Chapter 1331 Bo Cheng
Chapter 1331 Bo Cheng (monthly ticket plus 5 updates)
On the western horizon, long lines of troops appeared.
The south wind blew the flags, the manes of the war horses, the soldiers' uniforms, and the red tassels on the spears.
The Xianbei cavalry cruised around, but were always afraid of the large carts on both sides of the column, and even more afraid of the sharp arrows shot from the carts from time to time.
The arrow was very accurate, chasing and biting the flesh. It was obvious that the man was an expert in using the bow for more than ten years.
They tried to go around them, but the infantry continued to advance in waves, stretching far to the horizon and filling the entire plain.
Smoke and dust rose between the lines, and it was obvious that the enemy cavalry were riding horses and charging towards them.
Occasionally, there would be a ruthless person who resolutely drilled in between two infantry formations and fought head-on with the enemy cavalry, but he was quickly defeated.
There is no other reason. There are enemies everywhere, front, back, left and right, and the psychological pressure is extremely great.
Especially when they saw the Liang army infantry stamping their feet and shouting like a tsunami, even the most resolute people would lose their morale. On the contrary, the cavalry on the opposite side were very motivated and chased them. After a few times, they no longer did such stupid things.
More exciting drum beats sounded, and a huge command vehicle appeared in the Xianbei people's sight.
Li Chong held the hilt of his sword, stood solemnly behind the railing, and watched the overwhelming infantry and cavalry army rushing towards Jicheng.
The three battalions of the imperial guards, 28,000 palace soldiers, a total of 40,000 to 50,000 combat troops, were all gathered here.
This is the elite military force of a unified dynasty. When they deploy their troops in front of you, you will truly understand the meaning of phrases like "armor shines like the sun" and "advancing in a wall-like formation".
Any individual bravery pales in comparison to such military might.
When they come at you like a wall, when the front row falls and the back row fills the gap with expressionless faces, you will feel an irresistible sense of frustration from the bottom of your heart.
At the same time, a sense of greed also arose. If these 40,000 to 50,000 people could be left in the wild mountains and wilderness of Jicheng, even if Shao the thief controlled twenty-one states in the world, he would gradually be unable to cope with the situation.
At that time, even the always obedient Wang Yan dared to question him in person, why couldn't my grandson be the crown prince?
This world is very realistic, and violence is always the underlying color.
The command vehicle stopped, Li Zhongqing stroked his long beard and looked at Jicheng quietly.
The four gates of Jicheng were tightly closed, and there was no sound. Even the Xianbei cavalry that had been roaming in the wilderness slowly disappeared. The earth was so quiet that it made people want to cry.
A moment later, flags were raised one after another, and messengers went back and forth non-stop, issuing orders one after another.
The soldiers in the back row sat on the ground to conserve their strength.
The soldiers in the front row were wearing armor and holding weapons, standing still.
The cavalry scattered in all directions, forming several long lines in the wilderness, closely guarding the four city gates.
The mixed Hu cavalry dispersed further away to cover the periphery.
Countless auxiliary soldiers who came with the army took action, unloaded wooden pillars, chevaux de frise, and deer antlers from the carts, took out shovels, pickaxes, axes, saws, hemp ropes and other tools, and began to set up camp.
During the whole process, no one came to stop them, and everyone seemed to be waiting quietly for them to settle down.
For a moment, the only sounds in the wilderness were the sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground, the sounds of felling and sawing trees, and the commands for the infantry to rotate in formation.
The Xianbei might have been frightened, or they might have been waiting for a better opportunity, but who cared? The Liang people just followed their own steps, first setting up camp, then surrounding Jicheng tightly, that was all.
******
Six thousand five hundred infantry and cavalry from Feilongshan and Shangbai towns lined up and rushed to the south of the city, under the command of Yan Wang Shao Yu.
Tuoba Sigong and other troops have already returned to the army, and now he has only about 5,000 men under his command, which is not a lot.
At three quarters past three in the afternoon, Huang Zheng's troops from the Left Camp of the Heilongjiang Army arrived.
In the evening, thousands of Bingzhou cavalry also arrived.
By this time, there were nearly 20,000 people in this direction. After half a day's hard work, a shallow trench was dug, the bottom of the trench was filled with iron and bamboo sticks, and a large number of deer antlers and chevaux de frise were placed in the direction of Jicheng to prevent cavalry attacks.
Only a small part of the barracks had been repaired, so everyone could only gather the cars together to form a small circle and rest inside it tonight.
Shao Yu has been observing the city defenses of Jicheng.
The city was relatively high, and a moat was dug outside the city, with swamp water used as a moat.
The facilities such as the barbican and the mamian are complete, and it is obvious that they were built under the guidance of scholars from the Central Plains. It is considered to be one of the most powerful cities in a remote place like Changli County.
There is a low wall close to the city wall, which is usually where livestock are stored, commonly known as the "Sheep and Horse Wall". But at this moment it is empty, with neither livestock nor anyone guarding it.
It is obvious that there are stables in the city, and the Xianbei cavalry are probably hiding in the city, but there should not be too many of them, because the city is so small, and three thousand cavalry is the maximum.
Most of the Xianbei cavalry were still in the field.
Thinking of this, Shao Yu turned his horse around and looked around.
The wilderness was deserted, with no human habitation in sight. The crops in the fields had just started growing. The village was empty, with no movement at all.
This is the strategy of clearing the countryside. Neither side is stupid, and by now, they both understand each other's tactics.
The Xianbei people certainly wanted to rely on the strong city defense to consume the vitality of the Liang army. When the energy was almost exhausted, they would send out the troops that had been recuperating in the city for a long time to launch a fierce attack.
If this tactic fails, then continue to defend until late autumn or early winter. When the Liang army has to retreat, pull out the war horses that have been fattened for the entire autumn, select brave knights who dare to fight, and follow in pursuit.
This tactic is not wrong, it can even be said to be quite reasonable, and this is how we should play.
The Liang army's tactics were also quite clear, which was to rely on strong military forces to besiege the city, with each unit taking turns to attack, leaving the enemy no chance to escape.
As long as the Murong clan is dealt with, even if this Xianbei force is not completely wiped out, it will take time for it to rise again.
Do you really think that anyone is qualified to be the leader of the grassland?
Sometimes you have to be superstitious. Whether in the Central Plains or the grasslands, there are either no talented and outstanding people for a long time, or a large number of them emerge in a short period of time, but then disappear again after a while.
The Murong family was lucky to have a founding leader like Murong Wei. Now it is time to suppress this force to prevent any talented and ambitious people from appearing among his descendants, causing trouble for Daliang and also for his future management of Liaodong.
After completing the inspection, he returned to the camp, took off his golden armor, called Lieutenant Sima Lu Han, and the two of them, one in front and one behind, carried a log and repaired the camp with the soldiers.
Huang Zheng, the commander of the left battalion of the Heiliang Army, looked at him in surprise but said nothing.
When the soldiers saw this, they were all convinced and worked even harder.
As the sun sets, the whole camp seems to be bustling with activity, while Jicheng is dead silent.
******
Murong Huang climbed to the top of the west city wall of Jicheng and looked at the Liang army camp.
Murong Ping and Feng Yi were the two with the highest status, and they followed him on the left and right. Behind them were the chief secretary, the Sima, the generals, and Murong Huang's slightly grown sons, such as Murong Zun, Murong Ke, and Murong Ba.
After all, these three sons are still too young.
The oldest, Murong Zun, was only sixteen years old. He had led troops for the first time a year ago and that was to drive out a small group of Goguryeo troops who retreated after the invaders went to Xuantu County.
Murong Ke and Murong Ba were even younger. The former had just started to get involved in military affairs but had never fought in a war, while the latter was only eleven years old and his body had not yet fully grown.
The three brothers followed their father and were shocked for a moment when they saw the powerful Liang army.
Murong Huang pursed his lips tightly.
To be honest, he felt a little regretful. He felt that he had been tricked. He should not have listened to the advice of the shogunate samurai and stayed to fight to the death.
He had a full month to escape, and although there might be conflicts with other tribes during the retreat, those people were not to be feared and could be defeated, or even robbed.
After settling down in a distant place, you can send people to inquire about the news in Changli. If the Liang army has already retreated, you can come back in batches.
Of course, there are downsides to doing this.
Before Shao withdraws his troops, he will definitely relocate a large number of Hu and Han people who are farming. These people cannot escape.
Some vassal tribes would surrender and obey the orders of the Liang Dynasty. Shao Ze would even directly reward them with the land and pastures of Changli, so that they would turn against their former masters. Even if they were not trusted, they could be moved to the Central Plains so that they would not have the opportunity to surrender and rebel again.
According to conservative estimates, once the Yan Kingdom retreats, it will lose almost half of its population and two-thirds of its strength, which is indeed very painful.
But staying seems to have more disadvantages. What if the city is broken?
His mind was in a state of confusion, and his expression kept changing.
Feng Yi had been observing Murong Huang and knew that he was regretful, so he immediately said, "Your Majesty, the four rebels Murong Han, Murong Ren, Murong You, and Murong Zhi have already attached themselves to the thief Shao. If you flee without a fight, your prestige will be greatly damaged. The thief Shao will send people to pacify them, and the Xianbei tribes will surely split."
Murong Huang was alerted when he heard this and said, "The Prime Minister is indeed resourceful. Now that things have come to this, I have nothing to say. Let's just fight."
Sima Hanshou stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, at this moment, the whole city is watching, and we must not show weakness. Today, the enemy army is arrayed in the field, and their military might is so great that our army has been demoralized. Why not take advantage of their new arrival and unstable position to send brave men out of the city to challenge them to a fight? Even if we don't win a big victory, it will be enough to reassure the people."
Murong Huang's intention was moved.
"Brother." Military Advisor General Murong Ping also said, "Jicheng is huge, and the Liang army may not be able to surround it completely. It is better to fight first. If things fail, it will not be too late to leave."
Murong Huang nodded slowly and asked, "Who can go to fight?"
"General Lan Bo is a good choice," recommended Prime Minister Feng Yi.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to fight." Lambo took two steps forward and said loudly.
Murong Huang was also very satisfied with this candidate. Lan Bo was a relative of his late concubine Lan, and was brave and good at fighting. He was indeed very suitable, so he said: "I will give you 500 people, go out of the city--"
Murong Huang glanced around the west of the city, then looked towards the south, and said, "Attack the bandit army in the south of the city."
"Yes, sir." Lambeau replied loudly.
Not long after, the south gate of Jicheng was opened, and three hundred armored cavalry came out first, followed by two hundred armored cavalry, and finally more than a hundred of Lambo's own troops. After forming a rough battle array in the south of the city, they pointed with a flag, made a circle, avoided the trenches and deer horns in front, and went to the flank of the Liang army in the south of the city.
The first battle of the attack and defense of Jicheng began inadvertently on the evening of the second day of June.
(End of this chapter)