big song poppi

Chapter 511 0508 [Wang Zhen takes the first step! 】

The next day.

The sun is rising.

After breakfast, the civilians and auxiliary troops, under the command of the accompanying craftsmen, began to cut down trees and make siege equipment.

Siege equipment has always been improvised after the army arrived at the city.

Otherwise, carrying them when setting off will increase the burden on the baggage troops.

Therefore, craftsmen who can build siege equipment are very popular. When the two armies are fighting, even if a general of one side is killed, the craftsmen who follow the army will not die. Instead, they will be offered good food and drink.

After all, no one would complain that there are too many craftsmen in the army.

In less than an hour, the siege equipment was completed.

Since the introduction of artillery, the Qi army's reliance on siege equipment has been greatly reduced.

There is no city gate that cannot be solved by a volley of siege artillery. If there is, then another round.

At present, the siege tactics of the Qi army are becoming more and more mature, and the cooperation between the various arms is becoming more and more tacit.

Several rounds of volleys were launched to blast open the city gates and gates, and then adjust the angle of the muzzle to suppress the city tower with long-range firepower. They first climbed into the city and captured all the corridors. Then the field artillery followed closely, attacking the stubborn places in the city that resisted. The last step is to clear up street fighting.

This tactic, except for its failure in the attack on Tokyo City, has made other cities unable to withstand it. It can be said that it has been tried and tested repeatedly.

As for Tokyo City...

There is really no way around this, the city of Tokyo is too strong.

The city is high and thick, and each city gate has two to three layers of urns. The urns are rarely located outside the city gates, and are layered on top of each other to protect the city gates in all directions without blind spots.

If you want to bombard the city gate, you must first capture the urn city, but the urn city is connected to the city tower, and there are dense shooting holes on the fortress and corridor, which greatly increases the difficulty of capturing the urn city.

Kaifeng Mansion is located on the North China Plain, with a vast plain and no natural dangers to defend.

In this case, we can only work on the city wall.

From Guo Queer, to Chai Rong, and then to Lao Zhao's house, it has gone through more than 180 years, and it will be reinforced and repaired almost every ten years.

How can a city that has been built for more than 180 years not be strong?
In fact, Taiyuan is also a fortified city. The original Taiyuan City was burned down by Zhao Er, the God of Chariots on the Sorghum River, in anger.

At that time, Zhao Er commanded 200,000 troops to attack the Northern Han Dynasty.

As a result, they were blocked outside Taiyuan City for four full months, losing troops and generals. Finally, Emperor Liu Jiyuan of the Northern Han Dynasty saw that he had run out of ammunition and food, so he had no choice but to accept the surrender of Kaicheng.

But Zhao Er, who had suppressed his anger, ordered the burning of Taiyuan City.

At this point, this majestic city that had lasted for thousands of years was destroyed by fire.

Today's Taiyuan City was built later by Zhao Er, and its scale is not as large as before. But even so, with its unique geographical location, it still blocked the fierce attack of the 60,000 West Route Army led by Wanyan Zonghan. This shows how difficult and dangerous Taiyuan is.

At this moment, there are only a few people on the Taiyuan city tower.

There was no other way. The people were loyal to Qi and were unwilling to help defend the city. After last year's battle, the victorious army of 3,000 had only less than 2,400 left. The Shengjie army had to defend four city walls and had to leave hundreds of people as reserves. After all, there were less than 500 defenders at each city wall.

What makes Wang Zhen most helpless is that not only the people in the city, but also the soldiers who defeated the victorious army under his command have no morale at all.

Han Zhen went north to fight against the Jin Dynasty last year and gained a lot of popular support.

In addition, during the Northern Expedition, the brutal attack on the Jin people and the recovery of Yunzhou really gave Haner a face in the Central Plains and made countless people and soldiers revere him.

Besides, Han Zhen is a pure Han, not a foreigner.

The people thought there was nothing wrong with replacing the Zhao family.

It was noon.

Rumbling footsteps came from a distance.

The footsteps became louder and louder, and even the tower trembled slightly.

The black armor of the Qingzhou Army, illuminated by the sun, was like a huge black wave, sweeping in with the power to crush everything.

A large scroll with Korean characters and a golden dragon pattern on the mysterious background is floating in the wind.

Looking at the fluttering banner, Wang Zhen looked solemn.

Marquis Yu on the side hesitated to speak.

Seeing this, Wang Zhen asked: "What happened?"

The Marquis of Yu hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but said: "Wang Tongzhi, why... why do we have to fight the Qi army?"

This sentence touched the hearts of many soldiers, and they all looked at Wang Zhen eagerly.

Wang Zhen stared at him and said word by word: "Because we are ministers of the Song Dynasty, and we are depriving the king of his salary, how can we betray him and join the thieves?"

Marquis Yu whispered: "But...but many people say that your majesty has surrendered to Qi, and that the southern court is a puppet supported by traitors such as Cai Jing and Tong Guan."

"Shut up!"

Wang Zhen scolded angrily and said loudly: "These are just ploys by Pseudo Qi to attack people's hearts. They cannot be taken seriously."

"Yes."

Yu Hou bowed in response and sighed inwardly.

Although they were dissatisfied with Wang Zhen's stubbornness, the three thousand victorious troops still respected him very much.

On weekdays, he shares joys and sorrows with the soldiers, and rewards and punishments are clear. During the battle last year, Wang Zhen always took the lead and was not afraid of death.

Seeing the Qi army getting closer and closer, Wang Zhen ordered: "The Qi army's artillery is fierce. Brothers, be smart and don't let your lives go in vain."

"Order!"

Hundreds of soldiers responded in unison, but their momentum was much weaker than before.

Half an hour later, the Qi army formed a battle array outside the city.

Han Zhen was riding on a war horse and was guarded in the formation by his personal guards.

He Guanjia came running with his horse and reported: "Your Majesty, all battalions are ready."

"Blow the drum and attack the city!"

Han Zhen gave the order.

dong dong dong~
The passionate war drums sounded slowly, and ten siege guns were pointed in the direction of the city gate.

"fire!"

Boom boom boom!
With a deafening bang, ten siege guns fired.

The defenders on the tower looked horrified and felt their feet shaking.

Immediately afterwards, an exclamation was heard from the corridor of the city tower: "No, the city gate is broken!"

Is the city gate broken now?

All the defenders, including Wang Zhen, were stunned.

You know, Wanyan Zonghan led an army of 60,000, and used the battering ram day and night for almost half a month, but he failed to open a single city gate. Now that the Qi army had broken through the city gate in just a blink of an eye, how could they fight this battle?
For a moment, Wang Zhen felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart.

At this time, the artillerymen far outside the city were adjusting the angle of the guns, and the smoking barrels were slowly aimed in the direction of the tower.

Looking around and seeing the terrified expressions of his soldiers, Wang Zhen smiled bitterly and immediately shouted: "Zhang Jiang!"

"The general is here!"

Zhang Jiang, the Marquis of Yu who spoke earlier, was excited and responded quickly.

Wang Zhen ordered: "Take the soldiers out of the city to accept the surrender."

These soldiers followed him through life and death, and they were loyal, brave and righteous, but he could not let them die in vain for his own selfish desires.

The Qi army's artillery is far more powerful than imagined. Now that the city gate has been breached, how can the more than 2,000 victorious Czech troops stop the tens of thousands of Qi troops?
"I accept my order from my humble position!"

Zhang Jiang was overjoyed, thinking that the commander had figured it out.

The rest of the victorious army couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

They did not want to fight with the Qi army, and they had no intention of fighting in their hearts. The reason why they stood here forcefully was just to respect the king.

Now that Wang Tongzhi has ordered the surrender, everyone is happy.

"Don't fire, don't fire!"

After Zhang Jiang received the order, he immediately got off the tower and ran towards the Qi army outside the city alone.

Afraid of being too late, the Qi army opened fire.

Seeing this scene, He Guan, who was in charge of the siege, looked happy and immediately ordered: "The whole army listens to the order and stops attacking the city. Bring this man to see me!"

Not long after, Zhang Jiang was brought to him.

After looking Zhang Jiang up and down, He Guan said in a deep voice, "I recognize you. You were appointed Marquis of Yu under Yang Weizhong, right?"

Zhang Jiang smiled and nodded: "General He has a keen eye. It is true. In the second year of Xuanhe, Tong Guan picked him up from a humble position and joined the Shengjie army."

He Guan asked: "Are you here to accept surrender?"

"Yes." Zhang Jiang responded.

He Guan frowned slightly: "Even if I accept the surrender, where is your family's general?"

"This……"

Zhang Jiang was stunned and replied subconsciously: "Wang Zongzhi seems to be still on the tower."

"not good!"

He Guan's expression changed, he put his legs under the horse's belly, and immediately mounted the horse and ran towards the city gate.

Upon seeing this, a group of guards and Zhang Jiang hurriedly chased after him.

"He Guan!"

When they arrived at the city, a shout came from above.

He Guan looked up and saw Wang Zhen holding a knife in one hand and staring at him.

He Guan was startled and quickly advised: "Brother Zhengchen, don't be stupid!"

"I know you are laughing at me for being foolish and loyal, but I can't get over this hurdle in my heart. General He, you took care of my brothers who won the victory for me. I would like to express my gratitude here!"

After Wang Zhen finished speaking, he yelled in the direction of Jinling: "Your Majesty, Wang Zhen is determined to kill the thief, but is unable to save his life, so take the first step!"

The next moment, a cold light flashed.

The steel knife cut across his throat and blood spurted out.

"Wang Zongzhi!"

Zhang Jiang shouted, his face full of disbelief.

He Guan sighed deeply, with a complicated look on his face, and murmured to himself: "Oh, why are you doing this?"

When the victorious army learned that they had left the city and surrendered, everyone looked happy.

But Wang Zhen's death cast a pall over everyone's hearts.

Under the escort of his personal guards, Han Zhen mounted his horse and entered the cave.

At this moment, Wang Zhen's body had been carried down from the tower, and a young man knelt in front of the body and burst into tears.

Looking at Wang Zhen's body, he was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "It's a pity for such a loyal minister. Does Wang Zhengchen have any relatives in the city?"

He Guan pointed to the crying young man and replied: "Your Majesty, this person is Wang Xun, Wang Zhen's eldest son."

Han Zhen asked: "Where is your hometown?"

"Kaifeng."

Wang Xun knew that it was his father's choice to commit suicide. No wonder Han Zhen, but he felt sad and mixed with some emotions.

Han Zhen didn't care and ordered: "He Guan, I will send someone to assist Wang Xun later and send Wang Zhengchen's body back to Kaifeng for a grand burial. All expenses will be paid by the Neibu Mansion."

"Your Majesty is kind and tolerant. I would like to thank you on behalf of the royal family!"

He Guan bowed and bowed.

The surrendered victorious troops all showed moved expressions on their faces, feeling in their hearts that Han Zhen was indeed a wise king with a broad mind.

Which emperor doesn’t love loyal ministers and martyrs?

Everyone hopes to have Zhuge Liang under their command, who can trust Gu Gu boldly, instead of Sima Yi.

……

"It's not good, Magistrate Zhang, the North City Gate has been breached, and the Shengjie Army has left the city and surrendered."

Zhang Xiaochun was sitting in the lobby, his face calm when he heard the news.

When the people in the city were unwilling to help defend the city, he already knew that it was only a matter of time before the Qi army entered the city.

Without the people to defend the city voluntarily, how could the tens of thousands of Qi troops be stopped with only more than 2,000 soldiers?

To defend the city, the people are the biggest source of confidence for the defender.

Last year, when the Jin Kingdom marched south, the soldiers and civilians of Taiyuan City shared the same hatred of the enemy and were united. All men, women, old and young were able to join the battle, and every one of the 120,000 people was a soldier.

You know, in the original time and space, the Jin people went south for the second time, but Taiyuan defended it for a full 250 days.

Wang's talent is one thing, but more importantly is the support of the people in the city.

Now, the people of Taiyuan are committed to Qi State, and this kind of war cannot be fought at all.

At this moment, another government servant ran into the lobby: "Prefect Zhang, Wang Tongzhi committed suicide, Qi...The Emperor of Qi has entered the city."

The news of Wang's suicide finally caused a wave of emotion to appear on Zhang Xiaochun's expressionless face.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Where is Wang Tongzhi's body?"

"Your Majesty ordered people to escort Wang Tongzhi's son and return his body to Kaifeng Mansion for a grand burial."

The Yamen servant stopped pretending now and directly addressed Han Zhen as His Majesty.

Zhang Xiaochun nodded and waved his hand: "I understand, please go down."

Han Zhen has a broad mind and will not embarrass the people in the city. This way, he will feel at ease.

"I'll take my leave, little one."

The yamen servant turned around and left, happily going to greet him.

Not long after, surrounded by a group of officials, a heroic and domineering figure strode into the government office.

Walking into the lobby at a leisurely pace, Han Zhen looked Zhang Xiaochun up and down and said with a chuckle: "I have heard about Magistrate Zhang's reputation for a long time, and today I finally meet him."

Zhang Xiaochun stood up, dusted off his official uniform, bowed and said, "The foreign minister has met His Majesty the Emperor of Qi."

Han Zhen didn't humiliate Wang Zhen and him, and gave him enough face, so naturally he couldn't be as rampant as a madman.

The etiquette cannot be discarded.

Although Zhao and Song officials always shouted that they were pretending to be Qi and pretending to be Qi, they actually knew in their hearts that the founding of Qi was the right thing to do.

First, all countries recognized it and sent envoys to attend the coronation ceremony.

Secondly, the jade seal passed down from the country is in hand.

"I'm sorry that Magistrate Zhang will stay in Guanyi for a few days."

Han Zhen waved his hand, and Lao Jiu, who was behind him, immediately stepped forward, stretched out his hand and signaled: "Prefect Zhang, please!"

Zhang Xiaochun walked out of the lobby without saying a word.

This person was capable, but he was completely devoted to Zhao and Song, almost the same as Li Gang, so Han Zhen planned to wait for a few days before trying to persuade him to surrender.

After Zhang Xiaochun left, Han Zhen sat behind the court case and said loudly: "Han Tongxuan!"

"Wei Chen is here!"

Han Jinsun immediately stepped into the lobby with a respectful expression.

He had long wanted to defect to Qi.

The main reason was that Zhao Song made him unable to see a glimmer of hope. On the contrary, Qi State was tending to dominate the world, and his family and relatives were all in Bianjing City.

Han Zhen ordered: "Han Qing led the officials to inform the people in the city that everything will continue as usual and there is no need to panic."

"Wei Chen takes orders."

Han Jinsun felt happy and turned around to leave.

It took two days to eliminate a group of officials with serious corruption and promoted several subordinate officials, but Han Zhen still had no intention of leaving.

At noon on the third day, Lao Jiu couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, how long will we stay in Taiyuan?"

Han Zhen joked: "Why, do you miss your mother-in-law?"

"hey-hey."

Lao Jiu laughed sarcastically and said with some embarrassment: "When I left the capital at the end of the year, my fourth mother was just pregnant. I don't know what is going on now."

Hearing this, Han Zhen chuckled and said: "Counting the time, Zhe Keqiu is almost here. When I see him, I will go to the northwest and then return to Beijing."

"Can you please come?"

Lao Jiu was stunned. As a personal guard, all the letters and secret reports during this period were handed over to His Majesty through him.

He didn't remember that during this period, the Zhejia family had handed him a letter asking for an audience.

Han Zhen said: "Zhe Keqiu is an old fox, so he will definitely come. In fact, I hope he is more stupid and doesn't come to Taiyuan."

If Zhe Keqiu couldn't come, he would have a reason and an excuse to clean up Zhe's family in a fair and honest manner.

　I was delayed by something today, so the update is late, sorry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)