Seeing that Zhao Yun insisted on entering Jiangyang, Yan Yan said with some concern: "The Southern Barbarians are cunning, and it is unlikely that they will give up such a big village for no reason. I am worried that they will act the last drama again."

At this time, Zhao Yun had already set off the war horse. His personal soldiers had already taken the map as he ordered. Yan Yan and other generals also surrounded him.

Zhao Yun spread the map and said to everyone: "Let's go south here, Jiangyang is Jiangyang. The Tuojiang River and Shu River meet here, and the two waterways form a relatively closed pocket. The narrowest part between the two waterways is thirteen miles wide."

Everyone looked at Zhao Yun in confusion, wondering what he meant to say, and waited for him to continue talking.

"So I decided that there are only three possibilities for the main force of the Southern Barbarian General to retreat south. One is that they retreat to the south of the Shu River. The other is that they want to defend based on Jiangyang. The third is that they have mobilized heavy troops and must close this pocket at any time and fight with us. No matter which possibility, it is correct for us to occupy Jiangyang."

After hearing Zhao Yun say this, Yan Yan was even more puzzled: "General Zilong, how do you know that this may be a pocket, but you still have to drill it into it?"

Zhao Yun smiled and said, "Because I also want to fight with them. In this situation, the quicker the battle, the more beneficial it is to us.

The barbarian army only has infantry and war elephants. So even if the barbarian army seals us at the narrowest point, it will require at least 30,000 to 40,000 people and horses. These 30,000 to 40,000 people and horses must be elite soldiers of the barbarian army. Once they are annihilated and defeated, the barbarian spirit will be greatly damaged. Moreover, for such a large-scale battle, the barbarian king Meng Huo may appear. If we capture Meng Huo, it will be twice the result with half the effort."

When he said this, everyone's eyes lit up. But there were still people worried: "But this barbarian army used a small force to defend the city and sealed its pockets. Then our army was attacked from both sides! If this is true, our more than 5,000 troops and 30,000 to 40,000 barbarians may not win."

"Our scouts had carefully investigated Jiangyang City yesterday. At this time, Jiangyang City had already destroyed the city. The defenses temporarily built by the barbarian army were like nothing to our army. We will surely be able to capture Jiangyang City quickly."

After hearing Zhao Yun's answer, everyone thought about his powerful crossbow, so they no longer had any questions about it.

Only Yan Yan said with concern: "But the barbarian army that sealed the pockets will not confront me. It is just building fortifications and cutting off our military food and supplies. What should we do?"

Zhao Yun's expression became solemn at this time and said, "So, the key to this battle is the word "fast". As long as our movements are fast enough, the barbarian army will not have time to build fortifications. They can only form a battle with us."

Seeing that everyone still had doubts, Zhao Yun gave everyone another reassurance: "Just just in case, we will send an urgent message to General Zhang Ren from Nan'an, asking him to transfer some troops down the river."

At this time, Yan Yan made up his mind and said to Zhao Yun: "Everything will go as General Zilong said."

After recovering the crossbows and stone shells, the Han army then burned a fire to the ground and continued to travel southeast along the Tuo River. They rushed to the city of Jiangyang twenty miles away in just half an hour.

At this time, in Jiangyang City, the barbarian army had used bamboo and wood to "repair" the missing city walls. In order to prevent the fire attack of the Han soldiers, the bottom of these "replacement city walls" directly penetrated into the moat.

However, when the barbarian army built these bamboo and wood walls, they had never seen the crossbows of Zhao Yun's army.

The Zhao army army quickly formed an offensive formation, and the chariots loaded with crossbows were also arranged properly. However, this time they fired more than just stone bombs.

The barbarians squatting at the head of Jiangyang City were all pale. When they were still frightened by the power of the crossbows and stone bombs, they discovered something even more terrifying. Fireballs flew towards Jiangyang City quickly. They were like flying fire meteors, accurately hitting the bamboo and wood-structured city walls.

After these "fireballs" hit the city wall, a huge flame rose with a shattering sound. The "city wall" with wood and bamboo structure was ignited instantly. The barbarians thought that the Han army had used magic.

In fact, these fireballs are pots filled with strong liquor. They are covered with linen soaked with strong liquor. Before being fired from the crossbow, they will be lit by a brazier placed at the exit of the crossbow. After hitting the city wall, they will shatter and alcohol splash everywhere, which looks like the city wall was ignited instantly.

Some fireballs even drilled into the holes broken by stone bullets and ignited in the mezzanine inside the "city wall", while others fell on the corridor. The entire section of the "city wall" in Jiangyang City was burning, and the barbarians on the top of the city had already fled everywhere.

Zhao Yun urgently ordered the crossbow gunners to stop firing "fire bombs". Because the number of these fire bombs was limited, it was unlikely that Han'an's baggage would be transported up before the end of the war, so some must be reserved for the subsequent decisive battle.

The stone bullets of the crossbow began to smash into the depths of Jiangyang City. The military formations composed of guns and shield soldiers lined up into shield walls, stepped on drums, shouted commands, and pressed towards the gap in the burned city wall. The barbarians in the city gathered behind the gap and fired arrows.

A barbarian soldier had just pulled the bowstring open when a black shadow suddenly came, and then a crisp crack sounded, and his entire head disappeared in an instant, and had been completely shattered by the stone bullet that was shot.

Before his headless body could fall to the ground, the stone bullet fell on the calves of a barbarian soldier again, and another crisp sound of broken bones. Screams and wails arose one after another.

When the gun and shield soldiers marched near the moat, the baggage soldiers following behind carried the equipment and quickly added a section of the moat. However, these bridges built before were only suitable for infantry passage, and the weight of the cavalry could not bear it.

The guns and shield soldiers crossed the moat and stepped on the hot embers into the city. A large number of barbarian soldiers rushed over to block them. He heard the order from the guns and shield soldiers' army, and hundreds of javelins and spears threw them at the barbarians.

The vine armor on the barbarian soldiers almost did not work. They fell under the dense flying spears. The gun and shield soldiers stepped on the barbarian soldiers' bodies and continued to attack forward.

A large number of barbarian soldiers rushed out from all corners of the city, besieging the gun and shield soldiers who broke into the city. The latter was forced to slow down and erected shield walls on all sides. The gun spear, nearly a foot long, kept stabbing outside the shield wall.

Although the barbarian soldiers were killed and injured in large quantities, their sources of energy continued to surge. Some people walked through the gap between the gun forest and approached the shield wall. In the end, the gun and shield soldiers were forced to throw away their gun spears and pull out the steel swords at their waists to fight with the barbarian soldiers.

Behind them, a large number of gun and shield soldiers rushed in. The sound of killing in Jiangyang City was already shocking, and the melee was in full swing. Zhao Yun asked all the infantry to join the battle. Even the baggage soldiers joined the battle group.

Half an hour later, the city gate was finally opened and the suspension bridge was put down. Three teams of heavy cavalry under Zhao Yun rushed into Jiangyang City.
Chapter completed!