big song poppi

Chapter 239 0236 [Encounter with the Western Army ([-]-in-[-])]

Yang Weizhong stood on a high platform made of rammed loess, staring closely at the battle situation on the tower hundreds of meters away.

This is already the third time the Western Army has attacked the city. The first two times ended in a hurry in less than an hour.

There is a saying in the art of war: go up to attack the enemy, then attack the enemy, and then attack the city.

The method of attacking a city will only be used as a last resort.

Any qualified general knows this very well.

But Yang Weizhong formulated this strategy and drove all the rebels from the mountains to Jinan Mansion to fight a tough battle.

Why?

Without him, no one knows how to defend the city better than the Western Army!

Having fought with Xixia for more than 100 years, the Western Army has extremely rich experience in city defense warfare.

The Battle of Pingxia City, which frightened the Xixia people, and the subsequent fortress tactics were both executed by Yang Weizhong.

It is no exaggeration to say that in terms of field combat, he may not be as good as Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun and others.

But when it comes to tough battles, he asks himself the second best, and no one in the world dares to claim the first.

When a top city-defending general changes his identity and becomes a city-attacking party, he is no worse than a city-defending general.

After observing for a while, Yang Weizhong ordered: "Ming Jin withdraws the troops!"

Dangdang Dangdang!
The rapid sound of golden drums sounded, and the prisoners of war who attacked the city suddenly disappeared like a tide, leaving corpses all over the ground.

"Hahaha!"

On the city wall, the remnants of Zhang Di's troops defending the city burst into cheers.

They once again repelled the Western offensive, which is indeed worthy of celebration.

Some defenders even took off their pants in public and urinated under the city in order to provoke.

Seeing this scene, Yang Weizhong's expression did not change.

Through the first three sieges of the city, which cost the lives of more than [-] prisoners of war, he had basically figured out the dispatching rules and weak points of the defenders in the city.

The opponent's guard had little talent, and his tactics were chaotic and disorganized. They relied entirely on their numbers.

Returning to the main tent, Yang Weizhong began to give orders.

"Wu Jie!"

"The end is here!"

Wu Jie, who was crowding around him, hurriedly cupped his fists and responded.

Yang Weizhong ordered: "Prepare the army for war and attack the city at midnight tonight! At that time, the commander-in-chief will put pressure on the other three city walls. You will personally lead five thousand elite soldiers, disguised as prisoners of war, to seize the east gate."

"Order!"

Wu Jie responded loudly.

After explaining, Yang Weizhong moved his eyes to Han Shizhong who was aside.

"Han Shizhong!"

"The end is here!"

"I order you to lead a cavalry battalion with three thousand infantry, and go into battle lightly. Set off immediately. You must arrive at the Mountain God Valley twenty miles away before midnight to intercept the Black Mountain bandits who may come to help!"

Thinking about it from his perspective, if he was a Montenegrin bandit, how could he miss the opportunity to raid the Western Army.

Shanshen Valley is the only place to pass from Licheng to Yucheng. One thousand light cavalry and three thousand infantry can stop the army of ten thousand people by just guarding the valley pass.

Han Shizhong clasped his fists and said: "The last general takes orders!"

After that, he turned around to leave, but was stopped by Yang Weizhong.

"Good minister, the Black Mountain Bandits should not be underestimated. Never underestimate the enemy."

"The last will be saved."

Han Shizhong nodded solemnly.

Looking at Han Shizhong's leaving figure, Yang Weizhong looked solemn.

For some reason, since arriving in Yucheng, the uneasiness in his heart has become stronger.

This intuition is not the first time it has appeared.

In order to prevent long nights and many dreams, he urgently wanted to capture Yucheng.

Wu Jie on the side noticed something strange and asked, "Du Tong, what's wrong?"

Yang Weizhong did not answer, but ordered: "Expand the scope of the spy to sixty miles!"

"Yes!"

Wu Jie suppressed the doubts in his heart, turned around and left the main tent.

After he left, Yang Weizhong wrote another transfer order and sent people to Gaotang, asking Xin Xingzong to lead troops to Yucheng immediately.

……

late at night.

In the Yucheng County Yamen, Zhang Jin was having a drink with a group of leaders.

He was still drunk, and a strong man said disdainfully: "Second brother, the Western Army is nothing more than this. The thunder is loud and the rain is light."

Hearing this, another person retorted: "Has Third Brother forgotten the disastrous defeat a few days ago?"

The strong man's face froze, and he waved his hand and said: "I admit that the Western Army is indeed somewhat capable in field battles, but now it is a siege, which is very different. There are more than [-] brothers among us, and the Western Army only has tens of thousands of people. If we want to capture Yu City, it is simply impossible. It’s wishful thinking.”

"As soon as that bitch Li Heihu arrives, we will go out and attack from both sides."

Zhang Jin opened his mouth and said: "Don't underestimate the Western Army. The first few attacks on the city were all prisoners of war, and the main force of the Western Army has not moved."

"Clang clang clang!"

At this moment, a rapid sound of gongs suddenly sounded outside the county government office.

"The Western Army is attacking the city!"

Hearing this, the expressions of several people in the lobby changed slightly.

The strong man who spoke earlier curled his lips and said, "Damn it, these Qiu Bazhen really know how to pick the time."

Zhang Jin said in a deep voice: "Don't talk nonsense. Each of you is responsible for your own city wall. Let's go."

"Order!"

Everyone stood up together and walked out of the county government hall with drunken steps.

"A thief who is a thief will not beat me in the morning or in the evening, but he chooses to beat me when I am eating, drinking and playing around."

The strong man climbed onto the East Tower while swearing, his head feeling dizzy after being so aroused by the cold wind.

The next moment, a sound of breaking wind hit him.

The strong man was so drunk that he froze on the spot and didn't know how to dodge.

Whoosh!
A boulder weighing a hundred kilograms flew past his ear and hit the crowd hard.

"Ahhhh!!!"

Suddenly, shrill screams sounded in the night.

The soldier who was hit on the head had almost turned into a puddle of flesh. Unfortunately, several other soldiers were hit by boulders and suffered broken bones and tendons.

A soldier was lying on the ground, his right leg twisted at an extremely weird angle, and the pink bone stubble was exposed through the skin, flesh and clothes.

Gollum!

The strong man couldn't help but swallowed, and his whole body was covered in white hair and sweat.

The miserable situation of his men frightened him out of his drunken state.

Catapult!
Turning his head to look at the dark outside of the city, the strong man looked horrified.

These Western troops were really serious, using catapults.

"Kill!!!"

Deafening shouts of killing came from all directions.

There was no moon tonight, and the Western Army did not light torches. All they could see was darkness, and they had no idea how many people were attacking the city.

Bang bang bang!
Catapults and crossbows kept flying towards the city wall.

Every time the three-bow bed crossbow is fired, it brings out a frightening sound of breaking wind.

After the Western Army joined the war, the rebels defending the city suddenly felt the pressure doubled.

Logs and boulders are consumed faster.

Zhang Jin looked gloomy, and his head hurt from the various battle reports coming from all directions.

Don't think that defending a city is easy. A tough battle often lasts a day, or even several days and nights.

Under high-intensity combat, soldiers will be exhausted in less than an hour.

Although there are 10,000+ rebels in the city, the city wall is only so big, and the rest are crowded inside the city.

When to replace troops, when to add troops to prevent the opponent from attacking, including the mobilization of soldiers and generals, distribution of supplies, etc. are all very particular and structured.

This extremely tests the guard's command and organizational skills.

But Zhang Jin didn't understand this. He was acting like a cat and a tiger, and when he couldn't stand it anymore, he immediately ordered the soldiers to rush for reinforcements.

……

In the first three tests, Yang Weizhong already knew the opponent's falsehood and trueness, so he was ready to take advantage of the night to win it all at once.

Wu Jie led five thousand elites to stand quietly in the camp. These people were all wearing bamboo armor and looked like prisoners of war.

An hour later, Yang Weizhong ordered: "Attack fiercely on the other three gates, and slow down the attack on the east gate."

After the messenger army conveyed the order, the Western Army immediately launched a fierce attack.

One by one, the Western troops wore iron armor and climbed up the city wall along the ladder without fear of death.

Some people may ask, the soldiers at the beginning of the siege were basically dead. Why did they continue to fight after knowing this?

It’s still those two words, fame and wealth.

During the siege of Gaixia, there was a leading soldier in the Han army named Yang Xi.

This man was born in a poor peasant family and followed Liu Bang in his southern and northern campaigns. He never made any achievements, and during the siege of Gaixia he was only a member of the team.

Just because he grabbed one of Xiang Yu's legs, he was granted the title of Marquis of Chiquan.

From then on, the gears of fate began to turn, and a super family that spanned thousands of years appeared in history, the Hongnong Yang family!
Yang Xi's deeds inspired generations of people in the future.

So, now do you know why soldiers still rush to attack the city without fear of death despite knowing that they will survive a narrow escape?

Go out and pay homage to the general, and grant him the title of wife and son!
These eight words are enough.

Moreover, the four major achievements in the army are ascending first, trapping the enemy, killing the general, and capturing the flag.

Of the remaining three, which one is easier than getting there first?

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Yang Weizhong said: "Wu Jie, it's your turn!"

"The last general takes orders!"

Wu Jie responded loudly, then waved his hand and led five thousand elite Western troops straight to the east wall.

When he was less than [-] steps closer to the city wall, Wu Jie stopped and shouted: "Get the thick bamboo shield!"

Whoa!

The soldiers at the rear immediately carried out strange-looking shields.

It's said to be a shield, but it's more like a house.

The shield made of thick bamboo is more than ten meters long and about five or six meters wide. It is curved in the middle, like a large bowl turned upside down on the ground.

The outer layer is inlaid with iron sheets, which can block powerful crossbows. Bamboo is extremely tough and cannot be broken by boulders.

A thick bamboo shield, if squeezed, can hide fifty soldiers. There are also wooden wheels installed at the four corners of the ground. The soldiers hidden in it can easily push the thick bamboo shield to move.

Fake siege: A group of soldiers rush in and hit the door with a battering ram.

If this is the case, then defending the city would be too simple.

Actual siege: Various siege equipment emerge in endlessly, such as trench bridges, rams, nest chariots, cranium chariots, watchtower chariots, etc.

The battering ram will only be used after the city wall is confirmed to be occupied, so that the army can enter the city more conveniently.

In the darkness, five thousand elites lurked under a hundred thick bamboo shields and slowly moved towards the east city gate.

At this time, the battle at the other three city gates had already entered a fever pitch.

As soon as the Western Army occupied the city tower, they were rushed down by a large number of rebels. Before the rebels could redefine their defenses, the next wave of Western Army rushed up again.

By now, the boulders and rolling logs on the defensive side of the city have been used up. There is a lot of gold juice, but there is no time to brew it.

On the Western Army's side, the three-bow crossbows and catapults have also ceased activity. The logistics officer is directing the soldiers and civilians and prisoners of war to collect stones everywhere.

The two sides are already fighting hand to hand with each other.

Although the Western Army has strong combat power and is leading in ordnance, the number of rebel thieves is really too great.

After finally occupying the city wall, it won't take long before it will be overwhelmed by the rebels.

However, Yang Weizhong didn't care. The real winner was on the east wall.

At the beginning of the siege, he deliberately showed the enemy weakness to let the rebels in the city relax their vigilance, and then ordered Wu Jie to lead his elite soldiers disguised as prisoners of war to catch them by surprise and capture them in one fell swoop.

As expected, Zhang Jin now put all his energy on the three walls of the north, south and west.

He didn't have much commanding ability to begin with, but now as the battle became more intense, he was in a hurry.On the other side, Wu Jie led five thousand elites and successfully reached the city wall with a thick bamboo shield.

"Siege!"

Wu Jie roared and took the lead.

I saw him biting the handle of the knife, using both feet together, and moving nimbly like an ape, he climbed up the city wall along the ladder in a few clicks.

After climbing the wall, seven or eight spears came at him immediately.

With rich experience, Wu Jie did not retreat but advanced, leaped into the crowd.

This sudden leap immediately knocked the rebels off their feet.

Wu Jie didn't get up after landing. He took off the long knife from his mouth and used a rolling knife technique.

Swish swish!
The sharp steel knife struck his calf and Achilles tendon, and blood splattered everywhere.

The rebels who were chopped down all fell to the ground screaming.

For a time, the east city wall was turned upside down by him alone.

As a price, Wu Jie also suffered seven or eight wounds.

"Kill!!!"

At this moment, the elite of the Western Army also climbed up the city wall.

After reaching the city wall, three or five of these Western troops gathered together and formed small arrow arrays.

Melee fighting and fancy dress have always been the specialty of the Western Army.

Under the dim firelight, the east wall turned into a meat grinding ground, with blood and flesh splattering everywhere.

As the Western Army continued to pour in along the ladder, the rebels gradually retreated.

puff!

After cutting down the last rebel with one knife, Wu Jie wiped the blood spattered on his face, ignored the wound and shouted: "Seize the door!"

"Seize the door!"

On the city wall, hundreds of Western troops looked up to the sky and roared.

Without the resistance of the rebels, the Western troops under the city continued to surge up.

After gathering three thousand people, Wu Jie waved his hand and led his men to rush down the tower.

All the way down the city tower, the Western army was like wolves among sheep, and instantly defeated the rebels who came for reinforcements.

Wu Jie did not pursue him deeply, but immediately occupied the position of the city gate, ordered his soldiers to raise the thousand-jin gate, and opened the city gate.

……

In the county government.

"Second brother, the boulders and rolling stones are gone!"

"If not, demolish the houses and demolish the mansions of wealthy families!"

Just as Zhang Jin finished his instructions, another person ran into the lobby and said anxiously: "The second master, the fourth master of Xicheng asked why the reinforcements haven't come yet, he can't stand it any longer!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jin said angrily: "Didn't I just allocate 1 people to him?"

At this time, the guard on the side reminded: "Second brother, you forgot, the war at the south gate was urgent just now, so you gave the 1 people to the south gate first."

"..."

Zhang Jin was silent for a while, then waved his hand and said: "Assign another 1 people to the fourth child!"

Suddenly, another hurried scream came: "It's not good, the second boss, something serious is going to happen!"

For a moment, Zhang Jin felt a sharp pain in his temples on both sides of his forehead.

When the other party entered the lobby, he frowned and said, "What's wrong?"

"Second Master, the East City has been lost, and the city gate has been breached by the Western Army!"

"what?!"

Zhang Jin's complexion changed drastically, as if he had been struck by lightning.

After coming back to his senses, he said in disbelief: "Lao San ordered someone to send a message earlier, saying that the war in Dongcheng was not serious, how could it be broken?"

The guard looked anxious and said: "Second brother, don't worry about these things now. Now that the Western Army has entered the city, we must make a decision as soon as possible whether to fight to the death or to escape."

Zhang Jin's expression changed for a while, and after hesitating for a while, he squeezed out a word.

"withdraw!"

Not long after, Zhang Jin got rich and led the remaining [-] men in the city to break out from the west gate and disappear into the darkness.

The next day.

The weather today is still gloomy, and the thick snow gradually becomes hard and solid under the cold wind.

After a night of fierce fighting, Yucheng was littered with corpses.

Yang Weizhong rode on a war horse, passed through the city gate and entered the county seat surrounded by his guards.

Wu Jie had been guarding the city gate for a long time. When he saw Yang Weizhong, he immediately clasped his fists and saluted: "Capital Commander, the last general is lucky to live up to his command!"

Seeing that many parts of his body were covered with gauze, Yang Weizhong nodded and said with a smile: "Get into the formation first and break through Yu City. You should be the first in this battle!"

"The last general dare not take the credit, it all depends on the commander-in-chief who used his troops like a god and commanded them properly."

Wu Jie was overjoyed, but spoke modestly.

Yang Weizhong asked: "How many casualties were there in the army?"

The army secretary on the side reported: "More than 700 soldiers were killed in this battle, [-] were seriously injured, and more than [-] were slightly injured."

Hearing this, Yang Weizhong was silent for a while.

Whether the seriously injured soldiers can survive depends entirely on luck. According to past experience, if one-third can survive, it is already good.

At the same time, those with minor injuries may also die suddenly.

In other words, the actual number of casualties was around 4000.

These were the casualties of the main force of the Western Army. The casualties among the prisoners of war were even more exaggerated, with more than 2 people.

If it were a field battle and the two sides were engaged in battle, Yang Weizhong would be confident that he could defeat Zhang Jin while limiting the number of casualties to less than [-].

But there is no other way. This is what happens in critical battles. Soldiers' lives have to be paid for it.

This was because Zhang Jin had no military skills, so his plan succeeded and the surprise attack was successful.

If someone who is proficient in military affairs were to guard the city, I am afraid that even if Yucheng is captured, there will be very few [-] Western troops left.

Yang Weizhong ordered: "Order the accompanying military doctors to do their best to treat the injured."

"It's from the provincial government."

The army secretary nodded in response.

……

……

Li Heihu sat upright on the war horse, his cold face mostly covered by the cloak, and the horse-cutting knife was tied to the side of the war horse as usual.

It seemed that only in this way could she feel a sense of safety.

Behind him were more than [-] elite men from the Black Village, as well as a huge convoy of supplies and supplies.

Looking up at the dim sky, Li Heihu asked: "How far is it from Yucheng?"

Mr. Yin beside him was holding a map in his hand and replied: "It's less than sixty miles away. We can arrive the day after tomorrow at the latest."

After a few days, the snow was no longer as fluffy as it was at the beginning. In the extremely cold weather, the snow in the middle and lower layers became hard. Although it was not as smooth as flat ground, it was still barely passable for carriages and horses.

Blessings are unparalleled, and misfortunes do not come singly.

After a severe drought, there must be a severe cold.

Since ancient times, disasters have always followed one after another.

This winter has been much colder than in previous years, reaching the point where dripping water turns into ice.

If you urinate in broad daylight, it will quickly freeze into ice.

I don’t know how many people in the North will freeze to death.

"Urgent report!"

Suddenly, a rapid shout sounded from the front army.

Li Heihu's eyes narrowed and he asked, "What's the matter?"

Not long after, Sun Zhi came on horseback with an ugly face and reported: "Master, Yucheng fell last night. Zhang Jin and his [-] remnants broke out of the siege and disappeared."

Mr. Yin's expression changed, and he said with disbelief: "There are 12 troops stationed in Yucheng, and it was captured by the Western Army in just a few days?"

"Indeed."

Sun Zhi gritted his teeth and said, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

If Zhang Jin were in front of him, he would definitely chop him into pieces.

That's 12 people. Even if it were replaced by 12 pigs, standing still and letting the Western army kill them, it would be enough to kill them for several days and nights.

What a waste!
After a moment of silence, Li Heihu's cold voice sounded: "Command the army to Huili City!"

"go back?"

Sun Zhi was stunned.

Li Hei glanced at him sideways and asked, "If I don't go back, will it be possible for me to wait for these [-] people to fight with the [-] Western Army in the field?"

Sun Zhi was speechless for a moment, punched the armor on his body with his last punch, and sighed heavily.

The originally good situation suddenly turned upside down just because of this idiot.

Now, they had to retreat to Licheng and face the encirclement and suppression of [-] Western troops alone.

Soon, the entire army turned around and headed towards Licheng.

The soldiers were all confused. They had just been out of the city for a few days, why did they suddenly want to go back?

Could it be that it was so cold that you just came out for a walk?
Facing the cold wind, Li Heihu murmured to himself: "Is it true that Zhao Song's life should not be cut off?"

A look of confusion appeared on Mr. Yin's face at this moment. No matter judging from the stars or the general trend of the world, Zhao Song looked like he was terminally ill and had run out of energy.

But now, there are still no signs of extinction.

The [-]-strong Western Army was still as strong as ever, suppressing domestic rebellions like chopping melons and vegetables.

……

……

December thirteenth.

The city of Linyi was destroyed, and Gaotuoshan was surrendered and rescued.

This time, Gao Tuoshan didn't play tricks anymore, and he didn't have the capital to play tricks.

Liang Fangping brought the power of breaking the city and besieged the new town.

However, although the number of Black Mountain bandits in the new town is only [-], their combat power and ordnance are far beyond what Gaotuoshan can match.

Fifty thousand Western troops, plus [-] prisoners of war, laid siege for three days and three nights, but failed to capture it.

In desperation, Liang Fangping had to leave [-] Western troops, plus [-] prisoners of war, and ordered Zhang Jun to continue to besiege the new town.

He himself led the army south and joined Yang Weizhong.

On December [-], the left and right armies of the Western Army met outside Licheng. After resting, they would begin to attack the city.

On the same day, Han Zhen personally led the Qingzhou Army across Zizhou and entered the boundaries of Jinan Prefecture.

The scout camp was like a huge spider web, spreading in all directions.

The farthest scout was a hundred miles away from the army.

Spies are the eyes and ears of an army.

The further you go, the wider the scope of exploration will be.

Of course, such a large-scale rollout has very high requirements for scouts.

The scout battalion under Han Zhen all consisted of one man and three horses.

Although it is not a war horse, it is extremely luxurious compared to other armies.

In this way, it can be guaranteed that news hundreds of miles away can be delivered to Han Zhen within half a day.

"Report!"

The scouts' urgent shouts sounded in the front army.

"Xuan!"

Han Zhen waved his hand.

Soon, a scout came galloping on horseback.

"Reporting to the county magistrate, a Western army was found a hundred miles away in the southwest. There are about ten thousand people and more than a thousand cavalry. They are suspected of attacking Zhangqiu!"

Western Army, ten thousand people!
A gleam flashed in Han Zhen's eyes.

The goal is here!

(End of this chapter)