Chapter 158: Night Disturbance
That night, at the military camp outside Gaoling City.

Zhong Yao paced back and forth in the military tent, with a sheepskin coat draped over his shoulders.

The letters of request for help and accusation from Ma Wan and Yan Xing were placed on the table, and what made him even more embarrassed was the letter from Duan Wei questioning him.

With the sudden disappearance of three good neighbors, Duan Wei is now surrounded.

He was called the governor of Beidi County, but he actually controlled only the area around Niyang in the southern part of Beidi.

The Qiang Hu and Zao Hu people living in the mountainous area north of Niyang are usually easy to deal with, but if they encounter a disaster or are instigated by someone, they will plunder to the south.

Duan Wei's situation was not very good. All parties needed someone to control the Qiang people around Niyang and to resist the rebellious Qiang people in the north.

After so many years of fighting, each general's occupation of each territory had its own background and logic.

Duan Wei was now filled with shock and anger. He had reason to suspect that Zhong Yao had designed to paralyze him and create opportunities for the Huya Army to attack and kill and annex Liang Xing and the other two.

Especially the death of Liang Xing, which revealed a strong sense of internal support and assassination.

Duan Wei's questioning left Zhong Yao with no way to avoid it.

Should we unite all parties to curb the Tiger Tooth Army, or just give up and go down this path until the end?

At this moment, he missed his fellow soldier Du Xi and his nephew Guo Yuan. These two people would definitely be willing to plan a suitable retreat for him.

Even Yang Guang, who resigned from his official position, was someone who could give him thoughtful advice.

He thought of Zhang Ji and Wei Ji again.

Wei Ji, a native of Hedong, was helping the Huya Army to incorporate the troops and property of Li Kan and Hou Xuan, and was demonstrating his position with practical actions.

Zhang Ji had lost contact with him and was probably being held in Gaoling City by Liu Ye.

Liu Ye was a person who changed his expression so quickly. Before, he was flirting with me and we seemed to have a tacit understanding.

But as the Tiger Tooth Army quickly defeated and annexed Liang Xing's generals, Liu Ye not only did not come to the dock to greet them, but also closed the city gates early.

I thought young people like Liu Ye would be passionate and thin-skinned.

The change in his expression was so fast that he was caught off guard.

This is the most difficult part at the moment. Liu Ye was not well-known before, so he was able to turn around flexibly.

His ship was too big. He had previously joined forces with the Tiger Tooth Army and could have claimed that he had lobbied for the imperial court and incorporated the rebel army.

If he truly cooperated with the Tiger Tooth Army now, he would not be able to stand up straight and speak in front of people like Duan Wei in the future.

Also, how should the people of Guandong view him after he became an accomplice in helping the Tiger Tooth Army to unify Guanzhong?

Zhong Yao was in a heavy mood and could not make up his mind.

In the dark night, with the night wind howling, a dozen knights walked westward along the road and opened the gate of Meiyang City.

The city was silent at night, but the sound of the knights' hooves woke up many of Yang Qiu's troops who were about to go out to battle.

In the general's mansion, Yang Qiu looked in surprise at his second son Yang Mao who had returned with Kong Gui. Yang Mao no longer had the melancholy look he had when he set out before, and now he could be said to be full of energy and high spirits.

The light of the torch shone on Yang Mao's face, which was shiny and his spirit was completely transformed.

Yang Qiu was also amazed when he saw this and asked Kong Gui: "Shulin, why is this happening?"

"General, the reply is here."

Kong Gui handed over three silk book sachets. Yang Qiu saw that one of them was his own. He opened it and found that it was also his silk book. There was another sentence after his two sentences.

Seeing the words "Guanzhong cannot be governed by one person", Yang Qiu looked at Kong Gui with his eyes wide open. Kong Gui nodded and said, "I saw this with my own eyes and wrote it with my own hand."

Fearing that Zhang Heng or other people might be spying on them, Yang Qiu and Kong Gui both omitted the subject.

Yang Qiu took out the treasure bags of Ma Wan and Yan Xing again. Ma Wan urged for reinforcements and expressed his willingness to appoint Yang Qiu as the leader of the alliance.

They are both from Guanzhong, and they fight each other the most fiercely.

Yang Qiu was not moved by Ma Wan's words as the leader of the alliance. He smiled and showed it to Kong Gui: "Uncle Ma's ball skills are exhausted."

"Congratulations, General!"

Kong Gui bowed, and Yang Qiu waved his hand and said, "I know him better than he knows himself. Since he defeated Wang Cheng and occupied Chiyang, I will never believe a word he says again."

Wang Cheng was also from Guanzhong. He was defeated and killed by Ma Wan in the melee of annexation.

"I am not interested in this leader. I will send someone to Meiwu immediately."

Yang Qiu casually stuffed the silk book ball into the brocade bag, then opened Yan Xing's brocade bag and frowned instantly: "How could this be so unfair!"

Seeing Kong Gui's doubt, Yang Qiu handed over the silk book: "He is afraid of the black tiger's fangs and has blocked the four gates. Yan Xing is about to run out of food, and asks us to rush to rescue him."

Kong Gui held the scroll in both hands and read it, his eyes wide open: "How dare he do this?"

Yan Xing threatened in the letter that the day when the food ran out would be the day he led his troops to surrender to the Huya Army.

The army was not Yan Xing's army, but Han Sui's army.

In order to avoid failure or greater losses, changing the flag on the battlefield was nothing to Han Sui's troops.

It cannot be said to be insignificant, it can only be said to be a normal process of seeking benefits and avoiding harm.

Seeing Kong Gui's surprised look, Yang Qiu sneered, "It seems that Yan Xing was deceived by him. Otherwise, if he was stationed on the west bank of the Jing River, he could move freely. Why would he be so passive?"

The southeast-flowing Jingshui River is quite peculiar in that its east bank is flat, while its west bank has fractured highlands formed by erosion when an ancient river flooded.

The terrain on the west bank is much higher than that on the east bank. If Yan Xing had not rashly crossed the Jing River and stayed on the west bank.

Then, if you station your troops on high ground, you will have the advantage of vision and it will be convenient for you to withdraw them.

It is estimated that Yan Xing was either deceived by Ma Wan, or Yan Xing understood the righteousness of the matter and was willing to lead Han Sui's army to help the court curb the expansion of the Huya Army.

Yang Qiu also participated in the Battle of Changping Temple that year. With a little recollection, he understood Yan Xing's considerations.

If Yan Xing did not go to the east bank of the Jing River and let Pang De seize Changping Temple, Ma Wan's retreat would be cut off and he might surrender to the Huya Army.

When it comes to surrender, you can either surrender sincerely and early, or fight a few battles, surrender after negotiations, and forget all grudges from then on.

Yan Xing's initiative and enthusiasm extinguished Ma Wan's idea of ​​surrender.

The best time to surrender has passed. How could Ma Wan surrender easily now?

I guess he blamed Yan Xing a lot in his heart.

Yang Qiu thought about it, and then said to Kong Gui, "Send Yan Xing's letter to Meiwu as well."

"Yes."

Kong Gui couldn't help but read Yan Xing's documents again. Yan Xing was a mixed force of infantry and cavalry.

Pang De set up camp with Yan Xing almost at the same time to monitor each other, which resulted in the horses in Yan Xing's army being unable to find food in the wild; there would definitely be no fodder stored in Changping Temple.

Given the composition of Han Sui's troops, the soldiers would rather surrender than kill their own horses.

Therefore, the situation of Yan Xingyuan was not as urgent as he said in his letter. The reason why he concealed it was probably to encourage and deceive Yang Qiu, Zhang Heng and others to send troops to rescue.

This also shows that Yan Xing’s surrender remarks were by no means a threat. The horses were privately owned by the soldiers. If the horses really starved to death and there were no reinforcements, the Jing River behind them would block their retreat.

If Yan Xing did not surrender actively and proactively, he would most likely be surrounded and killed by his angry followers.

No matter how good he is at fighting, can he defeat three thousand people with just a hundred or so guards?

As long as there is a mutiny and chaos, how can we just sit back and watch when Pound's camp is so close?

Kong Gui thought for a moment and said, "General, Ma Wan has lost his nerve and is at a loss as to what to do." "Yes, if I were Yan Xing, I would avenge him."

After Yang Qiu finished speaking, he looked at his son Yang Mao. Kong Gui also tactfully left, and Yang Qiu and his son entered the pavilion.

After they passed the middle gate and entered the backyard area, Yang Qiu asked, "Why did my son come back? Have you seen Black Tiger Fang himself?"

"Yes, General Huya said that using a son to hold a father hostage is like drawing a pie in the sky to appease hunger."

"Drawing cakes to appease hunger?"

When Yang Qiu heard this new word, he immediately understood its meaning. He had no shortage of sons. Only his only son or all his sons could play a key role.

There was no one else around to hear the little emotion in his son's tone.

Yang Qiu didn't take it seriously. To survive in troubled times, this method was not excessive.

After thinking for a while, he asked, "My son, what kind of person is this Black Tiger Fang? How does he compare to Sun Ce?"

"As Mr. Kong said, Black Tiger Fang's mind and spirit are even greater than Sun Ce's."

Yang Mao lowered his voice again and said, "Before I left, I heard that after the Black Tiger Tooth War, Mr. Kong would be appointed as the Right Auxiliary Commandant and stationed in Meiwu. Does father know about this?"

"You don't have to worry about this anymore."

Yang Qiu still frowned: "I still can't understand why Ma Boqiu is so cowardly to do such a stupid thing?"

Now Yan Xing is still helping to conceal the truth. If people like Duan Wei and Zhang Heng really find out that Ma Wan has not provided any food or fodder, then they might really withdraw their troops to the periphery and watch Ma Wan perish.

As for Yan Xing's troops, they were so unlucky that Yang Qiu had no sympathy at all.

Do you really think that Yan Xing's army will not harm anyone along the way?
After thinking it over again and again, Yang Qiu asked again: "How many days do you think Chi Yang can hold on?"

"I don't know."

Yang Mao then said something else: "I saw Black Tiger Teeth carefully investigating Changping Temple. If Yan Xing doesn't make plans early, he will be attacked from both sides and be in danger of being destroyed."

Yan Xing, who was being discussed by the father and son, had fallen into a difficult situation.

After all the vegetation in Changping Temple was eaten, the army's approximately 1,800 horses could only get half a bushel of food each day, which was not enough to fill the gaps between the horses' stomachs.

As for the more than 300 oxen pulling the carts, fifty or sixty were slaughtered every day to save food and stabilize morale.

However, the horses accompanying the army were almost all privately owned by the officers and soldiers. It was a small matter if the horses starved to death, but it was a big matter if they lost their means of transportation for escape.

So tonight, more than 300 Qin and Hu militiamen forced the gate open, drove more than 500 horses out of Changping Temple, and let the horses graze nearby.

Qin and Hu conducted outer reconnaissance. In addition to Pang De who was in the south, they also sent people to the upper reaches of the Jing River to look for a suitable place to cross the river.

The Qin Hu and Qiang Hu Yicong were partners, so not only Yan Xing, but even Han Sui could not enforce any harsh military law.

With Qin Hu taking the lead and left unchecked, it is very likely that the entire army will spontaneously flee.

Yan Xing has lost his deterrent power over the army.

Just as he was thinking about whether to break out first, Pang De's night patrol scouts encountered Qin Hu.

The two sides retreated after just a brief fight, but after the night patrol scouts returned to the camp, campfires were lit everywhere in Pound's camp.

Before the troops were dispatched, the Qin and Hu people who were out grazing at Changping Temple hurriedly retreated back to the wall.

Pang De did not stop there. He immediately sent troops to seize the plain south of Changping Temple. He ignited the wood that was transported in carts to illuminate the surrounding area.

The soldiers guarding Changping Temple did not dare to be negligent and put on their armor and prepared for battle.

Many military officers also gathered here with Yan Xing again, hoping that Yan Xing would make the decision.

Knowing that this was his only chance to regain command, Yan Xing no longer considered the long-term.

You must first consider your own survival. Only if you can survive are you qualified to talk about the long term.

"The men and horses are well fed!"

"The soldiers in the camp were divided into two groups, taking turns on duty to prevent the soldiers from getting tired."

"In each camp, squad leaders are not allowed to sleep and must be alert for camp howls!"

"But if any soldier disturbs the enemy and cannot be stopped, he will be killed immediately!"

Yan Xing immediately issued a series of military orders, and order in the Changpingguan military camp gradually returned to normal.

Yan Xing also put on armor and climbed up the wall accompanied by his personal soldiers and military officials to observe Pang De.

Pang De is not important. He is a newcomer in Ma Teng's forces. It is precisely because Pang De is a newcomer that Ma Teng dares to temporarily entrust his troops to Pang De.

Yan Xing and Pang De had no blood feud. The feud between the two sides was due to Ma Teng's status as a hero in Liangzhou.

Do you really think that only Ma Teng’s wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson were killed at that time?
The changes outside the city disturbed the night guards in Chiyang City.

The messenger on the top of the city wall ran quickly and knocked on the wooden clappers urgently, and the guards who were sleeping or lightly sleeping were called out by the military officers to wake up.

The spare campfires in various places were also lit. Ma Wan in the city did not live in the mansion, but lived in the military camp.

Ma Wan was awakened by a military officer and asked, "Why?"

Nicknames in the underworld often spread very quickly, such as at this moment.

Most people don't like complicated names, such as Tai Shi Wen Gong; and it is a bit impolite to simply simplify the surname and call the other person Shi Jin.

The officer outside the tent did not dare to enter, and only replied: "There is a rumor in the city that Stallone attacked Changping Temple!"

Ma Wan was sleeping with his armor on. The moment he was awakened, he felt that he had lost control of his arms, legs, waist and abdomen. He was even more panicked, and his face was immediately covered with beads of sweat.

He tried to regulate his breathing. The officer outside the tent asked again, "Should we beat the drum to gather the troops?"

There was no reply from Ma Wan for a long time, so the military officer looked curiously at the two rows of soldiers guarding the tent. These soldiers were also confused and puzzled.

After a dozen breaths, Ma Wan managed to regain his strength. He put on his helmet, opened the heavy tent door and walked out with his head down, "Beat the drums, gather the troops!"

Ten miles east of the city, a black bear was sleeping with his eyes closed.

The ten-man team led by Lu Bu and Gao Shun had set up automatic patrols and were patrolling along a fixed route outside the camp, leaving only one safe route for messengers to pass at night.

Outside his tent, Yuan Shu's six-man team stood with spears in hand, motionless.

Zhang Ding, who was on duty at night, stood outside the safety line. He reached out and grabbed the rope and shook it. The ropes were connected and the copper bell in the tent rang.

The black bear opened his eyes and stood up. Yuan Shu considerately opened the tent door.

When he came out, he saw a fire in the direction of Chiyang. He tilted his head and looked for a few times, then asked, "What's the matter?"

"Pang De's messenger reported that Yan Xing seemed to be trying to break out and escape!"

"Send a message to Pang De, focus on surveillance, and do not engage Yan Xing unless necessary. If possible, harass him."

Black Bear was very sleepy and didn't want to fight: "Eagle Strike Battalion, prepare for battle. If Ma Wan leaves the city to attack Pang De, call me again and I will lead the Eagle Strike Battalion to flank Ma Wan. The rest of the battalions, continue to rest."

"Here!"

Zhang Ding clasped his fists, and seeing that Black Bear had returned to the tent without saying anything else, he immediately turned around to look for Guo Tai.

As for mobilizing the Eagle Strike Battalion, he was in charge of this battalion and he just needed to give the order directly.

During this period of time, the Eagle Strike Battalion's coordination and obedience have become significantly higher and stronger.

(End of this chapter)