Chapter 235 In Danger, Sima Frustrated
The sun was scorching in the sky, and the crimson flags were buzzing.
At the foot of Wudang City, thousands of Han troops formed phalanxes and, encouraged by the loud drums behind them, marched towards the Wudang City wall in front.
In front of the thousands of Han army formations, there were hundreds of anemone vehicles marching slowly.
When hundreds of anthems were traveling on the ground, their wheels made a screeching sound as they scraped against the ground.
When this sound reached the ears of Wei Jun on the city wall, they subconsciously clenched the spears in their hands.
Several days have passed since reinforcements arrived.
The Wei army on the city wall originally thought that with the arrival of reinforcements, the Han army outside the city would be wary, and it would not even be possible to retreat directly.
But in the past time, the Han army's response exceeded their expectations.
During these few days, the retreat of the Han army that the Wei army in Wudang City was fully expecting did not happen. What they were waiting for was the continuous fierce attack of the Han army for several days.
Even though the corpses of Han soldiers were already covered under the city wall, this still did not make the Han army outside the city want to retreat.
Under the command of Mi Yang, they were like a machine that never stopped, attacking Wudang County day after day.
The Han army's continuous fierce attacks in recent days kept the Wei army in Wudang City in a tense state.
At the same time, their mentality towards the reinforcements outside the city was also quietly changing.
When Cao Tai's two thousand cavalry troops just appeared outside the city, the Wei army in Wudang City, who sensed the arrival of reinforcements, was full of gratitude for Cao Tai's reinforcements.
But as time went by, ever since Cao Tai's reinforcements arrived, the Han army outside the city seemed to pretend they didn't exist and had been attacking Wudang City fiercely.
While the Wei army in Wudang City was struggling to resist the Han army's offensive, the Wei army cavalry outside the Han army's camp just watched their comrades being besieged, but they were still unable to stop the Han army's siege.
Thousands of Wei cavalry troops had no choice but to wander outside the Han army's camp for several days.
The Wei army in Wudang City could repel Mi Yang's army without asking for reinforcements, but the reinforcements they regarded as their saviors could not even hinder the Han army.
What is the use of such reinforcements?
Especially as time passed, the Wei army in Wudang City also discovered reinforcements outside the city, numbering only a few thousand.
This made Wei Jun in Wudang City feel even more confused.
Under the influence of various factors, the excitement of the Wei army in Wudang City about the arrival of reinforcements from outside the city was rapidly weakening.
Even in their hearts, they slowly began to blame the reinforcements outside the city.
Since it is reinforcements, why not support them to the end?
Perhaps Man Chong, the chief general in Wudang City, knew the helplessness of the reinforcements outside the city, but the Wei troops in Wudang City were ordinary people, and they did not have Man Chong's foresight.
Like most people, they have human weaknesses.
Under the fierce offensive of the Han army outside the city for several days, and facing the threat of death, the human weaknesses of the Wei army in the city were rapidly amplifying.
People's hearts are their morale. Once there is no hope in people's hearts, morale will naturally start to decline.
The Wei army on the city wall looked at the Han army approaching step by step below. The palms of their spears were sweating.
Soon after, thousands of Han troops under the city, led by hundreds of anthurium vehicles, crossed the filled-in moat.
After several days of continuous siege by the Han army, the greatest achievement of the Han army was that it had filled in the moat outside the north gate of Wudang.
Although the Han army lost many soldiers in this process, siege warfare has been like this since ancient times. Sometimes it is necessary to use human lives to fill a path for attack.
Although many Han soldiers died under Wudang City during this period, the morale of the Han soldiers was not greatly affected.
Because their morale is at the bottom after a big victory, and there is a famous general with great military exploits behind them. This is the biggest source of their morale.
Hundreds of anemone vehicles were clearing the way in front of thousands of Han troops. After driving across the filled-in moat and entering less than a hundred steps away from the Wudang city wall, numerous fire arrows began to fall from the city wall.
However, anthracite is not a trench bridge. Most of the outside of anthracite is covered with rawhide to prevent fire.
When he was in Gong'an City, the reason why Mi Yang was able to destroy the anemone with fire arrows was because the Wu army's anemone was loaded with soldiers of the Wu army.
Mi Yang used the method of igniting Wu's soldiers to destroy each anemone.
But now, the Han army's hundreds of chariots are not filled with people, but with a large amount of loess.
Under such circumstances, it would not be easy to use fire arrows to cause damage to Anthronium.
When hundreds of chrysanthemums arrived less than a hundred steps away from the city wall, thousands of Han troops from the rear also came behind hundreds of chrysanthemums, and then began to draw their bows and shoot arrows towards the city wall.
The Han army shot arrows from high places, and the bodies of Wei soldiers on the city walls were often hidden among the battlements.
Therefore, when the Han army's arrows reached the city wall, they could not cause much damage to the Wei army on the wall.
But the purpose of the Han army was not to kill the Wei army on the city wall.
Thousands of arrows arrived to disrupt the Wei army's actions on the city wall.
Sure enough, when thousands of Han army arrows hit the city wall, the Wei army on the wall instantly fell into a brief panic.
In panic, they could no longer use fire arrows to disrupt the actions of the Han army behind Enshi.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Nan, who was commanding the Han army to attack the city, immediately waved his order with his flag.
He asked the Han army hiding behind the anemone to transport the loess in the anemone to a designated location and dump it.
The Han troops who were advancing the army moved very quickly.
After they dumped the loess in hundreds of chrysanthemums at the designated location, they quickly pushed the chrysanthemums out of the firing range of the Wei army on the city wall.
Covered by the arrows of the Han army under the city, hundreds of anemone vehicles soon retreated outside the moat.
After completing the cover mission, thousands of Han troops also slowly retreated.
After they retreated, under the command of Zhang Nan, another wave of Han troops began to walk out of the Han army camp.
And in front of them were hundreds of anthracnose.
It is obvious that the Han army repeated the action of dumping loess on the moat in rotation.
Man Chong on the city wall watched as the first wave of Han troops retreated and the second wave of Han troops slowly walked towards Wudang City.
His brows were furrowed deeply.
With rich experience, he could see at a glance what strategy the Han army adopted.
The Han army wanted to use the distance siege method.
"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu: The method of attacking a city should be done as a last resort. It takes three months to build the oars, culls, and equipment, and it takes another three months to build the distance from the ridge.
Jiqi refers to the mound built by the siege party close to the city.
On the one hand, this method can observe the actual situation in the city, and on the other hand, it can use the mound to allow soldiers to board the city.
Although Sun Tzu's Art of War said that it took three months to complete the formation, this was based on the second purpose of the formation.
If you want to pile up the mounds from the main camp all the way to the enemy's city wall, and to pile them up to the same height as the city wall, it will definitely take a long time under the obstruction of the defenders.
But if we look at another purpose of distance, it actually doesn’t take that long.
Tens of thousands of Han troops carried large amounts of loess non-stop and piled up the earth within a hundred steps of the Wudang city wall.
As long as the Wei army in the city does not rush out to stop the Han army's actions, then soon, mounds will be built within a hundred steps outside Wudang City.
After all, Wudang City Wall is not that high.
Man Chong expected that Mi Yangju's purpose was not just to observe the situation in the city.
Mi Yang's purpose was to have the Han army mount the mounds and shoot arrows into the city after the mounds were built.
Mi Yang could even build the mound higher than the city wall, and then the Han army would have a condescending advantage.
In the past, the reason why the Wei army in Wudang City was able to cause damage to the Han army outside the city was because of its condescending advantage.
But once the Miyangju is completed, the Wei army's condescending advantage will disappear, and Wudang City will fall into a huge crisis.
In fact, since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, countless siege and defense battles have taken place in the world. Whenever a new siege move appears on the siege side, the defender will have a way to deal with it.
Based on Man Chong's experience, there are two solutions to Mi Yang's siege method.
One of them led part of the army to camp outside the city, forming a corner with the city.
In this case, with the threat of the Wei army outside the city, the Han army could not safely build mounds outside the city.
But this method is not suitable for the current situation in Wudang City.
As for seeking help from reinforcements outside the city?
During this time, Man Chong had also lost confidence in Cao Tai and Sima Yi.
Of course Man Chong is aware of the subtle changes in public opinion in the city over the past few days.
The Wei army in the city did not have the courage to go out of the city to fight the Han army in the field, and besides, he did not have the extra troops to do so.
After eliminating this method, there is only one solution left.
Thinking of this, Man Chong's eyes flashed with a sharp look.
He ordered to summon all the powerful families in Wudang City again.
Outside the Han army's camp, Cao Tai led a part of the cavalry to patrol around.
Not far away from him, bursts of shouts and curses rang out from the Wei cavalry, and then drifted towards the Han army camp ahead.
But no matter how unpleasant and loud the scoldings of the many Wei troops were, the gate of the Han army's camp was never opened.
Not long after, a Wei soldier rode up to Cao Tai quickly and reported to him: "General, there is still no one in the Han camp who has come out to fight."
Listening to the reports from his soldiers, Cao Tai's face was filled with gloom.
In the past few days of continuous scolding, the Han army camp did not even open the camp gate and come out to attack them, but they did not even send people to fight with them.
If he hadn't seen many Han soldiers mobilizing in the Han army camp, Cao Tai would have thought that the Han army camp in front of him was an empty camp without people.
Just after the soldier reported it, Cao Tai finally couldn't bear the depression in his heart. He ordered the Wei soldier: "Call the censor Zhongcheng to see me."
Under Cao Tai's order, Sima Yi, who was summoned, quickly came to Cao Tai.
Compared to Cao Tai's impetuousness, Sima Yi's face looked calm, but the trace of anxiety in his eyes still revealed his true mentality.
When Sima Yi arrived, Cao Tai asked Sima Yi anxiously before Sima Yi finished saluting:
"Zhongda, didn't you say that the Han army would come out to fight?"
"Why has our army been insulting the Han army for several days, but the Han army still hasn't come out of camp to fight?"
After listening to Cao Tai's words, a look of shame appeared on Sima Yi's face.
When Cao Tai asked Sima Yi what he should do next, Sima Yi's answer was that he could take advantage of the Han army's arrogant mentality.
In Sima Yi's view, the Han army had just won a great victory and must be in a state of satisfaction now.
In such a state, the Han army would inevitably underestimate the enemy.
What's more, the current strength of the Han army is more than ten times theirs.
So Sima Yi's strategy was that they could take advantage of this mentality of the Han army and insult them outside the Han army's camp.
Those who underestimate the enemy will definitely feel angry when being insulted, and will send troops when angry.
The Han army was all infantry, and the areas outside the Han army's camp were undefensible plains.
Because they were going to besiege the city and it was impossible for the Han army to march out in full force, the most likely possibility was to send a part of the Han army out of camp to attack them.
In addition, they were calculated mentally but not intentionally, so as long as they planned well, it was possible to defeat the Han army who came out of the camp.
Even if the Han army cannot be defeated, with the mobility of the Wei army's cavalry, the Han army cannot pose a threat to them.
The morale of the Han army comes from a great victory, but if the Han army is defeated by its own cavalry whose strength is far lower than theirs, the morale of the Han army will be affected.
The morale of the Wei army in Wudang City will become more stable after seeing them achieve a victory.
In this way, Wudang City will undoubtedly be defended longer.
It is not even certain that Mi Yang would withdraw his troops early after taking into account the decline in his own morale.
It can be said that Sima Yi had a very good idea, but what he did not expect was that his strategy failed as soon as it was implemented.
After several days of insults from the two thousand Wei troops, the Han army seemed to have gone deaf.
The Han army regarded these two thousand Wei troops as nothing.
In the end, the two thousand Wei troops outside the Han army's camp were just like two thousand prostitutes performing a one-man show, which made people laugh.
This made Sima Yi feel like he was powerless and had nowhere to go.
But today, Sima Yi also understood why Mi Yang was like this.
He remains unchanged in the face of change.
Mi Yang's approach of adapting to ever-changing changes not only completely blocked all avenues of survival in Wudang County, but also left Sima Yi with nothing to do.
A feeling of frustration began to appear in Sima Yi's heart.
Facing Cao Tai's inquiry, Sima Yi looked at the Han army camp ahead.
After a long time, he sighed and slowly said to Cao Tai: "The manpower has been exhausted, and it depends on God's will next."
Even though he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, in the face of absolute strength, his tricks can't have much effect.
Hearing what Sima Yi said, Cao Tai's face showed a deep look of worry.
What Sima Yi said was helpless, but now it is true.
(End of chapter)
This chapter has been completed!