At this time, there were four armies in the whole of Tianshui City.
The first was the 25,000 troops assembled by Nurdan and other high-ranking warrior lords with the support of Princess Zhi Ning's massive gold coins.
The second was the 6,000 elite city guards who had been completely loyal to Suo Hanyi.
The third was the 5,000 troops of Linhai City brought by Guiqin Canal.
The fourth was the 4,000 secret elites that Zhi Li had placed in Nurdan and other rebels early in the morning, the black-clothed army.
In other words, in a small Tianshui City, there were now 40,000 troops, which was about two or three times the number of Søren's army.
Søren was on the offensive side, and the enemy was on the defensive side, and the number was less than half of the enemy's. It was a battle that was bound to be lost.
Moreover, Søren's army had traveled thousands of miles and was already exhausted. And the enemy's army was completely at ease. With the strong city in hand, they had the initiative.
In today's Tianshui City, Suo Hanyi had won the hearts of the people.
A few months ago, Suo Hanyi was assassinated by a shameless assassin, and Tianshui City fell. The city guards risked their lives to protect Suo Hanyi from Tianshui City.
After that one and a half month, Suo Hanyi led 4,000 troops to attack Tianshui City, regardless of his unhealed injuries.
And he was worthy of being an invincible commander, and had a great reputation and support in Tianshui City.
So although there were more than 10,000 rebels and a strong city in hand. But when Suo Hanyi attacked the city, the people in the city formed an army to help Suo Hanyi.
Under the cooperation of inside and outside, Suo Hanyi recaptured Tianshui City in just half a month.
Then, Nurdan and other high-ranking warrior lords knelt down and surrendered, pledging their loyalty to the Suo clan. Of course, the Suo clan referred to Suo Hanyi, and had nothing to do with Søren.
Normally, after Suo Hanyi "recaptured" Tianshui City, he should immediately ask the real City Lord Søren to return.
But at that time, there were many vague rumors.
For example, the assassins who assassinated Yan Nu, Suo Hanyi, and Yang Hongyi were not sent by Nurdan and the other rebels, but by Søren.
Then, before Count Sauron died, he secretly wrote a will, saying that Søren's character was improper, that he was promiscuous, and that he had an affair with his sister, Suo Ningbing. Therefore, Sauron's right to inherit the throne was revoked. This was also the reason why Nurdan and the others rebelled.
When a lie is repeated one hundred times, it becomes the truth.
Søren's reputation was not good to begin with. Coupled with these vicious rumors, his reputation in Tianshui City was completely stinky.
After Suo Hanyi recaptured Sky Water City, he immediately sent an army to Stony Island to welcome Søren back to Sky Water City in front of everyone.
On that day, countless commoners blocked the city gates, preventing the army that was welcoming Søren from leaving.
The next day, in front of everyone, Suo Hanyi sent ten ships to the north to Stony Island to welcome Søren back to Sky Water City.
As a result, the sailors on the ships dug their own holes. Not only did all the ships fall silent, but all the sailors on board were also buried in the sea.
On that day, the Sky Water City pier was filled with cries.
Countless commoners knelt in front of Suo Hanyi, begging him not to invite the devil Søren back. Otherwise, there would never be a day of peace in Tianshui City, and all the commoners would be in dire straits.
Suo Hanyi also cried and knelt in front of all the commoners. He said that his adoptive father had done him a great favor, and he could not abandon him in any case. He could not let his sister and brother (referring to Suo Ningbing and Søren) wander on the Stony Island.
A few days later, Suo Hanyi decided to personally lead the troops to Stony Island to pick up Søren and his brother.
Then, his most loyal warriors and soldiers knelt in front of the City Lord's mansion to carry out a blood remonstrance.
Seven people committed suicide, ten people cut off their left hands, and used their blood to beg Suo Hanyi to take back his order.
Then, tens of thousands of Tianshui City citizens and thousands of Tianshui City Guards all knelt in front of Suo Hanyi, begging him not to take Søren back.
On that day, hundreds of warriors put their swords across their necks. If Suo Hanyi did not agree, they would all commit suicide on the spot.
So, Suo Hanyi sobbed and finally compromised, temporarily not taking Søren back to the city.
Then, the Governor of the Southeast Province, Duke Meng Wei, issued a military decree, reprimanding Søren, saying that as the City Lord, he had not been in Tianshui City for a long time, neglecting his duties and being stubborn. But Tianshui City could not be without a City Lord, so Suo Hanyi was temporarily appointed as the Acting City Lord of Tianshui City.
From then on, Suo Hanyi finally became the Lord of Tianshui City, although he was only the Acting City Lord.
But the real City Lord, Søren, would never return. After his death, the 'Acting' character above Suo Hanyi's head would be completely erased, and he would become the rightful City Lord.
So in this battle, Suo Hanyi could be said to have had the right time, the right place, and the right people.
When he heard that Søren had led 15,000 troops to the city, endless excitement surged in his heart.
This moment had finally come, he could finally kill Søren on the battlefield.
After discussion, the 40,000 troops in the territory of Tianshui City were divided into three parts.
The first part, Suo Hanyi's 6,000 Tianshui City Guards, and Nurdan's 5,000 high-ranking City Lords, a total of 11,000 people were stationed in Tianshui City.
The second part, Princess Zhi Ning's 4,000 black-clothed soldiers, Guiqinqu's 5,000 Lin Hai troops, and the high-ranking City Lords' 10,000 troops, a total of 19,000 people, headed for Tianlang Pass.
The third part, Nurdan and the other high-ranking City Lords' 10,000 troops, were scattered in 20 high-ranking City Lords' territories, mainly to prevent bandits from taking advantage of the opportunity.
Although the 40,000 troops were divided into three parts, the main battlefield, or even the only battlefield, would be in Tianlang Pass.
This was the consensus of Suo Hanyi, Zhi Ning, Nurdan, Guiqinqu, and Turin Duo.
Annihilate Søren's army at Tianlang Pass, and not let a single soldier enter the territory of Tianshui City, this was the tone that had been set from the beginning.
…
At this time, in the castle of Tianlang Pass, the five people in the battlefield command were still arguing endlessly.
Annihilate Søren at Tianlang Pass, and not let a single soldier enter the territory of Tianshui City, this was the strategy that had been decided.
And now the debate was whether to wait for Søren's army to attack Tianlang Pass, or to take the initiative to attack?
Nurdan and Guiqinqu both insisted on going out to fight, taking advantage of the fact that Søren's army had traveled thousands of miles and was exhausted, to annihilate them in one fell swoop.
But Turin Duo thought that they should wait for the enemy to be exhausted, and use the fortified city of Tianlang Pass to drain the blood of Søren's army.
And Suo Hanyi even thought that they should divide the army into two groups, sending ten thousand troops through Baiyun County, bypassing the Tianshui Mountain Range, and attacking from behind Søren's army.
The three opinions were debating endlessly.
And Zhi Ning, who was the only one with the decision-making power, thought about it and found that all three opinions were very reasonable.
The first plan was that Søren's army was exhausted after traveling thousands of miles. If they took the initiative to attack, they should be able to win, but it might be a pyrrhic victory.
Because Søren's army was mainly made up of mercenaries, and Yan Yan was the king of mercenaries, this army was extremely strong in field battles, but not good at attacking fortified cities. This was determined by the nature of mercenaries.
So the first plan, for Zhi Ning, was to attack the enemy's strong points with their own weaknesses.
And the third plan was to send another ten thousand troops to the back of Søren's army, and attack from the front and back.
This was Suo Hanyi's plan, and it was indeed the way to win, with the least casualties.
But Zhi Ning could not send such an army. The six thousand city guards under Søren's command were a very elite force. But Zhi Ning left them in Tianshui City, because they were, after all, the Suo clan's army, and Søren was the true master of Tianshui City. She was worried that this army would not return after being sent out, and would be tricked by Søren.
She did not dare to underestimate Søren's ability to bewitch people.
So the third plan was also not good.
The second plan was to defend the city, wait for Søren's army to attack, and exhaust his blood and troops.
This plan seemed to be the most mediocre, but it was also the safest.
Because Søren's fifteen thousand troops had traveled for more than twenty days, and it was unknown how much food and fodder they had consumed, and there was no way to replenish it. At most ten days, the food and fodder would be exhausted.
Inside Sky Wolf Pass, there were countless provisions, and time was on Zhi Ning's side, not Søren's.
Zhi Ning looked at the four people present and said: "Use the second plan, and wait for Søren's army with the fortifications of Sky Wolf Pass."
… …
Seven days ago, in Søren's barracks, there were four people present: Søren, Yan Yan, Yan Nair, and Tu An.
On the big table in the middle, there was a map. This was the topographic map of Tianshui City.
Søren pointed at Sky Wolf Pass on the map and said: "This is Sky Wolf Pass, the only pass into Tianshui City's territory. It is incomparably steep, easy to defend, and hard to attack. Hundreds of years ago, the Suo clan relied on Sky Wolf Pass and Savage Canyon to defend against the barbarian tribes. If we want to enter Tianshui City, we must first take Sky Wolf Pass."
The three people present nodded.
"Therefore, the enemy will definitely put the battlefield in Sky Wolf Pass, and will not let a single soldier enter Tianshui City." Søren said: "In order to maintain their advantage, they will station an army of twenty thousand in Sky Wolf Pass. Apart from the Tianshui City Guards, all the elites will be stationed in Sky Wolf Pass."
Then, Søren asked: "Our army has fifteen thousand, and the enemy has twenty thousand. Can we take down Sky Wolf Pass?"
Yan Yan, Yan Nair, and Tu An all shook their heads.
Attacking a city required more than double the number of troops. This was common sense in military affairs, and it would not change just because the commander was Yan Yan.
Moreover, Søren's army was made up of mercenaries, and they had extremely strong field combat capabilities. However, they lacked the combat experience of tens of thousands of troops, and they lacked the experience of attacking a strong city.
Søren continued: "The enemy has three battle plans. First, take advantage of our long journey to take the initiative to attack. Second, defend the city, and wait for the enemy to exhaust themselves. Third, send an army to circle behind us, and attack from the front and back. "
Søren said: "Zhi Ning will choose the second plan because it is the safest and has the least losses."
Yan Yan said: "Actually, the enemy's three plans are not wrong, we can win all of them!"
"Yes." Søren said: "All three plans can win, but the enemy's commander Zhi Ning is a woman after all. She is full of schemes, but lacks courage. If I were the enemy's commander, I would definitely choose the first plan, gather the twenty-five thousand troops in Sky Wolf Pass, take the initiative to attack, and annihilate us at the first opportunity regardless of the cost. The enemy's only disadvantage is that they have too much advantage, and they have a lot of good cards in their hands. They can obviously win using the simplest method, but they want to win by paying the smallest price. "
Yan Yan said: "That's because you are a madman."
"Yes, a madman." Søren said resolutely: "We have no advantage in this battle. Their military strength is two to three times ours, and they have countless rations. They have a strong city in their hands, and the people's hearts are in their hands. The enemy's three plans are unsolvable to us. We must go crazy to have a chance of winning, otherwise we will lose without a doubt. "
Tu An said: "City Lord Søren, then what do you plan to do?"
"Go completely crazy." Søren said with a fanatical gaze: "Turn the whole of Tianshui City into an abyss of madness."
… …
In Sky Wolf Pass, the forty thousand troops of both sides were facing each other.
And five days ago, Søren changed his appearance and secretly snuck to Rubble Island.
At this time, he led twenty ships south from Rubble Island. There were more than a thousand warriors on the ships, and … countless gold coins.
Both Tianshui City and Waterfront City were coastal, and Rubble Island was only a few hundred li away from the coast of Tianshui City.
The crazy Søren only led a thousand people to land on Tianshui City's territory from the sea.
"We continue forward for another fifteen li, and there are villages and small towns of Tianshui City everywhere." Søren said loudly: "What we need to do now is to become bandits, loot every village and small town, rob every grain of food, and drive everyone to one place, that is Tianshui City."
"Every place has ruffians, they only see money." Søren continued: "And now, these people are our allies. We have brought an astronomical number of gold coins, and we will not refuse any of these ruffians. For every person that comes, we will give one gold coin. In short, our goal is to loot every village, every town, and every manor in Tianshui City. We will drive hundreds of thousands of people into Tianshui City, and make Tianshui City's territory completely chaotic. "
Hearing Søren's order, the warriors of the Suo Clan were startled. This, this was too crazy.
One must know that this was Søren's territory and foundation. If it was before, Suo Mu would definitely refuse to obey, but now they had complete and blind trust in Søren.
"Yes!" Everyone shouted in unison.
"Move out!" Søren gave the order, and then pulled up his mask.
Immediately, these more than one thousand warriors became more than one thousand pirates, and rushed into the peaceful territory of Tianshui City.
Then, one village after another was looted, and one town after another was looted.
All the food was piled together and burned to the ground.
This terrifying group of pirates only robbed money, and did not carry any burdens.
Immediately, countless people became refugees, and one after another, they headed towards Tianshui City. Only there would they be safe, and only there would be a way to survive.
Although there were no less than ten thousand soldiers stationed in each territory, on average, there were only five hundred soldiers in each territory. Moreover, they were only second-rate soldiers, and they were not a match for Søren's elite group of bandits.
Moreover, Søren opened the chests of gold coins and kicked them to the ground. As long as they put on their masks and joined his group, they would be able to take away one gold coin.
These low-level soldiers, as well as the ruffians in the countryside, had never seen a gold coin in their entire lives. They could not even save one gold coin in a few years.
Now, as long as they joined Søren, they would be able to get one gold coin.
The result of this golden bullet attack was complete madness.
Countless ruffians, and even the second-rate soldiers stationed in the countryside, and the militia, all covered their faces with a piece of black cloth and joined Søren's group of bandits.
In just a few days, the number of bandits behind Søren had exceeded ten thousand people.
This motley crew could not fight a head-on battle, but it was not a problem for them to loot small villages.
Suddenly, the entire territory of Tianshui City was filled with ghostly wails and wolf howls. Everywhere was burning, and looting was everywhere. It was complete chaos.
Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people had nowhere else to go, and dragged their families to Tianshui City.
Within Tianshui City, there were no less than ten thousand soldiers stationed, but without orders, they did not dare to send out a single soldier.
Facing the surging refugees, the guards did not dare to stop them, and one by one, they let the refugees enter the city. But in the end, there were more and more refugees, from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.
The guards hurriedly closed the city gates, preventing the refugees from entering, and waited for orders from Tianlang Pass, four hundred li away.
… …
At Tianlang Pass, the two armies had been in a stalemate for more than three days.
Yan Yan's army of more than ten thousand still did not attack the pass, but continued to build fortifications.
Inside Tianlang Pass, the five-man command center was puzzled. What did Søren mean by this? His troops were already at the city gates, but he did not attack, and instead began to build a camp.
Did he not know that his rations would not last much longer? If this continued, he would only be waiting for death?
And at this time, a messenger rushed into Tianlang Pass, kneeling in front of Zhi Ning, saying, "Your Highness, Søren is leading more than ten thousand people to Tianshui City. It is urgent."
As soon as these words came out, everyone present was stunned.
Wasn't Søren's army of more than ten thousand outside Tianlang Pass? He … where did he get more than ten thousand soldiers?
In fact, news of a large number of bandits plundering Tianshui City's territory had reached Tianlang Pass a day and a half ago. However, the people present did not take it too seriously.
Because the deaths of these villagers were not to be regretted, as long as Tianshui City was unharmed.
But now, Søren's army of more than ten thousand had appeared, and they wanted to attack Tianshui City?
Suo Hanyi's expression changed dramatically, saying, "I will immediately return to Tianshui City."
Zhi Ning nodded, asking, "Are you going to bring the army back?"
"No, I don't need a single soldier, just the garrison of Tianshui City will be enough." Suo Hanyi said, "Your Highness, listen to me, Søren is incomparably cunning. Take advantage of the fact that the enemy camp outside Tianlang Pass is not stable, immediately take the initiative to attack, otherwise it will be too late."
"I have my own ideas," Zhi Ning said.
A moment later, Suo Hanyi led a group of personal guards out of Tianlang Pass, rushing back to Tianshui City at the fastest speed possible.
… …
At this time, Tianshui City was completely a pot of porridge. Countless refugees gathered outside the city, it was impossible to distinguish which were bandits and which were refugees.
And Søren's army of more than ten thousand bandits gathered with gold coins was still like a virus, scourging everywhere, their numbers increasing.
This was because countless local ruffians had flocked to him, taking the initiative to surrender.
At this time, this motley crew was majestically moving towards Tianshui City.
But Søren had blended into the crowd of refugees a few days ago and entered Tianshui City.
At this time, he was already outside the Castellan Residence. He only had one purpose, to rescue Suo Hanyi's wife, Yang Hongyi.
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