On the 6th of June, at Dulong Gang.
Flames roared and columns of smoke rose into the sky like dragons.
On the crooked roads outside the village, there were waves of killings. In order to prevent the Liangshan army's attack as much as possible, Dulong Gang set the forest on fire. Although the nearby area was rich in water and the trees were lush, so the fire did not spread on a large scale, the rising black smoke still affected the soldiers' charge. For the past few days, Dulong Gang had been a powerful weapon to stop the enemy.
Perhaps they were enraged by Ning Yi's tactics, but from the morning onwards, Liangshan's attack momentum was exceptionally fierce. It was as if Mount Tai was pressing down like a thunderbolt. It was particularly difficult for Dulong Gang to resist. Fortunately, the retreat of Liangshan's soldiers last night had given Dulong Gang a timely boost in morale. At the same time, relying on the geographical advantage, the people in the village could still go out in batches to restrain the enemy and release the captives in twos and threes.
In the afternoon, the sounds of fighting were still coming from outside the village. The Liangshan generals even approached the outer wall of the manor several times. They did not intend to attack by force, but they frequently feinted to put pressure on the people in the village. If Liangshan mobilized thirty to fifty percent of their men earlier, today they mobilized almost sixty to seventy percent at the same time. The Pantuo Road near Dulong Gang varied in size, but if a fight really broke out, there would always be a saturation point. It would be meaningless if there were more. But the rest of the people came to increase the pressure on the other side, trying to keep the people in the village on edge.
Next to the courtyard where the villagers rested, Ning Yi threw the medicine in his hand to the doctor beside Zhu Biao. Watching the doctor clean the bloody wound and bandage it, Zhu Biao held the steel spear in his hand and chattered to Ning Yi about the "counter-ambush" they had just made against the Liangshan army outside. In daily battles, he relied on his bravery and familiarity with the terrain to repeatedly defeat strong opponents. But when it came to strategy, he could at most do some simple attacks when the enemy was unprepared. Today, he and his Master had teamed up to fool several troops of Liangshan. He was extremely excited.
"Brother! I, Zhu Biao, admire you today. You are a good man. Over at Liangshan … it's as if they've gone crazy today … and your medicine is pretty good too. "
"The recipe from Lu Liangshan is very difficult to concoct. I don't have much, so I've taken it all out." Ning Yi smiled. "They are fighting more and more fiercely. Aren't you afraid that the village will be breached sooner?"
"Brother, you must be joking. I, Zhu Biao, may have a bad temper, but I'm not an idiot. Yesterday, when Master mentioned it, I immediately reacted. The more abnormal Liangshan was, the more effective Brother Lei's strategy was. The more they do this, the more fun I have. "
At this time, Zhu Biao was only eighteen or nineteen years old. His temperament was a little arrogant, unruly and hard to tame, but his temperament was still considered straightforward. At first, the young man fought for honor because of his martial arts skills. But when he came to Liangshan, he actually had an additional responsibility to protect his family. In the past few days, he had fought fiercely, and many people from Liangshan had also suffered losses at his hands. But behind such bravery, when he saw the situation tilting in his favor, he often killed until his eyes were bloodshot, and there were times when his hands trembled. Now that he saw Ning Yi's meticulous methods, he frankly expressed his admiration.
"But after this, Brother Lei should have a backup plan, right?"
"Of course." Ning Yi smiled and said, "How's the situation with the release of the captives?"
"Just like what Brother Lei said, they have arranged for people to specially receive and deal with these matters. We ran all over the mountains and plains, but it seems like we didn't cause much trouble for them. Why don't we not release the rest? Let's keep them as hostages? "
"There will still be trouble, but it won't be so obvious. We just won't be able to see it for the time being. We still have to continue releasing people. This is very important, and before they completely surround the village, we have to release all the people. But the more we disturb them, the more anxious they are, the harder the fight will be. In this aspect, Brother Zhu should still be mentally prepared. "
"Fighting for the village is our own business." Zhu Biao nodded. The doctor had already finished bandaging his wound. He sat there moving his injured arm, and thought for a while. "Actually, this is the first time I've seen something like this where the enemy can't do anything even after telling them the entire plan. Brother Lei, is there really no solution? If it were you, what would you do? "
"There is, it's very simple."
"What?"
"It's the same as the opposite side. Strictly enforce military discipline, and then fight with force. If possible, send the people who are released back to other places. But they reacted a little late yesterday, and some of them have already hidden. Moreover, we will continue to release people. If they want to send people away, it's impossible for them to send them away in batches. So, they probably won't do this at the first time. It's impractical. But when something goes wrong, it'll be too late … In fact, these people may not want to leave. After all, it's the first battle after coming out of the mountains, and it's very important. Who would be willing to be separated? "
Ning Yi thought for a while, and then he sighed a little. "Now Liangshan has just begun to show their strength, and they have endless energy. Under such circumstances, a lot of things can be suppressed. Any problem will not be a problem when the blood and Qi come up. I'm also aiming at this … But if they really get through this battle, and carry out another purge and learn a lesson, I'm afraid that no one in the whole of Shandong can stop them."
Ning Yi's sigh did not resonate with Zhu Biao too much. He was looking up and thinking. "In this way, it's like what those storytellers said. They have Wu Yong on their side, and we have Lei Feng, Brother Lei. When the two sides fight …"
At this time, storytellers naturally also had confrontations with military counselors. They came and went with each other's schemes. Zhu Biao was not a smart person, but of course, he had heard such stories. However, Ning Yi laughed. "You're exaggerating. They were indeed tricked, but for the time being, they won't take me seriously. Only when the problem gets bigger … Oh, when the time comes, I'll need Third Young Master's help to make them suffer losses."
Hearing that he could make Liangshan suffer losses, Zhu Biao's eyes brightened. "Brother, just say it. Anything will do."
The two talked for a while. Zhu Biao first looked solemn, and then, under the afternoon sun, he revealed a treacherous smile …
Zhu Jia Village continued to release people. Even though they could not see Liangshan's troubles for the time being, Liangshan still knew the impact caused by the release of people one after another.
Most of the captives released by Zhu Jia Village were gathered by the military judges of each team in Liangshan to prepare for centralized control, but there were still a small number of people who quietly returned to the team through various channels. For many people who considered themselves "smart", the first battle after the expansion of Liangshan was crucial to their future advancement. If possible, they did not want to be stained with such a stain on themselves. Those who were really related to Liangshan chose to hide as much as possible.
This kind of people was only a small number, and they might not really do anything to harm Liangshan. At the same time, many troublesome and trivial situations were also emerging.
First, a large number of people who came to Liangshan to gather were heroes of the Jianghu, not people like Lin Chong and Lu Da. At this time, in the Liangshan army, almost half of them were real Jianghu people.
These Jianghu people more or less had some skills. Some of them might even be ruffians who were feared by others in other places, or boxing masters and bullies in other places. They might not be tough men. Under Zhu Jia Village's sabers and spears, they would tie their hands behind their backs and squat. But when they returned to Liangshan, they were not willing to be humiliated. I heard about the Liangshan gathering, so I came from afar to help. You suspect me?
When the military judge took more precautions, these people would make trouble on the spot. In fact, there were also guilty consciences and considerations. They knew that they were already suspected. In this military formation full of "heroes", if they wanted to move up, they could not just swallow their anger. Heroes needed to keep their dignity. Even if they had to fight with someone and then appreciate each other, it was better than doing whatever they were told to do. Those who had been in the Jianghu and the Jianghu all had their own survival wisdom.
Secondly, the troops under Suo Chao's command were all captured. When the captives were released one after another, some of them were unable to find a leader who could prove their identity. The military judge could only gather them together and keep them under strict surveillance. It was said that in response to this situation, the evil official called 'Thunder Hand of Primordial Origin', Lei Feng, arranged for some of Zhu Jia Village's men to sneak in and assassinate the temporary military judge before escaping.
Such a situation was true for the upper echelons of Liangshan who were really aware of the whole situation. It was not a big deal for one person in the battlefield to be assassinated and escaped by a spy sent by the enemy among the tens of thousands of soldiers. But when it fell to the lower echelons, the news spread quickly, especially among the military judges. It made them even more vigilant of the people who were released. Some of them had several small conflicts because they were too cautious.
Third, in the afternoon, someone set fire to a pile of hay near the military camp. When the smoke rose, it looked like the military camp had been attacked. Those who saw it from afar could not help but be puzzled. And on the battlefield, someone had indeed killed a comrade in the chaos and escaped to Zhu Jia Village with the head. The battlefield was too chaotic, so this matter was not confirmed. It was said that the intelligence of the person's family was known by the imperial court, so they had no choice but to do so. The news spread in a small circle for a while.
Conflicts of various sizes were not unheard of in the military camps in the past. After Wu Yong made the decision last night, the other leaders also issued orders to their subordinates. For a time, everything was suppressed, except for the whispers of friends who were familiar with each other. Such a matter did not affect their combat power, and it did not alarm the upper echelons. For Wu Yong, the thing that really embarrassed him that day was that after Lin Chong and the others set up an ambush, they were used by others instead.
After noon, Lin Chong and the other leaders followed Wu Yong's plan and sent a signal to the people from Zhu Jia Village. They gathered around and prepared to surround the enemy. However, before they could arrive, Luan Tingyu, Zhu Biao, and the others took advantage of the fact that they were gathering on one side to bite the weaker "Red-haired Ghost" Liu Tang. Liu Tang was highly skilled in martial arts, and the men under him were also brave and fierce. They resisted for a while, but Luan Tingyu was experienced and ruthless. Before Lin Chong and the others arrived, he still gave Liu Tang a blow with his staff. Liu Tang's shoulder was a bloody mess and he was seriously injured. It was hard to say what would happen in the future, but at least in this battle, it would be difficult for him to use a saber in battle.
Everyone knew that this unforeseen event was because of the stratagem of Military Advisor Wu Yong. Although no one said it, Wu Yong went over and sincerely apologized to Liu Tang and the others. But when he turned his head, it was as if he had been slapped in the face. After the matter spread, the generals had a deeper understanding of the evil traitor of the government called Lei Feng. Just as Zhu Biao said, it really was like the stratagems in the opera playing against each other.
Of course, this was only a private statement. On the sixth day of the sixth month, the Liangshan offensive did not stop until late at night. After all, the real focus was on the battle formation. Even if the other party's private plot did bring trouble here, it could not really expand to the battlefield, so it was meaningless after all.
That night, in the Zhu and Hu Village, they talked about the new "Military Advisor", his arrangements, and Wu Yong's setback to cheer up the villagers. In the Liangshan military camp, the friction was also expanding. More than 200 soldiers who had been quarantined had already had many conflicts with others. People were whispering about the situation, saying that there was a guy named Lei Feng who had planned all this. That night, there were a few more small things that caused a commotion, and some people were even killed. A soldier tried to escape from the military camp with a head, but was discovered. He hysterically injured two people, and was finally surrounded.
"My wife, child, and mother haven't had time to go up the mountain! My identity has been recognized by them! I can only do this! "After being surrounded, the soldier shouted, then turned his saber to himself," My name is Geng An! My name is Geng An! I've already done what you told him! Remember to tell him! My name is Geng An! "
Then, the soldier called Geng An committed suicide in front of everyone.
Hundreds of people were captured, and there were bound to be people who were recognized. There were bound to be people who had not gone up the mountain. It was expected that there would be people who would take the risk out of desperation.
This matter actually did not affect the battle strength on the second day. Wu Yong guarded the big tent and methodically supervised the battle. He did not allow himself to be distracted by anything. As long as he pushed forward, all the other party's tricks would turn into smoke and dust.
As for the news about Lei Feng and the tricks the other party used, on the seventh day of the sixth month, almost all the lower levels of Liangshan were talking about it. After all, everyone could see the situation. The discussion among the lower levels could not be considered to cause much disturbance in the morale of the army. There were all kinds of small conflicts, but it was not enough to change the overall situation of the battle. This news spread very quickly. Even Wu Yong and the others could not figure out why it spread so quickly.
Of course, the battle was still the battle. Although there were many discussions among the lower levels, it was almost impossible for it to spread to the extent of affecting and reversing the entire battle in Dulonggang. For a time, the matter outside the battle became an interesting matter that all the generals could not help but pay attention to. They had indeed never seen or heard of such a battle method. The other party seemed to have transmitted all his tricks transparently. Everyone knew and saw it, but no one could stop the situation from gradually worsening.
If he was given a lot of time, perhaps Liangshan would really suffer a great setback because of this. Everyone thought so. Naturally, the subordinates wanted to end the battle in a faster way.
However, it was only on the 8th of June that the catalyst, which was hidden under the transparent surface and emitted great malice, finally surfaced. On the seventh day, someone had actually faintly sensed some clues. This person was not Wu Yong, but Xi Junyu, who was in charge of logistics in the army. Unfortunately, the things that should and should not be spread had already spread throughout the entire army camp. On the eighth day of the sixth month, the real transparent plot finally … revealed its ferocious form.
Sometimes, when one felt malice, there was finally no way out …
*****
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