Chapter 668: Capture of Wuding Pass, Confrontation at Langya!

Chapter 668: Capture of Wuding Pass, Confrontation at Langya!

Only half an hour had passed, and the originally indestructible wall of Wuding Pass was breached so easily! At this moment, the Southern Border Army and the defenders were completely entangled, fighting hand to hand, and it was difficult to distinguish between the enemy and us.

Once this fierce siege developed to such an extent, it was actually equivalent to the city being completely lost. Because at this moment, the defenders had completely lost their ability to resist and were completely unable to resist the southern border troops outside the city who were frantically attacking the city gate.

With a series of dull thuds, the huge wooden beams slammed into the city gate again and again, making a deafening sound. The originally sturdy city gate had already become shaky under such a violent impact, as if it would collapse at any moment. It could not withstand such an attack, let alone continue to defend.

Not far from the battlefield, Zhang Liang was also concentrating on watching the changes in the situation on the battlefield, not daring to be distracted. Although they had gained an overall advantage, he did not dare to let down his guard at all, because he knew very well the cruelty and unpredictability of war.

Zhang Liang had been continuously feinting, but he never used powerful weapons like cannonballs. The reason for this was actually very simple. Although using cannonballs at the beginning could indeed bring great deterrence to the enemy, it was absolutely impossible to achieve the effect of making the enemy completely collapse. After all, when the enemy was facing a desperate situation, there was a high probability that they would fight to the death. This was the reality of war.

By continuously launching fierce attacks, not only can the defenders' energy and mind be consumed to the maximum, but they can also gradually fall into a state of numbness. This is like hanging a tight string deep in the opponent's heart, which may break at the slightest disturbance.

At this moment, Zhang Liang decisively chose to use cannonballs, a weapon that was almost out of specification. This decision was like a thunderbolt, instantly breaking the last string in the defenders' hearts. Under this sudden blow, the defenders' psychological defenses collapsed instantly, and the morale that was barely able to hold on also collapsed like a flood.

This kind of fighting style is not something that ordinary people can master. Han Xin and Ying Bu both find it difficult to do it. It requires strong psychological qualities, as well as accurate grasp and comprehensive control of the overall situation. After all, in the feint attack a few days ago, at least thousands of people on their side had been killed or wounded. Although not all of them died, the proportion of casualties of such a scale should not be underestimated. This is the price Zhang Liang had to pay for adopting this strategy.

Since ancient times, Hanzhong has been known as a strategic pass for its rugged terrain, and this is no exaggeration. Even with powerful weapons such as artillery shells as an aid, its power is difficult to fully exert due to the constraints of the terrain. Although the scene in front of us looks a bit embarrassing after two rounds of fierce bombardment, in fact, this has not caused any substantial shake to the foundation of Wuding Pass.

In order to completely conquer Wuding Pass with the power of artillery shells alone, at least ten rounds of attacks of the same scale are needed, and this is only a possibility. After all, the actual effect of the artillery shells currently used is more like homemade detonators. If they cannot be detonated at a specific location and only explode on the surface, then their power will be greatly reduced.

Zhang Liang was once brought by Gao Yao to personally observe the power of these shells, and Gao Yao also explained the advantages and disadvantages of the shells to Zhang Liang in detail before the troops were dispatched. It was for this reason that Zhang Liang made such a decision.

In fact, Zhang Liang adopted this strategy because he knew that it would minimize the consumption of soldiers. However, if other generals were to lead the army, they might not be able to implement the same method. This not only involves the difference in combat methods, but more importantly, Zhang Liang's approach made the soldiers who had previously feinted feel that they had died in vain.

Not everyone can accept and deal with this situation. Although from the final result, Zhang Liang was undoubtedly right, he exchanged the least sacrifice for the greatest victory. But from the perspective of human relations, Zhang Liang did this somewhat inconsiderate of the soldiers' feelings. After all, those soldiers who feinted were also flesh and blood people, they also had their own lives and emotions.

This is exactly why Zhang Liang chose to be in charge of the two counties of Bashu. He knew very well that even if he had a careful plan, he could never let anyone do it. Because doing so would not only become a handle for others and be accused of being cold-blooded, but would also seriously affect his prestige in the hearts of the soldiers. Therefore, no matter what, this matter could only be undertaken by him, even if it was a capable general like Ying Bu.

If no one knew about this, it would be fine, but the problem was that this matter was destined to be undisclosed. Even for the well-trained Southern Border Army, who would be willing to fight to the death knowing that they were going to die? However, the situation of the defenders of Wuding Pass was completely different from that of other counties in Hanzhong. No matter how powerful Gao Yao was, he could not reach out here to influence the defenders.

Wang Ben was very clear about the importance of Wuding Pass. The defenders here were the elite among the elite of the imperial court, and from top to bottom, almost no one would be willing to betray him.

These defenders were not only extremely powerful, but also experienced. If Zhang Liang did not take some special measures to take Wuding Pass as quickly as possible, he would easily be delayed by Wuding Pass for too long, thus delaying the entire battle in Hanzhong. After all, Zhang Liang's ultimate goal was to take over the entire Hanzhong, including Wang Ben.

When the city defenses were breached, the last bit of perseverance in the defenders' hearts collapsed. Their defenses collapsed in an instant like a flood. The Southern Border Army poured into Wuding Pass like a surging tide, unstoppable.

After passing Wuding Pass, the road ahead became unobstructed, and the entire Hanzhong was exposed to the iron hoof of the Southern Border Army. At the same time, Han Xin, who had already entered Langya County, finally met Zhao Shuo under Wei Bao's command.

Han Xin's camp was only five miles away from Zhao Shuo's camp, and they could clearly see each other's camp. Although Zhao Shuo had an absolute advantage in terms of manpower at this time, with twice the number of his troops as the southern border army, he did not launch an attack rashly.