For example, Xue Lan, the governor of Mount Tai, has acted out of character in recent times. He has continuously sent troops to encircle and suppress the bandits and blocked trade routes, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of merchants and travelers passing through the entire Mount Tai area. It is obvious that he is constantly squeezing the living space of the Taishan bandits.

The mountains seem safe, but the output is low. If the population exceeds one thousand, it is difficult to support themselves. The only way to survive is to constantly plunder and extort passing merchants and surrounding villages.

But now the route of external plunder has been cut off by Xue Lan. As time goes on, the village is inevitably in a state of internal circulation. More and more people are not getting enough food, and a group of people are finding it difficult to even make a living.

"Now you know it, our only way to survive is in Xuzhou."

At this moment, Chang Xi once again turned into the ambitious outlaw hero of the past. His eyes were full of greed, and his smile was ferocious and terrifying. "We can't stay in Yanzhou any longer, so why don't we go to Xuzhou to look for opportunities? With the abilities of you and me, we can carve out a new world. Haha, Marquis Qi wants to use us as pawns, so can't we borrow his power to gain a piece of land in the troubled times?"

Chang Xi stared at Wu Dun and Yin Li with a burning gaze, and said to them in a tone full of temptation: "Are you planning to be a thief for the rest of your life? In this chaotic world, there is great strife in the world. Are there any kings, princes, generals or ministers of different races? Why can't we rely on the swords in our hands to carve out a piece of our own territory?"

These words, full of incitement, went straight to the hearts of Wu Dun and Yin Li.

Conquer a piece of territory that belongs to you!

They had never thought about such a thing before, nor did they dare to think about it.

But now that Chang Xi brought it up, they thought about it carefully and felt that there was great potential for doing so.

"Okay, since Boss Changba said so, let's give him a fuck!"

Chang Xi sneered in his heart, two ungrateful bastards, seeing that there was an advantage, they called him Boss Changba again?
This fake brotherhood is really better off not having it!
Although he thought so in his heart, Chang Xi also knew that two fists could not beat four hands. If he wanted to attack Xuzhou alone, he would be sending himself to death.

Therefore, for the time being, they still have to recognize Wu Dun and Yin Li as their two younger brothers. The three brothers patted each other's shoulders and hugged each other's backs, and returned to their previous "good brothers" state.

Northern Xuzhou, Dongguan County.

It was another peaceful and tranquil day. The people of Xuzhou were lucky because their governor, Tao Qian, was a capable man who governed the seven counties and kingdoms of the state in an orderly manner.

The people lived and worked in peace and contentment, without being disturbed much by the war.

But today, this peace and tranquility was finally broken by external forces.

"Go into the city, steal money, food and women!"

Chang Xi shouted inspiring slogans and personally led his troops to attack. He soon turned Dongguan County upside down and turned it into a hell on earth.

Xuzhou, with its capital in Tancheng.

Tao Qian was reading with great interest in the governor's residence when Sun Guan suddenly entered from outside and reported anxiously, "My lord, Dongguan has been captured. Chang Xi, Wu Dun and Yin Li led their troops to invade!"

"That's unreasonable!"

Tao Qian was so shocked when he heard this that he stood up immediately. Perhaps it was because he was old and could not stand the shock. The sudden bad news made his blood boil and his brain went numb. He almost fell down.

Sun Guan stepped forward and supported Tao Qian, worried about his health: "My lord!"

Tao Qian waved his hand: "I can still hold on. Let's continue talking about the battle situation."

Sun Guan had no choice but to continue explaining: "After the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou retreated, our army did not have many troops deployed in Dongguan County, so Chang Xi and others took advantage of the opportunity."

After talking about the battle situation, Sun Guan knelt on one knee and asked Tao Qian for a fight: "My lord, give me 5,000 soldiers and I will be able to recapture the county city and drive the bandits out of Xuzhou!"

The five thousand elite Danyang soldiers, as long as they are commanded properly, can use military formations and tactics to defeat Chang Xi's mob. The Taishan bandits may be able to fight against local militia, but they will be slaughtered like pigs when facing the Danyang soldiers.

Sun Guan was born into the Taishan bandits, so he was naturally very clear about the internal situation and overall strength of the Taishan bandits, which is why he was so confident.

However, Tao Qian did not agree immediately: "The enemy situation is still unclear, so it is not appropriate to send troops hastily. This matter needs to be considered carefully."

Although he employed Zang Ba and Sun Guan, Tao Qian still had some resentment towards their backgrounds deep down in his heart, but he did not show it on a daily basis.

Sun Guan was very anxious, but since Tao Qian was unwilling to send troops, he could do nothing.

Tao Qian quickly summoned his civil and military officials to discuss strategy in the meeting hall of the governor's mansion.

Among them, Cao Bao, a general from a noble family, although his actual ability to lead troops in combat was unremarkable, was deeply trusted by Tao Qian because of his background.

Cao Bao, the prime minister of Xia Pi, obviously did not take Chang Xi and the other Taishan bandits seriously. He said to Tao Qian without any shame: "My lord, why should you worry? They are just a bunch of bandits who took advantage of our army's unpreparedness to break into the city. If you only give me 3,000 elite soldiers, I can kill them like killing a chicken."

"Haha, the Prime Minister of Xia Pi is indeed worthy of being a role model for our generation. Such heroism is really impressive. If he leads the troops in person in this battle, he will surely defeat the enemy army and make a name for himself."

"It's easy to talk about."

Cao Bao was flattered and clasped his hands together, and really thought of himself as an invincible god of war.

When Sun Guan and Zang Ba saw this, they saw it with their own eyes and kept it in mind.

Since Sun Guan was also born into a Taishan bandit family and was Chang Xi's "little brother" in his early years, it was not appropriate for him to speak in the current situation.

There was no other way, so Zang Ba had to persuade Tao Qian himself: "My lord, Chang Ba has been rampant in Mount Tai for more than ten years, and no one can stop him. He has repelled the imperial court soldiers many times, and his ability should not be underestimated. Moreover, the bandits in Mount Tai are all desperate criminals who are used to living a life of danger. If we want to defeat the enemy, we must not take it lightly."

"Humph, Zang Xuangao, what is your intention in saying this?"

"So, do you look down on the Prime Minister of Xia Pi?"

Zang Ba and Sun Guan, under Tao Qian's command, repeatedly repelled the invading Yellow Turban Army and made many military achievements, which made many people jealous and targeted them on a daily basis.

Now that the Taishan bandits are involved, they have found an opportunity to launch an attack.

Especially Cao Bao, who was the third in command in Xuzhou, was very unhappy with Zang Ba because Zang Ba's arrival threatened his position in front of Tao Qian.

Cao Bao was naturally unceremonious when he had the chance to attack: "Zang Xuangao, don't try to boost others' morale and destroy your own prestige here. If the Taishan bandits were really capable, they wouldn't have been almost wiped out by Wang Jing before."

"What the Prime Minister of Xia Pi said is quite true. I heard that Wang Jing was accompanied by only the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun at that time, and there was no army to protect him. He relied solely on the civilians of the road construction team to defeat Chang Xi and other bandits and make them flee. In my opinion, this group of bandits is not very capable, and the rumors are just rumors spread by ignorant people."

"That's right, as long as Xia Pi Xiang takes action, won't Chang Xi and Chang Ba be easily captured?"

Being so admired by everyone, Cao Bao felt proud, especially in terms of military achievements. He felt that he was not inferior to Zang Ba and Sun Guan at all. He must perform well this time to let everyone know that among the famous generals of Xuzhou, there is no one else but Cao Bao!
Seeing Cao Bao and his men looking down on their opponents, Zang Ba became anxious and said, "My lord, please think twice!"

Sun Guan was the same. He knew that if Cao Bao led the army, they would surely be defeated. Therefore, he had to ask Tao Qian for a fight again: "My lord, I am willing to lead the army. Within 15 days, we will be able to recapture Dongguan."

However, Tao Qian was intent on balancing the various factions within the party and did not want Zang Ba and Sun Guan to continue to grow in power and threaten his position. Therefore, he rejected Sun Guan's proposal and still chose to let Cao Bao lead the troops.

However, Tao Qian also knew that war was no small matter, so he said to Cao Bao: "I will give you 6,000 elite soldiers. We must fight for a complete victory in this battle and cannot afford any loss."

"My subordinate understands!"

After leaving the governor's mansion and walking out of the gate, Cao Bao looked at Zang Ba and Sun Guan with a smug look on his face: "How can you, a lowly person like you, want to lead the army? Are you secretly colluding with Chang Xi? Otherwise, how would Chang Xi know that Dongguan County has few troops? It's because Envoy Tao is kind that he didn't punish you. Otherwise, I would have had you arrested and tortured."

"Cao Bao you!"

Sun Guan was extremely angry and wanted to take action.

Zang Ba stopped him in time and looked at Cao Bao with a cold face: "Xia Pi Xiang, please be careful with your words. Some groundless news are all rumors. If you don't have any evidence, even if this matter is reported to the lord, we are still in the right."

"Hmph, whether it is right or not, I know what I am doing. Let's wait and see!" Cao Bao obviously didn't dare to say these words in front of Tao Qian, so he just vented his anger in private. Seeing that Zang Ba was going to make a big deal out of it, he immediately stopped and dared not to cause any more trouble.

Sun Guan punched the wall next to him, his whole body was raging with anger: "My lord, why don't you let us fight? Obviously we are more familiar with the enemy's intelligence and have more information. If this battle is left to you and me, there is no need to worry about not winning a great victory."

Zang Ba sighed, "The lord may have his own considerations. It is better for us subordinates not to make unwarranted assumptions."

In fact, how could Zang Ba not see through Tao Qian's thoughts?
But as a subordinate, the relationship between the monarch and his subjects was already established. Even if he knew that Tao Qian was suspicious of him, he had to swallow his anger and even tried hard to prove his innocence.

I dare not even complain.

Sun Guan was very angry: "This kind of life is really frustrating!"

He felt a little regretful. Perhaps it was not the right decision to come and seek refuge with Tao Qian.

When facing the threat of the Yellow Turban Army, Tao Qian was still able to treat the two of them with courtesy and respect. Now that there is no external threat, he immediately shows signs of abandoning his subordinates. He does not look like a wise and capable leader at all. He cannot even tolerate his outstanding subordinates and does not have the confidence to control them. Can such a person really build a foundation in troubled times?

Sun Guan couldn't help but think of what Chang Xi said. These high-ranking dignitaries didn't take him seriously at all. No matter how many contributions he had made, he was just a dog of the other side.

Xuzhou, Pengcheng.

The deafening shouts of killing were still lingering, but the flag representing Tao Qian on the top of the city had already been replaced.

Under the pretext of "suppressing bandits", Wang Jing suddenly sent out troops from Rencheng, galloping all the way at night, passing through Pei State in the north of Yuzhou and heading straight for Pengcheng.

It seemed that the attention of the defenders of Pengcheng was attracted by the war in Dongguan County. They were completely unprepared for war. In just three days, Wang Jing broke through the city, occupied the place, and captured the defending general Zhang Kai.

"After entering the city, do not harass the people!"

"As ordered!"

After Wang Jing repeatedly reiterated his orders, naturally not many people dared to violate military discipline. Even if there were any, they would be killed.

"Is this Pengcheng?"

After entering the city, Wang Jing was shocked by the scale of Pengcheng: "This place is so prosperous that it may even surpass Changyi."

It is not ordinary for Wang Jing to make such an evaluation.

You should know that Changyi City is the seat of Yanzhou, which gathers the resources and wealth of the whole state. It is a gathering place of culture and can be called an economic and political center.

But when Changyi City was placed before Pengcheng, it was obviously inferior.

Xun You, the counselor who accompanied the army to the battle, smiled and explained to Wang Jing: "My lord, you don't know that from the Warring States Period to the Chu-Han contention, the Righteous Emperor of Chu Xiong Xin, the Overlord of Western Chu Xiang Yu, the King of Chu Han Xin, the King of Chu Liu Jiao, etc., all successively established their capitals in Pengcheng. It took countless generations of accumulation to achieve today's situation, which cannot be surpassed overnight."

Obviously, Pengcheng's historical heritage far exceeds that of Changyi.

Ancient town construction often consumed a large amount of manpower and material resources due to low productivity and inefficient stone and wood collection. The construction time was calculated in hundreds of years and could not be achieved in just one generation.

More than 6,000 years ago, the ancestors of Pengcheng had already settled, built, and worked here.

At the end of primitive society, Yao even granted Peng Zu the title of Great Peng State and made him one of the Five Hegemons.

Compared with this, Changyi has many deficiencies in terms of historical heritage.

However, Wang Jing was not discouraged. With cement, the difficulty of building a city dropped sharply. Under his governance, Changyi City would not need a hundred years, or even ten years, to catch up with or even surpass Pengcheng.

"Fengxiao, within five years, I can make Changyi larger than Pengcheng. Do you believe it?"

Wang Jing stood on the city wall, overlooking the magnificent ancient city in front of him, but his heart was filled with a surging will to never give up.

Guo Jia was touched and said to Wang Jing with a smile: "Your Majesty is a man of natural talent, so he can do what others cannot do. I will just wait and see."

The emperor and his minister looked at Xuzhou from afar, feeling a surge of heroic spirit.

On April 15th, Wang Jing did not stay in Pengcheng, but led 10,000 Qingzhou soldiers, crossed the silted Yellow River, and headed straight for Xia Pi City.

The occupation has evolved to this point. With 10,000 soldiers and horses and a march of such a scale, there is naturally no possibility of concealing their tracks.

Wang Jing was in the army and understood this. According to the itinerary, they would be able to reach the outskirts of Xia Pi City in three days.

In the Battle of Pengcheng, the Qingzhou soldiers broke through Zhang Kai’s military camp at night and captured Pengcheng. This battle was unexpected.

If Zhang Kai, the defender appointed by Tao Qian, could have held out for a few more days, Wang Jing would have had to pay a greater price. Unfortunately, Zhang Kai was no match at all. When a fire broke out in his own military camp, he led his troops out of the city to rescue them, but was caught by Taishi Ci's troops who were ready for battle at any time and were defeated in one blow.

Zhang Kai was like a stray dog ​​in the chaos of the army. Taishi Ci took advantage of the chaos to seize the city gate and took him as a prisoner. Pengcheng was thus broken.

Wang Jing left 500 soldiers in Pengcheng to gather and guard the prisoners, and then he crossed the silted Yellow River and headed straight for Xia Pi.

The purpose of advancing so quickly was to make Tao Qian lose sight of the big picture and unable to suppress Chang Xi's Taishan bandits, and then sit back and watch the situation develop in a direction that would be unfavorable to Xuzhou.

Things had come to this point, Pengcheng had been breached, Xia Pi City was in danger, but Wang Jing himself was not so anxious.

This was the first time that the Qingzhou soldiers had fought a foreign war on such a large scale. Although the expedition was carried out under the name of "suppressing bandits", it was actually to retaliate against Tao Qian's previous tricks against Yanzhou.

Wang Jing was in command, trying to both seek revenge and train troops. This was the first time that the Qingzhou soldiers under his command stood out in front of the heroes of the world.

Although the first battle was a victory, the Qingzhou soldiers under Wang Jing's command looked at the city wall of Xia Pi with sweat on their foreheads and were quite nervous.

The situations they faced next became more and more difficult. Wang Jing would stop whenever he passed through a village or town, appearing to be in an orderly manner. But who knew that deep down he was extremely panicked.

The Qingzhou soldiers were all new troops and had only been trained for a short time, so they were very difficult to command.

Many problems were also exposed in the Battle of Pengcheng. In the past few days, Wang Jing treated his soldiers as well as possible, but internally he repeatedly summoned officers above the rank of garrison commander to discuss and revise the strategy of advancing.

In the Battle of Pengcheng alone, more than a thousand Qingzhou soldiers were killed, and most of them were killed in the attack. Now, another 500 people are left to guard the retreat route of Pengcheng. Now, there are actually less than 7,000 soldiers left to march to Xia Pi.

The reason for all this was that the Qingzhou soldiers lacked experience in attacking cities. Normally, when they suppressed bandits in Yanzhou, they mostly conquered the mountain strongholds and fortresses built by the bandits. The attack on Pengcheng was the first time they seriously attacked a strong city with walls.

If there were enough siege equipment, it would be easy to deal with. The key is that this time the troops must be dispatched quickly. The transportation and assembly of the stone cannons took too much time, and they were not brought with them. They could only rely on shedding lives to fight.

However, Tao Qian was unable to respond adequately, and the defending general Zhang Kai was also unprepared. Therefore, after the war broke out, the defenders were under great pressure and were eventually captured by Wang Jing after a series of real and fake attacks.

As a newly formed army, the Qingzhou soldiers had many details to deal with, the most troublesome of which was the transportation of food and fodder.

These surrendered Qingzhou soldiers were all from the Yellow Turbans. Their logistics system was extremely chaotic. In many cases, they had no logistics at all, and when they ran out of food, they would just rob.

Wang Jing spent a lot of energy to correct these mistakes.

Wang Jing did think about using water transportation, and there was no shortage of rivers in Pengcheng, but Wang Jing had not yet established a navy, and had not even prepared civilian ships before the expedition, resulting in the fact that he could only rely on land to transport food and grass.

More than 3,000 civilians were conscripted, which was a huge burden for Yanzhou, which was in need of reconstruction. Xi Zhicai had complained to Wang Jing several times about this. (End of this chapter)