Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Facing the vanguard of two to three thousand officers and soldiers, Yang Zhi dared to take the initiative to fight out.

Now with an army of 30,000, Yang Zhi was inevitably a little scared.

When he first served as an officer and soldier, he only escorted some supplies. He was not considered a small role in the Song Dynasty, just a small man.

However, Liu Yanqing and Yang Weizhong were both famous and were the people Yang Zhi once looked up to.

"Without leaving the stronghold, if we delay him for two or three months, the enemy will definitely be short of rations!" Yang Zhi admitted that he was cowarded and chose to hide in the stronghold and be a tortoise.

Not seeking merit, but seeking no fault, as long as the officers and soldiers are prevented from going south.

If the officers and soldiers are cut off from food supplies and then take the opportunity to win a battle, this will naturally be the best result.

Thirty thousand Western troops were camped several miles across the river. The rebels only sent a few soldiers to conduct reconnaissance, but other than that there was no response at all.

After setting up camp, it was getting late.

Liu Yanqing said to his generals: "Since the Zhu Thieves' rebellion, all the roads leading from Shaanxi to Hanzhong have been cut off. Even merchants can't pass. Naturally, even those who work carefully can't get through. According to officials who released the Zhu Thieves, Yangzhou The general's name is Yang Zhi, he is just an unworthy general, he was even tattooed and sent to exile. Let's shoot the book over and see if we can recruit surrender."

So when it was getting dark, the officers and soldiers shot letters of surrender toward the other side of the river.

The main village was still some distance from the river bank, so Yang Zhi took the initiative to send people to collect the letters. After he read it, he said to the soldiers with a smile: "As long as I surrender, I will be promoted to the rank of seventh-grade military attache. How can such a big military attache be dismissed? Get a pen and paper quickly. I will also write a letter to persuade you to surrender and shoot it back!"

Several rebel soldiers rowed across the river and gradually approached the enemy camp. When they met an enemy team halfway, they immediately shot arrows and ran away.

The officers and soldiers picked up the letter and took it back to Liu Yanqing.

Liu Yanqing snorted coldly: "The clown!"

The content of the letter to persuade them to surrender was that as long as Liu Yanqing and Yang Weizhong led their troops to surrender, they would be the founding fathers of the new dynasty.

There was a brazier in the military tent and some torches around it.

Liu Guangshi pointed to the map and said: "The bandits have three strongholds. The main stronghold is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and is supported by two strongholds on the left and right. If we directly attack the main stronghold, we will not only have to fight across the river, but our army will also be attacked from three sides. We must attack from the left and right strongholds." Let’s start with the stronghold.”

Han Shizhong is not qualified to participate in high-level meetings and is now teasing Menzi in his own camp.

Wang Yuan said: "I have been exploring for many days before, and there is no trail around the surrounding mountains. The mountain of the rebel army's left village is gentler, but it is close to the main village. The mountain of the rebel army's right village is steep, and it is close to the main village. The main stronghold faces each other across the river, and the bandits in the main stronghold need to cross the river to rescue them."

Yang Weizhong said: "Let's attack the left village first. The mountain in the right village is too steep."

Liu Yanqing nodded and said: "I also think we should attack Zuozhai first. Who is willing to lead the troops to attack tomorrow? It's just a feint attack to test, no need to use all your strength."

After speaking, he looked at Yang Weizhong.

These two are old partners. Although Yang Weizhong looks down on Liu Yanqing a little, there is no conflict between them.

Yang Weizhong said to a general: "Friend Hu, go ahead."

"Yes!" Hu You said with cupped hands.

Liu Yanqing added: "Although it is a feint attack, it should be pretended. If the bandits are vulnerable to attack, the feint attack will become a real attack. The main stronghold and the right stronghold must also be attacked. Guang Guo will lead troops to pretend to attack the main stronghold, and Guang Shi will lead The soldiers pretended to attack Youzhai."

"yes!"

Liu Guangguo and Liu Guangshi responded together.

This time, Song Huizong also sent eunuchs to Shaanxi, and the dead eunuch was left in Fengxiang by Gao Qiu.

Gao Qiu was quite self-aware and led the troops in Fengxiang Mansion without interfering in the specific battles on the front line. At the same time, he also left the eunuchs who were in charge of the army behind, and they feasted together all day in Fengxiang Mansion.

If there is a problem along the way, or if the attack fails for a long time, Gao Qiu will end up personally.

Therefore, Liu Yanqing has great autonomy.

The next morning, Liu Yanqing left some troops to guard the camp and led his soldiers along both sides of the river.

The road is not easy to walk, it is all hilly terrain on the edge of the mountains, with small mounds connected to small mounds, and there are few ups and downs.

Liu Yanqing's Chinese army formation was set up on a mound three or four miles away from the main stronghold, while Yang Weizhong's troops were not far away on the left for reinforcements.

Neither Wang Yuan nor Han Shizhong participated. They and the other two troops were responsible for staying in the camp today.

In a normal battle between two armies, the winner cannot be determined overnight.

Instead, they send out troops, engage in constant battles and test them, and then fight a decisive battle according to the situation. In daily battles, each department must rotate to ensure the energy of the entire army.

Han Shizhong stood on the high ground in the camp. Although he could not see clearly, he kept looking into the distance.

"Han Powu, you are too anxious. Come back and rest quickly. You can recharge yourself enough to fight another day." Wang Yuan reminded.

Han Shizhong sighed, walked to Wang Yuan and said, "If I make a meritorious service this time, I won't be robbed of my credit again, right?"

Wang Yuan whispered: "With Yang Dutong here, even if the Liu family and his son take the credit, there will always be some left for you. Since coming back from Hebei, you have become much more irritable. What happened?"

Han Shizhong looked around to make sure there was no one nearby, and then said: "I finally figured it out. No one else can be relied on, so I have to lead my own troops. Five hundred soldiers is too few, why should I lead five thousand soldiers? When we attacked Liao, I only have about a hundred people under my command, and they can't use any skills. When the Liao soldiers came, they were defeated without much fighting, and I, Old Han, could only run away. Many old brothers died in mysterious circumstances. I am the commander, so I will definitely not lose so miserably."

Wang Yuan sighed: "Why am I not like this?"

Han Shizhong said: "Then you have to find opportunities to perform meritorious service, become a high official, lead an army, and don't let others command blindly!"

"It's difficult!" Wang Yuan found a place and took a nap leaning against a wooden pile.

Han Shizhong pulled out a piece of foxtail grass, held it in his mouth, chewed it randomly, and sat down next to Wang Yuan in a daze.

I don’t know how long it took, but in a daze, I suddenly heard shouting from a distance.

Han Shizhong stood up suddenly. He was very familiar with this movement. It was like this in the Liao Kingdom!

Fucked again?

…

The artillery on the wall of the main village is different from the squatting cannon made of wrought iron. It is a cannon made of pig iron.

Casting is certainly less troublesome than forging, but due to the smelting process and lack of furnace temperature, pig iron can only be used for casting. Afraid of the pig iron exploding the barrel, he put circles of iron hoops on the barrel.

It is unavoidable that it is heavy and weighs one or two thousand kilograms at a time, and the one with a slightly larger caliber weighs several thousand kilograms.

At present, among the four artillery pieces, the heaviest one weighs 2104 kilograms and the lightest one weighs 1983 kilograms. They have the same caliber and can share shells.

Yang Zhi put down the telescope and said to himself: "What a coincidence."

After the artillery arrived, it was tested in various directions.

The main stronghold is located halfway up the mountain, firing cannons from a high position, and the range is greatly improved.

The small mound where Liu Yanqing set up the Chinese army's flag. When Yang Zhi tested the cannon, if enough gunpowder was filled, the cannonball would land nearby.

Yang Zhi ordered: "Fire at the enemy's flag!"

Craftsmen have polished more than 400 pairs of telescopes. In addition to generals and generals, gunners must also be equipped with them.

Such a distance of three or four miles is invisible to the naked eye, and it is very difficult to aim. You can only estimate the direction and landing point to launch.

Liu Guangguo, Liu Guangshi, and Hu You have already commanded their soldiers and are gradually approaching the three forts of the rebel army.

Liu Yanqing stood in the Chinese army's formation and observed, but he didn't pay much attention to today's battle.

Although he was frightened by the Liao soldiers, he felt superior to the domestic bandits.

Not only did Liu Yanqing have this mentality, but even ordinary soldiers thought the same way. Therefore, the morale is pretty good, and the new recruits are not too afraid, and they all feel that they are better than the rebels.

"Boom boom boom!"

There were several muffled sounds in the distance. Liu Yanqing looked up at the sky and thought, "Why is it thundering because the sun is so nice?"

But he saw four black things flying towards him from far away.

The artillery shell hit the high altitude in front of the mound. It had no kinetic energy and was falling in a parabolic motion.

The first shell fell head-on into the dirt of the mound. Due to the angle, it didn't bounce much. It flew to another place and fell, rolling for several meters without hitting any enemy.

The second shell landed on the back slope of the mound. Smash the head of an officer and soldier, then move forward and break another leg.

The third shell fell five or six meters away from Liu Yanshi's side, smashing the chest of one of his soldiers.

The fourth artillery shell passed by the Chinese army flag and almost broke the flagpole.

what's the situation?

Liu Yanqing was completely stunned. What just happened was beyond his understanding.

The unlucky guy who was injured but not dead was still screaming.

This large group of Western soldiers all had frightened expressions on their faces, and more and more people were looking up at the sky.

No one ran away because they had no idea what was going on.

Liu Yanqing ran a few steps and came to the dead soldier. He saw that his chest had been pierced by a cannonball, revealing a large bloody hole.

"Ming Jin withdraws his troops!" Liu Yanqing yelled in fright.

"Dang-dang-dang!"

The advancing soldiers couldn't help but turn around when they heard the noise, and found that it was indeed an order flag to withdraw troops.

Yang Weizhong ran over quickly and asked, "I saw something falling just now. What is it?"

"How do I know?" Liu Yanqing was still confused.

Finally, a soldier came over holding a bloody cannonball: "Commander, look!"

Liu Yanqing and Yang Weizhong quickly approached, and the soldiers nearby couldn't help but watch.

Yang Weizhong said: "Is it a flat cannon?"

Liu Yanqing said angrily: "This place is three or four miles away from the bandits' stronghold. What catapult can hit this far?"

Yang Weizhong's general Fu Xuan suddenly said: "I heard that the old Zhu thief met an immortal overseas and was taught the immortal method before returning. The old Zhu thief also presented ten thousand years of Ganoderma lucidum to the official family, which he also found using the immortal method. . Could it be that... Old Zhu Thief is in the stronghold and did what he did just now to bring down the meteorite?"

As soon as these words came out, the scene fell silent for an instant.

Liu Yanqing's mouth went dry: "No... you don't really understand the magic of immortality, do you?"

"Where does a traitor come from the magic of immortality? It must be the magic of demons!" Yang Weizhong affirmed this matter.

Liu Yanqing said: "Whether it is magic or magic, this is beyond human power. We must send a messenger back to Fengxiang to inform Lieutenant Gao!"

"Boom boom boom!"

While the generals were talking, loading of ammunition was finally completed on the village, and the second wave of artillery shells came.

The cannonballs fall at the extreme distance, but they actually don't have much power, and it's impossible for one cannonball to hit a bunch of them.

There were only a few casualties, and the Chinese flag remained standing. We were very lucky not to be hit by artillery shells.

However……

Liu Yanqing looked at the newly won soldier, his head was smashed, and his death was extremely tragic.

Facing the unknown, a sense of fear arises.

Liu Yanqing felt that he was being stared at by a pair of eyes. Several large iron balls fell towards the Chinese army's position, obviously aimed at him.

It can throw an iron ball over a distance of three or four miles, which is obviously not what a trebuchet can do. This must be a magic spell, and the casting distance is extremely far. It is estimated that it is safe to retreat ten miles away.

Before the soldiers could react, Liu Yanqing suddenly ran towards his horse. He turned around and said to Yang Weizhong: "The red thieves are using evil methods to harm me. I must stay away from this place! Yang Dutong, the whole army is under your command for the time being!"

Yang Weizhong looked dumbfounded when he saw Liu Yanqing abandoning the soldiers and running away.

No matter how f*cking scared you are and no matter how much you cherish your life, there is no need to be so frightened!

Seeing the general fleeing on horseback and his own soldiers trying to follow him, Yang Weizhong sternly reprimanded: "Shuai Liu has other important things to attend to. Don't move around, lest it cause chaos!"

The soldiers looked around, but no one dared to move.

Moreover, when Liu Yanqing said that, everyone really thought that the evil spell was only aimed at the general, and no one left the Chinese army's position.

So, boom boom boom!

The third round of shelling was very unlucky and still did not hit the flagpole.

Yang Weizhong didn't believe in any magic, but he definitely couldn't fight today. Moreover, before the general left, he had ordered the troops to retreat, and all the ministries were getting closer at this time.

Yang Weizhong ordered: "Retreat slowly, I will personally lead the troops to break up the rear!"

On the rebel side, the gates of three forts were opened one after another.