Outlaws of the Marsh

Chapter 511 Falling short of success (please subscribe!)

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Six thousand Qingqi secretly crossed the Lugou River from the west of Gu'an County all night, then detoured to Anci, and arrived in front of a village called Sanjiadian in the east of Yanjing City at midnight the next night without anyone noticing it.

Rest overnight in the woods.

Early the next morning, Guo Yaoshi sent his general Zhen Wuchen and fifty elite soldiers to form a commando.

The commandos, all wearing blue headdresses and round-neck gowns, look like ordinary people, and then some are carrying vegetable baskets, some are carrying firewood, and some are carrying bamboo baskets. They are front or back, dressed Zuo did not know each other, and sneaked into the Yingchun Gate with the carriage carrying firewood into the city early in the morning.

Zhen Wuchen saw the right moment and led fifty commandos to suddenly rise up and start a bloody battle with the gatekeepers.

How tragic the process was, I won't describe it any more. In short, there were not even five commandos left in the end.

But no matter what, Yingchun Gate was taken down by Zhen Wuchen and the others.

Zhen Wuchen decisively lit the flare.

Guo Yaoshi saw it and immediately led the team to set off.

Yang Keshi, Gao Shixuan, Zhao Heshou, Yang Kebi, etc. were not to be outdone, and each led their troops to quickly advance towards Yanjing City.

The [-] Song troops quickly gathered in front of the east gate of Yanjing City, and then prepared to enter the city.

But at this time Guo Yaoshi suggested to Yang Keshi: "We can't all enter the city."

Yang Keshi was puzzled: "Why?"

Guo Yaoshi replied: "We should leave [-] troops in ambush outside the city. First, we can stop Xiao Qian or Yelu Dashi's possible reinforcements from returning to the city. Second, if our trip does not go well, we can also have a support when we leave." .”

Yang Keshi felt that what Guo Yaoshi said was reasonable, so he asked Gao Shixuan, Yang Kebi, and Zhao Heshou: "Which of you would like to stay outside the city?"

Gao Shixuan, Yang Kebi, and Zhao Heshou didn't say a word—it was obvious that none of them wanted to stay. Thinking about it, this was the first achievement of regaining Yanjing. Who would give up this great achievement?
Yang Kebi is Yang Keshi's brother, it is impossible to keep him.

Gao Shixuan is Yang Keshi's old partner, and it is impossible to keep him.

In the end, Zhao Heshou, Guo Yaoshi's subordinate, could only be left behind.

Guo Yaoshi ordered the seven generals of the Changsheng Army to lead two hundred cavalry each to quickly seize the other seven city gates of Yanjing.

Yang Keshi divided the remaining army into left and right groups. Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi led the left, Gao Shixuan and Yang Kebi led the right, and marched separately to Miyagi, which is located southwest of Yanjing City—they planned to encircle Miyagi, capture Xiao Puxian alive.

The news of the Song army's entry into the city disappeared, and it soon became known to everyone.

Some bold residents ran out of their homes and stood on both sides of the street to watch the excitement.

A middle-aged man went straight to the middle of the street, stopped Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi with his arms outstretched, and said excitedly: "You two generals, I am a Han citizen named Ma Xianliang. When I heard that Master Wang entered the city, we Han people Everyone rejoiced, and as a token of respect, I dedicated a poem: General Polu entered Yan at the dawn of dawn, and the city was full of harmony and greeted Yaotian. It has been three thousand miles away, and the smell has been washed away for 200 years."

The crowd immediately shouted and responded, and it lasted for a long time.

Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi smiled and waved to the people.

There are also some timid residents who hide at home, close the doors and block the windows, or lie on the cracks in the doors and windows to peek out.

The Khitan and Xi residents were deeply worried after hearing the news, but at the same time they didn't know how to deal with it.

When entering the city, there was no decent resistance, which made the Song army relax from Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi down, so that many hungry Song soldiers began to disobey military discipline, and ran into restaurants on the side of the road shouting loudly. Shouting: "Serve the food, serve the food, serve the wine, hurry up!"

The restaurant owners hurried to serve carefully.

However, the owner of a restaurant refused to accept him, and even had a conflict with Song Bing, who was finally killed by Song Bing.

The owner of the restaurant who was killed by the Song army was a Khitan.

This matter was spread to ten, ten to hundreds, and soon it spread throughout Yanjing City.

This incident angered the Khitan people, and they took to the streets one after another to block and interfere with the advance of the Song army.

For a while, the crowd was raging, like dry wood meeting a raging fire, and the situation intensified.

Yang Keshi saw that going on like this would not work, as it would delay the military opportunity, so he issued a military order: Anyone who harasses the civilian houses, no matter who they are, will be punished on the spot; , speed up.

As a result, there were thousands of slaughters and bloodshed in the thoroughfare.

Because of the atrocities committed by the Song army, the Khitan and Xi people spontaneously organized to resist the Song army. The streets were full of Khitan and Xi people, regardless of men, women, or children, rushing towards the Song army like a tide.Holding knives, guns and sticks in their hands, they fought fierce street battles with the Song army.The streets of Yanjing City have become battlefields, and the Song Army has to pay the price of blood for every step forward!
Even so, Yang Keshi still sent people back to report the victory.

However, the target of Yang Keshi's victory is not Liu Yanqing who is near the Lugou River, but Tong Guan who is far away in Xiongzhou.

In this matter, Yang Keshi made a mistake. Firstly, he delayed the opportunity to fight, and secondly, he gave Liu Yanqing, Liu Guangshi and his son an excuse to shirk their responsibilities.

After a bloody battle, the Song army finally broke through the barriers of the Khitan people and came under the imperial city.

Although the scale of the imperial city is small, the walls are towering and battlemented, very solid.

The Liao soldiers concealed on the city wall and fired continuously at the Song army. The arrows rained like rain, and the Song army could not approach at all.

Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi first wrote a letter of persuasion to Xiao Puxian.

As a result, Xiao Puxian couldn't help tearing up the letter of persuasion, and put on military uniforms with her daughter Tianshou Princess Yeludaribo and stepped on the tower of Xuanhe Gate "to kill the enemy and defend the country by personally shooting arrows."

Under the leadership of Xiao Puxian's mother and daughter, the Liao army resisted to the death.

During this period, in addition to fighting bravely, Xiao Puxian also fought wits with the Song army-Xiao Puxian first agreed to surrender, and put forward countless bargaining conditions, and used the strategy of delaying the army to delay for a long time.

By the time Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi reacted, a long time had passed.

But Song Jun first searched for a log that could hit the door for a long time, and then followed Li Chuneng's suggestion to dig a tunnel for a long time. In short, it wasted a lot of time.

Yelu Dashi, who was stationed at Juyongguan to guard against the Liangshan army, was shocked when he learned that the Song army had advanced into Yanjing. He immediately gathered [-] cavalry and rushed to Yanjing for reinforcements.

On the way, Yelu Dashi ordered: "All officers and men take off their uniform jackets."

Juyongguan is only about a hundred miles away from Yanjing City. At dusk, Yelu Dashi led his army to the gate of the west city of Yanjing.

Yelu Dashi made people shout to the city gate tower: "We are the reinforcements of the Song Dynasty, open the city gate quickly!"

The Song soldiers guarding the city gate saw a large group of cavalry coming from outside the city, thinking it was really reinforcements, they happily opened the city gate and fell down the suspension bridge.

In fact, this is not entirely due to Song Bing, because, according to the established plan, the reinforcements brought by Liu Guangshi should have arrived long ago, so the Song soldiers guarding the city gate will regard the soldiers and horses brought by Yelu Dashi as those sent by Liu Guangshi reinforcements.

Yelu Dashi took the lead and rushed into the city, and then the Liao army swarmed in, killing more than 200 Song soldiers.

Yelu Dashi ordered seven generals to lead [-] elite soldiers each, and quickly seized the rest of the city gates.

Yelu Dashi asked them to cut down the suspension bridge and completely cut off the connection between inside and outside the city. He wanted the Song army to come and go, and let them all be buried in Yanjing city!

Song generals such as Guo Yaoshi and Yang Keshi knew nothing about the fact that the Liao army had entered the city. They were still organizing forces outside the imperial city to attack the city.

Gao Shixuan and Yang Kebi led a group of Song soldiers carrying a big log to hit the gate of the imperial city.

Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
……

The sound of the impact gave hope to the Song army outside the imperial city, and fear to the Liao army inside the imperial city.

The Liao soldiers hid in the gate tower and the battlements of the city wall, condescending and shooting arrows desperately.

Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
……

Arrows are raining down!

A group of Song soldiers fell, and another group of Song soldiers rushed up immediately.

Yang Keshi said anxiously: "No matter what, we have to break through the palace tonight, otherwise we will be in danger. Now we are going deep alone, life and death depend on tonight."

Guo Yaoshi had a very clear understanding of the dangerous situation in front of him. He frowned and said, "Calculating the time, Liu Guangshi's reinforcements should have arrived long ago, but why is there no news at all? Don't they come?"

Yang Keshi remained silent.

He had a conflict with Liu Guangshi not long ago, and his relationship with Liu Yanqing has never been good.

Yang Keshi thought worriedly: "Their father and son will not delay the important event because of personal interests?"

Gao Shixuan and Yang Kebi continued to organize the attack on the city gate.

Song Jun knows very well that these two city gates are related to success and failure, and also related to their own life and death!
It was getting dark.

Suddenly two sentries ran to report to Yang Keshi: "Report to the general, we found a Liao army coming from the northwest. They are all cavalry, full of murderous intent!"

Yang Keshi was startled, and said, "Where are the cavalry from the Liao army?"

Guo Yaoshi said: "It is very likely that reinforcements from Xiao Qian or Yelu Dashi have entered the city."

Yang Keshi heard this, and immediately called Gao Shixuan and Yang Kebi to discuss countermeasures.

Yang Keshi believes that the current situation is very dangerous, and the siege should be stopped, and the troops should be gathered to retreat to the Yingchunmen area——Yang Keshi thought that Yingchunmen should still be controlled by the Song army, and there were a thousand reinforcements there, so from there The possibility of evacuating safely is the greatest. In addition, Yang Keshi believes that they entered the city through the Yingchun Gate and are familiar with the roads in that area, so that area is also convenient for them to retreat.

But Yang Keshi was wrong.

He forgot that they killed tens of thousands of Khitans there, so that the Khitans there hated them the most.

On the other side, Miss Xiao Pu took Yelv Dalibo into the Hall of Yuanhe and found two white ribbons.

Miss Xiao Puxian is a staunch woman, she doesn't want herself and her daughter to be insulted, so she chooses to be buried with this former empire.

Yelv Dalibo is a filial daughter, she is willing to die with her mother.

But before Xiao Puxian and his daughter hung up the ribbons, someone outside suddenly shouted: "Queen Mother, the soldiers of Song have retreated!"

Xiao Puxian was overjoyed after hearing this, quickly threw away the ribbon in her hand, then rushed out, asking: "What's going on?"

Soon, two teams of cavalry rushed from a distance.

When Miss Xiao Puxian saw it, tears welled up all of a sudden!

At this time, Miss Xiao Puxian was not an empress, but a poor woman.

Song Jun continued to retreat to the east gate of Yanjing.

A sentry ran back to report to Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi: "The dust outside the city is billowing, and a large group of cavalry is coming, but I don't know if it is the Song army or the Liao army."

Guo Yaoshi's face changed drastically when he heard this, and he said, "It must be another reinforcement from the Liao army!"

Yang Keshi and other generals didn't believe it, they believed that Liu Yanqing must have sent a large army to meet him.

Yang Keshi, Guo Yaoshi and other generals climbed up to look out, and saw groups of cavalry gathering under the gray city wall.

Guo Yaoshi's eyes were sharp, and soon he found the flag of Xiao Qian, the king of the fourth army, erected on a tomb of King Yan outside the city, and said: "Look, isn't that the flag of Xiao Qian?"

Yang Keshi and other generals followed Guo Yaoshi's fingers, and saw the flags of the kings of the Fourth Army fluttering in the evening wind, and then they all looked ashen.

Guo Yaoshi felt aggrieved by the delay in the arrival of the reinforcements, and said, "there should not be many Liao troops around the Lugou River. Why didn't Liu Yanqing take the opportunity to launch an attack? The Lugou River is only a few dozen miles away from Yanjing City. Liu Guangshi Our reinforcements should have arrived long ago!"

Yang Keshi was speechless, and he couldn't understand why the reinforcements didn't come? "Is it because of conflicts with me, Yang Keshi? If that's the case, then you father and son are too narrow-minded, right?"

A trace of sadness welled up in Yang Keshi's heart.

Yang Keshi now feels both ashamed and guilty. He has already made up his mind to die, "After the war is like this, what face do I have to go back to Song Dynasty? What face do I have to go to see Tong Xuanfu again? "

Xiao Qian led his soldiers and horses into the city through the secret passage at the south gate of the imperial city, and soon got in touch with Xiao Puxian and Yelu Dashi.

Xiao Qian and Yelu Dashi agreed to split up and wipe out the Song army in the city.

The Song army fought and retreated, and came to the downstairs of Shuangmen.

Yang Keshi asked Gao Shixuan: "What kind of place is this?"

Gao Shixuan said: "It seems to be a double gate building."

As soon as Gao Shixuan's words fell, the Liao army shot arrows like raindrops, and then groups of Liao troops rushed forward with shouts.

Gao Shixuan raised his long spear and assassinated several Liao soldiers one after another.

The two armies then launched a fierce fight.

Yang Keshi shouted to Gao Shixuan: "Don't love to fight, withdraw quickly!"

suddenly!

Gao Shixuan was chopped off his horse by a Liao soldier.

Yang Keshi roared when he saw this, and then jumped up and rushed up.

Most of Gao Shixuan's arm was cut off, bleeding profusely.

Yang Keshi jumped off the horse, picked up Gao Shixuan, and said loudly, "Brother, you can't die!"

Gao Shixuan opened his eyes and looked at Yang Keshi and said, "Find my arm and bring the brothers out of the city..."

Due to excessive bloodshed, Gao Shixuan died heroically.

Gao Shixuan was a well-known archer in the Song Army, known as Gao Yijian, he once compared arrows with Liu Qi, he could have become a hero, but unfortunately he died here.

Yang Keshi seemed to be crazy. He brandished a long spear and killed the Liao army in the east and west. The Liao soldiers fled one after another.

The soldiers of the Song Army saw that the commander was desperate, and they all swore to kill.

After a burst of mad killing, the Liao soldiers retreated.

Yang Keshi ordered: "Find Gao Shixuan's arm."

Several personal soldiers turned around but couldn't find them.

Yang Keshi said: "Look again, you must find it, if you can't find it, we will stay here forever!"

Gao Shixuan's arm was finally found.

Only then did Yang Keshi order: "Tie General Gao to the horse, and I will take him along."

Yang Keshi and Yang Kebi led the remnant army to retreat to the front of Minzhong Temple.

Guo Yaoshi, who had divided his troops before, had been waiting here for a long time, and a large group of ordinary people gathered in front of the temple.

Yang Keshi said to Guo Yaoshi: "What should we do now? Go to the east gate and wait for reinforcements?"

Guo Yaoshi said: "I have received definite news that the east gate has fallen!"

The people who gathered in front of the Minzhong Temple were all Han Chinese in Yanjing City. They all participated in the massacre of the Khitan people. They looked at Yang Keshi and Guo Yaoshi and said, "You let us criticize the Khitan people and help you kill the Khitan people." Khitan people, if you go out of the city now, what will we do? Besides, the drawbridges at the city gates have been cut off, and there is no way to go out of the city, so why not fight to the death with the Khitans!"

Yang Keshi then organized the Song Army and the Liao Army to start a fierce battle, but was defeated again.

It is impossible to be undefeated. The Song army has not slept or eaten for three days and nights. It is already hungry and exhausted, but the Liao army is powerful.

The encirclement circle of the Liao army was getting smaller and smaller, so the Song army abandoned their horses and boarded the city wall.

The Liao army gathered more and more, and finally surrounded the Song army on the city wall.

Seeing that his side had been cornered, Yang Keshi was ready to fight to the end. He said to his younger brother Yang Kebi: "We are a family of generals, and we cannot behave like sons and daughters. Now is the time for us to sacrifice our lives for the country!"

After speaking, Yang Keshi wielded his long spear and commanded the soldiers to fight to the death with the Liao army. He ignored the poisoned arrow.

After an unknown amount of time, someone reported to Yang Keshi, "General, Pharmacist Guo has fallen from the city."

After hearing this, everyone persuaded Yang Keshi to go down from the city.

But Yang Keshi resolutely refused.

Seeing that Yang Keshi was about to die, Yang Kebi said to Yang Keshi: "Zhao Heshou's rear army will not come to support, and Liu Yanqing will not send troops to respond. Today's affairs are self-evident. If we are all so confused Die in a daze, and in a hundred generations, no one will laugh at us as sinners of history. I think we should go out alive, and let the world know what is right and what is wrong. If the court punishes us, we will die without regret!"

Yang Keshi thought about it, and felt that what his brother said made sense, so he left the city.

The generals of the Song Army who died heroically in Yanjing City, in addition to General Gao Shixuan, also included Wang Qi, Li Yao, Shi Xunmei, Wang Duanchen and other generals. They are all heroes that history should not forget.

Of the [-] elite cavalry of the Song Army, only a few hundred retreated from the city in the end, and the rest were all killed...

……

(End of this chapter)