Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 529: Fighting against a rock with an egg?

Weinan County is close to the south bank of the Weishui River.

In Fang Chongyong's previous life, this place was known as "the main road of the Three Qins and the thoroughfare of eight provinces" and its strategic position was very important.

It is adjacent to Huazhou in the east and is the only way out of Huashan; it is connected to Lantian County in the south, and Baqiao is just past Xinfengyi in the west. It borders Fuping County in the northwest, Pucheng County in the north, and Dali County in the northeast.

Simply put, you can go anywhere!
To defend this place is to defend the east gate of Chang'an.

Although it is raining outside, outside Weinan County, countless laborers are digging trenches and setting up wooden fences near the camp outside the city.

The northernmost tip of Dongyuan in Weinan County is a commanding height in the surrounding area. This is a village called "Luduan Village". It is rumored that during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, a wealthy family surnamed Lu and a wealthy family surnamed Duan brought their people to live here and formed a village.

One surname lives at the head of the village, and the other surname lives at the end of the village. Everyone in the village has the surname Lu or Duan.

Now, hundreds of years have passed, things have changed, and the big families in the village are no longer the Lu and Duan families, but they still have this name.

Luduan Village was the core defense area arranged by Yan Zhenqing, where he set up his camp.

Yan Zhenqing knew that most of the 20,000 or 30,000 men under his command were weak or even a mob. Expecting them to win the battle was like a fool's dream.

But where else could they deploy defenses if not in Weinan County? Did they really have to shrink the defense line to Baqiao?
Yan Zhenqing knew very well that if he really did that, the powerful people in Chang'an City would turn against him.

Instead of doing this, it's better to give it a try.

"You guys, go dig a ditch in front. When the rainwater gathers there, it will become a canal!"

In the heavy rain, Yan Zhenqing, wearing a straw raincoat, shouted to a few soldiers who had stopped and were looking around and were slacking off not far away.

If we dig a ditch now, it will become a sewer when the rain stops, which will become an obstacle for the attacking side.

When the men heard Yan Zhenqing's call, they hurried over to greet him and ask him about it. Yan Zhenqing gave them instructions, and they reluctantly went to dig ditches in the distance.

It is raining heavily now, so it is obvious that it is impossible for Ji Ge's troops to launch an attack.

When it rains, not only is the vision obstructed and the movement inconvenient, even bows and arrows cannot be used. Those soldiers are full of confidence, thinking that it will be no problem to sweep Guanzhong. After all, there are no border troops in Guanzhong now, and the temporary united soldiers are really useless.

So there is no need to take the risk.

Yan Zhenqing took advantage of this time difference to gather the surrounding civilians and united soldiers to deploy defensive fortifications around Weinan County.

Trying to create greater obstacles for the Northwestern Frontier Army under Ji Ge's command.

"Qingchen (Yan Zhenqing's courtesy name), you can go back to the county town and rest. I'll be here for you."

Yan Zhenqing's cousin Yan Gaoqing came forward to comfort him.

Yan Zhenqing was no longer a young man, and his body might not be able to bear such hard work. Yan Gaoqing saw it and was worried.

"Brother, time is running out. Once the rain stops, the Western Army from Puzhou will attack us."

Yan Zhenqing smiled bitterly and kept shaking his head and waving his hands, which made Yan Gaoqing look helpless.

Fang Youde has soldiers, and elite soldiers at that, but he just refuses to take action now.

The Yan brothers knew the reason very well, because he was their old superior.

If Fang Youdeken had taken action, he should have gone to Puzhou to guard it. In this way, Brother Ji would not be able to lead 60,000 Western troops into Guanzhong.

Thinking of this, Yan Zhenqing sighed.

Fang Youde could not support the bureaucracy in Chang'an, which was the key to the emperor's rule over the world and the key to the inability of various "Jiedushi" to replace the country.

Yan Zhenqing could only choose the latter, because it was they who supported Li Heng to ascend the throne and become emperor. If things really got out of hand, Fang Youde would become the next Dong Zhuo.

Many conflicts cannot be reconciled, and there is no point in regretting what has passed.

"I am here."

Yan Gaoqing emphasized again.

Yan Zhenqing had nothing to say. He was indeed very tired now. So he nodded slightly and returned to Weinan County.

Guanzhong is densely populated, and Weinan County is very large. But at this moment, everyone who could escape had fled to seek refuge with their relatives in Guanzhong, and the city was deserted, with few living people to be seen.

Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, except for the Wude years when some people (such as Xue Ju and Turks) occasionally made trouble in Guanzhong, the rest of the time was peaceful.

There was almost no war.

Therefore, those who are still alive now are not mentally prepared for the coming of war, and do not know how to deal with it.

The coming of war left them at a loss as to what to do, and the horror stories of the past made these people fear death and annihilation of their clan.

All they can do is run away.

As long as they can avoid the limelight temporarily and are not directly affected by the flames of war, then when Brother Ji leads his troops across the border, it will be the same when they come back, with the most loss being some floating wealth.

The departure of these people brought great trouble to Yan Zhenqing. Now the remaining people in the city are all old, weak, sick and disabled people who are not convenient to move around. They are of no help in defending the city.

Back in the study of the county government office, Yan Zhenqing stared at the defense map hanging on the wall.

Well, this picture is full of flaws no matter how you look at it!

Even Yan Zhenqing himself found it funny.

In fact, the Western Army could bypass Weinan County from the north bank of the Wei River!
Do we need to deploy an army there as well?

As soon as this idea came to mind, it was extinguished by Yan Zhenqing.

To strengthen everywhere is to weaken everywhere. To set up defenses everywhere is to be defenseless everywhere.

Only when military forces are concentrated can they exert their due strength.

Yan Zhenqing did not dare to divide his troops.

Of course, Ji Ge's northwestern border troops are arrogant. If they were allowed to bypass Weinan County and leave Yan Zhenqing's tens of thousands of people alone and directly attack Chang'an, it would be no less than a slap in the face.

Therefore, it can be basically confirmed that the defense currently deployed in Weinan County is not useless.

The more Yan Zhenqing looked at the map, the more worried he became. He sat on a cushion, closed his eyes and thought about all kinds of troublesome problems. Finally, he fell asleep because of sleepiness!
This sleep was extremely deep.

Yan Zhenqing had a very long dream. In the dream, there was blood everywhere, and masked and armed soldiers were wreaking havoc in a big city.

That place seems familiar, as if it is... Chang'an!
The soldiers rushed into various markets in the city and dragged out the rich or noble people from their houses. They tortured and killed them with a grin on their faces, while carrying away countless amounts of wealth from the houses, box after box, as if they would never be able to finish moving.

These people set fires everywhere in Chang'an, even the Taiji Palace was set on fire, and the fire turned many places into a white wasteland.

So miserable!

"Qingchen? Qingchen?"

Yan Zhenqing felt someone shaking his shoulders. He raised himself from the table, rubbed his eyes, and found that it was Yan Gaoqing who had returned.

"Is there any movement in the camp outside the city?"

Yan Zhenqing asked reflexively, horrified.

Thinking of that vague dream, I broke out in a cold sweat, but I couldn't remember the details.

Yan Gaoqing shook his head and said, "There is no movement. The road outside is muddy and not suitable for marching. Even if the Western Army is coming, it will not be now."

Yan Zhenqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He was too nervous, and the slightest disturbance would send his nerves to the brink of collapse.

"Qingchen, if we lose this battle, how will you respond?"

Yan Gaoqing suddenly asked a question that made no sense.

He didn't say it so directly. The question he wanted to ask was: If we lose the war, will the Yan family be buried together? "What do you want to say, brother?"

Yan Zhenqing asked back.

“Qingchen, I think most people know what the outcome of this battle will be.

I suggest that after the defeat, you should take the remaining troops and retreat to Lantian County, and then decide based on the situation. If things don’t go well, you can retreat to Wuguan.”

Yan Gaoqing said in a low voice.

Yan Zhenqing never expected that his cousin would make such a suggestion. He was suddenly speechless and couldn't say a word for a long time.

"Aren't you going back to Chang'an?"

Yan Zhenqing asked with a helpless sigh. He had already guessed what Yan Gaoqing wanted to say.

“Qingchen, if you return to Chang’an, even if you return now, you may be convicted and sent before the Emperor.

Some people in Chang'an City don't have bones."

Yan Gaoqing's expression had turned serious, and there was no trace of joking in his words.

Seeing that Yan Zhenqing had nothing to say, he continued to emphasize:
"My brother probably doesn't know yet, but Li Mi has already made an agreement with Marshal Fang to let the emperor go to Longzhou, and he can protect the emperor.

As for our trip to Wuguan..."

Yan Zhenqing tapped the table with his fingers as he spoke, he still couldn't make up his mind.

"Qingchen! As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood!
If Marshal Fang takes care of the situation, won't the emperor still need our support?
How can I die here? "

Yan Gaoqing was getting anxious. At this moment, he didn't have much choice. What was he still hesitating about?

"That's okay."

Yan Zhenqing sighed deeply. He didn’t understand why things had come to this point.

……

A few days later, the rain finally stopped.

During these few days, Yan Zhenqing directed farmers and soldiers to build fences and dig trenches, without stopping for a moment.

Finally, I have built a rough version. I can't say whether it is useful or not, but at least it looks like it works.

A large camp and the Weinan County seat formed two independent garrisons, with trenches dug to divert water, and a defense line consisting of chevaux de frise and wooden fences. Independent passages could allow troops to be transferred between the two places in a covert manner.

Early in the morning of that day, Yan Zhenqing was at the Luduan Village camp. He had just arranged for the temporarily recruited soldiers to have breakfast, and then he saw a dark mass in the east.

From this high place, you can see everything in the distance.

He looked at the astonishing number of soldiers armed with swords and shields slowly advancing, accounting for about one-fifth of their number; behind them were archers armed with horn bows and crossbows, also accounting for about one-fifth of their number.

On the north bank of the Wei River, there seemed to be cavalry galloping westward.

Yan Zhenqing understood after a little thought that the other side was sending a part of its troops to fight against him, and then letting the cavalry bypass Weinan County and go straight to Xinfengyi and Baqiao!
If nothing unexpected happens, they will definitely use both verbal and physical attacks to intimidate people.

"Pass on my military order, all units are ready to meet the enemy."

Yan Zhenqing gave orders to Zhang Guangsheng beside him.

Zhang Guangsheng's troops were not newly recruited street hooligans from Chang'an, but were formed by the integration of the Southern Yamen's imperial guards such as the Jinwu Guards and the Qianniu Guards, and were supplemented by some retired veterans.

It can be said that it is the only combat-capable troop among these tens of thousands of people. Of course, combat-capable and very strong combat-capable are two different concepts.

Just because they can go into battle doesn't mean they can defeat those ferocious border troops.

"Mr. Yan, I think we should prepare for retreat."

Zhang Guangsheng said to Yan Zhenqing calmly.

"what?"

Yan Zhenqing was stunned.

You are really something! The fight hasn't even started yet and you're already planning to run away?

Seeing that Yan Zhenqing seemed to be worried, Zhang Guangsheng continued to explain: "Prime Minister Yan, fighting a war requires avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, and there is no limit to the use of troops. In fact, this line of defense has no effect, it just looks intimidating. The soldiers from Hexi and Anxi Beiting will attack us, and they will not march along the route that Prime Minister Yan wants."

Zhang Guangsheng is not good at speaking and doesn’t know how to explain it.

Yan Zhenqing had never commanded a battle in a border town, so he didn't know what methods the Tang army used to capture cities and strongholds.

At this moment, thick smoke rose from Weinan County, and it was obvious that someone had set it on fire!
Yan Zhenqing looked horrified, but Zhang Guangsheng calmly explained, "This is a tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking the west. If Minister Yan leads his troops to rescue over there, they will be ambushed."

The attacking party actually set an ambush!

Although this sounds ridiculous, it was the norm for the Tang army during battles.

"What if you don't go?"

Yan Zhenqing asked in a deep voice.

Zhang Guangsheng replied helplessly: "If you don't go, they will attack Weinan County. Guanzhong has been peaceful for a hundred years. Except for Chang'an, the city walls are very low, and they are not insurmountable. Mr. Yan has been building camps and digging trenches. It is not easy to break through here, so if I were leading the troops, I would definitely choose Weinan County as the breakthrough point."

He spoke with confidence, as if mocking Yan Zhenqing for not knowing how to use troops, but it seemed that he was just used to speaking like this and had no ill intentions.

Yan Zhenqing was not convinced for a moment and asked, "So, the fortress was built in vain?"

Zhang Guangsheng noticed that Yan Zhenqing seemed unhappy, so he quickly explained: "If we don't build the camp, the situation will be even worse. Tens of thousands of soldiers will surround Weinan County and I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out for a day."

"This won't work, and that won't work either. Doesn't that mean we're doomed to fail in this battle?"

Yan Zhenqing questioned, looking quite angry.

"Yes, there is no doubt that we will lose, so I asked Mr. Yan for a way out."

Zhang Guangsheng spread his hands, feeling tired of explaining military strategies to such a civilian official.

As soon as we met, he said that if you can't hold on, it's best to run away. After going around in circles, he still said the same thing. When did he change?
At this moment, a messenger ran over in a hurry. He was hit by an arrow in the shoulder, and blood stained a large area red. However, it seemed that the arrow had lost most of its power after penetrating the armor, so it did not penetrate deeply into the flesh, and the half of the arm could still move freely.

"Mr. Yan, the north gate of Weinan County has been breached, and the enemy troops have entered the city!"

The messenger reported breathlessly, his face full of despair.

The news he brought seemed to confirm Zhang Guangsheng's inference.

Break one side of the city wall first. Although you may not be able to rush directly into the city, you can set fire to create chaos and lure reinforcements to come for support.

The next step is to fight in the streets while attacking reinforcements, entering the countdown to breaking the city.

Yan Zhenqing believed that the enemy would first break through the "seemingly easy-to-break" camp and then attack the city. This was just his wishful thinking.

"Mr. Yan, I have a plan to save our lives. If you are willing to listen, we can still fight this battle.

If you don’t want to listen, then I won’t have anything to say.”

Zhang Guangsheng's expression suddenly became serious and he spoke in a panic.

"What's the plan?"

Yan Zhenqing asked doubtfully. In this situation, let alone trying to survive, even if there was no chance of survival, he had nothing to refute.

"As long as Lord Yan is brave enough, there is a chance of winning, but I cannot tell you now, or something bad will happen."

Zhang Guangsheng waved his hand and kept the topic in suspense.

(End of this chapter)