Volume 2: The King's Way Chapter 142 Persuading Surrender
"Gongjin, it seems that Yuan Shu has given up Wancheng..." Sun Ce has been so bored these days that he has been talking nonsense.
He was really blowing bubbles, using a reed pipe to blow bubbles in the wine jar - this habit of drinking with a reed pipe was acquired in Nanjing.
After sending troops from Chaisang, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu easily captured Wankou. Afterwards, the two surrounded Wancheng on three sides, leaving one side open, but they surrounded it without attacking, hoping to attack the reinforcements from the siege.
Although Bai Tu gave them the order only to capture Wancheng, but... theoretically, as long as Wancheng was safely captured and not lost, it would not be considered a violation of orders as long as they continued to march northward.
However, Bai Tu will not send more troops, and the food and fodder allocated to them is limited.
However, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are both young and energetic, and they hope to achieve greater results without destroying Bai Tu’s major policy of “stockpiling grain”!
If... we can take control of Shiting and Jiashidao, when Bai Tu wants to go north in the future, he can just take the route through Wancheng. It will be very easy to go to Shucheng or Shouchun.
However, a strong attack is definitely not advisable. Zhou Yu has been trying to lure the enemy troops to reinforce from the Jiashi Road, but...
The enemy had no intention of sending reinforcements, so Zhou Yu's plan of besieging the city and attacking the reinforcements became meaningless!
"Well, it's been seven days. Let's just persuade the defending general to surrender." Originally, Zhou Yu didn't have much hope.
"Leave it to me!" Sun Ce's eyes turned when he heard this, and that afternoon, he began his unique way of persuading surrender.
Outside the city of Wan, within an arrow's reach, Sun Ce's army began to build ladders on the spot, and their leisurely appearance made the defenders on the city feel frustrated and nervous...
The siege equipment took half a day and a night to build. Early the next morning, Sun Ce came forward again, carrying an anchor and riding an ordinary war horse.
This time it was not a challenge, but to "persuade surrender"!
"Yuan Shu rebelled against the Han Dynasty and went against the will of Heaven. Now I am following the order of Lord Bai to restore order and save the people of Huainan. If you still have loyalty and righteousness in your hearts, then open the gates and accept surrender. Lord Bai is kind-hearted and will definitely show mercy." Sun Ce shouted from the bottom of the city.
Normally, the "pre-war talk" which is just a meaningless act, was very effective when used by the generals of Bai Tu's faction. Many sergeants and squad leaders on the city wall actually started to whisper to each other, and even... the morale began to obviously decline.
It is normal for the princes to slander each other in order to win the hearts and minds of the military and civilians under their rule.
After all, it is easier to discredit an opponent than to praise yourself - the former only requires words, while the latter requires actions.
In this way, the people will have a more innate favorable impression of the defending side.
Yuan Shu's Dazhong did slander Bai Tu often, but because of the effect of "letting everyone know", any slander from Yuan Shu could not cause any waves among the people - Huainan was "broadcasting" throughout the whole area at that time!
Moreover, although Yuan Shu's propaganda was hysterical, it seemed weak and powerless to the people...
It is nothing more than an accusation that Bai Tu violates human ethics and is not a good son, which is difficult to arouse the empathy of the people. On the contrary, Bai Tu's "killing one person is like killing my father" is the real resounding and powerful words to the people who have suffered from the chaos and disorderly armies for a long time!
Especially since Huainan is close to the Central Plains, unlike Jiangdong, the clan forces defend themselves with "Wu Fort".
In those years, the so-called nobles and powerful people in Huainan were all in a lot of trouble - first, the flags on the city walls changed every now and then, and finally Yuan Shu came and hadn't changed for several years, but... Yuan Shu himself was enough of a troublemaker!
At this time, Bai Tu used the phrase "Killing one man is like killing my father" to restrain the army, and he had only an infinitely tall and positive image in Huainan.
Even with the "founding a country" buff, Bai Tu's popularity is naturally weaker than Yuan Shu's, and all popular defense effects are suppressed during sieges.
At this time, an old man wearing ordinary thin armor came out from the city and answered: "I am the governor of Wancheng, and who is Sun Lang from Wujun under the city?"
"Huh? I've surrounded you for seven days, and you're still not sure who I am?" Sun Ce was stunned when he heard this downstairs.
The old man was so angry that his face froze - I was just saying this for politeness? Do you still know how to respect the elderly?
Zhou Yu rubbed his forehead in the back and couldn't help but stepped forward and said, "I have heard of Mr. Qiao's name for a long time. I am Zhou Yu from Shu County, and the person next to you is my elder brother..."
"It's the second brother!" Sun Ce corrected.
Zhou Yu: @%￥#!
I think you look like an idiot!
The magistrate Qiao on the city wall was also trembling, and finally said coldly: "My Qiao family is also Han people, and it is not a problem to open the city to welcome you in. However... Huainan and Jiangdong have been separated for a long time, and suddenly they have returned to Bai Gong's command. There are many things that need to be discussed in detail. I wonder if you two dare to come into the city to discuss it?"
Qiao Yuan emphasized the word "two" very clearly, and it was obvious that he had no intention of allowing the army to enter together.
"Haha, okay, okay, I can make the decision on this matter alone... Gongjin, lead your troops to retreat five miles so as not to disturb Mr. Qiao." Sun Ce smiled without thinking.
At the same time, he moved his lips slightly and whispered to Zhou Yu beside him: "Are you sure he is old Qiao Yuan? I will go in later. If he really wants to surrender, that's fine. If he dares to cheat... I will capture him first, and then we will cooperate from inside and outside..."
Sun Ce had no awareness that his own situation would be extremely dangerous if the other party pretended to surrender, and he acted in a tone of "Once I go in, he won't be able to control himself".
Zhou Yu looked up at Qiao Yuan, his old face full of wrinkles, and finally chuckled, "No need, we can go in together."
"Ah?" Sun Ce couldn't help but turn his head in surprise.
He thought Zhou Yu would stop him from taking risky actions, but he didn't expect Zhou Yu would go crazy with him.
Zhou Yu didn't even look at him, but smiled at Old Qiao on the city wall, and then gently waved his feather fan - it seemed that since the Three Oaths of Brotherhood at Ganlu Temple, Zhou Yu liked to hold the feather fan very much, and fanned it whenever he had nothing to do...
Veteran generals under Sun Ce, such as Cheng Pu, strongly opposed it, but Sun Ce did not give them a chance to stop it. He only ordered Cheng Pu to lead his troops to retreat.
Qiao Yuan seemed to be getting more aggressive as well, and said in a cold voice: "Although I am old, I am not someone who can be disturbed by a few noisy children... No need to retreat, open the door!"
"Oh? Hahaha, you old man have a bad temper towards me. After this is over, we can have a drink together." Sun Ce seemed to be ready to invite someone for a drink.
Then the scene outside Wancheng became very strange.
The attacking party was only an arrow's distance away from the city gate, and the cavalry could rush in with a single charge. However, at this time, the city gate, which should have been tightly closed, opened a small crack - if Sun Ce personally guarded the city gate at this time, there would almost certainly be a chance for him to rush into the city directly.
However, the attacking side was only eager to make a move but ultimately took no action. Instead, the two commanders... walked into the city carelessly.
After the city gate was closed, the two men showed no intention of looking back, and the Wancheng magistrate did not seem to want to show off his power, so he directly sent people to bring Sun Ce and Zhou Yu to the county magistrate's mansion.
When the two entered the central hall, they saw Qiao Yuan, who had just been on the city wall, had changed into Confucian robes and sat down, and the banquet was already prepared.
"Huh? Have you been preparing for this banquet for seven days?" Sun Ce asked without any hesitation.
Indeed... Sun Ce and Zhou Yu arrived seven days ago, but they just wanted to surround the enemy and attack the reinforcements, so they did not attack immediately and did not shout.
Qiao Yuan, who had been put in Play for seven days, looked very distraught after hearing this...
Zhou Yu, who was standing by, always felt that his migraine had become more severe recently.
