In the city tower, Zhang Changxun asked Chu Suiliang to sit down and ordered his subordinates to serve tea. He did not rush to read the letter, but asked, "When did His Highness King Qi come to Hetao?"

"As soon as the battle in Loufan County was over, he arrived."

Zhang Changxun's heart suddenly jumped, and then asked carefully: "What is the final battle in Loufan County?"

"The Turks have been completely destroyed, and Chuluo Khan also died in battle at Loufan Pass. The 300,000 Turkic army invaded south. Except for the Turkic army on the eastern front, the other 250,000 troops were annihilated in Bingzhou, and I won a great victory."

Zhang Changxun patted his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief: "Heaven blesses China. The Turks will not dare to invade the south again for at least twenty years. Peace in Hetao has also arrived."

At this time, Chu Suiliang took out another letter and handed it to Zhang Changxun and said, "This is a letter from Liang Song, the ruling leader of Jiuyuan County, to the prefect, and I will send it."

Liang Song is the head of the Liang family, the most prominent clan in Wuyuan County, and is also the in-laws of Zhang Changxun. His eldest son Zhang Wu's wife is Liang Song's eldest daughter. She gave birth to two sons. Zhang Wu was unable to take her out when she retreated, and the child was stayed at her parents' home with her mother.

Zhang Changxun was extremely concerned about the situation of his two grandsons. He opened the letter first and read it quickly. The letter said that his daughter-in-law and two grandsons were safe and sound, which made Zhang Changxun relieved. As for the large amount of space to persuade him to surrender, all the major families in Wuyuan County were willing to return to the Northern Sui Dynasty. Zhang Changxun could think of these words, but he didn't care about them now.

After putting away the letter, Zhang Changxun asked again: "His Royal Highness of Qi has sent me a message, I don't know what to say?"

Chu Suiliang said slowly: "His Highness King Qi said that he did not want to die another soldier. If the prefect Zhang was willing to surrender to the Northern Sui Dynasty, he could continue to serve as the prefect of Wuyuan County. As for the old mother, wife and children of Prefect Zhang in Guanzhong, we can exchange it with the Tang Dynasty. This is His Highness King Qi's promise. It may also be mentioned in the letter, and the prefect can take a closer look."

Zhang Changxun sighed, "Let me think about it!"

"His Royal Highness of Qi will give the prefect two days to consider. We will not attack the city within two days. There will be no movement in two days. Ten thousand cavalry will siege Feng'an County, and all the residents of Wuyuan County will withdraw to Hebei. This is also the original words of His Royal Highness of Qi."

Zhang Changxun's eyelids twitched, and Chu Suiliang's last words showed a powerful murderous intent. Zhang Changxun knew that this was the wrath of the king. He would either return the jade or burn his jade. Once there were major casualties in the attack, the families of these fallen soldiers would not be able to stay in Wuyuan County and become a hidden danger.

Zhang Changxun did not express his opinion, but just nodded silently.

Just then, soldiers outside reported loudly: "General Gao is here!"

A trace of vigilance flashed in Zhang Changxun's eyes immediately. He swallowed what he was about to say back into his stomach. Gao Jing walked in quickly and laughed: "I heard that an envoy was coming. Can I also listen to me?"

"What are General Gao's words? I'm about to send someone to invite the general."

Gao Jing laughed dryly, looked back at Chu Suiliang, and said with a smile: "I guess this is Mr. Chu, the top scholar last year, who is really a talented person!"

Although Gao Jing was a Li Shentong faction, he also knew that Chu Suiliang's father Chu Liang was highly valued by the King of Qin. Although he was determined to kill the envoy of the Sui army and eliminated Zhang Changxun's idea of ​​surrender, the other party sent Chu Suiliang, so he could only put down his murderous intention. Offending Chu Liang means offending the King of Qin, and he will not be able to survive in the Tang Dynasty in the future.

At this time, Chu Suiliang stood up and said goodbye. Zhang Changxun did not try to keep him, and ordered his personal soldiers to send him out of the city. On the top of the city, Zhang Changxun felt unable to calm down for a long time when he saw Chu Suiliang leave. Gao Jing slowly walked up and asked with a smile: "What do you say about Li Jing?"

Zhang Changxun said lightly: "Chu Suiliang sent my in-laws letter, and my two grandsons were safe. As for Li Jing, he would give me two days to consider. If he did not surrender, he would siege Yongfeng County."

"Is that General Zhang ready to surrender?" Gao Jing stared at Zhang Changxun with sharp eyes.

Zhang Changxun sneered, "What do you think?"

After saying that, he turned around and went downstairs. Gao Jing's fist was slowly clenched, and he felt that Zhang Changxun had shaken.

After a night of busy work, the ten giant catapults were finally installed. Just after noon, drums in the Sui camp were loudly sounded, and Li Jing personally led 20,000 soldiers to guard the ten giant catapults and slowly drove towards the top of the city.

The city wall was once again in chaos, "Dang!Dang!Dang!Dang!" The alarm bell rang out, and the soldiers rushed to the city wall, holding their weapons tightly, and looked nervously at the Sui army that was coming from the city. The huge catapult made them tremble.

Zhang Changxun also rushed over after hearing the news. He looked at the giant catapults like giants, with great shock in his eyes. Didn’t Zhang Xuan give himself two days to think about it? It’s just one day passed, why are you going to start the attack?

He had no time to think about it and shouted: "Everyone enters the state of combat, and the crossbow is ready!"

The multi-heavy catapult rumbled forward under the push of the Sui army soldiers. When they reached two hundred steps, they stopped moving forward. The giant catapult was three feet tall and huge, which was one piece higher than the city wall that was only two feet tall. The long arm rod was five feet long and could throw a hundred kilograms of stone three hundred steps away.

It can be said that using such a giant trencher can destroy and collapse the unreliable city wall in just a few rounds. How can the defenders on the city not be frightened?

The multitude of giant catapults were ready, and the long arms were creaking enough strength, and the huge black bullet was placed in the iron pocket.

"shooting!"

A sound of a clapper, ten catapults were fired at the same time, and ten huge black bombs flew into the air and flew into the city. The black bombs passed through the city wall and flew over the county town, causing all the soldiers on the city to cheer, and all the huge rocks were hit by the air. Only Zhang Changxun felt a little wrong. This kind of information should not appear. Could it be that the Sui army had other plans?

Sure enough, ten black bullets cracked one after another over the county town, and a large number of paper pieces flew out from it, instantly spreading over the county town, and there were fluttering pieces of paper everywhere above the county town.

"It's my letter!" a soldier picked up the piece of paper and shouted.

The soldiers shouted, "It's our family letter! There's my father's letter."

Thanks to Zhang Changxun's promotion of literacy in Wuyuan County, most soldiers could recognize their names. Some soldiers had found their own letters and shouted excitedly. The city suddenly became chaotic. The soldiers who did not have the city also picked up letters everywhere, all wanting to find their own letters. Jiuyuan County fell, and everyone was extremely worried about the safety of their family.

At this time, a personal soldier rushed up and handed a letter to Zhang Wu, "General, you have your letter."

Zhang Wu was stunned and quickly took the letter. He saw that the letter skin said, "Father, Wu Yonglang General Zhang Wuqi". The following are the names of the two sons: Zhang Daming, Zhang Daliang, Zhang Wu felt aroused in his heart. It was the handwriting of his two sons. His two sons are a pair of rare twin brothers. He is seven years old this year and has been studying for two years. He can write a letter with his pen.

Zhang Wu took advantage of the fact that people were not paying attention and quickly put the letter in his arms.

Three rounds in a row, and more than 20,000 letters were thrown into the city. The Sui army slowly retreated, and the 20,000 army also turned around and retreated back to the camp. The peace was restored outside the city. The Sui army did not violate its promise to attack, but sent letters to the city.

At this time, Gao Jing rushed over in a panic and shouted to Zhang Changxun, who had been indifferent: "Why don't you stop them and collect all the letters and burn them down!"

Zhang Changxun said coldly: "If I dare to do this, the entire army will mutiny immediately. If General Gao doesn't believe it, try it!"

After saying that, Zhang Changxun turned around and walked down the city. Gao Jing stood at the top of the city in a daze, unable to say a word. He felt a cry in his heart. This is not a battle to attack the heart, but a heart-killing battle!

At night, Zhang Wu hurried to his father's room, bowed and said, "See Father!"

"What's the situation of the soldiers?" Zhang Changxun asked.

Zhang Wu shook his head, "The situation is very bad. The soldiers are tired of war. Many soldiers with relatives gathered together to discuss how to go home. My father, no soldier is willing to fight."

Zhang Changxun was not surprised. This result was as expected by him. Zhang Xuan's move was extremely vicious. He prohibited reading the letter. The soldiers would rebel immediately and allowed reading the letter. The consequence was that the army was tired of war and thought of their family. In any case, his army had collapsed. As Gao Jing said, this was a battle to kill the heart.

"I heard you also received a letter?" Zhang Changxun asked, looking at his son.

Zhang Wu took out the letter from his arms, "Father, it was the letter written to me by Daming and Daliang."

"Even my son is not spared. Zhang Xuan's methods are really vicious!"

Zhang Wu suddenly knelt down and said in tears: "Father, the child cannot leave them, the child cannot do it!"

Zhang Changxun nodded, and he also took out a letter from his arms, "This is a handwritten letter written to me by His Highness the King of Qi. He advised me to look forward to the long-term and leave a way out for myself. If the Northern Sui defeats the Tang Dynasty in the future, my descendants will also have a place to stand in the new dynasty."

Zhang Changxun sighed, "Your Highness the King of Qi's words kill my heart!"

"What will my father do?"

Zhang Changxun walked to the window with his hands behind his back and looked out the window for a long time. His voice was a little hoarse and he said slowly: "I claim to love this land, but if I let 17,000 soldiers die in Yongfeng County, then what else can I talk about love? I will not fight again. But the Dugu family is as kind as a mountain to me. I am a Tang minister. If I abandon Tang and surrender to Sui, wouldn't I, Zhang Changxun, become a slave of the three surnames?"

Seeing that his son was about to speak, Zhang Changxun waved his hand to stop him, "You need to say nothing, you will take the army to surrender to Zhang Xuan tonight. I think, since Zhang Xuan doesn't care that Chu Suiliang's father was a minister in the Tang Dynasty, then he doesn't care that your father was a general in the Tang Dynasty. I will go to Chang'an with Gao Jing tonight."

"Father, the child is unfilial!" Zhang Wu cried loudly.

Zhang Changxun smiled and said, "What's the matter? Can't we father and son meet again? Zhang Xuan is right. I must leave a way out for our descendants. You can go! I think we will communicate with each other three years earlier and five years later, which is the time when our family reunited."

Zhang Wu was helpless and kowtowed three times, bid farewell to his father and left.

That night, a mutiny occurred in the military camp of Yongfeng County. Countless soldiers rushed out of the county town and rushed to the Sui camp to surrender. More and more soldiers surrendered, and the situation was out of control. Zhang Changxun led more and more personal soldiers and Gao Jing to open the southern city gate, rushed south, and escaped from Yongfeng County. After his father left, Zhang Changxun's son Zhang Wu led the most elite three thousand cavalry out of the city to surrender to the Sui army.

Since then, the Sui army recovered Yulin County and Wuyuan County among the three Hetao counties, and the last Lingwu County has not yet been recovered. At the same time, the three Tang troops' siege of Jiangling City gradually reached the moment of breaking the city.
Chapter completed!