well, half the battle is won before it even starts.

  He paid special attention to the issue of grain and fodder.

  Today's grain transport team arrived a bit late, and the other side did not bring the grain and hay that Yang Long was supposed to bring, but instead brought Luo Tie's corpse.

  Looking at Luo Tie's body inside the big tent, Yang Long remained silent for a long time, and the air around him seemed to cool down a lot.

  The small team that lost their grain ration knelt outside the tent for a long time, shivering with fear.

  "Kill!"

  This was the first word Yang Long said after seeing Luo Tie's corpse, and with a wave of his hand, rows of heads fell to the ground.

  Then Yang Long sent a letter to Cheng Dali and ordered someone to deliver it to Hama Village.

  "Are you not afraid of death?"

  He soon received a reply from Cheng Dairen, which consisted of six words.

  "If you want to fight, come and fight."

  After reading the letter, Yang Long was furious and immediately wanted to mobilize his troops, first breaking through the turtle shell camp and then killing Xue Banjiang to avenge him.

  Then he quickly calmed down.

  Cheng Darui is definitely going to be killed, whether he kills Luo Tie or not, this matter will not change. But killing him now is definitely not feasible.

  The army had just set up camp and returned to attack Cheng Dalai, which seemed a bit awkward. Moreover, if Xue Banquan took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack from behind, Yang Long would fall into the situation of being attacked from both front and back, which is a great taboo in military strategy.

  Moreover, Cheng Dairen still held his own grain path in his hands. If he cut off his own grain path, the 50,000-strong army would fall into a desperate situation.

  It seems that this Da Lei is still not easy to offend.

  Yang Long's ruthlessness is matched only by his ability to bend and yield, without this level of mastery in the dark arts, he wouldn't have become the King of Youzhou today.

  Yang Long stopped and wrote another letter to Cheng Da Lei, the content of which was roughly: I know you killed Luo Tie, it's a good kill, a justifiable kill, a loud and clear kill. You committed a crime against your superior, according to the law, you should be beheaded, there is no need to explain anything. If you didn't kill him, I would have done so myself. I was thinking of rewarding you with something, those grains are your reward. Of course, it would be even better if you could come and work by my side.

  After sending out the letter, Yang Long received a reply from Cheng Dairen soon. In the letter, Cheng Dairen resumed his previous attitude.

  Rumors of the Northern Brightness · The Backbone of the Empire · My Eternal Idol, Your Highness, the King of Youzhou:

  After receiving your letter, I let everyone in the village read it together. No one was not convinced by your wisdom and many people wiped away tears with their sleeves, taking this letter as an honor.

  Of course, I would like to go and serve by your side, but unfortunately, I am bedridden with a serious illness and can only wish you good luck in my heart, wishing you victory.

  The signature reads: Your loyal younger brother, the eternal admirer of King Yong of Youzhou, Commander-in-Chief of the Trapped Array Camp and Touring Cavalry General Cheng Dali.

  When reading this letter, Yang Long didn't have that disgusting feeling like Li Shan Yan did, but instead felt a faint chill through the paper.

  He closed his eyes, recalling the first and only time he met Cheng Dali. He was hunched over, wrapped in a tattered cloak, with a fawning demeanor. Including the letter delivered to the King of Youzhou's castle, full of nonsensical words. Just like those good-for-nothing sycophants in the city who were skilled at flattering and scheming.

  There's no doubt that he was deceived by himself.

  Those letters delivered to Youzhou City were regarded as a joke by everyone, including Yang Long. However, while regarding them as a joke, they subconsciously looked down on Cheng Da Lei.

  Living until today, Yang Longbiao understands more than anyone else that this world is not short of dare-to-be-hard-and-strong men. At the same time, the chaotic burial mound has never been short of nameless corpses.

  In this world, tough guys don't live long, but if you always lower your head, no one will look up to you.

  Know when to be strong and when to yield.

  Yang Longping is this kind of person.

  Could it be that Cheng Dairen is also this kind of person... Perhaps, he is someone more worthy of killing than Xue Banquan.

  Never mind that for now, first comfort this scoundrel, after breaking the Blackstone City, on the way back to get rid of this villain.

  Yang Long now wants to attack the city.

  ……

  Inside the city, Xue Ban Chuan was not without precautions. Logically speaking, with Yang Long's army pressing at the border, the large households within the city should have opened the gates to welcome Yang Long in, as they did not want to share life and death with Xue Ban Chuan.

  But this thing has not happened until now, because before that, Xue Ban Chuan had invited the big households in the city to the City Master's Mansion for a dinner party.

  At the banquet, Xue Ban-chuan raised his cup and wept before drinking, saying: "Yang Long is not a thing, he wants to kill us all! But don't worry, I will protect you. From now on, everyone will live in the city master's mansion, and I will share life and death with you."

  It's called protection, but it's actually imprisonment. Locking up the wives and children of the wealthy families in the city, Xue Banquan steeled himself to do it, with only one goal in mind: if they want to live, everyone lives together; if they want to die, everyone dies together.

  Their sons and younger brothers were serving in the army at this time, and they had no way to rebel, after all, their parents, wives and children were all in Xue Banjiang's hands.

  Zhen Tou will rely on Yang Long to stop him, and without a doubt, Xue Ban Chuan will slaughter his own wife and children.

  Cruelty is a quality that no big shot in this era lacks.

  Faced with Yang Long's mighty army approaching, Xue Banquan had only one attitude: no fight.

  Anyway, I have a wife and children at home who are warm and well-fed, but you've come from afar and will go crazy if you don't eat for a day. Let's see who can outlast whom.

  Apart from not fighting, Xue Banquan also had another strategy: spreading rumors.

  Boastfully proclaiming in the city: Yang Long is not a good thing, he has been lustful since childhood, his sisters, sisters-in-law, aunts... all the women in his family, he hasn't let any of them go. It's said that because of his excessive lust from a young age, when he grew up he became impotent, his wives sleep with other men while he watches on the side, satisfying some kind of stimulation. Otherwise, how could it be that until now he still has no son?

  This rumor spread to Yang Long's camp through various channels, and this kind of thing was really spread without bounds, so no one believed it anymore. However, there were always one or two fools who, after hearing the rumor, would say: "Oh, that's why, that's why."

  Rumors won't hurt you, but they'll make you sick.

  There is no doubt that this strategy was devised by Cheng Dairen.