A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1307: Fire and Fire of Kungang
The emperor set a goal to return on September 9th, and before that, to capture Anshi City, Wugu City, Lishan City and Buyeo City.

The Yuliang Road has already approached the city wall of Anshi.

Yan Lide and his brothers also had their men push the eight-legged tower cart onto Yuliang Road. On the rising earthen hill, the eight-legged tower cart stood tall. Archers stood on the tower cart and shot down at the defenders on the city wall.

Catapults and crossbow carts were also pushed up the earthen hill.

The defenders of Anshi could no longer gain any advantage in the mountain city, but were instead suppressed from a high position.

It is estimated that the Goguryeo people would never have imagined in their lifetime that the mountain city they built would one day be surpassed in height by others.

The Yuliang Road siege method was actually just a common method for the Central Plains dynasties. China had fought countless wars over the past thousands of years, and various methods of attack and defense emerged one after another. For example, in order to ensure the safety of marching in the wild, there were mobile city walls, tunnels dug on the plains for marching, and corridors with two city walls built directly on the plains.

As for siege tactics such as hole attack and fish weir, our ancestors have all tried them.

When Yang Guang attacked Liaodong City, he also used Yuliang Road. He got millions of cloth bags, filled the soil to build a mountain, and built a dirt mountain directly to the top of the city.

The surrendered soldiers and able-bodied men of Goguryeo were still desperately digging, loading, transporting and piling up the earth.

What seems like a simple thing is not simple at all. This earth hill is not simply piled up to form a mountain, but a 30-step-wide earth embankment must be filled from the bottom of the mountain to the top. The higher it is filled, the easier it is to collapse.

We have to rush the time while ensuring that the earth mountain does not collapse. In addition to requiring a large number of bags and soil, the filling method is also quite sophisticated and requires continuous piling for reinforcement.

Fortunately, although the project is large, it also requires a lot of labor.

Eventually, the earthen hill was filled all the way up to the city wall, and even various catapults, crossbow carts, and tower carts were pushed onto the earthen hill.

"Liang Wanchun is really stubborn. He still refuses to surrender."

The emperor was standing at the foot of the mountain, looking at the dragon-like fish weir road, and could not help but sigh that if it were not for the nearly 200,000 free laborers, this project would have exhausted the Tang army soldiers.

Now the soldiers are resting and gathering their strength every day.

The city of Anshi just watched the earthen hill approaching little by little, and did not leave the city to destroy it, as if it knew it could not win.

"He is now like a frightened pheasant. When frightened, he hides his head but leaves his long tail exposed. He only cares about his head and not his butt. He won't be able to hold out for much longer."

At the foot of the mountain,

Today we ate mutton in a basin again.

The weather was still hot, but everyone was in a relaxed mood.

Su Dingfang, the Grand Protector of Andong, proposed that he lead an army to attack Lishan City, while Li Daozon continued to lead his troops to attack Wugu City.

The emperor was in no hurry to agree.

Anshi City could not hold out for much longer, so he planned to capture Anshi City and then divide his troops to attack several cities.

"Your Majesty, since Anshi City is resisting so stubbornly, why not just announce to the soldiers that after the city is captured, they will be massacred and all the money, silk, and women will be rewarded to the soldiers," Changsun Wuji suggested while breaking a lotus leaf cake.

The resistance of Anshi City did make the emperor dissatisfied.

But it did not make the emperor as angry as the last time with Baiyan City. The current Anshi City did not cause any casualties to the Tang army, and the city was about to fall, but the emperor was still very calm.

“Your Majesty, I feel that it is not appropriate to issue a massacre order at this time, nor is it appropriate to massacre the city after the war. Otherwise, Anshi City will only resist to the end, and both sides will be destroyed.

It would be better to issue an amnesty order. As long as those in Anshi City do not resist, they will be pardoned. Even if our army enters Anshi City, as long as they lay down their weapons and do not resist, they will be pardoned. "

Li Shimin was drinking mutton soup and thinking about these issues seriously.

It was not just a question of what to do after the capture of Anshi City, but also involved the generals who stayed behind, the number of troops left behind, and how to treat the Goguryeo people in the future.

It is impossible to move all people back to the Central Plains in the future.

"Attacking the city is inferior to conquering the heart. What Huaiyu said makes sense. We can't force them too hastily, otherwise both sides will be destroyed and casualties will increase. Let's send a message to Anshi City, announcing that they will be pardoned if they don't resist."

They will be pardoned and not executed, but as Anshi City resists like this, they will still be included in the list of those to be relocated inland.

Su Dingfang arranged many Goguryeo surrendered soldiers to shout at the foot of the city, saying that as long as they did not resist, they would be pardoned and not killed, but if they resisted to the end, they would be killed without mercy!

Shouting over and over again.

But it was the Anshi defenders who responded to them and began to raise and reinforce the city walls. They also used bags to fill soil to build higher walls, and used wooden fences to repair the gaps damaged by the catapults.

Several bloody flags were raised on the city walls.
It seems to be declaring that they will never give in or surrender.

The emperor squinted his eyes and looked at the busy figures of Goguryeo people, his face not looking good.

The siege war showed signs of turning into a competition of piling up earth and stones.

"It's time to end." Li Shimin said.

Wu Huaiyu nodded. The defenders of Anshi still wanted to resist to the end, but this was just a last-ditch effort. They tried to learn from the Tang army and pile up earth and build high walls to defend Yuliang Road.
Ridiculous.

The Tang army's Yuliang Road was built all the way from the foot of the mountain to the top of the city wall, and now it has been connected.

The fish weir road is thirty steps wide.
The cavalry can charge directly from here.
The biggest killer of Yuliang Road is not that the soldiers can directly rush up the city wall, but that they can also push catapults, crossbow carts, and tower carts up.

Close bombardment.

Wu Huaiyu looked at the sky. It was very hot under the sun.

"Let's launch a general attack!"

The war drums beat and the trumpets blew.

The catapults began loading 300-jin boulder bullets, and the eight-ox crossbow carts also loaded the crossbows as thick as chicken eggs.

Some catapults began to load poison smoke balls, kerosene bombs, etc.
A large number of heavy infantrymen had already put on double-layer armor, carrying swords and axes, and lined up on the Yuliang Road.
Amid the sound of drums and horns,
One huge rock after another rammed into the Goguryeo people's temporarily reinforced city walls, and poisonous smoke balls and fire balls also drew arcs in the air and fell behind the city walls.

The city wall, which was temporarily reinforced with earth and stone, was vulnerable to the 300-jin stone bullet.
The catapult was at the foot of the mountain and could not attack the city wall, but now it was set up on the earthen hill and it was easy to attack the city wall at close range.

In less than half an hour,

The section of the city wall that the Goguryeo people had reinforced was blown to pieces.

The archers on the eight-legged tower kept shooting from a high position.
The defenders on the city wall suffered heavy casualties and were soon cleared out. The heavily armored heavy infantry shouted and rushed to the city wall, and no one could stop them.

The city of Anshi also sounded the exciting trumpets. They were frantically mobilizing the defenders to reinforce.
But it's too late.

The heavy infantry passed through the Yuliang Road and successfully climbed onto the top of the Anshi City Wall. Then they quickly formed a battle array on the top of the city wall and cleared both sides.

The light infantry behind continued to rush to the top of the city.

A Tang flag was planted on the top of the city wall.
The Goguryeo people could no longer stop it.

Once the dam breaks, it will be difficult to stop it.

At this time, the city of Anshi was like a dam bursting, and the situation was out of control.

Although the mountain city is dangerous, there is no more defense after the city wall is breached. Although the castle on the top of the mountain still has the last line of defense, it is still invincible in the face of the Tang army that rushes in like a tide.

It can no longer be defended.

The emperor's previous pardon order of no resistance and no killing finally had an effect.
Faced with the Tang army entering the city, the vast majority of Goguryeo defenders chose to throw away their weapons and surrender.

The Tang army also kept their promise. As long as they laid down their weapons and lay on the ground, they would not be killed. They would just tie their hands with a cowhide rope.

A huge fire broke out at Anshi Castle on the top of the mountain.

Liang Wanchun chose death rather than surrender. He set fire to the City Lord's Mansion and perished together with his enemies.

The fire was quickly put out.
Not everyone was willing to die for their country like Liang Wanchun. Many soldiers directly opened the inner city gates to lead the Tang army into the city, while others helped to put out the fire.

Just over an hour.

The battle is basically over.

Before the city was breached, Liang Wanchun was still able to suppress the soldiers and civilians in the city, but once the city wall was breached, he could no longer control them.

Without the protection of the city walls, most people did not have the courage to face death.

News kept coming down the mountain.
Li Shimin was very calm.

Wu Huaiyu and others were also very calm.

Everyone had anticipated this result and was not surprised at all.

If they didn't want to suffer too many casualties, there would be no need to pile up the earth hills with so much effort. During this period of time, the Tang army gladiators were able to recuperate, while the 200,000 surrendered soldiers and civilians were exhausted.

"Jingde, you lead the troops into the city, patrol the city, and maintain military discipline. Anyone who dares to rob, rape, or kill will be punished by military law."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, we have won another victory." Huaiyu said with a smile.

Li Shimin waved his hands, "I am not excited at all. Liang Wanchun is a loyal and patriotic man. Send someone to collect his remains, bury him and erect a monument for him."

Liang Wanchun died and Anshi City was captured.

The emperor newly established Anshi Prefecture, which was under the jurisdiction of Liaozhou Military Governor's Office, and transferred Jinzhou Governor Zhishisili as the Governor of Anshi Prefecture.

All soldiers and civilians in the city of Anshi were pardoned and relocated to the Central Plains.

Anshi has 5,000 troops stationed there.

Although there were not many casualties in Anshi City, it took the longest time to capture the city, which took almost a month.

However, the harvest was still good. Not only did they eliminate this dangerous mountain city, but they also opened up the line between Liaodong City and Liaonan, from Shimajin Beisha City to Jili City, Jian'an City, through Anshi City, and connected with Liaodong City, Baiyan City, Gaimu City, Xincheng and so on.

They also captured more than 20,000 soldiers and civilians in the city and seized more than 200,000 shi of grain.

Zhishisili led 5,000 troops to stay there, and the more than 200,000 dan of grain was enough for them to eat for two years.

"Next, we will split our forces into two groups. Wuji and Dao Zong will lead the troops to attack Wugut City, and the navy Wu Heita will cooperate."

"Zhang Liang and Su Lie led their troops through Baiyan City to attack Lishan City,"

The emperor himself rested in Anshi City for a few days and then returned to Liaodong City.

Wu Huaiyu, Li Jing, Qin Qiong and Jing De still served in the imperial court.

The emperor ordered the slaughter of sheep and pigs as a reward for the soldiers.

Wu Chengzhi was very excited and kept telling his father that this battle was an eye-opener. "I didn't expect that Anshi City was so dangerous, but it could be taken so easily."

"It wasn't easy either. The 200,000 surrendered soldiers and able-bodied men were busy for nearly a month."

"But even though we captured such a dangerous town, the casualties among our soldiers were only a few hundred."

"Well, the battle is over, and it's time for you to set sail back to Luzon." Huaiyu patted his son's shoulder and said, "Remember to ask your mother to take good care of him when you go back."

"At the end of the year, bring your mother, your wife and children back to Chang'an to celebrate the New Year."

(End of this chapter)