Fenghou

Chapter 701 Decisive Battle ([-])

The battles in the other three cities ended on the first day. The battle was far less tragic than Dingzhou. Even the defenders in Jingzhou surrendered without a fight. After killing more than [-] people, the remaining soldiers all surrendered.

The city of Shunzhou was captured by the Song army using a siege ladder. The two sides fought fiercely in the city. Five thousand Xixia soldiers defending the city were beheaded and the main general was killed. The remaining five thousand soldiers surrendered to the Song army under the leadership of the deputy general.

After solving the four cities, Chen Qing immediately led an army of more than [-] to continue northward. That night, the army arrived at Xingqing Mansion and began to camp overnight.

Brother Li Cha stood at the top of the city anxiously, looking at the overwhelming torches outside the city, forming a magnificent sea of ​​flames.

In the early morning of the next day, the outside of the city seemed to be covered with giant mushrooms overnight, and [-] troops surrounded Xingqing Mansion. The heavy army was about three miles away from the city wall.

In the city, after losing Li Yanwu's [-] troops, there were only more than [-] troops left, including [-] Xixia troops, [-] Xixia troops, and [-] Jurchen cavalry. Wannvzhen Cavalry put three thousand coins in Xingqing Mansion.

At dawn, Chen Qing, surrounded by dozens of generals, came to inspect Xingqing City.

Xingqing City is worthy of being the capital city. It is completely different from other Xixia cities. It is built of all big blue bricks. The city wall is three feet high and is extremely strong. There is a moat around it. There are so many defenders on the top of the city. Easy, even if they invaded the city, the street fighting would be extremely bloody.

In order to conquer Xixia, his army has paid a cumulative price of [-] deaths. This is unprecedented. The final battle of the capital city will also have to pay a painful price, and there is no way to avoid it.

Chen Qing pointed at Xingqing City with a whip, and asked loudly: "General Cao, does Xingqing City have any weaknesses?"

Cao Baozong said lightly: "There was no weakness in the first place, but Li Kan was too stupid to forcibly create a weakness."

Chen Qing was overjoyed and said: "I would like to hear the details!"

"My father was the Prime Minister of Xixia. When I was studying the art of war, I asked my father why the Xingqing Mansion didn't build a moat? I accused the court of not understanding military affairs, and my father said that I was just talking about war on paper!"

The generals next to him all laughed. His father was right. Cao Baozong was just talking about war on paper, and was finally defeated by the Song army, and he himself became a prisoner of war.

Chen Qingxiao asked: "I am very interested, why can't the moat be repaired?"

"My father said that because the land under Xingqing Mansion is sandy, they are afraid of water. If a moat is built, the sand below will be slowly hollowed out over time, and finally the city wall will collapse."

Chen Qing shook his head, "It will take a year or two to wait for it to be emptied, and we can't afford to wait."

Cao Baozong hurriedly said: "The humble position means that the soil below is soft and the foundation is not solid at all. Now that it has been soaked in water, the foundation is even more unstable, so don't look at it as if it is strong. It is only on the surface, and the inside may have been destroyed. If it is torn apart, since Dutong has brought a heavy trebuchet, it might as well give it a try and attack the city wall."

Cao Baozong's suggestion was very valuable, and it was indeed worth a try. Chen Qing asked again: "Is there a trebuchet in the city?"

Cao Baozong shook his head with a smile, "The people who can build trebuchets are all in the refugee camp behind Ghota Village. Brother Li Cha didn't think carefully and cleared out the foreign races from the city. As a result, hundreds of Han craftsmen were also driven out of the city. It was too late when I realized it, Li Kan cursed Brother Li Cha every day, I guess Brother Li Cha has come to his senses now."

"Aren't there any blueprints in the Military Weapons Supervision?" Chen Qing asked again.

"Li Kan searched for it, but he couldn't find the blueprint. The blueprint should be in Xiazhou, and the imperial court has no spare blueprint."

"Why?"

"We all don't know. Xixia is different from Song Dynasty. Xixia paper is very expensive. It is unrealistic for Xixia to store a large number of documents, so unlike Song Dynasty, there are spare blueprints. Xixia only has one set of all weapon blueprints. Some are in Xingqing Mansion, and some are In Xiazhou, generally large-scale weapons are made in Xiazhou, and the blueprints are also placed in Xiazhou.

Eliminating Xiao Heda, the Xixia army who entered Xiazhou City was overly excited. After looting their property, they burned Xiao Heda’s fake palace in Xiazhou, and a large number of documents were also burned. The drawings of large weapons such as trebuchets all in it. "

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, did such a thing happen?
Cao Baozong smiled wryly and said: "Li Qianshun was fine in his early years. He worked hard to govern and greatly improved the national strength of Xixia. Declining, there is no money to build various large-scale defensive weapons, officials are extremely corrupt, even if money is allocated, they will be corrupted by various means.

So there are no large defensive weapons in the city at all, only bows and arrows, rolling logs and rocks, no gunpowder, no kerosene, the stocks are exhausted, and there is no money to replenish them. I am a privy envoy, and I know very well what is going on in the city. "

Chen Qing nodded and said with a smile: "Now we know what to do, first assemble the heavy trebuchet."

"What about the battering ram?"

"I don't know if it will be unusable in the end, let's assemble them together!"

Chen Qing stopped patrolling and turned his horse's head back to the camp.

On the top of the city, Brother Li Cha looked at Chen Qing and his generals from a distance. He faintly recognized Cao Baozong. His humble appearance really made Brother Li Cha grit his teeth. This bastard actually surrendered to the Song army.

Needless to say, the tall general surrounded by everyone should be Chen Qing, the Xuanfu envoy of Sichuan and Shaanxi, the commander who attacked Xixia, and the biggest enemy since the founding of Xixia.

Of course, when Xixia was strong a few decades ago, it was not up to local small warlords like Chen Qing to dictate to Xixia. It was only because Xixia's national strength had declined sharply in the past two years and its military resources were scarce that Chen Qing was so rampant.

If Brother Li Cha knew that even Xiao Heda's rebellion was provoked by Chen Qing, how would he feel?

At this time, Li Yanwu stepped forward and said in a low voice: "My lord, I have an idea!"

Brother Li Cha attached great importance to Li Yanwu, although this time Li Yanwu fell into the trick and nearly wiped out his entire army, Brother Li Cha did not blame him, but excused him, which really touched Li Yanwu, and he was willing to die for Brother Li Cha.

Brother Li Cha nodded, "Say, what is your suggestion?"

"Beizhi is willing to lead an army to attack the Song army at night and set them on fire. Even if they cannot be defeated, their morale will be severely damaged."

Brother Li Cha narrowed his eyes and said, "What kind of troops do you want to bring to attack the barracks at night?"

Li Yanwu said in a deep voice: "The humble official wants to bring the iron kite to fight, if he brings three thousand Jurchen cavalry, then he will be more confident."

Brother Li Cha pondered for a moment. He used the iron kite and the Jurchen cavalry to break out of the siege. Of course he would not live with Xingqing Mansion. Once Xingqing Mansion fell, he would definitely retreat to Datong Mansion, so the iron kite was heavily armored The cavalry and the three thousand Jurchen cavalry were used by him to break through the encirclement of the Song army.

Unexpectedly, Li Yanwu took their idea, which made Brother Li Cha feel a little unhappy.

Brother Li Cha's heart suddenly moved, it couldn't be that Li Yanwu wanted to break out of the siege himself!Using the night attack on the Song camp as an excuse, Brother Li Cha knew very well that the iron kite is a very popular army wherever he goes. Once he surrenders to the Kingdom of Jin, Li Yanwu will be reused, especially if he brings the Jurchen cavalry to break through. value him.

With doubts in his heart, brother Li Cha would not hand over these two armies to Li Yanwu, he smiled and said: "Don't be in a hurry, let me think about it!"

Li Yanwu heard that Brother Li Cha was not willing, he was anxious, and quickly said: "The iron kite can't exert its power in street fighting in the city, it is more suitable for assaulting the camp, the prince should hand them over to the humble officials! Let the inferior officials ruthlessly raid the big camp camp."

Brother Li Cha thought for a while and said, "I have special uses for iron kites and Jurchen cavalry, how about this! I will give you five thousand guard cavalry, which are equally elite, and you will take them to destroy the morale of the Song army tonight."

Li Yanwu was stunned for a while, really disappointed in his heart, helpless, he could only bow down and say: "The humble job must not disappoint the trust of the prince!"

(End of this chapter)