Chapter 59: Attacking the Great Stockade, Shi Jin's Plan (Three)

  Ginger is still old and spicy, Li Shouyi heard Meng Du's words, his heart's pleasant calculations suddenly fell empty, not to mention that he also received a difficult problem "guessing the direction of the thief". Li Shouyi was naturally extremely unhappy in his heart, and couldn't help but scold secretly: "Where will the thief go next? It's better to dig up your ancestor's grave and ask him!" Although he was unhappy in his heart, this question was very tricky, not only related to his personal general ability, but also a matter of having merit without reward and having fault without escape. Therefore, Li Shouyi scolded in his heart, but had no choice but to concentrate on finding a satisfactory answer.

  Only the government soldiers were seen below, while the thieves retreated northward, fighting and retreating all the way to the northern camp. Li Shouyi carefully observed for a long time before he saw through their plan. It was clear that the thieves were leading the government soldiers to the northern camp, using the "borrowing force" tactic to take advantage of the government soldiers' horses and men to stir up each camp, causing chaos and turning everything upside down. In this way, not only could they drag the government soldiers along to gradually consume the combat effectiveness of the cavalry regiment, but also use the chaos to trample each camp, resolving the predicament of being surrounded on all sides. Ah, what a cunning move! If it weren't for standing halfway up the mountain and seeing the whole situation with his own eyes, how could he have easily seen through their plan? Li Shouyi had been suspicious of Meng's intentions when following him up the mountain, thinking that he just wanted to launch an ambush. He didn't expect that there would be such a masterful control over the entire situation. Although he looked down on Meng's character, at this moment, he couldn't help but deeply admire Meng's military tactics once again.

  Li Shouyi took a glance and saw through the bandits' intentions, then he bowed his fist and briefly explained to Meng Dujuan the thoughts in his mind combined with the current battle situation. Meng Dujuan listened attentively, nodding his head slightly as if in agreement. After Li Shouyi finished speaking, Meng Dujuan smiled reassuringly, patted Li's shoulder with his powerful hand, and said in a deep voice: "Good, good, you have such insight, which saves me from having to say more. Time is of the essence, take 3,000 men to assist in the battle immediately. You must intercept them before they capture the North Camp!"

  Li Shouyi clenched his fists with both hands, but in his heart, he was secretly lamenting. Judging from the current situation, those bandits had already lured the government's cavalry from the open area on the north side of the Da Ying camp to the road leading to the Beiying camp. Even if he grew wings and flew, he wouldn't be able to catch up. Moreover, what could these mere three thousand troops accomplish in this situation? They would only serve as cannon fodder to boost morale. His deputy general had more troops than him, and it was all just a joke... Li Shouyi thought to himself that he was really at a loss, but since he had already stirred up such trouble, he had to see it through to the end, no matter what. Although he thought this way in his heart, he didn't dare hesitate for even a moment. As soon as he received the order, he turned around and hastily prepared to leave.

  At this time, Meng Dujuan's mind had another idea, looking at his back and hurriedly instructing to add a sentence: "Once you arrive at the North Camp, just hold on, and drive the thieves back into the city, it will be a great achievement!"

  These words instantly reached Li Shouyi's ears, and he felt extremely comfortable. What does it mean? Li Shouyi had followed Meng Dujun for many years, and he knew every word and sentence. Moreover, he was happy to do so, and the worries in his heart suddenly dissipated by half. He hastily turned around, clasped his fists in respect, and then mounted his horse at lightning speed, leading three thousand cavalrymen down the mountain.

  ……

  Shi Jin and Chen Da, the two brothers, led a group of good men from Mount Liusha, heading straight towards the northern camp of the government army. Meanwhile, Vice General Feng Ping, who was commanding the government troops from behind, was unaware of their plan. Previously, he had always been avoiding the three shelters, ordering his subordinates to surround and annihilate them. Now, seeing the bandits fleeing northward, he felt a surge of excitement in his heart, thinking that this opportunity was too good to pass up, and he wanted to take credit for this victory. So, relying on his superior numbers and strength, he put on a show of severely punishing the defeated enemy, relentlessly pursuing Shi Jin and the others towards the north.

  While Shi Jin saw that he had already fallen into the trap, he even more wanted to intentionally provoke him, so as to make him dare to pursue. Shi Jin led his horse to rush out in a burst of speed, and then circled back, leading his brothers to launch a fierce attack on the government soldiers. At this moment, after Shi Jin gave Chen Da the order to continue advancing, he waved his long spear and led a team of cavalrymen to suddenly kill their way out from the left side of the troops. Shi Jin turned his horse sharply to the left and charged back, facing the vanguard of the government's cavalry regiment head-on. Just now, Shi Jin had already killed his way out of the encirclement with a fierce attack, and although he was fleeing in defeat, every time the government soldiers suddenly saw him come back to kill them, their hearts would tremble with fear.

  Shi Jin was still in his prime, and the bloodstains of the government soldiers on his face made him look even more ferocious. He gripped his horse's belly with his legs and charged forward, swinging his long spear at the soldiers. At this moment, the horses galloped forward, gaining momentum, and the heroes of Mount Liusha gained an additional advantage, completely unlike their previous predicament when they were surrounded. Now, one by one, they looked like fierce demons, wielding their spears and stabbing into the government army's ranks.

  Shi Jin, although he looked fierce and menacing, did not actually intend to fight to the death. He simply led his troops in a flanking maneuver around the vanguard of the government army's camp, killing a few soldiers at the front and rear, weakening their combat strength. When the government army's central camp was provoked into anger and individual soldiers rushed forward on horseback, eager to encircle and annihilate them once again, Shi Jin would pretend to be unable to withstand the attack, feigning defeat and retreating with his troops. Before the enemy could surround him, he would cut down the nearest pursuing soldiers and then quickly merge back into the main force.

  So Shi Jin and Chen Da took turns attacking, teasing Feng Ping's troops to chase them all the way. After a while, Shi Jin saw the shadow of the northwest military camp from afar, and this was the critical moment. Shi Jin's heart also jumped violently at this time. What he wanted to play was the "borrowing knife to kill" trick, which was almost identical to Li Shouyi's insight. However, at this moment in Shi Jin's heart, although he had eaten a loss in the west camp just now and wanted to borrow the iron hooves of the government army to trample all the way to the north camp, opening up the road to Mount Shaohua, he was also afraid that if he entered the military camp, he would fall into the government's trap again.

  Shi Jin's heart was filled with contradictions, his eyes wide open as he gazed out at the northwest camp before him, which seemed to have a similar scale of defense as the north camp. At this moment, the flames from the north camp were still burning fiercely, and must have caught the attention of the northwest military camp. On the watchtower stood over a hundred archers with bows and arrows at the ready, waiting for the signal to fire.

  Although Shi Jin did not have enough troops to contend with the government army, the more he was in a critical situation, the clearer his mind became. The current situation is one of strength and weakness, although being suppressed by the government army all the way, but now is the key to success or failure. If the plan "to kill someone with a borrowed knife" succeeds, even if retreating back to the city, it can still communicate with Shao Huashan, whether to defend Huayin County or not, Shi Jin doesn't care much, at least there's hope for an inside and outside joint attack to break through and return to Shao Huashan. But if the opportunity is missed and being forced into the city by the government army, it will be a siege, at the mercy of others, and the consequences will be chaotic without a fight.

  But Shi Jin's only concern was that the northwest camp would have another trick up their sleeve. However, time waits for no man, and before Shi Jin could come to a decision, the troops had already arrived at the northwest camp. When one hesitates, they will be in trouble. Shi Jin gritted his teeth, made a secret decision, and placed a bet. He was betting the lives of himself and Chen Da's two teams on the survival of all the brothers in the city!

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