After Duke Shi got 6,000 horses on loan from the king of Chu, he was eager to go north to attack Zhao. Wei Shuqing not only supported him financially and materially, but also took the responsibility of purchasing a large ship from Wu to transport the troops, raised enough food and provisions for Duke Shih, and even smuggled in military equipment and supplies. In the face of Wei Shuqing's help, Duke Shi trusted and relied on him more than the Wei patriarch, and gave Zuo Yi, who was recommended by Wei Shuqing, full responsibility for the leased army.
Zuo Yi was very good at fighting and marching, and he knew the situation of the garrison at the rivers along the border of Zhao like the back of his hand. Before the whole army entered Zhao by boat, Zuo Yi sent a small team to cross the border by boat in the middle of the night, and eliminated the sentries of Zhao's garrison, and then the whole army entered Zhao by big boat.
Before the Zhao army lost their sentries and did not realize their invasion, Zuo Yi led 6,000 Chu troops to the river bank, built a stronghold at the mouth of the river bank, and stabilized their footing. At daybreak, they took advantage of the Zhao army's sudden realization of the enemy's proximity and panic, before they had time to prepare for the attack, and wiped out the 2,000 Zhao troops in one fell swoop.
Seeing the success of his army, Gongzi Xie had more confidence in his restoration of the country and urged Zuo Yi to take advantage of the victory to go north and attack the capital of Zhao. Zuo Yi didn't wait for Gong Zi Xi to urge him, he took the initiative to formulate a plan to go deep into the hinterland of Zhao to enter the capital of Zhao. The focus of Zuo Yi's battle plan was that as long as the cities and ponds that didn't hinder the army's northward advancement were not to be attacked, he just advanced headlong and pressed forward to the capital of Zhao with the fastest speed to try to take the defense forces of Zhao's capital city by surprise.
News of the Chu army's invasion flew to the royal capital like snowflakes, and these urgent reports were delivered to the King of Zhao. Knowing that the enemy army is getting closer, the whole royal capital is in panic, because the garrison in the royal capital is now the smallest in the history of the state of Zhao. The king of Zhao weighs the situation again and again, and finally sends an urgent message to his son, asking Zhao Xuan to return to save the city.
"Impossible!" Zhao Xuan opened the urgent document and refused to believe the contents of the urgent document.
"Your Highness, what happened in the royal court?" Bo Yao was apprehensive when he saw Zhao Xuan's face change drastically.
"Five days ago, Gongzi Xi borrowed six thousand troops from the King of Chu to invade our border." Zhao Xuan couldn't figure out that the miserly King of Chu would change his temperament and generously lend the deceased duke troops, horses, and provisions, and volunteer to help Gongzi Shi restore his country.
"Ah? The Kingdom of Chen is actually willing to lend a channel to this dude boy, Gongzi Xi?" Bo Yao thought that Gongzi Xie had borrowed a channel from Chen to enter the country, and he doubted the authenticity of the urgent documents. This kind of action of openly making an enemy of a powerful neighbor was so unlike the always prudent ruler of Chen.
Zhao Xuan shook his head, he ordered his personal guards to fetch the map of Zhao, opened the map and pointed at the place where the two countries of Zhao and Chu met and said, "Your Excellency is suitable to enter from here."
"There are high mountains blocking the way there, could Gongzi Xie lead the Chu army over the mountains to enter?" Bo Yao did not think the Chu army had the climbing skills of monkeys.
"No, it's entering from this river." Zhao Xuan pointed at the thin river that traversed the mountain range on the map.
In order to prevent Chu from the river into Zhao, Zhao Xuan border river entrance arranged two thousand defense troops stationed, Chu's warships can not load how many soldiers, a small number of soldiers can not grab the beach can not stand firm footing, the arrangement of two thousand troops is enough to defend the river.
"Your Highness, in order to cut down Tang, all the important cities and towns have been drawn away most of their troops, our country's rear defense is empty, if we let the kid take advantage of the weakness and attack near the royal capital, how can it be good?" Bo Yao's heart is anxious, the border between Zhao and Chu is separated by high mountains, Zhao has no more troops stationed there except for a bit of defense troops placed at the border rivers. Zhao's southwest is basically no defense, Gongzi Xie as long as to defeat the river mouth two thousand garrison, can easily go north to approach the king's capital.
"The harlot chose a good time!" Zhao Xuan gritted his teeth, there were still more than 10,000 troops arranged near the royal capital, although Zhao Xuan didn't think that Gongzi Xie was capable of attacking the lower royal capital, he couldn't risk not returning to rescue the troops.
Zhao Xuan looked to the north, one more day of advancement and he could start seizing Tang territory, how could Zhao Xuan be willing to let him banish his troops now.
"Bo Yao, lead 30,000 soldiers and horses to continue to advance, lone with 10,000 elite troops back to intercept that vertical son." Zhao Xuan repeatedly weighing, finally can not let go of the fat meat almost to the mouth.
"Noe! I am obeying your orders!" Bo Yao led 30,000 troops and horses to continue their hasty march towards the Zhao-Tang border.
Zhao Xuan led 10,000 elite soldiers to turn around and rush back to the capital to rescue it. The royal capital was Zhao Xuan's foundation, and Zhao Xuan couldn't afford the consequences in case the royal capital was captured by Zuo Shi.
Bo Yao led 30,000 troops to the border of Zhao and Tang, and after a short rest in a small city on the border of Zhao, he crossed the border line into the territory of Tang and prepared to attack the key pass city on the border of Tang. This pass is the passageway into the hinterland of Tang, and by breaking it, there will be no strong and difficult to attack passes on the way of Zhao army towards the capital of Tang.
The king of Tang, in addition to being extravagant, is also very afraid of death, he attaches great importance to the border defense, and spares no effort to strengthen the border defenses. The city walls of this key pass in the western part of the Kingdom of Tang were also built very high and strong.
Zhao army is lightly loaded march, soldiers in addition to carrying three days rations and necessary weapons arrows, siege equipment are thrown to the auxiliary soldiers in the back to slowly carry, now to attack the Tang key cities, necessary siege equipment can only be built on the spot.
While sending his soldiers to the nearby woods to cut down the trees, Bo Yao rode his horse and approached the fortress to observe the city. The gates of this key pass city of the Tang Kingdom were tightly closed, the soldiers on the high wall of the city were vaguely visible, and what made Bo Yao strange was that there were no military flags hanging on the high wall.
Bur Yao cautiously observed the movements of the defending soldiers on the city wall and found that those soldiers were not panicking in the face of the enemy army's pressure and were doing their defense work methodically. This calm and orderly defense posture made Bo Yao's heart alarmed. The Tang villages were all behind the fortress city, and in order to rob the Tang people of their food they had to take the fortress first. The Zhao army arrived here in light armor, the rations they carried could only deal with them until noon tomorrow, and if they didn't take the main pass before noon tomorrow, the Zhao army would have to go hungry.
"General, the ladders have been built." Before the hour, which was around 1:00 pm, the Zhao army rushed to build a dozen or so cloud ladders.
"All troops bury their pots and pans and prepare to attack the city after they are full!" Bo Yao issued a military order.
There were only 6,000 defenders in the key Tang city, and with the bravery of Zhao's army, attacking the city with 30,000 elite soldiers, it was estimated that the city could be captured before nightfall.
As soon as Bo Yao's military order was given, the Zhao army began to busy themselves with preparations, and just at that moment, a dragon-shaped military flag was raised on the citadel of the Tang's main pass.
"Look, the Wu army flag is raised on the walls of Tang!" The Zhao soldiers shouted in surprise as they pointed at the Tang citadel when they realized it.
Bo Yao was sitting in the makeshift army tent studying at the map of Tang, when he heard the clamor of the soldiers outside the tent, he hurriedly ran out to hitch a lookout.
Sure enough, a golden dragon flag with a mouth swallowing a fireball was raised on the high floor of the Tang's key city, besides this military flag, there was also a black general's flag. Bo Yao was too familiar with this black general flag embroidered with the word 'Wei', four years ago the Zhao army was blocked by this general flag at the mouth of their throat.
"Wei Qing has already captured this city?" Bo Yao couldn't believe it, the direction of Wu's advance should be the capital of Tang, how did Wei Qing run to the border of Tang and Zhao and seize the border pass?
"Zhao Wuzhai, how have you been?" Wei Qing appeared on the city floor in a lively manner to greet Bo Yao.
"General Wei, what is Wu's intention of running to the Zhao-Tang border without going to capture the Tang King to avenge Duke Ming?" Bo Yao barely managed to squeeze out a smile.
"Haha, don't worry Wu Zai, our country has now captured the Tang King's capital, that Tang King must have already been captured by our army." Wei Qing spoke with considerable certainty.
The one who was ordered to capture the capital of the Tang Kingdom was Ma Ren, Wei Qing's duty was to seize the key defile city on the west side of the Tang Kingdom, to keep the Zhao army to the west of the city, making it impossible for the Zhao army to enter the hinterland of the Tang Kingdom to scramble for land. Wei Qing led 20,000 Wu troops to the east gate of the key pass city in the evening of the day before yesterday, and blew up the east gate of the city with explosive packets, occupying this important gateway city at an easy cost. After Wei Qing cleared the city of any resistance forces, he immediately made every effort to repair the east gate, which had been blown up by the explosives. When Zhao's army arrived, the east gate had not yet been repaired, and it was not until the repair work on the east gate was finished that Wei Qing ordered his soldiers to raise the Wu military flag and his own general flag.
Wei Qing has not yet received news of the progress of Ma Ren's waterway attack, and what the specifics of Ma Ren's attack on the king's capital are, Wei Qing is not clear, but this does not prevent Wei Qing from snubbing Bo Yao.
"What? You have captured the Tang King's capital?" Bo Yao was shocked, if the Wu army took the Tang King's capital and captured the Tang King, it meant that the Tang Kingdom had already fallen, and the Zhao Kingdom would not be able to snatch any benefits, not to mention that they were blocked by the city in front of them, even if they were not blocked.
"Yes, I'm really sorry, the Wu Kingdom marched a bit faster and your army came late! Now that the Tang Kingdom has been taken by our country, please ask Wu Zai Da to return to his country." Wei Qing looked regretful.
Wei Qing's words choked Bo Yao almost spit out blood, dare I say that Zhao was busy for a month just to take a trip to his border?
"General Wei, I think at the beginning my Crown Prince and your country's great general have an agreement that the two countries will send troops together to conquer Tang, now that our army has arrived at this place, the general should open the gates of the city, so that our army can pass through and swing north to annihilate the remnants of the King of Tang." Bo Yao squeezed out a bit of a smile to discuss with Wei Qing, even if Wu attacked as fast as lightning and broke the Tang King's capital in just five or six days, for the northern part of Tang, it would not be fast enough to occupy all of them as well, if that was the case, Wu would not be marching for battle, it would be marching for pulling.
"Wu Zai this is greatly incorrect, it was agreed that whichever side's army had laid down the ground would be owned by that side's country, and the other side that arrived late would have to make a detour, now that this city is already a Wu land, if your country wants to wield its army northward, please enter from the northern mountain range." Wei Qing pointed towards the mountains to the north of the fortress city and told Bo Yao to take 30,000 Zhao troops to go over the mountains.
Bo Yao used his strong will to force himself to swallow the angry curses that had already reached his mouth, and he squeezed the threat out of his teeth word by word: "General Wei, our country's 50,000 soldiers and horses can't make a trip for nothing, if General Wei refuses to let our country's army pass through the city, Bo Yao will have to lead these 50,000 strong soldiers to break through!"
When Bo Yao spoke, he bit off the number of 50,000 soldiers and horses very clearly, although Zhao's army did not have that number, only 30,000, or 30,000 soldiers and horses that lacked instruments and provisions.
Wei Qing raised an eyebrow, his face did not put the dense Zhao army under the city wall in his eyes. "Wu Zai do not want to be so coercive, Wei Mou with only 30,000 soldiers and horses, compared to Wu Zai elite soldiers and horses. Since Wu Zai wants to break the alliance contract, I will accompany him to the end!"
Bo Yao expanded his army by 20,000 more, and Wei Qing also reported the strength of his own army to be one-third higher.
Seeing Wei Qing's tit for tat and not showing any weakness, Bo Yao froze in place not knowing what to do next. Zhao's army only had 30,000 tired soldiers who lacked siege equipment and food. In a siege battle, without twice the strength of the defending side, one should not think of breaking the city down.
With 30,000 against 30,000, the attacking side basically has no chance of winning. In addition to having no chance of winning, whether or not to tear up the alliance agreement with Wu now, Bo Yao was not in a position to make the decision. As for Wei Qing's suggestion of going over the mountains to seize the northern cities of Tang, it simply wouldn't work. It would take at least half a month for the army to cross the mountains and reach the plains of Tang. With the bravery of Wu's army, with this half a month's time, they would have swallowed the whole Tang Kingdom cleanly, and Zhao's army's crossing of the mountains would only be a tour of the mountains.
"Crier! Convey this general's order that the entire army form up and return to the army!" Bo Yao thought about it and couldn't come up with a solution to the current situation, the only thing he could do was to pass the news to Zhao Xuan with a fast horse, and bring his own army back to Zhao's territory to wait for Zhao Xuan's instructions.