Chapter 63: Taking Root in Annan

  Two months later, a large army appeared again in Xian'an. "Report to the commander, the Black Flag Army has arrived at the west of the city, Liu Yongfu sent someone to report urgently." He Meng came in to report. "It seems that Feng Zicai led his troops into Annan to quell the rebellion, let's immediately welcome General Ti!" Leng Yifei was shocked and his spirit was roused. He guessed that Liu Yongfu had personally led a large army here, definitely to jointly launch an attack on Xuanhua.

  "Haha! Cold brother! General Feng led the government troops into Annan, he slightly believed in letting me cooperate with the action, this time I came to discuss with you the matter of attacking Xuanhua!" As soon as they met, Liu Yongfu changed his title to show closeness. "Director, I have been nurturing my spirit and sharpening my will for two months, just waiting for your order to kill the rebel army. This time General Feng led the troops to quell the rebellion, Yang Guangcai will definitely not last a few days."

  Leng Yifei politely welcomed Liu Yongfu into the main hall. After taking their seats, Liu Yongfu asked: "Brother Leng's foreign rifle team is enviable, I wonder if there are any developments in the matter you and I discussed?" "General, I have already reported to our lord. Our lord sent a letter stating that before the end of the year, 100 rifles and 5,000 bullets can be transported here."

  "Leng brother is indeed a man of his word, please take me to see the master. From now on, we are friends and I will never treat you unfairly."

  "Thank you, Commander, for your kindness. I am grateful beyond words!"

  "Leng brother, don't be polite. This time, I need to rely on you to take down Xuanhua, we can't let Feng Zicai look down on us."

  "Governor, we will definitely strive to achieve more victories for you!" Liu Yongfu saw Leng Yifei's sincere expression and was overjoyed. He continued, "Brother Leng, the city of Xuanhua is solidly defended and difficult to attack. I'd like to hear your plan." "Governor, after reconnaissance, we found out that Wei Tianxiong suffered heavy losses last time and lost more than half of his troops. After replenishment, his troops have reached over 2,000 again."

  "My troops now number over 2,000, while yours are less than a thousand. If we were to lay siege to Xuanhua, our forces would be insufficient, so taking the city by storm is an unavoidable move!" "Sir! Wei Tianbao's men are now as nervous as a startled bird, and they see enemies everywhere. His subordinates have heard that Feng Zicai has come to quell the rebellion, and their morale is unstable. I've heard that these rebels were once Feng Zicai's former subordinates?"

  "Yes, Yang Guangcai was a deputy general of Feng Zicai before the rebellion!" "Sir, I plan to surround San Quan from three sides. We will encircle Xuanhua from east, west and south, leaving only the north open. Coincidentally, the northern direction is Taiyuan. If Wei Tianxiu cannot hold on, he will definitely flee towards Taiyuan in the north. I heard that you have over 300 cavalrymen, sir. You can hide them in the north, and once Wei Tianxiu abandons the city and flees, we can annihilate him in one swift motion outside!"

  "It's hard to see that Cold Brother will use troops, no wonder the sneak attack on Xianyang was easy as turning over one's hand. However, attacking the city won't be easy, the walls of Xuanhua City are strong and tall, what method does Cold Brother have to break into the city?"

  "Sir, I'll take charge of attacking from the west side, I guarantee that we can enter the city within a day, sir just needs to make preparations to annihilate the enemy in the wild. However, sir must cooperate with me to launch a feint attack to confuse the enemy."

  "Good! It's settled then, tomorrow we'll set out for Xianyang!"

  At dawn the next day, the two armies set out. Liu Yongfu's army was majestic with flags and banners flying high, while Leng Yifei's troops surprisingly had no flags or drums to boost their morale, creating a stark contrast between the two armies. The large army arrived at the foot of Xuanhua City in the evening and began deploying troops according to the pre-arranged strategy.

  It was late at night, and Leng Yifei sat anxiously in the tent. "Report to the commander, four battalions have been deployed, do you have any further orders?" Khalid, who had just taken over as the captain of Wolf Three, came in to report. "Let everyone rest well, tomorrow will be a fierce battle." After Khalid left, Leng Yifei gazed at the map again and began to ponder. He was waiting for He Meng's reconnaissance situation, and the message he brought back would be the key to determining victory or defeat tomorrow. Leng Yifei's confidence in breaking through the city came entirely from his unconventional combat methods.

  It was late at night when a subordinate suddenly came in to report: "Captain, Deputy Captain He is back!" As soon as the words were spoken, He Meng, covered in dust, appeared before Leng Yifei. "What's the situation?" Leng Yifei personally poured a cup of tea. "Captain! After careful reconnaissance, blowing up the city gate won't be a problem. According to the sturdiness of the gate, four packs of explosives will be needed to take effect." "Great, you immediately lead the team to prepare the explosives." Preparing the explosives was extremely simple for He Meng; they had undergone training in this area on Jinshan Island.

  Inside Xuanhua City, Wei Tianxiong's face was gloomy, and a subordinate was reporting: "Sir, the Black Flag Army and the Civilian Army have surrounded the city from all sides. It is estimated that they do not have enough troops, so they can only do this!" "General, the Black Flag Army and the Civilian Army have only about 3,000 soldiers, our city walls are high and strong, as long as we defend properly, there will be no problem at all. I have already ordered all archers to go up on the city wall." A deputy general said confidently.

  "I'm not worried about the Black Flag Army, but that militia is a different story!" Wei Tianxiong's face was still dark with concern. "Sir, although the militia has a foreign gun squad, it may not be effective in attacking the city. As long as we hold our ground on the city walls, their foreign guns will be like firewood. Once the militia's foreign gun squad enters under the city wall, our bows and arrows, rolling stones will come into play!"

  "General! The enemy's forces are insufficient, the north is open, and if we can't make it, we can retreat from the north!" His subordinates encouraged him, and Wei Tianxiong's mood improved a lot. "Everyone, since the day we rebelled, there has been no turning back. As long as we get through our current difficulties, tomorrow Yang will negotiate with the imperial court, and we'll be able to take root in Annan. If Liu Yongfu can live freely, so can we! I'm counting on everyone tomorrow!"

  At dawn, Leng Yifei gathered his subordinates to discuss the attack plan. The team leaders and deputies took their seats. "Everyone, tomorrow Wolf Two, Wolf Three, and Wolf Four will be responsible for the feint attack. The offensive must be fierce! He Meng!" "Yes!" You lead Wolf One, responsible for attacking the city gate. After blasting open the city gate, you must charge into the city at the first opportunity, understood?" "Yes! Subordinates will resolutely complete the task!" "Alright, everyone prepare now!"

  After daybreak, the Black Flag Army launched the first offensive. They had made thorough preparations for the siege, with archers advancing to effective range to cover the approach of the siege troops to the city walls, who were carrying ladders in a grand display. The militia also launched an offensive, carrying ladders, but stopped advancing within 100 meters and instead opened fire, attempting to kill enemy soldiers.

  In this way, the Black Flag Army unexpectedly gained momentum to capture the city. The Black Flag Army had cannons, which played a significant role in the attack. By noon, a deputy general reported urgently: "General, the Black Flag Army's offensive is fierce, and the situation is critical." "What about the direction of the militia?" Wei Tianxiong asked. "General, it's still the same as before, they stop when they enter the range of bows and arrows. However, their foreign guns are powerful, and many archers have been killed by gunfire."

  Wei Tianxiong hesitated for a moment before saying, "Withdraw half of the troops from the west to support the south and east. Order the archers on the west side to avoid the gunfire and wait until the militia reaches the city wall before taking action." The enemy not only moved but also became paralyzed with fear. "Squad leader, the enemy has been mobilized!" He Meng exclaimed, putting down his binoculars.

  "Launch the attack immediately!" Leng Yifei gave a decisive order. Wolf Team One, located on one side of the gate, suddenly moved forward and stopped about 50 meters away from the gate. All team members concentrated their firepower at the city tower, suppressing the enemy soldiers who didn't dare to show themselves. He Meng waved his hand, and four team members carrying explosive packs arrived under the city gate in the blink of an eye. They skillfully placed the explosive packs and then ignited them.

  The enemy soldiers on the city gate tower didn't understand what was happening, when suddenly a loud explosion sound came, followed by three more explosions. Black smoke and dust flew everywhere, and in the blink of an eye, the city gate disappeared. "Brothers, charge!" He Meng jumped up and led the way forward. The team members shouted loudly and rushed forward bravely, within minutes, Wolf Team broke into the city from the city gate, followed by Teams 2, 3, and 4...

  After dozens of minutes, the results expanded, and Leng Yifei climbed up to the city gate tower to observe the interior. The enemy's defense system was completely disrupted. "The city is shouting everywhere: 'Broken city! Broken city!' This intensified the chaos. "General! The militia blasted open the west side of the city gate and entered the city!" Wei Tianxiong heard it with great surprise, he knew the power of the foreign gun team and suddenly became stunned. "Sir! As long as there is a green mountain, we don't have to worry about not having firewood, let's retreat quickly!"

  "General! The Black Flag Army is attacking from the south of the city!" A deputy general covered in blood came to report. The situation was already lost, and Wei Tianxiong had no choice but to order a retreat. In the Black Flag Army's camp, Liu Yongfu was observing the attack, his heart anxious. On one side, the attack was like a tide, while on the other side, there was nothing but the sound of gunfire.

  "General, is it true that you are deceiving us and letting us risk our lives for your own benefit?" A deputy general was dissatisfied. At this time, Liu Yongfu also had doubts. Suddenly, a loud explosion came from the west gate of the city, and smoke billowed up to cover half the sky. Everyone was puzzled when a fast horse rushed over.

  A subordinate rushed down the horse and said: "General, the militia has blown open the city gate and charged into the city." "Haha! Brother Leng is indeed formidable. Pass on my order, the right route charges into the city. The left route makes a detour to encircle from the north! Wei Tianxiong, you can't escape even if you grow wings!" Accompanied by the sound of drums, the Black Flag Army's offensive was like a tide.

  Wei Tianxiong escaped from Xuanhua City with only over 600 soldiers left. They fled north in disarray, when a fierce cavalry suddenly appeared before them, and then another large army came from the east to attack. Wei Tianxiong sighed and killed himself by cutting his own throat. A month later, Feng Zicai led the government army to occupy Taiyuan, Yang Guangcai was beheaded by his subordinates, the rebels scattered like birds and beasts, and Feng Zicai returned to the capital in triumph.

  Leng Yifeng took the initiative to pursue and capture scattered soldiers, which Liu Yongfu was happy about. Before the end of the year, Leng Yifeng captured around 5,000 soldiers, expanding his own forces to 2,000 men, while sending the rest to Hainan Island by sea. By the end of the year, the Vietnamese king officially appointed Liu Yongfu as the Governor-General of the North, and history changed once again at this moment.

  Liu Yongfu took great care of Leng Yifei, ordering him to station in Xuanhua, Taiyuan, Liangshan and Xiadong on the eastern coast. The area north of these places was under his jurisdiction. Liu Yongfu's intention was very clear, that is, he wanted to keep Leng Yifei in Annan. After all, Liu Yongfu had been living in a precarious situation, with such a strong force, he could rest easy. Since Liu Yongfu took office as the Governor of the North, he openly began to operate Hanoi.

  With such a good situation, Leng Yifeng followed Deng Ziyuan's intention and began to open up land in his jurisdiction, set up farms, and open up land and sea trade routes. By the end of the year, Liu Yongfu appointed him as the Left Route General of the Black Flag Army in order to win him over.

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