Han Hai Tang Ergui

Chapter 397 The Xixia Kingdom Will Not Appear Again

In Xiazhou City, after the first lunar month, the ice and snow began to melt, and the offensive and defensive battle of Xiazhou, which had been silent for more than a month, continued.

But this siege is not the kind of slow attack and grinding in the past few months.

After more than five months of besieging the city, the Zhongdingnan army in the west city of Xiazhou was almost on the verge of collapse.

The Guiyi army's patience was almost exhausted, they were all thinking about capturing Xiazhou City, so that they could return home with glory.

Zhang Zhao also saw that the army's morale was available, so he personally urged the army to start a fierce attack.

At this time, the two mounds outside the west gate of the west city had been piled up to the height of the city wall, and seven trebuchets kept throwing black clay pots into Xiazhou city.

These pots hold a pitch-like sticky substance made from varnish (primitive petroleum), tung oil, charcoal, etc.

After this thing is attached to something and ignited, it is basically impossible to extinguish it with water, and it must be covered with a lot of soil.

The trebuchets in ancient China actually had a relatively big defect, that is, they were basically drag-and-drop.

That is to use people to pull the trebuchet to throw the stones, which is essentially the same as the principle of the bow and crossbow.

Think of the trebuchet as a sort of giant bow, or bed crossbow that could be thrown.

The advantage is that the accuracy of this trebuchet is very high, because manpower can be used to actively control the trajectory.

In the first year of Tang Wenzong's Yamato, when Wang Zhixing, the governor of the Wuning Army, was attacking Li Tongjie, the son of Li Quanlue, the governor of the Henghai Army, Li Tongjie asked the soldiers who were good at cursing to insult Wang Zhixing at the top of the city.

On the other hand, Wang Zhixing asked his tooth general, who was good at operating the trebuchet, to fly ten catties of stones from more than [-] steps away, and smashed the head of the tooth soldier who was good at cursing with one shot. The accuracy can be seen.

But the problem is also very big. First of all, to achieve such accuracy, ordinary people cannot do it, and elite talents are required.

The second is that the pull-type trebuchet generally throws small stones, and ten to twelve catties is basically the limit.

Throwing boulders is expensive to manufacture, difficult to move, and can basically only be used once.

As for the powerful and long-range counterweight trebuchet, Zhang Zhao had already sent an envoy to inform Saman Persian Emir Hamid.

Ask him to recruit craftsmen who can build counterweight trebuchets for Zhang Zhao in the Abbasid Caliphate or the Eastern Roman Empire.

But Zhang Zhao was surprised by the news that came back. After searching around, the trebuchet craftsman brought back did not know what a counterweight trebuchet was.

Emotions haven't been invented yet!

Although Zhang Zhao knew a little about the counterweight trebuchet, which seemed to use the lever principle to launch it, he didn't know the details at all.

So I could only give a vague general direction and let Liu Di continue the research and development.

So in the first few months of the siege, Zhang Zhao didn't use the trebuchet much.

One is that there are only a few of them, and they can only shoot about ten catties of rocks. It can only be said that it is quite scary, but it is really not very useful.

In addition, the rain and snow were relatively heavy, and the effect of throwing the fire oil tank was not good, so Zhang Zhao did not use it.

But by this time, there had been no rain or snow for almost ten days, just in time for the soldiers and civilians of the Pingxia Department in the Inner West City of Xiazhou to feel the warmth of spring. '

Fifty or sixty cans of the roaring kerosene cans were thrown out in a row. Some stupid guys even reached out to touch it, smell it, and some even tasted it.

But in the next second, the fire oil tank was ignited by the rocket fired from the Guiyi Army's bed crossbow at an elevation angle.

In an instant, the violent fire caused a sea of ​​flames in Inner West City. In the past few months, the fire that the residents of Inner West City most desired, violently appeared in front of everyone in this way.

A war horse screamed and ran around. This poor horse just fell on the road wet with kerosene cans, and then it was even more unlucky at that moment when a rocket fell down.

This flaming warhorse burst out at its extreme speed amidst the intense roasting, scurrying around in bursts of barbecue aroma, and ignited residential houses one after another.

Fortunately, the furniture in these dwellings had already been burned by themselves, otherwise the fire would have been difficult to control.

And at the north gate of Inner West City, a total of ten Lügong chariots had been pushed over by hundreds of soldiers.

This kind of Lvgong carriage is more than ten meters high, basically parallel to the city wall of Xiazhou City, and even a little higher in some places.

There is a wide platform on the top of Lu's bus, and five to eight archers with magic arms are squatting on the platform.

They stood on Lu's bus and kept shooting at the soldiers of the Dingnan Army on the city wall, covering the large troops to fill up the trench. As for the water in the moat, it had been drained long ago.

At the south gate, Zhang Zhao built three large rams, and in order to increase the force of the rams hitting the door, he specially built a small slope outside the south gate.

The iron-wrapped car swooped down from the slope and slammed into the south gate of Neixi City. Every time it hit, the soldiers of the Difficult Army on the city wall would scream in terror.

While attacking the north, west, and south gates with weapons, and facing the east gate of Xiazhou, where the Guiyi army was stationed, and the east gate of Neixi City, Zhang Zhao took the ants to attack the city.

More than [-] non-Pingxia party members who were kidnapped from various places and were forced to take refuge, each issued an iron knife, and then were ruthlessly driven away, and began to climb up with simple siege ladders
And behind them, there were also crossbowmen without armor.

These crossbowmen are basically miners from Jingtieshan. They were originally set up by Zhu Quanzhong to help the Uyghurs to deal with the heavy armored soldiers of the Guiyi Army.

After the city of Ganzhou was broken, there were left tent crossbowmen who had a deep hatred with the Guiyi army, and it was a bad luck. Almost all the officers above the fire commander were killed, and the rest were thrown into the mine.

More than [-] people went there, and after more than half a year, less than [-] were still alive, and only more than [-] could be used.

These three hundred people had lost all pride, and only wanted to leave the mine and live a few days of life, so Zhang Zhao summoned them again to serve as dead soldiers.

And promised that as long as they survived three battles, they would be pardoned, and those who died would also pardon their wives, children, and parents.

As a result, these enemies who originally belonged to the rebel army became the most deadly cannon fodder on the battlefield.

This kind of tragic siege battle lasted for two days, and Xiazhou began to be in danger.

Compared with the onslaught of the rebel army, what made Li Yiyin even more desperate was that the imperial court had never responded.

The Guiyi army has been besieging the city for more than five months, and if the imperial court really wants soldiers, they will reach it even if they climb.

It hasn't arrived yet, and there is only one reason, that is, the imperial court doesn't want to control Zhang Zhao at all, or can't control Zhang Zhao.

Li Yiyin's eyes were full of despair, and he couldn't accept it in his heart. Is the Li family of the Dingnan Army Pingxia Department who has occupied Xiazhou for almost 200 years, going to end so soon?
At this moment, a loud cry came from outside, Li Yiyin's younger brother Li Yijie rushed in from outside, his expression almost collapsed.

"Jieshuai, a group of soldiers and horses appeared outside the city, holding the banner of Yanzhou Zhangwu Army Jiedushi. The imperial court appointed Gao Yunquan as Zhangwu Army Jiedushi. He came with soldiers."

Li Yiyin's spirit was shaken, Yanzhou Zhangwu Army came, could it be that the imperial court sent someone to drive away the Guiyi Army?Could it be that everyone was weeping with joy?

But before Li Yiyin asked, Li Yijie continued to cry out, "After Gao Yunquan arrived, he didn't stop, and immediately let the Zhangwu army start attacking the city!"

'Boom! With a crisp sound, the fat Li Yiyin spun and fell to the ground.

. . . .

Outside Xiazhou City, Gao Yunquan not only brought more than a thousand honorary certificates from the Zhangwu Army, but also thousands of civilians and [-] shi of food and grass.

You want to ask why he is so obedient?That has to start with Ding Shenqi.

This Ding Shenqi was sent to attack Suizhou together with Man Xiong. The original plan was to let the military academy officer He who was under control shoot him coldly on the battlefield.

In the end, Suizhou surrendered without a fight before He Zhengxing could do anything, and did not find a chance to kill Ding Shenqi.

But in the end Ding Shenqi still "lived up to everyone's expectations" and entered Suizhou City. Ding Shenqi didn't settle down with his soldiers, probably because Zhang Zhao had his back anyway.

He alone seized the wife, daughter and all property that had surrendered to Li Guangli. The soldiers were blowing the cold wind outside, and he was drinking wine with a beautiful woman in his arms in the city. He was very happy.

This time, Ding Shenqi, who had seen the relationship between Guiyi's soldiers and generals, refused to accept it. Under the instigation of Li Guangli and He Zhengxing, they directly caused a riot in Suizhou City.

When the barbarian bears outside the city saw it, they were overjoyed, and immediately sent troops into the city to quell the chaos, beheading He Zhengxing, Li Guangli and the soldiers who provoked the trouble, and pardoning the rest.

Then Ding Shenqi was arrested on the charges of harsh treatment of soldiers, provoking military chaos, accepting bribes, and misconduct, and sent him to Xiazhou.

Zhang Zhao immediately seized this opportunity to publicly interrogate Ding Shenqi, re-enforcing the lesson of the Guiyi Army's military discipline to all officers and officers.

However, on the grounds that Ding Shenqi was not a general of the Guiyi Army, he only announced his expulsion.

Ding Shenqi thought he would escape with his life, but as soon as he left Xiazhou, he was caught by Gao Yunquan who had been waiting for a long time.

Gao Yunquan took Ding Shenqi back to Yanzhou and chopped it up, and gave an explanation to the people of Yanzhou who were separated by Ding Shenqi's trilogy.

Then the secret passed to the imperial court to report that Ding Shenqi, the envoy of Zhangwu Army in Yanzhou, had defected to the Guiyi Army.

Not only sent people to participate in the siege of Xiazhou, but also wanted to dedicate Yanzhou to Zhang Zhao. Fortunately, Gao Yunquan made a decisive decision and captured and killed the thief.

In addition to the fact that the Gao family's long room in Tokyo was in operation, Shi Chonggui, who didn't have much opinion, was afraid that Shi Jingtang would pursue him, because Ding Shenqi followed his lead and went to Yanzhou to serve as a Jiedu envoy for the Zhangwu Army.

So he quickly agreed to Gao Yunquan's request and appointed him as Yanzhou Zhangwu Army Jiedu Envoy and Yanzhou Governor.

This time, Gao Yunquan took back Yanzhou controlled by his ancestors, of course he was very grateful to Zhang Zhao.

I must be grateful, because how dare Zhang Zhao be offended by the thousands of people in Yanzhou Zhangwu Army?

At the same time, Gao Yunquan also felt that Zhang Zhao was someone he could secretly take refuge in, so he simply brought Yanzhou Zhangwu Army to besiege Xiazhou, which became the last straw that crushed Li Yiyin.

. . . .

In the early hours of the morning, in a small house near the Xiazhou Dingnan Army Office, more than [-] soldiers of the Rebel Army gathered together.

In front of them, there were hundreds of Xiazhou people and their relatives released by the Guiyi Army.

These people were all holding sharp knives, wearing scattered armor, and were silent in the flickering lights.

Sudden!The clepsydra sounded lightly, and the time came to Maoshi.

"Do it!" The Guiyi army general who was brought into the city by Tuoba Chongmin gave a low shout, hundreds of people rushed out of the room, went straight to the Dingnan Army Jiedu office, they set fire to it while clamoring.

In an instant, cries and flames shot up into the sky.

In the yamen of the Dingnan Army Office, Li Yiyin was awakened by the sound of crying and the flames. He cried nervously a few times, and wanted to rush out with his armor and knife.

But after a few steps, it seemed as if he had lost all his strength.

Because outside the door, his brothers Li Yijie, Li Yirong, Yajiang Tuoba Chongbin, Xifeng Xili and others were standing outside the door with sharp knives, but they obviously didn't come to fight with him.

Li Yiyin yelled, and then ran back to the bedroom. When everyone was about to chase after him, screams rang out.

Holding a precious sword, Li Yiyin killed dozens of wives, concubines and children, and finally set fire to his bedroom.

Seeing the flames getting bigger and bigger, Tuoba Chongbin shouted, rushed in and dragged out Li Yiyin's body, and then chopped off his head.

The people around understood every second, rushed in one after another, chopped off the heads of Li Yiyin and the four sons and put them on a plate, then opened the gate of the office and knelt in a row.

At the end of the Mao period, the four gates of Xiazhou Neixi City were wide open, and all the generals of the Pingxia Division of the Dingnan Army, together with more than [-] soldiers and civilians in the city, kowtowed to Zhang Zhao for surrender.

Since the second year of Zong Guangde in the Tang Dynasty and the Pingxia tribe moved to Yinxia Yousui in AD [-], it has existed for more than [-] years, and this party member who has moved to the interior for more than [-] years is about to change its name.

The descendants of Tuoba Sigong, who controlled the Pingxia tribe for more than two hundred years and started by suppressing the Huangchao uprising, will make the Li family history, and the Xixia Kingdom will no longer appear in this time and space.

(End of this chapter)