The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 534
It was almost dark, but the battle for Zhuyang Pass had fallen into the cruelest stage. Arrows above and below the city were like torrential rain, and a series of siege ladders climbed up the city wall one by one.

The ladder was the main tool for the Sui army to attack the city, but its composition is quite simple, that is, to cut through thick fir trees so that several trees are firmly nailed together to form a broad and heavy whole, each about one foot wide. First put it on the Jinglan cart, and then push it under the city. Once the rope is released, the cart and board will tilt to the top of the city together.

The front row is erected on the top of the city, forming a slope that is difficult for humans to climb, but after one row is pressed against the other, it will form a gentle overpass. Of course, the Tang army will not just watch the Sui army build it. They use the battlements The shooting holes on the wall shot arrows from both sides, and some soldiers put down the rolling logs. When the first ladder was built, someone tried to push it away, but the ladder was heavy and heavy, and it fell on the top of the city. It is not possible to push it away with the strength of a few people, not to mention that the Sui army had built several earth hills outside the city long before the siege. Tang Jun couldn't lift his head up,
Although the Tang army had enough troops, they couldn't put up many troops at the head of the city with limited space. There were few people and they couldn't push down the ladders.

It's okay to fall on the shield, at least it can reduce the power to a certain extent, but if it falls into the crowd, it can pierce people in an instant, and the most terrifying cross arrow as thick as a spear can cut off several people powerfully.

However, the Tang army was extremely brave. Under the strong pressure, they used crossbows and small catapults to fight back. Although they could not hit the crossbow array, they also caused great losses to the slave soldiers who built the ladders. Falling from the sky, tumbling in the crowd, blood and flesh flying, screams resounded across the field, a high ladder on a Jinglan car was hit by a boulder, the huge impact made the "car ladder" fall backwards, and the ladder He fell down heavily, smashing the slave soldiers hiding behind the ladder to bloody flesh, and the screams resounded across the field.

One after another boulders fell into the crowd, screaming continuously, and the huge fear also lowered the morale of the slave soldiers. Many people turned around and ran away, but Xue Wanjun was already prepared. The slave soldiers who escaped from the formation were chopped into pieces.

The slave soldiers were terrified by the terror of Mo Dao Shou, and had no choice but to bite the bullet and push the Jinglan carts forward. As the Jinglan carts moved forward, the bow and arrow battle broke out between the two sides. Ten thousand Tang troops Shoot arrows down on both sides of the crenelation of the city wall. There is an archery opening on the city wall of Zhuyangguan. The soldiers used the battlements as a cover, while the crossbowmen shot arrows from behind. A black arrow net, the slave soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and the Tang army suffered a lot from the suppression of the Sui army's crossbow array, and people continued to die from arrows.

In the dense arrow rain, the Turkic army began to cross the moat and approach the city wall. To the Turks' surprise, there was no water in the moat, but a large trench two feet deep and five feet wide. The army is meaningless. They put up three-foot-long planks, making the moat lose its defensive function.

At this time, the following dozens of Jinglan vehicles carried the ladders, rumbled along the road paved with wooden boards, arrived at the established position, and then fell one after another on the ladders in front of them.As the range of the Tang army was getting farther and farther away from each other, the casualties gradually became smaller.

The overpass was built, and the slave soldiers climbed up like crazy. They held up their shields in one hand, and fought fiercely with the Tang army with their spears and knives in the other. Shouting and falling down the stairs, people rushed up again immediately.

Soldiers of the Tang army used the shooting holes on the battlements to shoot arrows from both sides. The crossbow arrows were sharp and pierced through the leather armor. Tang Jun, they protected the sides with shields, and the number of slave soldiers who were hit by arrows gradually decreased.

On the top of the city, dozens of Tang troops fought fiercely with the enemy in front of each ladder. However, although the slave soldiers who attacked the city suffered heavy casualties, they were fierce and never flinched.

The battle became bloody and brutal.

Xue Wanjun stood on the high observation tower and watched the offensive and defensive battle. He saw the battle in front of him clearly. Although the slave soldiers suffered heavy casualties, he knew very well that the situation was developing step by step in the direction he expected. It is normal for the siege side to suffer a large number of casualties. There is no war without the undead, not to mention that the dead are all aliens. He doesn't feel bad at all.

In fact, in addition to slave soldiers, Yang Tong also used his nationality to lure young men from the Turkic and Western Regions to come to fight spontaneously, and this is not the first time that this kind of thing has happened. Xue Wanjun is very clear about Yang Tong's thoughts. It can also use war to consume the war potential of foreign races. Xue Wan doesn't know how many young men are left in various countries and races outside the region, and he doesn't bother to pay attention, but he knows that after the civil war is over, the young and strong foreigners who survived are all elite troops According to Yang Tong's behavior, these people will eventually join the Sui nationality and become a member of the Great Sui, and have nothing to do with other races.

At this time, Shi Jin rushed to the bottom of the tower and quickly climbed up, "General, the slave soldiers suffered heavy casualties. From the beginning of building the ladder to the present, there have been nearly [-] casualties."

Xue Wanjun asked coldly, "So what?"

"Uh!" Shi Jin was stunned for a moment, and said, "The last general wants to ask, when will the Siege Camp be up?"

"When it's dark! Get ready."

"As ordered!"

Shi Jin responded excitedly, and quickly ran down.

Xue Wanjun cast his eyes on the dark and distant mountains on the left and right sides of Zhuyang Pass. He knew that Gao Yan and Yu Zhan were also in his camp.

He originally wanted to launch the final blow tomorrow morning, but Tang Jun's change forced him to act earlier.After the confrontation for so long, the Sui army's secret operations had already infiltrated Zhuyangguan. The Tang army was so powerful that it was impossible to evacuate without anyone noticing. The information was sent to Xue Wanjun.At that moment, Xue Wanjun knew that the news of the destruction of the Nanxiang warehouse had reached Zhuyangguan. Li Shimin was afraid that his back would be cut off, so he tried to escape in the dark.

But in his opinion, this is better than the original plan, because the Tang army retreats south, and there will be chaos in Guancheng. The army provides the opportunity to win.

In fact, Xue Wanjun has already teamed up with Luo Shixin to fight and let him rush in from behind, but deep down in Xue Wanjun's heart, he doesn't want Luo Shixin to arrive too early. Taking this pass, which is not considered a dangerous pass, what face does he have to serve as the Great General Youwuwei of the Great Sui Dynasty and Lord Fujikuni?What qualifications do you have to wear this "Heavenly Killing Sword" bestowed by the Holy One?He had to break Zhuyang Pass before Luo Shixin arrived.

With this in mind, Xue Wanjun drew out the cold Heavenly Killing Knife. The smooth body of the knife was covered with layers of pine wood patterns, exquisite and beautiful, and the blade reflected the distant flames. : "Pass my order, the army will attack again."

When the messenger heard the words, he immediately beat the drum vigorously.

The fierce battle drums sounded again, and another five thousand slave soldiers climbed the city along the overpass. The fight between the two sides was extremely bloody. Corpses piled up on the top of the city and on the overpass, and blood flowed into rivers. Not only the slave soldiers suffered heavy casualties, but also the Tang army defending the city. .

Slaves kept attacking the city, and Zhuyangguan was in danger one after another, but was killed again and again by the Tang Jun who was also red-eyed.

The battle fell into a stalemate on the top of the city. Seeing that the sky was completely dark, Xue Wanjun finally gave the order to sink the city camp and replace the slave soldiers.

Tang Jun, who resisted desperately, suddenly felt the pressure relieved. Seeing the desperate slave soldiers jump off the overpass and run back, he was overjoyed and cheered loudly.

However, they didn't know that the slave soldiers were just Xue Wanjun's appetizer. When the slave soldiers were all empty, a rain of arrows poured down from the earth hill.

"Puff puff!"

Tang Jun's cheers didn't last long, and the nightmarish rain of arrows had already enveloped them. Those five-foot-long cross arrows slammed into the dancing Tang Jun crowd with violent force. Hundreds of Tang Jun Without even a reaction, their bodies were torn apart, some were still intact, but more people were torn apart by the huge force. In the blood mist, one could hear screams one after another, but this time At least six or seven hundred Tang soldiers were engulfed by the giant crossbow.

Only then did Tang Jun, who was lucky enough to escape, remembered that Sui Jun still had this big weapon, and squatted down one after another to avoid it. However, after six rounds, the thrilling voice stopped, and the daring Tang Jun stretched out a little. He turned his head to wait and see, and suddenly, his eyes widened, and he shouted in unison, "Enemy attack."

At this time, Tang Jun finally realized that the main purpose of the six rounds of giant arrows was to cover the Sui army who attacked the city along the overpass.

Tang Jun knew that when the two armies intertwined, the astonishingly powerful bed crossbow would stop firing, and then there would be a battle of strength among the soldiers, and the chance of winning was great, so they stood up one by one to meet the enemy.

A heavy armored soldier appeared in front of Tang Jun. The heavy armor wrapped the whole body tightly, with only a pair of eyes exposed. It was extremely heavy, as if the earth was shaking.

"Fire arrows!"

When the Tang army fired arrows one after another, this heavy armored soldier suddenly accelerated up. They dragged a heavy saber in one hand, and put the other hand in front of their eyes, blocking their eyes. Bounced away by the sturdy armor.When the first row of Sui troops rushed to the front of the city, they heard them shout loudly, and then rows of swords from among the Sui troops flew up. .

"what!"

An earth-shattering roar sounded instantly, and countless long swords were swung at Tang Jun. Nearly a thousand people moved in unison.

Nearly a thousand Tang soldiers were cut in two by them.

This heavy armored soldier attacked the city resolutely after a sword pass. Every time the long sword in his hand was about ten feet long, Tang Jun howled and tore it apart, and fell dead on the spot.

The Sui army regarded the Tang army in front of them as nothing, advancing like a wall, and anyone who touched it would die.

This army is exactly the Modao Army that has been silent for several years!
The cost of a Mo Dao hand is too high. Even with the wealth of the Sui Dynasty, only 4 people are equipped. They are distributed among the ten legions, and the amount is allocated according to the severity of the tasks in the theater. The Sixth Army, one of the main forces, Xue Wanjun won six thousand Mo Daomen and formed the "Sinking City Camp" of the Sixth Army. own nickname.

Before the Great Sui Army Reform, there were more than 80 elite troops. Mo Dao Shou was selected at that time. Naturally, the best were selected and carefully selected. He is strong, and has a good character and tough character.Therefore, Mo Dao Shou is worthy of being the elite of the Sui army's elite and the trump card of the trump card!The status of this army in the Great Sui Army can even be compared with Yang Tong's Xuanjia Army.

The tall and mighty figure has the power to move mountains and shake mountains, coupled with indestructible heavy armor and unparalleled sharpness, so that it has become one of the pinnacle arms of this era. They don't need tactics at all when facing the enemy.

Just repeating simple movements such as horizontal chopping, vertical chopping, and oblique chopping.

Pushing forward like a wall, breaking people and horses!
This Modao formation stands on the top of the city, and as the footsteps move forward slowly, countless Tang troops charge forward one after another, but it is like a torrent breaking a dike and hitting the mainstay fiercely, with stumps flying and blood gushing. .

The Modao Army is well-known outside the territory, and it is rampant. I don’t know how many Hu tribes have been smashed and disemboweled in front of the Modao formation. Countless corpses and blood have created the imposing reputation of the Modao Army. Gods and ghosts in front of them Piyi, the heroes dormant!
However, it was unknown in the Great Sui Dynasty. Today is the first time that the Modao Formation has shown its ferocious fangs on the battlefield of the Central Plains.Every step forward, hundreds of Tang soldiers can be strangled under the knife.

In charge of this round of defense is Li Shimin's general Wang Junji. He is a brother of Wang Junkuo's clan. He is brave and not weak. Looking at the heavy armored soldiers advancing step by step, Wang Junji's heart is getting colder and colder. He understands. , This is the heavy armored infantry of the Sui Army. The weapon used is evolved from the Zhanma Dao. It is not a new weapon. It is called Pai Ren in the Central Plains. It is still a defective product, and this sword is extremely heavy, so very few people use it, but today's Sui army combines the blade, heavy armored infantry and soldiers together to form a powerful weapon, the heavy armored sword array, It is simply an enemy's nightmare.

Soon, the 'Sinking City Camp' gained a firm foothold on the top of the city, and the broken corpses piled up half a person's height under their feet, with stumped limbs and broken arms, bloody and bloody.Mo Dao Shou was divided into two, advancing to both sides, pikemen and crossbow soldiers attacked the top of the city one after another, followed closely by Mo Dao Shou, and quickly formed a complete Mo Dao Shou, assisting Mo Dao Shou to expand the results of the battle.

"No retreat, another 5000 people!" Wang Jun shouted hysterically.Constantly mobilizing troops to replenish critical areas, but facing the complete Modao formation, on the narrow and long city, Tang Jun could not kill Modao hand no matter what method he used, but was killed step by step by the opponent. Death in vain.

At this time, a soldier suddenly shouted: "General, the Sui army has come down from the mountain!"

When Wang Jun raised his head in shock, he felt a chill in his heart. He saw countless torches on the mountains on both sides of Guancheng, like two long dragons killing Guancheng at the foot of the mountain.

This is a scene that Tang Jun never expected, but the crisis has already appeared, but the two mountains on the left and right of Zhuyang Pass are part of the pass itself, separated by three city towers. Soldier.

Wang Jun was so anxious that Jin Wang Li Shimin handed him [-] elite soldiers, and asked him to guard until Zi Chou's acquaintance, so as to buy time for the army to retreat calmly. What's more terrible is that there are still countless Sui troops who killed the main force of transporting wounded soldiers in the city from the slopes on the left and right sides of the city. Enemy?
All his current soldiers are thrown into the pass to fight the Sui army who attacked the top of the city. There are no soldiers to defend the towers on both sides of the city. In such a critical situation, he had no choice but to yell to his lieutenant general Tian Liu'an: "General Tian is in charge of closing the city!"

It was too late to wait for Tian Liu'an's response, so Wang Junjiu personally led more than a hundred guards to the east of the city.

When he ran to the city tower, the surprise soldiers headed by Gao Yan were able to approach him.

"Fire arrows!"

Gao Yan, who was condescending, had already seen someone running towards him, and gave the order to shoot arrows unceremoniously.

"Om~"

The sky and the earth were filled with a buzzing sound in an instant, and Tang Jun, headed by Wang Jun, poured down the ice-cold arrows, only to hear a series of muffled sounds mixed with screams, and the rushing Tang Jun bumped into the sky. On top of the rain of arrows like a dead jungle.

'when!when!When..." Wang Jun swung his knife to dial the arrows, and knocked them flying one by one. However, compared to his 1.8-meter-high body, the horizontal knife was still too short. It could protect the upper body but not the lower body. There were more than ten pieces All the arrows hit Wang Junji's legs. Wang Junji yelled and knelt down on the ground. In the gap, more than a dozen arrows shot between his chest and abdomen. He shouted to the soldiers behind him. : "Escape for your life, go to..."

Life slowly faded away, Wang Jun was stunned and fell to the ground and died. Without his stop, the Sui army swarmed down the city platform, and finally a dozen soldiers turned around and fled. , but the guards obviously misunderstood, they cried and shouted to the deputy general Tian Liu'an: "General Wang is dead, let General Tian lead the troops to escape!"

The news hit Tian Liu'an heavily like a thunderbolt. At this moment, the soldiers of the Tang army couldn't stop the soldiers of the Sui army from three sides and retreated one after another.

"The city gate can no longer be defended!" Seeing that the situation was over, Tian Liu'an could only sigh, and ordered: "The whole army retreats from the city! Join forces with Your Highness."

In the distance, Xue Wanjun saw countless Tang troops rushing down the city under the firelight, and finally laughed in relief. He knew that the two raids he had planned had succeeded, and with the strength of the troops at the gate, it was impossible to fight on the third front. Zhu Yang It's closed.

Xue Wanjun ordered coldly: "Beat the drum!"

'Boom-boom-boom-'

The gigantic drum resounded across the sky like rolling thunder across the sky. This was an order to fight to the end. If we can't win the Guancheng today, we will never stop fighting.

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Yesterday, a book friend mentioned the question of "population", which is actually quite easy to answer. The 5000 million population at the peak of the Sui Dynasty was only the population recorded by the imperial court, and did not include servants, servants, and servants of the world's aristocratic families. It is the property of the owner, which is equivalent to livestock.They are not above the household registration of the imperial court. They do not need to pay taxes, military service, and corvee to the imperial court. All the income from labor belongs to the head of the family. , long-term accumulation, and gradually developed.

The aristocratic family is not all forced to buy and sell, but some people feel that under the big tree of the aristocratic family, they seem to have no dignity, no different from livestock, but they can avoid heavy burdens such as taxes, corvee, and military service. Just working day after day can solve food and clothing.In the year of catastrophe, slaves have the relief of their masters, and it is easier for them to survive than ordinary people.However, during the war years, the aristocratic families were the first targets to be wooed by various forces. Generally, their fertile fields and beautiful houses would not be severely damaged. A reason for slavery.During the Jin and Northern Dynasties, why did the aristocratic families become more and more prosperous?It was they who obtained an innumerable number of people from the war that lasted for hundreds of years and made war fortunes. These slaves have been reproduced generation after generation, which is an astonishing number.

In the early days of Qianlong, the population was about 3000 million, and in the middle and late period, the population was astonishingly over [-] million.However, considering the medical conditions at that time, the average life expectancy was generally not high, and premature deaths of newborns abounded, but why did the population skyrocket in a short period of time?Many scholars believe that it is caused by the system of "dividing a man into an acre". The promotion of this system changed the object of taxation by the court from the population to the land, and the aristocratic families squeezed only labor from the servants. If a disaster year comes, the huge The population base has become a heavy burden for them, so most of the slaves have been released, and the relationship between them has gradually changed from a master-servant system to an employment system.

According to historical records, before the Qing Dynasty, there were about 7000 million people in the period with the largest number of people, but this is still the population recorded in the imperial household registration, and the servants of the aristocratic families are not counted.So many scholars believe that as early as the Han and Tang Dynasties, the population far exceeded [-] million.So about the source of 'Li Tang''s strength, it's really not nonsense.In fact, there are many papers and materials of this kind, and friends who are interested can consult them.

(End of this chapter)