Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 617: Final defeat of Shouchun
The next day, the sky was hazy and foggy.

In the north of Shouchun City, the Han army soldiers hid in their tents. Under the supervision of the generals, the infantrymen checked the swords and bows they were wearing, and then adjusted their armor to prevent them from being left behind. The cavalrymen put harnesses on their horses, and then took out fine grains to temporarily replenish their horses' physical strength.

Following Huang Quan's order, Guan Ping first checked the preparations of the cavalry, and then went to the rear to understand the preparations of the infantry.

This time when entering the city, in order to avoid accidents, the cavalry will be the first to break into the city and seize the dangerous points in the city to ensure the smooth passage into the city. The infantry should then follow closely behind to expand the occupied area in the city to ensure the smooth entry of the army into the city.

Huang Quan paced at the camp gate, waiting for news from the scouts.

Seeing Guan Ping who had finished reorganizing his army, Huang Quan stepped forward and asked, "Is the cavalry available for the next step?"

Guan Ping looked solemn and said: "General, the soldiers of the third battalion are ready to go to war. The general can give orders to go to war at any time!"

"good!"

Huang Quan took Guan Ping's arm and walked, and warned: "To be frank, after the north gate is opened, you can lead two thousand knights into the city. However, there is an urn at the north gate, so you need to be extra careful. You cannot stop on the way, and you need to go straight to the north gate. , stand your ground, and then send soldiers to the city to ensure that Wengcheng is controlled by our army."

"Zhu Huan will arrive later with five thousand infantry, and guard the Wengcheng and the city gate on your behalf. After that, Tan Zhike will lead his cavalry into the city, charge left and right, and see if he can take the central city directly."

The cavalry and soldiers responded with vigor and rushed to kill with all their strength.

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the harsh golden sound in the city, which seemed to be sending some signal to the Wei army in the city!
"General, this is the sound of urgent preparations for war. I'm afraid Xu Huang knows that the general is leading his cavalry into the city!" Wei Yin said with an anxious expression.

In an instant, the cavalry commanded by Guan Ping directly broke through the Wei army and tore them into pieces. The infantry and cavalry of the Wei army were killed and scattered in all directions.

"嘚~"

The Han army scouts who had been nesting outside the city for a long time hurriedly sounded the command to open the city gate.

Fearing that something might happen, Wei asked his close associates to lead two teams of cavalry to the inner and outer urn city.

There were armored cavalry as the vanguard, and Guan Ping led the cavalry to arrive behind them, waving their long spears in their hands, causing blood to fly everywhere they went. Several Wei soldiers tried to block, but they were crushed by the Han cavalry and died under the hooves of the horses.

The suspension bridge is not long, and the cavalry is like a whirlwind, rushing into the city gate through the suspension bridge and directly into the urn city. The Wengcheng is not big, and there are already soldiers guarding the gates of the city, led by Wei Yin's cronies.

Guan Ping shouted loudly and urged his horse forward.

The infantry and cavalry of the Wei army only learned that Wei Yin had rebelled and opened the north gate to meet the Han army. As the vanguard, they rushed to the north gate first to explore a way for the following troops. Unexpectedly, Guan Ping didn't hesitate and led his Han cavalry to charge directly.

Guan Ping nodded and said: "Please rest assured, General Zuo, Ping has already written it down!"

The horse's hooves are flying like thunder; the horse's riding is like the rushing wind, unstoppable!
In the early morning light, the Han cavalry rolled up the dust in the fields, like a giant dragon shuttling through the loess. Under the guidance of the soldiers who were familiar with the terrain, they crossed hills and small canals, and finally the cavalry's horses stepped on the suspension bridge.

"it is good!"

The reason why Shouchun is so difficult to conquer is not only because of Shouchun's superior terrain, but also because of its city defense. Shouchun not only has an urn city, but also has two urn cities, which can be said to be one city within a city. Under the desperate defense of the defenders, it was difficult for the attackers to break the city.

After a while, the scouts sent by Guan Ping quickly reported back and shouted: "General, there are hundreds of elite infantry and cavalry in the east of the city!"

Wei Yin in the city finally made a move and used his power to ask his men to open two urn walls and lower the suspension bridge. Then a white flag was waved on the tower as a signal of rebellion.

"Woo~"

The horse enters the crowd, causing a lot of chaos. Several spears were swung, stabbing the mounts of the Han army's armored cavalry, arousing the ferocity of the horses and causing them to bump around in the crowd. The heavily armored cavalrymen danced wildly, injuring or killing the Wei infantry.

Amidst the deep and long sound of the horn, Guan Ping suddenly got on his horse, raised his long spear high, and signaled the sergeants to charge with him.

"promise!"

And once trapped in the Wengcheng, the soldiers entering the city are destined to die. Huang Quan was afraid that Guan Ping would be careless, so he had to give many warnings to avoid mistakes.

"quick!"

Guan Ping cupped his hands and said: "As a precaution, the north of the city must be guarded by cavalry under a certain tent, and then the infantry will enter the city."

Guan Ping rode out, followed by two thousand fine cavalry, and rushed towards the Shouchun city gate.

Wei Yin nodded and bowed, and said: "Because there are few soldiers and horses in the tent, there is not enough defense. With the general's troops and horses on guard, the north gate is safe!"

The armored cavalry are brave enough to fight, driving the injured horses to charge. Guan Ping then led his cavalry to clean up, fighting with swords and spears, or shooting with bows and crossbows.

Guan Ping has been training with Guan Yu for many years. Although he does not have the strategy of a general, due to his years of fighting, he seems to be a veteran general in the Southern Han army. Guan Ping comforted Wei Yin and ordered his cavalry to line up.

"Mr. Wei, I'm sorry that I'm wearing armor and can't salute you!"

After passing Wengcheng and completely entering Shouchun City, Guan Ping felt relieved!
"Shut up!"

As time goes by, the sky gets brighter.

"Don't panic!"

"promise!"

"understand!"

Guan Ping did not talk about martial ethics and directly drove the heavy armored cavalry in front, while the light cavalry held swords and spears behind. Facing the sudden appearance of Han cavalry, the Wei army's infantry and cavalry on the road seemed caught off guard.

Seeing Guan Ping galloping in with his cavalry, the trusted aide entrusted by Wei Yin wanted to step forward to greet the king. But he never thought that with Huang Quan's instructions, Guan Ping was afraid of being blocked in Wengcheng, so he ignored the greetings from the soldiers. Follow the city road directly and quickly enter the second city gate.

"kill!"

The war horses raised their heads and neighed, and the armored cavalry took the lead in crashing into the Wei people's queue. The infantry of the Wei army were afraid of the horses and retreated from each other, allowing the cavalry to cut into the Wei army.

Guan Ping looked back at the city gate, saw Zhu Huan's flag looming, and shouted: "Come with me, let's break it first."

The streets in Shouchun are three to four feet wide and can accommodate several horsemen and gallopers traveling in parallel.

"kill!"

Guan Ping held up the reins and shouted: "Yu Sheng led 500 men with bows and crossbows and stationed in the outer urn city. Xiang Jia led 500 people with spears and guarded the inner urn city. Anyone who seizes the north gate will be stopped. kill!"

There was a man who looked like a general in the Wei army. Seeing the fierceness of the Han cavalry, he cursed: "Wei Yin, you son of a bitch!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he was shot down by a cold arrow and then trampled to death by horse hooves.

Before he died, the Wei military captain opened his mouth and seemed to be still cursing Wei Yin. I don't know whether he was resentful of Wei Yin's betrayal of Kaicheng, or whether he was blaming Wei Yin for not leading him to surrender.

"Is the general pursuing the defeated army?" the attendant asked.

"Hunt!"

Guan Ping looked back at the north gate and saw that Zhu Huan's vanguard flag had appeared. He decisively raised his forward finger and shouted: "This army is probably in front of the enemy. The streets are narrow today and it is difficult to use fists and kicks. We will be defeated." Hurry back and our troops will chase you!"

"No!" The more the battle, the higher Guan Ping's morale became. Now that Zhu Huan had entered the city, he no longer had any worries. Instead, he followed Huang Quan's orders and led his cavalry to charge into the city, causing as much damage to the Wei army as possible, and then see if he could capture the inner city.

Guan Ping drove the defeated soldiers of the Wei army forward, defeating several assembled Wei soldiers and horses along the way, disrupting them and making them unable to assemble. The dispersed Wei soldiers, out of panic, either surrendered to the Han cavalry or hid in streets and houses.

The cavalry led by Guan Ping were very powerful. They rushed and galloped in the vast Shouchun City, which alarmed the sergeants in the city. The people in the city, led by Huo Chen, beat gongs and drums in order to bluff, so that the Wei soldiers in the city had no idea how many Han troops had entered the city.

Hearing the loud shouts of killing in the city, the people in Shouchun City were afraid that the rebels would kill them, so they put wooden doors on top of their houses or hid in safe places. However, there are also brave people who peek into the chaos on the streets.

Wei Yin opened the north gate, and Guan Ping led his cavalry to charge into the city. Everything happened too fast. In a short period of time, Xu Huang sent only more than 2,000 troops to suppress it. However, due to Guan Ping's pursuit and defeat, more than 2,000 Wei soldiers were scattered, let alone suppressing the North Gate rebellion.

When Xu Huang listened to the chaotic news reported from all over the place, he first slapped the case in anger, and then sighed in despair.

He only had ten thousand troops at his disposal, and with Shouchun's fortified city and the common people as backup, he was still able to hold on. When the Han army enters the city, the strong city and people he relies on will be reduced to nothing!

"The dog thief Wei Yin, I hate him for not killing him in the past!"

Xu Huang cursed unwillingly and vented his anger. Without Wei Yin opening the door, Shouchun City would not have been so easily broken by Huo Jun.

"General, what should we do if the Han army enters the city?" the attendant asked.

Xu Huang glanced at the edict displayed on the table and said helplessly: "Now the North City has been captured by the Han army. Let the remaining generals lead their troops to retreat to the inner city. With the strength of the inner city, we can capture Huo Jun."

"promise!"

Xu Huang was currently being held back by Cao Pi's edict. He was named a Chariot and Cavalry General, and he could no longer surrender. They can only try their best to delay Huo Jun's attack on the city, in the name of his loyalty.

Because the Han army entered the outer city, the Wei soldiers, whose morale was already low, either gave up resistance and surrendered on the spot; or they hurriedly withdrew to the inner city following Xu Huang's military orders. The situation inside and outside Shouchun is excellent today, and the outer city gradually falls into the hands of the Han army.

The news that Guan Ping and Zhu Huan had entered the city had been sent to Huo Jun by the scouts.

"Commander, according to the report from General Huang, General Guan led his cavalry into the city first, and the northern city has been captured by our army. Now General Guan and General Zhu are leading their troops towards the inner city, intending to break through the inner city and completely occupy Shouchun." Report from the Attendant.

Huo Jun stood at Bagongtou, looking at Shouchun City in the distance, and asked: "Has General Huang entered the city?"

"Entering the city!"

The attendant replied: "Now General Huang is sending troops to the east and west cities, hoping to occupy the outer city to welcome the governor's army into the city."

"Zitong, you are familiar with Shouchun City, but you don't know what you have to say?" Huo Jun asked.

Jiang Ji hesitated for a moment and said, "Commander-in-chief, Gong Heng is leading a large army into the city. The outer city will belong to our army. We should send elite troops to support General Guan and take over the inner city during the chaos to prevent Xu Huang from occupying it."

"good!"

Huo Jun nodded slightly and ordered: "Let the scorpion army enter the city to support, and tell Ding Feng whether he can return home early. It depends on his performance!"

"promise!"

In the city, Guan Ping remembered Huang Quan's instructions, defeated the Wei army who went to the north gate to quell the rebellion, and then led his troops straight into the inner city.

In the cave of the inner city, Chang Diao, under the orders of Xu Huang, led his troops to meet the Wei army entering the city, but unexpectedly ran into the cavalry led by Guan Ping.

Because there were horses, trenches and other objects at the gate of the inner city, Guan Ping had no choice but to dismount his cavalry and engage in a life-and-death hand-to-hand battle with Chang Diao's men.

Guan Ping took the lead and held a long spear to fight at the front. He was very similar to his father Guan Yu. Chang Diao led his troops behind the city gate and urged the front troops to fight.

Due to the narrow space of the city cave, there was almost no room to display personal martial arts. Dozens of people faced off head-on. One person died, and one person behind him made up for it. Long-range objects such as crossbows and javelins are completely useless. You can only use a spear and use its length as much as possible to stab, poke, and pick your opponent.

In a head-on fight, thousands of people were entangled in a narrow space. Cries of killing came and went, the ground was covered with blood and mutilated limbs, and there were constant wails, screams, and cries of killing.

As time passed, thousands of Zhu Huan's elite infantry arrived on the battlefield, replacing Guan Ping who had been fighting hard. In order to drive the Han soldiers out of the inner city, Chang Diao mobilized soldiers and horses from various places to resist the Han soldiers.

While the Han and Wei sides were fighting anxiously in the city cave, several defeated troops came running from the west and shouted: "General Chang, Colonel Pan Yu has led his troops to surrender to the Han. Now Huo Jun's troops are rushing in from the west gate. , now we need to divide our troops to resist at the west gate."

Blessings never come together, and misfortunes never come alone.

Seeing that the incident was over, Captain Pan Yu revolted and surrendered to Huang Quan while leading his troops to retreat. At this time, the Zhihu army was ordered to enter the city, and Pan Yu was ordered to lead his troops in front. With Pan Yu leading the way, Ding Feng entered the inner city unimpeded.

"what!"

Chang Diao shouted in surprise, and saw hundreds of cavalry not far away charging and killing in the inner city, heading towards him.

The general who came was none other than Gao Xin, the cavalry general of the Zhihu Army. Surrounded by dozens of soldiers, he charged bravely. It has been nearly twenty years since Gao Xin surrendered to Huo Jun, and he is already in his forties, but his body and energy are still strong. He holds a long spear in his hand to attack and pierce. Every time he swings the spear, he will definitely kill or injure the Wei soldiers.

At this time, following Gao Xin, they were riding heavily for the Hei army. In order to quickly occupy the inner city, they advanced together, with their tall horses lining up on the wall, and charged with overwhelming force, turning the chaotic inner city upside down.

With Guan Ping and Zhu Huan in the north and Ding Feng and Gao Xin in the west, the inner city was destined to be undefendable.

Chang Diao looked desperate, and couldn't help but look towards the government office, wanting to know what other arrangements Xu Huang had made.
However, I don’t know if he saw it wrong, but orange flames burst out of Xu Huang’s office, and black smoke shot straight into the sky!

Chang Diao saw it right. Standing on Bagong Mountain, Huo Jun looked down at the situation in Shouchun City. The center of the inner city was engulfed in flames, and the black smoke rising from it could be seen for more than ten miles.

"Where is the fire in the city?" Huo Jun asked.

Jiang Ji narrowed his eyes and said, "Captain, there should be a fire in the inner city, but I don't know where it is?"

"A fire broke out in the inner city?"

Huo Jun thought for a moment and said, "I'm afraid Ding Feng and Guan Ping have already invaded the inner city. Otherwise, how could the inner city catch fire so easily?"

After a while, the scout came along the mountain road, belatedly arrived, and said joyfully: "The governor, Pan Yu, the captain of the Wei Army, revolted on the battlefield, and General Ding took him as the vanguard to rush into the inner city. Seeing that the army was about to be defeated, Xu Huang set fire to his house and burned himself. . Wei general Chang Diao surrendered with the remaining troops in the inner city. "

After a pause, the scout took a breath and said: "Except for the rebels, most of the Wei army is gone in Shouchun City. General Huang sent people to put out the fire to see if Xu Huang could be rescued from the house and prevent the fire from spreading."

"color!"

Hearing that Shouchun City had been conquered, even Huo Jun, who had gone through a lot of ups and downs, couldn't help but cheer.

It has been about fifteen years since he moved to Shouchun. During these fifteen years, he has been restrained by Shouchun. The Northern Expedition to the Central Plains had many constraints. Now this poisonous thorn will be removed!
Shouchun was captured, Cao Wei lost the Henan barrier, and the Han Dynasty not only gained the Jianghuai barrier, but also had a base for the Northern Expedition.

Jiang Ji bowed his hand to Huo Jun and said with a smile: "After many years of planning, Shouchun was finally captured by our army. Congratulations to the Governor!"

"Ha ha!"

Huo Jun calmed down and said with a smile: "Send Gao Xiang into the city quickly to stabilize the situation in the city. Later, Zitong and I will move into the city."

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)