Han Shizu

Chapter 900 The Battle of the South Exit 1
The terrain of Nankou can also be described as "the key point, the throat, and the military strategists must contend for it". Although the terrain is not as dangerous as Guancheng, it is also complicated, with magnificent mountains and mountains.The high mountains in the north and south are the exit of the long and narrow Juyong Road, which can be regarded as a gateway to the northwest of Youzhou. The Han army seized this place and established a stronghold, which played a role in sealing the Liao army.

In late autumn, the golden wind was rustling, the sky was dim, and the surrounding area was still in darkness, but the battle at Nankou was already in full swing.The fierce fighting started when Liao launched his attack for the first time, without any strength remaining.

Due to the limitation of the terrain of the pass, it is difficult to accommodate too many troops. It is still difficult for the Liao army to fully deploy, and even fewer can attack at the same time. Therefore, Yelu Cong divided the Liao army attacking the village into ten teams. Each team of [-] soldiers attacked Hanzhai in turn.

In addition to the Han soldiers and Bohai soldiers who were better at fighting on foot, the Liao army attacking the village consisted more of the subordinate soldiers in the north and some barbarians, and these people were completely used as cannon fodder.

Although it was cannon fodder, Yelu Cong did not let the soldiers attacking the stronghold of the Han army with their flesh and blood to attack the strong fortress of the Han army.There was no stinginess in arming, and all the knives, axes, shields, and guns stored in Juyongguan and its surrounding areas were taken out.The Liao army recruited craftsmen, and the ordnance built by the Liao army, in addition to the chariots for attacking the village, was a thick shield with wide sides. Knowing that the bows and crossbows of the Han army were powerful, they wanted to block them as much as possible.

In addition, Yelu Cong also specially selected [-] people who dared to die from the elite Khitan soldiers, divided them into ten teams, and took the lead in the charge.In this battle, among the generals of the Liao Dynasty, those like Yelu Cong were already prepared for heavy casualties. As long as they could successfully fight, they would kill the Han army by numbers.

Before the Liao army launched an attack, thousands of cattle were also prepared, and their tails were tied with fat.That's right, it's the Fire Bull Formation, proposed by Yelu Xiezhen, who was promoted to the skin room after being received by Emperor Liao, and Yelu Cong also decisively adopted it.

The fierce battle between the two sides is also starting from Huoxing Chongzhai.Although the camp of the Han army was strong and the foundation was laid very deep, they were still severely injured in the face of a group of wild beasts.Even those who successfully crashed into the Han stronghold were resolved by the Han army by cutting their feet and crossbows, but the impact from all directions still caused considerable confusion and losses to the Han army.

Followed by the Liao army's assault army, it stared at the damaged area and launched an attack.That is to say, the Han army had a certain amount of preparation time, coupled with well-trained training, and was able to get out of the chaos under the restraint of the upper and lower officers.However, immediately after that, the Liao army rushed to kill.

In the face of the Liao army's attack and killing, the measures taken by the Han army, in addition to mobilizing Juma, Luzhai, and supplementing the Zhaizhai, relied on bows and crossbows to kill and injure the charging Liao army, which did achieve certain results. This time, the Liao army's fighting will and combat determination were very firm, coupled with a certain degree of protection, they were not intimidated by casualties, and quickly achieved the effect of close combat.

However, due to the terrain and the preparations for the battle, the large number of sharp ordnance of the Han army could not be used in the first time. As a result, the two sides followed the front village and started a bloody fight.

The Xiongan Army under the command of Han Lingkun was responsible for the garrison of Qianzhai. In order to strengthen its defense, An Shenqi also deployed the original Hebei capital with 16 commanders under his jurisdiction, and handed it over to Han Lingkun under the command. In addition, the local army in Hebei , there are 5000 people in the army, and there are nearly [-] people if you count the civilian husbands who help.

After the battle began, Han Lingkun also actively organized the army and deployed defenses to meet the impact of the Liao army.But what I have to say is that in this battle, the Liao army took the lead, and all aspects of the response were hasty, and their own advantages could not be fully utilized.The walls of the village that could be relied on were not stable under the impact of the fire ox, so that after the battle, they were quickly led into a bloody situation by the Liao army.

Before Hanzhai, the fighting was fierce, the sound of killing was loud, and the crossbow arrows pierced through the air.Outside the Hanzhai, Liao cavalry criss-crossed, and its string-controlling men continued to attack the Han camp with cavalry and shooting. Although they did not cause much damage, they had at least a restraining effect, creating space for the Liao soldiers who attacked the village.

Under the strict military law, the soldiers of the Liao army who attacked the village were driven crazy, and they were not allowed to retreat until half of them died.The guards of the Han army were not without heroism. Their distress was eliminated by the killing and bloodshed.

The Liao army landed wave after wave, refusing to give the Han army a moment to breathe, and the Han army also took turns accordingly, refusing to take a step back.Relying on the desperate resistance of the soldiers in the former village, it bought a lot of time for the rest of the villages, especially the middle battalion, to prepare their troops and horses, and finally ready for support.At the same time, heavy weapons such as thunderbolt cannons and bed crossbows were also urgently adjusted to the front to adjust their shooting.

The autumn wind howled and became more violent, and the war drums at Nankou never stopped. The fighting between the two armies did not weaken over time, but became more fierce, bloody, and cruel.

In an hour's time, the Liao army had already launched seven waves of attacks on the Han army's former stronghold. The corpses were piled up in front of the stronghold, piled up high, five feet above the ground. Rush up.

The Liao army suffered heavy casualties, and the Han army was not small. Such a battle is consuming human lives.On the battlefield, stones and arrows flew, and with the force of the thunderbolt cannon, there were persistent rocks and fireballs flying outside the village, causing not many direct casualties to the Liao army. The deterrent effect was somewhat, but not enough.

It is not the style of the Han army to be beaten passively. After paying a huge sacrifice to firmly block the impact of the Liao army, An Shenqi's prepared counterattack force was dispatched.

After eating and getting ready, General Shi Shouxin of the Xingjie Army led the Xingjie Army and Hebei Bianqi to attack from Zuozhai, threatening the Liao Army's flank.

As soon as he moved here, the Liao army immediately noticed it. Regarding this move, Yelu Xiezhen, who had practiced with Yelu Cong and was also a staff officer, was not surprised but happy, and said: "The Han army is too arrogant. Take the initiative to leave the village!"

"It's good to come out!" Old Yelu Cong raised his eyebrows, and immediately said: "Order the right army with [-] cavalry to contain this Han army, just keep an eye on them, and wait until the Han stronghold is broken, and then encircle and wipe them out!"

"Yes!"

Soon, 3000 cavalry from the right wing of the Liao army attacked, and went straight to the [-] more than [-] Han army cavalry from Zuozhai.This will be smart, it's not aggressive, it's just playing around with it.In the army formation, seeing Liao Qi's performance, Shi Shouxin's expression was extremely serious. In fact, he did not approve of taking the initiative to attack under such circumstances. Although it can have a containment effect, it is also easy to put himself in danger.

But the military order is like a mountain, and I dare not disobey it.However, observing the situation on the battlefield, Shi Shouxin did not stay away from the stronghold, he only made a gesture, threatened from a distance, and was ready to retreat at any time.

On the Liao army's side, although the attention was slightly distracted, the focus was still on the attack of Qianzhai.

"Ten attacking teams have taken turns to fight, with nearly half of the casualties. The Han army resisted very tenaciously, and they alone would not be able to break through!" Yelu Xiezhen said to Yelu Cong, observing the changes in the battlefield.

It was already dawn, but Yelu Cong's old eyes were filled with blood.Looking at the corpses piled up in front of the already shattered Hanzhai, Yelu Cong said decisively: "Get down, let the 'Iron Kite' go up, the left army's [-] soldiers will attack with them, and smash the Hanzhai in one fell swoop!"

(End of this chapter)