xymnovel Chapter 521 Easily Taking Fuliangze
Chapter 521 Easily Taking Fuliangze
At the same time, Han Xin, who commanded the Nine Heavens Army, did not rush to pursue Long Junzuo after his defeat.
He calmly observed the movements within Wenzhou City, his deep gaze revealing a keen insight into the situation.
Even a cornered beast will fight. If we push Long Junzuo and the Sparrow King Army into a corner now, it will inevitably trigger their desperate resistance, and his Nine Heavens Army will also suffer heavy losses.
Therefore, he decided to let Long Junzuo and the remaining Sparrow King army return to Wenzhou City, so that he could deliver a fatal blow when they ran out of ammunition and food.
At this moment, Wenzhou City was already in dire straits, and all kinds of grain and supplies in the city had been burned by Han Xin and Luo Wang.
When Long Junzuo and the Sparrow King's army in Wenzhou City faced the predicament of running out of ammunition and food, they naturally collapsed without a fight.
The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting!
For a commander like Han Xin, it is possible to defeat the opponent without expending troops.
Naturally, it's more cost-effective than a head-on confrontation on the battlefield.
Even if we take a step back and assume that all the supplies in Wenzhou City are exhausted, and Long Junzuo and the Sparrow King Army do not intend to give up the fight, but instead prepare for a desperate counterattack...
When the Sparrow King's army is starving and dizzy, won't they be much easier to deal with than they are now?
In any case, it's Long Junzuo and the Sparrow King's army that are in a hurry right now, while Han Xin, as the attacker, has plenty of time to slowly wear them down in Wenzhou City.
Moreover, while besieging Wenzhou City, he also dispatched his scouts and intelligence network to set off simultaneously, carrying secret orders, to Longmen Pass in the rear to convey military secrets to Commander-in-Chief Wen Zhong.
"Commander-in-Chief, Han Xin has sent an urgent report! Long Junzuo has retreated to Wenzhou, and our army is besieging him."
"However, the situation is ever-changing and we cannot afford to be complacent. I hope the Commander-in-Chief will quickly dispatch elite troops to seize the Wenzhou prefectures and expand our territory to stabilize the situation."
"Meanwhile, the allied forces of the Prince of Lu and other vassal kings are also stirring on the flanks, eager to grab a share of the spoils. This is a race against time; whoever arrives first will gain the upper hand!"
Upon hearing the news at Longmen Pass, Wen Zhong frowned, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
He could see through Han Xin's plan: to both besiege the stronghold and attack reinforcements, while also taking advantage of the strategic advantage of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones.
Without hesitation, he summoned his generals and said in a deep voice, "General Han Xin has sent word of victory that Long Junzuo is now a caged bird. However, the war is not over yet, and we cannot let our guard down. Immediately muster our troops and seize the counties of Wenzhou."
The generals responded in unison, their morale soaring.
Having spent so long at Longmen Pass, watching Pei Xingjian and Han Xin, among others, shine under the command of the Crown Prince, these veterans of the Nine Heavens Army also have their pride, you know.
In the future, they will all be working under His Highness the Crown Prince; how can they be outdone by youngsters like Han Xin?
"We must also be aware that the allied forces of King Lu are also making moves. We need to seize advantageous terrain before they do and make it a barrier for our Nine Heavens Army to conquer Dayong."
Looking at the eager crowd below, Wen Zhong added.
Under Wen Zhong's arrangement, war drums thundered inside Longmen Pass, and several Jiuxiao Army units surged out like a tide, advancing towards the counties of Wenzhou with unstoppable momentum.
Fuliangze, like a bright pearl among the counties of Wenzhou, is nestled among the mountains.
Its terrain is so treacherous that it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a strategic location that has been contested by military strategists in Wenzhou since ancient times.
At this moment, Lu Xiong and Wen Zhong, who had previously been brought out by Zhang Kui and implanted under their former superior, were given the important task of the first battle—to take Fuliangze.
Night fell, the moon was dark and the wind was high, making it the perfect time to take action.
Lu Xiong personally led an elite force of the Nine Heavens Army, silently traversing the mountains and forests like ghosts in the night, approaching Fuliang Marsh.
They did not choose to launch a frontal assault because Lu Xiong knew that doing so would only lead to a bitter battle and unnecessary losses of troops.
Instead, he decided to take advantage of the unique hydrological environment of Fuliangze and devise an unprecedented plan of cunning.
"Pass down the order to the engineering battalion to take immediate action and complete the waterway excavation before dawn."
Lu Xiong's voice was deep, and every word revealed an unquestionable determination.
The soldiers quickly dispersed and began a silent labor along a pre-planned route.
Using the cover of night, they quietly dug along the edge of the marsh, diverting the water to change its course.
This was a dangerous and arduous task, but everyone understood that it would determine the outcome of the war.
Time passed by, the night gradually faded, and the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
The engineers were sweating profusely and exhausted, but their eyes were filled with determination and expectation.
Finally, as the last rays of night faded, the engineering battalion brought good news: "The waterway is complete, and the marshland has begun to be diverted!"
Upon hearing the news, Lu Xiong's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
He immediately ordered the entire army to prepare. As the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, a flurry of panicked sounds suddenly came from the outer defense line of Fuliangze.
Overnight, the situation in Fuliangze changed dramatically.
Under the cover of the pitch-black night, Lu Xiong's wisdom quietly blossomed, like a flower in the dark night, radiating an astonishing brilliance.
After a night of arduous digging, the engineers finally managed to divert the Ze River, allowing it to silently approach the outer defenses of Fuliang Ze.
At first, everything seemed to be under the control of the garrison, who were vigilantly guarding every inch of land according to their established patrol routes.
However, as time went on, an ominous premonition began to spread among the defenders.
"Huh? Why is the water level rising so fast all of a sudden?"
A soldier on the garrison was surprised to find that the water level of the marsh was rising at an abnormal rate, gradually approaching their defensive line.
"Yeah, that's really strange. It wasn't like this last night!"
His companion echoed him, his brow furrowed, his heart filled with unease.
They tried to report the unusual situation to their superiors, but the communication lines suddenly went down, as if an invisible hand was cutting off Fuliangze from the outside world.
Just as the defenders were in a panic and at a loss, the Zeshui River, like a beast awakened from its slumber, suddenly broke through their defenses.
The surging water, with its unstoppable force, instantly submerged the carefully constructed defensive fortifications of the defenders.
Those once impregnable barriers have become so fragile under the ravages of the marsh, as if they were made of paper.
"Oh no! The water's coming! Evacuate!"
A garrison commander shouted in panic, but his voice was so faint amidst the rushing water that it could not reach the ears of every soldier.
The defenders fled in disarray, trying to find a way to survive.
However, the speed of the swamp far exceeded their expectations, mercilessly swallowing them up.
Some soldiers struggled in the water, trying to grab onto anything that could float, but many more were swept away by the current and disappeared into the vast marshland.