Fenghou

Chapter 1492
The defensive battle was under the full command of his eldest son Wanyan Xiege. On the top of the wall, Wanyan Xiege shouted anxiously, "Launch the bed crossbow!"

As early as the first wave of the Western Army's attack, five hundred bed crossbows were launched intensively. In the darkness, powerful iron arrows shot densely at hundreds of trebuchets from north to south.

However, the Western Army also has rich experience in defending bed crossbows. They not only put the winch in the rear, but also added defensive plates to protect the soldiers on the side, and wrapped the catapult with thick cooked cowhide. Although the iron arrows can still penetrate the cowhide, they destroy The force is greatly reduced, just like ordinary arrows, nailed to the trebuchet.

After firing a series of three gurney crossbows, none of the catapults were destroyed, and only a few soldiers were slightly injured due to improper operation. The lethality of the bed crossbows was almost zero. Brother Wanyan Xie's voice was hoarse, but he was helpless. I watched helplessly as one after another huge boulders smashed through the city wall, making gaps one after another, and more than a dozen places collapsed.

But the weak defense still exists, that is, desperately repairing the collapsed city wall, three thousand Jurchen soldiers transported huge logs and stones, cleaned up the damaged wall, and erected pillars and stones again.

A huge boulder smashed into the gap that was being repaired, and several wooden pillars that had just been erected broke at the same root. The boulder smashed several human heads into pieces, rolled and smashed towards the crowd. Dozens of Jurchen soldiers turned around and fled in fright. .

In Shangjing, 10,000+ low-level people were forcibly expelled from the city. The reason is very simple. The plague broke out in Shangjing. After three days of begging, there was no result. As more and more people fell ill and their food was cut off, thousands of people lost their minds due to hunger and terror. to every corner of the outer city.

Wanyan Wushu was furious, fearing that the epidemic would spread to the inner city, which was mainly the residence of high-ranking officials and nobles, he ordered the army to drive all the people from the outer city out of the city and live outside the city, and they were not allowed to enter the city again.

For the first time, Wanyan Wushu admitted to the court officials that he hadn't considered carefully and shouldn't have put so many people in the city, causing the outbreak of the epidemic.

But he did not admit that he made a wrong decision. There was nothing wrong with the decision. It was just a small mistake in the implementation process. As for the epidemic, he guaranteed that the epidemic did not enter the inner city, and he would send troops to disinfect it in the outer city to remove all sources of the plague.

"I obey the order!" The two bowed and left.

He sent someone to find Shi Gunai and A Hulan, and after a while, the two rushed over, "See you, my lord!"

They robbed the Koreans of a large amount of food, and this year they are a little better off, but they can't feed a million people.

Shangjing is today's Harbin area. It is far away from the Liaoxi Corridor and [-] miles away from Jinzhou. In addition, Wanyan Wushu and Wanyan Nianhan are the two major military groups in the Kingdom of Jin. Wanyan Wushu generally doesn't care about Wanyan's stickiness.

"How much has your army conscripted?"

But the terrifying news of the outbreak of the plague also spread to everyone's ears. The fear of the plague made them scold and curse, and they packed up their things and fled Shangjing in a panic, returning to their hometown.

Wanyan Xiyin was a little embarrassed, so she had to change the subject and said, "My lord, is there any news from Nianhan?"

The point is that if the Western Army does not attack for a long time, hunger and disease spread, and the Jin Dynasty will perish and die, I will become the number one sinner of the Jin Kingdom.

It's just that after the coup, Wanyan Wushu took control of the power of the Jin Kingdom, and he had to consider the issue from the overall situation of the Jin Kingdom, but he habitually ignored Wanyan Nianhan.

What everyone didn't know was that the plague had spread quietly at this time. Many elderly people in their forties took the lead in getting sick on the road, and eventually died of illness on the way home.

Soon, the order to disband and return home was conveyed to every Jurchen family, and all the Jurchens scolded the imperial court for being fatuous, calling them back and forth, and delaying the spring plowing.

Wanyan Wushu finally realized the seriousness of the problem. Millions of people flocked to Beijing, the agriculture was deserted, there was no harvest in autumn, and there would be a big famine next year?

"My lord, you just need to tell the truth and tell the people that a plague broke out in Shangjing. If you stay in Shangjing, all of them will die of illness. There is no need to drive them away. I believe they will take the initiative to leave Shangjing and go home."

The average life expectancy of the Jurchens is very low, just over forty people. The nobles are in good condition and can live to be five or sixty years old, but ordinary people also live in their forties, so people in their forties are generally old people, and it is impossible to Going to the battlefield, I can only plant the land at home, and a sickness will almost end.

"My lord, it's not just about the epidemic. They work hard. We can't last three months with the government subsidizing the food alone. And if there is no harvest this year, what will we do next year?"

Wanyan Wushu frowned, why did you say that? "

The siege of Laibin County has reached the tenth day, and the small county town has already been smashed to pieces, and the city gates have been smashed to pieces, but the Western Army has not broken through the city for a long time. The army is to destroy their will to fight.

"Reporting to the lord, one hundred thousand young and strong is a bit exaggerated. Many of them are old people in their forties and have almost no fighting power. Maybe Zuo Xiangguo counted them."

Wanyan Xiyin thought about the possibility that there was no news, "My lord, could it be that he was blocked in the Liaoxi Corridor?"

Cai Songnian, Minister of the Household Department, understands the prince's dilemma, but as the chief financial officer, he has to say something clearly.

On the top of the city, Wanyan Wushu looked worriedly at the endless small tents outside the city. He knew that he had made a huge mistake. He should not have gathered Jurchens from all over the city to the capital. If these Jurchens could not enter Isn't the city concentrated and massacred by the Western Army?
But if they are allowed to return to their hometown, wouldn't they admit that they made mistakes in their previous decisions?
Wanyan Wushu is in a dilemma,

Shi Gunai bowed and said: "Report to the lord, there are about 3 low-ranking conscripts!"

Wanyan Wushu said unhappily, "Turn up!"

Wanyan Wushu shook his head, "Last time he sent someone to say that he led his army to the south to face the main force of the Western Army, and there was no news after that. If he needed support, he would definitely send someone to ask for it, but so far there has been no one. information."

"My lord, my humble suggestion is to let them go home."

Wanyan Wushu was a little dissatisfied and said: "Why are there only 5 people? Didn't you say that there are [-] young and strong?"

Wanyan Wushu was taken aback, he thought about it, it is really possible, the western army transported troops by water, it is indeed possible to put a large army behind the Nianhan army, cut off the back road, naturally the soldiers who asked for help couldn't get through up.

Wanyan Wushu nodded, "Let's decide like this!"

Ahulan also said: "2 soldiers are recruited for humble positions!"

Wanyan Wushu walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, worried: "What if they refuse to go home?"

Wanyan Wushu immediately sent a sentry cavalry to the Liaoxi Corridor to investigate the situation.

The Jurchen army suffered more than 5000 casualties, lacked medical care and medicine, and the death rate of wounded soldiers was as high as [-]%. Food was also gradually running out. The army had already begun to select some old and weak horses to kill for food.

Once the Jurchen army reached the point of killing horses for food, their morale was basically gone, the morale of the army collapsed, and war weariness spread in the barracks.

The soldiers are becoming more and more dissatisfied with the indecisive coach Wanyan Nianhan. They should have broken through the encirclement and headed north long ago. It has been dragging on until today, and their morale has been polished.

This morning, more than a dozen ten thousand and thousand commanders found Wanyan Nianhan, and strongly demanded to break out of the siege and go north, and not to delay any longer.

(End of this chapter)