Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 4

In the name of piling up artillery ammunition, Xia Guoying tightly packed around the entrance of the tunnel.It is not a simple matter to dig a tunnel underground along the specified direction. The direction cannot be shifted, and the depth is also particular. Every section of the excavation must be supported by a solid wooden structure to prevent the tunnel from collapsing.Fortunately, the Han army had already drilled the trench to within a hundred steps of the city wall, and the excavation distance was not too long. Ding Zhuang was transferred from the iron mine, and after more than [-] days of digging, he finally reached the north of Kaizhou City. A huge space was dug under the city wall, and a gunpowder chamber was placed.The gunpowder used in the blasting did not use the cannon powder pack brought by Xia Guo, but was prepared with sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter bought by the Fourth Battalion. But the advantage is that the quantity is sufficient and the price is low.

The blasting and siege was scheduled for September, the day when the nine dragons raised their heads. In order to prevent the Han army from leaking the news, it was not until September [-] that Zhao Xingde told Wang Hengzhi the details and asked him to lead his trusted subordinates to siege the city together.The Xiaguo camp and the garrison camp outside the city of Kaizhou totaled less than a thousand soldiers. Without the cooperation of the Han army, even if the city walls were blown down and they entered the city, they would suffer heavy casualties under the dying Khitan counterattack.

"What?" Wang Hengzhi was very surprised, "Can General Zhao really capture Kaizhou?" He couldn't believe his ears.Many Khitan people from several nearby states and counties took refuge in Kaizhou. Therefore, in addition to the [-] Khitan troops defending the city, there are also tens of thousands of Khitan men. If Kaizhou is really captured, it will definitely shock the world. Great victory.

"Yes," Zhao Xingde nodded, and he generously took Wang Heng straight to visit the entrance of the tunnel, "After the tunnel's medicine room is detonated, once the north wall collapses, we will rush into the city through the gap in the wall. Guards Most of the elite soldiers of the Chengliao Army are stationed in the south, and there is no time for rescue. When the time comes, we will defend the gap in the city, while dispatching troops and rushing into the city. In order to prevent leaks, General Wang sent trusted subordinates to act with us. The other Han troops were preparing to storm Kaizhou from all sides, and deployed their powerful camps near the north city wall. Wang Heng nodded straight, bent down to look at the deep tunnel, and sighed, "General Zhao really has a plan, and he has far-reaching thoughts. "I thought to myself, it's a pity that my Liaodong Han Army didn't have such a general.

Two days passed quickly.Wang Hengzhi didn't intend to really conquer Kaizhou at first, but now he can pick the peaches of victory by stepping on his feet. He also uncharacteristically mustered his energy and did not hesitate to pass on Han Ningshuang's military order. Not only did he arbitrarily set the day for the four-sided attack to September At the time of Jiumao, all villages were forced to incorporate veterans into the team that robbed the city.With his prestige in Liaodong for more than ten years, the generals of the Han army had to deal with it in advance even though they complained.By the evening of September [-]th, all the Han armies had been in place, and the most elite Han armies, together with Wang Hengzhi's Kaizhou army, were arranged outside the north city wall.They were all old minions that Wang Heng trusted, so they were willing to obey orders to attack Beicheng, which had never been attacked before.

It wasn't until an hour before the city wall was about to be blasted that the ministries of the Han army knew the details of the siege. The generals of the Han army outside the north city wall were overjoyed. You must know that the army that rushed into the city first would definitely get the most money. oil and water.The veterans were all gearing up, but the recruits who had never fought a tough battle seemed very nervous. After all, they had never really fought against the Khitans in the two months since the siege.The Chengying Battalion occupies the starting position closest to the predetermined gap. Three hundred sergeants are dressed in heavy armor. In addition, five hundred soldiers from the garrison battalion went with them to capture the city of Yamen in Kaizhou.According to the sentry, the Kaizhou government treasury is in Yacheng. The Han army has continuously attacked the southeast city for two months, and has attracted the main force of the Khitan army. It is the safest.Even Yeluyuan, the guard of Kaizhou, moved his tent behind the east city wall.

Tian Jue, the centurion of the garrison battalion who was in charge of lighting the fire, was covered in dirt like a field mouse. He was the last one to crawl out of the tunnel and gestured to Zhao Xingde.

Maoshi arrived, and the five cannons on the southeast fort began to roar. This was the second breakthrough point for the Han army to attack the city. Wang Hengzhi arranged 5000 people outside the city, and Pu Tieyan, the second master of Kaizhouzhai, supervised the battle there. At this time, the sky was already full of flames, and shouts and killings were everywhere.A moment later than the sound of the artillery in the southeast, a muffled sound was suddenly heard in the north of Kaizhou, like the sound of drums covered by a quilt.Zhao Xingde felt the ground under his feet tremble twice, at this time the Khitan defenders on the city wall could no longer stand, and they staggered and fell down.Some even shouted, "The ground is moving, the ground is moving!" However, the city wall still stood there majestically, as if it had not been damaged at all.

"No problem?" Wang Hengzhi asked nervously.Du Chuijiao and Cha Shen, who were about to attack the city, also turned their heads.

Zhao Xingde didn't speak, his eyes only fell on the north wall.At this time, the five cannons that had been secretly placed on the north side at night also opened fire, "Boom, boom—" After a few loud bangs, a shell hit the city wall, splashing a large piece of city bricks.Du Chuijiao was hesitating whether to attack the city. At this moment, as if dazzled, the thick city wall seemed to shake, and then collapsed suddenly with a gap of more than ten steps. At the top of the city, not even a Khitan defender could be seen.

While the other Han troops were still inexplicably shocked by the collapse of the city wall, Du Chuanjiao and Chashen led Xia Guoying's men out of the ditch and covered a distance of more than 100 steps under the cover of smoke and dust. They came sooner than they heard the news The Liao army arrived early in the city. Chashen led some sergeants and guards to guard the gap in the collapsed city wall, while Du Chuijiao led swords, shields and crossbowmen to the Yacheng without stopping.This short route has been rehearsed many times outside the city. Just as the narrow road encountered a group of Liao troops who came to reinforce them from Yacheng, all the sergeants shouted, and the strong crossbows were fired first. The army was caught by surprise, and most of the leading officers were killed, and the others fled from the side alleys.After Xia's troops dispersed hundreds of Khitan soldiers who were staying in Yacheng, Du Chuijiao ordered his subordinates to close the gate of Yacheng, unfurl the banner of Fenghuang Shanzhai, and prevent other Han troops from entering.He himself suppressed the idea of ​​doing it himself, and sent a ten-man commander to personally count the grain, grass, and goods stored in the Liao Kingdom.The other sergeants followed Du Chuijiao to patrol the city.

Kaizhou City was besieged for more than two months. Apart from digging trenches outside the city, the Han army only concentrated on the southeast corner of the city.At first Yeluyuan, the guard, thought that the Han army was planning to attack the west by attacking the east, but after more than two months, the southeast corner of the city was defended with great difficulty, and there was no movement in other places, so he believed that the Han army relied on artillery as a means of attacking deliberately. A corner of the city.So Yeluyuan concentrated his tents and elite soldiers in the southeast. At the same time that the northern city wall collapsed, Yeluyuan was supervising the formation in the southeast city. When Xia Jun rushed into Yacheng, Yeluyuan got the news that the northern city wall collapsed. At this time, more than 2000 Han troops had rushed into Kaizhou City, and bloody street battles were unfolding in various places in the city.Except that the Han army was fighting and setting fire everywhere.

The Khitans were originally nomadic people, and they were besieged by the Han army in Kaizhou for more than two months. The morale and hearts of the people in the city were extremely depressed.Shouts for killing resounded everywhere in the city, many Khitan troops scattered without resisting, and even more of them attempted to escape.The army was defeated like a mountain, and the guard Yelu Yuanzhi couldn't stop it. Finally, surrounded by his followers, he rode a horse and rushed out from the south gate.

The ministries of the Han army should have used trenches from all sides of the city to stop the defeated Liao army who escaped from the city.However, everyone wanted to rush into the city to plunder the property, and they were unwilling to fight the fleeing Khitan cavalry.The Han troops in the South City, West City, and East City were unable to attack the city gates, and the generals actually led their troops to the North City, scrambling to enter the city through the gap in the city wall that had been blown down.For a while, at the gap in the city wall that was just over ten steps long, thousands of Han soldiers would huddle together, and people from various villages shouted at each other to make way for them.The garrison guarding the gap in the city wall were pushed far away by these Han troops.Centurion Chashen hurried back to report.

Zhao Xingde's face was livid after listening to the report, and he said in a deep voice: "All the troops of the Han army have abandoned their positions and huddled together here. If the Khitan guard wakes up, he will use the cavalry who came out of the city to stop him in the middle and attack him. Will the horse trampling reverse the victory or defeat? General Wang, in my opinion, it is time to rectify the military discipline of the Kaizhou Han army. If not, I am afraid that there will be no need to fight the Liao people in the future. , the Han army themselves became 'disordered' first."

Wang Heng straightened his face in embarrassment, and explained: "What General Zhao said is true. It's just that the various ministries originally set up their own cottages, but now they gather together in a hurry. I have more energy than I want."

"Get together in a hurry," Zhao Xingde asked back. "Are we going to disperse again in the future?" Zhao Xingde sighed slightly as he looked at the chaotic Han army at the gap in the city wall. Not at all interested.But this Wang Hengzhi is a good old man in the Han army. It has been two months since the [-] Han army Chen Bing entered the city, and he has never seen him and other Han army chiefs blushing.If the Han army had been trained and integrated as soon as possible, it would not have been so unbearable.

"This..." Wang Heng looked hesitant.But Zhao Xingde interrupted him, and said in a deep voice: "If you choose a day, it's better to hit the sun, thousands of people here are in a mess, Khitan cavalry may attack at any time, if General Wang has the heart, make a decisive decision immediately, restore order, rectify military discipline, Integrate the various departments of the Han army. I would like to help General Wang. We will send cavalry to warn first. If someone insists on resisting, disobeying the military order, and forcing them to squeeze there, it is no wonder that the military law is ruthless."

Wang Heng followed Zhao Xingde's eyes and saw that more than 200 iron cavalry were waiting beside him. The cavalry of Chengying Battalion were all riding on big horses from Hexi. In the eyes of the army, it can already be called a terrifying iron cavalry.The five cannons were originally aimed at Kaizhou North City, but now the muzzles have been lowered slightly.