Volume 10, Chapter 723
"Yes, Your Highness!" Ren Xiao nodded.
Tang Yin asked, "How strong are the eight people?"
Ren Xiao said, "The order of the disciples is actually the ranking of their strength."
So that's how it is. Lü Yong and Ye Zhuo are ranked fifth and seventh respectively. So there are at least four people who are stronger than them. I heard Ren Xiao say before that the second disciple is Huangfu Yucheng. Tang Yin asked curiously, "Who is Huangfu Xiutai's eldest disciple?"
Ren Xiao said, "Chang Feng."
"Very strong?"
"Well... you can say that." Ren Xiao answered ambiguously.
Tang Yin was amused and asked with a smile, "Why is Brother Ren so uncertain?"
Ren Xiao said, "Chang Feng was indeed very strong in the past. His strength was definitely first-class among his peers. However, he was severely injured in a competition and has not been able to heal. He has rarely appeared in the past few years and has been isolated from the world. I have basically not heard any news about him. As for his current strength, I am not very clear."
"It turns out that he is blind." That's not a big deal. Tang Yin nodded with a smile. Now, among the disciples of Huangfu Xiutai, the most powerful one is Huangfu Yucheng.
Thinking of this, he turned back and said to Yin Lan beside him: "Last time, Huangfu Yucheng failed to harm me. I think he will not return to Shenchi easily. He must be lurking somewhere around our army. You, find a way to find out."
Yin Lan nodded, and then said with embarrassment: "But, I have never seen Huangfu Yucheng, and I don't know what he looks like."
"I will draw a portrait for you after the war." Through the memories of Lu Yong and Ye Zhuo, it is not difficult to grasp Huangfu Yucheng's appearance.
Let's talk about the battlefield ahead. The Feng Army has taken the initiative. The new army rushed to the center of the An Army camp, and the two Feng armies of Jiang Fan and Qi Heng, who were attacking from both sides, also inserted diagonally. The huge An Army camp has now been cut into several pieces by the Feng Army.
Faced with such a situation, even if Cui Tu wanted to be tough, he couldn't be tough. Seeing that his side was showing a trend of defeat, the general situation was over, and he could only helplessly order the entire army to retreat.
However, it was too late for the An army to retreat at this time. A large number of soldiers were divided and surrounded by the Feng army and could not retreat at all.
In the end, only 60,000 to 70,000 An troops with Cui Tu withdrew. The remaining more than 100,000 An troops either fled or were captured by the Feng army. This battle that took more than half a month ended with the defeat of the An army.
Victory was expected, but the Feng army also paid a heavy price. A large number of soldiers were killed and wounded in the direct army and the new army. In addition to Zhan Hu who was seriously injured in the early stage, Xiong Gu was also seriously injured and died in the camp of the Feng army.
Xiong Gu's death was a big blow to the new army. So far, Liu Zhang's group of Lingwu Academy students had lost two people. Now there are only Liu Zhang, Bai An, Yan Yan, and Xu You. Xu You has already begun to retreat. Only Liu, Bai, and Yan can really stay.
In any case, the next battle of this battle, Feng Army directly faces Pinghu and Taifeng counties of Anguo. It was at this time that the Anguo court sent 200,000 An troops led by Bai Qing to assist Cui Tu, intending to join forces with Cui Tu, regroup, and fight a decisive battle with Feng Army.
But before Bai Qing joined Cui Tu's remnants, Pingyuan Army and Tianying Army had invaded Anguo from Huandi. The panicked Anguo court temporarily changed its tactics and dispatched Bai Qing to the west to resist Pingyuan Army and Tianying Army. As for Cui Tu, Li De was sent to lead 100,000 troops to reinforce.
From the deployment of troops by Anguo, we can also see the haste of the Anguo court and the dilemma of Anguo's current lack of generals.
Cui Tu and Li De, both of them were defeated by Fengjun. Needless to say, Cui Tu had just suffered a big defeat, and Li De's record against Fengjun was even worse. When Chuanzhen attacked Feng, he led an army of 200,000 to attack Fengguo, but was blocked by Fengjun before reaching Fengguo. He was defeated and even captured. How could these two people resist the Fengjun led by Tang Yin?
As for Bai Qing, she has never been hostile to Fengjun and has always fought side by side with Fengjun. Privately, she has a good relationship with Xiao Muqing, Liang Qi, Ziying, Nie Ze and other Fengjun commanders. Asking her to block Pingyuan Army and Tianying Army is like throwing meat buns to beat dogs. The result is also imaginable.
Tang Yin followed the direct army, the Ninth Army, and the New Army into Taifeng County. Unlike Tiantu County, the whole county was flat, without mountains or water, and was all plains.
According to the intelligence from the Sky Eye and the Ground Network, the An Army had deployed heavy troops in Fucheng, the county town of Taifeng County, with a force of no less than 200,000, and the main generals were Cui Tu and Li De.
After reading this intelligence, Tang Yin couldn't help laughing out loud. If An Guo replaced an unknown person as the main general, he might still be a little bit afraid. Letting Cui Tu and Li De be the main generals, isn't this just waiting to die?
Tang Yin didn't take these two seriously at all, and urged the Feng Army to march at full speed. Under his urging, the Feng Army marched at a rapid speed. After entering Taifeng County for only six days, they took Dazhong, Fengtai, and Lixin. The Feng Army, which had marched straight into Fucheng, had already reached Fucheng.
After capturing Lixin, Tang Yin ordered the entire army to rest temporarily and recuperate, so that Fucheng could have another decisive battle with the An Army. Qi Heng, who had never been able to use his military skills, took the initiative to propose to Tang Yin that the Ninth Army did not need to rest, but could continue to move south to test Fucheng's strength first.
Tang Yin knew that Qi Heng had been feeling sulky in his heart during this period. Now that he had finally reached a place where the cavalry could gallop freely, he certainly didn't want to wait any longer. Tang Yin did not reject Qi Heng's request and agreed that he would lead the Ninth Army to go south first.
Qi Heng was overjoyed and led the ninth army to stay in Lixin for only one night. Early the next morning, he led the entire army out of the Fengjun camp and headed straight for Fucheng.
Taifeng County already belongs to the hinterland of Anguo. The reason why it is like this here is firstly related to the gentle policy implemented by the Fengjun in Andi. The Fengjun only sent a small group of soldiers to the towns it captured and did not attack the people in the city. No killing, no robbing, no seizing, both parties will be in peace.
Secondly, Anren's personality is to love comfort and pleasure, and has a weak concept of the country. As long as life is not bad and life is the same as before, it doesn't matter who captures the city.
It is precisely because of An Ren's personality that there is almost no resistance in An Di occupied by the Feng Army. The Feng Army feels more at ease with An Ren and at the same time is more confident and bold in implementing a gentle policy. This becomes a virtuous cycle.
As usual, not long after the capture of Lixin City, Tang Yin immediately ordered people to post notices throughout the city. He first listed Yueze's faults, scolded Yueze, and then stated that he was the emperor's division and was under the emperor's order to conquer, etc. Speech that calms people's hearts.
Now the people of Anguo are generally disappointed with Yueze. Yueze has always been weak to the outside world, and people hope that a strong power will emerge. Secondly, Yueze's father's behavior of robbing his son's wife is too excessive, which is also unacceptable to the people of An.
For many Anguo people, they do not reject the idea of Tang Yin replacing Yue Ze and respecting Tang Yin as king.
On this day, Tang Yin had just gotten up and was practicing boxing in the courtyard of the city lord's palace. Ah San walked over quickly, holding a small bamboo tube in his hand. While handing it to Tang Yin, he whispered: "Your Majesty, the divine pool is here Mr. Ren’s reply has arrived.”
"Oh?" Tang Yin stopped, first took the hand towel sent by Yin Lan, wiped the sweat on his face, and then took the small bamboo tube.
He lowered his head and took a closer look. This small bamboo tube was very delicate. It was also engraved with the unique totem of Shenchi, but the lid was sealed with wax.
Ah San said: "The letter was delivered to Fenshui City by flying pigeons, and then sent by the brothers over there. Your Majesty, look..."
Tang Yin rubbed his chin and murmured while thinking back: "Yes, Ren Xiao did send a letter to Shenchi when he was in Fenshui City to report to Guanghan about my assassination, and he also wanted to take the witch back to confront Huangfu Xiutai. So, this reply should have been dictated by Guanghan."
"It should be, Your Majesty." Ah San said seriously.
"Humph!" Tang Yin chuckled and said, "I really want to know what is written in the book this time..."
While he was talking, he lightly scratched the bamboo tube with his fingers and directly opened the wax seal. Then, he opened the lid and poured out the small paper rolled into a ball inside.
Ah San and Ah Si grinned as they watched. Even though he knew it was a reply from Lord Shenchi, the king dared to open it privately. He must have been too courageous!
Tang Yin unfolded the note unhurriedly, looked down at it, then sneered, handed the note to Ah San, and said, "You should also take a look!"
Ah San swallowed his saliva, "This is... a reply written by Elder Wuji!" Ah San said in shock.
"Guanghan heard that it was a good time to retreat. He didn't retreat early or late. He just happened to retreat when the world was in chaos. Moreover, it lasted three years. How much he wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight!" Tang Yin sneered. said.
Ah San carefully rerolled the note, stuffed it back into the bamboo tube, and asked: "Your Majesty, then...should I give this reply to Mr. Ren?"
"Give it to him!"
"But... it has been taken apart..." Ah San said with a look on his face.
"Just tell the truth. I think he can understand my approach." Ren Xiao is a smart man. Instead of finding lies to deceive him, it is better to be honest.