Lord of the House

After nightfall on the 15th, it rained heavily. The pouring rain poured out and covered the sky and covered the earth. The offensive of the Huaidong Patriarchs was forced to stop and stopped in a valley at the southwestern foot of Xiaozhu Mountain. Take a peek at the open area west of the remnant city of Xinyu and north of Yuanhe, and be prepared for enemy soldiers from the west to enter Xinyu city on a rainy night.

The heavy rain stopped in an hour, but the water potential of the streams and rivers soared, and the forest gully also accumulated water into pools. In the middle of the night when the sky and the earth were like ink, the trees were wet with heavy rain, and it was difficult to make a fire. With only a few candles and wind lanterns, it was difficult for a large group of troops and horses to enter and exit in an orderly manner. Attacking, let alone attacking the ruined city of Xinyu, which had been captured by a Yuanzhou army, made the enemy soldiers breathe a sigh of relief.

In the early hours of the morning, after a heavy rain, the night turned for the better, the sky was covered with thin clouds, but the misty twilight of the sun came down, barely able to see the surrounding hills, mountains and forests, Zhou Pu immediately led Chen Daozi to ride with more than a thousand paces. Detour to the south bank of Xiatanggou, and travel to the foothills of Mengshan Mountain with difficulty.

After a night of dragging, the main force of the Yuanzhou army, who had retreated to the southwest foot of Chitugang, would be able to use the terrain to build a fortress.

The place where the main force of the Yuanzhou army retreated was a shallow gorge at the southwest corner of Chitugang. Although the mouth of the gorge was quite a few li wide, it was possible to have the troops pressed up to fight, but Yuanzhou's army erected the grid wall at the mouth of the gorge, dug a shallow trench outside the grid wall, and prepared a large number of bows and crossbows behind the trench grid. Defense becomes tight. The vanguard of the Huaidong Army, which was dominated by cavalry and only one-third of infantry on horses, would have difficulty in attacking Chitugang, and it might even lead to unnecessary heavy casualties.

Zhou Pu knew that defeating Yuanzhou's soldiers and horses was just a side dish, and he had to save his strength for the next larger, grander, and more difficult battle.

Zhou Pu immediately decided to wait for the main force of Zhang Jiheng's infantry to come and join forces before attacking the enemy in Xinyu. Before that, he wanted to prevent Yuanzhou's army from retreating from Xinyu to Yuanzhou, and divided his troops to the foot of Mengshan Mountain and inserted into the Chitu. After crossing the hillside, look at the north bank of Yuanhe River, which was withdrawn from Chitugang to the west, to prevent Chen Zishou from escaping westward.

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At dawn, the sky was twilight, and the campfire was beeping and blazing. Chen Zishou stood under the makeshift war hut, staring at the blurry scenery outside the mountain. The Yuanhe water in the distance shone with sparkling waves.

The heavy rain interrupted the sharp offensive of the Huaidong Army's vanguard and cavalry, but it also made it difficult for them to withdraw from Xinyu to Xiayuan.

From Mengshan to the west, the road becomes rough and steep, and the heavy rain last night caused many roads to be washed away, many ponds, or mudslides. Huaidong Army defeated? And Chen Zishou couldn't be sure how much time the soldiers and horses could buy him.

In addition to the 16,000 troops and horses who retreated to Chitugang, Zhang Xiongshan was wounded and retreated into Xinyu City. In addition, the remnants of the army were defeated, and there were still 6,000 troops and horses in Xinyu City. The vanguard marched, but the hasty contact before the night made no one have the confidence to fight the Huaidong Army in the field.

Zhang Xiongshan led the elite guards of Huang Binghao, who can be said to be the soldiers and horses most loyal to Huang Binghao. They were easily defeated at the western foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, and a considerable number of Yuanzhou troops in Chitugang and Xinyu remnant city were The generals, before the war, were afraid of angering Huaidong and advocated accepting the surrender. At this time, can they expect these soldiers and horses to fight hard against the elites of the Huaidong Army regardless of their health?

Chen Zishou did not retreat westward overnight. One was due to the bad weather, and the other was worried that if he retreated westward, he would call Huaidong Elite Buzzards to chase after him, and his morale and team would not collapse.

Today, there is still a dangerous terrain to defend at the southwestern foot of Chitugang. The rock slopes on both sides of the canyon are quite steep, making it difficult for the Huaidong Army outside the mountain to enter. When the soldiers and horses are restrained in the camp, they can maintain the morale of the army and do not collapse immediately.

Zhang Xiongshan's soldiers and horses in the remnant city of Xinyu did not dare to fight, and Chen Zishou did not dare to leave Chitugang easily. The soldiers had no fighting spirit. Whether they were advancing eastward to Xinyu or retreating westward to Xiayuan, they would all be exposed to the open river valley. In between, called Huaidong Buqi elite to find an opportunity to attack.

Although it is only 30 miles from Chitugang to Xinyu, the river valley in the middle is wide, and the elite cavalry and horse infantry of Huaidong stomped their feet on the southwest **** of Xiaozhu Mountain on the north side, as if a spear pierced straight. Let people not dare to force through.

Chen Zishou and Huang Binghao's previous plan only wanted to enter Xinyu City one step before the Huaidong Army reacted, and did not want to fall into the danger of losing ground. But for now, Chen Zishou can only defend the mouth of the gorge, disperse his cronies into the army, stabilize the army, and prevent those restless generals from mutiny.

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Affected by the heavy rain, Lin Fu personally led Zhang Jiheng's four brigade infantrymen to enter Xinyu before nightfall on the 17th.

From Yuzhang to Xinyu, along the west bank of the Ganjiang River, the biggest obstacle along the way is the Jinshui that flows down from the mountains in the west of Yangle. However, as early as the beginning of June, the Huaidong Army was on the river branch where Jinjin merged into the Ganjiang River. A pontoon bridge is set up at the mouth, and the whole road is complete until it reaches the territory of Yangle.

Before the 17th, Zhang Xiongshan and Chen Zishou did not dare to make any changes in Xinyu and Chitugang, but desperately used the resources at hand to strengthen their defense.

Huaidong's 12,000 elite soldiers crossed the Xiatanggou from the tensely built pontoon, followed the road trampled by the front of Zhou Pusuo, and divided into two teams to advance along the north bank of Yuanhe River along the foothills of Mengshan Mountain and the west foot of Xiaozhu Mountain. Confronting the enemy defending Chitugang formed a flanking trend.

Although Chen Zishou built a simple camp in two days at the western foot of Chitugang, he cut wood and dug soil to make a trench. Come, bring the scorpion crossbow, the crossbow and other weapons, the rushing chariot, the cave chariot and other equipment are also quickly assembled in front of the battle, the Yuanzhou army's camp in Chitugang seems very thin.

Zhou Pu led the elites of walking and cavalry into Xinyu in two batches. One was to attract the main force of the Yuanzhou army around Xinyu, and the other was to keep the main force of the Yuanzhou army outside Xinyu. At this point, both of these goals have been accomplished very beautifully.

Lin Bie, accompanied by Gao Zongting and others, rode his horse into the temporary camp that Zhou Pu had set up at the southwestern foot of Xiaozhu Mountain, jumped off his horse, and said to Zhou Pu, "I brought you all 12,000 soldiers and horses. , when will we see you marching down to Yuan?"

"It was Zhang Xiongshan who avoided Xinyu City. His loyalty to Huang Binghao was no less than that of Chen Zishou. If we attacked Chitugang by force, Zhang Xiongshan would most likely send troops from Xinyu City to risk his death and attack our rear," Zhou Pu said. "If there are stars and moons tomorrow night, then fight Chitugang tomorrow night!"

The Huaidong Army is stronger than the night battle, and the night will limit the Yuanzhou troops and horses in Xinyu City, thereby reducing the Huaidong Army's defensive strength in the south of Xiaozhu Mountain, and can concentrate its forces on Chitugang at night - Zhou Pu suggested the soldiers The horses came to rest for a day, and then stormed Chitugang after nightfall tomorrow.

"It will be too late until tomorrow," Lin Fu shook his head and said, "Xinye City has been captured by Shewenzhuang, Nanyang is crumbling, and Nanyang cannot last for three or five days, which is not the most pessimistic estimate. We must fight. If it rains until tomorrow, it will not last for three or five days. I have seen it tonight, and we will attack Chitugang at dawn..."

It is hard to predict what the weather will be like tomorrow night. Lin Fu asked to attack Chitugang tonight.

"It's a bit hasty to attack after tonight," Zhou Pu pondered for a while, then turned to ask Zhang Jiheng, "Your son, Erlang, travels 300 miles in four days, can you be ready to attack Chitugang before dawn?"

The original plan was to come to Xinyu yesterday, but it was delayed by the heavy rain for a day on the road. Although it was delayed for a day on the road, the generals were even more tired. They left Jinshui from Yangle County and headed south. The road was washed away by the rain, which increased the difficulty of marching.

Zhou Pu was worried about whether Zhang Jiheng's generals could afford to continue fighting.

Zhang Jiheng touched his nose and said, "No problem."

"The battle here cannot be delayed," Gao Zongting said. "We must fully gather our troops and horses before the Yanhu army crosses the Han River and attacks Jingzhou, and the time left is very tight. If the battle at Chitugang is likely to be delayed. , Xiayuan and Yuanzhou may not have time to pick it up!"

"Then attack Chitugang after dawn. In addition, first replace the cavalry camp and rest for a night, and prepare for the pursuit," Lin Fu made a decision and said, "Take Chitugang and defeat its main force. Xinyu is here. Temporarily leave three or five thousand soldiers and horses to monitor and persuade them to surrender, and the other soldiers and horses will follow the defeated soldiers and take down Yuan!" He asked Zhou Pu again, "Is there any news about Wu Jingze?"

"Wu Jingze and Zhou Zhizheng escorted grain and grass before sunrise to Yuancheng. After the battle between the two armies, he and Zhou Zhizheng stopped at the northeastern foot of Xiaoping Mountain. I told them to wait for the opportunity, not to make Huang Binghao suspicious..." Zhou Pu said.

"Okay," Lin Fu said, "The Zhou clan is willing to put an end to the chaos, but it can be an example for the Jiangzhou generals and send someone to inform Wu Jingze, don't ask the Zhou clan to take risks..."

After winning Yuanzhou, Lin Fu couldn't stay in Yuanzhou for too long. If he wanted to stabilize Yuanzhou's situation in the quickest time, he needed someone to clean up the mess for him and recruit him.

Zhou Pu added: "Huang Binghao was in chaos. Yesterday morning, he wanted to lead the last 5,000 troops from Yuan to aid Xinyu, but he couldn't walk ten miles, so he returned to Yuancheng."

"Be greedy, you will lose." Lin Fu made an assertion to Huang Binghao, and without saying anything, he went out to visit the generals who had been fighting with the enemy in Xinyu for many days, accompanied by Zhou Pu and Gao Zongting.

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After nightfall on the 17th, it started to rain again, and in the early morning, it was clear that the sky was full of stars.

Chitugang is a grassy slope, it becomes slippery after the rain, the forest gully becomes a pool of water, and the rainy weather makes the strings of the bow and crossbow loose, and there are many inconveniences in fighting after the rain. Choose to attack after the rain, and mostly avoid the inside of the canyon to rest in the early morning.

At dawn, the bright moon converges, and a twilight blue light shines on the horizon, illuminating the land at the foot of Mount Mengshan like a dense fog. From the starting position, the Huaidong Army rushed up from the east wing and the southwest corner, pushing the chariots, cave chariots, scorpion crossbows, scorpion crossbows and other weapons.

Of course, the outer sentry blew the police whistle of the enemy attack, and the enemy camp in the gorge was disturbed.

In addition to the infantry who attacked from the front **** of the gorge, more than a thousand light soldiers climbed the cliff from each flank, and attacked the soldiers and horses deployed by the Yuanzhou army on the cliff to cover the gorge camp.

Chitugang is not high, the highest point on the north ridge is only more than 50 feet. In just three or four days, the Yuanzhou army could not cover the perimeter of Chitugang. Before the sky was completely bright, the Yuanzhou army deployed in the mountains and forests on the left wing. The more than a thousand defenders were the first to be defeated. After Zhang Jiheng saw that he had won the high ground on the left wing, he used mules and horses to transport dozens of scorpion crossbows up the mountain, set them on the cliff on the left side of the canyon, and bombard the enemy camp.

Although it had rained before dawn, and the enemy camp was wet, but throwing the kerosene canisters set the camp ablaze, causing clusters of fires to burn in the enemy camp. Although the fire was not big, only a dozen stone bullets could be dropped each time, but it caused the enemy camp to become more chaotic, and it was difficult to rectify the formation in the valley and reach the gorge in batches to defend against the frontal attack of the Huaidong Army.

In the mouth of the gorge, Yuanzhou's army had more than 16,000 soldiers and horses. Although a considerable part of the army was unstable, Chen Zishou had more than 5,000 direct line soldiers and horses at his disposal.

Chen Zishou selected some of the elites of the direct line to supervise the battle team, and stood behind other unsettled soldiers and horses with swords and axes to supervise the battle. He also deployed the main direct line soldiers and horses on the inner side of the gate wall of the gorge, and directly assumed the front of the Huaidong Army. offensive.

The timing of the Huaidong Army's entry into Xinyu was such a coincidence that Chen Zishou understood his and Huang Binghao's plans for a long time, and Huaidong saw it in his eyes. Perhaps there is still a way out for others to surrender to Huaidong. He and Huang Binghao will surely die. In order to protect themselves, Chen Zishou must throw all the soldiers and horses of his direct line in and fight to the death.

As the direct line of Chen Zishou, the generals were either promoted by Chen Zishou, or they were from the same clan or hometown with Chen Zishou, and they both prospered and declined, so they could advance and retreat together, and they lived and died together. But under the current situation, even Chen Zishou's direct line, when he saw the Huaidong Army soldiers pouring in like a mountain torrent, was shocked and demoralized.

The fierce battle at the mouth of the gorge continued until the end of the sun. After the trenches were filled, dozens of scorpion crossbows and crossbows accompanied by the Huaidong Army pushed them to the front of the enemy's gate~www.readwn.com~ Even the synchronous bow and hard crossbow, arrows and stones flew like arrows. Locusts generally cover the open area of ​​the enemy camp at the mouth of the gorge. The blood seeped out from the fence, overflowed everywhere, mixed with the trampled mud, and there was no difference.

When the sun rose above the treetops, Chen Zishou's direct line of soldiers and horses accumulated heavy casualties behind the fence, and they filled in the trenches. With a big mouth, hundreds of Huaidong army soldiers rushed in to fight close to each other, making Yuanzhou's army not able to catch a breath for a moment.

Hand-to-hand combat can better reflect the differences between the two generals in morale, fighting spirit, combat training, martial arts, weapons and armor.

Huaidong Mo's swordsman was covered by two-wing sword shield soldiers, wearing heavy armor and holding a sword in both hands. There was almost no enemy in front of him, and a large shield was required to block Mo Dao's slash. The sharp and thick Mo blade was swung, and even with the armor, the head, shoulders and arms were split open, the large shields touched each other, and the spears stabbed, making Yuanzhou's defense line at the mouth of the gorge like cracks in porcelain, and in the strong military. Under the blow, the cracks are getting deeper and bigger, and they can no longer be repaired, and they are about to disintegrate into pieces.

Chen Zishou finally realized that the Huaidong Army was unable to stop him, so he reined in his horse and rushed to the right flank, where there was a gap in the ridge where he could go west out of Chitugang, which had not yet been captured by the Huaidong Army.

To break out of the siege, there is his last chance.

Chen Zishou no longer filled the limited direct line of troops into the gorge to resist the frontal offensive of the Huaidong Army, and took the lead in breaking through the gap on the right flank. The news reached the front, and almost instantly defeated the fighting spirit of the defenders. When one person turned and fled, the infection spread quickly, and the line of defense collapsed following the fighting spirit. Countless people followed Chen Zishou's personal soldiers and fled from the gap to Chitugang Mountain and westward, and more people abandoned their weapons one after another. Surrender without any resistance. My QT room is open! More vulgar official QT room number [9167] Click to enter