Fenghou

Chapter 1211 Xu Cheng

Wanyan Wushu was hesitant. In the end, he did not order the Dongping Army's [-] gold soldiers to be transferred back. Instead, he ordered Li Cheng's [-] signed troops to be transferred back from Yidu Prefecture, bringing the garrison of Jinan Prefecture to [-].

The reason why Wanyan Wushu didn't call back the Dongping Mansion's army was not because of Liu Cui's [-] cavalry, if he really decided to call back the [-] army, he would definitely send a large army to support it.

The main reason is that Wanyan Wushu takes time, and the western army's attack speed is too fast. It took only two days for the main force of the western army to capture Rencheng County, and the army entered Dongping Mansion.

If this continues, I am afraid that the main force of the Western Army will already be approaching the city before the reinforcements from the imperial court arrive.

Wanyan Wushu needed Dongping Mansion to slow down the pace of the Western Army's eastward advance and buy him eight to ten days.

It's a pity that his opponent is Chen Qing, and Chen Qing doesn't give him any chance. Two days after the [-]th army entered Dongping Mansion, they came to Xucheng County together and surrounded Xucheng County from east, west, north, three directions.

To the south of Xucheng is Shuibo Liangshan, and Jishui is only three miles away from the county seat. Of course, the [-] Eastern Hu troops can break through from the south city, and then retreat to the east in the direction of Jinan Prefecture.

The problem is, this retreat route is specially reserved for them by Chen Qing. Chen Qing just hopes that the Donghu army will abandon the city and flee, so that they can surround them in the wild, instead of entering the city to fight street battles, which is beneficial to the safety of the people.

Surrounded by hundreds of generals, Chen Qing came to Xucheng County, looking up at this tall and majestic building, even taller and stronger than Rencheng County, mainly because Rencheng County is slightly higher, so the city wall looks extraordinarily high .

This may be the confidence of the [-] Eastern Hu troops to defend the city without retreating. The city wall is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Food supplies are sufficient to support an army of [-] for at least five months.

In particular, when Zhang Zhongxiong's army retreated to the east, it was chased by tens of thousands of cavalry from the Western Army, so that the entire army was wiped out. This sounded the alarm for the defenders and made them dare not retreat easily.

Chen Qing stared at the top of the city for a moment and smiled: "Everything has two sides, and this city is no exception. On the one hand, it is tall and majestic, easy to defend and difficult to attack, but on the other hand, its weakness is too obvious, and its foundation is not stable. , do you understand what I mean?"

Everyone immediately understood, and Yang Zaixing immediately said: "Give me three days, and I will guarantee that the army will enter the city!"

For two days in a row, the Western Army did not attack Xucheng County, and the chief general of Xucheng County on the top of the city couldn't help but become suspicious.

The chief general of Xucheng County is a famous Jurchen general named Chizhanhui. He is about fifty years old. He was granted the title of Meng'an Wanhu. After Wanyan Wushu was defeated and retreated to Shandong Road, he captured [-] Jurchen troops under Chizhanhui's command, and appointed him as the defense envoy of the East and West Roads in Shandong, and took command of [-] Donghu troops in Dongping Mansion.

Chi Zhanhui is also experienced in many battles and has rich combat experience. He knows that the Western Army is rushing to kill Xucheng County as soon as possible, but now it is unreasonable to stand still in Xucheng County.

On the morning of the third day, Chizhanhui received a report that he found something abnormal outside the west city. He rushed to the head of the west city and looked out of the city. He saw a wooden house built a hundred steps away, standing alone on the open space. What's the meaning?
A commander asked for instructions: "Let the humble officials burn down the wooden house with rockets, and see what they want to do?"

"Yes!" Chi Zhanhui immediately approved his subordinate's challenge.

Not long after, hundreds of soldiers came rushing to shoot rockets at the wooden house a hundred steps away. Unexpectedly, hundreds of rockets hit the wooden house, but the wooden house did not burn, and almost all the rockets fell to the ground by the wooden house.

Chi Zhanhui was stunned. Hundreds of rockets were fired, and even hardwoods that were not easy to ignite should catch fire. This wooden house not only does not burn, but also cannot be nailed by arrows, just like iron plates.

At this time, another Qianfu noticed the clue, he pointed to the distance and said: "Please look, Mr. Wan, there is a trench one hundred and fifty steps away, and I seem to have seen a figure just now."

Chi Zhanhui stared at it for a long time, nodded and said: "It seems that there is a figure, so what?"

"Hasn't Mr. Wan thought of it? There is actually a transit station under this wooden house, leading to a trench in the distance. In this way, the Western Army enters the tunnel from the trench and then enters the wooden house. We can't see it." And what the Western Army is doing in a wooden house, you can actually guess."

Chi Zhanhui thought about it, and took a breath, "You mean, they are digging a tunnel into the city?"

The commander nodded, "There is no moat in Xucheng County, and the terrain is high. Digging tunnels is indeed a very good plan."

Chi Zhanhui sneered, "If you want to be a smothered groundhog, I'll make it happen for them!"

He turned around and walked down the city until he reached the base of the city wall. He turned his head and said to Lieutenant General Gao Qianshi, "General Gao can prepare dozens of water tanks, put them upside down in the soil, and then arrange for soldiers with keen hearing to stick the big tanks for me to listen to them." If you hear any movement underground, report it to me immediately!"

After discovering the Western Army's attempt, Chi Zhanhui didn't want to expose the other party. He pretended not to know that he could use a trebuchet to destroy the wooden house. Tunneling plans.

At two o'clock in the middle of the night, Chi Zhanhui was pushed awake in his sleep, and the soldiers said to him: "Brothers heard the movement underground!"

Chizhanhui was refreshed, and quickly got up and came to the city wall, only to see a group of soldiers gathered around a large tank, taking turns to listen.

"Master Wan is here!"

Someone yelled, and everyone moved away. Chi Zhanhui stepped forward quickly, and a centurion pointed to a tank and said, "Captain Wan, it's here!"

Chi Zhanhui stepped forward to listen, and there was a faint sound of digging. Chi Zhanhui immediately ordered: "Dig a hole here and prepare poisonous smoke balls!"

The soldiers got busy and started digging tunnels.

At this time, two hundred steps outside the city, Yang Zaixing stared at the wooden house in the distance. The wooden house was covered with fire raccoon cloth, which cannot be ignited by ordinary rockets.

They are indeed digging tunnels, but the purpose of digging tunnels is not to enter the city, but to blow up the city. This is the biggest weakness of the city. The foundation is not stable. Once the soil below is blown away, the entire city wall will collapse .

The soldiers had placed a two hundred and forty-pound iron ox under the city wall, and laid out a hundred-foot-long matchlock, whose starting point was inside the wooden house.

All the soldiers returned to the trench, Yang Zaixing nodded and ordered: "Light it up!"

More than a dozen gunpowder arrows shot at the wooden house. The side of the wooden house facing the soldiers of the Western Army was open, and the inside was filled with hay.

The dry grass was immediately ignited and burned quickly, and soon a raging fire ignited. The city was full of Donghu soldiers who were looking around curiously, but they didn't know that right under their feet, a fire rope was sizzling and burning. Extremely fast.

At this moment, there was a muffled 'bang' from the ground, and the entire highland seemed to protrude upwards, and then sank down again. In an instant, countless huge cracks appeared in the city wall. In just a moment, the three-foot-high city wall collapsed.

(End of this chapter)