Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 143 It's Not That Simple

boom!
A huge stone hit the yard where Fang Chongyong lived, sending up a cloud of dust.

This is already the fifth boulder to fall within the government office!A big hole was smashed into the roof of Fang Chongyong's bedroom.

Since the siege failed on the first day, the Tubo people surrounded the small town without attacking. Then, as they followed up, their heavy troops were in place and they used the wood and stones they found from Shouchang County.The Tubo people built seventeen spectacular-looking trebuchets outside the small town.

The Tubo people named it "Paolou"!
The main structure of this thing is to install a very thick horizontal shaft on a wooden frame, and then a long and flexible wooden pole is passed through the middle of the shaft. One end of the pole is connected to a wooden pole made of leather and connected by dozens of ropes. A leather nest that can be filled with stones.

Finally, when using it, using the principle of leverage, dozens of people listened to the command and pulled together, throwing the stones in the leather nest into the city.

In the study room of the government office, Anaye made tea for Fang Chongyong as if nothing had happened, as if the big stone in the yard would not have fallen into the study room just now.

"The Tubo people know that we are difficult to deal with and many people will die if we attack the city. So now they are using this method to intimidate us and hope that we will surrender."

As Fang Chongyong spoke, he took a sip of tea and almost vomited.

Anaye's family conditions were average since she was a child, and she didn't pay much attention to the details that only nobles pay attention to. The tea she made was indeed not as good as Zheng Shuqing's maid.

And it’s no wonder that people in the Tang Dynasty added salt to their tea. This tea-making process was not mastered, and it would indeed not taste good without adding salt to enhance the freshness.

"Knowing this, why don't you move to a safer place? Those damn Tubo people are targeting the government office!"

Anaye said angrily.

After hearing Fang Chongyong describe the treatment of female slaves who became Tubo people, she no longer had any good thoughts about Tubo.

"If I hide, there will be chaos in the city. Just because I am still working in the government office, the big families in the city, the common people, and the Hu merchants all know that I have not given up on the city.

So before I die, they will not be persuaded to surrender by the Tibetans! "

Fang Chongyong pointed to the pile of surrender letters on the table and said.

Of course, he was saying this to comfort Anaye. In fact, the Tibetan people were evil-minded and had great intentions.There is no need to talk to Anaye about such complicated and brain-burning matters.

The conditions offered by the Tubo Army are indeed very generous.

The residents in the city are allowed to move to Longyou. The Tibetan troops along the Hexi Corridor will not attack. They only want the city.

Recently, every time a condition is opened, the treatment given will be a little more generous.It was as if he was sure that Fang Chongyong would agree.

It is obvious that the Tubo people are very strategic in fighting wars and know that attacking the heart is the priority.Since the Tang Army in the small town has demonstrated its "united front value", they will also adopt a two-pronged strategy, not just act recklessly.

Fang Chongyong had long been aware of this kind of little routine, so he coaxed the brainless Qiu Ba.

If the Tubo people really wanted to let them go, that would be fine. Unfortunately, Fang Chongyong felt that the Tibetan people's purpose was not to "united front" at all.

Suddenly, Fang Dafu hurriedly walked in, and said to Fang Chongyong with a worried look on his face: "Mr. Lang, as you expected, the real target of the Tibetan people is the entrance to the karez in the city!"

"That's natural."

Fang Chongyong said calmly.

It is clearly written in the Tubo military law that when fighting the enemy, the first priority is to destroy its water sources and food routes.This is considered a great achievement and awarded with the Tiger Flag!The rewards for farm and house servants are worthless.

Needless to say, there is no need to say more about the colorful intestines of the Tubo people?

Karez is a great invention of the Chinese people in ancient times, specially designed to combat drought in desert areas.Many shafts were drilled in the settlement, capped with stones and clay, small huts were built to block sunlight, and small doors were opened on the sides for users to enter and draw water.

A karez does not exist alone, but with a single karez as a node, trenches are dug underground to divert water, so that these karez are connected to each other.

Therefore, in the Western Region, all karez in the same city are connected through underground ditches, forming an artificial "underground river".

Based on the map provided by the early spies, the Tubo people tried to block the entrance of the karez with stones, and it was best to destroy it.

As long as the entrances to all karez in the city are blocked, the small town of Dunhuang will definitely be short of water.

There is no water source, and if you still defend a ghost town, you will die of thirst.

No matter how bad it is, it can shake the will of the soldiers and civilians defending the city!This is to attack the heart!

From the moment the Tubo people started throwing stones, Fang Chongyong had doubted whether the other party's purpose was simply intimidation.The Tubo people continued to persuade them to surrender and raised the conditions for surrender, which showed that they had ulterior motives and had ulterior motives.

The large-scale siege has not yet begun, and the Tubo army cannot surrender. Everything is a stratagem to conceal the truth.

On the first day when the Tubo people started throwing stones, Fang Chongyong made a topographic map of the small town, and calibrated and counted every stone thrown in by the Tubo people that day.

He found that the directions in which the Tibetan people threw stones were not irregular, but were distributed very close to the entrances of karez wells in the city.

For example, it is right for the Tubo people to bombard the government office. It can be explained that they wanted to win without a fight, and even wanted to kill the governor of the state, leaving the place leaderless.

But it is a little unreasonable for them to throw stones into the homes of local wealthy families.

The only explanation is that wealthy locals like Zhang have karez in their homes!

These people should have been the targets that the Tubo army could win over.Only by attacking the government offices and not the big local households can we divide and conquer them and defeat them one by one.

This is the essence of the art of war!
Furthermore, when they couldn't know the specific situation in the city, how did they know that Fang Yanei would definitely stay in the government office?If not, wouldn't it be a waste of resources?

Therefore, the target of the Tubo people's stone-throwing attack should actually be the karez near the kitchen in the government office!Rather than the bureaucrats at all levels within the government office.

As long as the karez collapses, Fang Chongyong will have to go elsewhere to get water, and part of the Tibetan people's goal will be achieved.

If all the qanats in the city collapse, then the Tibetan people's goal will be completely achieved.

Considering that the number of karez in the city does not exceed ten, it seems that the Tibetan conspiracy is not just nonsense, and the possibility of success is also there, and it is not small.Maybe there are Tibetan spies in the city, helping them with directions.

The Tubo people had no intention of accepting Fang Chongyong's surrender.The idea of ​​this group of people is to build a plank road openly and covertly to seize Chencang, and to cut off the water source of Shazhou without anyone noticing!
"Lang Jun, it's not enough to know what the Tubo people want to do. You have to find a way to stop them. Today one of the karez has been destroyed and the whole thing has collapsed. After cleaning it, it's hard to say whether it can be used."

Fang Dafu said in a low voice.

The Tibetan people's target is the karez. This kind of thing cannot be hidden.Once the people in the city know about it, their hearts will inevitably change. This may be what the Tubo people want to see.

As the name suggests, the small town is indeed much smaller than Luocheng.The Tubo people also have rich experience in using throwing buildings.Not to mention where to hit, the accuracy is basically reliable.In Fang Chongyong's opinion, it was only a matter of time before all the karez entrances in the city were blocked or collapsed.

The annual evaporation here in Dunhuang can reach more than 2000 milliliters. There is no point in motivating local people to store water at home, as it will evaporate in vain.The Tubo people camped outside the city by the sweet spring, and there was no shortage of water. They would spend at least a few months in Shazhou, and there would be no problem staying outside the city until the water flow period came.

"The karez itself will not be destroyed, but the houses built on it will be destroyed, or the entrance will be blocked. The Tibetans beat it, and we will repair it!
As much as the Tubo people destroyed it, we will repair it.I will personally lead the team to handle this matter! "

Fang Chungyong said categorically, with no intention of giving in or surrendering.Fang Dafu moved slightly, then nodded and said:

"Very good. Lang Jun can do this, and he can hold on for at least two months. The total number of local soldiers and horses in Shazhou is only more than ten thousand, and they are divided into two, guarding two cities respectively. They can only fight back blindly. It will play into the hands of the Tubo people.

The Tibetan army came from afar and did not carry much food and grass.The local harvest in Shazhou was destroyed this year, and they could not get much benefit.Come to think of it..."

Before Fang Dafu finished speaking, Zhang Guangsheng hurriedly walked in. Fang Zhongyong raised his hands and saluted: "Your Majesty, the envoy of the Royal Army has an urgent military situation. Please come to the tower."

After hearing this, Fang Chongyong had no choice but to put down what he was doing and head to the city head.

……

"What are these Tubo people doing?"

At the top of the small town, Fang Chongyong looked at the locals watering wheat seedlings in the fields beside the canal in the distance and asked.They are being looked after by the Tibetans and working hard.

Because of the sudden war, many people living outside the city were captured by the Tubo people.However, the Tubo people did not let them serve as "death squads" to attack the city, nor did they kill them at will. Instead, they organized these farmers and let them work in the fields.

This situation, if viewed from the perspective of the invader, is quite unusual!

"The Tubo people are showing us that they are determined to win Shazhou, so they don't want to delay the farming season and tie themselves up."

Wang Sili said in a deep voice, with a worried look on his face.

Shazhou has a special climate and irrigation is a must.If you don't water during the season when watering is needed, all the harvest this year will be lost.The Tubo people actually took care of the local farming season in Shazhou and gathered the captured Shazhou people to work on the farmland outside the city.

This scene is truly shocking.

When the autumn harvest comes, they will finish harvesting the wheat and corn in the fields as military rations, which will probably last for a few more months. There will be no pressure on the siege until next spring!
As long as you can get a stable water source.

"General Wang, what's a good strategy to defeat the enemy?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice.

The Tubo people are quite good at taking advantage of the situation and using tactics. They are not blindly reckless in fighting, and they should not be underestimated.Although the Tubo people have not attacked the city now, their psychological offensive has not stopped for a moment!
The principle of subduing the enemy's army without fighting is not only understood by the Han people.

"If we go out of the city for a surprise attack in this battle, we will play into the hands of the Tubo people, which is not advisable.

The food stored in the city is currently enough to last for a year, so it is better to wait and see what happens..."

Before Wang Sili finished speaking, Fang Chongyong raised his hand to interrupt him and asked in a stern tone: "But the fodder in the city, the white thorns and tamarisk used for burning fires, shouldn't be able to last that long, right?"

Hearing this, Wang Sili was stunned for a moment, and then his face darkened.

The situation in Shazhou is worse than that of the cities in the Central Plains.

Because the firewood used for cooking here is not firewood, but desert shrubs that are even less resistant to burning.

"I have calculated it before. If we don't collect all the stocks in the people's homes in the city, it is estimated that Shazhou will be without food in less than a month. There will definitely be food, but we can only eat raw food, forget about cooked food.

From now on, the whole city will eat a big pot of rice together. The fodder in everyone's home must be turned in, and they will gather together to light a fire and make dry Hu cakes that are easy to store.

Distributed daily.I have already ordered people to handle this matter. "

Fang Chongyong's calmness greatly exceeded Wang Sili's expectations.

"Your Majesty, it's actually okay for you to return to the Central Plains. There is no need to go to this step."

Wang Sili pulled Fang Chongyong aside and whispered.

The Tubo people had little interest in killing senior Tang generals.In principle, if a Tang princess marries a Tibetan woman, both parties will still be "relatives."Most of the senior generals of the Tang army who were captured after the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Dafeichuan were later redeemed by the Tang Dynasty.

As far as Fang Chongyong's identity is concerned, it doesn't take much trouble to make a deal with the Tubo PY and leave Shazhou.

The Tibetan people harassed a ten-year-old child. If word spread, it would damage the reputation of Zampu (the king of Tubo). It was really unreasonable to do so.

"Can't General Wang see that this is a plan by the Tibetans to encircle the area and bring reinforcements?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a helpless look.

In this situation, is it possible for him to just slap his ass and leave if he wants to?

Wang Sili had nothing to say at this time and could only nod slightly.He had to admit that he underestimated Fang Yanei.

Fang Jieshuai, who is famous all over the world, will his son be a fool?It’s impossible even if you think about it!

Obviously, it does not take much intelligence to guess that the Tibetans are encircling the area for reinforcements. A senior general with a little military knowledge can guess it.

Of course, it’s not easy for a teenage boy to say it.

After testing the siege, the Tubo people surrounded Shazhou without attacking. In fact, they were preparing to ambush the Tang army. They hoped to fight the Tang army in the narrow passage of the Hexi Corridor... a decisive battle between heavy infantry and cavalry. !

The Tubo people sent out heavy infantry and the Tang army sent out cavalry. It looked like the two sides had exchanged identities, but in fact it was in line with their national conditions.

Although the Tubos raised horses, the level of their cavalry was actually quite average, far inferior to that of the Turks. They were often criticized by the Tang generals, especially their riding and archery skills, which were at the bottom among the surrounding ethnic groups.When Wang Xuance asked Tubo to borrow troops to destroy the country of Tianzhu, he only borrowed heavy infantry and not cavalry.

Because it’s not easy to use even if you borrow it.

The heavy infantry of the Tubo army were wearing thick armor and were invincible. They were usually served by small Tibetan nobles and had high morale.Even among the generals of the Tang army, they were in a state of disbelief.

In the decisive battle in Shazhou, the open terrain was not favorable to the Tibetans.Only choosing the location of the decisive battle in the Hexi Corridor, which has a limited width and a terrain that greatly restricts the movement of cavalry, would be the most beneficial to the Tibetans.

Attacking the enemy and rescuing them is the essence of the art of war!It’s no surprise that they chose to surround the spot for reinforcements!
Fang Chongyong speculated with his own dark thoughts that the Tubo people probably wanted to eliminate the main force of the Tang army in Hexi in one battle, and then go all the way east. After conquering Liangzhou, they would then stand firm and wait for reinforcements, so that the domestic Tibetan troops would continue to come to Liangzhou.

For Shazhou and other places to the west, it is best to besiege but not attack, and it is best to surrender.If you really want to fight, there is no need to attack by force. Just kill the soldiers and civilians in Shazhou City.

Encirclement the point for reinforcements. If the reinforcements fail to come, they will storm the remaining two cities in Shazhou. The Tubo people's calculations are very loud.

"General Wang, the Tubo people are coming in force, and this battle will not end soon. It is true to restrain the soldiers and work together in the same boat. The more we hold on, the more chance we have of winning."

Fang Chongyong said with a sigh.

Seeing that Wang Sili seemed a little disapproving, he added another sentence:
"The Tubo people have at least ten kinds of siege equipment. Now they only use flying ladders and throwing towers, and there are a lot more that have not been tried."

A gust of hot wind blew, and Wang Sili couldn't help shivering, and big beads of sweat flowed from his forehead.

(End of this chapter)