Chapter 385: Conquering the Chieftain's Capital
Chapter 385: Conquering the Chieftain's Capital
Xiao Xia led the army to Fuqi City. The city gates were closed and the top of the city wall was full of soldiers. At this time, a scout captain ran to Xiao Xia and reported: "Your Highness, two hours ago, a team retreated to the west?"
"how many people?"
"About 10,000 people?"
This is a bit troublesome. Xiao Xia pondered for a moment and said, "Hurry up and ask General Wang Junkuo to come see me!"
Soon, Wang Junkuo rode forward, bowed and clasped his fists, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Xiao Xia said slowly: "Ten thousand enemy troops have fled westwards. I will give you one thousand cavalrymen, three horses, and two thousand camels loaded with supplies. You must track them all the way west.
You have two tasks. First, keep an eye on the enemy from a distance. Second, look for the Qiang tribes around the five freshwater lakes that did not retreat with the Tuyuhun army. Remember, do not disturb them and leave them to the main force behind. Do you understand?"
"I understand the humble position!"
Xiao Xia took out a map and gave it to him. He stared at him and said, "I'll say it again. The Qiang tribe is the key to the supply of the army behind us. You must not disturb them or scare them away!"
Wang Junkuo nodded, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will remember your orders!"
Wang Junkuo was born a bandit in Taihang Mountain and had a very strong tracking ability. However, Xiao Xia was worried that he could not change his bandit nature and would allow his soldiers to plunder and ruin his own plans. Xiao Xia was still not reassured, so he sent General Li Ke to be Wang Junkuo's deputy general and travel west with Wang Junkuo.
Wang Junkuo led a thousand cavalrymen away, and Xiao Xia immediately ordered: "Capture Fuxi City before dawn tomorrow!"
The Sui army did not carry siege ladders, but they were very familiar with the structure of Fuqi City. Fuqi City was an earthen city, and its solidity was far weaker than the brick cities in the Central Plains, so the Sui army specially carried ten siege ladders, which were disassembled and carried by camels.
Hundreds of craftsmen began busily assembling catapults, while tens of thousands of troops remained motionless, waiting for the moment to break the city.
As night fell, ten large catapults were assembled. Three thousand Sui soldiers pushed the ten catapults slowly towards the city wall and stopped about one hundred and fifty steps away from the city gate. Arrows rained down from the top of the city wall, but unfortunately none of them could reach more than one hundred and fifty steps away. Even bows and arrows were useless, unless they were crossbows.
However, military crossbows had always been a banned item in the Sui Dynasty and their sale was strictly prohibited. Even all crossbow-making craftsmen were strictly controlled by the court to ensure that technology and talent would not leak out.
Without crossbows, there was no way to attack from a long distance, and the Tuyuhun soldiers on the city wall could only watch as ten catapults were prepared.
"emission!"
At the general's command, ten large catapults were launched at the same time, and ten huge stones weighing hundreds of pounds were thrown at the city gates and walls at the same time.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The huge rocks slammed heavily on the city walls and gates, making a loud and dull crash. Large pieces of soil fell down, several huge cracks appeared on the top of the city, and the city gates were also smashed.
Then the second round of catapults was launched, and huge stones hit the top of the city wall hard, causing extensive damage to the top of the city wall. The cracks quickly expanded, and several large cracks appeared above the city gate, running through the entire top of the city wall. The city tower was hit by several huge stones and became shaky.
Several large holes were smashed in the city gate, revealing the sandbags behind the gate. The defenders on the city wall blocked the gate with the sandbags.
At this time, Pei Xingyan stepped forward and said to Xiao Xia: "I am willing to lead 300 soldiers to climb up the city wall from the north and open the north gate!"
Pei Xingyan had once climbed the tall Luoyang City, but Fuqi City had no moat and was a full ten feet shorter than Luoyang, making it easier to climb.
Luo Shixin also stepped forward and said, "I am willing to lead 500 soldiers to climb up the city wall from the south and open the south gate!"
These brave generals discovered the weakness of Fuqi City almost at the same time. It was too low and easy to climb up. There was no need to use catapults to break down the city walls.
"Approved!" Xiao Xia immediately approved their request. He added: "You can lead another 3,000 soldiers as a reserve force for climbing the city!"
"Follow the order!"
The two men excitedly clasped their fists and bowed, then turned and hurried away.
Xiao Xia then said to Qu Tutong: "We will each lead 10,000 cavalrymen to the north and south gates and charge into the city."
"I humbly obey my orders!"
Qu Tutong led 10,000 cavalrymen to the south gate. After Xiao Xia arranged ambushes outside the east and west gates, he also led 10,000 cavalrymen to the north gate.
There were also many defenders on the north city, and they were also very vigilant. Pei Xingyan used a little strategy. He sent two thousand men to feint an attack on the west side of the city gate to attract the defenders on the city wall. He himself led a thousand men to the east side of the city gate. There were almost no defenders on the city wall, and they were all attracted away by the feint attack.
At his command, with the help of the cover of night, dozens of strong soldiers quickly built a human ladder. The city wall was less than two meters high, and only three layers of human wall were built. Pei Xingyan held a long spear and climbed up the human ladder. He had just exposed half of his body when he saw two enemy soldiers standing in front of him, staring at him in amazement.
Pei Xingyan shouted loudly and stabbed the two men with the long spear in his hand like lightning. The two soldiers screamed and fell to the ground dead.
Pei Xingyan jumped onto the top of the city wall and swung his spear to kill a dozen soldiers. Two people behind him also climbed up the city wall. Their task was not to assist Pei Xingyan, but to hang two ladders on the battlements and throw them down.
The human ladder was only the first step, and climbing the soft ladder to the city was the main method of attack. The human ladder was disbanded, and the soldiers behind continued to climb up to the top of the city wall using the soft ladder.
As more and more soldiers climbed up to the top of the city wall, the defender of the north city realized that he had been fooled. The attack from the northwest was a feint, and the real enemy troops were coming up the city from the northeast. But it was too late. A thousand soldiers climbed up to the top of the city wall using ten ladders and, under the leadership of Pei Xingyan, launched a fierce attack on the defenders of the city gate.
The two thousand soldiers who had launched a feint attack from the northwest also ran to the northeast of the north city and climbed up the ladder. As more and more Sui troops went up the city, the city gate could no longer be defended. As the Tuyuhun general guarding the north city had his head chopped off by Pei Xingyan's lance, the three thousand defenders of the north city were completely defeated.
Two thousand Sui army soldiers rushed down the city wall and began to move the sand bags blocking the city gate, and the gate slowly opened.
At the same time, Luo Shixin's three thousand troops also captured the South City and opened the South Gate almost at the same time.
Xiao Xia shouted, "Go into the city!"
Ten thousand cavalrymen launched themselves and rushed towards the north gate one mile away. Xiao Xia took the lead and rushed into Fuqi City first. Qu Tutong also led ten thousand cavalrymen and rushed into Fuqi City from the south city.
At this time, the order to block the city gates with sandbags was like shooting oneself in the foot. The Tuyuhun nobles could not leave the city. Many of them ran to the top of the city wall and tried to jump down. They broke their legs, but they could not escape and were killed on the spot by the Sui soldiers who were ambushed outside the city.
The last time, the Sui army soldiers did not enter the city and resolved the war through negotiations. This time, the Sui army rushed into Fuxi City, and the Xianbei people in the city faced a catastrophe.
After three hundred years of development, Tuyuhun has formed a structure similar to that of India, with thousands of purebred Xianbei people at the top becoming the ruling class, including royal families, nobles, high-ranking officials, priests, tribal leaders and a large number of parasitic classes who gain without working.
The mixed-race people of Xianbei and Qiang became the middle class, including shop owners, merchants, middle and lower-level officials, low-level generals, etc.
The Qiang people, who accounted for more than 90% of the total population, became the lower class of Tuyuhun society. Whether they were civilians in the city, soldiers, or herdsmen, they all belonged to the exploited class.
This time, Xiao Xia led the attack on Tuyuhun. He wanted to completely eliminate the Xianbei forces of Tuyuhun, destroy Tuyuhun and implement the Hexi model. Simply put, it was to establish four counties, Heyuan County, Xihai County, Qiemo County and Shanshan County, which was in line with the historical trend, but the difference was that Tuyuhun's counterattack and restoration would never be allowed to happen again.
The army entered the city and began to capture a large number of Xianbei people in the city.
(End of this chapter)