The most arrogant in history

Chapter 113 The troops arrive at Tianmen County!

Ye Kun was fully armed, standing on the top of the city wall, holding a wooden trumpet and shouting: "Who are you? Your army is approaching, what do you want to do?"

Shangguan Jifu stepped out of the line and came to the city gate alone, waving his hand and smiling bitterly:

"Brother Dalang, I am Shangguan Jifu. My father passed away, and I am going back to attend the funeral. I passed by your place and hoped to rest for half a day and replenish some food."

Ye Kun shouted, "Shangguan Jifu, go into the city and talk alone."

The city gate slowly opened.

Shangguan Jifu did not hesitate. He ordered his subordinates to wait where they were and he rode his horse into the city gate.

Ye Kun came down to meet him.

Shangguan Jifu dismounted, clasped his fists and said:

"Brother Dalang, please give us a meal and prepare some dry food for the day. I am riding lightly and have no food or grass with me."

Ye Kun took Shangguan Jifu's hand, climbed up the tower again, and said with a smile:

"Eight hundred people need a meal and a day's worth of dry food. It's not easy. How are you going to thank me?"

"This..." Shangguan Jifu smiled bitterly:

"I am not a legitimate child. After my father's death, I will probably be stripped of my military power and reduced to a commoner. I am afraid that I will be unable to thank you."

"You have a good head, give it to me." Ye Kun said with a faint smile.

"You want my head?" Shangguan Jifu looked incredulous.

"Yes, this head can bring me fame, fortune, gold, silver and wealth."

Ye Kun took out Wen Qi's secret letter: "Read it yourself, your elder brother wants me to kill you!"

After reading the letter, Shangguan Jifu’s face turned pale and he remained silent for a long time.

"Why, you can't bear to part with this head?" Ye Kun looked at Shangguan Jifu with a smile.

"No, life or death doesn't matter, and the head doesn't matter."

Shangguan Jifu shook his head and looked at his troops under the city:

"It's just that a man who has not achieved anything in this world will be unwilling to accept it. Brother Dalang, I am now in your hands and I have nothing to say. But I beg you to treat my subordinates and brothers well."

"It's a miracle that you can live this long."

Ye Kun shook his head and pointed at the soldiers under the city: "You have so many brothers and Lingshan County as your base. You shouldn't come back. Coming back at this time, aren't you going to die?"

Chong'er was safe outside, while Shensheng died inside.

Unfortunately, Shangguan Jifu didn't understand this truth.

Shangguan Jifu sighed, "I thought they would deprive me of my military power, demote me to a commoner, or put me under house arrest. I didn't expect them to be so cruel."

"I won't kill you, we are brothers."

Ye Kun patted Shangguan Jifu on the shoulder and said, "But if I don't kill you, your elder brother, Shangguan Shizi, will kill me. I don't want to die, so we have to cooperate and kill your elder brother. Then, you can be the county governor."

Shangguan Jifu was stunned and said thoughtfully: "Brother Dalang, do you have a detailed plan?"

"The situation of the army is ever-changing, and the shape of water is ever-changing. How can there be any careful plan?"

Ye Kun shook his head and smiled: "I just made some preparations. Whether it will succeed or not depends on God's will. Of course, it also depends on whether you have the courage."

Shangguan Jifu drew his sword:

"Since they want to kill me, I can't just sit there and wait for death. Thank you, brother. If this is successful, you and I will manage Tianmen County together!"

"Great, let's plan it."

Ye Kun took Shangguan Jifu out to dinner while plotting something.

Food for eight hundred people was prepared in the city, as well as fodder for war horses, and they were sent out together.

At dusk, Shangguan Jifu's army, led by Wang Meng, headed straight for Xiping Mountain.

Ye Kun mobilized a thousand cavalry and infantry, led by Zhao Biao and Zhu Dachun from Guanjia Village, and followed Wang Meng.

Shangguan Jifu stayed.

The next morning, Ye Kun led 500 cavalry and infantry, escorting Shangguan Jifu in a prison cart, and headed towards Tianmen County.

After passing Xiping Mountain, continue heading north and it is still a little over a hundred miles to Tianmen County.

In fact, the straight-line distance is only fifty miles, but because there are mountains blocking the road, we have to take a detour.

Ye Kun has calculated that one mile of road in the Dading Kingdom is about 420 meters, which is shorter than one mile of road in later generations.

The light cavalry advanced, marching quickly for one day.

When it was dark, they set up camp in the mountains thirty miles south of Tianmen City.

When resting at night, Shangguan Jifu was still worried and asked in a low voice:

"Brother Dalang, what if our plan is discovered? I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid that I will implicate you and die under Tianmen City. You still have a mother and a wife."

"You are stupid." Ye Kun rolled his eyes:

"If we really can't win, we can run back and defend Xiping Mountain and Pingye County. We can still compete with your eldest brother."

Before taking action, Ye Kun had already thought about it in detail and made a plan.

If the operation really fails, we can only defend Xiping Mountain and Pingye County.

Shangguan Jifu frowned: "But Shangguan Boyan now has 13,000 cavalry, infantry and navy troops. Can we deal with them?"

"Even if he has 26,000 men, he can't defeat Xiping Mountain."

Ye Kun patted Shangguan Jifu on the shoulder and said, "Since ancient times, defending a city has always been a great opportunity to defeat a larger force with a smaller one. If your elder brother attacks Xiping Mountain, I can consume most of his troops in just ten days or half a month. If he wants to kill one of my men, he will have to exchange twenty of them for mine."

Shangguan Jifu thought for a moment and said, "If we attack Tianmen County by force, can we take it down?"

"We can't defeat it, at least not now." Ye Kun shook his head:

"The best strategy is to attack the enemy's strategy, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their troops, and the worst is to attack their cities. Attacking a city is the worst strategy. Even if our forces are ten times greater than the enemy's, we cannot guarantee victory. The combined forces of you and me are only 5,000. The forces of Tianmen County, plus the civilians in the city, are at least 30,000. If we attack the city now, we will be courting death."

Shangguan Jifu was very impressed and said with a smile: "Brother Dalang, you were just a carpenter before, how come you are so proficient in the art of war?"

Ye Kun rolled his eyes: "Can't I read?"

"But you in Caomiao Village don't have any military books, right?"

"I learned it in a dream, is that okay?"

Ye Kun yawned: "Hurry up and go to sleep. It all depends on the battle tomorrow. The winner will be the king and the loser will be the bandit. If you win, you will be the county governor in the future; if you lose, you and I will both be bandits and robbers, the bandit leader of Xiping Mountain!"

Shangguan Jifu grabbed Ye Kun:

"Hey, if we lose, we can go to Jingzhou or Changsha. In this chaotic world, as long as we have soldiers and horses, someone will definitely take us in."

“It is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox.”

Ye Kun shook his head: "If Xiping Mountain cannot be defended, I will commit suicide with my sword drawn, and I will not go anywhere!"

Shangguan Jifu was stunned, then nodded.

The next morning, Ye Kun ordered everyone to make breakfast first, have a hearty meal, and prepare some dry food for everyone.

It was not until the sun was high in the sky that Ye Kun led the crowd to set off.

All the tents and stoves were abandoned, and twenty veterans were sent to guard them.

Before lunch, Ye Kun led his lazy troops and escorted Shangguan Jifu to the gate of Tianmen County.

Seeing the army coming, the city gates had already been closed.

Because the old county magistrate had died, white flags were flying on the city walls.

A general wrapped his helmet with a white cloth and shouted, "Who is coming?"

Ye Kun's personal soldiers stepped forward and said, "Master Ye Kun of Pingye County has been ordered to arrest Shangguan Jifu and escort him to Tianmen County to hand him over to the prince. Master Ye said that he would go into the city to pay tribute to the county governor!"

"Wait here, I'll go report!"

The general guarding the city waved his hand and asked his soldiers to go back and report immediately.

Ye Kun lazily got off the horse and sat on the ground to rest.

After an incense stick of time, another general came up from the top of the city wall. He also had his head wrapped in white cloth and was wearing a white cloak. He stood on the top of the city wall for a long time and shouted:

"Ye Kun, I am Shangguan Zhongnan, the second son of the old county magistrate. You step back a hundred steps, and I will meet you outside the city!"

"I will follow the Second Young Master's orders!"

Ye Kun clasped his fists and slowly retreated with his troops.

Then the city gates opened wide.

Shangguan Zhongnan led a thousand armored soldiers, rushed out of the city gate, and spread out in a fan shape, semi-surrounding Ye Kun.

It can be seen that Shangguan Zhongnan is still wary of Ye Kun.

Ye Kun clasped his fists and said, "Second Master, I am wearing armor and cannot salute you. Please forgive me."

The second young master was about thirty years old, very arrogant, and waved his hand and said:

"You don't have to be so polite, Ye Kun, push Shangguan Jifu over first."

"Yes, sir...wait."

Ye Kun suddenly smiled and clasped his fists, saying, "Excuse me, Second Young Master, do I get any...reward for capturing Shangguan Jifu this time?"

Shangguan Zhongnan was a little annoyed and glared at him, "Why are you talking so much? You will definitely get the reward. Hurry and bring Shangguan Jifu over here."